h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Although I spend most of my time drawing, alas I am no Artist

However should anyone write an entry about a one-eyed penguin - I am ready. Thanks to my misunderstanding of Icy's rendition of my own instructions

It might be worthwhile to have a page for the current volunteer levels and needs, I know each of the groups have their own pages, but I am thinkng of a sort of hub, perhaps with a header for each group with a brief status posting. If this was a link on the FP some people might find a nitch

F S

There's a possibility that I might be able to visit the Fantasy of Flight Museum in August - have you been there?

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I have not stopped there, but have passed it many times.

The Museum is at about the half-way point between here and Orland and their land extends down to the edge of Interstate 4, the main east-west highway, where they have a large sign.

From everything I've heard it is quite impressive. I've been to a few aero-museums around here, but every time I pass Fantasy of Flight am either in a hurry going some place, or trying to get home at a decent hour

Keep me posted on your plans, I am about an hour away.



F S

Basically my inlaws are retiring in August, and they've decided to celebrate with a family holiday to Florida and pay for us to go with them, which is incredibly kind of them. As it is a family holiday most of it will be spent as a family doing family things, such as Disneyworld, but I do want to try to sneak off at some point and see the Fantasy of Flight - it's a long way to go to not see one of the world's largest aircraft collections, particularly as the world's last air-worthy Short Sunderland flying-boat is there.

Other than being over between 16-26 August, I can't say more at the moment. If you live nearby it'd be great to meet you - I'll be the one trying to find the Short Sunderland...

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I don't suppose I can be cheeky and ask if you can go along to:
F43882?thread=8302665

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Did anyone notice that *somebody* got their 5th Flea Market Rescue on the FP today?


F S

That's great news! I see you've now got your Scavenger badge.

I'd like to interview you again for the next issue of Supermarket in celebration - but as I've already interviewed you, I might have to think of a way to make it different. (Can't think of anything other than you interviewing me, but that wouldn't really be you being interviewed, so back to the drawing board...)

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Take a look at A2105056 and let me know what you think. You are welcome to copy the text, add your answers and whatever else you want to add and send it to the post if you like. I will wait and read it there.



F S

Thanks for the questions – I'll have a think and answer them. I would say that a couple of the first questions are similar to ones I've answered for the 'Venerable Researchers' column in the post, so I hope you don't mind if I don't answer them again?

The question I do have for you is, if this were your column, is there anything you'd do differently, or anything extra you'd include?

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By the way, did you have any photographs or illustrations that you'd like to include in the Model Railways project?

If so, send them to the usual e-mail address!

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The bottom Photo in A87778462 is one of my Father's layouts from the mid 1950's. It is an O-27 Lionel Rail Road. I may put up a simple system myself in the next few weeks, but no promises. If I get a chance I might upload something but please don't wait on me.



F S

Hello FS

Just dropping by to remind you that it's the exciting time when you get to make your Scout Picks!

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Thank you for the reminder



F S

And thanks for making your picks!

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I expect to be in your neighbourhood the end of next month A87755755, Let me know if you would like to get together for pint or two, If you are too busy, do not worry about it, just a thought

F S

I could potentially head down to Pompey on the 2nd October - I imagine you'll want to spend as much time in Portsmouth as possible rather than head up to Southampton?

I'll look into it and get back to you.

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Hello

After our conversation about 'Doctor Who', I was wondering whether you’d be interested in helping out with a Uni Project I've started. I thought I'd do a Flea Market Rescue of A1067339 - The world of American Television reinventions only to discover that the original author had planned for it to be one of 3 or 4 entries, with 2 others completed. So what I had thought would be a nice, simple tidying up an article now looks like a Uni project. See A87847573 for more info and let me know whether you'd like to be involved.

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Hi <BB<

It sounds like an interesting project.

I briefly read through your introduction at A87847393

Just a few thoughts;

In your section 'Why Not Simply Broadcast the Original Series?'

Another point is 'product placement'. At least in the US not all advertisements are in the commercials, many companies will pay a large fee to have their bottle or food package prominently displayed in a scene. If the script calls for someone to take a drink of soda, Coke and Pepsi will try to outbid each other to make sure he has selected their brand. Obviously there will not be any advantage to show a product the viewers can't purchase locally. Branson Pickle is hard to find here

It might be worthwhile in your section on 'PBS';

To add a note that many British specials, like concerts and documentaries are shown during 'pledge week' with the hope of raising money from people who do not regularly watch their shows.

I am not sure that the PBS stations are quite as independent as you imply most of them have, at least, an informal understanding so they can produce shows like 'Sesame Street' and the original 'Muppets' (I think they graduated to commercial television)

In 'Other Differences Between British and American Television'

You should mention that our televisions use different scan rates (the number of lines in the picture) If the show is recorded on film (more expensive) this is not a problem, but if it is recorded on video it has to be converted with a loss of quality (ether adding blank lines or removing some).

On an interesting side note the old 'I Love Lucy' shows are one of the few shows shown here from the 1950's. They owned a studio in California and insisted on using film for each show that were flown to New York each week to the Network studio for production.

In the Section 'Other Reinventions'

The popular 'Adult Cartoon' 'The Flintstones' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones
was clearly based on the earlier show 'The Honeymooners' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Honeymooners

The US show 'Hot l Baltimore' (the 'e' in the neon sign was burnt out) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_l_Baltimore might have been loosely based on 'Fawlty Towers'

I am not sure we can be sure what programs may have been inspired by others, but you already state that this can not be complete list.

I did not mean to go on so long, but have gotten my interest.

You already have me working behind the scenes on an Entry about 'The Riddle of the Sands' from a casual remark in your spy Entry. Haven't put anything up here yet.



F S

Oh, I meant to add for your footnote in the US - the new shows are in the autumn-winter months when most people stay home out of the cold. They are repeated in the spring-summer season.

F S

I'm glad I got your interest - that is what I had hoped to do. I've not got time to add your points to the entry right now, but they are exactly the sort of thing the project needs. After all, it is a bit difficult trying to write about British television in America when I'm not actually in America - a bit of a disadvantage. (Another disadvantage is that the original author mentions a lot of television series that I've not seen, especially ones made around the time he wrote the entry, while I didn't own a television between 1998-2002).

How can you cope without Branston Pickle? I can't imagine life without cheese and pickle sandwiches...

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