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

As always, I wish I had more time for regular responses!

I'm considering whether to check out the picture album. Although I don't see it affecting our conversations here, the mind is a tricky thing.

I already get a fairly clear picture, of a general sort. Certainly sufficient to feel that we'd get along just fine in a social situation.

If pressed, I might make guesses, but that would require assumptions. For example, statistics and your previous posts would indicate that you are ain intelligent, straight, middle-aged male of above-average fitness; most likely caucasian; of average or slightly less than average height; most likely of christian descent; multi-lingual; live near a heavily wooded area; enjoy out-of-the-way places; have a limited number of favourite music genres; don't read as much as you think you should; eat well but not always healthy; enjoy the occasional pub, preferably with mates; tend to dress more warmly than might be considered average; and have an occasional ache in your lower right leg or ankle - perhaps your right shoulder as well.

None of this is particularly accurate, I'm sure.

I like my Guiness, but prefer Smithwicks, Leinenkugel, and Fosters (no 'light' beers). Even more so, I like a black russian, tom collins, or margarita. I do now at least 50 ways of preparing a potato. I'll fess up a bit, too. In the Cork area, there are still a couple of family-named castles, and a town or two named for our family there. The castles aren't populated, but the towns are.

Looking back at my posts, I'd see many of the same assumptions likely for me. I'd read me as, statistically, a straight, middle-aged male of less-than-average fitness; most likely caucasian of average to above average height; most likely of christian descent; have a wide range of favourite music genres; don't read as much as I would like; eat well but not particularly healthy; in a job that pays well enough to justify the commute - probably in an office environment.

Anonymity can be a fine thing, but I've never been a person of extremes. Obviously, I've mentioned considering myself to be a rational person, and most consider me above average in intelligence. I'm a sort of pale shade of pinky-russett, little in the way of spots, full head of hair although (I'm your average fifteen stone first-footer).

I hope that spoiling the mystery does not ruin your day!

Spoilers form you? Never Perhaps some small glimpses into your universe, as ephemeral and enigmantic as a quasar peered at via Jodrell bank. though what is the name of that new European radio teklescope that has just been commissioned - Parck? I thought all had been rendered obselete by Hubble, though I guess Hubble is merely a reflector? My knowledge of such things is woefully lacking.

The picture album illustrates little, aside from the places I love and an anchorite tendancy. Your guesses are correct, aside from it's the lower left leg, a legacy of discovering I'm not as all terrain and robust as my mountain bike.

It's good to know where people come from, a few billions of years after the initial explosion and where they are headed in the nano instance of time we spend in this dimension. It makes a refreshing change from the puerile flaming and trolling encountered elsewhere.
Understanding people and the way they are is fundemantal to my nature, sometimes we must probe deeply to occassionaly a little to aggressively to find things out. It's a fine line when playing devils advocate, I should remind myself - "When the pin is pulled, Mr grenade is not our friend" Man mangement is my forte, but I'm not invulnerable and not without pride
Though like your good self, I am rational and not prone to extremes, but have to admit being a bit of a Monady Club Conservative, I tend to believe most ex-military types are

Have you ever seen 'Dark Star' circa 1974? It has to rate as one of my all time favourites, the type of thing I watch to lift my spirits on dull days.

Dark Star, eh?! Sounds intriguing.

Is that the hero's name? Is it anything like 'The Last Starfighter'?
Or, more like Red Dwarf?

Erm, Yes, the Hubble is a reflector-style telescope. However, it's receptors are, I believe, digital; which is why we're getting such sharp pictures that can be so imaginatively manipulated.

Still, it works largely on the visible spectrum, so it's easier for us to relate to the images when they are so delivered. The radio telescopes have a different band-width, but it's all still radiation.

Ah, I presumed that you would statistically turn out to be right handed; thus my guess of right side wear and tear of joints used in walking!

As to where people come from, this little mudball is so relatively insignificant to what we see through our telescopes, that we amount to a point of origin as it is! Still, it's big enough to us that I get your point!

Speaking of 'pins pulled', I responded again to my PR entry on guidelines for debating the 'Ultimate Question' posed by DNA.

Ah, more proof of your generally conservative nature! And, thanks for serving! One must admire, respect, and appreciate those who contribute to sanity, safety, and peace in the world.

Double

I think I would class 'Dark Star' more along the lines of Red Dwarf, though much, much, blacker humour. Dark Star is the name of the spacecraft. I would say my personal 'hero', for want of a better word, would be the intransigence of Bomb No20. Perhaps my admiration of it brings into question my own sanity, safety and peacefulness

BTW statistically you are correct, but statistics can not account for idiosyncrasies life throws at us. There are more things in this world, Horatio, than you can possibly dream.

Is the new European telescope called Parck? I'm sure I read of it somewhere, I may be mistaken

Now I must have a look at the 'Ultimate Question', the invitation was too obvious to neglect

Ah, a Dark Red Dwarf!

I presume that Bomb No20 did not wish to fulfull its intended purpose? Given that purpose, I'm on the side of the bomb, too!

Statistics can certainly lead you astray, all right. That's why I prefaced everything with 'If I were to conjecture" sort of language.

Parck? I'm hoping it's Prak! Considering that he was drugged to tell only the truth, that would be a great name!!

Oh, please don't worry about, or bother with, the UQ thing. It's gone to sleep long enough that I might yet get it into the guide if nobody else posts!!!

Therein lies my admiration for Bomb No20, it is quite determined to fulfil its intended purpose, regardless of the crews efforts. Quote:

Sgt Pinback (Played by Dan Dannon 'Alien' director) "You can't explode in the bomb bay, that's stupid, you'll just kill us all".

Bomb No20. "I'm am programmed to detonate in 25 seconds. Dentonation will occur at the programmed time"

Sgt Pinback "Wouldn't you consider just hanging around for a bit till we can disarm you".

Bomb No20. "No"

Lt Dolittle does successfully convince the Bomb not to detonate, whereby the Bomb returns to the Bomb bay to consider its place in relation to life, the universe and everything To say more would be a spoiler, but some other samples of the black humour are the Captains log entries one of which is - "No2. storage locker self destructed to day and destroyed the entire ships supply of lavatory paper". I really couldn't see Captain Kirk admitting to that one It is a very view of all the things that can and do go wrong, with a philosophical slant - something I think may appeal to your thought processes There is a staement during the opening credits "They're not lost in space, they're loose".

Computer presented with one of the more serious forms of death, monday morn.
Communicating through an ancient form of PDA.
my apologies for any delay or inconvenience.

Di it give a terminal whine? or merely a syntax error. Thank goodness for blackberry

Blue Screen, and couldn't find the Windows System files.

Hard-drive probably dropped a sector or something, so I decided that it was time to retire my 7YO model and bring in a newer one.

It's working fine, and I've salvaged the old hard-drive to make sure I didn't lose my files.

Hey, thanks for chiming in on the entry! Didn't expect that, but I appreciate it

The thread is getting kind of long-ish, so I just left the response to FM.

Been taking a bit of a sabbatical, keeps me off the IT top 10 'offenders' list for being on non-work related websites - that includes the BBC very obviously

Blue screen and no windows system files? Sounds like a registry fault, you could always try a reboot with the original XP disc That is if you have contributed to Bill Gates billions and not naughtily used a corporate edition
None-the-less, I always take a large hammer to my old hard drives, too many clever <geek. out there wiling to salvage personal and banking information from old hard drives Most don't realise just how easy it is to read unencrypted emails, as easy as reading a postcard via steam mail

I did feel FM was being a little pedantic, I did genuinely appreciate the idea you wanted to put across. Sometimes, and I empathise with King Bomba's efforts on designing the 'sigh' smiley. Everyone ws so critical, though I felt if they thought it should be changed, then jolly well have a go yourselves

I have a piece on 'Ultra distance endurance eventing' gathering dust, lacking the confidence to publish it for the edited guide. I really ought to pull my finger out, publish and be damned

Compared to me, You'll be the darling of PR!

Except of course when I'm playing your advocate As I said to FM and others, the success lies in the level of debate and thought generated It is a fine line between playing advocate and trolling. Hence so many times I think "Do not feed the trolls"

Humour, something I fall foul of so many times , is so difficult to put across in the isolation of a screen, lacking the social nuances of body language, being able to gauge the feelings and moors of others Publish in haste and regret at leisure At least we have the comfort of anonymity
There are some very prickly egos here and some just plain
Takes one to know them

There is a group whose comedy I've occasionally found quite funny. They called themselves 'Firesign Theatre'. What occurs to me is the title of one of their albums, 'I think we're all bozos on this bus'.

Took me awhile, back in the late 1970s, to find out what bozos meant, but it works out to something akin to clowns.

I agree, is all I'm sayin'

Homnesytly can't say I have heard from 'Firesign Theatre', bozos as well? An americanism? Or perhaps I have just lead a sheltered life depite living next to the South Western approaches, that hasn't blown across the Atlantic, yet, to me.

I see FM is continuing the diatribe, despite repeatly stating unsubbing The continuing debate is succeeding, the number of posts is evidence.

I know what you mean. Apparently, the term has been around since about 1912; but I think Firesign Theatre was going for the context of a children show's clown host. Either that, or they mean the americanized term for 'regular guy'.

True, our dear FM seems laser-focussed on tranforming the site into something that appears only in his daydreams.

He never did respond to my challenge though, to show me where he got the impression that I was DNA-centric.

However, buzzing gnats are still just gnats.

It would appear the Eds and sub eds have drawn a line under whether your entry is appropriate for the edited guide. I have no opinion and am not qualified to judge, unlike the great and good.
One may question what the edited guide is? A a genuine encyclopedia of facts, or a random collection of thoughts and ideas. Who knows, obviously the Eds, Sub-Eds and scouts etc. It is, ultimately their train set, so they get the ultimate say and, I repeat, there are some very prickly egos out there. An interesting academic exercise for you

On a lighter note, how goes the peering into the depths of the universe? Know that when you look in to the abyss, the abyss also looks into you

"True, our dear FM seems laser-focussed on tranforming the site into something that appears only in his daydreams."

Utter rubbish. I signed up to something because I was stimulated my DNA's vision for this site, making the HHGTTG a reality for *everyone*, not just a few diehard fans. You know: going out, experiencing real life, meeting real people, engaging with topics of real interest, visiting real places and sharing those real experiences to the benefit of all, all through the power of the Internet. I still think that has a lot to offer, and not just to people who spend a lot of time here.

Now tell me how this 'crappy little entry' (a quote from one of this site's 'leading lights') goes any way to meeting this vision, will you?

Hello interloper You seem sufficiently obsessed with FT's entry to pursue it on the original and now other threads, despite numerous statements you were unsubbing, how interesting the abyss looks in - I wish I had more time to discuss this

No, I'm just sick to the back teeth with being grossly and continuously misrepresented. As long as this continues, I'll continue the 'diatribe'.

FM:

I'll have to respond to your question with an obvious question.

What part of making the HHGTTG site a reality for everyone excludes diehard fans? Aren't we part of 'everyone', too?