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

Hello. Another barger-inner. I got sucked in by the long title too.

I wanted to ask Phil about his lack of TV. Is that by choice? If so, I have made the same choice. It started out by accident - after I graduated from University and started living on my own, I just never bought one because I didn't feel settled. After a while, it became a choice - I didn't want one. Mostly because I realized what a waste of time it usually was (note that I said "usual" - there were/are some good programs on, like Star Trek, Get Smart and Batman!). Anyway, I have now been without TV for more than 20 years and don't miss it much (although there have been some occasions when it would have been nice). My 7-year old daughter has only seen TV a handfull of times in her life and it shows. She has a long attention-span, is not into the latest fads and reads at about a grade 7 or 8 level (we also home-school her). Before she was born, we used to regularly go to movies, but haven't been to many in the last 7 years, since we haven't felt strongly enough about it to try to find a baby sitter. These I really do miss, however and at some point we may break down and get a TV with a VCR just to watch movies. Then again, my daughter is almost at the movie-going age now ...

I can't add anything about Ry Cooder, because I don't know any of his stuff.

Well, you can join us in exhorting Mike to rent Baron von Munchhausen!

I would if I had seen it myself

The lack of TV is through choice. Like yourself Garius, after I finished uni and moved out on my own a TV wasn't high on the list of priorities. After a while it just seemed normal not to have a TV. Where I live at the moment, I've nowhere to put a TV even if I wanted one (which I don't). I do have a large collection of CDs and listen to the radio a lot and now spend a lot of time online if I'm in. I find that there are some things I miss, music shows, motor racing and a few other things but when I see the kind of stuff put out during prime time then I can't say I care for it!

If Mike is being stubborn about the Baron, he could try Time Bandits as another way into Gilliam's movies. The opening sequence with the little boy in bed and then build up to the point where the horse and rider jump out of the wardrobe, brilliant

Not stubborn, just forgetful. Mike and his 10 year-old brother will really love the Baron, I just have to keep reminding him. You're right, Time Bandits is brilliant too, but there's something about the sets and costuming and graphics on Baron that I just adore. Not to mention Robin Williams as King of the Moon

I never watch tv any more. At least, hardly ever.

I ain't being stubborn about Baron VM, it's just finding an opportunity to get out of the house, today is monday, so I thought I'd try and get it along with the South Park movie ("shut your f**king face uncle-f**ker!"). But school's up tomorrow, so I thought I'd leave it until the weekend. A lot of reminders would be handy, yeah!
Lil mentioned Time Bandits to me too.

Lil, daddy had been using the search engine to see how easily a strag (my words) could find my official Eric Clapton article. I showed him myself, History Of Eric Clapton came up top of the pile, he was happy.
It seems nobody on h2g2 has noticed that the article's title came from a 1972 compilation, that I own HA HA HA!

Guess that's all, for now...

Oh yeah, Lil, I finished reading The Mouse And His Child. It's pretty darn warped, innit?

AArgh, yet another simulpost.

Oh good, you finished the Hoban. Yeah, warped might be one way to put it. I love the little bit where the two worms are going down the big fish's throat, and one worm says "It looks bad," and the second says, "You never know, something good might turn up at the last minute," and I think the fish says "This way please,"and they get swallowed. I read it and thought, hm, this children's book is somewhat on the edge.

Baron: I predict the whole family of Atkinses will like the movie.

I think that Baron Von Munchusen and Time Bandits are a great introduction to Gilliam. They both get airings on the TV here every now and again. Jabberwocky (inspired by the poem in Alice through the looking glass) is another of his films.
His movies do have a certain something about them. Probably due to him being a member of the Python team.

Looks like the header shortening didn't work out. You just can't stop Eddie

When they killed off Iggy, just as quickly as they killed off Ralphie, I thought "nobody is safe!" When Manny Rat turned good, I thought he was going to start killing off all my favourite characters.
It's the way they die and nobody gives a secong thought, that's what gets me.

Have to go now ...

Nobody IS safe. But is this a nice thing to tell children? And Manny Rat, would he have turned nice if he hadn't lost his teef? Anyway, now you know what it means for something to be beyond the last visible dog!

Hoban still writes children's books, and I read them because they have a certain magic.

I'm certain I had more to say about stuff up there...but it seems the moment to speak has gone

There you go tantalizing me again.

In this place of simulposts, cobwebbed downloads and 4 hr intervals between sentences in a conversation, the idea of a right moment to speak is ... interesting.

Should I say ... Is this the right ... Can I add ... What if ...

Naw. The time's past.

Go on, you know you wanted to say something

Aw, lay off me!

Wie geht's Lil? And everyone else...

At the moment just great because h2g2 is responding quite snappily. As soon as I hit bogs and jello, I'm going to stop. I have chores to do anyway. But hey, is this really you?

Yes, this is really me here *^_^*

I was just about to tell you that Looney found the website for that meteor commercial I was telling you about. You can actually download the commercial, and while it doesn't show the whole screen you can hear the soundtrack (it's a 15-second spot) and maybe see why we think they are so funny. There are three and the meteors and the mosquitoes are the funniest.

But then you had to log out of IM real fast, so I didn't get a chance.

Next post I make to this thread will have the commercial's URL.

http://www.discovery.com/ad_ventures/onairspots/#