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

As I've faced up to all the various essays, exams and assessments at the end of my first semester as a student, I have been very glad to have an old Harvard mathematics lecturer to lift my spirits. A couple of weeks ago, just after I'd been traumatised by the experience of trying to put together my first University essay, I got myself a copy of 'The Remains Of Tom Lehrer', a three-CD box set containing all the significant works of the great satirical singer-songwriter I wrote about in A907517 .

It really was the perfect tonic. It's hard to take further education overly seriously when you've just been listening to 'Bright College Days', in which our Tom drily dissects the notion that education is automatically an ennobling experience: 'Hearts full of youth/Hearts full of truth/Six parts gin to one part vermouth'.

I have been cheerfully singing along with some of the great man's finest works. If my neighbours can hear, I do hope they're enjoying 'Poisoning Pigeons In The Park' and 'The Masochism Tango'.

In the weeks ahead, I'm sure I'll move on to Tom's 'A Christmas Carol': '...So let the raucous sleigh bells jingle/Hail our dear old friend Kriss Kringle /Driving his reindeer across the sky/Don't stand underneath when they fly by.'

Good to see you're still smiling

and so lets all sing one last time...

We'll all go together when we go

What a comforting fact that is to know...