HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: wusel@hactar.hanse.de (Kai 'wusel' Siering)
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 06:06:18 +0100
Organization: Villa Straylight, Hamburg, FRG
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Let's get DNA on the Net!
X-Newsreader: Ann 0.9
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

In article <6639@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>, ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk (R Clement) writes:
% In article <1992Oct30.135951.235@rivers> ph9991_manfr@rivers.acc.uwrf.edu writes:
% >I think we'd all like to see Douglas on the net, so why don't we all
% >write his publishers and tell them to get him a commercial account
% >with newsgroup access?   Or failing that, write to him in care of his
% >publishers and tell him what public telnet sites he could use to
% >post to the groups?
%
% Because *every* single new person who joined in on this newsgroup (of which
% there are probably tens of thousands) would mail him saying something like
% "Hi Doug, love your HHGTTG", probably making for about 100 messages per
% day. Then he would receive about 50 messages per day saying "What did you
% really mean when Ford...". Another 100 saying "When are you going to write
% a new novel" etc etc etc.

     That's what  I  would  assume,  too. But somehow, this doesn't seem to
happen:  I  assume  most  of you know who Terry Pratchett is - and this guy
*is*  on  the  net, posting as `Terry Pratchett' and answering email ... In
my  opinion, after a short time in which DNA would be *flooded* with email,
the  traffic would drop to a managable volume (anybody in contact with Doug
may ask him to contact Terry about this) ...

% I suspect that should DNA really join this group, it would be under an
% assumed name, and he wouldn't let on to anybody (or nearly nobody) who
% he was.
%
% Then he would sit back and laugh like anything when he got flamed for
% being an ignorant so-and-so who doesn't have a clue what the books are
% all about.

Maybe, maybe not. Cmp. alt.fan.pratchett ...
			kai

--  _
 _ //   Kai 'wusel' Siering, Villa Straylight, Hamburg, Germany. Go for MIME!
 \X/: <wusel@hactar.hanse.de>  Exile: <wusel@wolfhh.hanse.de>  iso-8859-1:
From: mjl11@po.CWRU.Edu (Mario J. Latragna)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Young Zaphod-Huh?
Date: 9 Nov 1992 21:58:20 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu




	well, to set the record straight, or at least entirely
crooked, the story "Young Zaphod Plays it Safe" was originally 
published in the book "The Utterly Merry Christmas Comic Relief 
Book" which is a book written by many British authors for charity
many (7) years ago or so.


	we apologize for the inconvience

-- 
She wears my love		/ Oh love
Like a see-through dress	/ Like a screaming flower
Her lips say one thing		/ Love
Her movements something else	/ Dying every hour
From: dsteinbe@nmsu.edu (David Steinberg)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Vanity Plates
Date: 12 Nov 92 15:14:25 GMT
	<OAHVENLA.92Nov9104745@lk-hp-5.hut.fi> <uerics.721430673@mcl>
Organization: NMSU Computer Science

In article <uerics.721430673@mcl> uerics@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eric D. Shepherd) writes:

   Re: XYZZY

   I donn't remember XYZZY working.  There's a road in a small town in
   Arizona (I think) -- there's a sign telling you how to get there on the
   Interstate -- called "XYZZY ROAD".  Imagine my surprise in seeing _that_
   on my way to New Orleans. :)

   - Eric S.

No, no, no, no, no.  Unless there's something really odd going on
here, you're thinking of ZZYZX Road that is on I-15 in California
between L.A. and LasVegas.  There is an odd mystique around that road.
I should know; ever since I took it on as a pseudonym, people have
been telling me ZZYZX stories.  Maybe XYZZY is another one (Like the
store in Baltimore called ZYZYX...)
-David "ZZYZX" Steinberg- King of the ellipses
       (dsteinbe@emmy.nmsu.edu)
**********************************************************************
*"There's a dog in the station  *"I can't believe I'm a junior and a *
* With a bad reputation         * film major, when all I really      *
* That's a sign of the nation's * wanted in this life was to marry a *
* Decay"                        * lobsterman and cook fish."         *
* -Phish                        * -a letter from Christie Searing    *
**********************************************************************
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: uhschreg@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Ulrich Schreglmann)
Subject: Re: green stone-eaters
Organization: Student Pool, CSD, University of Erlangen, Germany
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 18:36:45 GMT

llw4511@rigel.tamu.edu (WRIGHT, LAURA LORRINE) writes:


>Where did you get "small green stone-eater who usually grabs all passing
>stones at a level of 2km below surface"?  I have never heard of that.  Is
>it from one of DNA's books?  Thanks in advance.

This is a joke my dad told me already, and it has nothing to do with
DNA, as far as I know.

It's told as follows:

Q: What is small and green, lives 2km below surface and eats stones?
A: It's the Small Green Stone-eater.

Wait some time, until the whole silly thing is forgotten, and the con-
versation has arrived somewhere completely else. Then:

Q: What would happen if you dug a hole right to the center of the Earth,
and out again on the other side, and then threw a stone into the hole
from one side? How far would it fall?

Wait some time, until all the speculations have been mentioned, like it
falls into the middle and stops, it falls out again on the other side,
or it swings to and fro for all eternity. Then solve the riddle:

A: No, it will fall down only 2km, where the Small Green Stone-eater
will catch it and devour it.

It's a smash when my dad tells it.


May the Cool Be with You!

(C)OOL mcmxcii
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: msr@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Michael Rosenberg)
Subject: Re: Douglas Adams Interview in East Lansing
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:19:54 GMT

In article <hal.23.721583956@radio.wkar.msu.edu> hal@radio.wkar.msu.edu (Hal Prentice) writes:
>What about a Hitchhiker movie?
>
>DA was silent on this point.
>

He answered this question when he was in Evanston, so I'll try to repeat what
he said...

About 10 years ago, he sold the script to some producer in Hollywood, and
proceeded to go to Hollywood in order to write the screenplay.  The producer,
it turns out, had bought the rights without ever having read it, but had had
other people read it and tell him the potential profit that could be made off
of it.  After reading some of the screen play, his comments went something
like this:  "Well, you talk here about the meaning of life the universe and
everything, and that's good...people find that interesting.  And you draw it
out here, that's also good...suspense.  But over here, you just tell them what
it is..."

DA's comment on this was (and this is an exact quote):  "It's like someone who
bought a gallon of chocolate chip icecream and then goes and complains about
all the little black chunks in it."

He said the movie rights are still owned by the same person/studio and unless
they either sell them to someone else or decide to do something with them, a
Hitchhiker's movie is stuck in limbo.

Hope this helps...

--Mike
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
*  Mike Rosenberg                   |   msr@casbah.acns.nwu.edu              *
*                                   |   jth@isp.nwu.edu                      *
*  "Weasel is not a nickname --     |   weasel@nwu.edu                       * 
*   it's a state of mind."          |                                        *
*                                   |                                        *
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Ordinariy he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid"
	Heinrich Heine
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: tscovill@well.sf.ca.us (Thomas Scoville)
Subject: how to get original tv hitchhiker's series.
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 00:04:49 GMT


Ok, does anybody know how to get VHS copies of
the original Hitch-hiker's Guide series aired
on BBC television? I know this is kindof a simple
question, but I'm alt.fan.douglas-adams impaired.

Thanks for the advice.

tscovill@well.sf.ca.us
From: xyzzy@mertwig.UUCP (Daniel Drucker)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Vanity Plates
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 92 16:53:13 EST
Organization: Odd Parity Hacker's Group

johnson@europa.aero.org (Wowbagger) writes:

> 
> JUST A CURIOSITY......
> 
> I have vanity license plates that read "WOWBAGR" (Wowbagger the Infinitely
> Prolonged).  Very often I will be stopped at a traffic light or getting out o
> my car when someone will ask me what the hell a "WOWBAGR" is.  But there is 
> always that one person out there...whether sitting in the next lane or walkin
> past me in the parking lot who will shout "42" at me.  It happens about once
> every other month.  I sometimes wonder what other book characters warrant suc
> a response from license plate appearances.  

Mine says XYZZY; (not from hitchhikers, but along the same lines) a word 
from the old ADVENT game. People always ask what it means. Occasionally, 
though, someone shouts either "PLUGH" (a synonym) or "NOTHING HAPPENS" 
(what happens when you type xyzzy in the wrong place).


--------------------S-N-I-P--------S-N-I-P------------------------------------
Daniel Max P. Drucker                      mertwig!xyzzy@jaflrn.uucp
The 14 year old ((LISP))/C++ genius.

#define SLOGAN  Hey! Lets port it to COBOL!
   Disclaimer: I don't know COBOL.

Difficulty! It's the single simplest machine in the entire Universe!
From: la_ind03@blurt.oswego.edu
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: DNA on Monty Python?
Date: 8 Nov 92 17:32:59 GMT
Organization: SUNY College at Oswego, Oswego, NY

Just a question...

All this talk about Douglas Adams and Monty Python, and I was wondering... I
was watching my tape of Monty Python episodes the other day and I saw in the
credits "Douglas Adams." I know he worked with them a bit, but did he ever
appear on the TV show or is this just a coincidence? (I'm a big fan of both him
and MP.)

Meredith
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: c9219517@cc.newcastle.edu.au (Scott Howard)
Subject: Re: Thoughts on MOSTLY HARMLESS (spoilers)
Organization: University of Newcastle, Australia
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 03:27:35 GMT
X-Posted-From: cis2106.newcastle.edu.au
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1992Nov5.053124.21067@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> fong_jh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Julian H Fong) writes:
>>>>|> *** WARNING. POSSIBLE SPOILERS! *** READ MOSTLY HARMLESS FIRST ***
>>>>
>>>>Ditto for me....
>>
>>Me, too...
>
>Same here (blank lines inserted...)
>
Yet again, same here!!!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>>|>   5. THHGTTG 6 is possible.
>>>>
>>>>'Course. But the Earth is gone-gone-gone-gone-(repeat infinitely....)
>>>
>>>Of course this is only true if the Guide Mk II is never ordered to bring
>>>the Earth back. Maybe if Fenny got her hands on it while looking for
>>>Arthur?
>>
>>Unfortunately for the Earth, this way out is impossible as the Guide
>>Mark II was destroyed at the same time the rest of the Earths were.
>>Sad but true.  :)

But who says that HHG 6 has to have the earth in it???

>
>she probably left it in Ford's RW6 rather than bring it to her interview
>with Tricia and later to Stavro Mueller BETA -- but the Vogon Captain must
>have had another "copy" of the Guide.  That is to say, only one Guide Mk
>II was ever manufactured, but it could replicate itself through time travel.)

But according to the new head of the HHG, the Guide Mk II would only ever 
belong to one person, so how could it make another copy of itself for the 
vogon???

Also, any ideas as to what the other memory block in the computer that 
Zaphod found was???  It was obviously something to do with the Guide Mk II 
as it refered to "in this building" and "13" (the floor the guide was on), 
but what exactly was it???

>	Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I think it's very
>characteristic of the increasing depth and complexity of Adams' writing.

Yep!!  So did I!!  

---
  Scott Howard

{ERROR #4 - File "HHG.SIG" not found}
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: adpeters@sunflower.bio.indiana.edu (Andy Peters)
Subject: Slartibartfast (was Re: What is a Ford Prefect anyway?)
Organization: Biology, Indiana University - Bloomington
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 02:45:52 GMT

In article <96666@netnews.upenn.edu> weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:

>While I'm at it, I'm curious is there
>something that Britishers know about the name Slartibartfast that
>caused Arthur to gag that us Americans are missing out on?

From _The_Original_Hitchhiker_Radio_Scripts_ (p. 70):

"I thought that this character should be a dignified, elderly man, weighed
down with the burden of a secret sorrow.  I wondered what this sorrow
should be, and thought perhaps he might be sad about his name.  I decided
to give him a name that anybody would be sad to have.  I wanted it to sound
as gross as it possibly could, while still being broadcastable.  So I
started with something that was clearly completely unbroadcastable, which
was PHARTIPHUKBORLZ, and simply played around with the syllables until I
arrived at something which sounded that rude, but was almost, but not
quite, entirely inoffensive."

>-- 
>-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)

-- 
* Andy Peters                     * "Slugs are small and portable    *From
* Program in Evolution,           * Just stuff 'em up your nose      *"Slugs,"
*      Ecology, and Behavior      * They'll fit beneath your armpits *by David
* Indiana University, Bloomington * Or right between your toes"      *Greenberg
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: chrisbee@nick.csh.rit.edu (I live in the water!)
Subject: Re: "How to leave a planet" - where is this from?
Organization: Computer Science House @ RIT
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 00:17:42 GMT

In article <9gJoTB6w165w@sday.pulp.nullnet.fi> jute@sday.pulp.nullnet.fi (Jussi Kantola) writes:
>
>Could someone tell me where the following text has been published?
>
>--Cut--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                How to Leave the Planet:
>
>1. Phone NASA. Their phone number is (731) 483-3111. Explain that it's very
>important that you get away as soon as possible.
>2. If they don't cooperate, phone any friend you may have in the White House,
> (202) 456-1414, to have a word on your behalf with the guys at NASA.
>3. If you don't have any friends at the White House, phone the Kremlin (ask the
>   overseas operator for 0107-095-295-9051). They don't have any friends there
>   either (at least, none to speak of), but they do seem to have a little
>   influence, so you may as well try.
>4. If that also fails, phone the Pope for guidance. His telephone number is
>011-39-6-6982, and I gather his switchboard is infallible.
>5. If all these attempts fail, flag down a passing flying saucer and explain
>that it's vitally important you get away before your phone bill arrives.
>
>
>DOUGLAS ADAMS
>Los Angeles 1983 and London 1985
>--------Cut-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
It's from the intro to The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide by DNA
>
>---wop------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Jussi Kantola    | Internet: jute@sday.pulp.nullnet.fi (jute@gadox.cirion.fi)
> Paltamo, Finland | "See first, think later, then test" -Wonko the Sane
>------------------------------------------------------------------------foop--


-- 
chrisbee@nick.csh.rit.edu****************cleric/magic-user2,1

Let's take something whose whole purpose in life is to be
unhealthy and give it the veneer of dietary worth.
From: A.G.Poole@newcastle.ac.uk (Alex Poole)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: 42 and 69 (again...)
Date: 12 Nov 92 10:02:57 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

This has probably been mentioned bfore, but what the heck...

I *know* that there is supposed to be no connection between these two numbers,
but has anyone noticed that the highest UK chart position attained by Bryan
Adams' "Summer of '69" was 42 ?

And thats 'forty-two', not '54 in base 13' *8-)

Seeya y'all

Alex
----



Alex
-----
Oh, screw the computer, I hope it gets plug-rot!
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: ross@bryson.demon.co.uk (Ross Beresford)
Subject: Re: zb: Re: Let's get DNA on the Net!
Organization: Bryson Limited, Reading, UK
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 20:15:27 GMT

Nick Leverton (leveret@warren.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: Err, I have an account on the same system as him (not this one! :-)),

I also have an account on CIX (rberesfo@cix.compulink.co.uk) and concur
with what Nick says.

dna doesn't call in very regularly, and in the last few years, I've only
ever seen two contributions from him on CIX (one in the analogue of this
group "dont_panic"): these were long postings that certainly convinced me
that the account is for real.

CIX is a large dial-up system that centres on local conferences: there is
a gateway that allows you to read Usenet groups, but it's rather rudimentary:
most users trough new articles into a text file and read off-line; there's no
way to post directly: posting is possible through mail gateways but that
requires an considerable amount of perseverance (in my experience).

At the time of writing, CIX is opening up more ways of accessing the internet
which I haven't fully investigated, as I now have my own feed. I wouldn't
describe the old way of accessing Usenet from CIX as being "on the Net" ...
perhaps it is now?

I don't know if dna filters out mail automatically or manually: if you
really *must* send something, perhaps a short adulatory posting ("Like
your work!" a la Garrison Keillor?) would be preferable to something
requiring a reply ...

-- 
Ross Beresford
Email: ross@bryson.demon.co.uk           Voice: +44 734 344153
Bryson Limited, 10 Wagtail Close, Twyford, Reading, RG10 9ED, UK
From: dittman@skitzo.dseg.ti.com (Eric Dittman)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: "How to leave a planet" - where is this from?
Date: 9 Nov 92 23:04:09 GMT
Organization: Texas Instruments Component Test Facility

In article <1djgfrINNovt@bigboote.WPI.EDU>, jseaver@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (Jason John Seaver) writes:
> 	It's a prettied-up copy of "The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's
> Trilogy".  It includes the first four books, the inconsistency/How To Leave the
> Planet introduction, and Young Zaphod Plays It Safe.  The cover is leather,
> the endpages have a Smiling Planet pattern, and there's a cloth bookmark
> bound into the book.  Bought it in Waldenbooks for $19.95.  I didn't consider
> that a bad price AT ALL when you consider MH is $20 in hardback and the
> leatherbound edition is damn near indestructable under normal conditions.

My copy has two errors on the spine.  The first book is listed as
_The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe_ and the second as _The
Restaurant at the End of the Galaxy_.
-- 
Eric Dittman                  Texas Instruments - Component Test Facility
dittman@skitzo.dseg.ti.com    (214) 578-3575
Disclaimer:  Not even my opinions.  I found them by the side of the road.
Xref: sparky alt.fan.douglas-adams:4008 rec.arts.sf.written:14663
From: Dirk Schwarzhans
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Hitchhiker Radio Play on CDs?
Date: 9 Nov 1992 10:01:19 GMT
Organization: ZRZ/TU-Berlin
NNTP-Posting-Host: kalium.physik.tu-berlin.de

Reply-To: dirk@kalium.physik.tu-berlin.de 

Hello,

I have just watched the original BBC series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the  
Galaxy" on video. On the tape was an information that the radio series is  
available on CDs. 

Are they still available? Where do I get them and what is the price?

Thanks in advance,

Dirk Schwarzhans
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: ajmorrison@happy.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: Vanity Plates
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: 13 Nov 92 01:25:24 MDT

In article <7NOV199218272948@europa.aero.org>, johnson@europa.aero.org (Wowbagger) writes:
> 
> JUST A CURIOSITY......
> 
> I have vanity license plates that read "WOWBAGR" (Wowbagger the Infinitely
> Prolonged).  Very often I will be stopped at a traffic light or getting out of
> my car when someone will ask me what the hell a "WOWBAGR" is.  But there is 
> always that one person out there...whether sitting in the next lane or walking
> past me in the parking lot who will shout "42" at me.  It happens about once
> every other month.  I sometimes wonder what other book characters warrant such
> a response from license plate appearances.  
> 
> Rick "Wowbagger" Johnson

Well, I use Fenchurch as a handle on some of the local colorado springs BBS,
but whenever I drop into Teleconference, the response I usually get is "What
the hell is a Fenchurch????". Even people who have reag HHGttG don't usually
get the refernce...
                   -=Fenchurch, a hoopy frood=-	
                     ajmorrison@happy.uccs.edu
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: jblum@next05wor.wam.umd.edu (The Maven)
Subject: ...one more way out of MH...
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 10:36:48 GMT

Spoilers for Mostly Harmless (especially the ending):






















Okay, I think I've finally sussed it.

At the end of the book, as most of the messages here seem to understand
it, the Guide Mark II somehow temporally-engineers the destruction of
every Earth, all the way throughout all of probability.  Any Earth
that could possibly exist, however slightly probable, is gone.

So that means that the continued existence of the Earth is...

*drumroll please*

..INFINITELY IMPROBABLE!

Which means that, if DNA ever feels the urge to dig up the Hitchhiker's
crew one last time, all he needs is for old Zaphod to go on a three-day
bender, and, while hung over, take a wrong turn through the ZZ9 Plural
Z Alpha sectors, hit the Infinite Improbability Drive, and...

but somehow, I kinda hope he doesn't.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: s0319198@let.rug.nl (E.B. Meijerink)
Subject: Anyone noticed that Clinton's the 42nd president?
Organization: Faculteit der Letteren, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, NL
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 18:47:30 GMT


I've been away for a while, so I could have missed the discussion, but 'has 
anyone noticed that Clinton is going to be the 42nd president'? I wonder 
what that means......


Cheers!

Erik Meijerink                    ||
University of Groningen (Neth.)   || 'Do you TRUST this man?' 
E-Mail: s0319198@let.rug.nl       ||