HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: u2nmh@csc.liv.ac.uk (N.M. Humphries)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Pizza...
Date: 21 Jan 93 13:38:28 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Liverpool University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

DAulignac D D (dauldb@solb1.essex.ac.uk) wrote:
> Hi!

> I've just started to read 'The long dark tea-time of the soul' from 
> Douggie and there is something that irritates me.
> 	In Chapter one he explains that Kate often gets depressed on
> english soil because the people are to stupid to realise that pizza
> is something that has to be delivered and then eaten in front of the TV
> (a situation that fortunately has been relived in our latter days).
> 	Now, Dirk's kitchen, who lives in North London, is descrived in
> Chapter 3:

> 	Like most of the rooms in Dirk's house it was large, looming and
> utterly dishellved. It simply sneered at anybody's attempt to tidy it, 
> sneered at them and brushed them aside like one of the small pile of dead
> and disheartened flies that lay beneath the window, on top of a pile of
> old pizza boxes.
>     ^^^^^

> Now, one might think that those boxes were from frozen pizza packages, but
> as one recalls there was a full-scale war going on between Dirk and his
> cleaning maid over the non-fridge-opening. So if the fridge was not separated
> into freezer and cooling compartment, and since Duggie describes it as
> looking like a monolith what proves this theory, it would have been impossible
> for Dirk to store the frozen pizza unless he would have a separate freezer
> (i.e. appart from the fridge) and this would-be-important-fact is not
> mentioned in the description of the kitchen.
> 	So Dirk does NOT store the pizza. Does he go to the store and
> prepares it imediately after buying it? How can it be explained that
> Dirk has pizza boxes lying on the fridge? Does he have a maniatic obsession
> for the collection of pizza boxes, the author does not inform us of in his else
>  so detailed description of characters? Does he steal them from his neighbours
> trashcans?
> 	I'm stuck and I'll be grateful for any sugestions to where the
> solution of this tricky problem, that doesn't let me sleep until 3.00 AM, lies.

Simple, Dirk goes to a place that sells pizzas that you can either eat at the
place or take it home to eat.
--
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     The Cursor, aka Nick Humphries, u2nmh@csc.liv.ac.uk, at your service.
  "People have started taking shotguns to UFO sightings. Kinda brings a whole
  new meaning to the phrase 'You ain't from 'round here, are ya?'"-Bill Hicks
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ensalada@cats.ucsc.edu (Kevin Charles Rubio)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Pizza...
Date: 21 Jan 1993 09:24:58 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
Reply-To: keeper@deeptht.armory.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: si.ucsc.edu


In article <7630@sersun1.essex.ac.uk> dauldb@essex.ac.uk (DAulignac D D) writes:
>	In Chapter one he explains that Kate often gets depressed on
>english soil because the people are to stupid to realise that pizza
>is something that has to be delivered and then eaten in front of the TV

>	Now, Dirk's kitchen, who lives in North London, is described
>[as containing] old pizza boxes.

>	So Dirk does NOT store the pizza. Does he go to the store and
>prepares it imediately after buying it? How can it be explained that
>Dirk has pizza boxes lying on the fridge? 

I don't understand your confusion ...

Couldn't he just be getting takeaways?  They aren't delivered, but come
in a box, surely.

--
Email replies must be sent to keeper@deeptht.armory.com
From: jondr@sco.COM (Karen Silkwood's car)
Subject: last chance to see
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:07:24 GMT


is last chance to see available in paperback in america?

-- 
Jon Drukman (God's personal DJ)                 uunet!sco!jondr   jondr@sco.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was an infinitely hot and dense dot.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: pedmonds@cs.toronto.edu ("Philip G. Edmonds")
Subject: Re: British humour (was Re: discrepency in Guide)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:30:42 GMT

In article <19896@mindlink.bc.ca> Jeremy_Reimer@mindlink.bc.ca (Jeremy Reimer) writes:
>> Philip G. Edmonds writes:
>>
>>    It is disapointing that his books are edited so that US audiences
>> can understand the jokes.  People who read this stuff tend to be
>> intelligent and can figure them out (or find them even more funny).
>> After all, it is the same language.  We should treat the original text as
>> a learning experience of another culture.
>
>A good point.  Fortunately all the Adams books sold in Canada appear to be
>the unedited and original British versions.
>
>Yet more proof that Canadians are superior to those noisy Yanks... :)
>

I guess someone feels that we Canadians can understand the British, what
with having a mutual Queen and all.

Yet another difference between the USA versions and the rest of the
galaxy is that green planet thingie with arms.

How come Douglas Adams seems to have so little control over his works
in other countries (especially the USA).

Phil.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: martin@cs.curtin.edu.au (Martin Dougiamas)
Subject: Re: discrepency in Guide
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 02:06:32 GMT

suther922@snake.cs.uidaho.edu (SUTHERLAND NOAH THOMAS) writes:
>me).  There are also absolutely no timers.  I know many cities that have a 
>whole string of lights timed so, if you drive at a certain speed (usually less
>than the speed limit) you will never have to stop at a light.

Only one way, obviously... going the other way along the street you
would probably have to stop at every one.  There's always a tradeoff.

Marty the walking party.
--
Your eyes are weary from staring at the screen.  Your eyelids feel very heavy.
You feel very sleepy.  Watch the cursor.  Notice how restful it is to watch it
blink.  Close your eyes.  All the opinions stated above are yours.  You cannot
imagine why you ever felt otherwise.  When you awake, you will be irresistably
compelled to send all your money to: Martin Dougiamas, martin@cs.curtin.edu.au
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: amw@cs.bham.ac.uk (Andy Wood)
Subject: Re: An interview
Organization: School of Computer Science, The University of Birmingham, UK
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:10:15 GMT

amw@cs.bham.ac.uk (Me) writes:
> In fact you could say that we were Doug-less.

OK, OK - I plagiarised someone elses (gek) terrible pun.

I'm deeply sorry.

Andy...
-- 
Andy Wood : amw@cs.bham.ac.uk
From: ginsu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Wes Simonds)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmful?
Date: 26 Jan 1993 00:32:22 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: mickey.cc.utexas.edu

rkallberg@vax.cord.edu writes:

>Anyone who says Adams has lost his touch as a comic writer has not read
>"Last Chance to See", the environmental book he wrote about his jaunts
>around the world to look at vanishing wildlife. It's not only socially
>relevant, it's funny, charming, and haunting, and it is in my view some
>of the best comic work written by anyone, ever. And it's mostly true.
>Adams' fable at the end about the books containing all the knowledge in
>the world is a minor masterpiece.

Comments: Yes, LCTS is extremely good in parts.  The line about the Latvian
students and gorilla dung, for example, was superb.  However, it is not a 
novel, and therefore cannot be cited as contrary to the idea that Adams'
comic novels are not what they used to be.  Novels involve plotting
characterization, and dialogue, not just style.  They are much much harder.

As for the fable, it's interesting, but Adams admits he didn't write it.

Wes
From: eyvind@Lise.Unit.NO (Eyvind Bernhardsen)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: British humour (was Re: discrepency in Guide)
Date: 22 Jan 93 18:52:55 GMT
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology

In article <93Jan22.123008edt.1179@smoke.cs.toronto.edu>, pedmonds@cs.toronto.edu ("Philip G. Edmonds") writes:

 > How come Douglas Adams seems to have so little control over his works
 > in other countries (especially the USA).

I think this is true for most authors, because the US has really freaky copyright
laws...  For instance, if I were to write a book hear and now, I'd have the
copyright (in fact, I have the copyright to this post...), except in the US,
because you have to apply (and pay, I think) to get copyrights.  This is why so
many books have exceptions for sale in the United States and Canada; probably US
copyrights to DA's books are held by another publisher than whoever normally
publishes the book, hence the difference in covers.  Don't sue me if I'm wrong,
though...

 > Phil.

-Eyvind

-- 
     //|                             | DISCLAIMER: I don't HAVE opinions.
    // |                             | I just repeat what everyone else says!
\\ //--|miga: There can be only one. |
 \X/   |         eyvind@lise.unit.no | Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!  Ackpth!
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: martin@cs.curtin.edu.au (Martin Dougiamas)
Subject: A changing DNA (was Re: Mostly Harmful)
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:21:18 GMT

ginsu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Wes Simonds) flames DNA:

>I think it was written very poorly and witlessly so that people WOULDN'T
>demand another series, and also because Adams seems not to have either the 
>inspiration or the energy which absolutely top-notch comedy demands.  There 
>was a time when he was the top comic novelist in the world, but in his last
>two books Adams seems to be deliberately laying waste to his reputation.

Perhaps you've changed more than he has.  Just because he no longer has
so many wacky alien beings does not mean his basic comic ability,
ie that of contemporary satire and witty dialogue, has changed much.  
In fact, the only changes I see are for the better... his characters now
are deftly sketched with a few words and filled out rapidly with a few more
sentences, for example.

>earliest chapter of the book; and _MH_ has not a single good scene in it, and
>only a small handful of good lines.  I won't be buying any more HHGG books.

Did you honestly not enjoy the dialogue between Ford and Arthur when
they get back together again?  That was hilarious!  And very very clever
to boot.  Didn't you like Ford's misadventures in the HHGG offices?

And how could you not like "So Long..." ... one of the horniest bits
of writing I've seen... How could any guy *fail* to fall in love with 
Fenchurch?  And what about all that flying stuff?  That was so well
described that after finishing the book I actually believed ignoring
gravity was possible.  And Murray... and Wonko... the list goes 
on and on...  great book.

I think the trick with his latest books is to read them *slowly*, so
you can appreciate all the subtlety.  I suspect some people just 
rush through it looking for zany catch phrases they can make 
official fan t-shirts out of!

Great bottomless hurtling hooping funts,
Martin
--
Your eyes are weary from staring at the screen.  Your eyelids feel very heavy.
You feel very sleepy.  Watch the cursor.  Notice how restful it is to watch it
blink.  Close your eyes.  All the opinions stated above are yours.  You cannot
imagine why you ever felt otherwise.  When you awake, you will be irresistably
compelled to send all your money to: Martin Dougiamas, martin@cs.curtin.edu.au
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: tuffyd@vccsouth24.its.rpi.edu (Devin 'Nice Guy' Tuffy)
Subject: Re: Stuff
Reply-To: tuffyd@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 05:50:10 GMT

In article <1993Jan24.031003.13243@cgrg.ohio-state.edu>, demetri@cgrg.ohio-state.edu  writes:
|> Does anyone else think that the song "And She Was" by the talking heads had
|> to be about Fenchurch?
|> 
|> Unrelated point...my brother heard from a friend that Adams seriously HATES
|> writing, saying that other writers SAY they hate it but only he really
|> means it.  The story goes that he had something like a year to write one of
|> the Dirk Gently books but dashed it off in the last few weeks.  Also heard
|> that his publishers post people outside his door to make sure he gets the
|> work done.  Has anyone else heard this?  We got the impression that people
|> were badgering him to write another HHG book so he said in effect, "You
|> want another one? FINE!  I'll kill them all, in all possible universes!
|> Here's your f---ing book!"
|>                           Renee

Regarding Mostly Harmless...
Yes, I believe that is exactly why he ended the book the way he did.  He was apparently sick of the characters and of people badgering him that he decided to kill everyone so no one could POSSIBLY ask for another book.

Unfortonatly, this is not to be the case.  Everyone on this newsgroup seems to
have their own theory on how they could have been saved and how he can have up to five more books in the series or something like that.  But i truly believe this ending was written this way so people COULDNT demand another series...

Although what he should have done is forget about this infinite universes thing and kept the story consistent with the rest of the books (only one earth (well, only one earth at a time) and only one universe).  That way, when he killed
off everyone then no one could say, "Well what about the infinity -1 other Arthurs..."

well, that's just my $0.42
-- 

Devin Tuffy
tuffyd@rpi.edu

`'`'`'`'`'`''`'`'`'`''`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`''`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
`' "If I CARED what the general populace cared about me,  I'd shop at the    `'
`'  fucking Gap.  The last thing I need is being told what the fashionable   `' `'  alternative should be wearing.  That's right, think you're original as   `' `'  as conforming nonconformist, but remember when you sneer at me,  I'm     `'
`'  achieving what you a so desparately seeking"    --D.T.                   `'
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`

Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: jdunning@picasso.Princeton.EDU (John Alan Dunning)
Subject: Re: re:discrepency in Guide
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1993 14:42:54 GMT

In article <C12AJD.59t@dcs.ed.ac.uk> rmv@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Robin Vickery) writes:
>for all atlanticly impaired:
>a zebra crossing is a row of white lines crossing the road, on either side
>of the road is a pole with a glowing globe in top known as a belisha beacon
>don't ask me why. Zebra crossings should not be confused with Pelican crossings
>which are another type of crossing entirely.
>  
>V. technical diagram of Zebra crossing:
>
>		|		|
>	      O	|		| O
>	      |	| # # #	# # # #	| |
>	      |	| # # #	# # # #	| |
>		| # # #	# # # #	|
>		| # # #	# # # #	|
>		|		|
>		|		|
>
>		V_
>	 \      /_) 
>	 ())))))/
>	 /\   / \
	 ^^^^^^^^^^
           zebra?

> _____    _____    _____  
>|  _  \  |     |  |  _  \    Rob Vickery - rmv@uk.ac.ed.dcs        |||||
>|     <  |  X  |  |  _  <                                         ( o o )
>|__|\__> |_____|  |_____/       Murphy was an optimist       --ooO--(_)--Ooo--


What exactly is a pelican crossing?  Is that when the stripes run diagonally?

John


P.S.  All these ASCII diagrams of traffic markings should be 
included in the faq. 8-)

Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: nivin@sabine.cs.tcu.edu (Niv)
Subject: RE: Pizza...
Organization: The Universe (It's a nice place to work, but I wouldn't
                            want to live there.)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 15:49:53 GMT

Well, Diego, the answer is quite simple and given in the book even.
When Kate calls a pizza place to try and have one delivered, the clerk
answers with .. "What, aren't you coming to pick it up?" or something
to that effect.  Thus, the answer is obvious.  Dirk KNOWS that he cannot
open the fridge, needs food and so goes to the pizza place and gets a 
pizza (I use the verb gets, because as we all know Dirk would never
willingly pay for anything.  There is probably a hilarious story which
would describe just how he obtains the pizzas.)  He then takes the pizza
home, devours it and, as most bachelors are wont to do, stores the boxes
in a big pile in the kitchen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ford, you're turning into a penquin.  Stop it." - Arthur Dent
-------------
BAD NEWS: There is no key to the universe.
GOOD NEWS: It has been left unlocked.
-------------
                                   nivin@sabine.cs.tcu.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: nightsng@anarky.tch.org (Nightsong)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: British humour (was Re: discrepency in Guide)
Date: 24 Jan 93 08:38:56 GMT
Organization: The Canned Ham, San Jose, CA (408) 971-8530

pedmonds@cs.toronto.edu ("Philip G. Edmonds") writes:

> In article <1jjsqmINNrab@srvr1.engin.umich.edu> ferret@paradox.engin.umich.ed
> >
> >	Are you saying that over in England, "zebra crossing" is slang for "pedestr
> >THGTTG than DNA intended.  I always assumed he was being his usually silly s
> >over our wooded areas.
> >
> >	Ken Lipka
> >	ferret@engin.umich.edu
> 
> 
>    Many North Americans find British humour very funny and very silly.  One
> of the reasons is that we don't always 'get' the jokes the way they
> were intended to be 'gotten'.  In the case of the zebra crossing, the
> intended joke is funny but a little mundane.  Many people have the impression
> that Douglas Adams's sense of humour is very silly and doesn't make any
> real sense.  I hear people say "It doesn't really matter what he means,
> or where he got the idea from, it's just silly!".  I don't think that
> this point of view is accurate.  Douglas Adams and many other British
> comedy acts (especially Monty Python) have very SATIRICAL and POIGNANT
> points to make (along with being just a leetle beet silly). 
> 
>    It is disapointing that his books are edited so that US audiences
> can understand the jokes.  People who read this stuff tend to be
> intelligent and can figure them out (or find them even more funny).
> After all, it is the same language.  We should treat the original text as
> a learning experience of another culture.
> 	
> Phil.


Yes..people do make a habit of not realizing what the person(S) is trying 
to get across -- my mother for one..

-Nightsong

nightsng@anarky.tch.org
From: ginsu@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Wes Simonds)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmful?
Date: 26 Jan 1993 04:36:55 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: mickey.cc.utexas.edu

Doc writes:

>but even if it is the most insulting piece of drivel ever to
>be inked onto a former tree, does that mean we should go bury Adams and forget
>about him?

No... but if YOU were paid a million bucks to do a job before you'd even done
it, wouldn't you at least try to do it right?   And not spend a month and call
it a wrap regardless of personal standards of quality?  I wouldn't care if
MH was the best DNA could do at the time, but if you ask me, it wasn't.  The 
man is just spoiled and sick of having to listen to people ask for more HH.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: dluckma3@mach1.wlu.ca (david luckman 9209 U)
Subject: Re: Pizza...
Organization: Wilfrid Laurier University
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 01:11:43 GMT

In article <21JAN199308115170@acad1.alaska.edu> jsfjp@acad1.alaska.edu (PERRICONE FRANK J) writes:
>>PS Has anyone looked up the references supposedly supporting 
>>recent theory regarding "The Question"?
>>Marvin with the mattress and Eddie I think.
>>The Question being - "Think of a number, any number"
>
>That was what I thought it was, too.  I'm glad someone else thought so.  But
>it's actually (at least in the books) in the scene where they're trying to get
>into the Justice office to talk to Prak about the truth.  Arthur picks the
>phone number for the customer service office of British Rail or something like
>that on the grounds that "it may have some use, and this might turn out to be
>it."
>
>However, Marvin's asking the mattress the same question, then saying that the
>answer the mattress gave was wrong, is intriguing as evidence, since Marvin
>read the question from Arthur's brain.  But of course Marvin knows the
>answer... and Prak said that if anyone knew both, the universe would vanish. 
>So how could Marvin have the right question?  Hmmm...

Marvin knows the answer, but as it remains undisclosed perhaps there is no
result.  Results may only occur if both the question and answer are spoken.
(Like Spells from magic, people write them down and read them but unless
spoken or properly gestured nothing happens.)

	Dave
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: jsfjp@acad1.alaska.edu (PERRICONE FRANK J)
Subject: Re: Pizza...
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41.UAC
Organization: University of Alaska - Fairbanks
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 17:11:00 GMT

>PS Has anyone looked up the references supposedly supporting 
>recent theory regarding "The Question"?
>Marvin with the mattress and Eddie I think.
>The Question being - "Think of a number, any number"

That was what I thought it was, too.  I'm glad someone else thought so.  But
it's actually (at least in the books) in the scene where they're trying to get
into the Justice office to talk to Prak about the truth.  Arthur picks the
phone number for the customer service office of British Rail or something like
that on the grounds that "it may have some use, and this might turn out to be
it."

However, Marvin's asking the mattress the same question, then saying that the
answer the mattress gave was wrong, is intriguing as evidence, since Marvin
read the question from Arthur's brain.  But of course Marvin knows the
answer... and Prak said that if anyone knew both, the universe would vanish. 
So how could Marvin have the right question?  Hmmm...