HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: chardi@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Ian Chard)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Forty-two
Keywords: ASCII
Date: 16 Oct 92 12:50:26 GMT
Reply-To: chardi@cs.man.ac.uk
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester

In article <mjb.718972839@reading>, mjb@csug.cs.reading.ac.uk (Michael John Bushnell) writes:
|> Just wondered whether anyone has yet mentioned that the meaning of
|> life (42) is in fact that ASCII code for multiply (*).
|> 
|> This seems like a pretty logical meaning for life to me.
|> 
|> Mike.

It also has the numbers 2 and 4 in it, although not necessarily in that order.
That makes much more sense than an asterisk.

Ian.

-- 

[ Ian Chard, Systems Integration |  "Kryten, unpack Rachel and get out the    ]
[ University of Manchester, UK   |  puncture repair kit."                     ]
[ Email:    chardi@cs.man.ac.uk  |                -- Rimmer (un-H), Red Dwarf ]
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: ira2p@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Iain Robert Asplin)
Subject: Any signings in Minneapolis?
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 20:51:27 GMT

Subject says it all.  Any DA appearances to be held in the Minneapolis
St Paul area?


Steve/Iain
From: ross-c@scs.leeds.ac.uk (R Clement)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Scrabble and Book Signings
Date: 8 Oct 92 20:06:29 GMT
Organization: The University of Leeds, School of Computer Studies
Originator: ross-c@csparc12

In article <1992Oct7.200958.7590@alf.uib.no> bjornts@ii.uib.no (Bjoern Tore Sund) writes:
>Arthur lost hist pocket edition of Scrabble when he was transported from the 
>black stunt-ship to the Golgafrincham's ship - as far as I can remember from 
>the books!
>
>Besides, if you look at the TV series, you'll see that the Scrabble-pieces
>are large, much to large to be a pocket edition of anything, and they look 
>VERY home-made (especially the printing). Also, they are not laid out on a 
>regular Scrabble-board, but on roughly drawn lines on a large stone or 
>something.

Ummmm...... Forgive me for playing devil's advocate here, but given that
the books include sub-ether devices, fish that get stuck in your ear allowing
simultaneous translation of all known languages, creatures that evolve into
something with much longer arms but which are quite probably incapable of
drinking coffee.........

Why are people so interested in the possibility/impossibility, and finding
reasonable explanations for, being able to spell "What do you get if you
multiply six by nine"? with a scrabble set?

Just a thought,

Ross-c
From: nowikoam@ucbeh.san.uc.edu (Tony Nowikowski)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: WANTED: Hitchhiker's guide to the net
Date: 15 Oct 92 13:27:21 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati

In article <1992Oct15.064452.28839@etek.chalmers.se>, lindq@etek.chalmers.se (Johan Lindqvist) writes:
> OK, I give up. I posted once saying 'Email me and I'll send you a copy'. 
> Stupid. Netters out there, take my advice and never post such an offer.
> 
> After mailing around a dozen copies of it, today my mailbox was full of 
> mee too messages, so I'll post the lot instead:
> [Should I repost the entire 1700 lines of the file?  Naah ....]

THANX!!
-- 

+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
|  Tony Nowikowski            | "They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste, |
|  University of Cincinnati   |  but I don't mind being terribly wasted."      |
|  nowikoam@ucbeh.san.uc.edu  |  -- Rob Fetters                                |
+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: bjornts@ii.uib.no (Bjoern Tore Sund)
Subject: Re: Scrabble and Book Signings
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Bergen
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 92 20:09:58 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.075153.19099@aurora.dar.csiro.au>, spm@dar.csiro.au (McEWAN Shane) writes:
|> : 
|> : Ah, but Arthur pulled _ALL_LETTERS_ out of the towel, didn't he? But then, I
|> : expect it would be too much for most people to be able to remember the exact 
|> : distribution of letters in a Scrabble set after so much travelling in time and
|> : spece.
|> : 
|> And, of course, in the radio series, I believe Arthur had a pocket editition
|> of Scrabble.....so he didn't have to remember anything!

Arthur lost hist pocket edition of Scrabble when he was transported from the 
black stunt-ship to the Golgafrincham's ship - as far as I can remember from 
the books!

Besides, if you look at the TV series, you'll see that the Scrabble-pieces
are large, much to large to be a pocket edition of anything, and they look 
VERY home-made (especially the printing). Also, they are not laid out on a 
regular Scrabble-board, but on roughly drawn lines on a large stone or 
something.

|> --
|> 
|>   Shane McEwan     CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research    spm@dar.csiro.au
|> ================================================================================
|>               ______|    ______|    __  __|    ____  |    ____  |
|>              |         ______  |       |       ___  _|   |      |
|>             ________|  ________|   _______|  _|     _\   _______|
|> ================================================================================
|> Aspendale, Victoria, Australia 3195  Phone: +61 3 586 7503  Fax: +61 3 586 7600

-- 
      ____    _____
      |   \     |     Bjoern Tore Sund               "All that is gold
___   |___/     |     Department of Informatics      does not glitter,
      |   \     |     University of Bergen, Norway   Not all those who
      |___/     |     bjornts@ii.uib.no              wander are lost..."
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: nahigian@athena.mit.edu (Gabriel H Nahigian)
Subject: Re: Significant Numbers
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 16:07:45 GMT

In article <1992Oct12.100622.15898@chemeng.ed.ac.uk>, johnsc@Chemeng.Ed.Ac.Uk (John Currie) writes:
|> 
|> can i add the number '13' to the great list of important numbers. making the list read as follows:
|> 
|> 42 69 111 3 13
|> 
|> The reason:
|> 
|> 3+1 = 4
|> 3-1 = 2
|> 
|> -i rest my case
|> 
|> -- 
|> .........................ooo#####O#####ooo.................................... 
|> ###     John Currie,  Dept. of Chem. Eng., University of Edinburgh.         ###
|> ###     Telephone : +44 031 650 4864         Email johnsc@chemeng.ed.ac.uk  ###
|> ############################-...ooOoo...-######################################

     Why not 31?
Gabe (nahigian@athena.mit.edu)
     "Life.  Don't talk to me about life."
                                   --Marvin
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: bena@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Ben Aveling)
Subject: Re: New Hitchhikers Book
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 02:37:53 GMT

Andrew Merritt (apm@hpopd.pwd.hp.com) wrote:
: >Thomas Widmann (I still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea!)
: ----------
: I hope you are not forgetting that at the time the series was first broadcast
: one required two hands to operate a digital watch?
: 
: Andrew

So ?  You've got two hands don't you ?

If there's one thing I can't stand it's a smart arse.

	Ben
From: cokin@aludra.usc.edu (Darren Cokin)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Who yelled "Arthur!" in the Club?  (MH spoiler)
Date: 14 Oct 1992 18:34:26 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

I quote from the last chapter of Mostly Harmless:

"'Arthur!'
It was the most astounding effect. His name was being shouted in stero."

Ok, now Trillian was one of the people who shouted.  That is made clear.  
She was on the steps behind him.  On the floor in front of him was Tricia and
Random.  We aren't told which one was the second to shout, but it is implied
that it is Tricia.  But, the only time Tricia had ever met Arthor was at a
party in Islington 17 years before.  It is very unlikely she would remember
him.  So why did she shout his name?  Now, there is a slight possibility that
it was Random, but I don't think so, because she would have called him 'Dad'
or something, and the I think the stero effect was because the two voices were
the same (Tricia and Trillian).  So did Doug just forget that Tricia didn't
Arthur or what?  Any comments?


                                                   Darren
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: euacom@eua.ericsson.se (Carl-Oscar Montelius)
Subject: Re: THHGTTG TV Programs
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 13:19:42 GMT

nivin@guadalupe.cs.tcu.edu (Jeff Nivin) writes:

>Hey froopy ones,

>   Is anyone out there who REALLY knows where there towel is able to tell me
>where I could obtain copies of the TV series of the HHG?  Also, I am
>interested in the radio programs.  I have the first two, but can't find the 
>rest.  

>  On the TV Programs, please don't tell to watch PBS late night.  I have 
>heard that for four years, but have still not seen them.  Feel free to mail
>me at my address or respond here.

>                                               Thanx,
>                                                 Jeffrey Nivin


>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"Ford, you're turning into a penquin.  Stop it." - Arthur Dent

>                                               nivin@guadalupe.cs.tcu.edu

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I bought the HHGG in UK this summer. The were two parts (~11 Pounds each).
The tapes where in the PAL format which suited me well (It's the same
format in Sweden). I guess that you want the NTSC 
(Never Twice the Same Colour?) version? 

If you want I can send you the address where you can order the tapes.

Carl-Oscar Montelius
euacom@eua.ericsson.se
From: rik@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Richard Beckett)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Mostly Harmless - DON'T BUY IT !
Date: 14 Oct 92 16:12:03 GMT
Reply-To: rik@hplb.hpl.hp.com
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Labs, Bristol, UK


	To anyone who hasn't yet bought it,

	Don't give the wretched man your money. I am convinced that he only
	wrote it for 2 reasons :

	1. The Money.

	2. To stop people asking him to write more Hitch Hiker stuff.

	3........

	Don't give the wretched man your money. I am convinced that he only
	wrote it for 3 reasons :

	1. The Money.

	2. To stop people asking him to write more Hitch Hiker stuff.

	3. The Money.



		RIK


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rik O'Chet, Bristol, England.		
Email: rik@hplb.hpl.hp.com		One's never alone with a Rubber Duck !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: twiddyd@reis62.alleg.edu (David Twiddy)
Subject: Re: alt.fan.douglas-adams FAQ
Organization: Allegheny College
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 19:19:36 GMT

In article <douglas-adams-FAQ_719060401@kauri.vuw.ac.nz>  
gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington) writes:
> 
>     The new book--Mostly Harmless--will be out officially in the US in
>     early November, or so promise the distributor/publisher, Crown
>     (not to be confused with Crown Books, the book shop chain who
>     DIDN'T supply this info).  According to the nice lady in the
>     bookshop, that means that one can start looking for it in late
>     October, as most books they get seem to start shipping in a week
>     or two before official release dates.
> 
>     The cover looks pretty predictable--it still has our friend, the
>     green planet, making a face at you, and a few other things.  Well,
>     I don't know if he's still green--I only saw a black and white
>     picture of the cover.
> 
>     Now, in times past, Douglas Adams' books got into the UK bookshops
>     a couple of months before they did in the US, so there's a
>     sporting chance that the book will be in the shops in the next
>     month or two there.  So if anyone sees it over there, please read
>     it and let us know how it is...
> 
>     Jens
	What are you talking about?  It's here!  I got my copy at  
Waldenbooks last weekend for $20.
	
--

David "master of obscurity" Twiddy <twiddyd@alleg.edu>
"Small wheel turn by the fire and rod
 Big wheel turn by the Grace of GOD"
 			-Jerry Garcia
From: loki@orthanc.freeside.com (Biggles)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmless is a paper-back or not?
Date: 15 Oct 92 23:34:45 GMT
Organization: Society for Balrog and Nazgul Understanding and Recognition

strnadl@tph04.tuwien.ac.at (Christoph F.Strnadl) writes:

> And -- as we all know -- LDTTOTS and DGHDA came out hard-cover first.
> So, I guess, I've to wait for the *real* paper-back edition.
> D.A. as hard-cover .... Geez, doesn't fit, think of the Hitchhiker's
> books: All paper-back and only paper-back (I think). 
> 

Sorry to piss on your parade, but I have seen quite a few hardbacks in these
particular books.  It's hard to find a publisher who will not put out the
hardback first, then follow up about 6 months later with the paperback.
Well, actually I'm not sure if the hardbacks of The Trilogy came out after
or before the paperbacks.  Anyways, it's all about money for the publishers
and writers.  Well, looks like I'm gonna spend $20+ for MH, *sigh*.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How can you be at two places at once,         loki@orthanc.freeside.com
         when you're not anywhere at all?"       (aka Biggles)
                   --Firesign Theater                                        
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ajdh@bnr.co.uk (Andrew J D Hurley)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmless - DON'T BUY IT !
Date: 15 Oct 92 09:35:25 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe Limited, Harlow, GB

In article <1992Oct14.161203.17485@hplb.hpl.hp.com> rik@hplb.hpl.hp.com writes:
>	To anyone who hasn't yet bought it,
>
>	Don't give the wretched man your money. I am convinced that he only
>	wrote it for 2 reasons :
[etc]

Alternatively you could let people make up their own minds, some of us
enjoyed it. Personally I think it is arguably one of his best yet, well
worth the wait. So what if DNA makes money out of it, I paid to be
entertained and was not dissapointed.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew J D Hurley ,   <><         |  Email:   A.J.D.Hurley@bnr.co.uk
                                  |   or      Andrew.Hurley.EG40@bnr.ca
BNR Europe Ltd., London Road,     |  route:   uunet!ukc!bnr!ajdh
Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA, UK.       |  Phone:   +44 279 402535
From: jseaver@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (Jason John Seaver)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmless
Date: 11 Oct 92 14:41:50 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigwpi.wpi.edu

In article <1992Oct11.112744.13081@latcs1.lat.oz.au> hill@latcs2.lat.oz.au (Craig Hill) writes:
>
>  I just picked up and finished reading Mostly Harmless and came to the 
>conclusion that it is full of garbage and nonsence.  However you must 
>realize that this is DNA and it is brilliant nonsence that is well worth
>reading.  Somebody said a while ago that the cover of Mostly Harmless was
>supposed to have a planet with its tounge sticking out on it.  My copy has
>a picture of the Earth with an arrow pointing at it.  Was there a change
>in plan or do we have a strange version here in Australia.

	The U.S. version has the earth, no arrow, and a little green planet
with its tongue sticking out wearing a hat and carrying a suitcase.

	I thought this was perhaps one of the better HHGTTG books, myself.  It
was certainly better than So Long and quite probably Life, The Universe, and
Everything.  And is it just me, or is this the first time that Adams has had
a coherent plot in a book?  A great job.

						-Jay
From: loki@orthanc.freeside.com (Biggles)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Challenge for Douglas Adams-freaks
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 92 11:22:09 CDT
Organization: Society for Balrog and Nazgul Understanding and Recognition

Bernard.Stern@info.unine.ch writes:

> > Now I have a challenge for you Douglas Adams-freaks. Can anyone bother to l
> > all his other works (in case he has done something else, I don't know...) a
> > your opinion about them, compared to each other and to the Hitchhikers tril
> > of four books. 
> > 
> 
> Yep, there're the following I have read
> 
> The Ditk Gently Series:
> - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
> - The long dark tea time of the soul
> 
> In collaboration with Mark Carwardine (or approaching, I'm writing from memor
> - Last Chance To See ...
> 
> The first two are obviously fantasy literature from the same vein as the well
> known and strikingly mis-named Hitch-Hicker trilogy of up-to-now five volumes

I'd just like to point out that the Dirk Gently series is not so much fantasy,
as it is surreal.  It deals with a lot of strange topics as dimensions,
time travel, Norse mythology, you get the picture.  But it is set on what
we know to be this earth.  I also think that these two books (especially the
first) rival the trilogy (with the exception of the first, to which there is
no equal).  I know nothing of that other book (nonfiction...yeck!).

> Hope this help. I'll follow the answers, there may be others I haven't heard 
> 

I know of no other books, but if you can get your hands on them, the original
radio broadcasts of the Hitchikers Guide are great.  I have the Hitchhiker's
Guide and Restaurant at the end of the Universe on tape, and they are almost
good as the real thing (it's worth it to hear marvin speak).



"How can you be at two places at once,         loki@orthanc.freeside.com
         when you're not anywhere at all?"       (you can call me Biggles)
                   --Firesign Theater
From: HDKD@MUSICB.MCGILL.CA (HDKD)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: RE: Mostly Harmless Canadian info
Date: 8 Oct 92 22:40:09 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <16108@mindlink.bc.ca> David_Woodsworth@mindlink.bc.ca (David Woodsworth) writes:
>Are we talking about the hard cover, or paperback?
>

To tell the truth, I didn't ask... So the rule of bad luck
they must have meen the hardcover (but to my opinion, a hardcover
must be really slim....(-; ).

Serge Ayotte

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|                   Montreal, Quebec, Canada                          |
| McGill University account: hdkd@musicb.mcgill.ca or b7qs at same    |
| Personel account         : rider@geloser.login.qc.ca                |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: s890412@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Christopher John Diffey)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Re: Mostly Harmless in Australia
Date: 8 Oct 92 09:27:28 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

rcmtr@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Trevor Rook) writes:

>Mostly Harmless has been released in Australia! $26 in Dymocks, Melbourne.

>-- 
>================================================================
>  Trevor J. Rook                tjrook@rmit.edu.au
>  Applied Chemistry, RMIT       phone +61-3-660-2117 
>  Melbourne, Australia          fax   +61-3-639-1321 

ONYA TREV, 
*smirk*

<runs and hides>

-- 
    / \
  /     \
 |\     /|
 |  \ /  |
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: etxjlar@eua.ericsson.se (Jorgen Larsson)
Subject: Re: giving your add to a hitch-hiker
Reply-To: etxjlar@eua.ericsson.se
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 07:36:14 GMT

In article ZyePsB1w165w@orthanc.freeside.com, loki@orthanc.freeside.com (Biggles) writes:
> etxjlar@eua.ericsson.se (Jorgen Larsson) writes:
> 
> > What is the meaning of life, universe and everything? 
> 
> You don't actually expect us to answer this, do you?!?!?
> (please say no, it will go better for you)
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> "How can you be at two places at once,         loki@orthanc.freeside.com
>          when you're not anywhere at all?"       (aka Biggles)
>                    --Firesign Theater                                        
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Well, I wrote a lot more rubbish than that. 
But as I can see it now, I think I have the answer to the question of life, 
universe and everything. Last night I dreamed that the answer is 42. 
Anyone else that have had some similar experience? 
But what is the question? 
Maybe I should write a book about it...

Serious now. Is there anyone that knows if Mostly Harmless have been released 
in Sweden yet, is there anyone that knows when it will be translated into Swedish? 
(I prefer to read books I like in both English and swedish if they are originally 
in English, to get both complete understanding and the brilliance you get in 
the original language)

Jrgen Larsson
Somewhere
From: ramage@ece.scarolina.edu (Dan Ramage)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Mostly Harmless found in S.C.
Date: 15 Oct 92 10:16:39 GMT
Distribution: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Organization: USC  Department of Computer Science


Well Mostly Harmless is in bookstores way down here in South Carolina.
BUT... All they have are hardback copies, which are $20.00.  I was
wondering if anyone knows when/if they will put out paperback copies
because as much as I want to read it, I am not shelling out $20 just
for a hardback copy.  The cover is pretty good, the little gree planet
with his brown hat and suit case.  


					Dan Ramage
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
From: mei172@cch.coventry.ac.uk (guru)
Subject: Re: Challenge for Douglas Adams-freaks
Organization: Coventry University
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 14:35:41 GMT

In article <1992Oct12.133606.23242@pixel.kodak.com> dj@ekcolor.ssd.kodak.com (Dave Jones) writes:
>Correct.  The show was "The Burkiss Way to Dynamic Living" featuring a

>DNA is generally credited with the best skit ever to appear on the
>Burkiss Way.  It starts something like this:
>
>(the whole skit is done in fake Japanese accents.  Lots of sibilants
>etc)
>
>(Door Opens)
>Pilot: You sent for me, Sir!
>
>Please don't ask for a copy of the script: I'm doing this from memory
>(not bad for about 16 years ago, eh?)
>
guru sez:
	the script appeared in one of the Comic Relief books, of which
	I have a copy. If there's enough interest, I'll sit here and type it
	out.....
-- 
      /~~~) /   / /~~~) /   /  
     (___/ (___/ /     (___/   These mind-expanding drugs have given me so much
        /                      imagination, I'm hallucinating grey vividly....
   (___/ mei172@cch.cov.ac.uk                       Victor Lewis-Smith
From: rcmtr@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Trevor Rook)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.douglas-adams
Subject: Mostly Harmless in Australia
Date: 8 Oct 92 07:02:42 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre
NNTP-Posting-Host: minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au

Mostly Harmless has been released in Australia! $26 in Dymocks, Melbourne.

-- 
================================================================
  Trevor J. Rook                tjrook@rmit.edu.au
  Applied Chemistry, RMIT       phone +61-3-660-2117 
  Melbourne, Australia          fax   +61-3-639-1321