I have just re-read the complete Hitchicker's Guide to the Galaxy by the late great Douglas Adams. Here is an excerpt I would like to share with the younger members of the site who perhaps are not familiar with his brilliant literary work. It is taken from Chapter 17 of The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe and I quote: " The Hitchicker's Guide to the Galaxy notes that Disater Area, a plutonium rock band from the Garakacka Mind Zones, are generally held to not be only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy, but in fact the loudest noise of any kind at all. Regular concert goers judge that the best sound balance is usually to be heard from within large concrete bunkers some thirty-seven miles from the stage, whilst the musicians themselves play their instruments by remote control from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stays in orbit around the planet - or more frequently a completely different planet.

The songs are on the whole simple and mostly follow the familiar theme of boy-being meets girl-being beneath a silvery moon, which then explodes for no adequetely explored reason.

Many worlds have now banned their act altogether, Sometimes for artistic reasons, but most commonly because the band' public address system contravenes most local strategic arms limitations treaties."

Hope you enjoy this and encourages you to read Mr Adam's work!

I'm looking forward to a 'HHGTTG' film. I think its in the making (??)

I read the first two books again last year. In the UK BBC Radio4 has been playing the radio series late at night midweek.

Blacksword wrote:   I read the first two books again last year. In the UK BBC Radio4 has been playing the radio series late at night midweek.

I spotted the latest 'Hitchhikers' (which the Beeb recorded very recently and played on Radio 4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays through October this year) on
cassette and CD available in my local bookshop - the robot playing
cricket on the insert might intrigue a few American fans!!! Suggested
you try the BBC website:

http://www.bbcshop.com/invt/0563510382 - http://www.bbcshop.com/invt/0563510382

or cheaper at Amazon. UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563510439/qid=1101750220/ref - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563510439/qid=1101 750220/ref
=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-7682140-5975614

Getting a mite off topic here but as a HUGE Douglas Adams (and indeed all purveyors of intelligent and original comedy) fan I can say with confidence that a film version of HHGTTG is in post-production stages, with Martin Freeman (from the hugely successful British sitcom/drama/mockumentary series 'The Office') as Arthur Dent and Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox. For tons more info and rumours just do a search or two on Google! Though the film will differ in places to the books and the TV series... and of course the original radio series (still my favourite version - so glad the BBC are finally doing the final three books in that format at last, the first new series was easily as good as the original two) all the ideas will be based on things Adams had written for the proposed film before his tragic and untimely death. I'm confident the film is in safe hands. Just thought you other slightly less fanatic DA fans might appreciate some info.

Strange - I have just read about a Street in Swinton, Manchester, UK where some nutter is killing cats with anti-freeze. Is it a cat killer or are the four cat's that are dead all victims of industrial spilage ??

Maybe  that's a good subject for an experimental piece called

"Four Cats Tales from the Great de-icer poisoning scandal of post-industrial Britain"

Bet none of the cats are called "Tarkus".....