[Note: If you're not a regular reader of the comp.sys.hp48 newsgroup, look at the kind of stuff you're missing! -jkh-] From: Dave Arnett Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp48 Subject: Hitchhiker's Guide Date: 25 Sep 1996 17:25:55 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard, MCD barrym@neosoft.com (barrym) wrote: >Paul Schlyter (pausch@electra.saaf.se) wrote: >: In article <524hn1$eu6@uuneo.neosoft.com>, barrym wrote: >: > Earle Fettig (fettig@fettig1.ultranet.com) wrote: >: >: I call mine "The Hitchhikker's Guide to the Galaxy" after the fictional >: >: book within the hitchhiker trilogy by Douglas Adams. My Computers are >: >: named Eddie, Deep Thought, and Earth. >: > >: > I'm amazed that a 48 user would think he has to tell other 48 users >: > what "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is. That's certainly the >: > best known book in the universe. >: >: It seems that your "universe" is even smaller than the "universe" of the >: astrologers: their "universe" at least includes all of the solar system, >: but yours seems to include only parts of the Earth... > >How can you be so sure of that? Do you have some special >information? Has there been a study of the populatity of >"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on other systems? > >Come on, tell us about it. Enquiring minds want to know. :) I can imagine how that study would be carried out... A rocket lands on Mars. The local chieftain approaches the landing site as a door opens and an underpaid summer intern descends the ladder. Galactic Popularity Survey Intern [GPSI]: Hello, Mr. Martian. Martian Chieftain [Mc]: What is Hello? GPSI: It's a nice word for greeting people. Mc looks confused. GPSI: Uh, well, I suppose it is a nice way of greeting Martians, too. Mc: (catches on) Hello, Earthling. GPSI: I'm taking an interplanetary survey. Is there any novel you like more than Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Mc: What is a novel? GPSI: It's a fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. We need to know whether Martians like any novel better than Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Mc realizes, to his utter dismay, that he is talking to a college student. Mc takes a three-sided coin from his purse and flips it. It lands Right Head Down. He picks it up and puts the coin back into it. Mc: I can't say there's any novel we like better than this Hick Hike thing. Is there any other novel? GPSI: (grinning triumphantly) Thank You very much!. GPSI climbs back into the space ship and flies away. Mc: What is Thank You? GPSI settles into his seat at the on-board bistro. GPSI: Well, Captain Spoof, that went quite well. CS: (Nods) Where next, kid? GPSI: Saturn, please. And make sure we land at the most densely populated place on the planet. GPSI and CS order drinks, on the same tab, an action which quickly propels them to Saturn. They land and GPSI again descends the ladder. He looks about. He sees nobody. He climbs back into the space ship. GPSI: Hey, Captain Spoof, I thought you were going to put me at the most densely populated part of the planet. CS: I did. Since you and I are the only living things on this planet, this is the most densely populated spot. GPSI: Oh. Well, then I guess the entire population of the planet Saturn votes for Hitch Hiker's Guide. CS: I'm not so sure kid. GPSI: (aghast) What? You're an Interplanetary Space Captain and you don't think of Hitch Hiker's Guide as the best novel ever written? CS: I prefer The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. I tend to identify quite strongly with the eagle. GPSI: What is The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul? CS: You're a Douglas Adams fan and you don't know? How did you ever get mentioned in a posting to comp.sys.hp48? Dave. ------ I don't speak for Hewlett OR Packard when I post here.