Tag Archives: Galactic Hitchhikers

The 1st Annual Thumb Toast to The Frood: No fire or bread heater required.

by in Cantinas, Bars, and Nightclubs, Cocktails, Dining, Life, the Universe, and Everything, Literature and Books, Sub-Etha 42, The Whole Sort of General Mish Mash and tagged , , | Leave a comment
hqdefaultOn Saturday, March 11th in honor of the birthday of Douglas Adams Thumb Toast to The Frood will be the annual Douglas Adams Birthday Tribute event hosted by Galactic Hitchhikers. A pre-cursor to the Towel Day festivities if you will.

STORY SO FAR…
A few of our inter-dimensional members thought it would be a pretty neat idea, something in league with digital watches, to honor the first of Froods, Douglas Adams, on his birthday.  There are a number of authors who have their birthday honored by fans via a Toast or visit to a location associated with said author. For example J.R.R Tolkien has had an annual birthday toast for decades hosted by The Tolkien Society and fans around the globe.  In addition H.P. Lovecraft fans visit his grave and read from his work. Therefore, Galactic Hitchhikers would like to honor Douglas Adams in a similar fashion, but on a more Galactic scale.

imagesTHE TOAST 
We encourage everyone to gather at their home, favorite pub, restaurant or venue of their choice to raise a thumb, and glass to Douglas Adams.
When everyone is gathered, at 8 PM local time stand, raise your thumb in salute and state together: “TO THE FROOD!” and afterward take a glass of your choice of beverage (not necessarily alcoholic), take a swig, sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.
GH2016 RD join us“TO THE FROOD!”

We highly encourage everyone to gather for local events, bring your towel and copies of your favorite Douglas Adams book, read selections from them and have fun. Please take pictures and post them here in the comments section or submit them to the Galactic Hitchhikers page.

LASTLY,
Please check out our official Galactic Hitchhiker’s Page to add your toasting location and libation of choice. This is a global event, more galactic actually, and we would like to add everyone to the page who have participated. Additionally you can click here to visit our facebook event page.

Be Excellent (and Charitable) To Each Other

by in Entertainment, Froodism/Taowelism: The Tao of the Towel, I got a buck for that, Life, the Universe, and Everything, The Whole Sort of General Mish Mash and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Howdy Hoopy Froods!
It should not matter the day, time, season, or holiday, we should all be excellent to each other, and help those in need. The climate of our current world situation looks grim each and every day, whether war, politics, human rights violations, hunger, or children in need, being excellent to each other should be of great importance. The fall holidays are upon us and we all seek that one great gift for a friend and/or loved one.  In the following I shall cite some great books that may appeal to you or said loved one, which will help out a charity at the same time. In addition I draw a few quotes below from our Galactic Hitchhiker’s Constitution to illustrate a point or two.

As a Fellowship of the Frood we are always excellent to each other, and continue to “…see the Guide as a filter to see the universe through, it reminds us that life is far too ridiculous to be taken too seriously…”  I am of the opinion we should also strive to help those in need as we are best able, whether through kindness, an uplifting word or comment, actions (i.e. helping the disabled and elderly) or donating to a charitable organization.

With this said I would like to appeal to our community as “…science and science-fiction fanatics, social activists, and hopeful futurists. We are space-hippies and dreamers, gamers and geeks, self-professed professional slackers, forward thinkers and generally good folk….”  If you would like to help out a charity and get some excellent books written by science fiction fans, then keep reading.

watchingbooksAs some of our GH Readers may know my wife and I are writers,editors and publishers.  In recent years we have had the opportunity to write for Watching Books and their line of books where all proceeds are donated to charity. Watching Books is located in the UK and you can click here to read “A Note on Our Charitable Donations,” which describes how their “rolling charity payments” system works.  The current charity they are providing donations toward is the Terrence Higgins Trust.
My wife and I first got involved with Watching Books by contacting J.R. Southall when they announced their YOU and WHO project.  Southall is a Starburst Magazine columnist, host of the Blue Box Podcast, and creator of the You and Who series of books.  With You and Who, Southall started a series of books adapting the title to varied themed books, such as You and Who Else, You and Who: Contact Has Been Made, the forthcoming You on Target and our own title we are working on for them: You and 42: A Douglas Adams Fan Anthology. I shall speak of You and 42 a bit more below, but offer below descriptions about a few of their titles you may consider as fans of Doctor Who and science fiction.
However, please visit the Watching Books page for a full listing of all their available titles

youandwhoABOUT YOU AND WHO (respectively borrowed from Watching Books)
After almost 50 years of television serials, original novels, comic strips, audio dramas, short stories, radio plays, cartoons, graphic novels, cinema films and just about anything else you could possibly imagine, after almost 50 years of a series which has change as its most fundamental conceit, there’s only one thing most Doctor Who fans can agree upon: how special it is.

In December 2010, Starburst writer J.R. Southall embarked upon a project that would demonstrate just how much variety there was among fans of the show, and that would conversely show just how much they all had in common, too.

You and Who is the result of that project. It’s an anthology of stories, written by fans, in which those fans attempt to reveal just how and why they became fans of Doctor Who in the first place. There’s humour, there’s horror, and there’s heartbreak. Just as there is in the series itself.

But what You and Who mostly goes to show, is not how much we share in common with the series we all love, but how much we share in common with one another. For the essays contained herein aren’t just the stories of those who’ve written them and Doctor Who, they’re the same story we have all lived.

They’re the story of You and Who.
This title is available at AMAZON.CO.UK and AMAZON.COM

youwhoelseABOUT YOU AND WHO ELSE
Television is the route by which we map our lives. From the day we are old enough to understand words and pictures it is a constant companion, educating and entertaining us, helping us to understand the world around us – and firing our imaginations off into the far reaches of an infinitely varied universe. From Ace of Wands to Worzel Gummidge, from Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) to Red Dwarf, from the moment Professor Quatermass’ rocket ship returned to Earth, to the moment Ian and Barbara entered the Doctor’s Ship, fantasy television has had an extraordinary effect on our emotions and our intellect. Whether it be exploring space or travelling through time, surviving the aftermath of some Earthbound disaster or creating new worlds in uncharted territories, the writers and producers of speculative television have used the format to reflect and inform the world in which we live. And whether it be through horror, science fiction or imaginative fantasy – or a combination of all three – we have all been touched in some way by the creativity and insight provided by such visionaries as Gerry Anderson, Nigel Kneale and Douglas Adams. You and Who Else is a unique history of sixty years of British fantasy television, and a definitive record of its place in our lives – as told by the people who saw it: the viewers.
You and Who Else is available in a variety of formats found on the Watching Books page but we encourage you to get this chunky volume from either AMAZON.COM or AMAZON.CO.UK

contactABOUT YOU AND WHO CONTACT HAS BEEN MADE
Very few television programmes make it to their fiftieth birthday. But then, Doctor Who is just a little bit special. From its humble beginnings being recorded in a tiny studio on 405-line black and white video cameras with a minuscule budget, to its latest incarnation on HD as one of the BBC’s flagship dramas, Doctor Who has always moved with the times, and often reflected them. For the last five decades, the series has inspired and engaged audiences in a way that no other television programme has ever managed. For more than 26 years, the original series delighted children of all ages with its unique blend of sci-fi and horror, excitement and scares, cliffhanger storytelling and, above all, monsters. As the programme grew, so we grew with it, absorbing its pleasures in diverse and changing ways. As it enters its anniversary year, Doctor Who is more popular than ever before. This wholly original blend of science fiction concepts and magical storytelling, updated for the 21st century, is delighting a whole new generation of fans, alongside those of us who waited patiently for the inevitable regeneration. You and Who: Contact Has Been Made is a record of how that relationship began, how it continues, and of how we have experienced those fifty years, as written by the show’s own fans. This combined edition of You and Who: Contact Has Been Made features a reduced print size necessary to include both volumes in one book, and includes two brand new replacement essays not featured in the first edition of Volume One, as well as several brand new essays bringing the book up to date with Doctor Who’s fiftieth anniversary programming. 100% of the royalties from You and Who will be donated to charity.
You can acquire You and Who Contact Has Been Made as a single combined editions, from two volumes, or purchase the two volume sets.
Please Click here to see Watching Books for varied formats and purchasing options

youn42imgEarlier this year it was announced that my wife and I are compiling and editing a Douglas Adams Fan Anthology for Watching Books entitled: You and 42. A topic quite applicable to our community here, which you can read more about in my GH article here. We have been taking contributions all year long, and are still open to submissions. As lifelong fans of The Frood, my wife and I are very honored that Watching Books accepted our proposal  for this book. You and 42 is dedicated to all things Douglas Adams and will illustrate how much he is loved and missed through our adoration of his work.  We already have contributions from a number of members here at Galactic Hitchhikers, like our founder Zaxley Nash, Jared McLaughlin our audio/web engineer, the fabulous writer Demetria Blacksmith, Kevin Jon Davies (who did the Guide animations for the Hg2g TV series, and The Illustrated Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), and Jay Rainha who has provided Guide styled entries that will appear throughout the book. If you would like to write for You and 42, please visit the project page here, to get all the details.

My wife and I have a fair list of publication credits but it is our work for charity projects that mean the most to us. In the end, when these books sell the money is going toward services our fellow human beings need the most. It is our hope that as part of this community, and beyond, you will consider purchasing the aforementioned titles, or others listed on the Watching Books website, and help out a charity.  Have a wonderful, blessed and geek filled holiday season.

You and 42: A Douglas Adams Fan Anthology

by in Cocktails, Coming Soon, From the Editors, History, Humor and Satire, Life, the Universe, and Everything, Literature and Books, Opinion, The Whole Sort of General Mish Mash and tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Greetings from the outer reaches of the Western Spiral Arm,

youn42imgHowdy Hoopy Froods! Anthony here, with a few thoughts on You and 42: A Douglas Adams Fan Anthology.  It was prior to the summer, and a previous incarnation of this website that I announced You and 42, which will be published by Watching Books and proceeds donated to charity.  Since that time I have received a great number of contributions and have added those authors to the project website found by clicking here. There are a few authors that are members of the Galactic Hitchhikers community who have contributed essays, three that come to mind are Demetria Blacksmith and Jared McLaughlin. In addition our own GH Founder and President of the Galaxy Zaxley Nash will be contributing an essay concerning our Galactic Hitchhiker community and of the HG2G Television series.  I am extraordinarily grateful for their brilliant contributions and to the others who have done so as well.

However, in recent weeks and months I had to focus on a few others projects, one of them being my health, and that of my wife as we have had a few ailments to deal with. Due to this You and 42 was on a bit of a break, but we continued to receive wonderful emails and contributions for the project. As of today the project page is up to date for accepted essays thus far.
Additionally in the time I have noticed that our Galactic Hitchhikers community has grown considerably so there may be a few of you who are not aware of this book project.

What is YOU and 42 about? Here is a bit of details from the project webpage:

Do you know where your towel is? Do you often ask if there is tea aboard a spaceship? Do you find difficulty with your lifestyle or can’t get the hang of Thursdays? Or, rather than consulting a map, do you find someone who looks like they know where they’re going and follow them? It very rarely gets you where you wanted to go but always where you needed to be.

hqdefaultIf you hadn’t guessed it, YOU AND 42 is going to be a volume of essays about the life and work of Douglas Adams. The format, as per usual, will be a series of essays each focusing on a particular area or production, through which the authors can talk about their personal experiences of Adams and his work. We are not looking for reviews, rather the kind of essays we prefer are those that take a more autobiographical or anecdotal slant; this book is about the “YOU” as much as it is the “42”. Having said that, we appreciate that Adams is a popular and complex author, and this time we’ll be happy to mix it up a bit, by including essays of all kinds as long as they encompass the theme of Douglas Adams touching our lives in some way.

For the full list of details on how to contribute please click to visit the project page

There is no deadline at the moment, and you do not have to be a professional writer to contribute. This is a fan anthology where fans can tell their stories of how Douglas Adams has touched their life in some way. Please refer to the above page link to see a list of topics, and if you would like to pitch an idea you can send all queries to Anthony at Youandfortytwo@gmail.com

Roughing it, slumming it, and struggling against terrible odds

by in Froodism/Taowelism: The Tao of the Towel, Philosophy, Roughing it, slumming it, and facing terrible odds and tagged | Leave a comment

world-towel-day11

“…Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”

Roughing it/ Slumming it-

Roughing it is living without all the comforts, and sometimes even without the necessities.  The easiest path to having more is to desire less, even without Wi-Fi.  I spent two years in the mountains with really only clothing, a few books, and my laptop. All of my worldly possessions were in storage half way across the country. When I came back home and opened the storage lot door I realized that most of what I own I have absolutely no need for whatsoever. Being over encumbered slows you down, and causes undue stress. Having less means less to stress over.

r4 Slumming it is making the best of what one has. Slumming it is adapting to any scenario and thriving in any environment.  The rat and the roach always get a bad rap, but I have always admired their tenacity.  If there is no food the common cockroach can eat the glue from book bindings. While I don’t at all recommend this culinary choice the spirit is admirable. So what if you only have Peach Schnapps, some old vermouth and an expired can of Miller Lite,  when we let go of what we think we want we free ourselves to enjoy what we have. The colloquial phrase “ghetto fabulous” comes to mind.

Struggling against terrible odds and winning through-  

You are terrifically subject to entropy in the universe. You are a meat skeleton hurling ever increasingly away from the dying sun of a dying planet in the unfashionable western spiral arm of the galaxy. Extinction is the rule, survival is the exception. Never forget how amazingly amazing it is that you even exist. Life is hard, sometimes exceptionally so. When the car dies, the dog runs away, and your wife leaves you it’s not time to despair, rather it’s time to start a career in country music.

Winning through means celebrating your victories over your failures. Sometimes difficult to do, but there is always something worth celebrating, even if, and often especially if that something is just but a lesson learned. From every mistake we make we learn. From every destruction comes a chance to rebuild, an opportunity for new growth. Keep an open mind, and open eyes. At times it may seem as if the entire universe is conspiring against us, but even as it is always darkest before dawn; the sun always comes up in the morning. (If it doesn’t then this is a wholly different issue and might be time to hitch a lift off-world. We’ll explore what to do during the Apocalypse in a future rambling)

Knowing where your towel is- 16 - 1

The Dude’s rug ties the room together, the Frood’s towel binds the cosmos. One’s towel is both practical and symbolic, like absorbent Tibetan prayer beads. Indeed one can can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you — daft as a brush, but very very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course you can dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough….but draped over your shoulder, or around your neck the towel represents a symbolic reminder of who you are, where you have been, and what you have accomplished. It represents what you can accomplish if you don’t panic, and tells the world at large you are one of us.

The Towel is a symbol of all of us intrepid Galactic Hitchhikers, we Froodist monks.  It’s our terry-cloth mantra: We rough it and slum it. We struggle against terrible odds. We are never cruel or cowardly, we never give up, never give in….never surrender. We abide infinite diversity in infinite combinations, and strive towards the needs of the many rather than the needs of the few or the one. We eff the ineffable, and boldly go; we are always excellent to each other. We know where our towels are at…we Don’t Panic.

 Party on Froods. Stay hoopy my friends.

 

Stay tuned, next Saturday: The Ultimate Answer