Every Inchie Monday: Physics

Hello Folks,

Well, this week I found two references to physics at this point in HHGG.  One is a mention of Improbability Physics, which applies to the improbability drive of the Heart of Gold.  The other relates to Trillian, who in explaining her reason for hitching a lift with Zaphod says, "After all with a degree in Maths and another in astrophysics what else was there to do?  It was either that or the dole-queue again on Monday...." [chapter 13]

My first inchie is the obvious one - probably the most famous equation in the world:

The quilled inchie was difficult.  The definition of physics says in part that it deals with the structure of atoms. So I depicted an atom of water, with one oxygen molecule and two of hydrogen to get H20.  I don't know -- it was a hard one this week.  (Looks a bit like Mickey Mouse to me, now that I look at it.)  

I remember loving physics in high school but darned if I can remember any of it now!

Every Inchie Monday: Party

Hi Folks,

Arthur, speaking in a cold voice upon first seeing Zaphod on The Heart of Gold spaceship:

"We've met, haven't we Zaphod Beeblebrox -- or should I say ... Phil?...
"You'll have to remind me" said Zaphod. "I've a terrible memory for species."
"It was at a party", pursued Arthur [text left out]
"A party six months ago.  On Earth ... England ..."
"London," insisted Arthur, "Islington."
"Oh," said Zaphod with a guilty start, that party."

So Ford is upset because Zaphod was on Earth while Ford spent 15 years desperately waiting to be rescued. and  Arthur is upset because he was pursuing a particular girl when Zaphod interrupted Arthur's "plying her with a bit of talk" saying he, Zaphod, was from another planet  --  and Arthur "never saw [the girl] again". 

Until now that is, because it turns out that the girl, whose earth name is Tricia McMillan, is actually Trillian, who, as she says, "hitched a lift" with Zaphod. 

Needless to say Arthur isn't happy. [chapter 13] 

So in honour of Arthur's terrible time at the party, I offer Lesley Gore and It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to:

And a more traditional party image with a quilled balloon, and candy and confetti (which are on the paper):

Hope everyone has a party of a week!

Every Inchie Monday: Radio

Hi Folks,

"A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold  cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha RADIO (sic) wavebands for news of himself.  The machine was rather difficult to operate.  For years RADIOS (sic) had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch sensitive -- you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope.  It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme." [chapter 12]

 This is a picture of the battery operated radio I bought for safety reasons in case the power goes off and I want to hear the news.  Well, actually, I bought it to listen to Blue Jays baseball games and to carry around with me while I do so.  (Mine's actually white, but white is boring to colour).

And here is my quilled radio inchie:

Does anyone listen to the radio except in their cars these days?  I certainly don't listen to music on mine.  How about you?

Every Inchie Monday: Ghastly

Hi Fellow Inchers!

Well this one was not easy to find, except that it was near the button and brain references.  Good old Marvin, the depressed robot, is talking about the doors of the Heart of Gold which were endowed by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation with "the new GPP feature" or "Genuine People Personalities". Thus "all of  the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition.  It is their pleasure to open for you, and their satisfaction to close again with the knowledge of a job well done".  

"Sounds ghastly," says Arthur.  Marvin replies "Ghastly...it all is.  Absolutely ghastly. [chapter 11]

Now it is not easy to depict concepts, as I'm sure we have all found this week.  So I cheated a bit.  My first offering is  a Pokemon character called Ghastly.  He is, isn't he?

And I couldn't figure out what to quill.  My (unreliable) memory recalls a line from the movie "Meet me in St. Louis" where the little girls are going out for hallowe'en and one of them (I think it's Margaret O'Brien) says she's going out dressed as a Ghastly Ghost and the other sister is some other kind of ghost.  This may be stretching both my memory and the idea.  So here is a ghastly ghost. 

Hope your week is far from ghastly!