This entry was posted on
Saturday, May 11th, 2002 at
9:30 am and is filed
under Geekage.
Douglas Noel Adams
March 11th, 1952 – May 11th, 2001
If you’re here reading this page, then it’s a fair bet that you felt an affiliation with DNA and have a vague notion that you might somehow wish to mark the anniversary of his passing. This being the case, it is also statistically likely that you have read every one of his books – or like at least to pretend that you have done so – and the first thought that you had upon hearing of his death was that you had always wanted to meet the man. (Don’t worry, you will.)
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year already, but today – on the 11th of May – we have been without Douglas Adams for 365 Earth days. Many of us are hoping that he’ll return soon(ish), looking somewhat dishevelled and dismissing his absence with a mumbled reference to ‘tax reasons’. Others refuse to believe that he’s left us at all. Even the alt.fan.douglas-adams FAQ still refers to him in the present tense – but gone he is and gone he’ll stay. The very fact that not one but two releases (a video and a book) have been produced on schedule to mark the anniversary should be ample proof of this.
Many will remember DNA as a writer and author, some as a fervent follower of the Macintosh OS or a proponent of the intelligent use of communications technology. To others, he’s just this guy, y’know?
Because Douglas Adams meant a lot of different things to different people, it would be stupid to think that one universal act could amply convey how we all miss him. Instead, it’s probably best instead to use the primitive technology at our disposal to collectively turn our largely misplaced and selfish feelings of loss into something wonderfully random and, hopefully, positive.
The following is presented merely as the beginning of a possible list of likely suggestions that may go forward to committee. If you have additional suggestions, we welcome any input by email. You can forward this list to friends by copying and pasting the text into an email or simply linking to this page.
A List Of Possible Activities For May 11th
– Bang some rocks together.
– Do six impossible things before breakfast.
– Carry a towel with you at all times.
– Choose a car completely at random and follow it.
– Drop by and say hello to Zaphod Beeblebrox (who has been living in the Sydney suburb of Bexley since about 1983).
– Switch from a PC to a Mac.
– Turn your entire website black for the day. Make the background black, the images black, and the text black. Make a little black light blink once to let visitors know when they mouse over a hyperlink and twice to let them know when they’ve successfully followed it to a new (black) page.
– Throw yourself at the ground and miss.
– Get yourself a really nice digital watch.
– Go to a mythical place with a strange man.
– Let an important deadline pass (twice, if possible).
– Make up your own recipe for a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.
– Failing that, find a small lake that thinks it is a gin and tonic, then jump in and out of it.
– Use capital letters to Deal With Things you don’t have a good answer to.
– Finally convince that specific girl (that you’re not married to) that now might be a good time for her to actually read a Douglas Adams book.
– If anybody simply smiles and says “Oh yeah, ’42′”, hit them in the small of the back with a large and extremely disreputable cocktail party.
How To Add To This List
Simply send an email with your suggestion(s).
