How About A Cup Of The Answer To Everything?
Reiner Schulz writes "Douglas Adams admittedly was a big fan of Earl Grey tea. Here's his enlightening entry in H2G2 on the subject (pretty much straight out of The Salmon of Doubt). And those familiar w/ the Hitchhiker's Guide will remember the drink dispenser from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe which, trying to figure out how to brew the perfect cuppa, grabs all available computing resources on board a certain starship. What a coincidence then that one of the finest blends of Earl Grey on the planet in general and in the UK in particular is Harrods' Earl Grey, Blend No. ... 42 . It's a plausible theory as to the origin of the answer to everything, isn't it? Earl Grey addicts like myself will certainly agree (even though Douglas liked his w/ milk; I prefer lemon). So, what would be the question? Perhaps, how about a nice cup of tea?"
Does this mean that Earl Grey is selling a substance that is almost, but not quite, completely unlike tea?
I found the meaning of life the other day, but I had write-only access.
What is this "tuh-eee" you speak of?
What a coincidence then that one of the finest blends of Earl Grey on the planet in general and in the UK in particular is Harrods' Earl Grey, Blend No. ... 42.
This ties right in with the Great Pyramid of Cheops, Stonehenge, the value of pi, crop circles, that weird face on Mars, that strange 1x4x9 thing floating around Jupiter, and the fact that the sun and moon look the same size from the Earth! They're all connected, I tell you!
The coolest voice ever.
Now we live in a Universe where the question AND the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything are both known.
The Universe was complicated enough... What have you DONE?
Hmm... earl grey tea. Maybe that's how an old bald guy can kick the borg's collective ass.
Nah, I like this one better: Big Cup of Shut the #$@! up
I can see it now, on Kuro5hin. "How to brew the perfect cup of shut the #$@! up"...
Please help metamoderate.
This is a well known phenomenon. It usually happens to me during the first 15-20 mins of smoking pot or the like. The trick is to relax and fight off the paranoia. A beer or two helps at this stage, or smoke another joint or two.
After a while you're so baked that not only do you not find your new state of mind strange and crazy, but actually enjoy it for the rest of your trip. I could post a recipe for a really good joint here, but maybe I'll be able to submit a story about it next Sunday, when news is slow to come by on /.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Take one bourbon glass, fill it with ice, add two shots of Jim Beam and top off with Coke. I learned that from a nutramatic machine...
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
Welcome to Slashdot, where speculation makes it news... What the hell is this FOX or something?
If what you are reading sounds funny, or sarcastic, lame, or stupid
it is because it is supposed to be. just laugh
Does this mean that Earl Grey is selling a substance that is almost, but not quite, completely unlike tea?
;-)
Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea. Rather like your almost, but not quite, entirely accurate quote.
The coolest voice ever.
What made Mr. Adams think that some sort of god didn't put "42 will do" into his head at that time for at least one of the so-called "complete nonsense" reasons?
Will I retire or break 10K?
"even though Douglas liked his w/ milk; I prefer lemon"
Tea without milk? How uncivilised.
Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way...
toodle pip and cheerio...
When all of your wishes have been granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed - Marilyn Manson
A friend of mine was left with only a Knoppix CD for an operating system for about a week. And two things impressed her about Linux above anything else. First, the ease with which it was possible to rescue her files from a dead windows install. Second, the charm of teacooker. We can praise the power and versatility of gcc, or the eye candy of KDE forever, but I maintain that it's an operating system's native support for tea brewing applications that will win it success.
Everything will be taken away from you.
That's GNU/Hippie, thankyouverymuch!
He did not kick the borg's collective ass, only the borg collective's ass.
It's sort of a skill to not get a double entendre and also be able to ruin it for everyone else.
I don't see what is stopping you...
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Oh no!
Now I'm trapped in an endless recursion!
What is this coughy you drink? It sounds harmful to one's health.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
I'd strongly recommend the foil-packed Dilmah (100% ceylon) variety, which is about the freshest, and most fragrant I've been able to fine in Australia.
Have you noticed that Mr Dilmah uses every available surface of the tea packet to write about how his competitors are out to get him? Check the lid flaps, bottom of the box, check under the packet for a tiny pamphlet etc -- the man is a paranoid nutter! It's probably foil-packed with pieces of his hat!
Nice tea, tho'.
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
I always thought blood + booze == guiness
sqr(10 * the answer to life, the universe, and everything ^ 3)
the answer to life, the universe, and everything!
(the answer to life, the universe, and everything * the mass of the earth) / 1 googol
...all the Earl Grey tea is now gone from my local grocery, because all the Douglas Adams cultists have read this slashdot post and are now rioting for Earl Grey # 42....
"Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important." (Lisa Hoffman)
Perhaps I will someday. But I already have a stack of unread books and little time to read them.
That's no problem. Simply put the Hitchhiker's Guide on top of the stack.
I believe posters are recognized by their sig. So I made one.
Infact, England is just a function of earth that is calculating the ultimate question to the ultimate answer.
This subroutin called england() only purpose is to calculate the best blend of tea by method of brute force.
retep.
YOU ARE A HUGE NERD!
Will code a sig generator for food
The answer and question to LtU&E is known, and that I don't like Earl Grey Tea.
There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
he won't be dead long - he's just spending the year dead for tax purposes
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything could not possibly be English tea. The English do not even know the first thing about good tea. The "black" (should be red but the English brew it too dark) tea that the English love so much is the worst variety of tea available.
Furthermore, the Chinese merchant who sold the first measure of red tea to the Portugese, sold them the lowest grade because he knew they were incapable of appreciating it, and it appears he has been demonstrated to be right. English teas such as Earl Grey also contain other contaminants (the English would call them flavors) that ruin the flavor of the tea.
Yet more barbaric is the fact that the English put lemon and/or milk and/or sugar in their tea. Here is a little hint: tea is to Eastern culture as wine is to Western culture. Try putting milk and sugar in your wine, and tell me how that tastes. One who needs milk or sugar or lemon cannot claim to enjoy the flavor of tea.
If something as crass and profane as English tea is The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, it is time to move to another universe! B-)
All data is speech. All speech is Free.
Get off my bridge!
Not everybody likes it. This song gets some airplay on Australian ABC radio, especially Sunday mornings and you can even buy it. Personnally I like Earl Grey. I just can't stand Lady Grey.
EARL GREY by Enda Kenny (from the album "Baker's Dozen")
Is it perfume? Is it tea?
Whatever it is it does nothing for me
Should I drink it? Or dab it on?
Can I swap it for a coffee or has all the water gone?
It is hot, it is wet.
It is eau de toilette
Is it from the House of Lipton or Chanel?
I only want a cup of tea not this stuff you've given me
If you think I'm going to drink it go to
Help me
Someone call a doctor, call a nurse!
Call an ambulance! I'm poisoned
And I think it's getting worse
I only wanted a cup of tea
But I fear that my last mouthful will be the death of me
It is hot, it is wet
It is eau de toilette
To my mind it is more toilette than eau
If you want to spoil your day
Add the oil of Earl Grey
I'm reliably informed it's bergamot....
What a mouthful
Is it perfume? Is it wee?
Whatever it's supposed to be it doesn't taste like tea
Should I drink it or dab it on?
Can I swap it for a coffee or has all the water gone?
It is hot, it is wet
It is eau de toilette
Is it Twinings? Is it Tetley? Let me see
Go ahead make my day
But please don't make me drink Earl Grey
All I want is a proper cup of tea
-- it must be true, it's on the internet.
The same reason a Russian Submarine Captain would. It's called better actors.
Honestly, would you want the NCC-1701D run by THIS guy!?