Selected Shorts from the Files of Wikipedia
Dave Adalian
"Journey of the Sorcerer"
This track was used as the theme music for Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy radio series produced by the BBC in 1978 and 1979. Adams
said he had wanted something ideally sci-fi sounding while at the same time
suggestive of a traveler, this banjo-based instrumental striking him
therefore as ideal. "Journey of the Sorcerer" remained central to the Hitch
Hiker phenomenon, appearing subsequently for the television series in 1981
(albeit re-recorded), the sequel radio series produced by Above the Title
Productions for the BBC in 2003 and 2004, and (re-recorded once again) for
the blockbuster film produced by Disney/Touchstone in 2005. It was the
original version from One of These Nights that was used for all original
transmissions of all five radio series. The TV adaptation of the series, and
also an additional version released on LP record, used an arrangement by Tim
Souster, the CD releases of the radio series transmitted in 2004 and 2005
used another one arranged by Philip Pope, and the 2005 film used one by Joby
Talbot.
The track was also used in the third episode of the eighth season of
Frasier, The Great Crane Robbery, during a montage in which Frasier Crane is
rearranging the furniture in his apartment.
Why do I go to the trouble to reproduce this here? Why not?
--
-- Dave
Read my latest astronomy column!
http://starry-starry-nights.blogspot.com/
(not quite so) Fat Sam
> Why do I go to the trouble to reproduce this here? Why not?
Why not indeed.
I foudn it interesting..Thanks
Dave Adalian
message news:fvd61e$f94$1...@aioe.org...
I've always loved this piece since the first time I heard it in 1979. I had
no idea until years later that it was an Eagles tune. I've got it on my mp3
player, and when it cycled to the surface last night I decided to research
it. It's an incredible song and really helps solidify the idea rock-n-roll
is serious music, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>"(not quite so) Fat Sam" <saman...@knox.orangehome.co.uk> wrote in
>message news:fvd61e$f94$1...@aioe.org...
>> Dave Adalian wrote:
>>> Why do I go to the trouble to reproduce this here? Why not?
>>
>> Why not indeed.
>> I foudn it interesting..Thanks
>>
>
>I've always loved this piece since the first time I heard it in 1979. I had
>no idea until years later that it was an Eagles tune. I've got it on my mp3
>player, and when it cycled to the surface last night I decided to research
>it. It's an incredible song and really helps solidify the idea rock-n-roll
>is serious music, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.
I don't think I've ever heard the full thing.
I do remember that our Mr Coxon was "right put out" that the version
used in the movie wasn't the original Eagles version.
>Dave
>
>Read my latest astronomy column!
>http://starry-starry-nights.blogspot.com/
Am I right in saying that the latest astronomy column is "A Week of
Wintertime Planet Watching" dated 24th January? Or is my RSS reader up
the spout?
Lloyd
--
"In fact, everything between 'herring' and 'marmalade'
appears to be missing" -- Svlad Cjelli
Dave Adalian
wrote in message news:a8nm1451fe5lo23ri...@4ax.com...
I've been neglecting the Starry Nights blog, Lloyd, and I apologize. (In
fact, I'll probably be switching the column over to my new blog,
http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/.) To make up for it, here's the latest
and as yet unedited and unpublished column--the "tonight" in the first
paragraph is next Thursday, May 8; as a bonus, if you look for Mercury on
the evening of Tuesday, May 6, it will be in conjunction with an extremely
thin crescent of a moon and should make for a beautiful sight:
Watch Mercury rise and fall all through May
by Dave Adalian
If you go outside about half an hour after sunset tonight and look just
above the western horizon where the sunburned sky has yet to fade you'll
find bright pink Mercury, fastest of the planets, shining in the Sun's wake.
Elusive Mercury--the smallest of the planets at 3,032 miles wide--is putting
in its best appearance of 2008 during May. But, you'll still need to be
quick to see it.
Just 800 miles wider than Earth's moon and never further than about 36
million miles from the Sun, Mercury is difficult to find until the sun is
far enough down. By then, though, the time for viewing is short.
When you find it, you'll notice the messenger of the gods carries a
distinctly reddish hue, but it's an illusion. Mercury, which is only about
900 miles wider than our moon, is also about the same color, and it, too, is
covered in thousands of impact craters that bear witness to our Solar System's
violent past.
Mercury's ruddy tint, however, is an artifact of the air, which distorts the
planet's color as the light from so far away travels through Earth's
dust-filled atmosphere.
If you look at Mercury through a telescope, you'll notice it also shares
another trait with the Moon: it goes through phases. Right now, the Iron
Planet--so called because it has a massive iron core larger even than Earth's--is
about 60 percent lit. But, it's waning, and by the middle of the month it
will be just 25 percent illuminated.
At the same time, however, Mercury is also coming closer to Earth, and so
while its dark side comes into view it will also seem to grow larger.
As you watch night to night, notice that Mercury trails a bit further behind
Sol for the first few days. Around midmonth, Mercury will stop drifting away
from the sun, then after a couple of days will start falling back sunward. A
week later it will take the keenest of eyes to detect Mercury in the
afterglow of twilight, and by the end of the month there's no chance of
seeing it at all.
While Mercury is invisible to us back on Earth, it will be rounding the sun
on an inside track then emerging on the morning side. But, it won't be
visible to early risers until late June. It will be easy to find about half
an hour before dawn on July 1 when it's paired with the thinnest sliver of
an almost new moon.
++++++++++++++++++++
The Tulare Astronomical Association and the Tulare County Office of
Education will present The Cosmic Zoo, a planetarium program by Starry
Nights columnist Dave Adalian Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m. with a free star party
to follow. For details: starry-starry-nights.blogspot.com or visit the Pena
Planetarium website at www.tcoe.k12.ca.us/ImpactCenter/Planetarium.shtm or
call 737-6334.
--
-- Dave
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>"Lloyd Gilbert" <afda.i...@invalid.zanoop.invalid.org.invalid.uk.invalid>
>wrote in message news:a8nm1451fe5lo23ri...@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 00:39:57 GMT, "Dave Adalian"
>> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>Read my latest astronomy column!
>>>http://starry-starry-nights.blogspot.com/
>>
>> Am I right in saying that the latest astronomy column is "A Week of
>> Wintertime Planet Watching" dated 24th January? Or is my RSS reader up
>> the spout?
>
>I've been neglecting the Starry Nights blog, Lloyd, and I apologize.
No worries, my friend!
>(In
>fact, I'll probably be switching the column over to my new blog,
>http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/.)
ooOOoooh.. :-)
>To make up for it, here's the latest
>and as yet unedited and unpublished column--the "tonight" in the first
>paragraph is next Thursday, May 8; as a bonus, if you look for Mercury on
>the evening of Tuesday, May 6, it will be in conjunction with an extremely
>thin crescent of a moon and should make for a beautiful sight:
I'll endeavour to remember to look out for that.
<snip>
John Coxon
> On Fri, 02 May 2008 00:39:57 GMT, "Dave Adalian"
> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> I've always loved this piece since the first time I heard it in 1979. I had
>> no idea until years later that it was an Eagles tune. I've got it on my mp3
>> player, and when it cycled to the surface last night I decided to research
>> it. It's an incredible song and really helps solidify the idea rock-n-roll
>> is serious music, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.
>
> I don't think I've ever heard the full thing.
You should, it's great. I have about four different versions of it as a
side-effect of being an obsessive fanboy.
> I do remember that our Mr Coxon was "right put out" that the version
> used in the movie wasn't the original Eagles version.
Well, that's because it wasn't the original Eagles version. Anyone
should be 'right put out'.
--
John Coxon
http://johncoxon.livejournal.com/
http://www.chickensinenvelopes.net/
Lloyd Gilbert
<john.coxon.n...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Lloyd Gilbert wrote:
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 00:39:57 GMT, "Dave Adalian"
>> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> I've always loved this piece since the first time I heard it in 1979. I had
>>> no idea until years later that it was an Eagles tune. I've got it on my mp3
>>> player, and when it cycled to the surface last night I decided to research
>>> it. It's an incredible song and really helps solidify the idea rock-n-roll
>>> is serious music, as well as a hell of a lot of fun.
>>
>> I don't think I've ever heard the full thing.
>
>You should, it's great.
It's on my list.
> I have about four different versions of it as a
>side-effect of being an obsessive fanboy.
>
>> I do remember that our Mr Coxon was "right put out" that the version
>> used in the movie wasn't the original Eagles version.
>
>Well, that's because it wasn't the original Eagles version. Anyone
>should be 'right put out'.
Hehe.
Tian
Grrr... You would have to pick one of the tracks that's rare enough to
not go on any of the Eagles albums I have... :-( Being a HHGG book fan,
I never heard the tune on the radio. Don't particularly remember it in
the movie. Can you tell me a scene where it is clearly audible?
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
"In California, we say don't wait for Washington, because Washington is
asleep at the wheel" Governor Schwarzenegger on climate change progress.
Lloyd Gilbert
>Dave Adalian wrote:
>> From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_of_These_Nights
>>
>> "Journey of the Sorcerer"
>Grrr... You would have to pick one of the tracks that's rare enough to
>not go on any of the Eagles albums I have... :-( Being a HHGG book fan,
>I never heard the tune on the radio. Don't particularly remember it in
>the movie. Can you tell me a scene where it is clearly audible?
It's the bit of banjo-esque music that's playing as the humungous
Actual Book of the "opening credits" spins into view in space.
If you see what I mean.
HTH HANDA
Dave Adalian
news:fvnp1...@enews4.newsguy.com...
I was going to send this link to a high-quality Em-Pee-Three file:
http://katmusic.verhau.de/Eagles%20-%20Journey_Of_The_Sorcerer.mp3
But, I realized that would be WRONG [tm]. So, instead I direct you here:
http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/journey-of-sorcerer-eagles.html
--
-- Dave
Read my latest astronomy column!
http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>as a bonus, if you look for Mercury on
>the evening of Tuesday, May 6, it will be in conjunction with an extremely
>thin crescent of a moon and should make for a beautiful sight
I watched the sun set over the past ~20-30mins. Took several blurry
pictures. But no dice with either Mercury or the crescent moon.
Viewing conditions are such that it's cloudy/hazy to the west this
evening. Worth a try, though.
Tian
Dave Adalian
Dave Adalian
wrote in message news:khd124te7tsjcdfq3...@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 2 May 2008 12:06:36 -0700, "Dave Adalian"
> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>as a bonus, if you look for Mercury on
>>the evening of Tuesday, May 6, it will be in conjunction with an extremely
>>thin crescent of a moon and should make for a beautiful sight
>
> I watched the sun set over the past ~20-30mins. Took several blurry
> pictures. But no dice with either Mercury or the crescent moon.
> Viewing conditions are such that it's cloudy/hazy to the west this
> evening. Worth a try, though.
>
Alas! Haze and clouds are always more of a problem for you on the Angel
Isle. Here's what I saw:
http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/moon-and-mercury.html
--
-- Dave
Read my latest astronomy column!
http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>"Lloyd Gilbert" <afda.i...@invalid.zanoop.invalid.org.invalid.uk.invalid>
>wrote in message news:khd124te7tsjcdfq3...@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 2 May 2008 12:06:36 -0700, "Dave Adalian"
>> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>>>as a bonus, if you look for Mercury on
>>>the evening of Tuesday, May 6, it will be in conjunction with an extremely
>>>thin crescent of a moon and should make for a beautiful sight
>>
>> I watched the sun set over the past ~20-30mins. Took several blurry
>> pictures. But no dice with either Mercury or the crescent moon.
>> Viewing conditions are such that it's cloudy/hazy to the west this
>> evening. Worth a try, though.
>
>Alas! Haze and clouds are always more of a problem for you on the Angel
>Isle. Here's what I saw:
>
>http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/moon-and-mercury.html
Woo! That's nice.
I probably stayed watching for about 15mins past sunset and didn't see
hide nor hair of either the moon or mercury. Judging by your picture
they "ought" to have been outside the bulk of the haze. Unless the
haze was more hazy than I thought.
My pictures are rubbish (couldn't hold the camera still enough, I
think), so I'm not going to upload them anywhere.
Dave Adalian
wrote in message news:390424dq16ma0505p...@4ax.com...
The Moon was at least eight hours younger when you were looking for it,
making it a very thin crescent, and Mercury would have appeared about half
as far away.
To hold the camera still, I cheated and used a tripod and the timed shutter
release. Then, I Photoshopped the result.
Tian
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
5/6: I spent a few hours papering downtown Mountain View
with Bike To Work Day posters. That's coming up on 5/15/08!
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>"Lloyd Gilbert" <afda.i...@invalid.zanoop.invalid.org.invalid.uk.invalid>
>wrote in message news:390424dq16ma0505p...@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008 00:50:51 -0700, "Dave Adalian"
>> <dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/moon-and-mercury.html
>>
>> Woo! That's nice.
>>
>> I probably stayed watching for about 15mins past sunset and didn't see
>> hide nor hair of either the moon or mercury. Judging by your picture
>> they "ought" to have been outside the bulk of the haze. Unless the
>> haze was more hazy than I thought.
>>
>> My pictures are rubbish (couldn't hold the camera still enough, I
>> think), so I'm not going to upload them anywhere.
>
>The Moon was at least eight hours younger when you were looking for it,
>making it a very thin crescent, and Mercury would have appeared about half
>as far away.
Such is the way of orbital mechanics.
>To hold the camera still, I cheated and used a tripod and the timed shutter
>release. Then, I Photoshopped the result.
I do have a tripod, but it's a diddy little thing (20cm tall, ish) and
not exactly the kind of camera base to be used whilst hanging out of
the bedroom window. I did try to steady myself using the window frame
but it wasn't as effective as hoped.
Photoshopping - I'd not thought of that. Is there an "de-rubbish the
blur" option? ;-)
Dave Adalian
wrote in message news:kce6241ktdkpjp6km...@4ax.com...
There have been several attempts to create such a filter but unfortunately
all of them have so far been unsuccessful.
Lloyd Gilbert
<dave.a...@PLZNOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote:
>"Lloyd Gilbert" <afda.i...@invalid.zanoop.invalid.org.invalid.uk.invalid>
>wrote in message news:kce6241ktdkpjp6km...@4ax.com...
>>
>> Photoshopping - I'd not thought of that. Is there an "de-rubbish the
>> blur" option? ;-)
>
>There have been several attempts to create such a filter but unfortunately
>all of them have so far been unsuccessful.
Ah, well.
Dave Adalian
>
>> Alas! Haze and clouds are always more of a problem for you on the Angel
>> Isle. Here's what I saw:
>>
>> http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/moon-and-mercury.html
>>
> That's a great picture! Thanks for sharing...
>
You're welcome.
Oddly, this post didn't appear on my newsreader until today, May 12, five
days after it was sent. Is it just me, or are there eddies in the data
continuum?
Tian
> On Wed, 7 May 2008 13:11:37 -0700, "Dave Adalian"
>
>> release. Then, I Photoshopped the result.
>
> I do have a tripod, but it's a diddy little thing (20cm tall, ish) and
> not exactly the kind of camera base to be used whilst hanging out of
> the bedroom window. I did try to steady myself using the window frame
> but it wasn't as effective as hoped.
Maybe if you taped the camera to the window frame...
>
> Photoshopping - I'd not thought of that. Is there an "de-rubbish the
> blur" option? ;-)
>
Those kinds of things sometimes help a bit, but the better the picture
you start with, the better the picture you end up with.
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
5/10: I spent a few hours teaching fogheads what goes in the compost at
KaBOOM! This was interesting because KFOG paid extra for compostable
cups, plates, and flatware. I basically stood between them and the trash
saying "COMPOST!" "COMPOST!" "COMPOST!" while pointing to the compost
bin. One woman called me a recycling god. Many others said nice things.
Tian
> "Tian" <tnha...@aceweb.com> wrote in message
> news:fvthf...@enews1.newsguy.com...
>>> Alas! Haze and clouds are always more of a problem for you on the Angel
>>> Isle. Here's what I saw:
>>>
>>> http://parkingorbit.blogspot.com/2008/05/moon-and-mercury.html
>>>
>> That's a great picture! Thanks for sharing...
>>
>
> You're welcome.
>
> Oddly, this post didn't appear on my newsreader until today, May 12, five
> days after it was sent. Is it just me, or are there eddies in the data
> continuum?
>
Lloyd Gilbert
>Lloyd Gilbert wrote:
>> On Wed, 7 May 2008 13:11:37 -0700, "Dave Adalian"
>>
>>> To hold the camera still, I cheated and used a tripod and the timed shutter
>>> release. Then, I Photoshopped the result.
>>
>> I do have a tripod, but it's a diddy little thing (20cm tall, ish) and
>> not exactly the kind of camera base to be used whilst hanging out of
>> the bedroom window. I did try to steady myself using the window frame
>> but it wasn't as effective as hoped.
>
>Maybe if you taped the camera to the window frame...
I'd be wary of that as the window frame is on the 2nd storey, above a
rockery. I wouldn't want my camera to fall and break.
>> Photoshopping - I'd not thought of that. Is there an "de-rubbish the
>> blur" option? ;-)
>>
>Those kinds of things sometimes help a bit, but the better the picture
>you start with, the better the picture you end up with.
Yeah.
I think perhaps I've got a setting wrong on my camera - I need to look
up what a particular red flashing symbol is supposed to imply...
Lloyd Gilbert
<wron...@of.the.message.invalid> wrote:
>/// Lloyd Gilbert /
>afda.i...@invalid.zanoop.invalid.org.invalid.uk.invalid / Thu, 15 May
>2008 19:20:16 +0100 ///
>
>> >Those kinds of things sometimes help a bit, but the better the picture
>> >you start with, the better the picture you end up with.
>>
>> Yeah.
>>
>> I think perhaps I've got a setting wrong on my camera - I need to look
>> up what a particular red flashing symbol is supposed to imply...
>
>It's likely the camera shake detector if blur is your issue. It would
>warn you if you're taking shots without a flash in low light conditions,
>particularly if the camera isn't in a fixed position.
That's what I was thinking at the time, but I've subsequently seen it
happen on a brighter day whilst I had the camera sat on a solid
looking fence post.
>Turn on the flash or get a tripod. ;-)
Flash is, I believe, set to "automatic". For the pictures of the
sunset I used a "sunset" setting on the camera that (I presume) does
something funky with the colours and also doesn't bother using the
flash.
I'm not entirely certain the camera's been 'right' since it went in an
aeroplane hold last autumn and ended up taking misty-looking pictures
for a few hours once we'd gotten to our hotel in Madeira.