Google Doodle Celebrates Birthday of Douglas Adams 104
mikejuk writes "Today's Google Doodle celebrates the fact that today would have been Douglas Adam's 61st birthday. For any fans of Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this isn't to be missed. The interactive doodle takes us aboard the Heart of Gold spaceship where the towel — the essential travel item for any intergalactic voyager sits on the console besides the, also very necessary cup of tea, which is also a reference to a Dirk Gently novel, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. There are lots more tributes hidden including Marvin — the real one not the one in the film, a Babel Fish and more. Have fun exploring but make sure you click on the search symbol to find out more about Douglas Adams and his work."
Re:Marvin (Score:4, Informative)
Though I agree with your sentiment in principle, when I was a child, the TV series was my first exposure to the story and thusly, for me*, the TV Marvin is the real one (It also had the correct voice which helps the continuity).
I also went on to consume said story in every other form that I could find, and liked them all, bar one. it helped that, for the most part, the radio and TV show had the same voices.
However, I know some people that will have seen the film first and to them, *that* is the real Marvin and that just makes me want to curl up & shudder.
*I have always supposed that for any given story or song, the first version you experienced will always be the greatest in your own mind. Haven't found many exceptions to this rule yet.
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Marvin (Score:4, Informative)
Sadly, the OP doesn't realize that the TV marvin *WAS* in the movie. He's in the queue for paperwork.
Actually, the tea is... (Score:3, Informative)
So Adams must have mentioned tea in more than one body of work, which isn't too surprising for an Englishman.
BTW, editors, it's Douglas Adams' birthday, not Douglas Adam's birthday. Although, according to infinite improbability, there is probably a Douglas Adam whose birthday it is today as well. Oh dear...
Re:Non-rounded, often obscure and "deathdays"... (Score:2, Informative)
You're not paying close enough attention then.
Hint: Look at the colors of the standard Google logo and the colors in the doodle.
The roll of tape plus the blue cylinder make 'G', the red radio and yellow teacup make 'oo,' the blue Guide plus the leather bag make a rough 'g', the green towel is 'l' and the red window is 'e.'
It's always in there, just have to look.
Re:Actually, the tea is... (Score:4, Informative)
... a strong Brownian Motion producer, which is essential for the Infinite Improbability Drive which powers Zaphod's stolen spaceship, the Heart of Gold.
So Adams must have mentioned tea in more than one body of work, which isn't too surprising for an Englishman.
Completely useless stats for the record:
Tea is mentioned 31 times in the five volumes of the Hitchhiker Trilogy. That includes
once in the first volume's dedication ("...for tea, sympathy, and a sofa"), and three
uses of the phrase "a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea"
(twice in vol. 1, once in vol. 2).
In detail:
Re:Marvin (Score:4, Informative)
The Hitchhiker's trilogy is inaccurately named, sadly no longer increasingly so.