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Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for Wed, 01 May 2024

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Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller on Wed, 01 May 2024

Source - Patreon

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gordol
6 hours ago
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This is an excerpt from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

How To Fly
© by Douglas Adams
There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] suggests, and try it.

The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and the willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt.

That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground. Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.

Clearly, it is the second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.

It is notoriously difficult to prize your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinty, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.

This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration. Bob and float, float and bob. Ignore all consideration of your own weight simply let yourself waft higher. Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful. They are most likely to say something along the lines of "Good God, you can't possibly be flying!" It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.

Waft higher and higher. Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly.

DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.

When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly easier and easier to achieve.

You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your maneuverability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it were going to anyway.

You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly screw up, and screw up badly, on your first attempt.

There are private clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitchhikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.
Earth
SteveRB511
3 hours ago
👍 Douglas Adams had quite a talent for putting things into perspective. 😉
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Brevity by Dan Thompson for Fri, 26 Apr 2024

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Brevity by Dan Thompson on Fri, 26 Apr 2024

Source - Patreon

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gordol
5 days ago
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The "liquorish" was horrible and the "chocolate" was chalk. And the factory was two towns over from where I grew up, I'd drive past it often.
Earth
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Brevity by Dan Thompson for Fri, 19 Apr 2024

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Brevity by Dan Thompson on Fri, 19 Apr 2024

Source - Patreon

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gordol
12 days ago
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https://youtu.be/Mdqv5xIsFLM?si=5u_IJpbRP5qw24t-
Earth
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Loose Parts by Dave Blazek for Thu, 21 Mar 2024

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Loose Parts by Dave Blazek on Thu, 21 Mar 2024

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gordol
41 days ago
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My duck has a quack in it. And so does my vet's office.
Earth
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Moon Armor Index

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Astronomers are a little unsure of the applicability of this index, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer is all in favor.
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gordol
43 days ago
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I never heard of the four between Pluto and Eris.
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WorldMaker
42 days ago
We are up to SO MANY Dwarf Planets now. (I like to point out that it’s just as much Pluto got a huge new family than it is that Pluto got “demoted”.) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet
gordol
42 days ago
Dwarf Planet is still a Planet, so Pluto is still a planet!
wffurr
42 days ago
I knew Haumea from the Dwarf Planets song which predates the classification of the other three: https://youtu.be/ws3kWuMi0Y8?feature=shared
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1 public comment
iustinp
43 days ago
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Ha ha, this is a very nice one!
Switzerland

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for Sat, 09 Mar 2024

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Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis on Sat, 09 Mar 2024

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gordol
53 days ago
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The pun that killed Frank.
Earth
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