H2G2

Towel Day and 45 Years of Star Wars

Posted on by Josef Havelka

What a day to be a sci-fi nerd. I was so excited about this day I began writing this blog a year prior. But then I hit a writer’s block and that was the only sentence I wrote all year. Or I just procrastinated. Either way, I fished writing it today.

As many folks know by now, I love Star Wars. It has been around for 45 years as of today. I could go on and on about this science fiction fantasy universe, but I won’t do that today. I already celebrated May 4th.

More importantly- Today is Towel Day! This one is really significant to me. Our oldest received their name from book five of the trilogy. In my opinion- Random is one of the greatest names in this day and age. Random can choose a new name at random and no one would question it. Random can do random things and again, kind of difficult to question. But most of all, Random has suited their name since my wife first agreed to the name a little over 20 years ago.

21 years ago, Douglas Adams passed away at age 49. He was the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Or H2G2. A comedic series of books about the absurdity of the universe. I had recently re-read the novels when he passed. A short time later, the universe clobbered me with a 2×4 and was about to make me a father for the first time. Naturally, I wanted the universe to know that I was game and ready to play along. Random would become the greatest gift and biggest hurdle for my life. Which has brought me to this bit of wisdom:

As significant as today is, and how nerdy it is, one must always be prepared for adventure- so remember to bring a towel. It may just save your life!

Or perhaps just use a clean towel to dry off. That’s important too.

Towel Day 2021

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Remember your towel today! It’s International Towel Day. Here’s a brief description:

A towel, [The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

That time I met Howie Mandel

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite science fiction series ever. We named our first born daughter Random because of it. I have even dressed as Arthur Dent at conventions in the past.

I will be bringing my towel with me all day. Just like I do Every Towel Day. It’s a sign of being a nerd. A true nerd.

Go To Sleep Joe.

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’m not busy doing much of anything. Including sleep. Most times I can just roll over and pass out. I’ve slept through jackhammering and roofing. This morning I’m just aimlessly wandering the Internet. Maybe a lullaby will help after my night shift.

Now the world has gone to bed,
Darkness won’t engulf my head,
I can see in infrared,
How I hate the night.
He paused to gather the artistic and emotional strength to tackle the next verse.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
Try to count electric sheep,
Sweet dream wishes you can keep,
How I hate the night.

What would really help is putting down my phone and closing my eyes. Farewell for the day. Or as Truman says:

Okay sleep. Do your thing.

Six Times Nine Equals Forty Two

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Okay. The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is…

42

That’s 42 days from now!

In six weeks we are moving to our new house. Our entire life, universe and everything will be changing. This is hitting a 9 out of 10 on the stress scale now.

I’m terrified and excited at the same time. The fact that we had such a long closing date for leaving here and the possession of our new home has been both a blessing and a curse. The countdown seems so far away still. Yet we have the majority of our home packed up. Which is great, except that we are living in only a portion of our house at the moment.

Our living room is packed with boxes all labeled to where they need to go in our new home. No more theater room and watching shows on our big screen. My wife’s studio is also filled. All of the bedrooms have a stack of boxes and this new chaos feels like it is running rampant in our home. The most empty space we have at this time is our yard. We cleared out so much debris outside that our land looks enormous once more.

For the next month and a half, we will be enjoying the outdoors a bit more than normal. Every year we have enjoyed dining outdoors. This year will be no different. Even when we move- we will enjoy the outdoors.

Enough blogging. Back to packing. Hmmm… I wonder which Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy quote I should focus on:

  • “Don’t Panic.” …
  • “Time is an illusion. …
  • “Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?”

Towel Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

“A towel, [The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.”

–The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.”

“There is another theory which states that this has already happened.“

–The Restaurant at the End of The Universe

“Just believe everything I tell you, and it will all be very, very simple.”

-Life, the Universe and Everything

“There was a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler’s mind.“

-So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish

“Anything that happens, happens.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again.”

“It doesn’t necessarily do it in chronological order though.”

–Mostly Harmless

Douglas Adams was a fantastic writer of sci-fi and humor. His five novels of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy inspired my family’s life. That’s right, five books in the trilogy. Don’t ask, that’s part of the charm of his story telling. My wife and I were so inspired by his works that we named our first born, Random, after one of his characters. From that name sprouted her siblings names- Darwin and Theory.

As well, 42 is an important number to our family. Each of us constantly pointing it out wherever it may appear. As if the Universe is telling us something. Be it good or bad. But as life goes on, I am encouraged by two words written by Douglas Adams…

Don’t Panic

Sci-Fi

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today is doubly dorky.  First it’s the 40th Anniversary of the release of Star Wars.  Forty years of a fandom that has brought us Wookiee calls and internet memes.  I have discussed my love of this space fantasy on numerous occasions.  I don’t think I need to add any more on the subject at this time.  Except that either you love Star Wars or you’re wrong.

Today is also known as “Towel Day”. Which is a bit more obscure compared to Star Wars.  However the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is known by most people in my circle of friends.  I wrote about it last year and explained it’s significance in my life. Douglas Adams was a brilliantly funny man in his musings.  Perhaps he will inspire me to write more than a mere blog post.

So today I am unsure which to celebrate more.  My love of Star Wars or the series of novels that inspired my oldest daughter’s name?  I think I shall combine the two and wear a Star Wars shirt and carry around my towel.


Don’t Panic.

H2G2

Posted on by Josef Havelka

“Anything that happens, happens.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.”

“Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again.”

“It doesn’t necessarily do it in chronological order though.”

–Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Today is Towel Day.

To many, this is just another day.  To others, it’s just another day to celebrate made up by geeks like May 4th: Star Wars Day.  To me- it is what makes my life, my universe, my everything.

The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a Trilogy written in five parts.  The first two books were made into a fantastically bad special effects BBC Miniseries in 1981 that only the BBC could do.  Later, Hollywood released their version with all high gloss and green screen effects (shout out to the late Alan Rickman who voiced Marvin).  Both tell the same story, both are entertaining, both could have been done better.

I first read the series of books back in 2000 around the time I met my wife.  For Christmas 2001, I gave her a copy of all five books conveniently made into one, and asked her if we could name our daughter after a character from the novels.  Which we did.  Our first born was named Random and she arrived on this planet in July of 2002.

Life, the universe, and everything.

 

Our daughter has grown into her name.  It also paved the way of how we would name our other two children that would be born after her.  Random, Darwin, Theory.  Often we are asked if we are scientists because of this.  I like to answer that it’s because we are Atheists.  Believing in a god, gods, spaghetti monsters, or evolution shouldn’t matter as long as people follow the “Golden Rule”.  If it weren’t for H2G2, I don’t know what we would have named our children, or what journey my life would have been on if I never read the books.  I am grateful that such a book was written and that it influenced my life.  In a way, I could guess that this is what people think when they read the bible and it’s impact on their lives.

The page in which our daughter gets introduced.

 

Douglas Adams’ writing was witty.  Unknowingly to him at the time,he helped to create everyone’s life on this planet.  Look at your smartphone or iPad in your possession.  It is exactly what The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was described as.  A wealth of knowledge at your fingertips that was gathered from across the universe.  Do a search of “what is the answer to life the universe and everything?” and the result is 42.  But that answer is really to the question, “what do you get when you multiple six by nine?”  Thus proving that life is one big joke in this cosmic universe.

So grab your towel people, the universe is taking us for a ride, and DON’T PANIC.