The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Silly Zaphod... (prompt 13)(chapter 18)

In this chapter, Zaphod and the group are dining at the restaurant at the end of the universe (where the main attraction is the end of space and time itself). Rather than stay and watch the show, however, Zaphod decides to go down to the parking lot. While there, him and Ford admire the fancy cars and space-craft. One such vehicle catches their eye in particular. This vehicle is so black, that it can barely be seen. It's surface is completely frictionless and can therefore not be touched. Consequently, Zaphod and Ford decide to steal the car.

I think this is a very stupid thing to do. Given the fact that they have a one-of-a-kind improbability drive ship waiting for them some five hundred and seventy-six thousand million, three thousand five hundred and seventy nine years years in the past, why would they steal someone else's car? The improbability drive provided a useful way of escaping pursuit and making a good story. Now, they just have a really black car.

If I could give Zaphod and Ford some advice, I would say stick with what you have. You're making a very rich being very angry by stealing their car, and the last thing you need right now is more enemies.

The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe: Finally, a sarcasm to match my own (prompt 11)(chapter 17)

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy notes that Disaster Area, a plutonium rock band from the Gagrakacka Mind Zones, are generally held to be not only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy, but in fact the loudest noise of any kind at all. Regular concert goers judge that the best sound balance is usually to be heard from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stays in orbit around the planet--or more frequently around a completely different planet." --(page 114)

Douglas Adams has an amazing sense of humor, and it shows in his writing style. Very often, chapters begin with random tidbits of knowledge such as the above paragraph. These tidbits are always phrased to sound factual, but are at the same time completely ridiculous. Adams' use of sarcasm and humor in his writing greatly adds to my enjoyment of this book. As a fairly sarcastic person myself, reading is made much more enjoyable when I can laugh with the author.

Adams also uses fantastic action words when writing. He often treats inanimate objects as people in this respect (a drink machine "gurgles sweetly"). Little details such as this add to the humor in Adams' style and voice that really draws me to his writing.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Zaphod - the idiot, the president, the mysterious potential. (prompt 6)

"I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed not to know. And I resent that, right? The old me knew, The old me cared. Fine, so far so good. Except that the old me cared so much that he actually got inside his own brain - my own brain - and locked off the bits that knew and cared, because if I knew and cared I wouldn't be able to do it." ... "Well, I don't want to know" ... "That's my choice. I'm not going to be anybody's puppet, particularly not my own." (page 26)

Zaphod Beeblebrox, the ex-president of the galaxy, clearly has some issues. We find out soon after this quote that Zaphod only became president to find out who actually runs the galaxy (because the president has virtually no power in actuality). However, should he have gone through the mandatory head-screening process before becoming president with this motive in mind, then he would have been thrown out immediately. So, he locked away what he wanted to do so that even he didn't know it anymore. Now, it's coming back.

So, I predict that by the end of this book we will know who (or what) truly controls the galaxy. I think the rest of the story will be almost like an adventure while Zaphod and the rest of the characters run around the universe trying to unlock the clues in Zaphod's head. If not, then I really have no idea where this book is going, but I still like how it's getting there.

The following video is a pretty good visual representation of Zaphod's character from the movie, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

Who did Che want to become? Thesis

Che's genuine care and compassion for the underdogs of society led to his tendency to lose sight of what was truly best for nations as a whole while revolutionizing whatever countries he could.

Write me a story

Che spent a lot of time describing the history and people of Cuzco. Many other stories (books, movies, fables, etc) also focus on Cuzco. Using whatever random history or legend of Cuzco you may know (or find), write a short story with Cuzco as the setting.

I chose this as my Do Now because Cuzco is an interesting place with many legends within its history. Che explored Cuzco from a very factual and historical perspective, so I thought it would be interesting to think about some of the more legendary aspects of this city.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Humorous Hooker (prompt 1)(chapter 2)

"Listen, you machine," he said, "you claim you can synthesize any drink in existence, so why do you keep giving me the same undrinkable stuff?"

"Nutrition and pleasurable sense data," burbled the machine. "Share and Enjoy."

"It tastes filthy!"

"If you have enjoyed the experience of this drink," continued the machine, "why not share it with your friends?"

"Because," said Arthur tartly, "I want keep them. Will you try to comprehend what I'm telling you? That drink..."

"That drink," said the machine sweetly, "was individually tailored to meet your personal requirements for nutrition and pleasure."

"Ah," said Arthur, "so I'm a masochist on a diet am I?"

"Share and Enjoy."

"Oh, shut up."

Arthur decided to give up.

This argument between Arthur Dent (one of two remaining humans in the universe) and a commercial beverage machine which supposedly makes a drink specifically designed for whoever is using the machine occurs in the second chapter of my independent reading book, Douglas Adams' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. By far, my favorite aspect of Adams' writing is his humor. It is what drew me to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and it is what drew me to this book. Since I don't particularly enjoy reading for symbolism or deeper meaning (sorry English teachers), I need this kind of humorous motivation to get me to read a book. I really enjoy this kind of reading, and it seems like it's really not a school assignment.

The Beginnings of a Revolutionary

Che's encounter with the asthmatic old lady seemed to prompt the first political rant we get to hear out of Che. His feelings of social injustice in respect to those such as the old lady who can no longer work are first shown here by this quotation. As he says...

"Individuals in poor families who can't pay their way become surrounded by an atmosphere of barely disguised acrimony' they stop being father, mother, sister or brother and become a purely negative factor in the struggle for life and, consequently, a source of bitterness for the healthy members of the community who resent their illness as if it were a personal insult to those who have to support them." (pg 70)

This event obviously influenced Che to start thinking with a communist/socialist frame of mind. Given what we know about Che's future as a socialist reformer, we can safely say that this event accurately shows his future views. This is, perhaps, the beginning of the transformation from the wandering doctor Che to the socialist reformer Che that now plasters counter-culture propaganda across the world.