Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. – Matthew 13:52 (Authorised Version)
Why are the large, friendly letters here? Partly because I ran across them this week, and they gave me a nostalgic pang. It's been awhile since we saw them on our Front Page – no complaint there, the dolphins are cool. But it took me back to the first time I heard The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the radio. I didn't know anything about it – it was 1979 or 1980 – and that charming story, coming to me across the airwaves, had me literally rolling about on my bed, laughing. Don't Panic, indeed…who are these people?
But 'Don't panic!' is a very good thing to say to anyone. It occurred to me, back then, that 'Don't panic!' was pretty much the first thing any angel said in the Bible. They translate it as 'Fear not!', but that's what it means, and I haven't heard anybody say 'Fear not!' to anyone since Jimmy from Scotland tried that on my friend Iris from Euskirchen back in the 70s. Jimmy said it in Martin Luther German – 'Fürchte dich nicht, Iris!' – and had Iris in hysterics. Jimmy's German was only marginally more intelligible than his English. Jimmy was from Glasgow. He should have said, 'Keine Panik!'
In a world of competing voices, we often need those words of encouragement, whether from angels or h2g2ers. Sorry, Gabriel's busy, and Ford Prefect's somewhere with the Dentrassis, but in the meantime, don't panic, we're here, and we've got lots to say.
In this week's issue, we…
- Show you a gorgeous antelope.
- Celebrate Robonaut's first steps.
- Imagine a reflective invention.
- Enjoy a tale about a donkey.
- Learn about an adventure in LA.
- Find out why Ben's laying down the law.
- Marvel at the cinematic puzzle of Birdman.
- Read all the good news from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Foundation.
We also find jokes, a quiz, and some encouragement to write even more. So what else is new? The weather outside may be annoying, and the news on the internet dismaying, but remember: Don't panic. There's more than one way to skin a cybercat. Or something. Anyway, it's all good.
Have a great week, and don't forget to write!
Dmitri Gheorgheni
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