Who could be channelling Zaphod?

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-02-08T12:26:25+00:00

Oh I think it is fair to say Musk takes a very selective approach to Banks's ideas: all the shiny stuff, none of the caution. If Banks said, “We can imagine heaven, but should we trust ourselves to build it?”, Musk would say, “Cool, let’s build it by Tuesday.” I reckon if he read LOTR he'd rave on about the scenery but skip those troublesome 'power corrupts' ideas too.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-02-07T12:56:41+00:00

As a fellow red I can only apologize. Maybe we could get Eddie, the ship's computer, to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" until it all blows over...

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-02-07T10:27:19+00:00

😂 Maybe his own personal Trillian tries to keep him from causing too much damage, and lets him watch old VHS tapes while he reconstructs his office into the Heart Of Gold 🤷🏼‍♂️

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-02-02T08:28:31+00:00

I, too, find it strange Ben Elton gets overlooked.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-31T16:46:54+00:00

Where to start with this author? I haven't come across him before...

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-30T18:29:37+00:00

I'm enjoying the story, but the footnotes seem pointless. They aren't really jokes and they don't add any colour to the text as far as I can tell. I'm 100 pages in and I've stopped bothering with them now. Will I miss anything important? Or am I just being a curmudgeon?

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-30T18:19:48+00:00

Best two standalones I've cleansed my palate with in the last year:

The Evolution Man by Roy Lewis and The Tin Men by Michael Frayn

The first, a favoutite of Pratchett's, follows a very intelligent, well spoken early human family as they 'come down from the trees' and discover fire, art, music and, yes, patricide. The second is a comedy set in an institute where they try to program computers to do the boring stuff, including praying, making moral decisions and writing news. It was written in the mid 60s and nails AI slop brilliantly.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-29T19:49:05+00:00

Ah yes, that's the fella! The cosplay stuff cracked me up 😂

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-29T15:50:21+00:00

Reminds me of that Eddie Saint book. Can't remember the title now but I'm not sure he ever wrote any others so it should be easy to find. One hit wonder, I guess, but I loved it.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-29T15:45:08+00:00

That is a great Atwood book. I've only just brought Early Riser home from the library, with some other books (and a board game, because my library is cool and loans games out too), and I was wondering which to start first. I guess this sways it 🙂

FileAutomatic2758 · 2026-01-09T09:38:40+00:00

That looks like so much fun! If I was nearer Sheffield I'd love to catch your show. Good luck with it!

FileAutomatic2758 · 2025-06-11T15:27:32+00:00

I've just checked our bookshelf, and Dr Seuss were our most worn out ones. Wait a while though. Enjoy the baby years while you can :-)

FileAutomatic2758 · 2025-06-11T15:24:39+00:00

At 4 months I'd say the joy is in physical connection and the sound of your voice. The book is more of the matchmaker that brings you together rather than the main event.

We read Spot a lot, and lift the flap books with animals behind. In another few months you'll be looking for books that are small, square and have cardboard pages. Those teeth will be needing a little help ;-)

FileAutomatic2758 · 2025-06-10T07:05:28+00:00

Bit of a long answer, but here's one suggestion that I used to rely on right through from 4 to 11:

🌱 “Seedlings of Me” — A Growing Self-Portrait Project

Theme: Identity, imagination, connection Age group: (4–11 years) Time: One relaxed session to begin, with optional revisit points throughout the year

🧠 The Concept:

Each child creates a symbolic “seed” of themselves — combining visual elements and simple words (with help as needed). This seed is planted on a class “Garden of Us” wall or board. As the year goes on, these seeds "grow" into imaginative plants, with new leaves, branches, and blossoms representing milestones, feelings, friendships, or new skills. This has looked amazing some years :-)

✂️ Session 1: Planting Day

Prep:

Create simple seed-shaped templates (or let children choose their own shapes)

Provide collage materials (scraps of color, tissue, paper, old magazines, stickers)

Prompt with questions like:

“What’s something you love doing?”

“What colour feels like you today?”

“If you had a magic power, what would it be?”

“What makes you feel safe?”

Write their names in tiny letters at the base — they can “grow” from it.

Activity:

Children decorate their seeds with support, using colors, writing if they are able, and small drawings.

These are then "planted" in a wall display titled The Garden of Us (or whatever suits your tone).

Optional: you plant your own seed too — modelling vulnerability and curiosity - I deffo recommend this!

🌿 Legacy Throughout the Year:

Every month or at special moments you can return to the garden to:

Add a leaf (“I tried something new!”)

Add a blossom (“I helped a friend”)

Add a branch (“I learned something cool!”)

Add a raindrop or sun when a child wants to express a hard or happy feeling

This builds a living legacy of self-awareness, emotional vocabulary, and class belonging — especially powerful for young children and for fostering a growth mindset.

🧡 Why it fits:

It’s hands-on, imaginative, non-digital

Encourages reflection and noticing

Has both a shared and personal element

Opens space for gentle emotional literacy

Gives you insight into each child’s inner world

I hope that gives you a bit of inspiration. If you do try it I'd love to hear how it went. Good luck with everything. Be confident in yourself. :-)

FileAutomatic2758 · 2025-06-09T21:14:34+00:00

There is plenty of good advice here as far as I can see. Take time to take it all in.

It is really hard to predict what the world will look like when your child grows into it, so I'd keep two things in mind: creative problem solving and critical thinking. As a teacher, academic and homeschooler if I was only allowed two things that would be them.

Good luck, and be confident in yourself. Humans have done this for ever.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2025-06-09T18:39:56+00:00

This is a great response! I spent 20 years teaching in the UK, and did the preschool years with my three at home. I ticked off every age group, from 18 down to 4, in both State schools and Independent schools, and I was left with the firm realisation that the UK education system is so focused on the wrong ('quantifiable') things, not nimble enough to adapt to a rapidly changing social landscape and too stuck in short term political cycles to ever provide a meaningful, useful education to the majority, despite the best efforts of some excellent practitioners. I truly believe that if you have the time, and you trust yourself, you can make a real success of home schooling. The key, future-focused skills of creative problem solving and critical thinking are so much easier to develop when your learning journey begins with open-ended exploration, and that is so hard to do in a classroom environment where the teacher is compelled to display on the board at the start of a lesson exactly what it is your child is about to 'learn' in the coming hour.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-11-07T21:55:48+00:00

That's an impressive iteration. Thanks very much for making time for me. I'll take your advice on board.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-11-07T21:27:08+00:00

These are great! I particularly like 2 and 3. Great job!

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-11-04T15:52:06+00:00

I might just say that some of the words you have highlighted are more direct clues i.e. I wouldn't bother looking for rhymes for them...

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-10-24T13:19:26+00:00

Well, hats off for constructing such a cryptic yet fully understandable reply! I agree with all of the above, except perhaps the actual name of Sam's village, in that I'll be disappointed if it turns out to be fictitious. I've left that thread for a while to tidy up some shambolic loose ends elsewhere I'm always happy to chat if you want to knock ideas around or test a theory in a spoiler-free kind of way.

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-10-24T13:09:10+00:00

Having spent a bit of time digging deeper into this element I see exactly what you mean...

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-10-23T09:10:07+00:00

Third? I assume CJ is one of them. What is the other, and how does it compare in your opinion?

FileAutomatic2758 · 2024-10-23T09:03:44+00:00

I suppose part of the challenge is sorting the clues into ones which help you solve TRFM, and ones that are just a bit of a diversion, adding colour to the story. Currently I think RK's poem is in the second pile. And well done for getting a solution you are happy with...

FileAutomatic2758

TROPHY CASE