Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Chapter 28 Conundrum

Location: Blue Owl Books 176 Colorado 119 Nederland, CO 80466, USA
This is the entire Chapter 28 from:
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams:
Janette Taylor reading Douglas Adams on Towel Day
The major problem — one of the major problems, for there are several — one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. 
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem. 
And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they're not. 
And somewhere in the shadows behind them — who?
Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?

On May 25, 2001, two weeks after Adams' death, his fans organized a tribute known as Towel Day, which has been observed every year since then.

On Towel Day in 2011, Janette Taylor coordinated a world-wide reading of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, whereas people in different cities and countries would read the Hitchhiker's Guide  publicly. Janette read in Blue Owl Books, in Nederland that day. My daughter and I listened for a few chapters.

Here is a link to a short Douglas Adams Tribute video.



[Here is a Video Valediction] from Leftover Salmon performing "Aquatic Hitchhiker". [What is a Video Valediction?]
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