The last day of the year is ticking away, so it's past time for reflection and questions and time to get down to brass tacks: what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything? It's one of those hugely philosophical questions that takes years of typing to write and reams of paper to print out.
Given the time remaining, it's far better to ask simple, concrete questions with short, easily determined answers, like one that seems to be hovering in the Top Comments aether: "Another sardonyx diary? Haven't we had enough of them already? How many is this, anyway?"
The plain answer: 42.
What? Oh. Um... oh look! It's the Winged Victory of Samothrace time to make the jump! *whew*
You can learn a lot from the three four five-book Hitchhiker's trilogy by Douglas Adams:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, the Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Mostly Harmless
For example, you can learn how books hide when you need them. As I type this, of the five volumes, the only one I can lay my hands on at the moment is—you got it—Life, the Universe and Everything. The others aren't in any of the 42 places I've already checked. They do this deliberately, you know.
The books don't tend to have much to say about the end of a year, since they're dealing with rather more spectacular ends: the destruction of the earth, the end of the universe (and the restaurant you find there), et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...
However they do give advice on everything from how to fly to how to get rid of an annoying Thunder God to what sorts of insults an immortal might make to the dangers inherent in interstellar bypasses.
I was always charmed by the instructions on how to fly: You throw yourself at the ground and miss. I'm one of those naturally clumsy people so it seemed to me I ought to be able to learn flying with a minimum of bruises, but I somehow wasn't quite clumsy enough or distracted enough to not notice that I wasn't not about to hit the ground with the full effects of gravity paving the way.
The most logical explanation of why the Bush administration and the Republican party and their neocon buddies get away with lying and shredding the Constitution is that they've somehow gotten hold of a Somebody Else's Problem field, which is why much of America hasn't noticed that they're a conspiracy of gross, bald-faced liars and anti-Constitutional scum.
Favorite memories of or moments from Hitchhiker's Guide—the radio/television/book/recording/movie/scripts version—are most welcome in tonight's diary, as are memories/moments from the year just ending.
But before we go, a question that does not have the answer "42":
Are George W. Bush's problems—and thus those facing the nation and our world—all traceable to his having drunk a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster in his party days? Probably Possibly even more than one? At the same party?
Poor George. He couldn't help it. He was born with a silver shot-glass in his mouth.
~~~~~
Several emails—but not 42 of them—arrived in the TopComments mailbox today, and may be seen below. If you saw any great comments that are not mentioned here, please do link to them in your own comments below. The address of that mailbox:
TopComments AT gmail DOT com
(change " AT " to "@" and " DOT " to ".")
Anyone can submit deserving comments to our address—the direct link to a comment is available from that comment's date/time—as long as they arrive by 9:30pm Eastern Time. Please always include your Daily Kos user name in the body of your message, so we can credit you properly.
gooderservice sent in this nomination:
Out of all the things I read on DKos today (procrastinating from work I have to do) this is the comment (by blueteam) that really made me laugh. Or... Maybe it's one of those things that you had to read a lot and be there for, but... From Turkana's diary Guests in Markos's house.
condoleaser can't resist puffing off a coup:
How posting the right pootiepic, at the right time, in the right place, draws teh major mojo...
monkeybiz submitted the following:
I always knew that we have some top-flight folks here, and beaukitty is one of our highest fliers. A great story in a great diary from goldberry, My daughter may save a life today. Resolve to become an organ/marrow/tissue donor (and to tell your family!) in 2008.
From kath25:
I really liked possum's diary A New Year's Wishing, and thought this thread started by Youffraita had some good, substantive back-and-forth between a group of Kossacks.
Cronsense sent:
Here is a good one from a clever limerick diary by revbludge: bigchin gets witty and revbludge replies in kind.
Two from emeraldmaiden:
There are some commenters who always impress me: Owllwoman is one, and she's done it again in DawnG's Do not put your trust in strangers.
theark tells us how s/he hates America in The end of air travel by Backgr0und N015e (who also gave me a snicker).
From sardonyx, your diarist du jour:
In DarkSyde's front-page diary Huckabee's Imaginary Conception, Matt Jordan asks a simple question.
In one of those scare/concern candidate diaries, IowaEdwardsSupporter starts a thread that's worth following all the way to its conclusion, with stops at Finck II's hilarious attempt at a summary, and proudprogressiveCA's revelation of a certain candidate's master plan.
claude points out one of the big problems with keeping folks supporting global-warming mitigation from A Siegel's excellent diary Global Warming Impact: An agenda item for 2008 and beyond? Also read Johnny Rook's reply.
If anyone ever said I was modest, well, I'm only modestly modest. kos just gave me kudos for my Friday Top Comments: First Front-Page Posts, The Early Days diary, which sure fits my definition of a Top Comment. ;-D I'm even going so far as reproducing his comment here:
Wow (2+ / 0-)
that's a great piece. A real trip down memory lane. And as far as I can tell, completely accurate.
I hope someone sticks that at dKosopedia or somewhere else for posterity. Someday, if I ever get as rich as people claim I am, I want to commission a history of Daily Kos.
No Top Comments diary would be complete without that day's top comments by number, aka top mojo—those comments which have received the highest number of recommendations from Daily Kos users like you. Today's is supplied by sardonyx, using his own revision of cskendrick's mojo-to-Excel magic.
First, Top Mojo excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, and Cheers and Jeers comments:
1) just crawling out of another candidiary... by condoleaser — 218
2) Yeah, the last time I checked helping injured by grannyhelen — 118
3) The so-called "War on Terror" by Jeff Y — 114
4) Some trial lawyers are heroes by vigilant meerkat — 108
5) I also contributed $10 to the campaign by Brad007 — 93
6) original goal by Wexler For Congress Campaign — 88
7) Me too, Congressman Wexler! by Universal — 88
8) We're Marching on the Capital by flubber — 82
9) re by cookiesandmilk — 79
10) Treason by jeremybloom — 79
11) He's trending up at just the right time... by grannyhelen — 76
12) Rep. Wexler, I beg to differ with your account by Tross — 74
13) I guess I suck. :) n/t by Pager — 71
14) Your wish granted... by KingOneEye — 71
15) 9/11 happened on their watch by MarkInSanFran — 69
16) Me four, five, six or one million? by Bcgntn — 67
17) Umm, I'd say this was projection by DJShay — 65
18) I don't want to jinx what is going on... by ZhenRen — 65
19) Fear by vigilant meerkat — 65
20) Yes, it WAS a cheap shot... by atdnext — 64
21) I contributed $5, I wish I could by aigeanta — 63
22) dwards' Op-Ed: America Will Rise by TomP — 62
23) Malcolm X by railsplitter — 62
24) sometimes, I just peek in by condoleaser — 61
25) Agreed. I'm sick of trial lawyer bashing ! by Troutfishing — 59
26) re by cookiesandmilk — 58
27) Thank you for this diary, nw. by srkp23 — 58
28) You can say that again. by I — 58
29) Signed & passed it on by MaskedKat — 56
30) Every penny counts by deaniac83 — 56
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tip Jar by davidsirota — 383
2) Tip jar by Brandon Friedman — 311
3) you have the power by davefromqueens — 290
4) To the most wonderful group of people . . . by nyceve — 235
5) Tip Jar by goldberry — 225
6) Tips, recs, etc. by JedReport — 221
7) just crawling out of another candidiary... by condoleaser — 218
8) Count me in. by dclawyer06 — 183
9) I agree by Oregon Bear — 148
10) Tips for a Happy New Year! by TomP — 137
11) a happy new year to y'all by clammyc — 137
12) A Special Note: by Bill in Portland Maine — 135
13) Yeah, the last time I checked helping injured by grannyhelen — 118
14) Bless our beloved animal companions. by noweasels — 115
15) May the New Year bring you peace and joy by teacherken — 114
16) The so-called "War on Terror" by Jeff Y — 114
17) Tips and Recs for Iowa and Obama!! by icebergslim — 113
18) Tips for better media by Populista — 108
19) Some trial lawyers are heroes by vigilant meerkat — 108
20) I also contributed $10 to the campaign by Brad007 — 93
21) Me too, Congressman Wexler! by Universal — 88
22) original goal by Wexler For Congress Campaign — 88
23) Moonbat's feeding bowl by Unitary Moonbat — 86
24) We're Marching on the Capital by flubber — 82
25) Tips for fighting by Ellinorianne — 81
26) TIp jar by chicago minx — 80
27) Treason by jeremybloom — 79
28) re by cookiesandmilk — 79
29) He's trending up at just the right time... by grannyhelen — 76
30) Rep. Wexler, I beg to differ with your account by Tross — 74
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