Someone from the UK, please help...

MJ · 11-13-2008, 06:50 AM

*UPDATE*
Download episodes of Douglas Adam's 'Last Chance to See'
The Aye-Aye
The Amazon Manatee
The Yangtzee River Dolphin
The Rodriguez Fruitbat
The Kakapo
The Southern Fur Seal

Many thanks to The Tingler for making these available!

******

Can someone from the UK go here
Douglas Adam's Last Chance to See
download the latest episode (DownloadHelper is useful if you're using Firefox) and e-mail it to me... please.
The website just started region blocking, and I'm in Australia.

neon_git · 11-13-2008, 09:02 AM

Were you able to download the audio before? As far as I can make out it's an encrypted MP3 stream - I can listen to it but I can't save a copy

MJ · 11-13-2008, 03:31 PM

I have a firefox addon called 'DownloadHelper', and it let me save the encrypted mp3 stream. There's ways around things like that.

The Tingler · 11-13-2008, 05:07 PM

YESSS! Thank you MJ, I have been looking for this series forever and am utterly flandabbidoozled that the BBC haven't released it on even cassette, let alone CD. I was thinking about this series all today coincidentally.

I'm recording it, and if it comes in less than 10 Mb I'll email you it. It won't be perfect quality, but it should be acceptable!

neon_git · 11-13-2008, 05:30 PM

Alas it appears the bbc must've done something to prevent your add on working when they implemented the region blocking. I can't get hold of that MP3 at all

On a somewhat related note, if you're interested in last chance to see you should head over to Stephen Fry's website. He's replacing Douglas Adams on the new series and he posts all sorts of things on his site as he travels.

***Thrik*** · 11-13-2008, 05:35 PM

That's a pretty obscure thing to be coincidentally thinking about.

Unless there's more to the story, I'm calling MYTH CONFIRMED on psychics!

The Tingler · 11-13-2008, 05:47 PM

Douglas Adams is by far and away my favourite writer, and I was just listening to the radio adaptation of Dirk Gently - The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul which I just bought on CD. I was thinking about how great the Last Chance To See book is (not only is it very passionate about the topic of endangered species, but it's also arguably Adams' funniest work).

I wondered why the BBC hadn't released the radio series when they've paid Dirk Maggs to adapt and complete The Salmon of Doubt instead.

Hopefully the BBC will release them on CD or for proper download after they've got them all up - or for the release of the new TV series in late 2009. Stephen Fry continuing Douglas Adams... can't think of a better choice.

Unfortunately that recording is 20Mb so I can't email it via Hotmail.

MJ · 11-13-2008, 05:53 PM

Tingler, can you upload it to http://www.mediafire.com for me?

The Tingler · 11-13-2008, 07:09 PM

Hope this works!

http://www.mediafire.com/?4j0izzqa4m2

MJ · 11-13-2008, 07:38 PM

Tingler, you're a legend. Thankyou so much.

You do realise I'll be pestering you in a few week's time when the next episode goes up, don't you?

Last Chance to See is brilliant. I loved the book, and I can't believe the BBC don't put it out on CD, because so far this radio series has been great. It broke my heart when they limited the region!

Did I tell you guys I met Douglas Adams back in 2001? I even got him to sign my book (only one of two signatures he gave out at that thing!)

Should I edit the first post and put the link up there?

neon_git · 11-14-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ

Did I tell you guys I met Douglas Adams back in 2001?

I'm not normally very big on getting autographs or "meeting" famous people, but that is very, very cool. What was the event and how did it all go down?

Douglas Adams is one of the few people that really inspired me as a kid, not that he's ever particularly stopped inspiring me. I think one of the saddest things in the world is that Douglas never got to play with an iPhone. I know it sounds kind of trivial but it upsets me on a fairly regular basis.

The Tingler · 11-14-2008, 06:03 AM

You swine. I am bitterly regretful that I never managed to meet Douglas Adams. I've met Stephen King, Rob Grant and Steven Moffat (several of my other favourite writers) but not him. Rats.

I'll be "taping" all of the episodes from now on, so it's no problem to stick them up on MediaFire. Just put a reminder in this thread in case I forget.

The Tingler · 11-14-2008, 11:06 AM

Ditto to all that.

ThunderPeel2001 · 11-14-2008, 01:54 PM

I wish he'd finished his last book... and that I'd emailed him when I had the chance *sob* (He always kept his email address public -- did you know that?)

neon_git · 11-15-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThunderPeel2001

I wish he'd finished his last book... and that I'd emailed him when I had the chance *sob* (He always kept his email address public -- did you know that?)

You could say you missed your Last Chance to Write.

You know, because of the book and the ... with the animals ... and the email ... yeah.

I'll get my coat.

***Jake*** · 11-15-2008, 02:13 PM

I was just watching a talk Adams gave at a university about Last Chance to See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZG8HBuDjgc

neon_git · 11-16-2008, 11:00 AM

Thanks for the link Jake, that's a really good talk.

I'm ashamed to say I'm one those people that's only read Douglas' fiction. For some reason I thought Last Chance would be a dull read that I wouldn't be able to get into. I'm not sure where I got that impression now that I think about it, I must have picked it up as a child I guess, but it's certainly been challenged now.

MJ · 11-16-2008, 04:47 PM

Read it, you git

It really is his best book.

MJ · 12-12-2008, 12:16 AM

The Tingler, can you get the new episode please?

V_Ben · 12-16-2008, 11:39 AM

good grief, i didnt even know i could find this! thanks a bunch!

The Tingler · 12-16-2008, 11:45 AM

I'll upload it as soon as my computer stops trying to kill itself. Hopefully tomorrow.

The Tingler · 12-16-2008, 07:12 PM

UPDATE: Here you go all you non-UK Douglas Adams loving people! The Rodriguez Fruitbat!

Next month it's my personal favourite animal ever - the Kakapo, a short fat parrot with a look so innocent you just want to give it a cuddle and tell it everything will be all right.

MJ · 12-16-2008, 09:26 PM

Thankyou muchly, Tingler.

I got them before the site was locked, but if you're willing, I'm sure people missed the first two episodes...

And I can't wait for the Kakapos either! I'm just across the road from New Zealand (being an Aussie) and I'd love to go and visit them one day...

The Tingler · 01-18-2009, 02:41 PM

Before you ask, my personal favourite animal ever, the Kakapo.

MJ · 01-19-2009, 06:42 AM

My hero. Thanks.

Can't wait to hear this one!

The next one is Search for Southern Fur Seals... you know, I'll really have to read this book again, probably before the Stephen Fry show starts would be a good time to do that.

I went to my friend's house last week and saw that he had a first edition hard cover of the book. Very jealous!

Merv · 01-20-2009, 06:17 PM

Big fan of your work, Tingler!

As MJ suggested above, however, I missed the first two episodes when they were available outside the UK, so would very much appreciate it if you could see your way clear to putting them up as well.

The Tingler · 01-22-2009, 04:22 AM

I'll try and get them up later today.

neon_git · 01-22-2009, 06:30 AM

Thanks Tingler, you're a star for doing this (Being from the UK I can listen to it anyway, but still.)

Gabez · 01-22-2009, 08:07 AM

Speaking of Douglas Adams, I'm listening to the radio play of Dirk Gentley's Holisting Detective Agency at the moment. It's good stuff!

BBC Radio Plays are always good, and this one has lots of famous and talented actors in it. Including... Andrew Sachs!

The Tingler · 01-22-2009, 04:17 PM

The first Dirk Gently or Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul (which was released quite recently)? They're both really good, admittedly.

Gabez · 01-22-2009, 04:30 PM

The first.

MJ · 02-11-2009, 08:13 PM

I thought they were both released recently...
Tingler, can you get the fur seal episode please?

I think there's only one more episode after this one...

The Tingler · 02-12-2009, 04:19 AM

Yeah, both Dirk Gently's are now out and they're just working on the third one - which is unusual, because there isn't a third one.

Just recorded the Fur Seal one last night, haven't even listened to it yet. Will stick it up tonight hopefully.

MJ · 02-12-2009, 05:58 AM

There's 'Salmon of Doubt', Adam's last and unfinished book. It was a Dirk Gently one. It'll probably be loosely based on that.

Merv · 02-12-2009, 09:19 PM

That would be hugely appreciated as ever, Tingler!

And if you could manage to put the first two episodes up as well, I might even name my firstborn after you!

The Tingler · 02-13-2009, 06:50 PM

Right!

The Southern Fur Seal!

And here's the first two!

The Aye-Aye!
The Amazonian Manatee!

Don't worry, the Aye-Aye one's meant to be that short. And my real name's Chris btw.

Merv · 02-15-2009, 02:58 PM

Great stuff, thanks!

And thanks for the clarification - 'Chris' should be an easier sell to the Mrs than 'Tingler'!

MJ · 02-17-2009, 08:10 PM

Thanks so much for this, Tingler!

I can't believe that after all this time, I have these... I got a first edition copy of the book off e-bay, I'm lovin' it!

Merv · 02-20-2009, 01:54 AM

Thanks again for putting these up - I'm loving listening to them.

By way of reciprocation, I have put up some MP3s of the audiobook of Last Chance To See, read by Douglas Adams.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=9...eada0a1ae8665a

They're not my recordings (can't remember where I got them) and there are some very small jumps between chapters, but they're a great listen nonetheless.

AlfredJ · 03-10-2009, 11:35 AM

I figured I might as well post it in here, as most of the Douglas Adams-fans will look here sooner or later. The cover of the next Hitchhikers-book has just been released:

Written, as most of you will know, not by Douglas Adams (which is, of course, impossible) but by Colfer, a best-selling novelist (his books are mostly aimed at children). Of course, the announcement brought angered fans all over the world, for obvious reasons, but I wonder how people here think about the book. It's not that I don't think Colfer is able to make some Adams-like jokes (I never read a Colfer-book btw), it's just the fact that this is marketed as the 'missing end' to the series, that Douglas never got to write. I think I would have less of a problem with it if it would be a book 'based on the characters by Douglas Adams'. This looks like they gave J.K. Rowling the choice if Frodo gets to destroy the ring or not. It's just wrong on so many levels. I wouldn't have a problem with more movies or a new tv-series where they add new stuff, but books just seem more...private, somehow. Really, really nasty feeling about all this. And nice of them to make Colfer's name cover half of the cover, but don't seem so worried to point out who created the series in the first place. I wonder what they are selling here, Douglas Adams' 'new' book or the next funny book by Mr. Colfer...

Oh, and I must be one of the only guys in the universe who liked how the series ends now. Very definitive, and brilliant last words.