What is Digg?Sponsored by Gilt Man
It's a Gilt Man's world view!
giltman.com - Get gear and gadgets at up to 70% off. Shop like a guy, dress like a man. You're invited.
200 Comments
- Chrus, on 11/16/2009, -9/+621 There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying.
The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
Pick a nice day, it suggests, and try it.
The first part is easy.
All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt.
That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground.
Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.
Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.
One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.
It is notoriously difficult to prise your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.
If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinity, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.
This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration.
Bob and float, float and bob.
Ignore all considerations of your own weight and simply let yourself waft higher.
Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful.
They are most likely to say something along the lines of, 'Good God, you can't possibly be flying!'
It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.
Waft higher and higher.
Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly.
DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.
When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly becomes easier and easier to achieve.
You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your manoeuvrability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it was going to anyway.
You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly ***** up, and ***** up badly, on your first attempt.
There are private flying clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitch-hikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.
— Douglas Adams, 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy,' - Tokeli, on 11/16/2009, -1/+264In British English, pants are underwear, and trousers are the actual pants.
- Krakerjax, on 11/15/2009, -4/+210That hand looks out of place...
- heavystone, on 11/16/2009, -1/+179Straight legs? Flap arms? Hmm, I don't think this is a legit letter from Superman....
- funkgerm, on 11/16/2009, -10/+153"Pants outside trousers" ?
/confused - mac734, on 11/16/2009, -0/+115Yeah, this pic is nice, but have you seen this artist's other work?!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21597985@N03/ - kcp12304, on 11/16/2009, -2/+113and remember...Don't Panic
- theloofa, on 11/16/2009, -1/+78The first two are kinda funny, but the rest of them are just ***** creepy
- dtele, on 11/16/2009, -5/+81***** man - I bet a team of lawyers from InfiniDim Enterprises sue your ass for copyright infringement!
- achansen121, on 11/16/2009, -1/+72Falling with style
- capyoda, on 11/16/2009, -11/+80sorry but, Douglas Adam > Edgar Allan Poe
- Garciat, on 11/16/2009, -1/+70*****.
- davidg11, on 11/16/2009, -1/+62I still don't get it. I'm so angry, I'm going to smoke a fag.
- supertom, on 11/16/2009, -2/+61too long (for) dumb retard?
- DBeta, on 11/16/2009, -0/+52Superman is a dick when he is drunk.
- thewhits, on 11/16/2009, -1/+49This business man goes up to a bar, located at the top of the Empire State Building in New York. It looks like a nice
place. He takes a seat at the bar next to another guy.
"This is a really a nice place. I've never been here before," the first guy says.
"Oh really?", the other replies, "it's also a very special bar".
"Why is that?", the first guy asks.
"Well, you see that painting on the far wall? That's an, original Van Gogh. And this stool I'm sitting on was on the
Titanic."
"Gee, that's amazing!", the first guy says.
"Not only that, but you see that window over there, the fourth one from the right? Well, the wind does strange things outside that window. If you jump out you'll fall only about 50 feet before an updraft catches you and you're pushed back up."
"No way, that's impossible", the first guy replies.
"Not at all, take a look", the other man replies and walks over to the window, followed closely by the first man. He
opens the window, climbs up on the sill, and falls out. He drops 10... 20... 30... 40... 50 feet, comes to a stop,
and whoosh! He comes right back up and floats back in through the window.
"See, it's fun! You should try it", he says.
"Well, what the heck, it does look like fun. I believe I will give it a try", the first man says. He climbs up on the
window sill, and proceeds to fall out the window. He falls 10... 20... 30... 40... 50... 60...70...80...90...100 feet, and splat! He ends up on the sidewalk.
After watching the first man fall to his death, the other guy casually closes the window and heads back to the bar. As he sits down and orders another drink.
The bartender arrives with the drink and says, "You know, Superman, you're a real jerk when you're drunk!" - thereyago, on 11/16/2009, -0/+42Poe was American.
- WhiZa, on 11/16/2009, -3/+44superman doesn't pray
- thebreach, on 11/16/2009, -0/+40Someone tell this cigarette to get out of my way
- comfyshorts, on 11/16/2009, -0/+30Keep him at -42 diggs
- gepetos, on 11/16/2009, -0/+29what. the. *****.
- JugularJuice, on 11/16/2009, -0/+29I tried this but I read it as "fap arms", at least I "got off" the ledge.
- JustLoren, on 11/16/2009, -1/+29@daliminator: I've always heard tighty-whities.
- brycehebert, on 11/16/2009, -0/+25Creepy as hell? Yes.
Incredibly awesome? Absolutely. - FredFredrickson, on 11/16/2009, -0/+25Just to piss you off.
- Kalahan6, on 11/16/2009, -0/+24Don't be a pussy. This seems legit.
- LoneWolf01, on 11/16/2009, -1/+24jerrykew:
Or it could just be a bright day and he's using an incredibly small aperture. - onederboy, on 11/16/2009, -0/+23...and thus, a friendship was created.
- BlitzkrIg, on 11/16/2009, -0/+23You missed out.
Feel the wrath of -42 diggs. - PhairOh, on 11/16/2009, -3/+26#4 is a lie.
NO CAPES! - chriscalifornia, on 11/16/2009, -0/+22Why the hell is "How to fly?" a question?
- Drepon, on 11/16/2009, -6/+27How can you even compare the two? They were completely different genres from completely different time periods.
- mikbor, on 11/16/2009, -0/+21i'm not wearing any pants
- bjs3171, on 11/16/2009, -0/+18this is so not worthy shooting a gay dude over.
- dvsbastard, on 11/16/2009, -0/+18Meh... I'd try to see if this works... But that means I'd have to put on some pants...
- ArielTheGreat, on 11/16/2009, -0/+17This is the second time today that I saw a stupid comment from you. Be quiet.
- kealper, on 11/16/2009, -1/+18its not "Profit?", it's "Profit!"...Ya gotta believe in yourself or you will never reach step four!
- MxM111, on 11/16/2009, -2/+1842 FTW!
- styx31989, on 11/16/2009, -1/+17do yourself a favor and read it.
- CallumCameron, on 11/16/2009, -0/+15Fail.
- FredFredrickson, on 11/16/2009, -0/+14I doubt the image was made solely for the purpose of being displayed on Digg.
- Vikrane, on 11/16/2009, -19/+33this looks shopped. i can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time
- dizam, on 11/16/2009, -1/+14Can somebody please handle that note to the kid on smallville? I heard they are on the 9th season, and he doesn't fly yet.
Is he banging banging Erica Durance, or not even that? - thereyago, on 11/16/2009, -4/+17Poe was American. Also you are an ass nuzzler.
- marciot, on 11/16/2009, -2/+15 Punchline from an old joke applies here: “You know, Superman, you’re a real jerk when you’re drunk.”
- ruzmutuz, on 11/16/2009, -3/+151) Straight Legs
2) Flap Arms
3) Pray
4) Cape
5) Pants outside trousers
6) ????
7) Profit! - blaou, on 11/17/2009, -0/+12Man...Scientology chose the wrong writer.
- Akira44, on 11/16/2009, -0/+11The author may be British but the picture is not taken here (Britain), we don't have yellow taxi's or one way systems like that.
- brownsound00, on 11/16/2009, -0/+11Looks like Tool art.
- CanadaMan87, on 11/17/2009, -0/+11Get the book[s]. The movie was awful in comparison.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 201 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is