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Issue #348 - 7 September 2012
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^ WORD OF THE WEEK
Gockey |
Friday 7 September - During the Third Crusade Richard I of England defeated Saladin in the Battle of Arsuf, 1191. Queen Elizabeth I of England born, 1533. Printer Robert Estienne died, 1559. Ezra Lee is claimed to have made the world's first submarine attack, attempting to attach a bomb to the hull of HMS Eagle in New York Harbor, 1776. Photographer William Friese-Greene born, 1855. Nikita Khrushchev was elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1953. Drummer Keith Moon died, 1978. Actress Evan Rachel Wood born, 1987. TV executive Bruce Gyngell died, 2000. Saturday 8 September - Michelangelo's David was unveiled in Florence, 1504. Mathematician Marin Mersenne born, 1588. John Shakespeare, father of William, died, 1601. King George III of the United Kingdom married Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1761. Zoologist Peter Simon Pallas died, 1811. Composer Antonín Dvořák born, 1841. Star Trek premiered on NBC, 1966. Explorer Alexandra David-Néel died, 1969. Actor Martin Freeman born, 1971. International Literacy Day. Sunday 9 September - An alliance of six Germanic tribes ambushed three Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, 9. Roman Emperor Flavius Honorius born, 384. The nine-months-old Mary Stuart was crowned "Queen of Scots" in Stirling, 1543. Explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert died, 1583. Physicist Luigi Galvani born, 1737. Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec died, 1901. Actress Michelle Williams born, 1980. The Unix billenium was reached at 01:46:40 UTC, 2001. Nuclear physicist Edward Teller died, 2003. Statehood Day in California. Monday 10 September - Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China, died, 210 BCE. The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, the last full-scale military engagement between England and Scotland, 1547. Composer Henry Purcell born, 1659. Simón Bolívar was named President of Peru, 1823. Confectioner Abel Hoadley born, 1844. Baseball player Pete Browning died, 1905. Film director Guy Ritchie born, 1968. Charles Ingram cheated his way to the top prize on the British version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, 2001. Actress Jane Wyman died, 2007. World Suicide Prevention Day. Tuesday 11 September - Scottish forces under William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, 1297. Political philosopher James Harrington died, 1677. Composer William Boyce born, 1711. A peace conference on Staten Island failed to stop the American Revolutionary War, 1776. Lens maker Carl Zeiss born, 1816. Nutritionist Sylvester Graham died, 1851. Writer Jessica Mitford born, 1917. Russia tested the Father of all bombs, 2007. 2,977 people were killed in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 2001. Wednesday 12 September - The Battle of Marathon, 490 BCE. English noblewoman Blanche of Lancaster died, 1369. Astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil born, 1725. Electoral reformer Charles Larkin died, 1833. Poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning eloped, 1846. Writer H.L. Mencken born, 1880. Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko died in police custody, 1977. Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson born, 1981. The Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on STS-47, the 50th shuttle mission, 1992. Thursday 13 September - The construction of Hadrian's Wall began, 122. Antiquarian John Leland born, 1502. British general James Wolfe killed in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, 1759. Canadian war heroine Laura Secord born, 1775. Railroad worker Phineas Gage survived having a 3-foot (91cm) iron rod driven through his head, 1848. Cartoonist and illustrator W. Heath Robinson died, 1944. Photographer Anne Geddes born, 1956. Chemist Luis E. Miramontes died, 2004. The UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007. International Chocolate Day.
This week, Martin Amis, in "Fear and Loathing", The Guardian (18 September 2001):It was the advent of the second plane, sharking in low over the Statue of Liberty: that was the defining moment. Until then, America thought she was witnessing nothing more serious than the worst aviation disaster in history; now she had a sense of the fantastic vehemence ranged against her. ... For those thousands in the south tower, the second plane meant the end of everything. For us, its glint was the worldflash of a coming future.
A mixed bag of quotations. Answers next issue or from the regular address.Last issue's quotations were:
- You better tuck in that tail, little duck.
- - You're telling me that the North Pole is now some where in Wisconsin?
- Actually, that's the South Pole now.- I may not know much about golf, Tucker, but I know how to hold the bat.
- Now, let me get this straight. My son is rid of his bullies, my husband has become a comedian and my nymphomaniac daughter has discovered cookery. What's going on?
- When things get tricky in my life, I talk to my fish.
- Now I have only one thing left to do: nothing. I don't want any belongings, any memories. No friends, no love. Those are all traps.
-- Three Colours: Blue [1993]- Oh, good! The chickens are out!
-- Marie Antoinette [2006]- I finally got lucky in love when I met Rosie here. She was discussing T.S. Eliot, and I was discussing... I still don't know what she was talking about!
-- Spider-Man 2 [2004]- In the event of a water landing, I have been designed to act as a flotation device.
-- Star Trek: Insurrection [1998]- The first boy I ever kissed ended up in a coma for three weeks. I can still feel him inside my head. It's the same with you.
-- X-Men [2000]
Strange stories from around the world, some of which might be true...
SUNK. In 1637 King Charles I commissioned the ship HMS Sovereign of the Seas, at the time the largest ship in the world. It took 22 months to build. Currently doing the ad rounds on British TV is a partwork magazine where buyers can construct a 110cm (43")-long model of the ship, receiving new components with each issue. Consumer Focus, a pressure group, have warned that not only will the model take nine months longer to finish than the original ship, it will also cost £804.65 ($1,283) to buy all the magazines; a ready-made model of the Sovereign of the Seas can be bought elsewhere for around £300 ($478), a kit model for even less.
SUDENTS! Researchers at the University of Bristol have conducted experiments and discovered that the shape of your beer glass affects how fast you drink from it. A group of 159 men and women were given either soft drinks or beer in either straight or curved glasses, and it was found that whatever shape the glass was, the soft drinks were finished in around seven minutes, but for beer a curved glass was finished in seven minutes while a straight glass took eleven, almost 60% longer. The researchers also studied how easy it was to judge how much had been drunken in straight and curved glasses, and found that curved glasses made it more difficult for the drinker to pace themselves. They admit however, that the research was carried out in a laboratory setting, and drinking speed might vary in a social pub situation with multiple drinks consumed.
NO BEEF. Worldwide fast food chain McDonald's Corp. started offering salads and vegetable options ten years ago, largely as a result of criticism of its sponsoring the Olympics while selling unhealthy food, and is now opening two new restaurants in Amritsar and Katra, both in India, and both will be the chain's first fully-vegetarian locations. Although it already has 271 restaurants in India, all offering local variations on its standardised global menu, McDonald's is hoping that the vegetarian restaurants will help double its presence in the country.
SPEAKING OF UNHEALTHY FOODS... The Black Bear Casino Resort near Carlton, Minnesota, has served up a record-setting ten-foot (3m)-wide bacon cheeseburger, weighing in at 2,014lbs (914kg). It took four hours to cook the patty, which contained 60lbs (27kg) of bacon and 40lbs (18kg) of cheese amongst other ingredients, and needed a crane to flip it.
HMMMMMMM. Strange hums are nothing new - they've been heard as far afield as Bristol in England, Taos, New Mexico and Auckland, New Zealand, and are attributed to either industrial causes (an air compressor and cooling tower fans in Kokomo, Indiana) or natural causes (volcanic action on Hawaii's Big Island). Now there's one in Seattle, Washington, and residents have reported being shaken out of bed by the low rumbling. Local industries deny responsibility, and a recording just deepens the mystery. "It's kind of creepy," resident Kay Kirkpatrick told reporters, while Julie Schickling, who made the recording, said "It gets higher and lower, and goes away, then comes back." Some residents say they've heard it before, many years ago.
IN BRIEF Labrador travels 500 miles (805km) to return to original owner in South Carolina after being rehomed in Virginia. Jack Russell terrier runs away from Kent, England, home, waits on platform to board train for 50 mile (80km) trip to London (sitting in a window seat). Dutch redhead festival brings together over 1400 redheads from 52 countries. Escaped bull at Edinburgh Zoo causes visitors to take refuge in chimpanzee enclosure. Western scrub jay birds observed holding "funerals" for dead birds. Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest woman (the mining magnate makes nearly A$600 - £393, US$627 - every second) calls for wage cuts. Ongoing search for "ghost rockets", thought to be WW2-era missiles - seen falling into Swedish lakes over last 60 years. Indian menswear store called "Hitler" to be rebranded after protests. Sir Tim Berners-Lee forced to deny existence of Internet "off switch". Nigerian mechanic tries smuggling $150,000 (£94,000) of cocaine into Nigeria stuffed inside roasted chickens. Archaeologists searching for grave of Richard III find church. Mysterious parcel sealed for 99 years and 363 days finally opened by Otta, Norway, townsfolk; found to contain nothing of any real interest. TV controlled by eye movement unveiled at Berlin trade show. Running robot called Cheetah runs faster than Usain Bolt. Fox trapped in University of Hertfordshire floorboard freed. Nothumberlandia, claimed to be the largest landscaped naked female figure in the world at 112ft (34m) high and 1300ft (400m) long, unveiled; Cerne Abbas giant last seen heading north. North American zookeepers using apps to teach apes. Chinese visitor to Sri Lankan gem exhibition arrested after swallowing $13,000 (£8,200) diamond; taken to hospital and "given laxatives".
MTV to end Jersey Shore after next series. Green Day cancel Bologna, Italy, gig after frontman Billie Joe Armstrong taken to hospital. Lady Gaga jumping on album-released-as-app bandwagon. Gang trying to steal equipment from set of next The Fast and The Furious scared off by wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in FBI agent costume. The Reluctant Fundamentalist opens Venice Film Festival. Graham Norton sells So Television production company to ITV. Shrek musical to close in Theatre Royal Drury Lane for UK tour in 2014, to be replaced by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Little Mix top UK singles chart ahead of Sam and the Womp and Rita Ora; Rita Ora tops UK album chart ahead of Emeli Sandé and Of Monsters and Men. Russell Crowe rescued by US coastguards after getting lost kayaking off New York's Long Island. The Avengers becomes highest grossing film of 2012, passing $1.5bn (£943m) worldwide; The Dark Knight Rises passes $1bn (£627m). Frances Barber, Dame Harriet Walter to headline all-female production of Julius Caesar at Donmar Warehouse later this year. Sir Paul McCartney to be awarded Legion d'Honneur. Victoria & Albert Museum to host David Bowie retrospective exhibition. Revamp of ITV's failing Daybreak breakfast TV show only draws an extra 100,000 viewers; still gets double the audience of January 2011 under original presenters. BBC Trust rules that The Great British Bake Off production company broke editorial guidelines with product placement of loaned Smeg fridges. Sir Peter Bazalgette to be next chairman of Arts Council England. Listeners in uproar after newsreaders Charlotte Green, Harriet Cass announced as taking voluntary redundancy from BBC Radio 4 as part of presentation team reorganisation. Rolling Stones expected to attend premiere of Crossfire Hurricane documentary film about them at BFI London Film Festival. Shortlist for Q Awards' best act in the world title announced as Blur, Stone Roses, Muse, Coldplay and Lady Gaga. Producers shut down Motor City before filming started. Jennie Garth, Luke Perry developing TV sitcom. John Landis, Michael Jackson estate reach settlement in three-year Thriller video legal battle. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce tells Kim Kardashian she can't have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as she's only a reality TV figure, not an established award-winning actress. Paul Thomas Anderson confirms that lead character in next film The Master is based on Scientology cult founder L. Ron Hubbard. Ridley Scott resumes filming on The Counselor after suspending production following brother Tony Scott's suicide. Expanded and updated version of Half-Life developed by fans using tools released by creators Valve to be released as freeware September 14. Valve recruiting hardware engineers for unannounced projects. Former News International executive Rebekah Brooks, seven others, have charges of phone hacking, conspiracy et al referred to Crown Court for later this month. Alex James, Jamie Oliver launching The Big Feastival music and food festival this weekend. First-edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses anonymously given to Glasgow Oxfam shop auctions for £500 ($797). Crime writers Stuart Neville, Sam Millar accusing each other of faking reviews of their own books on Amazon. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull author Richard Bach injured in crash while landing small plane on San Juan Island, WA.
Music manager Chris Lighty (44), Starship guitarist Mark Abrahamian (46), actor Michael Clarke Duncan (54), radio presenter Daire Brehan (55), jazz musician Sean Bergin (64), entertainer Max Bygraves (89), songwriter Hal David (91), "Moonies" cult founder Sun Myung Moon (92).
Here at the Irregular we like dogs. This week's site features a different dog every day with photos and their stories.- http://www.dogoftheday.com/
^ THE AMAZING NOT-QUITE-RANDOM LOTTERY PREDICTOR!
Dumbledore Bear, our in-house psychic predicts that the following numbers will be lucky:3, 8, 16, 23, 34, 40
It was a geography lesson, and Little Jennifer's teacher decided to test her class. She put up a map of the world and asked "Now, class, who can find Australia on this map?" The children looked puzzled until Little Simon put up his hand. "Yes, Little Simon, come up and point to it." Little Simon went up and put his finger on Australia. "Well done, Little Simon! Now, who can tell me who discovered Australia?" Again the class looked thoughtful, until Little Jennifer raised her hand. "Yes, Little Jennifer?"
"Miss, it was Little Simon!"
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