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Issue #349 - 14 September 2012
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^ WORD OF THE WEEK
mawkit |
Friday 14 September - Poet Dante Alighieri died, 1321. Geographer Claudius Clavus born, 1388. George Frideric Handel completed his Messiah oratorio, 1741. Ornithologist John Gould born, 1804. Francis Scott Key wrote the poem The Defence of Fort Henry that would later be used as the lyrics of The Star-Spangled Banner, 1814. Architect Augustus Pugin died, 1852. Actor Walter Koenig born, 1936. The Northern Rock bank was hit by the first bank run in the United Kingdom for 150 years, 2007. TV chef Keith Floyd died, 2009. Saturday 15 September - Robert the Strong, Margrave of Neustria, died, 866. Explorer Marco Polo born, 1254. Serial killer Gilles de Rais was taken into custody, 1440. Artist André Le Nôtre died, 1700. Novelist James Fenimore Cooper born, 1789. Charles Darwin arrived at the Galápagos Islands aboard HMS Beagle, 1835. Actress Fay Wray born, 1907. The Battle of Britain reached its climax, 1940. Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright died, 2008. International Day of Democracy. Sunday 16 September - Owain Glyndŵr was declared Prince of Wales by his followers, 1400. Spanish Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada died, 1498. Mathematician Antoine Parent born, 1666. Physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit died, 1736. The Battle of Harlem Heights in the American Revolutionary War, 1776. Poet Alfred Noyes born, 1880. Cartoon producer Fred Quimby died, 1965. Singer Katie Melua born, 1984. Black Wednesday, as the Pound Sterling was forced to devalue and leave the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, 1992. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Monday 17 September - King Charles III of France born, 879. Soldier Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland, died, 1563. Founding of Boston, Massachusetts, 1630. Novelist Tobias Smollett died, 1771. Magician Ira Davenport born, 1839. Joshua A. Norton declared himself Emperor Norton I of the United States, 1859. Racing driver Sir Stirling Moss born, 1929. NASA unveiled the first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, 1976. Designer Laura Ashley died, 1985. Tuesday 18 September - The Roman Senate confirmed Tiberius as Roman Emperor, 14. Lexicographer Samuel Johnson born, 1709. Mathematician Leonhard Euler died, 1783. The Royal Opera House in London opened, 1809. Physicist Léon Foucault born, 1819. Essayist William Hazlitt died, 1830. The Voyager I space probe captured the first image of the Earth and Moon together, 1977. Model/actress Keeley Hazell born, 1986. Cult film director Russ Meyer died, 2004. World Water Monitoring Day. Wednesday 19 September - Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan died, 1339. The Battle of Poitiers in the Hundred Years' War, 1356. Entomologist William Kirby born, 1759. George Washington's farewell address was published across America, 1796. Christopher Stone, the first disc jockey in the United Kingdom, born, 1882. Philanthropist Thomas John Barnardo died, 1905. The first Glastonbury Festival was held, 1970. Comedian Jimmy Fallon born, 1974. Photographer Martha Holmes died, 2006. International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Yarrr! Thursday 20 September - A tsunami washed away the building housing the Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, Japan, 1498. Babington Plot leader Anthony Babington executed, 1586. Composer Giuseppe Matteo Alberti born, 1685. The Nine Years' War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Rijswijk, 1697. Chemist Sir James Dewar born, 1842. Folklorist Jacob Grimm died, 1863. The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched on Clydebank, Scotland, 1967. Actress Kristen Johnston born, 1967. Leonard Skinner, the high school gym teacher after whom rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd took their name, died, 2010.
This week, William Hazlitt [viz. Tuesday, above]:Every one in a crowd has the power to throw dirt: nine out of ten have the inclination.
A mixed bag of quotations. Answers next issue or from the regular address.Last issue's quotations were:
- You're a world class liar, darling. Go out there and lie for Italy. Lie for Italia.
- - This conversation used to end with an unusual request.
- I'm retired.
- Well let me show you some stuff anyway. Just for old time's sake.- People aren't always what they appear to be. Don't forget that!
- Good luck doesn't happen to people like us. Good luck happens to Madonna.
- I don't know if you're aware of this, Josephine, but African parrots, in their native home of the Congo, they speak only French.
- You better tuck in that tail, little duck.
-- The Hunger Games [2012]- - You're telling me that the North Pole is now some where in Wisconsin?
- Actually, that's the South Pole now.
-- 2012 [2009]- I may not know much about golf, Tucker, but I know how to hold the bat.
-- Johnny English Reborn [2011]- 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?
-- Keeping Mum [2005]- When things get tricky in my life, I talk to my fish.
-- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen [2011]
Strange stories from around the world, some of which might be true...
STICKY! People are on record as obessively eating everything from cat food to metal, but a 23-year-old American woman from Marietta, Georgia, has now revealed her favourite diet - sticky tape. Andrea (last name not given) munches her way through 6,000 ft (1.83km) of tape a month. She says that she first started eating it nine years ago, when she found herself out of chewing gum, and now usually takes the tape in 4cm (1.5") lengths at a time, chewing it until it starts dissolving, then swallowing it and popping in a fresh strip.
FISHY! Last weekend residents of a house in the Swedish neighbourhood of Södermalm, Stockholm, called the emergency services after smelling what they thought was gas in a stairwell. Two fire trucks, an emergency gas leak team and two police cars raced to the house, but were soon able to trace the smell to a party where the host was serving surströmming, or fermented herring, a delicacy traditionally served to mark the arrival of Autumn. Fire fighter Björn Hörnstern told reporters that it wasn't the first time the fire department had been called to an emergency only to find it was surströmming, but as the house had gas it was surprising that the residents didn't notice the difference in smell.
ART! When a woman at a flea market in the US bought a box lot containing a doll, a plastic cow and a painting of a river scene for about $50 (£31) the painting drew her attention, especially as it was in a frame bearing the nameplate "Renoir". She took it to a Virginia auction house where, after careful examination, it was declared to be the original of Renoir's Paysage Bords de Seine from c.1879, last seen in public when it was sold by a Paris gallery in 1926. The auction house are to sell it later this month, with a guide price of $100,000 (£61,850).
HAIRCUTS! A group of six-year-old quads are starting school together in Shenzhen, in China's Guandong Province, but they are so alike that even their parents have difficulty telling them apart so an ingenious solution was needed. They have each had their heads shaved except for a large number, from 1 to 4. "Teachers and classmates can't get confused with the big marks on their heads," their mother told reporters.
MONK! A man discovered naked and staggering around in Bavarian woods might have had his life saved by the hiker who called the police after finding him. The hiker found the man near Traunstein, but all offers of assistance were refused, and the naked man wandered off back into the trees before the police arrived. When they eventually headed into the forest they managed to find him and persuade him to go with them to hospital. Once there his story emerged. He was a monk who had been planning to camp in the forest for a few days but had eaten toxic berries which left him with partial paralysis and suffering from hallucinations to the extent that he failed to find his way back to his tent. Quite why he was naked wasn't explained.
IN BRIEF: angler catches the two largest carp landed in Britain - hours apart on the same day. World's fattest Dachshund Obie (35kg, or 5.5st) put on diet. Virgin births discovered in wild snakes. Lord Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, suggests extra-solar alien life could be found within next 40 years, with imaging of planets in distant systems by 2025. Manhattan court hears claim that 70-million-year-old tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton at centre of international custody dispute is actually an amalgamation of several different skeletons. Study finds that black market cigarettes can include asbestos, mould, dead flies and human excrement. Lord Lucan's son speaks publicly about his father for first time, believes peer drowned in the English Channel 38 years ago after overdosing on sleeping pills, following murder of nanny. Plan to build tunnels under Australian roads to allow emus to cross in safety dropped because the birds are too stupid to use them. Curiosity takes first sniff of Martian air; also takes own photograph. Exorcism magazine launched in Poland after boom in alleged demon expulsions. Body found on London street believed to be stowaway who froze to death and fell 2000ft (609m) from aircraft undercarriage on approach to Heathrow. "Strong evidence" of Richard III's body found under car park; DNA test results awaited. Naked rambler Stephen Gough jailed again. Scottish wildcat likely to become extinct in the wild within months; only 35 individuals believed to be loose. Three men arrested in Delhi for trying to board plane with slender lorises in underpants. Mammoth remains found in Arctic.
Dr Dre named biggest earner in hip-hop, largely thanks to headphones line. Brad Pitt believes big film stars getting big salaries are a thing of the past. Filming of The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire underway around Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Hawaii. national Literacy Trust study of 21,000 finds children are reading less with 54% preferring TV. Andrea Bocelli to be named international artist of the year at Classical Brits. Guinness Book of Records names Sir Bruce Forsyth as having the longest career as a male TV entertainer; the 84-year-old started performing at age 12. Pieta wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival. Ne-Yo tops UK singles chart ahead of The Script and P!nk; The Vaccines top UK album chart ahead of Two Door Cinema Club and Rita Ora. Strictly Come Dancing reveals line-up, includes Olympian Victoria Pendleton, Jerry Hall and cricketer Michael Vaughan as well as 74-year-old former children's TV presenter Johnny Ball. North American box office suffers worst weekend in over a decade, taking just $65 million (£41m); top film The Possession only took $9.5m (£5.9m). Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies shortlisted for Man Booker Prize along with books by Will Self, Tan Twan Eng, Deborah Levy, Alison Moor and Jeet Thayi. BBC planning year of programming to mark centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth next year. Robbie Williams starts first solo tour since 2006. Ofcom awards first UK local TV broadcast licences to Latest TV (Brighton) and Lincolnshire Living (Grimsby). NBC, previously under fire for not airing 7/7 bomb victims' tribute during Olympics opening ceremony, not showing ceremony live and not showing most Paralympics events now airs interview with reality TV figure/manager Kris Jenner about breast implants instead of 9/11 commemorative minute's silence at 08:46 EST last Tuesday as ABC, CBS and Fox did. Dredd tops UK box office; first 18 certificate film to do so since Saw 3D in 2010. Alt-J, Plan B, Maccabees leading nominations for Mercury Prize. Marvel killing off Charles Xavier [highlight to reveal name] in latest edition of Avengers vs X-Men. Kennedy Center to honour Led Zeppelin, David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman. Rolf Harris to return to presenting TV vet shows with Rolf's Animal Clinic for Channel 5. Chinese hackers targetting Guild wars 2 players. Hasbro producing special edition of Monopoly to commemorate Alan Turing's life. Nintendo launching Wii U console in Japan in December. Blue plaque unveiled outside Angel Pub in Highgate to commemorate "A very naughty boy" Graham Chapman, "Comedian and writer. Member of Monty Python's Flying Cirus. Drank here often and copiously." Elvis Presley Bible reported on in previous issue auctions for £59,000 ($95,238); unwashed underwear fails to meet reserve price. Lady Gaga to be targetted by animal rights protesters in Ireland over decision to wear fur. Jennifer Saunders urges fans not to buy "ghastly" unauthorised biography. Ne-Yo to cameo on 90210. Cliff Richard scraps plans to make album under a different name after record bosses were "not interested". Adele spotted at Abbey Road; rumoured to be recording song for 50th anniversary James Bond film Skyfall. Robert Pattinson agrees to promote final Twilight film alongside ex Kristin Stewart as long as nobody asks questions about their relationship. X Factor UK ratings slump by 3m on last year.
US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens (52), computer scientist Daniel Weinreb (53), TV wildlife presenter Terry Nutkins (66), clamshell laptop computer creator Bill Moggridge (69), film producer Jake Eberts (71), songwriter Joe South (72), actor Lance LeGault (77), cult filmmaker Stanley Long (78), marine conservationist Ron Taylor (78), broadcaster Derek Jameson (82), Formula 1 safety and medical pioneer Sid Watkins (84), singer Dorothy McGuire (84).
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which provided music and sound effects for a wide range of BBC programmes, from Doctor Who's TARDIS and theme to nature and history programmes, as well as pioneering electronic music, was closed in 1998, but it's now being reborn online. Here's the site:- http://thespace.org/items/s0000q7e
^ 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
Little Jennifer's teacher asked her pupils to tell the class what they had done in the school holidays.
Little Mary went first. "Well, Miss, in my school holidays I went to an adventure camp, where we swam, paddled canoes and did archery. I hit five golds on the target!"
Next up was Little Simon. "I went to visit the Science Museum during my holidays. There were lots of exhibits about space, computers and machinery and I learned how to make an electronic circuit that turned a light on!"
Then came Little Jennifer. Beaming broadly she stood up. "My mummy and daddy took me to the beach one day in the holidays and we saw Miss and her boyfriend and they didn't see us and they were sitting on the beach holding hands and kis..."
"Thank you very much, Little Jennifer," her teacher interrupted, as the class collapsed in giggles.
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