|
Issue #363 - 1 February 2013
|
Friday 1 February - Explorer Jacob Roggeveen born, 1659. Alexander Selkirk was rescued four years after being shipwrecked on a desert island; his story would inspire Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, 1709. Author Mary Shelley died, 1851. President Lincoln signed the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, outlawing slavery, 1865. Film director John Ford born, 1894. Gossip columnist Hedda Hopper died, 1966. Singer Lisa Marie Presley born, 1968. The seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia died upon reentry, 2003. The United States was thrown into a moral panic after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, 2004. National Wear Red Day in the US. Saturday 2 February - The Battle of Mortimer's Cross in the Wars of the Roses, 1461. Actress and mistress of King Charles II of England, Nell Gwynne born, 1650. Mathematician Robert Smith died, 1768. Felix the Cat animator Pat Sullivan born, 1887. The funeral of Queen Victoria, 1901. Actor Boris Karloff died, 1969. Singer Shakira born, 1977. Tennis player Roger Federer became the world #1 ranked men's singles player, a position he would hold for a record 237 weeks, 2004. Writer Dorothy Gilman died, 2012. Groundhog Day in the US and Canada. Groundhog Day in the US and Canada. World Wetlands Day. Sunday 3 February - John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, died, 1399. Tulip mania collapsed in the United Provinces (present day Netherlands), 1637. Composer Felix Mendelssohn born, 1809. The Illinois Territory was created, 1809. Writer Gertrude Stein born, 1874. Outlaw Belle Starr died, 1889. The United States Air Force initiated Operation Looking Glass, maintaining a 24/7 airborne command and control centre for the next 29 years, 1961. Songwriter and music producer Joe Meek died, 1967. Actor Warwick Davis born, 1970. Monday 4 February - An earthquake struck the eastern coast of Sicily, 1169. Scholar Conrad Celtes died, 1508. Writer Almeida Garrett born, 1799. The Codex Sinaiticus was discovered in Egypt, 1859. Instrument maker Adolphe Sax died, 1894. Actor Nigel Bruce born, 1895. Physicist Hendrik Lorentz died, 1928. Musician/actress Natalie Imbruglia born, 1975. Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook, 2004. Rosa Parks Day in the US. World Cancer Day. Tuesday 5 February - Cartographer Nicolaas Kruik died, 1754. Robert Peel, British Prime Minister and creator of the modern police force, born, 1788. Start of the Siege of Cádiz, 1810. Outlaw Belle Starr born, 1848. The Hermitage Museum opened in Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1852. Writer Thomas Carlyle died, 1881. The US Air Force lost the Tybee hydrogen bomb off the coast of Atlanta, Georgia (it's still there), 1958. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh born, 1962. Author Brian Jacques died, 2011. National Weatherperson's Day in the US. Runeberg's Birthday in Finland. Wednesday 6 February - Printer Aldus Manutius, the Elder died, 1515. Astronomer Mario Bettinus born, 1582. King James II of England (James VII of Scotland) succeeded to the throne, 1685. Mathematician Nicolaus Bernoulli born, 1695. Landscape gardener Capability Brown died, 1783. Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony, 1840. Baseball player Babe Ruth born, 1895. Jack Kilby filed the first patent for the integrated circuit, 1959. Tennis player Arthur Ashe died, 1993. Thursday 7 February - Statesman Sir Thomas More born, 1478. The Bonfire of the Vanities took place in Florence, Italy, 1497. Sculptor Bertolomeo Bandinelli died, 1560. Author Charles Dickens born, 1812. The British East India Company annexed the Kingdom of Awadh, 1856. Manufacturer Harvey Firestone died, 1938. The Beatles made their first visit to the United States, 1964. Nazi war criminal Dr Josef Mengele died, 1979. Actress Tina Majorino born, 1985.
This week, Arthur Ashe [viz. Wednesday, above]:From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
A mixed bag of quotations. Answers next issue or from the regular address.Last issue's quotations were:
- Not believing in an afterlife is like not believing in astrology.
- - [..], you're all going to die down here.
- I've heard that before.- 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.
- You think I want to go to the stars? I don't even like to fly - I take trains!
- Maybe we should add more special effects like exploding socks.
- I hate hospitals... people die here.
-- The Possession [2012]- We may not be gods. But we do what people say can't be done, we hope when there isn't any... whatever odds we face, we prevail.
-- Wrath of the Titans [2012]- Let's kick some bottom.
-- Johnny English Reborn [2011]- When you're selling life assurance, you want the stench of death in their nostrils. You're talking to the husband but you want the missus thinking "Crumbs, Chief! What's my life gonna be like when he pegs it?" Men work, women worry - that's what you rely on.
-- Cemetary Junction [2010]- All I want is just one shot of me in a wedding dress that isn't bright turquoise.
-- Love Actually [2003]
Strange stories from around the world, some of which might be true...
BRUCE? News from Area 51 - the top secret US airbase where new planes are tested and - allegedly - to where alien technology has been taken and UFOs flown, has tailed off in the years since the USAF landgrabbed even more of the area around the Groom Lake, Nevada, airbase, but a man living in a remote cabin between several of the surrounding mountain peaks has videoed something that's sure to get UFO fans, tech fans and Batfans excited. It seems the air force's new secret plane is rather similar to the Batplane in shape with wings swept forward, bristling with missiles and a rear engine.
FLIPPER! For the first time a pod of dolphins has been filmed trying to help a dying member breathe. The dolphins were filmed swimming close against the dying individual to keep it upright, then five of them formed a raft with their bodies to raise their stricken comrade to the surface. After it died they continued to try to stimulate it, and blew air bubbles over it. It's not the first time dolphins - and whales - have been seen trying to push dying or dead individuals to the surface; it's often been seen with mothers and their stillborn calves, but it's the first time the behaviour has been filmed with more than one or two cetaceans trying to help. Elsewhere a pod of sperm whales seems to have adopted a bottlenose dolphin born with a spine deformity.
DUNG BEETLES! It has long been known that bird, seals and humans use the stars to navigate at night by, but now a study by Marie Dacke reported in Nature has found that dung beetles rolling their balls of dung navigate using the Milky Way. It was already established that they could use the sun or moon to get their bearings, but Dacke's research was inspired by their ability to keep to their courses even on moonless nights. She put dung beetles in a large black-walled container and took them to the Johannesburg planetarium where she could control the sky. They did best with a full starry sky overhead, but performed equally well with just the Milky Way's diffuse bar of light. Dacke is now investigating the 'dance' the beetles seem to perform on top of their dung balls, hypothesising that it may mark the moment the beetle gets its bearings.
CROCHET! A Texan woman was asked to make a suitable soft toy gift for a geeky husband, so she crocheted Doctor Who's Doctor - in all eleven incarnations [no Peter Cushing? -Ed]. She told reporters that she had only seen some of the more recent episodes before starting but had really got into the older ones as she watched them, and her favourite Doctor to recreate was Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, because of the costume - "I loved making that scarf!" Allison Hoffman, 35, took up crochet as a hobby but now runs her own business producing crocheted items. How did the gift go down? The recipient was so happy he's now making a display cabinet for the Doctors.
ENGAGE THE TRACTOR BEAM! Scientists have developed a working tractor beam, more usually seen in science fiction shows like Star Trek where they're used to capture spacecraft, repel asteroids and so on. Just one small - very small - difference: the new tractor beam only works at microscopic levels, moving particles around. Lead researcher Dr Tomas Cizmar of the School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews hopes that the tractor beam could find numerous uses in the field of medicine, such as separating individual blood cells.
IN BRIEF: Prehistoric bones found 100 years ago are discovered to be from unknown species, thought to be missing link between prehistoric crocodiles and modern-day killer whales. Asteroid roughly half the size of a football field will pass within roughly 28,000km (17,400 miles) of Earth, closer than weather and telecoms satellites, February 15. Seal pup rescued in ferry terminal lorry park refuses to go back into the rough water so worker puts it in boot of car to keep warm until it can be collected; pup breaks out of boot into car, found lying on dashboard; now being looked after in wildlife rescue centre. American Garrett McNamara surfs record 100ft (30m) [unconfirmed height] wave off Portugal. Iran joins list of nations to successfully send a monkey into space and return it safely to Earth. Suffolk woman returns from holiday to find that rats have eaten her car's electrics, pedal rubber, costs £1,200 ($1,904) to fix. Chideock, Dorset, to host World Garlic Eating Competition, September. Claims of Bigfoot noises heard in Oregon. Rio de Janeiro family tortoise missing for 30 years discovered alive and reasonably well in upstairs storeroom. Beijing entrepreneur selling cans of clean air as air pollution goes off the scale. Colombian convenience store robbers foiled by getaway donkey making too much noise. Green 'fireball' seen in skies over Lincolnshire. Toronto man calls 911 after his date stands him up. Pope releases dove of peace in front of 2000 worshippers at end of Angelus prayers in St Peter's Square only to have it attacked by a seagull (It got away). Swiss MP's plan to serve vole paté to fellow MPs in protest at lack or resources to combat rodent invasion of Jura canton's farms is blocked by canton veterinary office because voles aren't covered by any laws on permitted food.
Ant and Dec developing silent film. Eminem to play one-off gig in Glasgow, August. Muse to headline War Child charity benefit ahead of Brit Awards. Vladimir Tretchikoff's original Chinese Girl painting to be auctioned; Bonham's estimate it could fetch £500,000 ($794,000). Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl premieres documentary film about about Los Angeles' Sound City studio at Sundance. Australian radio show that prank-called the Duchess of Cambridge's hospital is dropped by broadcaster 2Day FM; DJs involved to be reassigned within station's programming. Bronchitis forces cancellation of opening three nights of Barry Manilow's Broadway comeback. Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellan to reprise Waiting for Godot roles, and take leads in Pinter's No Man's Land on Broadway in the autumn. Jeet Thayil wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for Narcopolis. Amour gets ten nominations for French Cesar awards. Arts Council, BBC putting restored 1924 silent film Flowers of London online for users to submit their own soundtrack/effects. Ahton Kutcher gets mixed reviews for Steve Jobs biopic from Sundance. Bingo Players' Get Up (Rattle)(feat. Far East Movement) tops UK singles chart ahead of Will.i.am's Scream & Shout (feat. Britney Spears) and Taylor Swift's I Knew You Were Trouble. Les Miserables motion picture original cast recording tops UK album chart ahead of Emeli Sandé's Our Version Of Events and Calvin Harris' 18 Months. Morrisey postpones US concerts due to bleeding ulcer. Hansel & Gretel tops US box office ahead of Mama and Silver Linings Playbook. First bit of great news from Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm - 3D release of Star Wars episodes II and III postponed to concentrate on next installment, to be directed by JJ Abrams. Hilary Mantel follows up Booker Prize win with unanimous Costa Prize, also for Bring Up the Bodies. Rowan Atkinson returning to West End stage for "the most... overtly serious role" of his career in Simon Gray's Quartermaine's Terms. David Bradley named as William Hartnell actor in An Adventure in Space and Time BBC drama about the genesis of Doctor Who; other cast to include Brian Cox as Sydney Newman and Jessica Raine (we're guessing as Verity Newman). Channel 4 Head of Film to receive Lifetime Achievement Bafta award. Arnold Schwarzenneger's comeback film The Last Stand bombs at UK box office. 1088 original Hollywood golden age movie posters donated to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ticketmaster ditches Captcha verification system for Solve Media's (which can include adverts). Boomtown Rats reforming after 26 years for Isle of Wight Festival. Liam Neeson receives Freedom of the Borough of Ballymena.
SAG Awards: Best actor (film): Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln); Best actress (film): Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook); Best supporting actor (film): Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln); Best supporting actress (film): Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables); Best ensemble cast (film): Argo; Best actor (TV drama): Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); Best actress (TV drama): Claire Danes (Homeland); Best ensemble cast (TV drama): Downton Abbey; Best actor (TV comedy): Alec Baldwin (30 Rock); Best actress (TV comedy): Tina Fey (30 Rock); Best ensemble cast (TV comedy): Modern Family; Best actor (TV miniseries): Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys); Best actress (TV miniseries): Julianne Moore (Game Change); Best stunt ensemble (film): Skyfall; Best stunt ensemble (TV): Game of Thrones.
Actress Lesley Fitz-Simons (51), film producer Lloyd Phillips (63), funk musician Leroy Bonner (69), Roma Holocaust survivor and artist Ceija Stojka (79), actor Bernard Horsfall (82), artist Shozo Shimamoto (85), last surviving Andrews Sister Patty Andrews (94).
Superheroes. You can hardly turn on a TV or see a cinema listing without encountering one. This week's site attempts to be an international catalogue of the less well-known.- http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/
^ DUMBLEDORE BEAR'S LOTTERY PREDICTOR!
Dumbledore Bear, our in-house psychic predicts that the following numbers will be lucky:9, 24, 29, 32, 40, 44You can get your very own prediction at http://www.simonlamont.co.uk/tfir/dumbledore.htm.
Little Jennifer's teacher had asked Little Jennifer to stay behind after class. "Now, Little Jennifer," she said, "the test I gave you yesterday, did you copy your answers from Little Simon sitting at the next desk?"
Little Jennifer pouted. "No, Miss!"
"Well I think you did. Would you like to know why I think that?"
"Yes, Miss!"
"Because, Little Jennifer, on the third question, 'What is the capital of France?' Little Simon wrote 'I don't know'."
"Well, Miss?"
"Your answer to the same question was "Neither do I"!
^ ...end of line