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Issue #382 - 10 June 2016
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^ WORD OF THE WEEK
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Friday 10 June - Alexander the Great died, 323 BCE. Emperor Tenji of Japan had a water clock installed in the capital, Ōtsu, 671. Poet Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi born, 1213. Jacob van Heemskerk and Willem Barents discovered Bear Island, 1596. Sculptor Alessandro Algardi died, 1654. Princess Caroline of Great Britain born, 1713. Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped in California, 1991. Actress Kate Upton born, 1992. Musician Ray Charles died, 2004. Portugal Day. Saturday 11 June - According to Eratosthenes, Troy was sacked on this day, 1184 BCE. Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, born, 1431. The marriage of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, 1509. Writer Ben Jonson born, 1572. Brewer Samuel Whitbread died, 1796. Actor Peter Dinklage born, 1969. Artist Chesley Bonestell died, 1986. Jurassic Park opened in the United States, 1993. Journalist David Brinkley died, 2003. Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. Sunday 12 June - Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great and Lady of the Mercians, died, 918. Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, born, 1519. The founding of Helsinki, 1550. Japanese daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto died, 1560. Mathematician Paul Guldin born, 1577. Thomas Gage declared martial law in Massachusetts with an amnesty for colonists to lay down their arms, 1775. Film producer Samuel Z. Arkoff born, 1918. The reconstructed Globe Theatre in London opened, 1997. Composer György Ligeti died, 2006. World Day Against Child Labour. Monday 13 June - Sculptor Tankei died, 1256. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, the oldest alliance in the world still in force, was agreed, 1373. Philosopher and astronomer Alessandro Piccolomini born, 1508. Much of Vancouver was destroyed in the Great Vancouver Fire, 1886. Ludwig II of Bavaria died in mysterious circumstances, 1886. Writer Dorothy L. Sayers born, 1893. Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to pass beyond the outermost planet of the Solar System (at that time, Neptune), 1983. Actress Kat Dennings born, 1986. Astronaut Deke Slayton died, 1993. Tuesday 14 June - Prince Louis of France captured Winchester during the First Barons' War, 1216. John III of Navarre died, 1516. Astronomer Johann Abraham Ihle born, 1627. The United States Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as their national flag, 1777. Turncoat American general Benedict Arnold died, 1801. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe born, 1811. The Vatican abolished the Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("Index of prohibited books"), first instituted in 1557, 1966. Comedian Alan Carr born, 1976. Composer Henry Mancini died, 1994. World Blood Donor Day. Wednesday 15 June - King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta, 1215. Rebel leader Wat Tyler executed, 1381. Lisa del Giocondo, subject of the Mona Lisa, born, 1479. Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity, 1752 (traditional date). Composer Edvard Grieg born, 1843. Mystic Evelyn Underhill died, 1941. The trial of Charles Manson for the Sharon Tate murders began, 1970. Violinist Julia Fischer born, 1983. Racing driver James Hunt died, 1993. Global Wind Day. Thursday 16 June - Mary, Queen of Scots recognised Philip II of Spain as her successor, 1586. Statesman John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, died, 1722. Economist Adam Smith born, 1723. Lord Byron challenged his guests at the Villa Diodati in Switzerland to write ghost stories; Mary Godwin (later Shelley) would create Frankenstein, 1816. Actor Stan Laurel born, 1890. Mathematician Ernst Schröder died, 1902. The Monterey Pop Festival began, 1967. Liverpool F.C. manager Jürgen Klopp born, 1967. Singer and Monster Raving Loony Screaming Lord Sutch died, 1999.
This week, Carl Sagan, from Cosmos (1980):Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere.
The four-minute mile, running a mile (1.69km) in under four minutes, has long been a standard for middle distance runners. The first runner to officially complete it was Roger Bannister in 1954, with a time of 3:59.4, although claims have been made for James Parrott, who ran in London on 9 May 1770 - when accurate enough clocks existed to time him, but no official record was made of the attempt, and Glenn Cunningham, who supposedly ran it as part of a workout in the 1920s; again no official record was made, and the run could not have counted as an official attempt anyway. The watch used to time Bannister's run sold at a charity auction in 2011 for £97,250 ($143,225). Two months after setting the record Bannister and Australian competitor John Landy both ran the mile in under four minutes at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. American Steve Scott has run 136 sub-four-minute miles, while the current record holder, Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, ran a time of 3:43.13 in Rome in 1999. Kenyan Daniel Komen has doubled up on Bannister's achievement by running two miles in under eight minutes, first in 1997 then in 1998. No woman has yet run a four-minute mile, the current record holder being Russian Svetlana Masterkova with a time of 4:12.56.
A mixed bag of quotations. Answers next issue or from the regular address.Last issue's quotations were:
- We have just gotten a wake-up call from the Nintendo Generation.
- - It's a clock... It's ticking.
- Oh... one of those ticking clocks, eh?- - Just look at you, barely held together by your pills and your drink.
- Don't forget my pathetic love of country.- Misery and degradation and death and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart - you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.
- Nature has an order. A power to restore balance. I believe he is that power.
- Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler...
-- Office Space [1999]- Tell me a story where everything works out in the end for the evil witch.
-- Cake [2004]- I was a warrior who dreamed he could bring peace. Sooner or later, though, you always wake up.
-- Avatar [2009]- My life has reached its pinnacle. Joe is letting me close the store tonight.
-- Empire Records [1995]- It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.
-- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [2001]
Strange stories from around the world, some of which might be true...
SNITCHED! 18 months ago a bronze plaque appeared on the side of Bristol's Children's Hospital, close to a sculpture comprised of a number of giant coloured rings that can be lit up by children inside the hospital. The plaque read "Dedicated to the children of Bristol the 1998 Quidditch World Cup goal posts enchanted by Adou Sosseh. Have a magical day!" The origin of the sign has been a mystery until now. James Carberry has admitted that the plaque was the work of his friend, 27-year-old Bristol University graduate Cormac Seachoy, who died of cancer last year. Seachoy, Carberry said, always thought that the sculpture looked like the goal posts in Quidditch, the game from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. "He wanted the children at the hospital to think they were a gift from wizards," Carberry told reporters, explaining that Cormac turned to crowdfunding to pay for the plaque, and he and Carberry met outside the hospital one night with the plaque and a tube of industrial strength glue - but had forgotten to bring anything to cut off the top of the glue tube, so Seachoy borrowed some scissors from a bemused pub landlord, explaining that they were opening a pop-up shop nearby. Seachoy tweeted a picture of the plaque the next day, but it drew little attention, slowly building over the last year and a half. Seachoy researched his subject well - the reference to Adou Sosseh was from an article on Rowling's Pottermore website. The hospital has said that it will keep the plaque, but asked that other "magical beings" who want to put up plaques ask permission so the "muggles" [non-magical folk] at the hospital can thank them. Carberry said that "it would really put a smile on his [Seachoy's] face [..] He just wanted to do something that would make people smile on their way in and out of the hospital."
LEGO! This Sunday will see a "Patron's Lunch" for several hundred guests in The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace in London in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, and the Legoland theme park in Windsor are marking it with a miniature street party, with tables, guests and bunting built from 30,000 Lego bricks, and a model of the palace, built from another 35,000. Staff spent 650 hours building the scene, which will be on display until November.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH 'JENNIFER'? An Australian mother has named her daughter KVIIIlyn, much to the bewildered amusement of the Internet. Interviewed by a magazine, she said "I've always loved the name Kaitlyn but hated how popular it was, so when I found out I was having a girl, my husband suggested we replace the 'ait' with the Roman numberal symbol for eight! Now our daughter is truly unique." As one Reddit user commented, "Assuming this whole thing isn't a joke, there's already a few different ways to spell Kaitlyn. There's Caitlyn, Katelyn, Caitlin, and I'm pretty sure there's more. If the idea was to have a different spelling, surely they could use one of those?"
SUNK! Snorkelers diving off the Greek island of Zakynthos believed they had found a long lost city with paved floors and colonnades, though no remains of pottery or other artifacts could be found there, but researchers at the University of East Anglia in England and the University of Athens in Greece have now concluded that the site was created up to five million years ago by geological processes.
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. A ghost tour was being conducted through a graveyard near Sculcoates Lane in Hull, said to be haunted by a Monk called Henry and the poet Philip Larkin, when they heard groaning coming from behind a clump of brambles further along the path. Investigating further, they found that it was not a wailing spirit, but a couple having sex and being filmed by two other people, who all ran off after being discovered. "One elderly man was so incensed, he was ready to chase after them with his walking stick but I pursuaded him to calm down and eat his sandwiches," group leader and local historian Mike Covell said.
IN BRIEF: Ghost of female coal sorter claimed to have been photographed at Lady Victoria Pit Mine museum in Scotland. London's Blackwall Tunnel closed for 10 minutes in early hours after jogger seen on CCTV. New Nessie footage showing five humps dismissed as boat wake. New Zealand weather presenter collapses in giggles on-air after image of tornado cloud shaped like a penis broadcast. UEFA bans unofficial French football mascot cockerel called Balthazar from Euro-16 championship matches. Doctors pull live spider from woman's ear; believe it got caught in there while she was swimming. One-horsepower car caught on film; rear end of small blue hatchback pulled by horse. UK drivers stuck in flash flood overtaken by man in kayak. Men using temple-like latrines in Japanese gaming arcade receiving divine experience - when they've finished a light shines down and a burst of Handel's Messiah plays from hidden speakers. Indian flying car planned for launch in 2018. Fish photographed trapped inside jellyfish. RAF planes forced to divert by bee swarm at airbase. San Francisco artists build giant 'hamster wheel' standing desk to let people exercise while working. Airbus unveils 13ft (3.9m) 3D-printed aircraft. Pupils and staff at primary school return from half-term to find Banksy mural on classroom wall. Australian food company Maille selling £50 ($72.30) hot dog, made of Aberdeen Angus beef in brioche bun with 100g pot of Pèrigord black truffle-infused mustard. Seagull falls into vat of chiken tikka masala curry, turns orange. Robber duo try to hold up French McDonalds restaurant - where 12 armed elite soldiers are eating.
Peter Capaldi hints that Jenna Coleman might be returning to Doctor Who. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play opens to rave reviews. Abba reunite for impromptu performance at private party to celebrate 50 years of collaboration between Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Big Brother 2016 embroiled in fix claims on opening night. Bruce Forsyth unable to attend wife's launch party for range of candles, she says he is recovering slowly from November operation. OFCOM rules that Countdown breached regulations on product placement twice on one programme. Ed Sheeran sued for $20m (£13.83m) over plagiarism claim for Photograph. Steven Moffat reveals that lead role in Doctor Who was offered to black actor, but it didn't work out "for various reasons". Parashar Kulkarni wins Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Cow and Company. Mary Berry, Angelina Jolie Pitt to guest edit BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o cast in Marvel superhero film Black Panther. Lisa McInerny wins Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction with The Glorious Heresies. The Who attack planned Quadrophenia sequel. Emma Willis to continue hosting duties for The Voice UK when it moves to ITV in 2017. John Boyega cast in Pacific Rim sequel, also becomes patron of Theatre Peckham, where he was a member from age 9 to 14. Jonathan Ross' spokesperson denies chat show has been axed. Madonna wins copyright case over 0.23s horn sample used in 'Vogue'. Minnesota police official tells press that Prince died of an opioid overdose. Former assistant claims Stanley Kubrick was planning children's film based on Pinocchio and WW2 Monte Cassino movie before his death. Top Gear second episode first broadcast audience overnight ratings drop a third on debut episode. Carla Lane's funeral service held at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Manchester Victoria Station renamed Victoria Wood Station for an hour as fans celebrate her life and raise money for music therapy charity she was a patron of.
Bretagne (last surviving 9/11 search & rescue dog, 16), actress Theresa Saldana (Raging Bull, 61), boxer Muhammad Ali (The Greatest, 74), musician Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention, 75), playwright & screenwriter Sir Peter Shaffer (Amadeus, Equus, 90), Flight Lieutenant Keith Lawrence, DFC (one of The Few, 96).
Viva Amiga: The Story of a Beautiful Machine is an upcoming documentary feature by Zach Weddington following the story of the groundbreaking 1985 Commodore Amiga personal computer and the people who created it, used it and still keep it alive today. [Statement of non-impartiality: the Editor is a Kickstarter backer]- Teaser trailer
- Website
^ DUMBLEDORE BEAR'S LOTTERY PREDICTOR!
Dumbledore Bear, our in-house psychic predicts that the following numbers will be lucky:23, 27, 29, 41, 49, 50[UK National Lottery, number range 1-59]
You can get your very own prediction at http://www.simonlamont.co.uk/tfir/dumbledore.htm.
Little Jennifer was in Sunday School, and the vicar was teaching the children about the Ten Commandments. He explained that they should follow the commandment to "honour thy father and thy mother" then asked if anyone knew of a commandment about how to behave towards brothers and sisters. Little Jennifer's hand shot up. "Yes, Little Jennifer?"
Little Jennifer smiled her most innocent smile. "Thou shalt not kill?"
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