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Issue #438 - 11th August 2017
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| Contents | — – o o O o o – — |
^ WORD OF THE WEEK
lullay |
Friday 11th August - The start of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, 3114 BCE. Leonidas I, King of Sparta, killed at the Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BCE. Physician Richard Mead born, 1673. The British colony of Penang in Malaysia was established, 1786. Cricketer Tom Richardson born, 1870. Steel magnate & philanthropist Andrew Carnegie died, 1919. Alcatraz received its first civilian prisoners, 1934. Actress Embeth Davidtz born, 1965. Actor & comedian Robin Williams committed suicide, 2014. Saturday 12th August - Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, committed suicide, 30 BCE. The Battle of Ascalon, the final battle of the First Crusade, 1099. Astronomer Abraham Zacuto born, 1452. Witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins died, 1647. The last quagga died in an Amsterdam zoo, 1883. Nobel laureate physicist Erwin Schrödinger born, 1887. Writer Ian Fleming died, 1964. The IBM Personal Computer was released, 1981. Model & actress Cara Delevingne born, 1992. The Glorious Twelfth in the United Kingdom. World Elephant Day. The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. Sunday 13th August - Alfonso XI of Castile born, 1311. Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés captured the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, 1521. Sculptor Giambologna died, 1608. Cardinal Richelieu was appointed Prime Minister of France by Louis XIII, 1624. Sharpshooter Annie Oakley born, 1860. Nurse & nursing reformer Florence Nightingale died, 1910. Singer-songwriter Feargal Sharkey born, 1958. East Germany closed its borders with the western sectors of Berlin and began building the Berlin Wall, 1961. Actor Kenny Baker died, 2016. International Lefthanders Day. Monday 14th August - King Duncan I of Scotland killed in battle, 1040. Düsseldorf was granted town privileges by Count Adolf VIII of Berg, 1288. Mathematician Giambattista Benedetti born, 1530. Artist Nathaniel Hone the Elder died, 1784. The United Kingdom annexed Tristan da Cunha, 1816. Psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing born, 1840. The Rocky Horror Picture Show opened in London, going on to become the longest-running release in film history, 1975. Actress Mila Kunis born, 1983. Racing driver & car manufacturer Enzo Ferrari died, 1988. Tuesday 15th August - Macbeth, King of Scotland, killed in battle, 1057. The Mongolian fleet was devastated by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Kōan, 1281. Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, born, 1385. Asunción, Paraguay, was founded, 1537. Playwright Thomas Kyd died, 1594. Engineer Blind Jack born, 1717. The Woodstock Music & Art Fair in New York state opened, 1969. Ballerina Jennifer Alexander born, 1972. Author Harry Harrison died, 2012. Wednesday 16th August - Artist Agostino Carracci born, 1557. The inconclusive naval Battle of Plymouth in the First Anglo-Dutch War was fought, 1652. Poet Andrew Marvell died, 1678. Seventeen civilians were killed and over 600 injured in the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester, England, 1819. Author & publisher Hugo Gernsback born, 1884. Pharmacist John Pemberton, inventor of Coca-Cola, died, 1888. Drummer Pete Best was fired from The Beatles, 1962. Comedian Frankie Boyle born, 1972. Former President of Uganda Idi Amin died, 2003. Thursday 17th August - Samurai Nitta Yoshisada, trapped under his horse in battle, committed seppuku reportedly by cutting off his own head, 1338. Artist Francesco Albani born, 1578. A group of colonists sent by Sir Walter Raleigh landed in the New World to establish the Roanoke Colony, 1585. American frontiersman Davy Crockett born, 1786. Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, died, 1786. Pike Place Market in Seattle opened, 1907. Poet Ted Hughes born, 1930. Songwriter Ira Gershwin died, 1983. Swimmer Michael Phelps became the first person to win 8 gold medals at one Olympic Games in Beijing, 2008.
This week, Robin Williams:You're only given a little spark of madness; you mustn't lose it.
A selection of quotations from films with a common actor or actress. Answers next issue or from the regular address.Last issue's quotations were from films starring James Woods:
- Lesbian? Her birthday's in March. I thought she was a Pisces.
- - I... do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before.
- Perhaps you should take your aunt's advice and practice?- - I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain.
- You like pain? Try wearing a corset.- I decided to never invest too much emotion in one thing. It's always a set-up to the pain of losing them.
- - It says in the newspaper the army are making "strategic withdrawals."
- Yes, I saw that. It's a euphemism for "retreat."
- Long live the new flesh!
-- Videodrome [1983]- Back home, they would have put me in jail for what I'm doing. Here, they're giving me awards.
-- Casino [1995]- *Please* tell me we're risking our lives for that little plant.
-- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [2001]- Mathematics is the only true universal language.
-- Contact [1997]- Your first act as president is going to be bombing the White House?
-- White House Down [2013]
Strange stories from around the world, some of which might be true...
DINOSAURS! A near-complete (including samples of keratin and skin) fossil of a new species of herbivorous Borealopelta markmitchelli has been discovered in Alberta, and analysis of the skin remains suggests that it employed camouflage, despite being armour-plated, 5.5m (18') long and weighing an estimated 1,300kg (2,866lb), implying the presence of even larger carnivores. In South America scientists studying the fossil remains of Patagotitan mayorum discoverd in 2013 have concluded that the juvenile dinosaur weighed as much as a Boeing 737 and was 122' (37m) long and 20' (6m) tall at the shoulder. A cast of the skeleton is on display at the American Museum of Natural History where it is too big to fit in a single room, its neck and head extending into a hallway. Finally, a fierce-looking Jurassic sea-dwelling crocodile has been named Lemmysuchus (Lemmy's crocodile) in honour of the late Lemmy Kilminster, frontman of heavy metal band Motörhead. Natural History Museum curator Lorna Steele, who chose the name, said "Although Lemmy passed away at the end of 2015, we'd like to think that he would have raised a glass to Lemmysuchus, one of the nastiest sea creatures ever to have inhabited the Earth."
FOOD! If you are feeling peckish and so-inclined, UK supermarket chain Morrisons has launched a foot-long (30cm) sausage roll, selling for just £1 ($1.30). The, er, delicacy, weighs in at nearly 500g (1.1lb), which they suggest "could be enjoyed as part of a picnic, shared with the family, or eaten by customers with big appetites." Given the price, we doubt the finest meat goes into it. Japanese scientists, meanwhile, have come up with something far more important - an ice cream that does not melt in the summer heat. Like many great scientific discoveries, it was made by accident, when a pastry chef charged with making a dessert using polyphenol - an extract from strawberries - noticed that dairy cream mixed with polyphenol solidified instantaneously. If you are after healthier cuisine than sausage rolls and ice cream, Phillip Vowles, 68, who has been growing giant vegetables for 40 years is this year taking a 110lb (50kg) marrow, a 250lb (113kg) pumpkin and a 110lb (50kg) cabbage this size of an armchair to exhibit at the Vale of Glamorgan Show.
ANIMALS! A new species of grass snake has been identified in the UK, bringing the total number of native snake species to 4. The barred grass snake was previously thought to have been a subspecies of the common grass snake, but has now been established to be separate. Like the common grass snake and the smooth snake, the barred grass snake is non-venomous; the adder is the only snake species in the UK with that distinction. Over in Pacifica, California, the second annual World Dog Surfing Championships have been taking place, with the BBC's Simon McCoy drumming up, well, not much enthusiasm to report that "the competitors' main challenge is to stay afloat on the board [..] But there are also prizes for the best dressed and tandem surfing. The winner is, of course, crowned Top Dog."
YEAH, RIGHT... Researchers have taken 1.2 billion tweets containing at least one of the 64 most popular emojis to train a computer system called Deepmoji. The system analyses new tweets, determines which emoji is most likely to be used and then tries to recognise sarcasm. The ultimate goal will be to identify hate speech faster than humans. While the concept might have worthwhile goals it has attracted criticism for being used to profile people further at a time when anyone online most likely has already had extensive profiling done on them by advertising companies like Facebook and Google, and, with Windows 10, Microsoft.
IN A SPIN! Washing machines are heavy. A standard machine typically contains two lumps of concrete weighing 25kg (55lb) to stop it moving across the floor during a spin cycle. A team at Nottingham University has come up with an ingenious (if, with afterthought, obvious) alternative that will make washing machines cheaper to produce and lighter to transport (typically by a third), saving an estimated 44,625 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year in their production and transportation, in the UK alone. The solution? Replace the concrete with an empty plastic container that can be filled with water when the machine is installed. The only downside is that the plastic containers will need to be larger than the concrete blocks to hold the equivalent mass of water.
IN BRIEF: 1,641st victim of 9/11 attacks identified using DNA technology; 1,112 still unidentified. European police releasing postcards "addressed" to Europe's most-wanted fugitives to mark holiday season. Canada building refugee camp to house flood of people fleeing from the United States for 2-3 days while asylum requests are processed. Edinburgh Napier University scientists close to finding cure for common cold. Chinese restaurant offering female diners discounts based on their bra size. Workers building car park to be used by crews decommissioning Fukushima Nuclear Reactor discover unexploded 3'- (83cm)-long WW2 bomb. German satirist protesting Twitter's slowness to remove hate speech tweets stencils them on pavement outside Twitter's Hamburg offices. There could be as many as 100 million black holes in the Milky Way galaxy. Krispy Kreme introducing chocolate doughnut glaze to mark impending solar eclipse, but only for sale in USA & Canada. Developers planning to build four-floor luxury house in 3m- (10')-wide gap between London office block and pub; landlord objecting to proposal as alley is used for deliveries; if approved, house expected to sell for up to £2.7m ($3.5m). Self proclaimed "messenger of God" who claimed to have predicted Donald Trump's presidency back in 2015 now claiming third world war will begin on 100th anniversary of alleged Our Lady of Fatima sightings (i.e. May 13, 2017). People leaving cars parked on residential roads near Luton Airport rather than paying for long-stay car parks return to find tyres slashed, windscreens daubed with message "Too tight to pay for airport parking". Man refused service at McDonald's drive-thru because he was on foot returns, being pushed in shopping trolley.
Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield, composer Anne Dudley mulling stage musical version of Poldark. Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood to take over role of Miss Hannigan in Annie from September. ITV4 accidentally broadcasts 1967 comedy version of Casino Royale instead of advertised 2006 Daniel Craig film. BBC cancels Count Arthur Strong, writer Graham Linehan working on new sitcom Motherland. Game of Thrones s7e4 was leaked online before broadcast, hackers demanding ransom to stop leaks of other HBO material. Liverpool's Hope & Glory festival cancelled after descending into chaos; council launches enquiry. LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, TV writer Normal Lear, dancer Carmen de Lavadelle to receive Kennedy Center honours. Marwan Kenzari joining live action Aladdin remake as Jafar. Mark Miller sells comic book company Millarworld (Kick-Ass, Kingsman) to Netflix. Personal Audio LLC loses claim to podcast patent, judge ruled they had "not invented anything new" since acquiring patent in 2012. Poldark fans flood Twitter with complaints after s3e9 season finale. Mammoth Screen (Poldark, Victoria) developing 'dark' adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for ITV. Stockard Channing getting plaudits for return to London's West End in Apologia. Valve hosting The International e-spots tournament with prize fund of £17.5m ($22.7m). Gavin Rossdale dropped from ITV's The Voice after one series. Tom Hardy's final CBeebies Bedtime Story, about a boy and his dog, to be dedicated to Hardy's late dog Woody on broadcast later this month. DC's Legends of Tomorrow introducing female muslim superhero. Channel 4 to broadcast series aiming to find UK's best LEGO builder. Chris Cornell statue planned for Seattle. Facebook launching (probably ad-laden) video tab.
Chantek (One of the first orangutans to learn sign language, 39), former museum director Martin Roth (V&A 2011-2017, 62), actor Hywel Bennett (Shelley, Percy, Neverwhere, 73), singer Glen Campbell (Wichita Lineman, Rhinestone Cowboy, 81), actor Haruo Nakajimi (first man to play Godzilla, Seven Samurai, 88), actor and toxophily expert Robert Hardy (All Creatures Great and Small, Harry Potter, artifacts from the Mary Rose, 91).
Want to know which Roald Dahl character you are? Thanks to Oxford Dictionaries' blog you can find out.- https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/11/roald-dahl-character-quiz/
^ DUMBLEDORE BEAR'S LOTTERY PREDICTOR!
Dumbledore Bear, our in-house psychic predicts that the following numbers will be lucky:15, 27, 48, 53, 54, 57[UK National Lottery, number range 1-59]
You can get your very own prediction at http://www.simonlamont.co.uk/tfir/dumbledore.htm.
One afternoon after school Little Jennifer's mother asked her how her day had gone. "Well, Mummy," she answered, "Little Simon kissed me!"
Her mother was shocked, and about to write an angry letter to the teacher. "Just how did that happen, Little Jennifer?"
"It wasn't easy, Mummy," Little Jennifer smiled, "It was in morning breaktime and Little Emma, Little Jane and Little Mary had to help me catch him first!"
^ ...end of line