Some Christmas Trivia

The term Christmas is from “Christ’s Mass”,  first used in 1038.

The use of the letter X in Xmas is from the Greek letter chi, the first letter in the word Christ.

After Britain converted to Christianity in the 7th century, Christmas was referred to as geol, the name of the pre- Christmas winter festival, hence the word Yule.

The Sandwich that Led to WW1

For want of a nail, a shoe was lost

For want of a shoe, a horse was lost

For want of a horse, a rider was lost

For want of a rider, a message was lost

For want of a message, a battle was lost

For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost

All for want of a nail

- George Herbert (1593-1632)

I know that the above item is a bit corny but it gets the message across that sometimes events can be set on their course by the slightest of items, often with considerable flow on effect.

So it is that much of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries can be attributed to a simple sandwich.

Judge William Young

During the week just ended I came across some comments by an American judge in sentencing a terrorist. I was surprised that the comments had not had a wider distribution at the time and since, and I set them out below.

Interesting Facts #31: Cat Pee

Cat urine glows fluorescent under a black light.

Other items which will do the same:
White paper
Vaseline
Tonic water
Body fluids (blood, water, semen – watch CSI or NCIS)
Vitamins
Laundry detergents

Last Words: Todd Beamer

“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.”

- Todd Beamer (1968-2001)

Todd Beamer was a passenger on the hijacked 9/11 United Airlines Flight 93.

During the hijacking in 2001, he and other passengers communicated with people on the ground via in-plane phones and mobile phones. From this, they learned of the other hijackings and planes having been flown into the World Trade Centre buildings. Beamer tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of the plane seat but was routed to a customer-service representative instead, who passed him on to supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer reported that one passenger was killed and, later, that a flight attendant had told him the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.

Beamer asked the operator to tell his wife and two sons that he loved them, and that some of the plane's passengers were planning to "jump on" the hijackers and force the plane into the ground rather than to allow it to be crashed into a building.

According to Jefferson, Beamer's last audible words were "Are you guys ready? Let's roll."

There is widespread speculation that Beamer and the other passengers intended to use a wheeled food cart to break open the cockpit door and attack the hijackers.  A short time after the final call, the plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 on board.

Todd Beamer’s daughter, Morgan Kay Beamer, was born on 10 January 2002. Morgan was Todd Beamer’s middle name.

Interesting Facts #31: Gold

Carat weight can be 10, 12, 14, 18, 22, or 24. The higher the number, the greater the purity. To be called “solid gold,” gold must have a minimum weight of 10 carats. “Pure gold” must have a carat weight of 24, (though there is still a small amount of copper in it). Pure gold is so soft that it can be moulded by hand.

The term “carat” comes from “carob seed,” which was the standard for weighing small quantities in the Middle East. It was believed that carob seeds had a uniform weight but studies have shown that these seeds display as many variations as any other seed.

The carat system is increasingly being complemented or superseded by the millesimal fineness system in which the purity of precious metals is denoted by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy.

The Ferrari Logo

Ferrari S p A, the Italian car manufacturer, was founded in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari as Scuderia Ferrari.

The famous Cavallino Rampante ("prancing horse") emblem came about when Ferrari won an Itlian motor race in 1923 and met Countess Paolina, mother of WW1 ace and national hero Count Francesco Baracca. Baracca used to paint a horse on the side of his planes (see below) and it was suggested by the Countess that Ferrari should do likewise with his racing cars, to bring him luck

(Click on images to enlarge).

Interesting Facts #30: Size Matters

Australia is just about twice as large as all of Europe and is two thirds as large as the continental United States.

Quotes: Abraham Lincoln

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion."

- Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Interesting Facts #29: Silent Movie

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the movie Silent Movie has the fewest spoken words of any sound movie.

The story concerns the attempts of aspiring filmmakers Mel Funn (Mel Brooks), Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman) and Dom Bell (Dom Deluise) to make the first silent film in 40 years. The first part of the movie records their attempts to secure big name stars, all playing themselves, to appear in the movie. The second part depicts the filming and attempts to sabotage the screening by the villains.

The movie is itself filmed as a silent movie with old time flash cards on the screen setting out the dialogue.

In various comic and slapstick ways Funn, Eggs, and Bell succeed in recruiting Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft, and Paul Newman.

There is only one spoken word in the whole movie – “Non!” – when a French star refuses their request to take part in the movie. It is spoken by Marcel Marceau.

Pearl Harbour, 7 December 1941

On this day 69 years ago, 353 aircraft launched from 6 aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the Unites States Naval Base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The attack came in two waves and was intended to prevent the US Pacific Fleet from influencing the war that Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands and against the US in the Philippines. It was Japan’s intention to have access to the area’s natural resources such as oil and rubber. The US lost 2,402 lives in the attack on Pearl Harbour, with 1,282 wounded. Japan suffered 65 killed or wounded.

As a result of the surprise attack, the policy of isolationism favoured by a large proportion of US citizens and politicians gave way to outrage and hostility. Naval Commander Isoroku Yamamoto had intended the attack to take place thirty minutes after a declaration of war arrived in Washington, D.C. However, due to delays in delivery of the declaration, the attack occurred several hours before the declaration was received.

Speaking as the voice of America’s people and focusing on the perceived treachery of the attack, President Franklin D Roosevelt declared

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. … No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.”

One hour after the conclusion of the six and a half minute speech, Congress declared war on Japan.

Interesting Facts #28: Alan Jones

In 1977, Australian Allan Jones scored a surprise victory in the Austrian Grand Prix.

His win was so unexpected that officials did not have the Australian national anthem to play.

Initially officials were going to play the Austrian anthem but then realised that Australia and Austria were not the same country.

They overcame not having the Australian anthem by having a local drunk play "Happy Birthday to You" on a trumpet through the PA system.

Interesting Facts #27: Pandas

A 2007 report showed that there were 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and 27 outside the country. Estimates of the population in the wild vary. One estimate is that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000.

The panda is under threat because bamboo, which forms 99% of its diet, is being cut down to create farmland.

Enola Gay and Bockscar

  

The plane which dropped the first atomic bomb on a city, Hiroshima (below), on 6 August 1945 was known as the Enola Gay and was under the command of Colonel Paul Tibbets (above). The plane had been named by him after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Interviewed after the mission, Tibbets confessed that he was embarrassed at having attached his mother’s name to such a fateful mission. The bomb that was dropped was nicknamed Little Boy. 

The Paradox of Our Time

I am not a fan of emails which bemoan our modern society and look back at a simpler, better yesteryear. As attractive as the past may seem, memories conveniently forget such ugly aspects as polio, smallpox, racism, sexism, censorship, pressures to conform, the cold war and numerous other wars.

There has been such an email circulating called The Paradox of Our Time.

It has the objections mentioned above and then some. Philosophically it is a load of rubbish. It suggests, by juxtaposing images, that we have lost values and spirituality and that as a result we have also lost our way. The implicit suggestion is that if we return to those lost values and matters of the spirit, things will be all right. It’s short, sweet and simple, and suits our modern lifestyle of wanting things quick and packaged. (Shit! Now I'm doing it myself!)

George Carlin, who is often attributed as the author, has called it “ a sappy load of shit”, which is probably an accurate summation.

Interesting Facts #26: The Red Vineyard

The only one of Van Gogh’s artworks purchased during his lifetime (1853-1890) was The Red Vineyard.

It was purchased in 1890 shortly before his death, having been shown in an exhibition in Brussels. The artwork was purchased by Anna Boch, an impressionist painter, the sister of one of his friends.  She paid the equivalent of $1,000 in today's value for the work.

Like The Night Café  - see earlier Byte at

http://bytesdaily.blogspot.com/search?q=Night+Cafe -

it was acquired by the famous Russian collector Segei Shchukin, was then nationalised by the Bolsheviks with the rest of his collection and eventually passed to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.

Dem Bones

I was driving to work yesterday and for no apparent reason began humming dem dry bones. Everyone knows the song, even Generation Z, also known as the Internet Generation, who have lost the power of speech in that they are forever texting, twittering, facebooking or emailing.

It started me thinking: Why did someone write a song describing which bones are connected to which other bones? Why did it become so popular? And why does it have a refrain of “Hear the word of the Lord”? It was truly a strange thing mystifying.

The more I thought about, the more the damn song kept going around in my head, so eventually I looked into the lyrics.

You can hear the song, using the version from that delightful Pommy series The Singing Detective, at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyO_5IykO3Y&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-1r-4-HM

Interesting Facts #25: Vespasian

To raise public revenue, Emperor Vespasian--who built the Colosseum--was the first to introduce pay toilets in the city of Rome. When his son and successor Titus protested that the toilets were raising a stink with the poor, Vespasian held a coin up to his nose and said, "Pecunia non olet"  - "money doesn't smell" - a phrase still in use today.   He also made a profit on the side by imposing a tax on the urine that was gathered from public latrines. This custom was practised by textile manufacturers, who used the urine (for its ammoniac content) to process fibres, and by tanners.  Today, Romans still refer to public toilets as vespasiano. The French also refer to toilets as vespasiennes.

In Case You Missed It...

The following is a report from the Daily Telegraph on 02.12.2010.  The heading, "In Case You Missed It", is not a punning reference to the story or to the photograph above, it is a sometimes heading that is used to reprint a story that might have been missed but is deserving of being brought to attention.  In this case, it is a reminder that as the technology becomes smarter, as the communications become faster, as the devices become more complex, so the machines of war and of killing become more deadly.

THE US army is to begin using a futuristic rifle that fires radio-controlled "smart" bullets in Afghanistan for the first time, it has emerged.

The XM25 rifle uses bullets that are programmed to explode when they have travelled a set distance, allowing enemies to be targeted no matter where they are hiding. The rifle also has a range of 2,300 feet making it possible to hit targets which are well out of the reach of conventional rifles.

The XM25 is being developed specially for the U.S. army and will be deployed with troops from later this month, it was revealed today. The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System has a range of roughly 2,300 feet (700 metres) and is to be deployed in Afghanistan this month The rifle's gunsight uses a laser rangefinder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 3 metres from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target. Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in air strikes.

Interesting Facts: #24

Gold is chemically inert, which also explains why it never rusts and does not cause skin irritation. If gold jewellery irritates the skin, it is likely that the gold was mixed with some other metal.

Quote: Maurice Bowra

“I expect to pass through this world but once and therefore if there is anybody that I want to kick in the crutch I had better kick them in the crutch now, for I do not expect to pass this way again.”

-  Maurice Bowra (1898-1971)

The above is a paraphrase of Stephen Grellet's famous quotation:

'I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again."

Interesting Facts: #23

Drug-sniffing dogs are trained to bark like crazy and go "aggressive" at the first whiff of the right powder.

Bomb-sniffing dogs are trained to go "passive" lest they set off a motion sensor, noise sensor or other means of detonating the explosive device.

Quote: John Junor

“The difference between Marilyn Monroe and Madonna is the same difference as exists between champagne and cat's piss.”

-  John Junor (1919-1997), Scottish journalist

Interesting Facts: #22

  

The name marijuana comes from a Mexican slang term for cannabis and is believed to have derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the names Mary and Jane. (The two names were also common Mexican military slang for a prostitute or brothel.) Marijuana came into popularity as a name for cannabis in the U.S. during the late 1800s

Harold Holt

Harold Holt (1908-1967), pictured above with his stepdaughters-in-law in 1967, was  the local member for Malvern and Prime Minister of Australia from 1966.  A keen diver and spear fisherman, he disappeared in rough seas off Cheviot Beach, Victoria on 17 December 1967.  His body was never found.

At the time of Harold Holt's disappearance, Malvern Council had been constructing a swimming complex in the suburb of Glen Iris, the complex to be called the City of Malvern Olympic Centre. 

In 1969 with the complex close to being finished, the Council decided to change the name.  Not seeing the irony of naming the swimming complex after a Prime Minister who had been lost at sea whilst swimming, presumed drowned, the Council named the new complex the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre.  It remains so named to this day.

Interesting Facts: #21

1 x 1 = 1

11 x 11 = 121

111 x 111 = 12321

1111 x 1111 = 1234321

11111 x 11111 = 123454321

111111 x 111111 = 12345654321

1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321

11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321

111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

A Glimpse of the Past: Sydney 1932, and after and before...

(Click on the photographs to enlarge).

Members Stand packed for Test, 2-7 December 1932

Some interesting things to note about the above photograph:

 

-    The fact that even going to watch the cricket, men wore suits and ties.

-    Most men wore hats.  Some of those not wearing them are holding them or have them on the ground.

 

-    Note that the males at the front are sitting on their newspapers.

Interesting Facts: #20

Life is broadly defined as the condition of an organism that exhibits growth through metabolism, reproduction, and adaptation to its environment. These characteristics separate living organisms from inanimate objects

A virus straddles the definition of life and, according to scientific definition, is not technically alive. It is composed simply of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) strands surrounded by a protein shell and requires a host cell to metabolize and reproduce. When not within a host cell, a virus lies dormant and is nothing more than a static organic particle

(Pictured:  HIV/AIDS virus).

Foul Ups and Blunders: The Nimbus 2000

Sometimes what seemed like a good idea on the drawing board turns out to be something quite different in reality.

The pending release of the new Harry Potter flick brought this back to mind.

Those Byters who are into Harry Potter will be aware that a broomstick is one form of travel used by witches and wizards and that broomsticks are an integral part of the game of Quidditch. Harry was given a Nimbus 2000 broomstick by Professor McGonagall, later replaced by a gift from his godfather Sirius of a Firebolt broomstick.

Interesting Facts: #19

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.

From The Straight Dope:

Coconut water can be used for a variety of medical purposes, one of which is intravenous rehydration. A 2000 report tells of a stroke patient in the Solomon Islands who was too ill to drink or use a nasal tube but was successfully rehydrated with a coconut-water IV when no other fluids were available. Emergency coconut IVs were reportedly used by the British and Japanese during World War II, and they've been clinically tested on humans several times to see how well they'd be tolerated. Answer: overall, pretty well.

Remember, we're talking about coconut water, the liquid found inside a young coconut, not coconut milk, which is made from grated coconut meat. Coconut water can't actually replace blood plasma; chemical analysis indicates it's closer in makeup to intracellular fluid. It's usually sterile, and when mixed with plasma it behaves like saline solution. It's got fewer electrolytes in it than our bodies are used to and too much potassium, so it's not an ideal rehydration fluid. But it works in a pinch.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2925/can-coconut-juice-be-used-as-blood-plasma-plus