Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
More beetles . . .
______________________________
After I posted Graham’s contribution about Bertie Beetle, I received an email from Sue P:
And the other famous beetle, Alexander
http://www.voetica.com/voetica.php?collection=3&poet=685&poem=3357
To save readers the trouble of opening that link, it is set out below. The story is about Christopher Robin.
Forgiven
by A. A. Milne
I found a little beetle; so that Beetle was his name,
And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.
I put him in a match-box, and I kept him all the day ...
And Nanny let my beetle out –
Yes, Nanny let my beetle out –
She went and let my beetle out –
And Beetle ran away.
She said she didn't mean it, and I never said she did,
She said she wanted matches and she just took off the lid,
She said that she was sorry, but it's difficult to catch
An excited sort of beetle you've mistaken for a match.
She said that she was sorry, and I really mustn't mind,
As there's lots and lots of beetles which she's certain we could find,
If we looked about the garden for the holes where beetles hid -
And we'd get another match-box and write BEETLE on the lid.
We went to all the places which a beetle might be near,
And we made the sort of noises which a beetle likes to hear,
And I saw a kind of something, and I gave a sort of shout:
"A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!"
It was Alexander Beetle I'm as certain as can be,
And he had a sort of look as if he thought it must be Me,
And he had a sort of look as if he thought he ought to say:
"I'm very very sorry that I tried to run away."
And Nanny's very sorry too for you-know-what-she-did,
And she's writing ALEXANDER very blackly on the lid,
So Nan and Me are friends, because it's difficult to catch
An excited Alexander you've mistaken for a match.
______________________________
Hear Melanie sing the above poem, put to music:
______________________________
Seeing as how we appear to be on things “beetle”, here are a few more . . .
______________________________
On 1 July 2013, Rolling Stone magazine published a list “13 Dumbest Band Names in History”.
Click on the following to see that list:
Nearly all of the groups listed I have never heard of but controversially the Beatles was an inclusion on that list.
Comment by the author, Andy Greene:
Before you start writing furious comments, stand back and think about this stupid band name. The Beatles is a dumb pun. That's all. They took the idea of naming themselves after an insect like the Crickets, but changed the spelling for a pun on musical beats. It's a simple as that. There's no deep hidden meaning. There's no wisdom here. Just a pun that might have provoked a very mild chuckle back in 1962. We accept it because we've heard it 50,000 times and they're the best group in history, but that doesn't mean they don't have a stupid name.
Readers disagreed:
"Actually, The Beatles spelled it with an A to reference their love for beat poetry. Moron."
"Rolling Stone should quit publishing stupid articles like these and leave such debates to late night dorm-room conversations and whatnot.”
______________________________
The Volkswagen, meaning "people's car" in German and also known as the VW Beetle, was designed by Ferdinand Porsche under instructions from Adolf Hitler.
Hitler and Porsche in 1938 with a prototype Volkswagon at the VW factory.
______________________________
Beetle Bailey (begun on September 4, 1950) is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker. Set in a fictional United States Army military post, it is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator.
______________________________
Some beetle humour . . .
______________________________
Click on the following link for a past post about dung beetle humour . . .
Thought for the day:
Monday, June 13, 2016
Readers Write . . .
______________________________
Sandra:
Sandra B sent me an email in response to the post on Who Remembers?
Shows how old I'm getting, I remember all the items listed at the end of your blog. I'm laying in bed singing in my head, the whole Aeroplane Jelly song. How sad is that !!!!!'
______________________________
Graham:
Graham E, aka Mr Trivia, sent me an email in reference to the item on origins of Freddo Frog. Graham provided some facts about the origins of another Oz confectionery item, Bertie Beetle.
I mentioned this to our trivia team members on Triv Night and said that I had never heard of Mr Beetle Esq. This resulted in a round of “Where have you been?” It turns out that all the team members knew of Bertie form Royal Easter Show showbags. I had taken my daughter to the Show once when she was small and hated it so much that I swore never to go again, and I haven’t
Graham’s email:
Hi Mr O
What about Bertie Beetle!
A Bertie Beetle is an Australian chocolate bar manufactured by Nestlé. It consists of chocolate shaped ike an anthropomorphised beetle with small pieces of honeycomb throughout. It was created as a way to use up pieces of coconut, and honeycomb left over from the production of Violet Crumble bars.
First production
The Bertie Beetle was first produced in 1963 by Hoadley's Chocolates who were later taken over by the Rowntree Company and became Rowntree Hoadley Ltd, when it was launched by VFL footballer Ron Barassi and was sold in shops until 1970, when Nestlé entered an exclusive agreement with 'Showbag Marketing' to only sell the chocolate at shows and exhibitions in showbags.
Showbag-only era
Bertie Beetles are most well known for their inclusion in the reliably cheap Bertie Beetle showbag, available around Australia at various Shows. The 'Bertie Beetle Showbag' is one of the most popular showbags ever made and when the bag was withdrawn from sale at Royal Shows, Nestlé bowed to the resultant community pressure and recommenced sale of the bag.
The bag traditionally cost $2 and came with a few Bertie Beetles and some Allens lollipops. Until 12pm on the first day of a royal show there is often an early bird special with some Bertie Beetle bags discounted to $1. The 'Bertie Beetle Bonanza' was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bertie Beetle in 2003, which came with many Bertie Beetles as well as some other products.
In 2006, there were four variations in existence: a small red bag, a medium-sized blue bag, a large gold bag and the '1-2-3' bag, which contains the three bags as well as some extras. The price for the classic blue 'Bertie Beetle' showbag was increased in 2006 to $3. For the 2007 Royal Shows however, the price has returned to its traditional price of $2. In the 2009 Royal Easter Show, there were a number of bags, including a Bertie Beetle Blue, Gold, Red and Green, along with a Bertie Beetle Bonanza Bag and a Bertie Beetle Black- Triple Deal. Despite the reputation of the Beetle showbag for ubiquity, comedian Rove McManus famously failed to find one when he visited the Royal Adelaide Show in 2001.
The product comes in the regular packaging as well as a red and white Christmas edition. The standard sizing for both versions is 10 grams. Bertie Beetles contain gelatine so are not suitable for vegetarians.
In 2013 a 50th Anniversary special edition of the Bertie Beetle showbag was made available, consisting of 50 Bertie Beetle chocolates and a mask.
http://bmag.com.au/your-brisbane/brisbane-extra/2014/08/15/the-bertie-beetle-story/
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/nostalgia-keeps-bertie-beetle-bags-alive-20130219-2eol7.html
____________________
______________________________
Tobye:
From Tobye P in the US, in response to the last Funny Friday, where the whole item was a Corn Corner:
Sorry, if groans were your goal there weren’t many…I’m afraid many of these weren’t “corny” enough for the “corner”- Funny! I’m still laughing out loud about “one for the road” and the funny tasting clown!
It’s not the end of the world…Ho!
Later gator!
______________________________
Graham:
Another from Graham E, this time in respect of the Disney Facts:
Hi Mr O,
Did you know that there is a hidden Mickey Mouse in many Disney films ?
http://mentalfloss.com/article/51725/39-hidden-mickeys-disney-animated-movies
cheers
It’s worth clicking on that link and having a look.
From that item:
Mickey Mouse has been the central mascot of the Walt Disney Corporation since his creation in 1928. The iconic cartoon character has seen many updates over the years, but his mouse ears, red pants, and white gloves are staples in the mouse's design—just three well-placed circles are enough to create Mickey’s recognizable silhouette.
This geometric representation of Mickey Mouse is called a “Classic Mickey,” which Disney artists, designers, and imagineers hide throughout Disney theme parks and resorts, attractions, and media including animated movies, TV series, and live-action films. These covertly-placed gems are affectionately called “Hidden Mickeys.”
Although the Walt Disney Corporation has not officially recognized the appearances, Hidden Mickeys have become part of the fabric of the complete Disney experience. Here are 39 Hidden Mickeys in Disney animated movies.
______________________________
Some Mickey humour . . .
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Quote for the Day
"Don't know where your kids are in the house?
Turn off the internet and they'll turn up quickly."
- Anonymous
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)