Marrying off her children to foreign kings was Queen Victoria’s plan for peace in Europe. I wonder how that worked out.
Family fights are the worst.
Some cats love the smell of dead ants. They release a chemical called oleic acid. I discovered this because yesterday my neighbours cat was rolling all over something on my driveway and acting all nippered. I went out to see and he was happily rolling around on an ants nest, squishing and smelling their dead bodies. He had little ants on him trying to defend themselves against the giddy Godzilla kitty.
Interesting. I read an anecdote about Bach and his sons in which they were laughing about another composer of their time because he actually needed a keyboard to compose something.
The Times Square New Year’s Ball Drop is a descendant of a time-signalling device called the time ball.
Thank you for the memory. I remember driving up next to Safeco field (in Seattle) which was the venue for the post 911 Requiem. I wonder if you were there. Anyway, rather than pay for tickets/ go thru the hassle of going in, and because I happened to be in the neighborhood, I was parked nearby, close enough to listen in.
Just at the start, I think after the opening measure or two, a nearby train let loose with a very loud and long train whistle that blew away the music. After it finally finished, and after a pause of a few seconds, the music started again. I don’t think the train was necessarily trying to be a nuisance, but maybe the engineer wanted to participate.
Bach was a bit of an ass. He also had that quote about all one had to do was hit the right note at the right time.
“Just like that, but better!”
Isn’t that another common characteristic of composers?
Regulations require a long/long/short/long when approaching a crossing. The engineer might or might not have wanted to participate, but wouldn’t have much choice.
(I recall that Major League Baseball wanted the trains silenced during the 2001 All-Star game, but was more or less politely told to pound sand. Even if the regulations could have been waived — unlikely given the number of crossings in the area — the sound was already part of the ambience of what was known at the time as Safeco Field.)
Crossing No. 9
Thanks for posting that. He’s an excellent picker. I’ve always liked his album Whiskey Before Breakfast.
After hearing about the escaped convict and his corrections office girlfriend, I learned a new term.
Hybristophilia. Sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes. In some cases, this may be directed toward people in prison for various types of criminal activities.
A paper on the collective motion of humans in mosh pits and circles at heavy metal concerts.
Using video and image tracking, some pretty cool modeling and some serious science.
The point possible use for inproving crowd safty and developing models and methods for other crowd tracking stuff. Well I thought it was cool .
Statisically, about 2/3 of twin births are fraternal.
Alvy Moore, best known as dingbat agricultural agent Hank Kimball on Green Acres, was a Marine in WWII who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Magnolias are pollinated by beetles.
Because they were around before bees evolved.
Somewhere around Pescara, Italy, is a drummer who uses rubber chickens as drumsticks.
Eddie Albert of Green Acres fame was a decorated sailor who was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism during the Battle of Tarawa:
I learned that when reading a travelogue detailing a modern-day nomad’s 2-year-long living experience on Tarawa.
In keeping with the spirit of the thread, TIL that Eddie Albert and Burl Ives were roommates before WWII, when they were both Broadway actors. And that Eddie Albert’s first film role was in a Ronald Reagan film.
James Cromwell protested Starbucks placing surcharge on vegan milk.
Too bad that he’s chosen to associate with PETA.
Brian Keith, star of Family Affair was the son of actor Robert Keith. Brian’s stepmother, Peg Entwistle, divorced his father when he was eight. A few years later, Entwistle became a Hollywood legend for committing suicide by jumping off the Hollywoodland sign.