FrontPage Archive - November 2008
Created | Updated Dec 6, 2008
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3 November 2008
Cocking a Snook - A short, sweet Entry that explains the history and meaning of this quaint term of gentle abuse.The HP Sauce Story - How did a vinegar-based brown sauce, invented in the 19th Century, come to mean so much to us?
® How to Write Bad Poetry - The secret of making you a bad poet. As if you didn't already know it.
QOTD: Can I have too many sweets, Sam and Joseph are the only 2 in my class that have adult teeth and if I have too many sweets I can have adult teeth as well........
4 November 2008
The Origins of Writing - Archaeological evidence suggests the earliest organised system of writing was in India.Constellations: Norma 'the Set Square' - This is a small southern constellation completely superimposed on an arm of the Milky Way.
® Republic of Nauru - This tiny island in the Pacific Ocean is the smallest self-governing island in the world.
QOTD: I will die when this society dies out. I'm completely a product of this environment, and i can't be bothered to attempt to outlast it.
5 November 2008
Darwin in the Dock: the Scopes Trial - Science teacher John Scopes ends up in one ofthe most notorious criminal trials in US history.
How To Swing A Hammock - After weeks of 'intense hammock usage', researchers have discovered the perfect hammock rocking speed.
® The Solar System - Great Entry that looks at our solar system, a fascinating 'system of objects under the primary influence of the Sun'.
QOTD: I work in a ticket booking office and I have done so today since 10 in the morning. I am naturally misanthropic and profane and as such not suited to a customer service enviroment.
6 November 2008
Appearing on a TV Quiz Show - Quiz programmes rely on a plentiful supply of willing victims; if you'd like to join them, read more.Constellations: Corvus 'the Crow' - The outstanding attraction of this collection of stars is a pair of merged spirals which lies beyond them.
® Hammer Horror - Known as 'The Studio that Dripped Blood', it was the most successful British film production company ever.
QOTD: Actually I've been experimenting all day. I now have a dozen eggs in various states of repair.
7 November 2008
The Lives of Stars - First-rate Entry answering some of the questions we have when staring up at the night sky in wonderment and awe.Making Your Own Cloak - For hundreds of years cloaks were the outer garment of choice, worn by rich and poor alike; is it time for a revival?
® An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss - A glorious piece of music telling the story of a group of climbers ascending the Alps.
QOTD: Everywhere - today - people are writing about it being 'a historic' day, time, moment etc. Shouldn't it be 'AN historic'?
10 November 2008
Russian Checkers - Also known as Shashki, it is a game for two people that's almost but not entirely like draughts.Microscopium, 'The Microscope' - This small southern constellation was one of 14 named in honour of scientific instruments.
® A Hot Toddy Cold Remedy - 'Toddy' probably derives from the Hindu word 'tari', a sweet alcoholic drink made of palm sap.
QOTD: Are you zezzing me?
11 November 2008
The Golden Oldie Picture Show - TV show that commissioned videos for older songs that were hits before the advent of video.British Tanks of World War II - It was during the Second World War that the tank became a dominant force on the battlefield.
® Dunnies - When Australians talk of a 'dunny', they are referring to a place similar to a toilet, lavatory, or 'the smallest room in the house'.
QOTD: Ahhhhh, that explains why I've gone blind then … It's nothing to do with what my Mum told me
12 November 2008
Rita Hayworth, Actress - A cousin of Ginger Rogers, she was reportedly Fred Astaire's favourite dancing partner.Constellations: Reticulum - Some believe that we have been visited by beings from a star in this constellation.
® The Neolithic Revolution - The development of farming stands alone as the greatest revolution in the history of mankind.
QOTD: I can't help but notice we haven't all been sucked into an accidentally-generated black hole …
13 November 2008
Synthesizers: an Overview - Excellent overview of perhaps the very device that will liberate your inner composing genius.Tom Paxton: Singer/Songwriter - A hugely-respected songwriter and performer whose body of work has a singular integrity about it.
® Cuban Food - Cuban food is influenced by Spanish cooking styles, with a few Caribbean influences and ingredients thrown in for flavour.
QOTD: I ask you now, h2g2, what dishes can be cooked with a can of extra-strong tramp-fuel?
14 November 2008
Judo: Kuzushi, Jigoro Kano and the Olympics - How this martial art came from being a weapon of war to an Olympic event.New York State Fair - This ten-day annual event attracts almost a million visitors and has been held in Syracuse for over 150 years.
® The Battle of Waterloo, 1815 - Momentous events outside a small Belgian town where Napoleon did surrender.
QOTD: I think Clapton can do it with his teeth, too. … He just has to take them out first.
17 November 2008
The Friesian Heavy Horse - An animal which has become famous for its graceful movement and its agility despite its size.Philip Jeays - Singer/Songwriter - An artist who has taken the French tradition of 'chanson' and added his own British sensibilities.
® Complex Numbers - As if mathematics wasn't confusing enough, the first thing to say about complex numbers is that they are not all real.
QOTD: I like the way he writes, the stories are engaging but...when it finishes I think 'Oi, who's ripped the last chapter out of me novel'
18 November 2008
How To Guide A Blind Person - Excellent advice for when you need to give assistance to a blind or visually impaired person.The Jutland Heavy Horse - A breed that dates back to the Middle Ages, the Jutland was used to carry knights in full armour into battle.
® Henge Monuments - The modern definition of a henge is that of a circular or oval space surrounded by a bank with an internal ditch.
QOTD: When my mates at school found out I had a nut allergy, they made me play Russian roulette with a bag of Revels...
19 November 2008
The Millennium Stadium Jinx - Following its opening in 1999, this Cardiff sporting venue witnessed some extraordinary results.Deus Ex: Invisible War - This sequel to an acclaimed First Person Shooter/Role-Playing Game had a lot to live up to.
® Garnish - Some feel that culinary embellishments should be left on the plate to indicate that what you were served was quite filling.
QOTD: Sure, just as Newton renounced gravity
20 November 2008
Queen's Speech Bingo - Plan ahead for Her Majesty's festive speech by organising a nice little game to help it along a bit.Visiting Tughlakabad Fort in Delhi, India - Lovely Entry about a place of 'gigantic proportions' whose history is a sad one.
® The Peak District, Derbyshire, UK - It's the oldest national park in England and the second busiest in the whole world.
QOTD: PS. I'm not really a pirate so it's safe to tell me how to get away with it.
21 November 2008
Tank Tops - Commonly made out of particularly scratchy wool, the tank top is essentially a sleeveless jumper or 'sweater vest'.George Ballinger, Dissident of Dundee - In 1921, angry with unemployment rates, he called for revolution in a memorable speech.
® The Osbournes - Referred to as 'the real-life Simpsons', this programme introduced us to the family of one of rock's living legends.
QOTD: I just remembered a bloke I used to know, a Brit who lived in Paris, who used to use phrases like "Pierrez les corbeaux" to confuse the locals.
24 November 2008
Gustav Mahler: The Seventh Symphony - It is seen as the least popular of the nine that Mahler completed in his short lifetime.'The Golden Oldie Picture Show' (Part Two) - More golden memories of those specially commissioned videos for classic songs of yesteryear.
® Zeppelins and Other Dirigibles - The concept of a gas-filled balloon proved very attractive to the inventors of the late 19th Century.
QOTD: I want a webcam at my deathbed just to make sure that one of my relatives doesn't ruin my memorial with some such self serving nonsense.
25 November 2008
The Social Aspect of Winking - The meaning of a wink depends on the situation, the perpetrator and what your relationship to them is.Liechtenstein - 62 square miles of land high up in the Alps, squeezed between Switzerland to the west and Austria to the east.
® The Triassic/Jurassic Coast of North West Somerset - This stretch points to an extraordinary episode in the life of the Earth.
QOTD: Björn (which means "bear") is the one who looks like he would cruise around in american cars, and had no beard.
26 November 2008
Dame Kelly Holmes - A brilliant British athlete whose passion for sport endures as she now champions sport for girls in the UK.Caelum 'the Sculptor's Chisel' - In a small patch of sky, Caelum has been described as more of a blank space than a constellation!
® US History: The Compromise of 1850 - The Compromise temporarily postponed the American Civil War by calming sectional tensions.
QOTD: I'm really starting to hate Country Music.
27 November 2008
Dame Shirley Bassey, Singer - A singing star with an incredible voice who transformed from a shy girl from Cardiff to a living legend.The Lemming -
This animal has unfairly become a metaphor for unthinkingly following the crowd to certain destruction.
® British Burial Barrows: Bell Barrows - Dating evidence taken from found remains suggest the barrows are early to middle Bronze Age.
QOTD: Cats have no moral sense when it comes to being loyal.
28 November 2008
How to do a Jigsaw Puzzle - A perfect Entry for all those of you who've been given a jigsaw and simply don't know where to begin.Consultants - Excellent Entry that asks the question: 'Who are these guys, and what do they do to earn all that money?'.
® Morgan Motor Company - The Morgan sports car, with its flowing lines and nostalgic looks, draws attention wherever it goes.
QOTD: there is no money!!!! … there is only the belief in money!! … money is like god … if you believe in it, it exists
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