FrontPage Archive - April 2008
Created | Updated May 1, 2008
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1 April 2008
The United States House of Representatives - An introduction to the lower House of Congress.Cetus 'the Whale' - A huge southern constellation and at 1,231 square degrees, the fourth-largest overall.
® Bowie Knife - Its putative inventor, Jim Bowie, died at the Alamo: but his knife lives on.
QOTD: But what happened to the boys? Danny and whatshisface?
2 April 2008
World's Tallest Buildings: A Timeline for the 20th Century - Fantastic Entry giving an overview of mankind's race for the sky.High Noon: the Film - Widely regarded as one of the best Westerns ever made, Fred Zinneman's black and white epic won four Oscars.
® The Charing Cross, London, UK - Fascinating place where Eleanor of Castile's body rested for the final time, on its last sad journey.
QOTD: There was greyhound racing on ice in the BBC Breakfast sports bit.
3 April 2008
Nul Points - A dark shadow hangs over various countries as they prepare for Eurovision: the potential indignity of scoring nothing.Undergoing an Anorectal Physiology Test and Proctogram - A procedure that investigates the well-being of your posterior.
® Ear Wax - It may seem unpleasant, but performs a vital role in protecting your ear from water and infection.
QOTD: So waht kind of sandwich are you, and why?
4 April 2008
Kylie Minogue OBE - Our first introduction to this much-loved pop diva was as a young soap star playing Charlene Mitchell.The Other Coronation Stone - The story of the Scots' 'Stone of Destiny' is well-known but the English have their own ancient coronation stone.
® Structure In Classical Music - A basic grounding in the principles of musical structure is useful for the composer, player and listener.
QOTD: What did you want to be when you were a kid and how close did you get?
7 April 2008
Giant Pandas - Although still rare in the wild, breeding programmes have improved so much that they are now quite common in zoos.Asians In East Africa - Asians as well as Arabs were already in this region well before the Europeans, doing business along the coast.
® Estipah-skikikini-kots - Also known as 'Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump', this is a beautiful World Heritage site in Alberta, Canada.
QOTD: Who, among those still alive or recently dead, do you think merit being commemorated on banknotes in the future?
8 April 2008
The Snowflake: Nature's Masterpiece - A timely piece considering the UK's recent snowfall, this Entry looks at the snowflake in detail.Monoceros 'the Unicorn' - Continuing our fine series of Entries on star constellations, 'the Unicorn' is situated between Orion and Hydra.
® Parenting - Bringing up a family is the hardest job that any of us ever take on, and you don't even get paid for it!
QOTD: We are getting a new hamster around my sons birthday. We've been trying to think of what to call it. My suggestions are Dangerous Beans, Plastic Vicar or Special Patrol Group … son is not impressed...any other ideas?
9 April 2008
Breast Cancer - Over 40,000 people in the UK, including around 200 men, are diagnosed with this disease in any given year.White Horse Footbridge, Wembley - A new structure named after an event that took place in April, 1923.
® Sir Mick Jagger - A rock legend till strutting his stuff when most others his age are drawing their pensions.
QOTD: Tom Jones on the Welsh Dollar when they finally leave us...
10 April 2008
Public Toilet Graffiti - An entertaining account of how some ne'er-do-wells and tricksters leave their mark on their surroundings.Constellations: Cancer 'the Crab' - Classified as 'ancient', Cancer is one of the faintest constellations and also one of Ptolemy's original 48.
® Moses - Famously depicted by the late Charlton Heston, Moses is one of the most enduring figures of Biblical account.
QOTD: Celebrity celebrity celebrity. Virgin celebrity. MSN celebrity. Celebrity BS. I am a hundred times more interested in what my cat is doing than what any celebrity is doing.
11 April 2008
42 Money-saving Household Hints - Are there pockets of wastefulness around your house that could be eliminated?Eridanus 'the River' - Homer called this constellation the 'Ocean Stream', but the river it is thought to represent on Earth is unknown.
® The Machine Gun: 1918 to the Present Day - After the First World War, most nations didn't seek to develop the machine gun.
QOTD: A friend went to a hypnotist show last year and volunteered to go up on stage. The bloke whispered to her "Just play along!"
14 April 2008
Black Friday - Described herein as a 'full-contact sport', Black Friday marks the official start of the US Christmas shopping season.Langston Hughes - A distinguished Harlem Renaissance poet and writer, whose life and work are still celebrated today.
® Elaine Morgan - Morgan was a shy misfit who rose out of poverty to become a leading light in the fields of drama, feminism and science.
QOTD: If the rods and cones in the human eye detect different frequencies of light, is there any part of the visible light spectrum humans can't see?
15 April 2008
USS Nautilus - A look at the first atomic submarine, which was the sixth vessel of the US Navy to bear that name.Soul Coughing - A 1990s alternative rock band with a unique sound described as 'deep slacker jazz' by the band's leader Mike Doughty.
® A Quick Guide to Fossils - Fossils tell us what the world was like millions, even billions, of years ago.
QOTD: As a Brit I though Dill Pickles was going to be some strange TV personality of some kind.
16 April 2008
The Ritual Decalogue versus the Ethical Decalogue - Interesting piece on the debate concerning The Ten Commandments.Constellations: Pisces 'the Fish' - An astrological sign, sometimes playing host to the planets, the Moon and the Sun.
® Occam's Razor - This is a basic, but frequently misused, principle of logic and philosophy that goes by many names.
QOTD: What did you want to be when you were a kid and how close did you get? … I wanted to be a pirate, but instead I’m... (hang on let me look myself up on the organization chart)…”Lead Accounting Analyst”.
17 April 2008
Jason Donovan - An Australian singer and actor who first hit our screens as Scott Robinson in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.Ophiuchus - The name of this large constellation is derived from the Greek for 'serpent-holder'.
® Harps - A look at an instrument that was once the mainstay of Celtic folk music, but is rarely seen these days.
QOTD: Am I right in thinking that the reason for [bus] drivers to acknowledge each other, who work for the same company, is an old fashioned way of indicating that the route is clear of troubles, such as highwayman?
18 April 2008
Saturn's Hexagonal Mystery - Saturn's ring system looks like a vinyl LP, and amazingly the rings play tunes, broadcast as radio waves.Cross Country Diabolo: A Sport for Jugglers - The art of diabolo originated in China and was once very popular all over Europe.
® Hammer: the Birth of a Studio - Though famous for grisly horror movies, the Hammer studio's beginnings were less sensationalist.
QOTD: She informed me that pouring cold water on the face is the only way to wake a heavy sleeper up sharpish …
21 April 2008
Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' - This is an installation of 100 life-sized iron statues strung along Crosby Beach near Liverpool.Delphinus 'the Dolphin' - This constellation actually resembles, when the stars are 'joined', the creature it is supposed to depict.
® Determination of Eye Colour - Like many human characteristics, this is determined at least partially by genetics.
QOTD: Sometimes i've wondered whilst wandering the streets of London, why are there occasionally bells concreted on to the pavement?
22 April 2008
'Hello World!': Programming Tradition - It's generally regarded as the simplest type of program that can be executed in a given language.Canis Major 'the Great Dog' - Best known for containing Sirius, the 'Dog Star', which ancient mariners navigated their sailing vessels by.
® Hangi: A New Zealand Feast Of Food - A great way to simultaneously feed and amuse a large number of people for several enjoyable hours.
QOTD: Up here in the brisk and fragrant North, there are no such problems. Has anyone here been affected by the smell?
23 April 2008
'Brainiac: Science Abuse' - A light-hearted look at the successful British TV show that aims to make science fun.Kibibytes and Yobibits - Thanks to the International Electrotechnical Commission we now have a spanking new set of binary prefixes!
® Creating a Basic Jazz Harmony - Concise, practical Entry that opens a window onto the world of playing jazz for real.
QOTD: I decided not to become a vet after having to help extract maggots from (living!) sheep when I was about ten
24 April 2008
Cincinnatus: Saviour of the Roman Republic - Fascinating story of how one popular man helped shaped the fledgling Roman Empire.Pityriasis Rosea - A common skin condition, particularly in females aged between one and 35.
® Buying a Piano - Excellent advice for someone who wishes to find a piano to buy explaining all the basic terminology involved.
QOTD: 'I'm literally rushed off my feet'. … What annoys me is not just the fact they're using the word literally wrongly - it's that they're using it SO wrongly.
25 April 2008
The Music of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Excellent look at the music from Douglas Adams's opus in all its incarnations.The Social Chameleon - Interesting examination of he or she can who enter a social situation and blend in by mimicking social norms.
Bootes 'the Herdsman' - This constellation contains a 'supervoid' that measures almost 350 million light years in diameter.
QOTD: my hope is that this trendy lefty anti heritage fashion statement is itself but another kooky, transitory expression of english eccentricity.
28 April 2008
Thomas Jefferson - A quiet, unassuming man, the 'sage of Monticello' was an unlikely but brilliant President of the USA.Hawks over Anfield: The Diary of an FA Cup Run - A look at the inspiring 2007-8 campaign of some Hampshire part-timers.
Constellations: Lepus 'the Hare' - This small, southern constellation is directly beneath Orion and therefore easy to find.
QOTD: I've tried taking it apart to dry as much as I know how. Should I just bin it, or is there a chance it can be fixed?
29 April 2008
How To Calculate Your Reaction Times With A Ruler - Discover just how quickly you can catch a ruler when your friend drops it.The Martyrdom of St Margaret Clitherow - Sad tale of a defiantly Catholic medieval butcher's wife who died for her beliefs.
Corona Borealis: 'the Northern Crown' - This constellation can typically be seen during the spring and summer.
QOTD: I would say England isn’t to be found in the big cities any more. Along with many cities worldwide, English cities have become identikit concrete shopping traps.
30 April 2008
George Best - He is sometimes described as the first 'showbiz footballer', but this legendary player's talent lived up to the hype.Milk Jiggers - Commonly used by the hospitality industry, these little plastic pots are notoriously difficult to open.
Fornax, 'the Furnace' - Named after the French chemist who demonstrated that water is formed from oxygen and hydrogen.
QOTD: Is there a living person (well known to the public) you truly admire?
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