h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I knew of that too (corncobs). Someone knows what it was like in the good-old Versailles days? Some people told me it must have been disgusting with people peeing and defecating in the corners.

HELL

Is this the origin of the American expression 'cornhole'?

Casually changing the subject...



I'm not sure if this has been posted before as it is well known. There is a popular movie called "Krakatoa, East of Java." Well, Krakatoa just happens to be west of Java.

F

Anak Krakatoa (Child of Krakatoa) made appearance in the remnants of the Krakatoa Caldera in 1927, and is now 200m high and 2kms across.

At age 47, the Rolling Stones' bassist, Bill Wyman, began a relationship with 13-year old Mandy Smith, with her mother's blessing. Six years later, they were married, but the marriage only lasted a year. Not long after, Bill's 30-year-old son Stephen married Mandy's mother, age 46. That made Stephen a stepfather to his former stepmother. If Bill and Mandy had remained married, Stephen would have been his father's father-in-law and his own grandpa.

Sorry if that's a repeat - haven't read *all* the backlog yet.


az

Quote from John Major (remember him?):
"We are going for gold! There are no prizes for second place!"

...which ignores the fact that the very sporting contests for which gold medals are awarded are *precisely* those which also award medals for second (and third) place.

The somewhat widely belief that a duck's quack doesn't echo is untrue. When tested it is simply difficult to differentiate the actual quack from the echo.

http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_world/duck/duck.htm

Also, the somewhat widely HELD belief that I know how to speak English also seems to be false.

I'd never even heard about the belief that their quack doesn't echo.

But is it true that if you hold them up to a mirror you can't see their reflection?

Yes, if you hold them right in front of you, all you can see is duckass.

>>But is it true that if you hold them up to a mirror you can't see their reflection?<<

Only Count Duckula

Ed,

I suspect you are mixing up Count Zero with the duck and coming up with Count Duckula.



I've noticed that in Quantum Leap - a TV show I will admit to enjoying - Al, the hologram, casts a shadow but does not have a reflection. A situation I would have thought should have been reversed.

F

No that only pertains to vampires (?bats)

Is that true?

Wonder if that applies to me?

BIGAl

<, Quantum Leap - a TV show I will admit to enjoying - Al, the hologram, casts a shadow but does not have a reflection. A situation I would have thought should have been reversed.>>
I hadn't noticed that! Careless of them..

a peanut is not a nut at all but rather a legume

"Comment is free but facts are sacred" C.P.Snow (1926)(A907383)

The last democratically elected president to serve the entire election period in Brazil before the military took over was Juscelino Kubitschek from 1956 to 61. The first (and so far only) democratically elected president to serve the entire period *after* the military went was Fernando Henrique from 1995 to 99 and then from 99 to 03.

HELL

Anyone happen to know if any British PMs have ever served a full five-year term?

Sadly, the monarchs tend to go on and on.

I don't know about that. 1902 - 2002 four monarchs. (Ed7, G5, G6, Liz2). That's 25 years each. Or five monarchs at 20 years each if you count Ed8.