Friday, April 8, 2011
LANGUAGE TRIVIA … EDGAR ALLAN POE
Edgar Allan Poe introduced mystery fiction's first fictional detective, Auguste C. Dupin, in his 1841 story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
11-HOUR WORK DAYS WILL KILL YOU!
New research has found that people who work 11-hour days or more increase their chance of a heart attack by about 67%.
Researchers say the risk is so great that GPs should ask patients what hours they work along with how much they drink or smoke. Scientists monitored 7,000 people over 11 years, over which time 192 had suffered a heart attack.
They found that those who worked more than 11 hours a day were 67 per cent more likely to have one than those who had a nine to five job.
TRIVIA BITS ... FAHRENHEIT 451
Ray Bradbury’s famous novel Fahrenheit 451 takes it name from the temperature at which paper spontaneously combusts. It is set in a future society in which all books are banned, and if found are burned.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
HEADLINE HOWLERS 7
These classics all really appeared in newspapers:
Churchill flies back to front
Prostitutes appeal to Pope
Miners refuse to work after death
Juvenile court to try shooting defendant
Hospitals sued by 7 foot doctors
Man Struck by Lightning faces Battery Charge
Astronaut takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
“MAMA MIA” CELEBRATES 12 YEARS ON THE WEST END
April 6th 2011 was the 37th Anniversary of ABBA's Waterloo victory at the Eurovision Song Contest; it was also the 12th Anniversary of the original production of the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!. From the West End to global phenomenon, MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer's ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise.
Judy Craymer said, "It has been the most amazing journey from opening the London show in 1999 to now celebrating its 12th year. I'm so proud of the original production; it is the flagship show and so embraced by the audiences especially following the popularity of the film."
LANGUAGE TRIVIA ... SCRABBLE
The highest scoring word in the English language game of Scrabble is 'Quartzy'. This will score 164 points if played across a red triple-word square with the Z on a light blue double-letter square. It will score 162 points if played across two pink double-word squares with the Q and the Y on those squares. 'Bezique' and 'Cazique' are next with a possible 161 points. All three words score an extra 50 points for having seven letters and therefore emptying the letter rack in one go.
