Some artists only have one really big hit. Cilla Black had lots of hits outside the U.S. but only one in the U.S.
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Archive of entries posted on 20th November 2019
IMAO Time Machine: Fun Facts About the 50 States: Connecticut
This is a reposting of one of Harvey’s classics. There’s a link to the book in the sidebar. — The Editors
Welcome to Fun Facts About the 50 States, where – week by week – I’ll be taking you on a tour around this great nation of ours, providing you with interesting, yet completely useless and probably untrue, information about each of the 50 states.
This week, it’s time to do a little digging into where all those Yankees in King Arthur’s Court keep coming from as we visit Connecticut, so let’s get started…
- Connecticut is a small state in the northeastern U.S. and is best known for being the place that beer cans land after New Yorkers throw them out of their car windows.
- The highest point in Connecticut is Mt. Frissel, at 2,380 feet, which is where Connecticut residents go to throw the empty beer cans back into New York.
- Connecticut has only 2 interstate highways, neither of which gets you out of the state fast enough.
- Connecticut is an Algonquin Indian word meaning “yuppie scum.”
- Although Connecticut borders Massachusetts, no Kennedys live there because Connecticut liquor stores all close at 8pm.
- Many areas of Connecticut are plagued by foraging herds of white tail deer that destroy crops and gardens. The only way for residents to keep the deer at bay is pay “protection money” to Don Bambi, head of the deer mafia.
- The New England Patriots football team almost moved to Hartford, Connecticut, but declined to do so because the deal included renaming the team to the Hartford Homos.
- The fuchsia & chartreuse uniforms WERE tempting, though.
- The official insect of Connecticut is the Praying Mantis – an obvious violation of the separation of church and state.
- Connecticut is populated mainly by people who couldn’t decide whether they wanted to live further away from Boston or New York City.
- Connecticut is called the “nutmeg state” because the early Connecticut colonists would sell fake nutmegs to unsuspecting tourists. This is somewhat analogous to referring to the Kennedys as the “designated driver family.”
- The state motto of Connecticut is “As close to New York as New Jersey is, but with less toxic waste.”
- In terms of distance, Connecticut is the closest state in the US to France, which is why most people in Connecticut face east when they spit.
- George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut on July 6, 1946, but moved to Texas as a teenager to pursue his dream of stealing oil.
- Although Connecticut ranks 48th among the states in terms of size, it ranks a close second behind Massachusetts in terms of snooty, upper-class arrogance.
- Connecticut become the 5th state on January 9th, 1788. It would’ve joined sooner, but everyone was out skiing in Vermont.
- Despite the state’s small size, it DOES have a state college – the University of Connecticut or UCONN – which should NOT be confused with the popular rat poison.
- The state flag of Connecticut consists of a blue background, a white shield, 3 grapevines, and a Latin motto meaning “He who transplanted sustains us.” Officially, it refers to early colonists coming in from Boston, but that doesn’t explain the large number of tourists who wake up in a tub of ice, missing a kidney.
- The official state song of Connecticut is Yankee Doodle, which was originally written in 1750 to honor the official state pasta.
- Being a small state, Connecticut has only one radio station, which plays nothing but different versions of Yankee Doodle 24 hours a day. The most popular being Snoop Dogg’s “Yo Yo Yizzle Dizzle.”
- The world’s first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, was built in Groton, Connecticut in 1954, after which it turned on its creators and went on a fearsome, building-destroying rampage through the city.
- The practice of branding farm animals began in Connecticut, where farmers were required by law to mark their pigs, which is why Michael Moore will never visit the state.
- The Hartford Courant, established in 1764, is America’s oldest newspaper. A glance through some of the earliest editions shows that, even back then, Doonesbury wasn’t funny.
- Seriously, when is Trudeau gonna stop recycling that “Thomas Paine lied, people died” line?
- The Polaroid camera was invented in Connecticut in 1934. Blackmailing people with compromising photographs was invented about 60 seconds later.
- The first English settlers arrived in Hartford in 1636 and were tricked into staying in the area by settlers from Boston who promised them that the Patriots would move there “any day now.”
That wraps up the Connecticut edition of Fun Facts About the 50 States. Next week we’ll discover that crossing the river wearing a tri-cornered hat actually had nothing to do with the state as we look at Delaware.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go step on a Praying Mantis to protect my freedom of religion.
[The complete e-book version of “Fun Facts About the 50 States” is now available at Amazon.com. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download free Kindle apps for your web browser, smartphone, computer, or tablet from Amazon.com]
I Have One Word For You, Investors: “Norbornadiene-Quadricyclane”
New Hybrid Device Can Both Capture and Store Solar Energy
Phys.org / Jeannie Kever, University of Houston / November 20, 2019Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a new device that can both efficiently capture solar energy and store it until it is needed, offering promise for applications ranging from power generation to distillation and desalination.
Unlike solar panels and solar cells, which rely on photovoltaic technology for the direct generation of electricity, the hybrid device captures heat from the sun and stores it as thermal energy. It addresses some of the issues that have stalled wider-scale adoption of solar power, suggesting an avenue for using solar energy around-the-clock, despite limited sunlight hours, cloudy days and other constraints.
The work, described in a paper published Wednesday in Joule, combines molecular energy storage and latent heat storage to produce an integrated harvesting and storage device for potential 24/7 operation. The researchers report a harvesting efficiency of 73% at small-scale operation and as high as 90% at large-scale operation.
Up to 80% of stored energy was recovered at night, and the researchers said daytime recovery was even higher.
. . the high efficiency harvest is due, in part, to the ability of the device to capture the full spectrum of sunlight, harvesting it for immediate use and converting the excess into molecular energy storage.
The device was synthesized using norbornadiene-quadricyclane as the molecular storage material, an organic compound that the researchers said demonstrates high specific energy and exceptional heat release while remaining stable over extended storage times. Ghasemi said the same concept could be applied using different materials, allowing performance—including operating temperatures and efficiency—to be optimized.
. . . the device offers improved efficiency in several ways: The solar energy is stored in molecular form rather than as heat, which dissipates over time, and the integrated system also reduces thermal losses because there is no need to transport the stored energy through piping lines.
“During the day, the solar thermal energy can be harvested at temperatures as high as 120 degrees centigrade (about 248 Fahrenheit),” said Lee, who also is a principle investigator for the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH. “At night, when there is low or no solar irradiation, the stored energy is harvested by the molecular storage material, which can convert it from a lower energy molecule to a higher energy molecule.”
That allows the stored energy to produce thermal energy at a higher temperature at night than during the day—boosting the amount of energy available even when the sun is not shining, he said.
I Have One Word For You, Mars Scientists: “Australia”
Mars Scientists Investigate Ancient Life in Australia
[John Cleese voice:] “It’s not much of a Mars investigation at all, is it?”
by DC Agle, NASA News | November 15, 2019
“Some 3.48 billion years ago, this area was home to a caldera, or collapsed volcano, filled with hot, bubbling seawater,” said [Martin Van Kranendonk, director of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology].
“At the same time, this location was also home to structures called microbial mats -— visible to the naked eye but composed of microscopic organisms.
“Today you would know them as simple pond scum.”
Whoa, let’s not get partisan, doc!
Non-See Pelosi
Is she nuts?
Pelosi Blows Off Impeachment Critics, Says It’s ‘Weak,’ ‘Dangerous’ To Let Election Decide
The Daily Caller | November 18, 2019 | Virginia KrutaHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi doubled down on impeachment Monday, telling her Democratic colleagues in a memo that it was “weak” and “dangerous” to back off and let the American people decide in 2020.
“The weak response to these hearings has been, ‘Let the election decide.’ That dangerous position only adds to the urgency of our action . . .”
Pelosi also asserted that the facts of the case were “uncontested.”
In the words of Seinfeld: “I am speechless. I am without speech.”
This Day in Python – Nov. 20th
Nov 20th, 1975
We had a lot of fun deciding on silly names for our US company, or partnership, or whatever it’s called. ‘Evado-Tax’ is the one we all wanted, but Anne thought there might be problems, as the company is operating on the fringes of legality! So I suggested Paymortax — and so we now have an American company called Paymortax and McWhirter!
Nov 20th, 1978
To the Helmsdale Preview Theatre in Audley Square at four to see the assembly of all the Brian material. Apart from the Python team . . . [others and] George Harrison . . . there.
After cups of tea and a 15-minute wait for Dr Chapman, the film starts. The whole preparatory assembly runs two hours and eight minutes.
General consensus is that it’s a most encouraging viewing. Some scenes provoked gales of laughter — including the latter half of Ben and Pilate’s audience chamber, the Hermit’s hole, Brian’s bedroom when the crowd arrive, and the Centurion and Matthias at the door of Matthias’ house (the searching). There was a consistent level of interest and no embarrassments . . .
[A critic] thought Citizen Kane quite useless and Python, now he had finally seen it, junk. Quite a refreshing bucket of water after the almost unqualified critical praise which Python has had to endure these last few years.
— Michael Palin, Diaries 1969 – 1979: The Python Years
The Kennedys Originated “Um, Er, Ah” . . .
. . . The Simpsons developed it into comedy with the character of Mayor Quimby, . . .
But the U.S. press made it a living, breathing reality:
Outlets Retract Stories After Realizing Report Actually Cites How Many Children The Obama Administration Detained
Daily Caller | 11/19/2019 | Shelby Talcott
* Multiple outlets deleted entire stories Tuesday after reporting out a false number of children currently in migrant-related U.S. custody.
* The number is actually from 2015, when former President Barack Obama was in office.
* Some of the outlets issued corrections and updated the articles, while others such as Reuters and AFP deleted the article in its entirety and declined to post a new one.
Multiple outlets deleted entire stories Tuesday after falsely reporting the number of children in migrant-related U.S. custody.
Outlets including Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), NPR and Aljazeera jumped on a report from the United Nations, writing Monday that the country has the world’s highest rate of detained children. The outlets reported that there are currently more than 100,000 children in immigration-related custody, which violates international law.
A day later, Reuters and AFP deleted their stories after the U.N. clarified the numbers were from 2015, when former President Barack Obama was in office. AFP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why it no longer felt the numbers were newsworthy after being informed they were from 2015.
It’s surprising they didn’t also appropriate Ralph Cramden’s “Humminna Humminna Humminna.”
.
Liberals plagiarize comedy routines of the past, and bring them to life.
“Who’s on First?” leaps to mind immediately.
“Whatever It Is, I’m Against It” does too.
Straight Line of the Day: Caption This Photo
I Have One Word For You, Benjamin: “Australia.”
Australian Scientists May Have Discovered Solution to Our Plastic Recycling Problem
ABC AU | 11 19 2019 | Nadia Daly
When China announced in January 2018 that it would stop taking Australia’s recyclable waste it was a wake-up call for the industry.
It could not help but be.
Now Dr Humphreys sees the mountains of stockpiled plastic as a wasted resource —
Keen observer.
— one he says could be used instead as fuel or remade into new plastic.
Has this not been a topic of discussion since plastics were invented?
The Federal Government said it does offer incentives for the recycling industry in Australia.
“It’s not about grants, it’s not about the Government paying for something to be done,” Environment Minister Sussan Ley told 7.30.
Would you mind running the distinction between “incentives” and “paying for” by me once again?
The Illustrated Gumbeaux: Friends
Random Thoughts: Baby Yoda and Jack Ryan
Isn’t it way past time for a Womandalorian?
I instantly liked Mandalorian. It was Star Wars unburdened from the Skywalker story line. And it was made by people who obviously like Star Wars and weren’t all “The stuff you like about Star Wars you’re wrong to like so I’m going to subvert expectations!”
My 4yo was saying a very nice prayer last night, asking God to help her not be afraid of the dark and go right to sleep, and then added at the end “and please destroy my family.”
Saw a new thing on Disney+. They have Swiss Family Robinson, and in the short description it says see details for viewer advisory. In the details it says the movie was kept as is but contains “outdated cultural depictions.” Well, zip-a-dee-doo-dah.
It’s been a long while; I don’t remember what the cultural depictions were in it.
Will we eventually get something like that for Mario games with his “Lets-a go!”? Currently, those cultural depictions are not outdated.
Would be nice for Disney+ to have some list of the Marvel movies in order. I notice they’re missing a few though (I know about Spider-Man, but do they not have full rights to the Hulk standalone film?).
I am much more excited to see what happens next after the first episode of The Mandalorian than I was with The Last Jedi.
Not to get all feminist, but the high heels on Zero Suit Samus in Smash Bros really grates on me. She’s the no-nonsense, intergalactic bounty hunter and they have her running around in impractical shoes and the powersuit equivalent of underwear.
Alone together, we faced the horrors of planet Zebes. Treat her with respect.
Oh man, and don’t get me started on Other M…
Man, I don’t know if I’d want a billion dollars because then people might not like me. But I guess if I had a billion dollars, I wouldn’t care what people think. I barely do now.
Has enough time passed that it’s not spoilers to talk about baby Yoda?
Anyway, first order of business, we need a name for that baby, as timeline-wise, it’s obviously not actually Yoda.
And, yay, we finally got to see what that disintegration Darth Vader warned Bob Fett against looks like.
Disney+ is pretty sweet. Just watched the 2nd episode of The Mandalorian with my kids (son very upset has to wait a week for another) and now they’re laughing at Lady & the Tramp.
The original. I’m morally opposed to the live action remakes.
Oh, I was trying to remember what’s the “outdated cultural depiction” from Lady and the Tramp, and then I hear “We are Siamese if you please…”
The second season of Jack Ryan did not grip me as much as the first, as evidenced that it took my like two weeks to watch the eight episodes.
And it was hard to get over that bizarre choice to have it take place in Venezuela—famous for collapsing from socialists policies—and have it collapsing from vague right-wing policies.
And I had trouble buying that the Venezuelan president was so oppressive that he’d throw anyone opposed to him in a camp but not so oppressive as to prevent a viable opponent to him an election.
And then there was the whole helicoptering into the presidential palace and shooting everyone. I’m no foreign policy expert, but some countries might interpret that as an act of war.
Hopefully next season doesn’t take place in a North Korea torn apart by capitalism and deregulation.
I see some people getting really sensitive at the idea they are too far left, and it is a bitter pill to swallow that maybe your ideas are so terrible that Trump is literally the better, more compassionate option.
Can’t the right and the left unite around how we need to protect baby Yoda?
There may be things we disagree on—like whether or not it’s necessary to disintegrate Jawas—but the important thing we all agree on is that baby Yoda is precious and needs to be protected.
I’m still not voting for Trump in 2020, but I understand why Barack Obama is.
I’m going to try that “I have spoken” on the kids. If it works, then I’ll try using it on the wife. #TheMandalorian
ME: “First time your uncle was deployed, he wasn’t an officer and went to door to door in Iraq.”
9yo: “Wouldn’t that cause a war?”
ME: “We were already at war.”
9yo: “Why? Did Iraq attack us?”
ME: “Um… it’s more complicated than that.”
Someone want to help me out here?
My 9mo spent ten minutes yelling at his own shadow and I was all like, “Ok Boomer.”
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut into a volcano.
I’m really enjoying The Mandalorian which makes me worried Rian Johnson is watching everyone enjoying it and lobbying to be the showrunner for the 2nd season. “I have some ideas to really subvert expectations.”
I enjoy watching The Crown even if some of the historical liberties it takes are a bit grating, like the way President Kennedy is still alive in the show because Queen Elizabeth threw her crown just in time to deflect the bullet.
The Salvation Army is verboten now?
I kind of feel bad for Rian Johnson now. I don’t think he meant to ruin Star Wars… though some of it did feel malicious.
He might have actually done an interesting movie if they just had him do some Star Wars movie unrelated to the Skywalker story line, but as the middle part of a trilogy, The Last Jedi was just an absolute train wreck.
You can personally like The Last Jedi, but you have to admit it failed as the middle of a trilogy based on the reaction to it. Know the mark of a great Star Wars film? You don’t have to constantly argue with half the fan base that it wasn’t terrible.
I have a similar thing with my novel Sidequest. I love the ending. Many readers loved the ending. But I had a lot of reviews of people who said they loved it up until the ending. I could explain to them all why it is in fact a good ending, but maybe I messed up a little.
Everyone loves the ending to Hellbender… as far as I know or care. Buy Hellbender.
I put up with a lot of negativity on Twitter, but I don’t know what I’d do if I saw someone say something bad about baby Yoda.
Showing my kids Gargoyles off of Disney+. I remember it having much more complex storylines for a kids’ show (the premiere spans 5 episodes), so much so I didn’t completely feel silly watching it when I was fifteen.
The reason they get frozen as statues for a 1000 years was bad writing, though.
“Without evidence, I’m going to believe other people killed the princess, so I’m going to cast a spell on you. …Oh. She’s alive. My bad.”
And I don’t know how to explain the relationship between Goliath and the female gargoyle. Is she his girlfriend? Wife (spoilers: It is later revealed they have a kid)? I don’t know if there is gargoyle marriage.
Anyway, I hope they learn some good lessons from the show, like if you become a billionaire, spend your money on extremely convoluted schemes.
I think a good surprise to end the season finale on would be finding out President Trump has no idea what Twitter is.
I’m not trying to be over the top, I’m just saying I don’t want anyone who liked The Last Jedi near my kids. If I found out one of my daughter’s teachers liked TLJ, I would try to get that person fired. And since my daughter is home schooled, that might result in a divorce.
I checked, and my daughter’s teacher thinks the Rose “love” speech near the end was really really stupid.
Windows
Microsoft Windows was released on November 20, 1985. I didn’t get Windows 1. My first Windows program (it wasn’t an OS back then) was 2.03, so I missed out on all the early hype. Did you? If so, we get to play catchup now.
Kids these days have no idea what the early days were like, do they?