The original word for ‘bear’ has been lost. People in middle ages were superstitious and thought saying the animal’s name would summon it. They called it ‘bear’ which means ‘the brown one’ to avoid saying its actual name.

Uncategorized /

Hooking Up and Using the John: Why Do We Use So Many Euphemisms? Author Ralph Keyes is intrigued by how we say certain things without quite saying them. In Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms, he explores subjects that have inspired creative phrasing, from sex and money to food and death. Whether it’s because we […]

The original word for ‘bear’ has been lost. People in middle ages were superstitious and thought saying the animal’s name would summon it. They called it ‘bear’ which means ‘the brown one’ to avoid saying its actual name. Read More »

Christian Bale, who has a British accent, did all of his promotional interviews for Batman Begins in an American accent because he felt Batman was “such an American character” and he did not want audiences asking “What the hell is going on? Why do we have an English Batman?”

Movies /

: An Interview with Christian Bale Batman Begins: An Interview with Christian Bale Christian Bale is one of those actors who can play any role and make it shine. Ever since he made his film debut in “Empire of the Sun”, he’s made a film for each genre. From the sci-fi film Equilibrium, to the

Christian Bale, who has a British accent, did all of his promotional interviews for Batman Begins in an American accent because he felt Batman was “such an American character” and he did not want audiences asking “What the hell is going on? Why do we have an English Batman?” Read More »

When Robert Ballard (professor of oceanography) announced a mission to find the Titanic, it was a cover story for a classified mission to search for lost nuclear submarines. They finished before they were due back, so the team spent the extra time looking for the Titanic and actually found it.

Uncategorized /

Titanic Was Found During Secret Cold War Navy Mission Editor’s Note: Twenty years ago, James Cameron’s blockbuster film “Titanic” entranced audiences around the globe. But it was less than 10 years ago that Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who discovered the Titanic in 1985, revealed to the world that he found the famous shipwreck as the

When Robert Ballard (professor of oceanography) announced a mission to find the Titanic, it was a cover story for a classified mission to search for lost nuclear submarines. They finished before they were due back, so the team spent the extra time looking for the Titanic and actually found it. Read More »

In ancient Egypt, under the decree of Ptolemy II, all ships visiting the city were obliged to surrender their books to the library of Alexandria and be copied. The original would be kept in the library and the copy given back to the owner.

Reference /

Library of Alexandria Map of ancient Alexandria. The Mouseion was located in the royal Broucheion quarter (listed on this map as “Bruchium”) in the central part of the city near the Great Harbor (“Portus Magnus” on the map). The Ptolemaic rulers intended the Library to be a collection of all knowledge and they worked to

In ancient Egypt, under the decree of Ptolemy II, all ships visiting the city were obliged to surrender their books to the library of Alexandria and be copied. The original would be kept in the library and the copy given back to the owner. Read More »

If you won the lottery in Australia, you had to go public with your win, turning into an overnight celebrity. This was until the abduction & murder of Graeme Thorne, 8, whose family won the lottery leading to Graeme being abducted for ransom but killed.

Lottery /

Deadly Lottery – The Abduction of Graeme Thorne It was the 7th of July, 1960, when Freda Thorne kissed her son, 8-year-old Graeme Thorne, goodbye and sent him off to school. Graeme lived in a two-bedroom ground floor flat in Edward St., Bondi, Australia, with his mother, his father, Bazil, and his 3-year-old sister, Belinda.

If you won the lottery in Australia, you had to go public with your win, turning into an overnight celebrity. This was until the abduction & murder of Graeme Thorne, 8, whose family won the lottery leading to Graeme being abducted for ransom but killed. Read More »

In 2006, a woman farted on an American Airlines plane and attempted to cover up her farts by burning matches. When the passengers reported the smell of burning matches to the crew, the flight made an emergency landing in Nashville, and the FBI was called in to conduct an investigation.

Sensitive Subjects /

Flatulence leads US jet to divert An American Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Nashville after passengers reported the smell of sulphur from burning matches. The matches were found on the seat of a woman who had attempted to conceal the odour of flatulence with the matches, Nashville airport authorities said. All 99 passengers

In 2006, a woman farted on an American Airlines plane and attempted to cover up her farts by burning matches. When the passengers reported the smell of burning matches to the crew, the flight made an emergency landing in Nashville, and the FBI was called in to conduct an investigation. Read More »

An Australian bird, called the rainbow lorikeet, routinely gets drunk from spring to summer. The small birds drink the fermented crimson flower nectar from the Weeping Boer-bean tree. When intoxicated these birds make loud drunken noises which many people find bothersome.

Birds, Hobbies & Leisure /

Aussie Bird Likes to Get drunk You can hardly go anywhere in Australia without hearing the familiar shrieking of the rainbow lorikeet. Beautiful to look at with their array of colourful feathers but extremely hard on the ears, the rainbow lorikeet can sometimes be considered a pest. The rainbow lorikeet is perhaps one of the

An Australian bird, called the rainbow lorikeet, routinely gets drunk from spring to summer. The small birds drink the fermented crimson flower nectar from the Weeping Boer-bean tree. When intoxicated these birds make loud drunken noises which many people find bothersome. Read More »

Dalmatians are the official firehouse dog because, in the 1700’s, they would run alongside horse-drawn carriages keeping pace, even at full sprint, and protect the horses from other dogs or animals that could spook them.

Arts & Entertainment, Dogs, Hobbies & Leisure /

A History of Fire Dogs and the Lives They’ve Saved The image of a polka-dotted dalmatian riding shotgun in a fire truck is indelible in American pop culture and lore, but the story of how they got there is lesser-known. In honor of National Fire Pup Day, we’ve delved into the history, evolution, and enduring

Dalmatians are the official firehouse dog because, in the 1700’s, they would run alongside horse-drawn carriages keeping pace, even at full sprint, and protect the horses from other dogs or animals that could spook them. Read More »

Dr. Carlo Urbani recognized the emergence of a outbreak of pneumonia as a new epidemic and immediately notified the WHO, personally flying to Hanoi to investigate. He would die this day in 2003 of SARS, having triggered the most effective response to an epidemic in history.

Infectious Diseases /

Carlo Urbani Carlo Urbani (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkarlo urˈbaːni]; Castelplanio, Italy October 19, 1956 – Bangkok, Thailand March 29, 2003) was an Italian doctor and microbiologist and the first to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) as a new and dangerously contagious viral disease. Although he became infected and died, his early warning to the World

Dr. Carlo Urbani recognized the emergence of a outbreak of pneumonia as a new epidemic and immediately notified the WHO, personally flying to Hanoi to investigate. He would die this day in 2003 of SARS, having triggered the most effective response to an epidemic in history. Read More »

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