BBB Destination - Plano

Located in Michael Bohdan's retail store, The Pest Shop, the Cockroach Hall of Fame is home to dozens of displays of "roach art". These displays of cockroaches consist of real (deceased) cockroaches that have been dressed in costumes to portray various themes. For example, as featured in the photo, an 85 year-old lady in Fort Worth dressed up a dead cockroach with a white mink cape and sat him at the keyboard of a tiny piano. She named him Liberoachi.

News from all over - Porirua

Not so long ago, in a galaxy not that far away, an unassuming Porirua man won $500,000 in Lotto - and drew up a strange shopping list. With his wife he ticked off the obvious - pay off the mortgage, buy a new car, travel overseas, give to charity - but with The Force clearly with him, he decided to treat himself.

Now, he is set to become a Star Wars Imperial Stormtrooper, a member of the Galactic Empire. "There are always things you think would be nice to have if you had the money," the winner told The Dominion Post. "It's a bit of fun. I just thought it would be kind of cool to have one of those. Why not? You've got to enjoy life."

While his wife doesn't know just yet, he plans to spend about $2400 on a suit with all the bells and whistles, and "all the stickers in place".
Source

Today in History - 1912

The publication of William Christopher Handy's "Memphis Blues" changed the course of American popular song. Handy introduced an African-American folk tradition, the blues, into mainstream music. By the 1960s, the blues sound had significantly influenced the development of jazz and rock and roll, quintessential American musical forms.

Handy's "Mister Crump," retitled "Memphis Blues," went on sale at Bry's Department Store in Memphis. Although the first 1,000 copies sold out in three days, Handy was told that the song had flopped. When the publisher offered to buy the rights for just fifty dollars, the composer agreed.

Swindled out of his first big hit, Handy went on to produce "St. Louis Blues" in 1914, "Beale St. Blues" in 1916, and other popular works. By the time of his death in 1958, W. C. Handy was recognized across the world as the "Father of the Blues."

So Now You Know

The W. C. Handy Music Festival is held annually in the Shoals area of Florence, Alabama. Previous week-long festivals have featured jazz and blues legends including Jimmy Smith, Ramsey Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Blue Bland, Diane Schuur, Billy Taylor, Dianne Reeves and Charlie Byrd, Ellis Marsalis and Take 6. The festival also features a roster of annual regulars, called the W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars.

News from all over - Marlborough

Police said two Indian Punjabi men stole more than $1,000 from a Marlborough (N.H.) Country Convenience Store on Monday. The men told the storeowner that they were guruji, a type of Hindu priest, and that they could read his mind, police said.

Storeowner Yogesh Patel, 29, who is also from India, said that he had heard of the scam but never believed it and never thought it could happen to him. He said he's now upset and embarrassed. "I'd never been (scammed), and every time I heard about it I laughed at it," Patel said.

Patel said the scam began with a simple mind game. The men asked him what his favorite flower was, and they opened a paper with the correct answer on it: "Rose." They then told him to think of a wild animal, and they again had written down his choice.

The scam quickly escalated to personal information involving family members and a former girlfriend. "They also said my wife's name that not too many people know," Patel said. "My mom's name, they told me. And they told me what was my future goal."

Patel said he believes the men were able to hypnotize him into giving them money. Surveillance tape shows him putting cash into a hollowed-out book before getting more money from the safe. After watching the tape, police said Patel seemed to have fallen under their sway. "From him telling me, I wouldn't believe it," Detective Steve LaMears said. "Seeing the video, saying he's hypnotized, it makes it a little stronger."

Clerk Marty Stokes, who works for Patel, said that the store has never lost this much money. She said her boss is now blaming himself. "He's so sharp. He's very sharp," Stokes said. "The man is right on the ball all the time. He's got a business head you wouldn't believe."

Even though the men didn't use a weapon or make threats or demands, police said they still believe a crime was committed. "I would say that they deceived him as a modern-day gypsy," LaMears said.
Source

Today in History - 1937

Charles W. Howard, a farmer in Albion, N.Y., founded his school for Santas in an old barn on his property. Howard opened the school after a visit to a Lord & Taylor department store in Buffalo, where he had been appalled at the poor grooming and comportment of the Santas working there.

The school was tiny and no-frills -- a few wooden chairs in front of a huge stone fireplace. But Howard was passionate about his subject, and he drilled his Santas on the history and character of Santa Claus, as well as on a slate of related minutiae: appropriate toys for each age group, the mating and feeding habits of reindeer, the proper way to tuck one's pants legs into one's boots. In the booklet he printed up for his classes there was a one-page essay titled "Regarding Santa Wearing Glasses."

Howard cared the most about the kind of man Santa was. In his advice to shopkeepers on choosing a Santa, he was specific with his recommendations. "A man of the very highest caliber you can obtain," he wrote. "Middle age, family man if possible. Fairly well-educated. Knows children, their habits and traits."

The school grew over the years, and Howard added a Bachelor of Santa Claus degree for those willing to complete a semester of department store work, papers about the history of Santa and a thesis about Santa's character.

So Now You Know

At the Baja Beach club in Barcelona, customers can get an implanted RFID "debit card" and party until their funds are exhausted.

BBB Swell Site

Looking for that rare gift for the person for whom buying a gift is all but impossible? How about dirt? Or even a collection of dirt from several states. At $9.99 (plus shipping), it's quite a bargain.

Today in History - 1957

West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theatre to positive reviews. The musical ran for 734 performances.

News from all over - Washington along I-5

A State Patrol trooper spotted a Honda Accord speeding southbound on Interstate 5 on Friday, according to State Patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill. It was raining, and the driver was cruising down the freeway at 71 mph. So the trooper pulled the driver over, Merrill said.

The 35-year-old from British Columbia, who had a valid driver's license, struggled to tell the trooper where he was going and how long he had been in Washington, prompting the trooper to search his car, Merrill said. The trooper found two suitcases in the trunk — one filled with $276,640 in cash. The driver claimed he won the stacks of dollar bills at 23 casinos in Washington, California and Nevada, but he was unable to produce any receipts, according to Merrill.

The money was confiscated as the State Patrol investigates the incident. Merrill said if it is determined the man obtained the money legally it will be returned to him.
Source

So Now You Know

On an episode of The West Wing, C.J. responds to one of Josh's freakouts by snapping her fingers and singing "Boy, boy, crazy boy..." West Side Story is again referenced in the 4th season when Charlie compares himself to Officer Krupke after hearing Anthony's petty crimes.

BBB Etymology - By and Large

Originally nautical jargon from the days of sailing ships. To steer a course 'by and large' was to keep slightly off the line of the wind when steering into it so that there was less need for constant adjustment to slight changes in its direction and less chance of being taken aback. In general terms the expression implied freedom from special alertness and exactitude, and this is its sense in modern use.

News from all over - Irwin

Melissa Hensler got a "Most Unusual Pet" prize from her Pennsylvania township two years ago for her pet rooster — but now the same township says the bird is a farm animal in a residential area and it's got to go.

Melissa has raised the rooster, named Sundae, and eight other chickens for six years. But in July, say parents Barb and Don Hensler, a neighbor complained that they were raising chickens, and the township's attitude changed.

The prize that Sundae won two years ago "is no substitute for township law," code enforcement officer David Stitt said. "Chickens are farm animals. You can call them pets if you like, but they are still fowl," Stitt said.

A township board rejected the Henslers' request for a zoning exception, leading to their consideration of court action. "I've already spent $250 for the first appeal. These chickens are not worth that much — maybe $1.75 or $2 — if you sold them," Don Hensler said. "We were just asking the township to allow us to keep our pets until they pass on."

"If I had to get rid of them, it would be like losing part of me," Melissa said. "I would be losing my children."
Source

Today in History - 1882

The National League Worcester Brown Stockings come up with a baseball innovation-the doubleheader. It is the first instance of two games for the price of one admission: all previous doubleheaders called for two separate admissions. The last place Brown Stockings will end their 3rd and final season in Worcester by drawing 6 and 25 fans for games against Troy on September 28th and 29th. The Brown Stockings will move to Philadelphia next season and adopt the name "Phillies."

So Now You Know

Caffeine doesn’t keep you awake by supplying extra energy; rather it fools your body into thinking it isn’t tired. When your brain is tired and wants to slow down, it releases a chemical called adenosine.

Adenosine travels to special cells called receptors, where it goes to work counteracting the chemicals that stimulate your brain. Caffeine mimics adenosine; so it can "plug up" your receptors and prevent adenosine from getting through. Result: Your brain never gets the signal to slow down, and keeps building up stimulants.

BBB Pulp Pick - Roy Rogers

Nothing special about this particular comic other than it features Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys riding Trigger. Roy starred in countless (well, over 100) movies and several years on TV with co-stars Dale Evans, Queen of the West, and Pat Brady [not to mention Dale's horse, Buttermilk, Bullet the wonder dog, and Nellybelle Brady's reliably unreliable jeep].

Roy started his career with the singing group the Sons of the Pioneers who were featured in his many films. In the 30s and 40s, his popular movie sidekick was Gabby Hayes (Pat Brady was on set but as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers).

Roy Rogers westerns were simple. It was easy to identify good guys (always included Roy) and bad guys (generally with black hats) and the need for justice. There were musical interludes by the Sons of the Pioneers or others and comic relief by Gabby or Pat. Roy never passed up the opportunity to help out - stop someone trying to swindle a friend out of their ranch or prevent a fellow rancher's cattle being rustled. Often there were big meals for all the ranch hands and townfolk where speeches and songs were commonplace. It felt like every movie or episode had a chase scene where cowboys at full gallop would be firing their six shooters - my, they were an optimistic group! It was an view of the west we all admired but no one experienced.

News from all over - Los Angeles

YouNeverCall has offered a prize for the first mobile phone call to be made from the moon. Their announcement follows the decision by Google to support the X-Prize foundation's $30 million in prizes for the first private vehicle to be landed on the Moon by 2015.

In order to claim the $10,000 prize a cell phone call must be placed by a device or person present on the Moon's surface. This call must pass through a commercially available cellular phone to YouNeverCall's corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The call may travel via any protocol or compression before reaching their offices, and it must be possible to for the caller to answer a few yes/no questions correctly.
Source

Today in History - 1906

President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming the nation's first National Monument. 1347 acres are included within the Monument's boundaries. In recent years about 1% of the Monument's 400,000 annual visitors climb Devils Tower.

So Now You Know

A Roy Rogers is a non-alcoholic cocktail made with cola soda and grenadine syrup, garnished with a maraschino cherry. It is sometimes referred to as a "Darth Vader" or a "Shirley Temple Black"; however, in recent years, both this name and the original "Roy Rogers" have given way to the term "grenadini".
Sorry Chris, I couldn't find anything on a Buck Rogers mocktail.

BBB Destination - North Huntingdon

When I lived in the wilds of Colorado, every Friday for an entire semester, a few of us would pile into a car or van and head east to Boulder, some 220 miles away, to attend a lecture on Philosophy (yeah, I know). One of the intrepids was a chemistry prof who actually never went to the lectures (go figure) but came along each week so he could grab a Big Mac at the local McDs - or maybe he was covertly trying to figure out the chemical elements of the secret sauce. Guess I'll never know.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear he made the much longer trek to North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to the Big Mac Museum and Restaurant if nothing else but to pay homage to the 14-foot-tall Big Mac.

The subject of countless Big Mac attacks was born about 40 miles south of here, in Uniontown, when franchisee Jim Delligatti introduced it as a menu item in August 1967. Delligatti's family now owns 18 McDonald's, and they decided to open their museum on the Big Mac's 40th anniversary in North Huntingdon, rather than at the birthplace, because this store gets more traffic.

Today in History - 1784

The nation's first daily newspaper, the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, began publication on September 21, 1784. The New England Courant, the first independent American newspaper was published by Benjamin Franklin's older brother in 1721. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, 37 independent newspapers kept the colonists informed. The press contributed to the war effort by publishing broadsides, relaying information, chronicling the war, and sustaining community life.

News from all over - Ylitornio

A Finnish town near the Arctic circle, already covered by snow for most of the year, is planning to build the country's biggest ski jumping hill – indoors. "Last year, half the flying hill contests in Europe had to be cancelled due to weather conditions," Erkki Keski-Nisula, the mayor of Ylitornio, said. "Our indoor hill could be used as a substitute venue for those events."

The mayor said the plans envisaged three different size hills and jumps on the largest, to be used for ski flying, could exceed 230 metres. Project costs were put at about 30 million euros. "As an idea, it is fantastic, we could really move ski jumping forward with this hill," said Janne Marvaila, ski jumping official at the Finnish Ski Association.

Ylitornio's mayor said the town hoped also to set up an international ski jumping high school.
Source

So Now You Know

On average there are 178 sesame seeds on the Big Mac bun.

Today's Chuckle

BBB Geeky Novelty

If anyone tries to convince you that blogging doesn't bring out the passions in people... for example, who knew that Dave Barry had this thing about squirrels?

Comic fans have an outlet like never before and there's actually quite a lot of comic book research out there. One good example is a five-part treatise on the Batman logo over at Todd's Blog. Bam!
Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Today in History - 1519

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. In command of five ships and 270 men, Magellan sailed to West Africa and then to Brazil, where he searched the South American coast for a strait that would take him to the Pacific. He searched the Río de la Plata, a large estuary south of Brazil, for a way through; failing, he continued south along the coast of Patagonia. At the end of March 1520, the expedition set up winter quarters at Port St. Julian. On Easter day at midnight, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, but Magellan crushed the revolt, executing one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left St. Julian in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located near the tip of South America, separating Tierra del Fuego and the continental mainland. Only three ships entered the passage; one had been wrecked and another deserted. It took 38 days to navigate the treacherous strait, and when ocean was sighted at the other end Magellan wept with joy. He was the first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic. His fleet accomplished the westward crossing of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so strangely calm that the ocean was named "Pacific," from the Latin word pacificus, meaning "tranquil." By the end, the men were out of food and chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep themselves alive. On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at the island of Guam.
Source

News from all over - Kirkham

"Dale Air" owner Frank Knight tells us, "We expected pubs in the UK to pick up on the ashtray room fragrance as soon as the ban came in because it was so popular in Ireland when they brought it in. From what I have heard it’s because of the awful smells the tobacco used to veil such as body odour and vomit.

"Also smell is a great way to create an atmosphere and a lot of pub goers don’t feel the same in smoke free environment. This is the perfect way to recreate the essence of a pub without the dangers of the real thing."
Source

So Now You Know

In the 1770s researchers hit on the idea of using caoutchouc, a vegetable gum now known as rubber, to erase pencil marks. Prior to using rubber, white bread (without crust) was used to erase the mark of graphite pencil and charcoal. This method is still sometimes used by modern charcoal artists.

BBB Swell Site

As any son or daughter of Oklahoma will tell you, tornadoes are pretty much a part of life. But when it comes to logging information about each occurrence, including the number of trailer homes destroyed, it can be hard to find all you want in one spot. That's what the Tornado Project is all about. In addition to basic tornado stats, there's info on storm shelters, storm chasing, oddities and so much more. You know this site is serious, there's even black funnel poetry!

News from all over - Villotilla

In a modern-day version of the 13th-century legend popularised by the Brothers Grimm, 20 people in Villotilla, Palencia, played a collection of flutes and recorders in an attempt to lure voles into a nearby river and their deaths.

The effort – officially called the First Flautists of Hamelin Competition – involved some of the amateur musicians dressing as makeshift Pied Pipers, while others donned masks to transform themselves into voles for a day.

Rural northern Spain has been stricken this year by millions of voles that have devastated crops and threaten to invade vineyards, public parks and even towns.
Source

Today in History - 1876

In the mid-1800s, Anna and Melville Bissell owned a small crockery shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While cleaning up after the day's work, Anna often became frustrated with the sawdust that was embedded in the carpet. The tiny, stubborn particles clung to the carpet, and trying to sweep them up was becoming a time-consuming nuisance.

Anna presented the problem to Melville, her mechanically inclined husband. Melville designed and constructed a carpet sweeper machine that he hoped would solve the problem once and for all. His ingenious carpet sweeper design was a success, and word of Melville Bissell's carpet sweeper spread quickly.

So Now You Know

Top ten states on the "Total Numbers of Tornadoes" list: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, Louisiana.

BBB Etymology - Bone Up On

Bohn's Classical Library was a 19th century series of English translations of Greek and Latin classics that were widely used by students cramming for their exams. The expression to Bohn up soon became to bone up.

Today in History - 1830

An impromptu race was held between a horse drawn car and the first locomotive built in America. The Tom Thumb easily pulled away from the horse until the belt slipped off the blower pulley. Without the blower, the boiler did not draw adequately and the locomotive lost power, allowing the horse to pass and win the race.
Actual date of the race seems to vary between August 25 and September 18.

Quotable Quote

In the Musée d'Artillerie at Paris there are preserved old cannon, contemporary almost with Crecy and Poictiers. In some great museum of internal improvement, and some such will at some future day be gotten up, Mr. Peter Cooper's boiler should hold an equally prominent and far more honored place; for while the old weapons of destruction were ministers of man's wrath, the contrivance we have described was one of the most potential instruments in making available, in America, that vast system which unites remote peoples and promotes that peace on earth and good will to men which angels have proclaimed.
-John Latrobe - a lawyer for the B&O Railroad and witness to the trials of the Tom Thumb

News from all over - eBay-land

Internet auction website eBay today withdrew an unusual second-hand sale item, the country of Belgium, which had attracted an offer of $16.68 million.

"Belgium, a kingdom in three parts" was posted on the Belgian eBay site as offering "plenty of choice" despite the caveat that it comes with "300 billion of national debt".

Offered in three parts - Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia - the accompanying blurb said the kingdom "can be bought as a whole (not recommended)". The vendor also included as added extras "the king and his court (costs not included)".
Source

BBB Pulp Pick - Buck Rogers

Amazing Stories, August 1928 is known as having the "Buck Rogers cover". In this issue Philip F. Nowlan's story "Armageddon - 2419", introduced Anthony Rogers who was the prototype for "Buck". Usually mistaken for Buck himself, the illustration is for the first part of "Doc" Smith's epic, "The Skylark of Space".

As the story goes, while surveying an abandoned mine, Rogers, a former United States Army Air Corps officer, falls into a coma after exposure to a leaking gas, and awakes in the twenty-fifth century. Together with his new comrades, the beautiful Wilma Deering and the intrepid Dr. Huer, he struggles to rid the world of evil warlords and "Mongol" hordes.

The story of Anthony Rogers in Amazing Stories caught the attention of John F. Dille, president of the National Newspaper Service syndicate, and he arranged for the author, Philip Francis Nowlan, to turn it into a comic strip for Dille's syndication company. The comic strip was named "Buck Rogers", and this name stuck in all later reworkings of the story. Dille assigned staff artist Dick Calkins to the project.

Buck Rogers stories continued...

In 1932, the Buck Rogers radio program, notable as the first science fiction show on radio, hit the airwaves. The radio program aired 4 times a week for fifteen years, from 1932 through 1947.

A twelve-part Buck Rogers movie serial was launched in 1939.

The first version of Buck Rogers to appear on television, debuted on ABC on April 15, 1950 and ran until January 30, 1951. Its time slot initially was on Saturdays at 6:00 P.M., and each episode was 30 minutes in length.

In 1979, Buck Rogers was revived and updated for a prime-time television series for NBC Television.

Thanks and a tip of the BBB cap to Ryan who was smart enough to ask!

Today in History - 1787

The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates from twelve states at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, PA.

So Now You Know

Such was the fame of Buck Rogers that it became the basis for one of the most fondly remembered science fiction spoofs in a series of Daffy Duck cartoons. The first of these was Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2th Century, which was directed by Chuck Jones in 1953. There were also two sequels to this cartoon, and ultimately a Duck Dodgers television series.

News from all over - Chicago

Eighties television icon MacGyver has beaten Indiana Jones, James Bond and Jack Bauer as the fictional hero most Americans would want by their side in the event of a disaster.

In the survey, commissioned by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, participants were given a choice among seven fictional heroes for help in an emergency.

Twenty seven per cent of respondents said they would want MacGyver to help them out should disaster strike.
Source

BBB Destination - Toronto

The city broke into the Guinness Book of World Records in August when master LEGO builders from Denmark topped off the tower Wednesday at the Canadian National Exhibition. The tower reaches a staggering 29.3 metres tall, beating the previous record set in Carlsbad, California in May.

LEGO Canada's John Lotenfoe says the project is for adults just as much as the kids. "It's all about inspiring creativity and imagination," he said.

Using thousands of LEGO blocks, specialized engineers from Denmark led the building process, with the help of visitors to CNE. Five-year-old Jarrod says breaking the record is exciting. "This is really sweet!"

Even parents got involved in the LEGO fun. Henry says he didn't have LEGO when he was a kid and this helped him re-live his childhood. "But shh, don't tell anyone," he said.

News from all over - Geneva

A western New York man faces grand larceny charges after being pulled over in a car that he said he stole so he could turn himself in on another charge. Ontario County sheriff's deputies say they pulled over Vincent Estrada Junior, 29, and found that the car he was driving had recently been stolen from a parking lot.

Police said Estrada was wanted on a family court warrant, and he told deputies he stole the car so he could drive to the Geneva City Police Department to turn himself in. But he never made it there. Deputies say they arrested him and drove him back to Canandaigua to face the car-theft charges.
Source

Today in History - 1957

Richard Boone became the hired gun, Paladin. The CBS-TV series Have Gun Will Travel debuted this night.
Related BBB Entry

Quotable Quote

I told a friend I wear this gun for survival. As bad as you need killing, I'd prefer to live by that conviction.
-Paladin

BBB Geeky Novelty

The self-enforcing PhotoViolationMeter is beneficial for drivers and their municipalities. Drivers will love the user-friendly features, such as the Every Way To Pay feature that allows drivers to pay with cash, credit cards, debit cards, and pay-by-phone. The Grace Period feature lets drivers who return to their vehicle slightly behind schedule to pay for the time they over parked instead of receiving an instant violation. Drivers paying with credit cards can choose the No-Fine feature, which will automatically bill the credit card when time on the meter is running low, eliminating the chance of the driver receiving a violation Self-enforcement as well as wireless real time auditing lightens the workload for enforcement officers. With its ability to detect the presence of a parked car, and fine vehicles that have not paid or overstayed, it is expected to bring in 5 times the revenue of traditional parking meters.

News from all over - Manning

Amber Renee Helton was trying to avoid legal problems by paying a traffic ticket. She ended up behind bars when authorities found out she drove a stolen car to the courthouse, police said. Clarendon County, S.C. deputies received a tip that Helton was going to be in a stolen car when she paid the ticket, Chief Deputy Joe Bradham said.

So officers arrested Helton as she opened the door of the 2001 Dodge Intrepid at the courthouse Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Source

Today in History - 1814

As the evening approached, Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer who had come to negotiate the release of an American friend, was detained in Baltimore harbor on board a British vessel. Throughout the night and into the early hours of the next morning, Key watched as the British bombed nearby Fort McHenry with military rockets. As dawn broke, he was amazed to find the Stars and Stripes, tattered but intact, still flying above Fort McHenry.

Key's experience during the bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired him to pen the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner". He adapted his lyrics to the tune of a popular drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven", and the song soon became the de facto national anthem of the United States of America, though Congress did not officially recognize it as such until 1931.

So Now You Know

Back in March, 2006, it was estimated there were 67,000 parking meters in New York City bringing in about $50 million a year in revenue.

BBB Swell Site

Really, you can't say enough about yo-yo-ing, but YoYoNation.com tries. There's a yo-yo store, news about competitions, tutorials, some selected yo-yo history, a gadget section, and so much more.

If you're like me, you missed the recent World Championship in Orlando and the New York and California competitions but stay tuned, there's more coming, so get that Duncan Avenger and start practicing!

News from all over - Somewhere in Britain

The winner of Britain's £26.5 million lottery jackpot last month was already a multi-millionaire. The identity of the person who became Britain's second-biggest lottery winner on scoring the August 31 EuroMillions jackpot has not been officially disclosed.

But the Sun newspaper reported he already owned a multinational business, a £4 million gated property and a Rolls Royce. "He is desperately trying to keep his windfall secret from everyone except his family," the newspaper wrote.

Asked about the winner's identity, a spokesman for lottery operator Camelot said: "The winner...did not take publicity, so we can neither confirm nor deny any information about it."

Today in History - 1866

The Black Crook, the first burlesque show, opened in New York City at the 3,200-seat Niblo's Garden on Broadway. The four-act performance ran for 474 performances and made about $1.3 million for its producers.

So Now You Know

Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has decreed September 12 a Day of Conception and is giving couples time off from work to procreate. Couples who give birth nine months later on Russia’s national day — June 12 — will receive money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes.

It’s the third year that the Volga River region, about 550 miles east of Moscow, has held the contest. Since then, the number of competitors — and the number of babies born — has been on the rise.

BBB Etymology - In Cold Blood

A relic of early medical theory, becoming hot with excitement or exertion was supposed to be the result of blood getting hot. The same idea persists in make one's blood boil (make angry). By the same token, something done with deliberation, without the heat of passion, was supposed to be a product of cold blood.

Today in History - 1847

Stephen Foster's Oh! Susanna was performed for the very first time. The performance, for a crowd at the Eagle Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reportedly earned Foster a bottle of whiskey.

So Now You Know

A New York publisher printed Oh! Susanna with the name of E. P. Christy as author. Christy's Minstrels were rapidly becoming the most popular group in the Bowery theater district of Manhattan, and were to be the chief performers of Foster's minstrel songs in the 1850s.

The New Christy Minstrels is an American folk music group that came to prominence in the 1960s. The name deliberately evoked Christy's Minstrels. Formed by Randy Sparks in 1961, the group had several Top 40 folk music hits, including Green, Green, Today and Ramblin'.

In the film, A Mighty Wind, nine pastel-clad "New Main Street Singers" are patterned after The New Seekers, The New Christy Minstrels and The Rooftop Singers. In the movie, they upstage the "The Folksmen" at the big concert by singing the Folksmen hit Never Did No Wanderin' from their album Ramblin'.

News from all over - Grantham

"There is always something going on outside our window," said Mr Davidson, 79, a former Royal Navy sailor and war veteran. "Our room looks out to the car park and a busy slip road where lorries pass by throughout the night. We have everything we need here - and the staff are like family now. We only have to walk across the car park for meals. There is just no reason why we'd want to go home."

David and Jean Davidson's love affair with the Travelodge began 22 years ago when they stopped in Newark, Nottinghamshire, during a visit to see a sick aunt. When she died four months later they packed their bags, locked up their one-bedroom flat in Sheffield and moved into the roadside hotel.

In 1997, they decided it was time for a change. But instead of going house-hunting they simply checked into a newly-built Travelodge 15 minutes away in Grantham, Lincolnshire, where they remain to this day.

In total, the couple have spent more than £100,000 on accommodation and have had Grantham's Room One renamed the Davidson Suite in their honour. Their flat, now worth £100,000, remains empty.

"We like going for day trips or having lunch at local hotels as well as eating at the Little Chef on site. "For us it's a better and cheaper option than an old people's home and we're well looked after."

"We are going to mount a plaque in reception celebrating their ten-year anniversary at the hotel."
Source

BBB Pulp Pick - Planet Comics

Glad to see fashionably dressed women space warriors fending off alien nasties - even in the early 50s!
Not to mention an early introduction of Space Rangers.

News from all over - Darwen

A karate club team have been crowned the world's first gravy wrestling champions. The eight teams competing for the title slopped about in a converted swimming pool filled with lukewarm gravy as part of the inaugural World Gravy-Wrestling Championships. The competition took place in this town in Lancashire as part of Lancashire Food and Culture week.

Winning team leader Ian Marsden said: "It took great skill just to keep your feet. The gravy soon got cold and started to solidify. "I think we got the better of the opposition because they were reduced to throwing lumpy gravy at us."
Source

Today in History - 1955

Gunsmoke starring James Arness, debuted on CBS-TV and went on to become the longest-running (20 years). Gunsmoke had enjoyed a radio run of three years with William Conrad playing Marshall Dillon before the TV version went on the air. The two ran simultaneously for six more years.

So Now You Know

The name of the main street in Gunsmoke was Front Street. The Dodge House hotel, the Long Branch Saloon, Doc's office, and the jail were all on this street.

BBB Destination - The Ol' Swimming Hole

Huck Finn knew where they were, Norman Rockwell immortalized them, even Mountain Dew commercials made them part of Americana. There are thousands of "Ol' Swimmin' Holes" and here's one web site that is working on getting them "on the list".

News from all over - Pleasanton

Three of four men accused of stealing more than $50,000 in video equipment from two companies were arrested after they were caught by security cameras at one of the businesses -- a video surveillance company, police said.

I dont think there was any indication that they knew (what business they were burglarizing), Pleasanton police Sgt. Jim Knox said. Two businesses at 4511 Willow Road reported break-ins Aug. 25 and 26 — Vigilant Video, a video surveillance company, and Darim Vision, a video and software company.

Police determined that the burglars broke a window to gain access, loaded computer and electronic equipment into a vehicle and left.

The break in the investigation came from the Vigilant Video surveillance tape, Knox said. The high-definition video captured four men carrying arm-loads of property out of the two businesses. Video stills were circulated among area law enforcement agencies and authorities identified them.

"The video camera that caught them was sitting in plain view," Knox said. "They all had criminal records."
Source

Today in History - 1956

The Bell X-2 experimental aircraft, piloted by Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe, climbed to an altitude of 126,000 feet -- a world record. Kincheloe was awarded the 1956 MacKay Trophy

So Now You Know

At the beginning of the movie Space Cowboys (2000), Frank Corvin (Clint Eastwood) and pilot William "Hawk" Hawkins (Tommy Lee Jones) crash a fictional two-seat version of the X-2.

BBB Geeky Novelty - Retro

1973 saw the advent of this invent from England's Post Office Tele- commun- ications. But you weren't limited to the Card Callmaker, there also was the Tape Callmaker and Key Callmaker!

Today in History - 1958

Georgia Gibbs sang The Hula-Hoop Song on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was the first national exposure for the Hula-Hoop craze. Many people recorded the song to capitalize on the fad, including Teresa Brewer and Betty Johnson.
You know.. for kids!

News from all over - Estes Park

A large bull elk is now licking his pride after it sparred with a swing and the swing won. The elk was thrusting his antlers on a large wooden swingset when he got his antlers caught in the chain of a swing Wednesday morning. He battled and struggled for two hours, even dragging the 400-pound swingset about 25 feet, said Kris Hazelton with Estes Park News.

The bull became so stressed out, distraught and exhausted trying to free himself that an official with the Colorado Department of Wildlife and a veterinarian were called in to help out. They tranquilized the elk, gently removed the chains from his antlers and several minutes later, he staggered away, swing free. He did give the swing a really dirty look, though, when he wandered back into the wilderness.
Source

So Now You Know

The record for the most hoops twirled simultaneously is 100, by Kareena Oates of Australia (4 June, 2005). The largest hoop successfully twirled was 13.88 meters (45.55 feet) in circumference, by Ashrita Furman of the USA (September, 2005). The record for simultaneous hula-hooping (minimum time: 2 minutes) is for 2,290 participants at Chung Cheng Stadium in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) on 28 October 2000.

BBB Swell Site

10 years, top 100 action figures ... what a natural progression! Some might say, Adventure Kermit is rated a bit low but that's what makes this site fun - it would be even more fun if it allowed some sort of visitor voting scheme .. but that's me.

News from all over - Cumbria

Three people were hurt when a water buffalo called William Shakespeare escaped from a field and ran into the path of cars on a main road, police said on Tuesday.

Firefighters cut a 19-year-old driver from the wreck of his Fiat Punto after he collided with the beast. A police spokeswoman said the driver was treated in hospital for minor injuries. Two other cars collided with each other as drivers swerved to avoid a pile-up on the A590 near Dalton-in-Furness.

The driver and passenger of a Ford Focus were taken to hospital suffering from whiplash injuries. The buffalo, owned by a local man, died in Monday's accident.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of three people and a buffalo
---------Fark

Source

Today in History - 1774

In response to the British Parliament's enactment of the Coercive Acts in the American colonies, the first session of the Continental Congress convenes at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates from all of the colonies except Georgia drafted a declaration of rights and grievances and elected Virginian Peyton Randolph as the first president of Congress. Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams and John Jay were among the delegates.

So Now You Know

America's first bank robbery was of $162,821 taken from vaults of the Bank of Pennsylvania at Carpenters' Hall during the night of Saturday, August 31 or the morning hours of Sunday, September 1, 1798.

In the end, the affair would take on the flavor of a farce. The culprit turned out to be Isaac Davis and a partner, who died of yellow fever within days of the robbery. The pair had apparently pulled the perfect heist. Then in a move that will live in the annals of stupidity, Davis began depositing the missing money in the very bank he had robbed and other Philadelphia banks, casting suspicion on himself.

Confronted with questions about his sudden wealth, Davis gave a full confession and made a deal to return all the money. The governor of Pennsylvania promised a pardon in return for full disclosure and full restitution.

BBB Etymology - Moot Point

The word moot can be traced back to the old Anglo-Saxon words mot and gemot, meaning 'meeting'. The political structure of Saxon society took the form of different assemblies where public matters could be debated; the wardmote was a ward meeting, the burgmote a town meeting and the witengemote a meeting of prominent wise men.

The 16th century saw the establishment of mootings, or moot courts at the Inns of Court in London. Here young law students were given the opportunity to sharpen their powers of argument and debate by participating in hypothetical trials. The practice continues to this day.
Moot is also found as a verb. Matters are sometimes 'mooted' (brought up for general discussion) in meetings.

In the idiom, the sense shifts away from simple debate to a contentious issue, with many valid viewpoints and no obvious or easy outcome.

News from all over - London

A diamond-encrusted platinum skull by artist Damien Hirst has been sold to an investment group for the asking price of £50 million, a spokeswoman for Hirst's London gallery White Cube said. The skull, cast from a 35-year-old 18th century European man but retaining the original teeth, is coated with 8,601 diamonds, including a large pink diamond worth more than £4 million in the centre of its forehead.

The skull caused a sensation when it first went on display at an exhibition of new works by Hirst at the White Cube in central London on June 3 – not least because of its price tag. Some critics dismissed it as tasteless while others saw it as a reflection of celebrity-obsessed culture.

He said from the outset he wanted the work, inspired by similarly bejewelled Aztec skulls, to be on public view. He rejected suggestions that his works were more a standing joke against the art establishment than real works of art. But when asked at the time of the exhibition what his next project would be he immediately replied: "Two diamond skeletons shagging – no just kidding."
Source

Today in History - 1885

The Exchange Buffet opens across the street from the New York Stock Exchange at 7 New Street; it is the first self-service restaurant.

View to 1984

Man buys 1984 Macintosh User Manual and scans it for our enjoyment.

BBB Pulp Pick - Rosie the Riveter

Painted for the cover of the May 29, 1943 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter gave visual form to this phenomenon and became an iconic image of American popular culture. Rockwell portrayed Rosie as a monumental figure clad in overalls and a work-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal her powerful, muscular arms. Despite her massive bulk, sturdy work clothes and the smudges on her arms and cheeks, Rosie's painted fingernails, lipstick and the tidy arrangement of her bright red curls wittily convey her underlying femininity.

Rockwell found the model for Rosie in Mary Doyle (now Mary Keefe), a nineteen year old telephone operator in Arlington, Vermont. Mrs. Keefe recalls meeting Mary Rockwell, the artist's wife, when she came in to pay her telephone bill. Like many other residents of the small town, Mary eventually became acquainted with the artist and readily accepted when Rockwell called and asked her to pose.

News from all over - Casco

The creator of a sand castle built nearly 32 feet high to raise funds for terminally ill children and their families hopes the structure will be named the world's tallest. Organizers said Saturday the elaborate sand castle measured a height of 31 feet, 7 inches. Plans called for verification paperwork to be sent to the Guinness Book of Records, which will determine whether the castle makes the record book.

More than 1,000 people volunteered over the past two months to help build the castle, which used 40 dump truck loads of sand, organizers said.
Source

Today in History - 1954

The last of 2,956 episodes of The Lone Ranger aired on radio on ABC Radio (formerly NBC's Blue Network).

So Now You Know

One spot claiming "Sand Sculpture Capital of the World" is Harrison Hot Springs, Vancouver where the annual competition starts tomorrow.