245

245) 31/12/2008

Today I learnt that the word "conduit" is pronounced how it is spelt. Con-dew-it. It is certainly not pronounced with a French type inflection - condoui.
----------------------------------------------

244

244) 30/12/2008

Today I learnt that the longest film ever made is called "The Cure for Insomnia" and it lasts for over 3 days. The film consists of a poet reading his lengthy work from start to finish.
----------------------------------------------

243

243) 29/12/2008

Today I learnt that the word "strident" describes a loud and harsh sound.
----------------------------------------------

242

242) 28/12/2008

Today I learnt that the first 4 billion years of our planet can be described as the "Pre-Cambrian" period. Although this period contains seven-eighths of the Earth's history; we know far more about the half a billion years which came after it - leading up to the present day!
----------------------------------------------

241

241) 27/12/2008

Today I learnt that in Chapter 1 of Stephen King's The Stand a critically sick man crashes into a Texas gas station with his dead wife and child beside him.
----------------------------------------------

240

240) 26/12/2008

Today I learnt that Flanders and Swann were a comedic musical duo of the 50s and 60s.
----------------------------------------------

239

239) 25/12/2008

Today I learnt that Terry Nation created Blake's 7 as well as the Daleks in Doctor Who.
----------------------------------------------

238

238) 24/12/2008

Today I learnt that Sunderland's caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia is Scottish and used to be the first-team coach of Bolton Wanderers.
----------------------------------------------

237

237) 23/12/2008

Today I learnt that Searchlight is an anti-facism magazine.
----------------------------------------------

236

236) 22/12/2008

Today I learnt that Guy Fawkes was born and grew up in York.
----------------------------------------------

235

235) 21/12/2008

Today I learnt that "ideas are bulletproof" is a quote from the comic book series V for Vendetta.
----------------------------------------------

234

234) 20/12/2008

Today I learnt that Harry Houdini was fond of debunking and exposing so-called spiritualists and mediums.
----------------------------------------------

233

233) 19/12/2008

Today I learnt that comedian and actor Peter Sellers was part of The Goon Show radio programme with Spike Milligan. He then went on to play Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films.
----------------------------------------------

232

232) 18/12/2008

Today I learnt that the female darts world champion (Anastasia Dobromyslova) is entering the men's PDC world championships as a wildcard entry this year.
----------------------------------------------

231

231) 17/12/2008

Today I learnt that amphibians give birth to live young and these are water-born whilst reptiles lay eggs (land-born).
----------------------------------------------

230

230) 16/12/2008

Today I learnt that Charles Manson was convicted of murders alongside 3 women - members of his "family". His group's attacks were meant to kickstart a race war which Manson believed was foretold in the Beatles song "Helter Skelter".
----------------------------------------------

229

229) 15/12/2008

Today I learnt that the word "hello" only dates from the mid-nineteenth century.
----------------------------------------------

228

228) 14/12/2008

Today I learnt that Sark is one of the Channel islands and the location of these islands is off the coast of Normandy.
----------------------------------------------

227

227) 13/12/2008

Today I learnt that, in layman's terms, squids have 10 tentacles.
----------------------------------------------

226

226) 12/12/2008

Today I learnt that Human League's "Don't You Want Me" was a Christmas number 1.
----------------------------------------------

225

225) 11/12/2008

Today I learnt what the opening lyrics of Blur's Song 2 are. I had previously believed the lines were, "I got my head shaved, my etch 'em bo chay." Now I know they actually are: "I got my head checked, by a jumbo jet".
----------------------------------------------

224

224) 10/12/2008

Today I learnt that Morrissey is releasing a new album in early 2009 entitled 'Years of Refusal'.
----------------------------------------------

223

223) 9/12/2008

Today I learnt that Gore Vidal is an American writer with liberal, progressive views.
----------------------------------------------

222

222) 8/12/2008

Today I learnt that Jet Harris was the original bassist of The Shadows.
----------------------------------------------

221

221) 7/12/2008

Today I learnt that after 1985's Live Aid concert all the American footage was disabled according to Bob Geldoff's wishes. Luckily MTV discovered, in their vaults, a collection of unmarked tapes which turned out to be a recording of the event complete with commercials and presenter links. None of the Live Aid footage was shown for 20 years until the tapes were found and a commemorative DVD released.
----------------------------------------------

220

220) 6/12/2008

Today I learnt that the first lyrics in the chorus of Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers are "Under Neon Loneliness".
----------------------------------------------

219

219) 5/12/2008

Today I learnt that irreverent means to lack respect for things considered sacred or important.
----------------------------------------------

218

218) 4/12/2008

Today I learnt that the song 'Night of The Living Baseheads' by Public Enemy has a strong anti-drugs message.

Daddy-O once said to me
He knew a brother who stayed all day in his jeep
And at night he went to sleep
And in the mornin' all he had was
The sneakers on his feet
The culprit used to jam and rock the mike, yo
He stripped the jeep to fill his pipe
And wander around to find a place
Where they rocked to a different kind of...BASE.
----------------------------------------------

217

217) 3/12/2008

Today I learnt that "The game is up" is a Shakespearian phrase.
----------------------------------------------

216

216) 2/12/2008

Today I learnt that the band My Bloody Valentine released an album entitled Loveless.
----------------------------------------------

215

215) 1/12/2008

Today I learnt that the second generation iPod Shuffle features a built-in clip on the back so you can attach it to stuff.
----------------------------------------------

214

214) 30/11/2008

Today I learnt that the footballer Robin Van Persie is capable of emphatic shooting ability with his right foot. Previously I thought that just his left foot possessed stunning ball-striking credentials.

HIGHER GROUND, HIGHER PURPOSE

----------------------------------------------

213

213) 29/11/2008

Today I learnt that the winner of this year's X Factor will release a cover version of Leonard Cohen's Hallejulah as their debut single/Christmas number one.... Dude.
----------------------------------------------

212

212) 28/11/2008

Today I learnt that there is a New York musical act known as The Benevento/Russo Duo. Their work can be described as a kind of experimentally electronic, improvised jazz-fusion based instrumental art rock.
----------------------------------------------

211

211) 27/11/2008

Today I learnt that the band Nightwish are Finnish.
----------------------------------------------

210

210) 26/11/2008

Today I learnt that Quincy Jones is an acclaimed producer and composer of music with a truly diverse set of achievements. Amongst other things he produced Michael Jackson's album Thriller, arranged music for Sinatra, wrote the music for The Italian Job and penned the song It's My Party (and I'll Cry if I want to).













----------------------------------------------

209

209) 25/11/2008

Today I learnt that Celestine Babayaro is the youngest footballer ever to play in the Champions League.
----------------------------------------------

208

208) 24/11/2008

Today I learnt that a woman's maiden name can be indicated by the term: née. (Pronounced nay). For example, Jackie Kennedy, née Bouvier.
----------------------------------------------

207

207) 23/11/2008

Today I learnt that Boots The Chemists originated in Nottingham, England. Even today its main headquarters are in Nottingham.
----------------------------------------------

206

206) 22/11/2008

Today I learnt that former X Factor contestants Same Difference are releasing a debut single and album. The brother and sister combo's music appears to be strongly influenced by the High School Musical phenomenon and is directed at the childrens' market.
----------------------------------------------

205

205) 21/11/2008

Today I learnt that The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure on Earth for nearly 4,000 years. It held the record until the early 14th century when Lincoln Cathedral exceeded its height. (The cathedral used to have a spire, which was destroyed in a storm, meaning it is not as tall now as its record-breaking height in the 14th century).
----------------------------------------------

204

204) 20/11/2008)

Today I learnt that The Colossus of Rhodes was a giant statue of the Greek God Helios built on the island of Rhodes in BC times. It only stood for little over half a century though before an earthquake brought it crashing down. It then lay for centuries in pieces on the ground; still drawing visitors amazed at the sheer scale of the broken statue. This was one of the original 7 Wonders of The Ancient World.
----------------------------------------------

203

203) 19/11/2008)

Today I learnt that a comprehensive and detailed list of British National Party members was leaked online. My nearest BNP member lives 0.3 miles away.
----------------------------------------------

202

202) 18/11/2008

Today I learnt that a Diaspora is the dispersal of people, originally of the same ethnic group or culture, to different parts of the world.
----------------------------------------------

201

201) 17/11/2008

Today I learnt that R.S. Thomas was a 20th century Welsh poet and priest. He had a strong sense of Welsh nationalism and was once nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature.
----------------------------------------------

200 up!

That's 200 days of this project in the bag! Yes... it's been fun and I'm not done yet.
----------------------------------------------

200

200) 16/11/2008

Today I learnt that from near the summit of Rombalds Moor in West Yorkshire you can, with binoculars on a clear day, make out York Minster which is well over 30 miles away.
----------------------------------------------

199

199) 15/11/2008

Today I learnt that there is an element called Einsteinium (Es). It is radioactive.
----------------------------------------------

198

198) 14/11/2008

Today I learnt that in Nazi Germany a nationwide anti-smoking campaign was started by Hitler. It was the first large-scale, public anti-tobacco movement of its kind.
----------------------------------------------

197

197) 13/11/2008

Today I learnt that Dodge City is in the midwestern state of Kansas.
----------------------------------------------

196

196) 12/11/2008

Today I learnt that Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg were/are associated with the West Coast hip hop scene whilst The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Sean Combs (P. Diddy) were/are part of the East Coast scene.
----------------------------------------------

195

195) 11/11/2008

Today I learnt that Nas is an American rapper.
----------------------------------------------

194

194) 10/11/2008

Today I learnt that Johnny Vegas is an accomplished potter.
----------------------------------------------

193

193) 9/11/2008

Today I learnt that Johnny Marr is now some kind of lecturer.
----------------------------------------------

192

192) 8/11/2008

Today I learnt that the first chapter of Albert Camus' L'Etranger describes the main protagonist preparing to attend his mother's funeral.
----------------------------------------------

191

191) 7/11/2008

Today I learnt that Terence Davies is a British film director.
----------------------------------------------

190

190) 6/11/2008

Today I learnt that the folk song "John Brown's Body" originates from the American Civil War. Sung by Union soldiers, it celebrates the the abolitionist John Brown.
----------------------------------------------

189

189) 5/11/2008

Today I learnt that barbiturates are sedative drugs.
----------------------------------------------

188

188) 4/11/2008

Today I learnt that Dixville Notch, New Hampshire is a tiny village which in US presidential elections holds a very early midnight vote. They are usually the first place to declare their results on election day.
----------------------------------------------

187

187) 3/11/2008

Today I learnt that what is referred to in the media as "anorexia" is technically wrong. The name of this form of eating disorder is actually anorexia nervosa.
----------------------------------------------

186

186) 2/11/2008

Today I learnt that Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish person to appear on a major-party presidential ticket in the USA. He was Al Gore's running-mate in the controversial 2000 election.
----------------------------------------------

185

185) 1/11/2008

Today I learnt that St. David's in Wales is the smallest city in the UK. It's population is under 2,000. It has a cathedral and not much else.
----------------------------------------------

184

184) 31/10/2008

Today I learnt that The Mayflower was a famous ship which carried a group of emigrants (known as the Pilgrims) from England to America. It's voyage was made in 1620 and it returned to England after depositing the surviving passengers.
----------------------------------------------

183

183) 30/10/2008

Today I learnt the probable reason why the word "love" is used for zero in tennis. The French used to say l'ouef (egg) to symbolise zero points. (An egg being the shape of a zero). Then the English appropriated this as "love" because that's what it phonetically sounded like. The phrase stuck.
----------------------------------------------

182

182) 29/10/2008

Today I learnt that Gilbert of the Gilbert & Sullivan partnership drowned whilst giving swimming lessons to two young ladies in a lake.
----------------------------------------------

181

181) 28/10/2008

Today I learnt that on Living TV's Most Haunted television programme, paranormal investigator Cath has the additional role of hair and make-up artist.
----------------------------------------------

180

180) 27/10/2008

Today I learnt that ersatz means a cheap substitute; an inferior imitation. For example: "They were drinking ersatz coffee. It wasn't the real thing." It is originally a German word.
----------------------------------------------

179

179) 26/10/2008

Today I learnt that the London Monarchs were an American Football team who played in the now defunct World League in the early 90s. They played their home games for one season at Wembley.
----------------------------------------------

178

178) 25/10/2008

Today I learnt that there is a controversial but brilliant song called He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss) which was written as a protest song by Carole King but released by The Crystals with seemingly different connotations. After being banned from airplay it was re-released and re-worded as Then He Kissed Me.
----------------------------------------------

177

177) 24/10/2008

Today I learnt that fivethirtyeight.com is a website/blog that aims to produce accurate statistical predictions of the upcoming American presidential election. The methods it uses are the brainchild of an expert baseball statistician.
----------------------------------------------

176

176) 23/10/2008

Today I learnt that legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was primarily a pitcher at the start of his career for the Boston Redsox. He threw and batted left-handed.
----------------------------------------------

175

175) 22/10/2008

Today I learnt that mohair is the fine, silky hair of the Angora goat.
----------------------------------------------

174

174) 21/10/2008

Today I learnt that "Quebec" represents the letter Q in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
----------------------------------------------

173

173) 20/10/2008

Today I learnt that Eadweard Muybridge was a 19th Century photographer. His photographic sequences proved that a galloping horse has all 4 hooves off the ground at one point during its gallop.
----------------------------------------------

172

172) 19/10/2008

Today I learnt that Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was not the first Simpsons episode produced; despite it being the first aired on television. Some Enchanted Evening was actually the first produced but it had major animation problems.
----------------------------------------------

171

171) 18/10/2008

Today I learnt that Liechtenstein use the same tune as "God Save The Queen" for their national anthem.
----------------------------------------------

170

170) 17/10/2008

Today I learnt that the song Higher by Creed is in D Major.
----------------------------------------------

169

169) 16/10/2008

Today I learnt that "vela" is a Spanish word meaning "candle". It has other other meanings including connections with sailing.
----------------------------------------------

168

168) 15/10/2008

Today I learnt that that jazz music was often written as "jass" in the early days.
----------------------------------------------

167

167) 14/10/2008

Today I learnt that Lance Armstrong never rode in the Giro d'Italia. However, after coming out (of retirement) he will ride it next year.
----------------------------------------------

166

166) 13/10/2008

Today I learnt that Britney Spears is an anagram of Presbyterians.
----------------------------------------------

165

165) 12/10/2008

Today I learnt that LSD is an abbreviation of Lysergic acid diethylamide.
----------------------------------------------

164

164) 11/10/2008

Today I learnt that the universe, as we know it, is 13.7 billion years old.
----------------------------------------------

163

163) 10/10/2008

Today I learnt that the composer Jean Sibelius was commissioned to write his 5th Symphony by the Finnish government. The 3 movement piece was to mark his 50th birthday - and he himself conducted the premiere on his birthday.
----------------------------------------------

162

162) 9/10/2008

Today I learnt that The Electric Prunes were a psychedelic rock band of the late 60s. For one of their albums they set the Catholic mass to acid rock music.

.

----------------------------------------------

161

161) 8/10/2008

Today I learnt what the continent of Australia was like when the first people reached this land circa 40,000 years ago. Lower sea levels meant it was joined on to New Guinea and Tasmania - the land mass was quite a bit bigger than it is today. The first settlers, coming by a pioneering sea journey from South East Asia encountered bizarre megafauna like giant kangaroos and massive ox-like beasts. The sea levels only rose at the end of the last ice age.
----------------------------------------------

160

160) 7/10/2008

Today I learnt that Schubert's 8th (Unfinished) Symphony consists of only 2 completed movements. There exists a fragmented sketch of the scherzo (3rd) movement but that is all.
----------------------------------------------

159

159) 6/10/2008

Today I learnt that the citadel is a city's fortress.
----------------------------------------------

158

158) 5/10/2008

Today I learnt that a stratocracy is a form of government whereby a society is governed by military chiefs.
----------------------------------------------

157

157) 4/10/2008

Today I learnt that Nombre de Dios is in Panama. It was an early Spanish colony and an important part of their treasure operations. The city was sacked by Francis Drake.
----------------------------------------------

156

156) 3/10/2008

Today I learnt that Altrincham F.C.'s ground is Moss Lane. Their traditional main rivals are Macclesfield Town.
----------------------------------------------

155

155) 2/10/2008

Today I learnt that composer Alban Berg died after an insect bite gave him blood poisoning. He was 50. It was 1935.
----------------------------------------------

154

154) 1/10/2008

Today I learnt that Johann Strauss II (composer of The Blue Danube Waltz) followed in his father's footsteps by writing popular music waltzes. His father popularised the dance in Vienna and was a pioneer of sheet music sales. For the first time music was becoming a commodity and the growing middle classes were buying into the new dance.
----------------------------------------------

153

153) 30/9/2008

Today I learnt that Lindow Man is a "bog body" discovered in England in the 1980s. It is the remarkably well-preserved remains of a man murdered and thrown into a bog in the first century AD.
----------------------------------------------

152

152) 29/9/2008

Today I learnt that the term plenary connotes completeness; fullness. A plenary meeting is one which all members must attend.
----------------------------------------------

151

151) 28/9/2008

Today I learnt that Jesus Gil was a Spanish businessman and mayor who who owned Athletico Madrid FC. He was known to have far right-wing political views and possible links to organised crime.
----------------------------------------------

150

150) 27/9/2008

Today I learnt that in the Cricket County Championship bonus batting and bowling points are only awarded in the first innings of matches.
----------------------------------------------

149

149) 26/9/2008

Today I learnt that the stylophone is a small electronic synthesiser which you operate with a metal-tipped pointer. It was promoted by Rolf Harris in the past.
----------------------------------------------

148

148) 25/9/2008

Today I learnt that footballers Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are predominantly left-footed.
----------------------------------------------

147

147) 24/9/2008

Today I learnt that the hardcore punk band Black Flag created a logo which epitomised their bleak, angry, anarchic sound and represented their name. (See below). The symbol was graffitied all over Los Angeles and raised an underground publicity for the band.

.

----------------------------------------------

146

146) 23/9/2008

Today I learnt that the singer of Type O Negative is Peter Steele. The band's nickname is "The Drab Four" as opposed to the Beatles' moniker "The Fab Four".
----------------------------------------------

145

145) 22/9/2008

Today I learnt that former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker was recently involved in a plane crash and is seriously injured. There were 6 people on board and 4 fatalities.
----------------------------------------------

144

144) 21/9/2008

Today I learnt that the oil product WD-40 stands for "water displacement: 40th Formula". This is because the developer of this lubricating product arrived at the successful formula on his 40th attempt.
----------------------------------------------

143

143) 20/9/2008

Today I learnt that Nuuk is the capital city of Greenland.
----------------------------------------------

142

142) 19/9/2008

Today I learnt that in the UK a hill is considered a mountain if it is over 2000 feet.
----------------------------------------------

141

141) 18/9/2008

Today I learnt that Phoenix, Arizona is the 5th most populated city in America after New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.
----------------------------------------------

140

140) 17/9/2008

Today I learnt that Floorball is a sport similar to ice hockey. It is played on a hard court and a plastic ball with holes in it is used. Floorball originated in Scandanavia where it is very popular.
----------------------------------------------

139

139) 16/9/2008

Today I learnt that transgressive can be used to describe something that goes beyond the accepted limits and subverts the boundaries of normality.
----------------------------------------------

138

138) 15/9/2008

Today I learnt that a bounder is a person with questionable morals; a racal, a cad, someone who behaves badly. The expression is somewhat dated now though.
----------------------------------------------

137

137) 14/9/2008

Today I learnt an excellent quote by Mao Zedong: "We shall support whatever our enemies oppose; and oppose whatever our enemies support."
----------------------------------------------

136

136) 13/9/2008

Today I learnt that CH Wood was a photographer who documented the people, cities and industry of Northern England. Working in the pre and post-war years; CH also experimented with infra-red technology and aerial photography.
----------------------------------------------

135

135) 12/9/2008

Today I learnt the elusive, incomprehensible chorus lyrics of R.E.M.'s The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite. For years I had been mildly puzzled/annoyed as to what Michael Stipe actually sings, but today I discovered the lyrics are: "Call me when you try to wake her up; call me when you try to wake her". Previously I had always sung "Only in Jamaica" or something like that.
----------------------------------------------

134

134) 11/9/2008

Today I learnt that, in Greek mythology, Zephyr was the god of the west wind.
----------------------------------------------

133

133) 10/9/2008

Today I learnt that Looe is a place in South-West England, quite near Plymouth.
----------------------------------------------

132

132) 9/9/2008

Today I learnt that Pakistan’s new leader was the husband of assassinated former president Benazir Bhutto.
----------------------------------------------

131

131) 8/9/2008

Today I learnt that a breakwater is another name for a jetty. It is a wall built into the sea which shelters a harbour from waves.
----------------------------------------------

A Brief Absence

I won't be updating this website in the next few days because I am going away for a while. The project will of course continue though, and this site will be updated upon my return.

130

130) 7/9/2008

Today I learnt that Virgin Radio is to be re-named "Absolute Radio" in the near future.
----------------------------------------------

129

129) 6/9/2008

Today I learnt that the huge body of water you see in North-Eastern Canada is Hudson Bay.
----------------------------------------------

128

128) 5/9/2008

Today I learnt that the capital city of Ecuador is Quito. Ecuador is on the North-Western coast of South America, above Peru.
----------------------------------------------

127

127) 4/9/2008

Today I learnt 3 key states (all won by the Republicans last time) which Barack Obama will be looking to win in order to become President in this year's election. They are Ohio, Virginia and Florida - all have significant electoral college votes up for grabs.
----------------------------------------------

126

126) 3/9/2008

Today I learnt that West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley has left the club.
----------------------------------------------

125

125) 2/9/2008

Today I learnt that it was Friedrich Nietzsche who conceived the line, "What does not kill me makes me stronger".
----------------------------------------------

124

124) 1/9/2008

Today I learnt that a cause célèbre (French for famous case) is a controversy or talking point of some kind. Eg. the minister's remarks proved to be a cause célèbre amongst the pubic.
----------------------------------------------

123

123) 31/8/2008

Today I learnt that Atari Teenage Riot were a German hardcore techno group that expressed an anarchic, anti-fascist message in their music.
----------------------------------------------

122

122) 30/8/2008

Today I learnt that System of a Down were named after a poem one of the members wrote called "Victims of the Down". System was considered a more inclusive, all-encompassing word than Victims though; hence their moniker.
----------------------------------------------

121

121) 29/8/2008

Today I learnt that Ethiopia and Liberia were the only African nations not colonially occupied by European powers in the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th Century.
----------------------------------------------

120

120) 28/8/2008

Today I learnt that a goy is Jewish slang for a non-jew.
----------------------------------------------

119

119) 27/8/2008

Today I learnt that Mycenae was once a major city of the Ancient Greek civilisation. The site was a tourist attraction in Roman times but was then abandoned.
----------------------------------------------

118

118) 26/8/2008

Today I learnt a quote by the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus - "A Man's character is his fate". Character is destiny.
----------------------------------------------

117

117) 25/8/2008

Today I learnt the meaning behind Ltd. (limited) when it is used as part of a company's name. The term refers to private companies whose shares are not available to the general public. The shares of these limited companies have limited liability so the shareholders' personal assets are protected in the case of insolvency.
----------------------------------------------

116

116) 24/8/2008

Today I learnt that the word mawkish can mean excessively sentimental; nausiatingly over-emotional and insincere - sickeningly "slushy".
----------------------------------------------

115

115) 23/8/2008

Today I learnt that New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote.
----------------------------------------------

114

114) 22/8/2008

Today I learnt that BMX stands for Bicycle Motorcross.
----------------------------------------------

113

113) 21/8/2008

Today I learnt that some of the most well-known and impressive pre-historic cave paintings were found in Lascaux, France. Dated at circa 15,000 years old, these paintings realistically depict horses, stags, cattle and other large animals. (This subject matter is frequently seen in other cave paintings around the world). The Lascaux cave was discovered during the 2nd World War by some teenagers.


----------------------------------------------

112

112) 20/8/2008

Today I learnt that Man Ray was an influential modernist artist who was always at the forefront of artistic experimentalism. He was a photographic pioneer, surrealist film-maker and painter associated with the Dada movement (see 81).


----------------------------------------------

111

111) 19/8/2008

Today I learnt that sprinter Simeon Williamson is a second cousin of British high-jumper Germaine Mason.
----------------------------------------------

110

110) 18/8/2008

Today I learnt that the gymnast Nadia Comaneci was Romanian and that she later defected to America. She was the first gymnast to achieve an Olympic perfect 10 score (in the uneven bars at the Montreal 1976 games). Aged 14, in these Olympics she achieved 3 gold medals - winning the all-round competition, the uneven bars and the beam.
----------------------------------------------

109

109) 17/8/2008

Today I learnt that ginkgo is an ancient species of tree which has remained evolutionally unchanged for millions of years. All related species are long extinct making it a unique “living fossil” as Darwin put it.
----------------------------------------------

108

108) 16/8/2008

Today I learnt another, more scientific way of representing numbers: You simplify a number by expressing it as the mantissa (its first significant digits). Then you define its exponent (the power of ten you multiply it by to attain the real number). For example: 1,300,000 in this method is written as 1.3 x 106: This is a more tidy and manageable representation which omits needless zeros.
----------------------------------------------

107

107) 15/8/2008

Today I learnt that the musical note "middle C" resonates at a frequency of 261.626 Hz.
----------------------------------------------

106

106) 14/8/2008

Today I learnt that Lili Boulanger was a female French composer whose short life lasted between 1893 and 1918.
----------------------------------------------

105

105) 13/8/2008

Today I learnt that the prefix sino denotes Chinese. (For example: Sino-British relations were hampered). Also, Sinology is the study of all things China.
----------------------------------------------

104

104) 12/8/2008

Today I learnt that Olympus Mons (located on Mars) is the highest mountain/volcano in the solar system. It is nearly 3 times taller than Mount Everest. The name is Latin for "Mount Olympus".
----------------------------------------------

103

103) 11/8/2008

Today I learnt the differentiations of some terminology regarding early morning. Daybreak refers to the beginning of dawn - the start of the day. Dawn is when the first presence of noticeable weak light begins to replace darkness (this is twilight). At this point crucially the sun is still below the horizon though. Sunrise occurs later when the sun appears above the eastern horizon.
----------------------------------------------

102

102) 10/8/2008

Today I learnt that Master of Reality is a seminal and influential album by Black Sabbath. It showcases an extremely dark musical landscape.
----------------------------------------------

101

101) 9/8/2008

Today I learnt the location of The Black Sea. It is the inland sea situated above Turkey in Eastern Europe.
----------------------------------------------

The First Century

On this historic first day of the Beijing Olympics, I have now achieved 100 days of this project. This is an achievement I am very proud of but it is only the beginning. I always look forward to learning something each day and the intriguing thing is that you never know what it might be. Now - onwards...
----------------------------------------------

100

100) 8/8/2008

Today I learnt that Paraguay's is the only national flag which does not have the same design on both sides.
.

----------------------------------------------

99

99) 7/8/2008

Today I learnt that Petra is a site of huge archaeological significance in modern-day Jordan. It is the remains of an ancient city cut out of rock.

.

----------------------------------------------

98

98) 6/8/2008

Today I learnt that at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British 400m runner Derek Redmond tore his hamstring in the semi-final. However, with true Olympian spirit, he heroically finished the race with his father helping him across the line.
----------------------------------------------

97

97) 5/8/2008

Today I learnt that a perfect number is one which is equal to the sum of its factors. (Excluding the number itself). For example: 6 is a perfect number as 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. These numbers are very rare though! The next ones are 28 and 496. After that, you're all the way into the 8,000s for the next perfect number.
----------------------------------------------

96

96) 4/8/2008

Today I learnt locational information about 3 pre-Columbian civilisations. The Aztec empire was situated in modern-day Mexico and its capital was bigger than any European city. Meanwhile, the Inca empire originated in Peru and stretched down the Pacific coast of South America. The Maya civilisation was established much earlier in Meso-America.
----------------------------------------------

95

95) 3/8/2008

Today I learnt 95% of plant and animal species that have ever existed on Earth are now extinct.
----------------------------------------------

94

94) 2/8/2008

Today I learnt that all land on Earth was originally joined together as one super-continent which we refer to as Pangaea. Around 200 million years ago it started to break up; forming the continents we know today.

.

----------------------------------------------

93

93) 1/8/2008

Today I learnt that there was/is a car manufacturer called Qvale. (To all intents and purposes, the only one in the world beginning with Q). Qvale was an independent Italian producer of cars and they only ever released one model - an exclusive sports car of which only a few hundred were made.
----------------------------------------------

92

92) 31/7/2008

Today I learnt that the expression "flogging a dead horse" was probably coined in Victorian times by British politician John Bright. (He used it whilst making a speech in Parliament). In America they use "beating a dead horse".
----------------------------------------------

91

91) 30/7/2008

Today I learnt that The ICF (Inter City Firm) was a football hooligan gang associated with West Ham United. Most active during the heyday of British hooliganism - their moniker was derived from the InterCity train network they travelled to away games on.
----------------------------------------------

90

90) 29/7/2008

Today I learnt there is a place called Daisy Hill on the outskirts of Bradford.
----------------------------------------------

89

89) 28/7/2008

Today I learnt that the word Berserk as in "he went berserk" comes from Old Norse. Berserkers were insane Norse warriors who fought in a frenzied, furious manner. These men, whilst possibly under the influence of drugs, showed uncontrollable rage in battle and wore bizarre coats of bear-skin.
----------------------------------------------

88

88) 27/7/2008

Today I learnt that the Argentian mountain Aconcagua, in The Andes, is the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere. Indeed, at nearly 7,000 metres, it is the highest peak outside of Asia.
----------------------------------------------

87

87) 26/7/2008

Today I learnt that Colchester claims to be the oldest recorded town in Britain.
----------------------------------------------

86

86) 25/7/2008

Today I learnt the word avuncular - it is an adjective that means "like or with the mannerisms of an uncle". When applied to a person it denotes kindness and tolerance.
----------------------------------------------

85

85) 24/7/2008

Today I learnt that Hasidic Judaism is an orthodox Jewish religious movement. The vast majority of its circa 500,000 followers live in Israel or America.
----------------------------------------------

84

84) 23/7/2008

Today I learnt that the longest year ever was 46 BC. It lasted for 445 days in order to bring the calendar properly in line with the sun. Julius Caesar introduced this change thus reforming the Roman calendar. Today many countries use an even more accurate version of this system - The Gregorian calendar which was first introduced in the 16th Century.
----------------------------------------------

83

83) 22/7/2008

Today I learnt that The Z-Boys were an influential group of young Californian skaters in the mid 1970s who revolutionised and popularised the sport of skateboarding. The likes of Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta are credited not only with creating a more intense, aerial skateboarding style but also with kick-starting the punk/skater subculture now widespread.
----------------------------------------------

82

82) 21/7/2008

Today I learnt that Chinua Achebe is an African writer best known for the widely read novel Things Fall Apart. This book is set in Nigeria at the turn of the 20th Century and explores the family life of the protagonist as well as British colonialism.
----------------------------------------------

81

81) 20/7/2008

Today I learnt that the "Dada" anti-art movement was a precursor to surrealism and flourished during World War 1 in the neutral country of Switzerland. (Zurich). Artists would, for example, present ordinary objects removed from their everday context as art or produce nonsense automatic drawing. The movement was a reaction against the traditional art establishment and expressed a strong anti-war stance.
----------------------------------------------

80

80) 19/7/2008

Today I learnt that Gordon Banks' football career was ended by a car crash where he lost an eye. Previously I thought this accident occured after he had retired.
----------------------------------------------

79

79) 18/7/2008

Today I learnt that English cricketer Darren Pattinson, who surprisingly made his test debut against South Africa today, grew up in Australia and has only played 11 first-class matches despite being in his late twenties. He only signed for Nottinghamshire at the start of this season. It is one of the most unexpected call-ups of all time.
----------------------------------------------

78

78) 17/7/2008

Today I learnt that the word immutable means unchangable or changeless.
----------------------------------------------

77

77) 16/7/2008

Today I learnt that the Thylacine is a now extinct animal which survived on Tasmania until its demise from hunting in the 1930s. They resembled short-haired dogs and were also known as Tasmanian tigers because of their striped backs. This large carnivorous marsupial could also open its jaws to an unusually massive extent. It is now a symbol of Tasmania despite the European settlers' systematic eradication of the animal.

----------------------------------------------

76

76) 15/7/2008

Today I learnt that Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Spain, led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. He himself did not complete the voyage as he died in a battle in the Phillipines (the first Westerners to set foot here). Magellan's aim was to find a westward route from Europe to the Spice Islands (Indonesia). His few surviving men returned to Spain in 1522 now knowing the full extent of the Earth for the first time.
----------------------------------------------

75

75) 14/7/2008

Today I learnt that The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of English artists who formed their "brotherhood" in the mid 19th Century; they advocated a return to the intense colour and effect of works produced before the artist Raphael. (Hence the name). The group criticised aspects of Classical convention and realism.
----------------------------------------------

74

74) 13/7/2008

Today I learnt that the adjective sanguine means cheerful, optimistic and confident.
----------------------------------------------

73

73) 12/7/2008

Today I learnt that an acrostic is a poem where the first letters of each line or stanza spell out a hidden message. For example; the Dutch National Anthem.
----------------------------------------------

72

72) 11/7/2008

Today I learnt that Google has a program called StreetView which shows 360° close-up, road-level views of streets in USA and France.
----------------------------------------------

71

71) 10/7/2008

Today I learnt that David Lloyd George, British prime-minister at the end of World War 1, was the last Liberal to hold the office and the only ever PM who could speak Welsh.
----------------------------------------------

70

70) 9/7/2008

Today I learnt that jazz musician Coleman Hawkins was an eminent master of the tenor-saxophone.
----------------------------------------------

69

69) 8/7/2008

Today I learnt that the third longest river on Earth is The Yangtze in China. (The Nile being the longest followed by The Amazon).
----------------------------------------------

68

68) 7/7/2008

Today I learnt that circa 4 – 5 thousand years ago man developed the ability to create the alloy bronze by mixing copper with tin. Veins of copper ore (eg. green Malachite in limestone) were mined out. Then the crushed copper ore was smelted at a very high temperature – turning it into pure liquid copper which, combined with tin, was poured into moulds. (Drying to create very strong tools and weapons).
----------------------------------------------

67

67) 6/7/2008

Today I learnt that Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (known as Le Corbusier) was a famous 20th Century architect who designed striking urban landscapes and modern city tower-blocks. The round, black-rimmed glasses he wore was his trademark look.
----------------------------------------------

66

66) 5/7/2008

Today I learnt the three records of boxer Floyd Patterson. He was the first Olympic gold medallist to later become Word Heavyweight champion; and the then youngest champion at this weight. Thirdly, he was the first man to regain the title after losing it.
----------------------------------------------

65

65) 4/7/2008

Today I learnt that a tabby cat is one with a mottled/stripy coating.
----------------------------------------------

64

64) 3/7/2008

Today I learnt that the Earth’s atmosphere consists of the troposphere, stratosphere and ionosphere. (In ascending order).
----------------------------------------------

63

63) 2/7/2008

Today I learnt that The Boer War was a conflict over gold-rich land between Britain and the independent ‘Boer’ communities of South Africa. It was fought at the turn of the 20th Century and featured the Boer commandoes using expert guerrilla tactics.
----------------------------------------------

62

62) 1/7/2008

Today I learnt that in 1984 Margaret Thatcher agreed Hong Kong should be handed back to Chinese rule. This was to happen in 1997 when Britain’s original lease on the land expired.
----------------------------------------------

61

61) 30/6/2008

Today I learnt that a ha-ha is a ditch dug around the grounds of a stately home. It prevents animals from encroaching on the land without the aesthetic problem of a fence obstructing the view of the grounds.
----------------------------------------------

60

60) 29/6/2008

Today I learnt that Nelson Mandela was a defence lawyer in Johannesburg before he took up the fight against apartheid full-time; eventually being imprisoned in 1964.
----------------------------------------------

Notice of Absence

I am going away for 2 weeks and won't be on the Internet. I will keep a written record of my daily learning and will then update this blog upon returning.

The project never stops.
----------------------------------------------

59

59) 28/6/2008

Today I learnt that the 2008 Giro d'Italia was won by Alberto Contador who now rides for the Astana team.
----------------------------------------------

58

58) 27/6/2008

Today I learnt that the famous line "Hell is other people" comes from a play by the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
---------------------------------------------

Days 50 - 57

50) 19/6/2008

Today I learnt that the common expression "come what may" was coined by William Shakespeare in his play Macbeth.

51) 20/6/2008

Today I learnt the names of the 4 principle islands of Japan. They are Hokkaidō (has Sapporo), Honshū (the main one which has Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Yokohama etc.), Shikoku and, furthest south, Kyūshū (has Nagasaki).

52) 21/6/2008

Today I learnt that former Sheffield United and Birmingham City player Curtis Woodhouse is now a professional boxer who has won his first 6 fights. He also currently plays for Rushen and Diamonds.

53) 22/6/2008

Today I learnt that Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.

54) 23/6/2008

Today I learnt that the expression "Blimey" originated in the 19th Century from "Gorblimey"; itself a corruption of "God blind me".

55) 24/6/2008

Today I learnt a fantastic palindrome off-by-heart:
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?

56) 25/6/2008

Today I learnt that the part of a string instrument which anchors the strings in place at the bottom is called the Tailpiece.

57) 26/6/2008

Today I learnt that temerity means a rash lack of fear and unreasonable boldness. Eg. His temerity cost him his life.

Days 43 - 49

43) 12/6/2008

Today I learnt that The Lost World is a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle.

44) 13/6/2008

Today I learnt that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German silent horror film from 1920.

45) 14/6/2008

Today I learnt that the lyrics at the very end of Alice In Chains’ seminal song Would? are: ‘If I would, could you?’

46) 15/6/2008

Today I learnt that former US president Gerald Ford’s favourite film was Home Alone.

47) 16/6/2008

Today I learnt that original member of A Perfect Circle, Troy Van Leeuwen, was previously a guitarist for Failure.

48) 17/6/2008

Today I learnt that Sylvia Plath was an American poet who married Ted Hughes. She is buried quite near where I live in West Yorkshire.

49) 18/6/2008

Today I learnt that only one member of Russia's Euro 2008 squad plays for a non-Russian club. (Ivan Saenko - who plays for FC Nuremburg).

Days 36 - 42

36) 5/6/2008

Today I learnt that "Reagan Democrats" was a name given to the many white, working-class traditional democrats who switched and voted for Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, in his successful 1980 and 1984 presidential elections.

37) 6/6/2008

Today I learnt that nanotechnology is an advanced scientific field where the goal is to control matter on the level of single atoms.

38) 7/6/2008

Today I learnt that David Mitchell writes a weekly sports column in The Guardian.

39) 8/6/2008

Today I learnt that a leviathan is a sea-monster (the word comes from the bible). It can also mean anything which is large or powerful.

40) 9/6/2008

Today I learnt that the German word "jawohl" which is frequently heard in war films means: yes of course / certainly.

41) 10/6/2008

Today I learnt who Gram Parsons was. He was a country-rock pioneer of the late 60s and early 70s whose two solo albums were titled "GP" and "Grievous Angel". He died of a drugs overdose at 26.

42) 11/6/2008

Today I learnt the location of the mountain Base Brown in the Lake District. (Borrowdale).

Days 29 - 35

29) 29/5/2008

Today I learnt that the latin phrase "contemptus mundi" means "contempt for the world".

30) 30/5/2008

Today I learnt that the film "Fight Club" has several subliminial frames included. In some the Tyler Durden character appears and disappears rapidly on the screen before he has been introduced into the film. I had not noticed these until today.

31) 31/5/2008

Today I learnt that in Morse Code the silent space between letters should be, conventionally, equal to 3 dots; and each dash should be equal in length to 3 dots.

32) 1/6/2008

Today I learnt that this type of sleeping bag is known as the "mummy" variety.


33) 2/6/2008

Today I learnt that the sycamore trees we have in Britain are not native to this country and no-one knows exactly who introduced them or when. Only in the last 200 years or so have they become widespread.

34) 3/6/2008

Today I learnt that Rabat is the capital city of Morocco; not the far larger Casablanca.

35) 4/6/2008

Today I learned that Czechoslovakia won the 1976 European Championship on penalties against West Germany. The winning penalty was an audacious chip by Panenka; perhaps the first such penalty ever seen. I was under the impression that Germany had never lost a penalty shoot-out.

Days 22 - 28

22) 22/5/2008

Today I learnt that the word "appellation" describes a name or the act of giving a name or title to something.
eg. Ray Parlour was known as the Romford Pele with this ironic appellation affectionately coined by the Arsenal fans.

23) 23/5/2008

Today I learnt that Germany have only won the Eurovision Song Contest once (in 1982).

24) 24/5/2008

Today I learnt that the words "history will absolve me" were the last lines of a speech by Fidel Castro he made while defending himself in court in 1953.

25) 25/5/2008

Today I learnt the that my great-great-great grandfather was a renowned bassonist and also fought in colonial India in the 1850s to quell various uprisings.

26) 26/5/2008

Today I learnt that the unusual chord sequence in Johnny Cash's song "I Walk The Line" was inspired by an accidental reverse playback of a tape-player. - Hence the seemingly "back-to-front" feel of the cadences.

27) 27/5/2008

Today I learnt that MRI stands for "Magnetic resonance imaging".

28) 28/5/2008

Today I learnt that Frank Lloyd Wright was a well-known American architect.

Days 15 - 21

15) 15/5/2008

Today I learnt that there is a village in Suffolk called Brockley with a population of 281 at the last census. It has an indoor bowls club. It is near Bury St Edmunds. Wow.

16) 16/5/2008

Today I learnt that "perfidy" is a word to describe an act of disloyalty, a betrayal of trust.

17) 17/5/2008

Today I learnt that Portsmouth's ground, Fratton Park, is on its own separate island.

18) 18/5/2006

Today I learnt that deep inside a pine forest can be a peculiarly still, dead, grey and somewhat mystical place.

19) 19/5/2008

Today I learnt that in the Mexican Revolution Emiliano Zapata's armed unit was called The Liberation Army of the South or more commonly reffered to as the Zapatistas.

20) 20/5/2008

Today I learnt that Ray Mears believes his television "extreme survival" rival Bear Grylls is a "showman" and a glorified boy scout.

21) 21/5/2008

Today I learnt that Ken Burns is an American maker of documentary films who frequently uses still photographs in his films. The "Ken Burns Effect" is slowly zooming in or panning across still photographs which are embedded into the film.

Days 8 - 14

8) 8/5/2008

Today I learnt that the word "candour" means honest, straightforward speech or behaviour.

9) 9/5/2008

Today I learnt that the American president who came before Herbert Hoover was Calvin Coolidge; also a Republican.

10) 10/5/2008

Today I learnt that Ebbsfleet United FC are the 2008 FA Trophy champions.

11) 11/5/2008

Today I learnt that Usman Afzaal now plays his cricket for Surrey.

12) 12/5/2008

Today I learnt that the word "schadenfreude" (a German expression sometimes used in English) means taking direct satisfaction from someone else's failure. I learnt this from reading a thread on here just now.

13) 13/5/2008

Today I learnt that the word "convoluted" can mean language that is hard to understand and unnecessarily complicated. Eg. He gave a convoluted talk that no-one enjoyed.

14) 14/5/2008

Today I learnt that Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded.

Days 1 - 7

Here's a record of the first 57 days.... (before I started this blog)

1) 1/5/2008

Today I learnt that the furthest away photograph ever taken of the Earth was taken by the Voyager 1 probe in 1990. The craft was about 4 billion miles away when it took this image of a tiny “pale blue dot” in the distance; totally alone in the void of space. This is our planet.




2) 2/5/2008

Today I learnt that the "tenuto" marking of a note in music can either mean hold the note to its full value or accent the note. The symbol's meaning then must be determined by the musical context it appears in.

3) 3/5/2008

Today I learnt that Dixie Dean achieved his 60 goals in a season feat in 1928. I had previously thought he did this in the immediate post-World War 2 period.

4) 4/5/2008

Today I learnt that, in their 124 year history, Leicester City had never been below the second tier of English football until their relegation to the third tier today.

5) 5/5/2008

Today I learned that the capital city of Latvia is Riga.

6) 6/5/2008

Today I learned that Mathieu Flamini had left Arsenal for AC Milan. I was sad.

7) 7/5/2008

Today I learnt that that the word "Anaphylaxis" means a severe allergic reaction.

My project

Hi, I go by the pseudonym of Ric d'Shen-Wi. Welcome to my life's work.

I am undertaking a life-long project where each and every day I write down one thing I learned that particular day. It could be anything - no matter how trivial, complicated, large or small.

On this blog I will record each piece of newly-learned knowledge. It is a record; for posterity and so I can review and revise my daily learnings.

I started this project 57 days ago as a thread on a forum. Here was my initial explanation for doing it:

I believe in the psychological "life-time learning and development" thesis which I feel every human undertakes to some level. As a record of my own personal daily progression through life until my eventual certain death; I will post once on this thread every single day with something I have learned that particular day. It may be anything but I want to keep a record; and I encourage others to post anything they may have learned today.

"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." - Anais Nin.

57 days on and I am still going strong. It is like a proof of my existence. So often we go through days, weeks even - sleepwalking from one end of the conveyor belt to the other. We remember nothing much at all - life just goes on relentlessly so where is the proof we even existed?

This is my proof. I can look back on a day and say, "yes, I learned something that day." I can remember and recall how I came across that fact, who told me it or where and why I looked it up. The project is a chronological record of my life - a kind of diary with a difference.

The things I learn are personal to me and are a product of my own unique life-context. They tell me where I've been, what I've done, what I read, what I watched or who I was with. The things you learn are personal to you. I hope you read at least something on this blog that makes you think, "wow, I didn't know that."

We become aware of many things but we mostly forget or don't really take them in at all. Also, we are all defined only by the limitations we place on ourselves. So keep learning, keep progressing. My main message of this is that we should embrace the world around us and expand our minds.

So I welcome and encourage anyone reading this to contribute themselves; and share a piece of knowledge, fact or information with the world. Your comments are welcome - I might just learn something!