Douglas Hamilton of Scotland spent the summer at SeaView Lion Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, a couple of years ago. He got close to the lion cubs, and recorded them expressing their feelings on his last day at the park. Or maybe he bathed in catnip that day. -via The Daily What
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
Selecting the right title for a TV series can mean the difference between success and failure: just ask the producers of Cougar Town. Would Friends have done as well with the name Six of One or Across the Hall? The Hollywood Reporter makes some points about how to find a good title, and then has the accounts of how several hit shows were named. For example, That '70s Show went through a few song titles that never panned out. Executive producer Tom Werner tells the story.
Link -via Metafilter
"Teenage Wasteland was our tentative title. It was on the first draft, but we couldn't get the rights to it from The Who. So we went back to the drawing board and came up with 30 titles. [Among them was The Kids Are Alright, another Who song, which songwriter Pete Townshend shot down as well.] Eventually, we came up with Feelin' All Right [which then-Fox president Peter Roth presented to advertisers at the 1998 upfront in New York]. As we got closer, the network decided that wasn't memorable enough. And frankly, it wouldn't have been. Finally, [co-creator] Bonnie Turner says, "You know, why don't we just call it That '70s Show? Because that's what everyone is going to end up calling it anyway. No matter what we come up with, they'll say, 'Did you see that '70s show?' " We all looked at her and said, 'You're right.' It was inspired."
Link -via Metafilter
The YouTube description doesn't tell what kind of dog this is, but he is obviously determined to retrieve his tennis ball. Just not by swimming for it. -via Arbroath
On April 15, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The History Press has set up a Twitter account to send real-time (+100 years) updates on the progress of the ship and its only voyage. Start following now to get the whole story as it happened. Link -via the Presurfer
The vernal equinox is a day earlier than usual this year because we just had a leap day. Spring officially begins at 1:14 AM Tuesday in the US Eastern time zone, and that means Monday night in the western part of the country. Some people celebrate the equinox by standing a broom on end or standing an egg on its end. Why?
You'll find instructions for standing an egg on its end (any day of the year) at Bad Astronomy. Link
One thing the equinox does not not NOT NOT mean is that you can balance ungainly objects on their ends on this day! This used to mean egg standing — more on that in a sec — but for reasons beyond my ability to parse the newest version of this involves standing brooms on their bristles. Don’t believe me? Here’s a gallery of people doing it. I’ve been hearing a lot about this, but it has nothing to do with the equinox (or the recent solar activity, another odd idea that’s going around). It’s actually a simply matter of center of mass and flat bristles. Honestly, it’s not more mysterious than standing a brick up. Here’s a good video explanation of it.
The picture above of the broom standing? That was taken on October 27, 2009. So there ya go. Also, you can try this: if you have a broom you can stand today, wait a week and try again. It’ll stand then, too, if you try hard enough.
If you replace the word "broom" with "egg" then we’ve heard this all before.
You'll find instructions for standing an egg on its end (any day of the year) at Bad Astronomy. Link
If you've ever written about "Spiderman" on the internet, you've been schooled in the proper spelling. It's Spider-Man! Other super heroes don't use the hyphen. Cartoonist Cathy Leamy of Metrokitty explains the difference. Link -via Laughing Squid
Hollywood celebrities love to take guest star turns on crime shows. Most would like to portray the guilty party, but many end up as a murder victim. Do you remember who died on your favorite crime shows? Test your TV memory in today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. You'll be given the name of a celebrity, and you decide which of three crimes shows they appeared in as a corpse. I scored an abysmal 20% because I went too many years without watching TV. You will do better! Link
The Oxford Dictionaries offers a spelling test you can take online. Words are pronounced for you, so turn your speakers on. I aced the Tricky level. On both the Difficult and the Fiendish levels, I scored 14 of 15. I actually spell pretty well, thanks to years of writing under the supervision of spellcheck and commenters. The misspellings you see in my posts are mostly due to my horrid typing skills. Let us know how you do on this quiz! Link -via TYWKIWDBI
Just like people, cats can be heroes, eccentrics, objects of affection, or anonymous. Some are works of art; others are memorialized in art, like Hodge.
Read about the top ten cats of London at Londonist. Link -via Nag on the Lake
Samuel Johnson’s beloved pet can be found immortalised in bronze outside the great lexicographer’s house in Gough Square. The good doctor would make special trips to buy oysters for the beast, and the modern likeness of Hodge stands beside a pair of empty oyster shells, revelling in the inscription “A very fine cat indeed”.
Read about the top ten cats of London at Londonist. Link -via Nag on the Lake
I should think that second reason is the best reason not to go on a date. This Twaggie was illustrated from a Tweet by @MrsRupertPupkin. See a new Twaggie every day at GoComics. Link
The Internet Archive has made a huge collection of old stock footage available for download. The films go back over a hundred years!
And, of course, you can go browse and watch as you like. The picture shown is from a silent reel of a nightclub act filmed the in 1930s. There's a long list of subjects to see. Link -via Boing Boing
Internet Archive's 35mm stock footage collection consists of material especially shot for stock footage purposes as well as feature film outtakes and unused material that were conserved for future use in other productions. Rights to this collection are held by Internet Archive. You may download and reuse material under the Creative Commons Attribution License. If you require higher-quality material or a written license agreement, please contact Getty Images for licensing information.
And, of course, you can go browse and watch as you like. The picture shown is from a silent reel of a nightclub act filmed the in 1930s. There's a long list of subjects to see. Link -via Boing Boing
What were they thinking? They obviously did not recall the colossal Mooninite caper of 2007. Then again, that was five years ago. Convar Deutschland, a German computer company, sent out advertising "gifts" for their data-recovery service to prospective clients in the form of what appeared to be time bombs.
The company may have to pay the police for expenses incurred. Link -via Arbroath
Convar Deutschland thought they had cooked up an exciting way to attract new clients, when they began gluing hard drives to alarm clocks and sending them to companies with a note reading, “Your time is running out.”
They sent out a total of 40 “time bombs” to businesses, shops, a handful of embassies and even the offices of a newspaper group.
But instead of drumming up custom, the stunt caused mayhem as terrified recipients called the police and prompted building evacuations, Berlin paper Tagesspiegel reported on Friday.
The company may have to pay the police for expenses incurred. Link -via Arbroath
What has 2127 pieces, a retractable third leg, a buzz saw hidden inside, a rotating dome, and can make a geek salivate? The Ultimate Collector Series R2-D2 LEGO Star Wars set, of course! It should be available for $179.99 (higher in Canada) in May. Link -via The Daily What Geek
ME Pearl, whose full name is Pearl de Sagesse de Sabaduria. does poetry with her Opossum. -via Arbroath
Previous possum post: Proper Opossum Pedicure
Previous possum post: Proper Opossum Pedicure
It’s what makes women wear torturous undergarments and feign interest in preposterous sporting rituals. It’s also what makes men hold dainty purses outside of fitting rooms and suffer through hosts of terrible movies. What could be this powerful? Why, love, of course. We’ve combed through Cupid’s handiwork and selected some romantic pairings powerful enough to influence culture, trigger wars, and spawn international scandals.
1. Antony and Cleopatra
Cleopatra always had a high profile love life. The queen of Egypt, she was the mistress of Julius Caesar, king of Rome, until his assassination in 44 B.C.E. After Caesar’s death, Mark Antony began sharing an uneasy alliance with Gaius Octavian (Caesar’s grandnephew) and army general Marcus Lepidus as triumviral rulers of the Roman Empire. Looking to gain a powerful political ally, Antony invited Cleopatra to Tarsus (in what is now Turkey) in 41 B.C.E. for a meeting that would become legendary. Although she was rather plain looking, Cleopatra had a captivating presence and was known for her intelligence, wit and, at times, ruthless ambition. Antony was charmed instantly and followed Cleopatra back to Egypt. Back in Rome, Octavian was understandably angry, because Antony had previously wed his sister, Octavia, to strengthen his position. He began to view Cleopatra as a greedy temptress who had turned Antony into a helpless puppet. Octavian declared war on the two lovers, which culminated in the Battle of Actium in western Greece in 31 B.C.E. There, Octavian’s naval fleet defeated the joint forces of Antony and Cleopatra, and the pair fled back to Egypt. Octavian, still pursuing sole control over the Roman Empire, invaded Egypt and forced Cleopatra and Antony to surrender.
During the final struggle against Octavian in Egypt, Antony received a false report that Cleopatra had committed suicide. Antony, overcome with grief, thrust a sword into his abdomen. His men carried him to where Cleopatra was hiding, and he died in her arms. Soon after, Cleopatra was taken prisoner. Legend has it she smuggled a poisonous snake into her cell and placed it upon her chest where it delivered a fatal strike. Cleopatra was buried next to her beloved, where they lay together for eternity.
2. Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin
Catherine the Great and her lover, Grigory Potemkin, definitely take the cake for the best “how we met” story. In 1761 Catherine was the wife of Russian Czar Peter III. But after only one year in power, Peter was overthrown (likely with Catherine’s help) and killed (she may have given those orders, too) by the Imperial Guard forces in a coup d’etat. It just so happened that, right about the time Peter was meeting his grim fate, Russian soldier Grigory Potemkin was on guard duty ensuring Catherine’s safety. Catherine, who would become empress only days later, took a liking to Potemkin, despite the fact that he was obese, vain and missing an eye. But Catherine wasn’t exactly known for being picky about her lovers; she had many, but she undoubtedly showed the longest fidelity to Potemkin. By 1771, Catherine had made him an official Russian statesman, a count and the commander of her armies. Although their love affair ended in 1776, Potemkin remained the love of her life. When he died at age 52, Catherine went into a depression from which she never fully recovered.
3. Napoleon and Josephine
Napoleon Bonaparte, a ruthless and ambitious soldier in the French military, was captivated the moment he saw Josephine, a charming and beautiful Paris socialite. Napoleon doggedly pursued the widowed, 32-year-old mother of two, but wasn’t immediately successful. Despite being a military genius, he was unkempt and rather homely looking. Josephine eventually had a change of heart, and the two were married in 1796. Shortly after their wedding, Napoleon embarked on a series of military campaigns, while Josephine embarked on her own series of adulterous affairs. When Napoleon received word of this, he became enraged and demanded a divorce. But Josephine begged for his forgiveness, and he relented.
As Napoleon continued to rise in power and wealth, being crowned emperor of France in 1804, he became focused on having a son to carry on his royal lineage. But he eventually came to the conclusion that Josephine was unable to conceive, and the couple divorced in 1809. Less than a year later he married 18-year-old Marie Louise of Austria and had a son. But without Josephine it seemed his destiny was cursed. After devastating military losses he was exiled to the island of Elba on May 4, 1814. Josephine, still heartbroken, wrote a letter to Napoleon and asked permission to join him. He wrote back that it was impossible, but Josephine died on May 29 before his letter arrived. In 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to Paris. The first person he visited was the doctor who treated Josephine. When Napoleon beseeched the physician as to why his beloved Josephine had died, the doctor replied that he believed she had succumbed to a broken heart. He then retrieved violets from her garden and wore them in a locket until his death in 1821.
4. Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feoderovna
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1. Antony and Cleopatra
Cleopatra always had a high profile love life. The queen of Egypt, she was the mistress of Julius Caesar, king of Rome, until his assassination in 44 B.C.E. After Caesar’s death, Mark Antony began sharing an uneasy alliance with Gaius Octavian (Caesar’s grandnephew) and army general Marcus Lepidus as triumviral rulers of the Roman Empire. Looking to gain a powerful political ally, Antony invited Cleopatra to Tarsus (in what is now Turkey) in 41 B.C.E. for a meeting that would become legendary. Although she was rather plain looking, Cleopatra had a captivating presence and was known for her intelligence, wit and, at times, ruthless ambition. Antony was charmed instantly and followed Cleopatra back to Egypt. Back in Rome, Octavian was understandably angry, because Antony had previously wed his sister, Octavia, to strengthen his position. He began to view Cleopatra as a greedy temptress who had turned Antony into a helpless puppet. Octavian declared war on the two lovers, which culminated in the Battle of Actium in western Greece in 31 B.C.E. There, Octavian’s naval fleet defeated the joint forces of Antony and Cleopatra, and the pair fled back to Egypt. Octavian, still pursuing sole control over the Roman Empire, invaded Egypt and forced Cleopatra and Antony to surrender.
During the final struggle against Octavian in Egypt, Antony received a false report that Cleopatra had committed suicide. Antony, overcome with grief, thrust a sword into his abdomen. His men carried him to where Cleopatra was hiding, and he died in her arms. Soon after, Cleopatra was taken prisoner. Legend has it she smuggled a poisonous snake into her cell and placed it upon her chest where it delivered a fatal strike. Cleopatra was buried next to her beloved, where they lay together for eternity.
2. Catherine the Great and Grigory Potemkin
Catherine the Great and her lover, Grigory Potemkin, definitely take the cake for the best “how we met” story. In 1761 Catherine was the wife of Russian Czar Peter III. But after only one year in power, Peter was overthrown (likely with Catherine’s help) and killed (she may have given those orders, too) by the Imperial Guard forces in a coup d’etat. It just so happened that, right about the time Peter was meeting his grim fate, Russian soldier Grigory Potemkin was on guard duty ensuring Catherine’s safety. Catherine, who would become empress only days later, took a liking to Potemkin, despite the fact that he was obese, vain and missing an eye. But Catherine wasn’t exactly known for being picky about her lovers; she had many, but she undoubtedly showed the longest fidelity to Potemkin. By 1771, Catherine had made him an official Russian statesman, a count and the commander of her armies. Although their love affair ended in 1776, Potemkin remained the love of her life. When he died at age 52, Catherine went into a depression from which she never fully recovered.
3. Napoleon and Josephine
Napoleon Bonaparte, a ruthless and ambitious soldier in the French military, was captivated the moment he saw Josephine, a charming and beautiful Paris socialite. Napoleon doggedly pursued the widowed, 32-year-old mother of two, but wasn’t immediately successful. Despite being a military genius, he was unkempt and rather homely looking. Josephine eventually had a change of heart, and the two were married in 1796. Shortly after their wedding, Napoleon embarked on a series of military campaigns, while Josephine embarked on her own series of adulterous affairs. When Napoleon received word of this, he became enraged and demanded a divorce. But Josephine begged for his forgiveness, and he relented.
As Napoleon continued to rise in power and wealth, being crowned emperor of France in 1804, he became focused on having a son to carry on his royal lineage. But he eventually came to the conclusion that Josephine was unable to conceive, and the couple divorced in 1809. Less than a year later he married 18-year-old Marie Louise of Austria and had a son. But without Josephine it seemed his destiny was cursed. After devastating military losses he was exiled to the island of Elba on May 4, 1814. Josephine, still heartbroken, wrote a letter to Napoleon and asked permission to join him. He wrote back that it was impossible, but Josephine died on May 29 before his letter arrived. In 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to Paris. The first person he visited was the doctor who treated Josephine. When Napoleon beseeched the physician as to why his beloved Josephine had died, the doctor replied that he believed she had succumbed to a broken heart. He then retrieved violets from her garden and wore them in a locket until his death in 1821.
4. Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra Feoderovna
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