[Vhfcn-l] Monday musings

[Gary Thewlis]

Paper-work will ruin any military force

Lieutenant-General Lewis B. Chesty Puller

 

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Vince Lombardi

 

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Napoleon Bonaparte

 

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who
believe it.

George Carlin

 

I know what men want. Men want to be really, really close to someone who
will leave them alone.

Elayne Boosler

 

I have nothing but respect for you -- and not much of that.

Groucho Marx

 

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Every dog has its day

 

This phrase is recorded as being first uttered by no less a notable as Queen
Elizabeth I. As Princess Elizabeth, in a letter to her brother and in
response to his request for a picture of her, she wrote:

 

Notwithstanding, as a dog hath a day, so may I perchance have time to
declare it in deeds.

 

The letter was published by John Strype in Ecclesiastical Memorials, 1550.
It appears that Elizabeth was merely quoting what was in her day already a
well-known proverb, although no record of it has been found that pre-dates
her writing it down.

 

John Heywood recorded the proverb in the 1562 edition of Proverbs and
Epigrams and Shakespeare used it in Hamlet, 1603: 

 

Let Hercules himself do what he may,

The cat will mew and dog will have his day.

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By dint of

 

'Dint' is now an archaic word and only exists, as it were, by dint of this
particular phrase. 'Dint' itself derives from the Old English 'dynt'. In
current language the word has migrated to 'dent'. How do we get to the
meaning 'as a result of' from the word 'dint'? That's done simply via the
earliest version of the phrase, 'by dint of sword', which was used when a
result was obtained by the use of force. This is an ancient usage and dates
from at least the 14th century, when it was recorded in The romances of
Rouland and Vernagu, circa 1330:

 

"Alle the londes that were in Spayne, With dint Of swerd wan Charlmain."

 

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Q: What rocker called his signature red patchwork guitar "Frankenstein"?

A: Eddie Van Halen. 

 

Q: What classic rock hit was inspired by a scene in the Mel Brooks film
Young Frankenstein?

A: Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Steven Tyler revealed that the band saw the
film late one evening after a recording session for the Toys in the Attic
album. He was inspired by a gag scene where Igor prompts Dr. Frankenstein to
"walk this way" and then shuffles along (which the doctor mimics). Tyler
liked the phrase, and he and Joe Perry used it as the title of what became
one of the band's best-known songs.

 

Q: What Halloween song was made into a Frankenstein movie in 1995?

A: "Monster Mash."

 

Q: What vocalist sometimes returned to stage for an encore on the shoulders
of a roadie dressed as Frankenstein's Monster?

A: Freddie Mercury of Queen. His song "Bicycle Race" from the 1978 Jazz
album included references to many pop culture characters (including Superman
and Star Wars) and characters from these films were also used as fodder for
the role.

Other musical acts have made reference to the character, include Alice
Cooper (with "Feed My Frankenstein") and Parliament, who recorded the album
The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein. 

 

Q: What 1985 Nintendo arcade video game challenged the player to a match of
strength against a purple Monster clone named Frank Junior?

A: Arm Wrestling. The young Frank was the fifth and most difficult of the
game's opponents, and can distract a player by spitting flames into his
face. The game was a spin-off from Nintendo's popular Punch-Out!! game. And,
thanks to a joystick, it was less violent than this arm-wrestling game.