[Vhfcn-l] Monday musings

[Gary Thewlis]

The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that
cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong
goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.

Douglas Adams

 

The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the
young know everything.

Oscar Wilde

 

I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great
ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

Winston Churchill

 

Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads?

Hunter S Thompson

 

Careful. If you think too much, they'll take you away.

George Carlin

 

Never answer an anonymous letter.

Yogi Berra

 

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As pleased as Punch

 

'As pleased as Punch' derives from the puppet character Mr. Punch. Punch's
name itself derives from Polichinello (spelled various ways, including
Punchinello), a puppet used in the 16th century Italian Commedia dell'arte.

 

Punch and Judy shows, the popular summer-time entertainments on British
beaches, have been somewhat in decline from the latter half of the 20th
century onward, due to them being seen as politically incorrect. That's
hardly surprising as the main character Punch is a wife-beating serial
killer.

 

In performance, the grotesque Punch character is depicted as self-satisfied
and delighted with his evil deeds, squawking "That's the way to do it!"
whenever he dispatches another victim. Nevertheless, there is still what
might be called a folk affection for the old rogue in the UK and it would be
a shame to see the tradition fade away completely.

 

The show had an Italian origin but has been much changed over the years. It
began in Britain at the time of the restoration of the monarchy in the 17th
century. The Diary of Samuel Pepys has an entry from 1666 that shows this
early origin and also the popularity of the show even then:

 

I with my wife... by coach to Moorefields, and there saw 'Polichinello',
which pleases me mightily.

 

The phrase 'as pleased as Punch' appears fairly late in the story. The
earliest known record is from William Gifford's satires The Baviad, and
Maeviad, 1797:

 

Oh! how my fingers itch to pull thy nose! As pleased as Punch, I'd hold it
in my gripe.

 

'As pleased as Punch' is now the most common form of the expression, but
when the term was coined it was just as usual to say 'as proud as Punch'.
Charles Dickens, for example used the two terms interchangeably in his
novels; for example:

 

David Copperfield, 1850: I am as proud as Punch to think that I once had the
honor of being connected with your family.

 

Hard Times, 1854: When Sissy got into the school here.. her father was as
pleased as Punch.

 

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Who designed the WW I plane, the Camel and co designed the Hurricane?

A:  Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith

 

What did Bartommelo Christofori invent?

A:  The Piano

 

What was invented by Henry D Perky  in 1893 in Denver Colorado?

A:  Shredded Wheat

 

James Dewer invented what in 1872?

A:  Vacuum or thermos flask

 

William Young invented what in 1800?

A:  Different shoes for the left and right feet

 

Lexico was a game that was invented in 1932. What was its name changed to?

A:  Scrabble

 

In 1953, what type of signal was first successfully transmitted in the
United States?

A:  Color TV