Excellent

Happy Birthday Harry Shearer. You may not know the name right away but apart from being bass legend Derek Smalls in one of my favourite movies 'Spinal Tap', he is also the voice of Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny Leonard, Principal Skinner, Otto Mann and Rainier Wolfcastle.

The picture is actually of Derek Smalls in The Simpsons.

2 more sleeps.

Alive!

Today back in 1972 fourteen survivors were found 10 weeks after plane crash. The Chilean Air force found the survivors from a plane that crashed in the Argentine Andes over two months before.

Four days after the rescue, a Santiago paper alleged that the survivors became cannibals to ward off starvation. The group confirmed that they ate human flesh at a press conference two days later.

A film based on the event was released in 1993, starring Ethan Hawke.

Fourteen of the survivors retraced their fateful flight route on the 30th anniversary in 2002.

Its a new day

Today in 1997 The Scotland Act 1998 was introduced and elections to the Scottish Assemblies were held in May 1999.

Donald Dewar became Scotland's First Minister (his statue in Glasgow city centre is pictured) and later the same month the Scottish parliament met for the first time.

Its snowing!

The Wright Stuff

Today in 1903 The first successful gasoline-powered airplane flight took place near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright made the flight. The Wright brothers were two Americans who are generally credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane.

Can you imagine a world without airplanes?

Wrap up warm it's cold out there.

Sisters are doing it for themselves

Today in 1913 Suffragette's caused a dynamite explosion at Holloway Prison where Emmeline Pankhurst (pictured being arrested on the left) and Lady Constance Lytton were detained. Take note third years as this is whats coming your way after the winter break, the topic not prison.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently as I have had a hard time getting to a computer outside of work.

Santa is on his way soon

And the wind cries Mary

Today back in 1542 saw the birth of Mary Queen of Scots. She was the Scottish Queen who ascended to the throne when she was just 6 days old. A rebellion led to her abdication and later Elizabeth I (her cousin) imprisoned her for the plot to restore the Roman Catholic religion and to take the throne from her. In fact the whole saga seems like the twisted plot of a movie but it was real life and very exciting.

The roads are still awful out there so be careful.

Snow Joke

Sorry there was no post on Sunday but I forgot and as for yesterday...

I was one of the people you heard about being stuck in their car, I left for school a little earlier than normal as I thought the traffic might be slow. I ran into a blizzard and was advised to turn round and head home (See picture for my view for approx 8 hours). What a mistake. I was there for ever so long and finally got home at 10:35 pm. Sat outside Denny (near Falkirk) for most of the time. Only exciting thing was getting to walk on the Motorway. No cars moving at all. It was cold and I was tired but apart from that all is well.

On this day in 1941 Japanese planes bombed Pearl harbour. Within two hours, six battleships had been sunk, another 112 vessels sunk or damaged, and 164 aircraft destroyed. Only chance saved three US aircraft carriers, usually stationed at Pearl Harbor but assigned elsewhere on the day.

Pearl Harbor united an outraged American nation behind President Roosevelt and behind the war against Japan.

Big Brother

Today in 1948 George Orwell completed the final draft of the book Nineteen Eighty Four which was published on 8th June 1949.This book is a classic piece of social science fiction and has had a deep cultural impact.

Highly recommended.

Going Down

An all-white jury in the southern US state of Alabama convicted three Ku Klux Klansmen over the murder of white civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo (pictured) today back in 1965. This was a major leap forward for civil rights in the USA.

Despite its dubious heritage the KKK is still sporadically active in parts of the USA.

Perhaps this will be the last of the snow days. Hope you have been doing ok.

Red Telephone

Today back in 1929 Britain’s first 22 public telephone boxes came into service. In today's mobile phone world it is hard to imagine how important the public telephone used to be.

Today 97 years ago in 1913 the Ford Motor Company began using a new movable assembly line that ushered in the era of mass production. This may seem simple but this was a revolution in the way people worked and helped make Ford one of the largest motor companies in the world.

Another snow day, lucky I have lots of ways to fill my time. Watched three movies last night.