I bet you didnt know that

Carry

I noticed lately that there is a new Gin Craze around, with lots of artisan and fancy gins and equally fancy tonics.

I love a nice old-fashioned gin and tonic in the summer, just with lots of ice and a slice of lemon, and I wouldn’t notice a difference if it’s artisan, pink, green, small batch or whathaveyou.

I came across an article that was actually about the benefits of juniper berries, and from juniper it went on to gin.

A German/French physician and chemist called Franz de le Boë, teacher at the Southern Dutch University of Leiden, invented this alcoholic drink while looking for a remedy against bladder weakness. He added juniper oil to alcohol, et voilà created Genever, from the French genévrier for juniper. The Dutch distiller Lucas Bols produced the first Genever for mass consumption in 1575.

Around 100 years later William of Orange didn’t only take over the crown of England but gave his new subjects Genever which they shortened to Gin.

Gin became quickly synonymous with cheap booze because the English made a mess of it. The alcohol content was too high and they left out the juniper, just stuffed other herbs or whatever into the mix. It tasted reportedly awful and got you into a stupor in no time. The great Gin Craze broke out since poor people liked to drink it because it got them drunk quickly and cheaply.

In 1791 new distillery methods were introduced and finally juniper added to the mix. This way it became more palatable and less deadly. Eventually gin became the drink of choice for (mostly) posh women, at least in England. It was now socially acceptable to get hammered with gin.

I still didn’t find any proof that juniper in connection with alcohol works as a remedy for bladder weakness. I guess I have to drink a few to find out if I need the loo in the middle of the night or not ...

New Home

According to this, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and it's a diuretic.

The antiseptic properties in juniper disinfect the urinary tract to provide treatment and relief for conditions like urinary tract infections, urethritis, kidney stones, and bladder stones. Juniper also acts as a diuretic to help flush excess fluids from the body

So, although it might help with UTIs*, being a diuretic, it most likely won't prevent you getting up 10 times a night to go to the loo.


(Please don't take this at face value, it's stuff copied off the internet, talk to a doctor instead.)

Realt Dearg Sec

New Home wrote: »

According to this, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and it's a diuretic.

The antiseptic properties in juniper disinfect the urinary tract to provide treatment and relief for conditions like urinary tract infections, urethritis, kidney stones, and bladder stones. Juniper also acts as a diuretic to help flush excess fluids from the body

So, although it might help with UTIs*, being a diuretic, it most likely won't prevent you getting up 10 times a night to go to the loo.


(Please don't take this at face value, it's stuff copied off the internet, talk to a doctor instead.)

Drink enough gin and you'll conk out for hours, no hope you'll be getting up for the jacks.

There is a risk you'll wake up in a wet bed though. But, you know, swings and roundabouts.

New Home

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

But, you know, swigs and rounds.

FYP.

NewbridgeIR

By the late 1950s, Elvis Presley merchandise was selling like hotcakes, but not everyone was buying. So Colonel Tom Parker had an idea to free everyone of their money by selling buttons with anti-Presley statements. These round badges looked similar to the "I Like Elvis" ones that were already being sold but instead read, "I Hate Elvis," "Elvis is a Jerk," etc thereby ensuring that even the singer's detractors were lining his manager's pockets.

BaZmO*

What a great money making idea for Bono.

TomSweeney

Green Mile wrote: »

In September 1752, 11 days were removed from the calendar. The 3rd to the 13th of September 1752 never existed.

Wow ! Linux confirms !!


// [~]=>cal 9 1752 (pts/123) [16:22]
September 1752
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

gozunda

TomSweeney wrote: »

Wow ! Linux confirms !!

// [~]=>cal 9 1752 (pts/123) [16:22]
September 1752
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

The story of the "Give us our eleven days!’ - The English calendar riots of 1752.

The eleven days referred to here are the ‘lost’ 11 days of September 1752, skipped when Britain changed over from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, bringing it into line with most of Europe.

Claims of civil unrest and rioters demanding “Give us our eleven days” may have arisen through a misinterpretation of a contemporary painting by William Hogarth who depicted a mob with a banner and a demonstration.

However It is acknowledged that there were some people who mistakenly believed that their lives would be shortened by 11 days. People were also unhappy and suspicious at the moving of saint’s days and holy days, including the date of Easter.

However, most historians now believe that the "Give us our eleven days!" protests never happened. It's possible that the calendar rioters were the late Georgian equivalent of an urban myth.

cdeb

Note this was in England. Other countries changed at different times. Greece changed in 1923, so 15th Feb was followed by 1st March. This is why (as I'm sure I've posted here before) Prince Philip has two birthdays - he was born in Greece before 15th Feb 1923.

The Mount Athos peninsula in Greece has never changed calendar - or technically, one monastery did and was 13 days ahead for a while, until the rest of the monasteries finally forced the sole one to see sense and change back to the Julian calendar.

Ethiopia also still uses the Julian calendar. So in Ethiopia and on the Mount Athos peninsula, it's currently 13th November.

On the other hand, France changed in 1582 - so for 170 years, there was a 10/11 day difference between the time in England (and in Ireland) and that in France.

Capt'n Midnight

gozunda wrote: »

The story of the "Give us our eleven days!’ - The English calendar riots of 1752.

The eleven days referred to here are the ‘lost’ 11 days of September 1752, skipped when Britain changed over from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, bringing it into line with most of Europe.

Claims of civil unrest and rioters demanding “Give us our eleven days” may have arisen through a misinterpretation of a contemporary painting by William Hogarth who depicted a mob with a banner and a demonstration.

However It is acknowledged that there were some people who mistakenly believed that their lives would be shortened by 11 days. People were also unhappy and suspicious at the moving of saint’s days and holy days, including the date of Easter.

However, most historians now believe that the "Give us our eleven days!" protests never happened. It's possible that the calendar rioters were the late Georgian equivalent of an urban myth.

Or the other explanation was that the mill owners were going to use those days for the workers annual holidays.

Imagine waiting for your two weeks holidays only to be told on Wednesday see you on Monday.

New Home

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

While
Frankenstein Castle was in Germany, they didn't adopt the metric system until long after 1814.

Supposedly by 1810 there were 112 different standards for the Elle around GermanyIt's the distance between elbow and fingertip, a cubit or a foot and a half .

The food also varied from Aachen to Zürich and back again.
Lots and lots of units back then. I love standards, so many to choose from.

BTW
The concept came from Hollywood so probably UNC ( Unified Thread Standard ) so not metric :P[/inc:

P.S.
What did Frankenstein do when the monster lost it's head ?

He made a bolt for it :pac:

Carry

BaZmO* wrote: »

What a great money making idea for Bono.

I think someone had that idea already

Conchir

Actor Ian McKellen is a frequent blogger. He wrote about many of his experiences while filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and they can be read on his website here: http://www.mckellen.com/cinema/lotr/journal.htm

It's really quite fascinating, as a fan both of McKellen and the films, to read these so many years later. Some of the most interesting pieces are in the more day-to-day posts, so I won't bother posting about them here.

One thing I did find interesting though was in his blog posted 3rd October, 2000. While filming some scenes in the mountains, Rastus (who played the pony "Bill") had to be left behind as they went off in a helicopter to the next location. To fill his place, two actors dressed up panto-style, one playing the front legs and one the rear. As far as I can work out, you can see "Panto Bill" in this scene at 0:45 (pay attention to the pony's legs) and then again at 1:19.

In fact, there's a photo taken by Ian McKellen on his website, and I'm pretty sure he took it while sitting on the rock at 1:19 in the scene above.



I think it's great that in this groundbreaking film, they still used two people dressed up as a pony.

KevRossi

If you zoom in on Lough Ness on Google Maps, then the little gold coloured man symbol turns into the Lough Ness Monster.

Just click on this for an example,

https://www.google.ie/maps/@57.1999565,-4.6356494,11z

You can see 'Nessie' in the bottom right hand corner.

Franz Von Peppercorn

cdeb wrote: »

On the other hand, France changed in 1582 - so for 170 years, there was a 10/11 day difference between the time in England (and in Ireland) and that in France.

Generally it was seen in England as a papist plot.

mzungu

The car chase scene in The French Connection was shot without permission from the authorities. Stuntman Bill Hickman drove through Queens as 95mph with no permit, coordination or planning. The only properly staged part of the scene was where Gene Hackman (Popeye Doyle) has a near miss with a woman and her baby.

Below is some further info about it.

wrote:

Discussing the Brooklyn-filmed chase, Director William Friedkin said he got permission to shoot on the elevated train after giving a New York official (who said the production was “crazy”) $40,000 and a one-way ticket to Jamaica.

On the sequences filmed in the street, Friedkin claimed, “[Stunt driver] Bill Hickman [who also had a role in the film] drove 26 blocks at 90 mph. … The only thing staged was [when Doyle’s car narrowly avoids a collision with] the woman and baby.”

He added that the production was “very lucky” that nobody was hurt. “I wouldn’t do anything like this today,” said the helmer.

Later, the director also shared a laugh with an audience as he told the story of how his car broke down on the way to the Academy Awards the year The French Connection was honored. He said he and his party of six hitched a ride with a man in a Chevy, who was getting gas at a nearby station.

The scene itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEloJ5venk

pleas advice

The second most translated book, after the Bible, is the Spanish novel Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes.

Cervantes died on the same date as William Shakespeare, but Shakespeare died 10 days later than him. Spain had already switched to the Gregorian calendar, while England still used the Julian calendar.

Cookie_Monster

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

This is believed to be the only picture ever taken of Titanic (on the right) with her sister ship Olympic.

Well it's not, there are dozens, here's one.


Mostly they are only where they are both under construction.


or even

gozunda

Your chance of getting struck by lightning is one in three million....

Guy:Incognito

gozunda wrote: »

Your chance of getting struck by lightning is one in three million....

And your chance of being struck again are infinite.

gozunda

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

And your chance of being struck again are infinite.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/23/experience-i-was-struck-by-lightning-twice-beth-peterson

...

Guy:Incognito

gozunda wrote: »

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/23/experience-i-was-struck-by-lightning-twice-beth-peterson

...

She's clearly a liar. Everyone knows lightning doesn't strike twice. It's the law.

pleas advice

they were going to build a replica of the titanic for the titanic exhibition in belfast, but they felt it wouldn't be impressive compared to todays cruise liners, so they just have an outline of its plan in the dry dock instead

Franz Von Peppercorn

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

She's clearly a liar. Everyone knows lightning doesn't strike twice. It's the law.

This means that lightening rods are useless after the first hit.

New Home

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

This means that lightening rods are useless after the first hit.

That's why they replace them after every hit. :pac:

Gloomtastic!

KevRossi wrote: »

If you zoom in on Lough Ness on Google Maps, then the little gold coloured man symbol turns into the Lough Ness Monster.

Just click on this for an example,

https://www.google.ie/maps/@57.1999565,-4.6356494,11z

You can see 'Nessie' in the bottom right hand corner.

Don’t think it works on the mobile

Wibbs

mzungu wrote: »

The car chase scene in The French Connection was shot without permission from the authorities. Stuntman Bill Hickman drove through Queens as 95mph with no permit, coordination or planning.

While it's one of the best car chases in film and those speeds have been reported since it came out(good for hype), but no way in hell was he doing anything near 95mph in those scenes. If he hit 50mph I'd be shocked and I'd reckon 30mph was more like it.

Another car flic that became famous is the French flic C'etait un Rendezvous shot in the 70's. Where a lad drives his Ferrari at mad speeds across early morning Paris to meet his girlfriend. As you do. Only it wasn't a Ferrari, but an automatic Mercedes(well the Merc wouldn't break down making the trip...) with the V12 sound dubbed on and the highest speed he hit on one of the straights was 70mph. Now watch this and then the French Connection scene and the French lad looks to be going a helluva lot faster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJYOMFayruw

It's mostly down to low camera angles giving the impression of speed. Plus the director of The French Connection ran the cameras at a slightly slower speed to make it look faster.

In the above French flic, there was only one guy with a walkie talkie on a dodgy blindspot part of the route who would signal the director/driver that it wasn't safe to keep the foot down. Only on the day his walkie talkie failed.. :eek:

gozunda

gozunda wrote: »

Your chance of getting struck by lightning is one in three million....

In what timeframe?

TomSweeney

Red Kev wrote: »

Trump and Hilary Clinton have the same great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandparents (19 generations).

I bet they weren't having thanksgiving dinner together tho

New Home

Deleted User wrote: »

In what timeframe?

Your lifetime?