The United Equipment Company sells bulldozers — but you might have guessed that from its headquarters building in Turlock, Calif., which is shaped like an oversized yellow Caterpillar D6. Built in 1977, it’s two stories tall and contains six rooms. See also Yogi Bear’s Dream.
The fastest temperature drop in history occurred in Rapid City, S.D., when the mercury plunged 47°F (26°C) in 5 minutes on Jan. 10, 1911.
Interestingly, the fastest temperature rise in history occurred in the same city 32 years later, when it jumped 49°F (27°C) in 2 minutes on Jan. 22, 1943.
Dubious but worth recording: A tract dated 1622 reports a vast war of starlings over Cork, Ireland, Oct. 12-14, 1621. Armies of birds had reportedly converged from the east and west some four or five days before, and on Oct. 12 “they forthwith, at one Instant, took Wing, and so mounting up into the Skies, encountered one another with such a terrible Shock, as the Sound amazed the whole City and the Beholders,” until “there fell down in the City, and into the Rivers, Multitudes of Starlings or Stares, some with Wings broken, some with Legs and Necks broken, some with Eyes picked out, some their Bills thrust into the Breast and Sides of their Adversaries, on so strage [sic] a Manner, that it were incredible, except it were confirmed by Letters of Credit, and by Eye-Witnesses with that Assurance which is without all Exception.”
The birds adjourned, for some reason, on Sunday, though visitors from Suffolk reported seeing a similar war over remote woods there. On Monday the fight resumed over Cork, and this time the dead included a kite, a raven, and a crow.
I can’t find the original pamphlet, but it’s referenced by Johns Hopkins (1905), the London Library (1888), the New York State Library (1882), and the Bodleian Library (1860), among others. Starlings do have a colorful history — see Oops and Fragments of Night.
Okay, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we’ve found a safe source of fresh air for people trapped in high-rise hotel fires. The bad news is that they have to feed a breathing tube into a vent pipe in the sewer line.
William Holmes’ 1981 brainstorm probably would have saved many lives, but even a guest surrounded by toxic smoke has some natural squeamishness.
muliebrity
n. the state of being a woman
‘As I was going over the bridge the other day,’ said an Irishman, ‘I met Pat Hewins. “Hewins,” says I, “how are you?”
“Pretty well, thank you, Donnelly,” says he.
“Donnelly,” says I, “that’s not my name.”
“Faith, then, no more is mine Hewins.”
‘So with that we looked at each other agin, an’ sure enough it was nayther of us.’
— Melville D. Landon, Wit and Humor of the Age, 1888
Abe Lincoln never actually slept in the Lincoln Bedroom, but his ghost seems to spend a lot of time there:
“If you see him again,” Reagan told Maureen, “send him down the hall. I have some questions.”
“The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterward.” — Arthur Koestler
In July 1838, Charles Darwin was considering whether to propose to his cousin, Emma Wedgwood. Ever the rationalist, drew up a balance sheet:
At the bottom he wrote “Marry – Marry – Marry Q.E.D.” They were wed in January.
White or Black to play and mate or self-mate in one move. That is, you must find a total of four moves from this position: a White move that mates Black instantly, a White move that forces Black to mate White instantly, and equivalent moves for Black.
“Memo: The above puzzle depends on a literal interpretation of the rule which provides that a Pawn on reaching the eighth square may become any piece irrespective of colour.”
WARNING: “This monstrosity is the production of an erratic solver who has been sorely tried, puzzled and perplexed all the year round by the many posers and problems which have appeared from time to time in the numerous Chess columns. His aesthetic patience, resignation, fortitude, culture and hope all at once breaking down, he set to work and with wrathful spirit, regardless of all problem construction, devised it more for the sake of retaliation and revenge than to give pleasure. To prove his spiteful character; when composing it, he was overheard repeating, ‘Since I cannot prove a lover to entertain these fair spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain.’ Consequently, gentle reader, we warn you not to attempt it, except indeed that you are the happy possessor of that knowledge wherein you are able to puzzle others. It may look beastly simple, but to any young solver who may be foolhardy enough to venture it we offer a few words of advice–carefully study the above memo and note that–but ‘hold enough,’ no more can we divulge, fearful of bringing the fiery wrath of the exasperated composer upon our devoted heads.”