ICYMI, Tuesday's links are here, and include the anniversary of the Vesuvius eruption that buried Pompeii, a gallery of ads for 19th century magic shows, the $30 million cheesemaking ring smashed by the Russian police, and Pop-Tart (and Count Chocula) beer.
"Such a motor is odorless, almost without vibration, and is practically noiseless. It can run with great speed and climb almost any hill road so long as it is smooth... When the battery is empty it may be recharged again at electrical stations maintained for the purpose, after which the carriage is ready for its journey once more...
Aside from the device for supplying power to the wheels, there are numerous others for guiding and controlling the machine when it is under way. Near the seat of the driver are a number of switches and levers, which to one just learning how they operate are rather bewildering...
The driver must keep his eyes wide open and both his feet and hands busy. With his left hand he grasps the power lever which controls the speed, while with the right he manages the steering lever. He has one heel all the time on an emergency switch that cuts off the current, and at the same time must ring a gong to warn people of the approach of his pneumatic-tired conveyance. With the other foot he manages a reversing-switch that will back the carriage, while with his toes he applies a quick brake.
When he wishes to turn on the lights he presses a button under the seat. So it may be seen that he is rather busy, and can never go to sleep and let the old horse carry him home."
ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include the anniversary of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, works of art carved into watermelons and Oreos, overlaying an image of a Star Wars warship on the island of Manhattan, and a supercut of improbable weapons used in movies.
Space Elevator Update: Space elevator could zoom astronauts into Earth's stratosphere.
To get a sense of how massive a Star Wars warship really is, overlay an image on one on the island of Manhattan.
ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include the science of melting cheese, a history of aliens in films, the history of lightbulbs, and a video showing how easily rats can swim up your toilet.
As cool as any of these were in the original movies, aggregating them is even better:
Weapon & Film List (in order of appearance):
Ladder - First Strike Melons - Transporter 2 Umbrella - Kingsman Afro Picks - Undercover Brother Ship - Pacific Rim Shirt - Transporter Tea Cup - Chronicles of Riddick Guitar Case - Desperado Trash Can - First Strike Ballpoint Pen - The Bourne Identity Gopher-Chuks - Kung Pow: Enter The Fist Credit Card - The Glimmer Man Guitar - Once Upon a Time in Mexico Record - Shaun of the Dead Limo Antenna - Crocodile Dundee Banjo - Zombieland Hairspray + Cigar - Live and Let Die Guitar Case #2 - Once Upon a Time in Mexico Bowler Hat - Goldfinger Toothbrush - Oldboy Calligraphy Brushes - The Magnificent Butcher Forks - Mystery Men Carrot - Shoot ‘Em Up Belt - Pootie Tang Magazine - The Bourne Supremacy Chair - Thunderball Bike Pedals - Transporter Toilet Cover - Zombieland Fire Hose - Transporter 2
If St. Bartholomew's Day be fair and clear, Then a prosperous autumn comes this year.
St. Bartlemy's mantle wipes dry All the tears that St. Swithin can cry.*
~ Traditional English proverbs
Michelangelo's painting of The Last Judgment on the end wall of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, where Bartholomew is depicted below and to the right of Christ. The face on the discarded skin of the saint has long been accepted as a self-portrait of the artist. Note the flaying knife in Bartholomew's right hand.
August 24th is the feast day of St. Bartholomew (wiki), who is mentioned in three of the Gospels as an apostle and may be the Nathanael of John 1:45-51 and 21:2. According to tradition, he was flayed alive and then beheaded in Armenia and thus is often portrayed with a large knife and occasionally his own skin flung over his arm.
For obvious reasons, Bartholomew is the patron saint of tanners; it is less obvious why he is also the patron saint of plasterers and cheese merchants**. From 1133 to 1752, London's great Smithfield fair began on this day and was also known as St. Bartholomew's Fair partly because of its proximity to the ancient hospital of that name.
It's also the anniversary of the St. Bartholomew's Night Massacre (wiki) in 1572, when French king Charles IX - urged on by the dowager queen, Catherine di Medici, ordered the slaughter of Huguenots throughout France on the saint's feast day.
The massacre was timed to coincide with the wedding of Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV) in Paris, which attracted many prominent French Protestants to the capital. Admiral Gaspard de Chatillon, Comte de Coligny (1519-1572) was the first to die, followed by 2,000 more victims in Paris and perhaps 10,000 in all of France (although accounts differ).
When the news reached Rome, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a Te Deum and had all the city's church bells rung in thanksgiving. The St. Bartholomew's massacre became a major cause celebre among European Protestants and in France re-ignited the Wars of Religion, which lasted until 1598.
* N.B. The reference here is to the traditional belief that if it rains on St. Swithin's Day - 15 July - 40 more days of rain will follow.
Brief documentary on the massacre:
** Here's the "blessed are the cheesemakers" clip from Monty Python's Life Of Brian:
The above is based on Ed's quotation of the day, only available via email. If you'd like to be added to his list, leave your email address in the comments.