Wednesday, 18 January 2012

18th January

The first edition of the Boy's Own Paper hit the newstands today in 1879. It was published by the religious Tract Society and contained uplifting stories and tales of derring-do. It couldn't be published today because:-

  • It has an apostrophe in its title.
  • The Religious Tract Society isn't the great publishing phenomenon it once was.
  • Such things are only available on Kindle.
  • Boys can't read - even Nolan has been known to listen to a download of his set text (currently Fantastic Mr Fox) rather than read the original. He is definitely a chip, but not necessarily off this old block in this particular.
  • Nobody knows what derring-do actually is. A quick vox pop around my top set in Year Seven came up with 'that magician bloke'. 
Did you see what I did just then, by the way? Apparently, that is a bulletted list and the latest in my journey towards complete control of the world of cyber. Mrs B will be so proud. I found it rather difficult to stop doing them, rather like when someone teaches you to ride a bike, they never tell you how to stop without falling over sideways into some nettles.

In other news ...
James Cook came across a group of islands in the Pacific 234 years ago today which the locals called Hawaii. The locals didn't like Cook very much - except perhaps as a light snack, as they eventually killed and, according to an inaccurate legend, ate him - probably because he called their land the Sandwich Islands. I should explain - because everyone has now forgotten - that this was in honour of the Earl of Sandwich, Comptroller (Big Cheese) of the Navy and not because of the snack thing mentioned earlier. Aloha!