November 5

Sorry, I haven't updated in half of forever, otherwise known as October 17. In my defense, I was on holidays for a large part of that time, and the rest of it was mostly taken up with holiday related things.

Two nights ago, I watched Sherlock, episode three, season two. It was just so sad, and utterly brilliant. Now I can't wait for Season Three, so that Sherlock can come back, and I can find out what happened! Somehow, I don't think that John will forgive him as easily as Watson forgave Holmes. Different times, and (though some may not agree) different characters.

So, one final thing to finish with.

31 October

1926-Today Ehrich Weiss, better known as Harry Houdini, died. Houdini was an amazing escape artist and would have himself locked inside coffins or boxes and even lowered underwater, and astonishingly, managed to free himself. He died in a freak accident on this day, 1926. He boasted to some students that his stomach muscles could withstand heavy blows, but did not have time to prepare himself before a student hit him, rupturing his appendix. Despite the pain, he performed in Detroit that night. He was hospitalized after the show and died from peritonitis.
1950- John Candy was born in Toronto, Canada.
1899- Australian troops left for the Boer War in South Africa. It had broken out on 11 October.
1517- Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
1941- Mount Rushmore is completed after 14 years of work.
1923- The start of 160 days of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) at Marble Bar, WA, Australia.
2003- Bethany Hamilton is attacked by a tiger shark and losses her left arm and 3 litres of blood.

If we keep an open mind, too much is likely to fall into it.

Natalie Clifford Barney (31 Oct 1876-2 Feb 1972)

28 October

Today is 28 October, the 301st day of the year. There are 64 days left in the year. On this day:

• Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft was born in Seattle. Microsoft is installed on 75% of all computers.
  
• 1848, the first railroad in Spain is opened.
  
• 1538, the first university in the New World is established.
• 1886, in New York Harbour, President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty.
  
• 1893, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, receives its première performance in St. Petersburg, only nine days before the composer's death.
• 1929, was Black Monday, a day in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which also saw major stock market upheaval.
• 1936, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.
• 1942, the Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) is completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska.
• 1998, and Air China airplane is hijacked by its own pilot and flown to Taiwan.
  

I have dreams, and I have nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams.

Jonas Salk (born 28 October 1914)

To ask may be but a moment's shame, not to ask and remain ignorant is a lifelong shame.

Jigoro Kano (born 28 October 1860)

Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.

Evelyn Vaugh (born 28 October 1903)