 |
THE MAGAZINE MONITOR
|
Welcome to The Magazine Monitor, the home for many ever-popular features, including your letters and :
MON: Si's riddleWEDS: PunoramaTHURS: Caption compFRI: Friday ObjectiveSAT: 10 things we didn't know this time last week
10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK
|
10 THINGS
10 keyrings by Bryce Cooke
|
Snippets harvested from the week's news, chopped, sliced and diced for your weekend convenience.
1. Britain's current wasp drought is thought to be down to poor spring weather when queen wasps emerge from hibernation to start new colonies.
2. You can bet on your own death.
Full story
3. Sleepwalking affects one in 10 people at least once in their lives, although few end up in dangerous situations like the girl who climbed a crane.
Full story
4. Cheap supermarket chicken contains as much fat as a Big Mac, according to the BBC's Full on Food TV show.
5. Italians have developed a talking wine label, with a chip to tell drinkers about the vintage and with what it is best eaten.
6. Jacques Chirac mightn't listen. He prefers Becks beer to a Chateau Latour wine, according to chef Rick Stein who cooked for the French president in 2001, and offered him the choice.
7. Martha Stewart's nickname in prison was M Diddy.
8. Campanologists - bell ringers - can suffer from a syndrome known as "ringing vertigo" in which they fear the bells will fall on them or they will be strangled by the ropes.
9. Bob Geldof can go on live TV and not swear, as evidenced during Live 8.
10. MPs use communal hairbrushes in the washrooms of the Houses of Parliament.
If you spot anything that should be included next week, use the form below to tell us about it. Thanks, this week, to John Garner, Lancashire, England.
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
YOUR LETTERS FRIDAY 8 JULY 1638 BST
In response to Katy from Norwich have you never tried West Country Brie? Somerset makes cheese that easily rivals the French fromage!
Barnaby Partridge, Chelmsford, UK
Re London beats Paris to 2012 Games, I'm impressed by the speed of the BBC. Results announced at 12.49 BST and in less than a minute, the page gets written with all the nitty gritty details. Just goes to show that the BBC is now more efficient and has very fast typists.
Lester Mak, London, UK
In Les Rosbifs reinvented France is described as having "a slick rail network". Has the writer ever travelled in France on anything other then a TGV? Their rail network is atrocious! Connections between TGVs and normal trains are usually non existant. All lines lead to Paris and nowhere else. At least here we have a cross country network.
Nigel, Stevenage
I realise Jonathan Duffy's piece "Les Rosbifs Re-invented" was intended as a humorous piece, but the arch reference to "Napoleonic architecture that survived the German Luftwaffe's mighty payloads" is just another "cheese-eating surrender-monkey" slur. I think we ought to remember that France declared war on the same day Britain did in 1939, and suffered more than twice the number of dead in WWII as did the British Empire.
Niall Creed, Linslade, Beds
PAPER MONITOR FRIDAY 8 JULY 1315 BST
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Today's front pages
Several of the pictures taken in the aftermath of the London bombs can be found in more than one paper. The Daily Telegraph devotes a full page to the shot of a dreadlocked man clutching a woman with a grazed face near Russell Square. Both wear a look of traumatised disbelief as they walk, oblivious of the cameraman in front of them.
The Guardian gives over its page three to the picture of a woman being hurriedly led away from Edgware Road station. Her face is concealed by a facial burns dressing. The extent of her injuries is left to the reader's imagination.
In the Daily Mail, readers can see the same woman is walking barefoot and clutching her handbag as she is guided to safety. On the opposite page, a dazed grey-haired man in a suit stands, his face obscured by blood. Shrouded in a blanket, and with his neck and chest concealed by medical dressings, he is being steadied by paramedics. A huge tag hanging from his coat reads "Priority 3".
The Independent carries a colour shot of a forensics officer at the scene of the bus explosion, outside the British Medical Association offices in Tavistock Square. The stuccoed frontage of the grand Georgian building is splattered with red blood and marks made by flying debris. It's a scene more reminiscent of the Middle East, rather than the London's West End.
The bus itself is pictured in the Daily Mirror 30 seconds after the blast. Its roof ripped off, passengers can be seen standing on the top deck, waiting to get off.
The eerie emptiness of Trafalgar Square is contrasted in the Times with a picture from 24 hours earlier when it was packed solid with cheering, flag waving crowds celebrating news of London's successful Olympic bid.
FRIDAY 8 JULY
Thursday's Daily Mini-Quiz asked: how tall is the new tallest man in the world? Forty-one percent of you were right, answering 7ft 8.95ins ( 2m 36.1cm). A new Daily Mini-Quiz is on the Magazine index.
Apologies for the interruption to the Monitor, and other Magazine material on Thursday, and Friday. This was down to editorial issues surrounding the bomb attacks on London.
ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY 7 JULY 2005
Because of the attacks on London, the Magazine Monitor's regular features will not run today.
Apologies to all who took part in Wednesday's Punorama.
PAPER MONITOR THURSDAY 7 JULY 1035 BST
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Today's front pages
Not surprisingly the papers are jubilant at the news of London's victory in securing the 2012 Olympics. Many of the front pages reflect the achievement with wrap-around front pages.
But victory is all the sweeter for being at the expense of Britain's long-standing, occasionally cocky, rival.
"We don't mean to gloat but..." declares the Sun on its front page, alongside pictures of a beaming Tony Blair and sombre French president Jacques Chirac.
"You have to have sympathy for the French but it wasn't the first thought that came to our mind when we heard the news," the Daily Mirror reports a Downing Street spokesman as saying.
"We beat them two hundred years ago and we beat them again," the pearly king of Blackfriars and Bow Bells, Harry Mayhead, is reported as saying in the Daily Mail.
"It's great to be British..." runs a Daily Telegraph headline, reflecting celebrations among Downing St staff at the G8 conference in Gleneagles. Down page runs story which says the French were forced to taste a new dish on Wednesday - "tarte de modestie" - humble pie.
Even the sober Financial Times carries the thoughts of a Londoner descended from French stock: "Beating the French is just as important as winning the games."
It's left to the Times to introduce a note of humility. "It would be churlish, churlish and wrong to salute this victory as a defeat for France."
THURSDAY 7 JULY
Yesterday's Daily Mini-Question was: a baby's been born after 13 years frozen at what temperature? The correct answer was -235C, which accounted for 48% of your responses. A new Daily Mini-Quiz is on the Magazine index.
YOUR LETTERS WEDNESDAY 6 JULY 1416BST
In the "classic British lunch" pictured in Les Rosbifs reinvented (6 July), is that a wedge of Brie in the middle?
Katy, Norwich, UK
In the Battersea Power Station picture gallery, you describe its "austere but characteristically 'futuristic' look of the 1950s... with its chunky dials and metal surfaces, the control room pictured here could have been a set on a science fiction B-movie of the time." Sounds from the power station were used as effects in the three Journey into Space serials on BBC Radio in the 1950s. These are still remembered with affection and trepidation: "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times."
Alan, London
Re Scientists finally study Kennewick Man (5 July): does the reconstruction look like a certain captain of the Enterprise?
Franchesca Mullin, Belfast
Shahida (Monitor letters, Tuesday) the BBC is doing what everyone else forgot - that pop means popular music. Today it's more often used to mean "corporate soulless saccharine slush" or "overproduced and over-marketed act that's cost the record company millions in advertising". Rock and pop should never truly have been separated - rock IS pop. If you don't believe me, come to any of my locals and see just how popular the rock music is.
Daniel Gray, Melton Mowbray
Re London v Paris. Eight out of ten Olympians, when asked, said they preferred roast beef to frogs legs.
Alan Jones, Limassol, Cyprus
PAPER MONITOR WEDNESDAY 6 JULY 1009BST
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Today's front pages
On your marks... get set... GO! On this day of Olympic destiny, millions are expected to hang on the words of the IOC president Jacques Rogge to find out which city will host the 2012 event.
And for those keen to be first out of the starting blocks with this vital snippet, the Times provides a handy guide to lip-reading. "A basic knowledge of articulatory phonetics will help to predict a fraction of a second before the word leaves Rogge's mouth who has been favoured."
If it's London, his lips will not close after saying "and the host city is" and will remain slightly open throughout. If it's Paris, look for a short closing of the lips as the "p" is pronounced. But both Madrid and Moscow also start with the lips together. And if it's New York, his lips will either be rounded or slightly apart depending on whether he says "nyu" or "noo".
But it's an inexact science. "Keep in mind that Jacques Rogge is Belgian and may articulate these names slightly differently," the linguist tells the Times.
WEDNESDAY 6 JULY 0946BST
Which pop act is the biggest in the land, with the most weeks in the singles charts, asked the Magazine's Daily Mini-Quiz yesterday. Half of you (53%) said Cliff Richard, and 9% said Madonna. But it's Queen who are the champions at 1,322 weeks, which 38% answered correctly. Today's Daily Mini-Quiz is on the Magazine index
YOUR LETTERS TUESDAY 5 JULY 1530BST
In Water firms seek drought powers, it states that Thames Water has not used its underground reserves since 1997. If the water has been sat in a bunker for eight years it can't be very clean!
Tim,
UK
Re Monday's Paper Monitor. Emmanuel Jal may have played to a small audience for his first set but he ended up playing on the main stage as the penultimate act for Live 8 Africa Calling and had the entire 5,000 capacity audience eating out of his hands.
Peter Moszynski
London Kenya Sudan Cornwall
Re Tuesday's Daily Mini-Quiz - I'm not annoyed at getting the answer wrong or anything, but since when were Queen considered a "pop" act anyway?
Shahida,
UK
Re Chief constable hit by Taser gun, look at the smile on the person firing it. Looks like he's enjoying shooting the boss.
Tony,
Bracknell
Re Trafalgar Quiz "It is thought Nelson was picked out by a sharpshooter on HMS Redoutable as he paced the Quarter Deck with Captain Thomas Hardy." Surely we only accord the title HMS to boats on our side?
QJ,
Stafford UK
I know this is a little off message, but, do the people who walk around with Bluetooth set hanging from their ears realise what total plonkers they look?
Nigel Greensitt,
Walkden UK
PAPER MONITOR TUESDAY 5 JULY 0930BST
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Today's front pages
Kitchen knives have been drawn in anger, in response to Jacques Chirac's insulting comments about British food.
Egged on by the tabloids - who were salivating at the prospect of feasting on their arch-enemy - the might of celebrity chefs have lined up to defend the nation's cuisine.
The Sun served up the tastiest first course with the headline "Don't talk crepe", on a front page adorned by Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson, Antony Worrall Thompson, Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Rick Stein.
Inside, Mr Chirac was given the turnip treatment a la Graham Taylor, this time with the head squeezed into a bottle of wine - "French plonker".
Brian Turner of Ready Steady Cook appeared in the Mirror, the Sun and the Mail. Overlooking recent English losses to the French in rugby (though the Welsh were victorious) and football, he said: "They know we have the best of everything in Britain, whether that's sport, restaurants or the quality of our beef."
The Mail also recruited food critic Egon Ronay and Richard Ali, of the English Beef and Lamb Executive, to underline the strength of British food.
Despite a feeble start, with the headline "Coude a coude" (paper's translation - "Neck and neck"), the Mirror rescued themselves by recruiting Jean-Christophe Novelli from Hell's Kitchen. Who better than a French chef to stick the breadknife into their food?
And in a remark to really prick Gallic pride, not only is British tucker more inventive and stylish, it's sexier, he says.
TUESDAY 5 JULY
The Magazine's Daily Mini-Quiz asked of you yesterday: which BBC children's show is not making a comeback? An impressive 64% of you were correct in saying it's Rentaghost. Jackanory is coming back and Play School is being reversioned in Maori for a New Zealand audience. Today's new Daily Mini-Quiz is on the Magazine index
SI'S RIDDLE MONDAY 4 JULY 1130BST
Spelling It Out
Whilst in uniform I often remember,
That fateful day last November.
He asked me "Switch or Delta?"
His voice did echo as I felt the
Stare of this Romeo.
In his Ford Sierra I must go.
We'd do the tango cheek to cheek -
To Oscar's charms my will was weak.
Then Oscar spoiled my fantasy,
"Switch or Delta?" he asked me
Send your solutions using the form below.
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Last week's riddle was entitled Centre Court and asked you to find a tennis match from the following games.
Borwell vs Cho
Bertolini vs Clement
Sharapova vs Mirza
Ferrero vs Malisse
Maleeva vs Arvidsson
Leach vs Delgado
Pratt vs Clijsters
Bastl vs Kim
Taking the middle letters of the names (as clued in the title), gives WHO MARRIED AGASSI. He was first married to Brooke Shields, but as we are looking for a tennis "match", the answer is STEFFI GRAF.
Plenty of correct answers but this week's winner, picked at random, is Lucy Larwood from London.
YOUR LETTERS MONDAY 4 JULY 1220BST
Re: story of a Japanese man who has managed to recite Pi to 83,431 places (Japanese breaks pi memory record, 2 July). I was going to say that was all very well, but could he remember his wife's birthday. But I think I know the answer to that.
Stig
London, UK
Re: Putin plans Vodka monopoly (Putin plans Russia vodka monopoly , 3 July). Sounds like an odd game...
S Murray
Chester, UK
Bill in Halifax has, in his response, shown that the worlds largest Suduko puzzle, isn't, as it has more than one solution. At some stage you have to guess one of the numbers (hence more than one solution). In the end it's just some numbers and lines on a hill, nothing more
Ian S
Birmingham, UK
These cast iron statues in the sea (Gormley unveils seaside artwork, 1 July). Is this a temporary display? Cast iron plus salt water = a lot of rust in a very short space of time
Stephen Buxton
Coventry, UK
PAPER MONITOR MONDAY 4 JULY 1100BST
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Today's front pages
Some facts about Live 8 that you might have missed...
Hyde Park revellers are thought to have left 650 tones of rubbish - enough top fill 72 dust carts. Daily Express
BBC received 350 complaints about swearing by performers. Daily Mail
The backstage refreshments included champagne, Pimms, platters of oysters, lobsters and exotic shellfish and lambs roasted on a spit. Daily Mirror
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell was called on after the concert over-ran its 9.30pm cut-off while Bob Geldof tore up a note which warned the electricity could be cut off. The Sun
The concerts set a record for the most text messages received for a single event - 26.4 million, beating the 5.8 million totalled for an episode of American Idol. The Times
Emmanuel Jal, a Sudanese refugee and rising star of African hip-hop, had an audience of just 50 people for his performance in the Mediterranean Dome, at the Eden Project. The Guardian
Before getting to Hyde Park, Bob Geldof launched London's Gay Pride march, which he'd agreed to do in exchange for getting Hyde Park. The park had initially been booked for the rally. The Independent
MONDAY 4 JULY
Friday's daily mini-quiz asked how many years the average British person spends outside in a lifetime. Thirty percent of you got the right answer - four years. Another daily mini-quiz is on today's Magazine index
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~11~RS~)
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
