Sunday, April 11, 2010

Remember to complete and return your census form

Here's a short clip of the President explaining the census questions.



There's a perfectly good explanation for the inquiries about your sexual habits: it helps the government plan highways and make sure each state is fairly represented in Congress.


April 11, 1942 -
Horton Hatches the Egg, a Merrie Melodies production, is released on this date.



Bob Clampett's version of Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches the Egg was the first cinematic adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book.

April 11, 1947 -
Charlie Chaplin's very dark comedy (from an idea by Orson Welles), Monsieur Verdoux, premiered on this date in NYC.



... One murder makes a villain; millions a hero. Numbers sanctify....


Today in History:
April 11, 1814 -
Able was I ere I saw Elba.

Napoleon tries a forced retirement, for the first time, as Emperor of France.



He retaining the title of emperor and 400 volunteers to act as his guard. He was granted sovereignty over Elba and a pension from the French government. Retirement on a small island in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy, doesn't suit him and he comes back for his metric Hundred Day campaign (see March 20).


April 11, 1890 -
If I had a million dollars, well I'd buy you John Merrick's remains. Oh all of them crazy elephant bones.



Joseph "John" Merrick, the Elephant Man dies at the Royal London Hospital at the age of 27.


April 11, 1905 -
A simple patent clerk, Albert Einstein, known mostly for looking at the town clock or passing trains, produces a not so simple paper discussing the Theory of Relativity which among other things postulates that E = MC2 (yeah, yeah I'm no Einstein, I can't make 2 squared).



This astonished the world because previously E had always equally the fifth letter of the alphabet.


April 11 1979 -
Kampala, the capital of Uganda, falls to the Tanzanians and dictator Idi Amin is overthrown. Amin escaped to Libya and settled into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Amin, an occasional cannibal who killed perhaps 300,000 during his reign, had made the mistake of invading Tanzania - this is the mistake most occasional cannibals make.


Thought of the day: Crime does not pay ... as well as politics - Alfred E. Newman



And so it goes

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