Quote
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Joke
Why is Peter Pan always flying? He neverlands!
Fun Fact
More than 1/5 of all the calories consumed by humans worldwide is provided by rice alone.
Reading Fact
Portuguese bookshop Bertrand Chiado is officially the oldest operating bookshop in the world, founded in 1732.
Today, Bertrand has developed into a network of 52 shops scattered across Portugal and has been frequented by numerous famous authors, including Alexandre Herculano, Fernando Pessoa, Eca de Queiros, and Aquilino Ribeiro. The latter was such a frequent visitor that a special room was dedicated to the writer and called “Corner of Aquilino”.
History Fact
Citrus Craze
Although they didn’t make it over to England until the 1600s, pineapples became a massive fad in the UK in the 1700s. People would carry them around as symbols of their wealth and status, and everything from clothing to kitchenware was decorated with the exotic fruit. You could even rent a pineapple for an evening and take it out for a spin to impress all your friends.
Movie/TV Trivia
If you made it to the end of I Am Legend you’ll have been treated to Will Smith going kablooey (along with the point of Matheson’s novel). In a surprising reversal of the usual ‘let the hero survive’ approach, an alt scene saw Neville survive.
Movie/TV Quote
"I volunteer as tribute."
Hunger Games (2012)
Katniss Everdeen's declaration was taken directly from Suzanne Collins' bestselling YA novel, but it's Jennifer Lawrence's performance that makes it worthy of inclusion here. From her, the words became a chillingly desperate gasp. As the heroine of the dystopian fantasy, Lawrence shouts the phrase when her little sister is recruited to be part of the cruel games in which children from fantasy nightmare Panem's various districts are sacrificed. The Hunger Games films themselves have seemingly become less culturally relevant over time, but "I volunteer as tribute" remains alternately a rallying cry and a way to say you, uh, volunteer for a task.
Conversation Starter
Why do you think sports are common across almost all cultures present and past?
Writing Prompt