Quote
“If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.”
Leonardo DiCaprio
Joke
I Renamed my iPod The Titanic, so when I plug it in, it says “The Titanic is syncing.”
Fun Fact
In 1862, the King of Siam offered Abraham Lincoln many elephants on the grounds that a “Country as great as the United States should not be without elephants.” Lincoln politely declined.
Reading Fact
John Steinbeck’s dog ate the original manuscript for Of Mice and Men.
Steinbeck’s beloved Irish setter named Toby was the first to consume Of Mice and Men. The dog, quite literally, chewed up half of the only manuscript of the classic.
In a letter to his agent, the dog-loving author was quite forgiving: “The poor little fellow may have been acting critically,” he explained.
History Fact
The Colosseum was originally clad entirely in marble.
When you visit or see the Colosseum these days you’ll notice how the stone exterior appears to be covered in pockmarks all across its surface.
Whilst you might assume this is just degradation of the material due to its age, it is actually because it was originally clad almost entirely in marble.
The reason for the pockmarks is, after the fall of Rome, the city was looted and pillaged by the Goths. Yes that’s right, the Goths!
They took all of the marble from the Colosseum, and stripped it (mostly) down to its bare stone setting.
The holes in the stone are from where the iron clamps and poles attaching the marble cladding to it have been ripped out.
Movie/TV Trivia
Neither Michelle Rodriguez nor Jordana Brewster had their driver's licenses when they were cast for Fast and Furious.
Movie/TV Quote
"Meet me in Montauk."
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Whispered by Kate Winslet's Clementine in the midst of a collapsing house and a disappearing memory, "Meet me in Montauk" is a last-ditch rescue attempt, a verbal Hail Mary tossed into the void before the clock runs out. Of all the clever dialogue in Charlie Kaufman's Oscar-winning script, which he penned during a wildly productive burst of creativity in the early '00s, it's this earnest request that hits home the hardest, evoking a dream of a shared life and a chance at romantic redemption. Even after all the pain and heartbreak, you still want to see Clementine and Joel find each other and get another shot at reconstructing their relationship. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind understands that basic yearning for hope and connection. Unsurprisingly, the line has inspired fans to travel to Montauk itself for trips and special screenings -- perhaps discovering their own fractured love stories along the way.
Conversation Starter
Talk about some of the interesting people you have met while traveling.
Writing Prompt
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