Quote
"The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
Bertrand Russell
Joke
What should you call an average potato? A commen-tator!
Fun Fact
There are no muscles in your fingers: Their function is controlled by muscles in your palms and arms.
Reading Fact
The first-ever “Harry Potter” was a short story published in communist Poland in 1972.
The boy who lived has, in fact, lived ever since 19 March 1972, when literary magazine Życie Literackie published a short story titled “Harry Potter”. The author – Jan Rostworowski – was a Polish writer and poet who, as a soldier of the Polish Army, spent twenty-eight years in Great Britain.
Rostworowski’s text tells a story of a seventeen-year-old Harry whose life is much more muggle-like than that of his namesake. In fact, his life is rather ordinary – as a shopkeeper, he delivers the original Cracovian sausage and pickles. And in the end – he suddenly vanishes.
History Fact
Silphium, also known as laserwort, was a plant that was once an effective and extremely popular contraceptive; Pliny, sounding like a guy who totally understands women’s periods, noted that it could “promote the menstrual discharge.” Unfortunately it was so popular that it was harvested into extinction. Some researchers even speculate that the shape of the plant is what gives us the traditional heart shape we use to denote love and romance today.
Movie/TV Trivia
Casino Royale
Daniel Craig lost the two front teeth while filming a fight scene in Prague (the first action scene to be shot), and his dentist had to fly from London to replace them.
Movie/TV Quote
"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!"
Auntie Mame, 1958
Conversation Starter
What is your favourite book?
Writing Prompt
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