BITS ‘N’ PIECES 7th February 2022
BITS ‘N’ PIECES 7th February 2022
jeanniejeanniejeannie.co.uk BLOG Monday 7th February 2022
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
BITS ‘N’ PIECES 7th February 2022
- Blue plaque for Muppets’ creator
A blue plaque has been erected at the former home of the Muppets creator Jim Henson. The puppeteer, who died in 1990 aged 53 from septic shock, lived on Downshire Hill in Hampstead, north London. After English Heritage unveiled the plaque ahead of what would have been the artist’s 85th birthday, his son Brian said: “It’s an honour to have his British home recognised with a blue plaque, knowing that he so admired and respected the talent in London.”
- New study finds dogs have a child-like sense of humour.
Have you ever noticed your pup smiling at you? Well, according to dog expert and psychology professor Stanley Coren, certain dog breeds do in fact have a sense of humour — and make their owners laugh more than others.
Speaking to ABC News, Stanley referenced a study undertaken by Benjamin Hart and Lynnette Hart at the University of California-Davis, where a group of experts ranked 56 breeds in terms of playfulness. Irish setters, English Springer Spaniels, Cairn and Airedale terriers were among the most playful, while Chihuahuas, Rottweilers, Bulldogs and Bloodhounds were found to be the least playful.
“Certain clusters of dogs have an incredible sense of humour and, for them, their motto is ‘Nothing is worth doing unless it creates a furore,'” Stanley said. “The same personality type that has the strongest sense of humour in people is also the same personality type which creates a lot of attention.”
- MORE 100 YEAR OLDS
The bottom line. 7,590 people in the UK celebrated their 100th birthday in 2020, more than any other year in British history – a result of the spike in births at the end of WWI. Office for National Statistics
- Tesla became the fifth company to ever reach a market value of $1trn (£723.6bn)
Tesla has become the first carmaker to break through the $1trn valuation barrier – joining Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook and Microsoft in an elite club of tech titans. The catalyst for the share surge that took Tesla over the line was an order for 100,000 electric vehicles, worth $4bn, from the rental company Hertz. But it follows “a record quarter” for the carmaker, in which its Model 3 became “the best-selling car across Europe in September” – and the first battery electric vehicle ever to top the region’s monthly sales charts. The Guardian
- Ikea opens in the high street.
Ikea cemented its plans to gain a city-centre presence, by snapping up Topshop’s old flagship store on Oxford Street in central London. The Swedish firm is believed to have paid £378m for the 100,000 sq ft premises, which it will open as a home furnishing store and café in 2023. The deal completes the sell-off of assets from Philip Green’s Arcadia Group. BBC
- The best medicine for your heart.
Going to bed between 10pm and 11pm reduces the risk of heart disease, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Exeter studied 88,000 volunteers and found that people who fell asleep during that hour-long window had lower rates of heart disease compared with those with earlier or later bedtimes. The experts believe synchronising sleep to match our internal body clock may explain the reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. In other news, researchers have concluded that adding plenty of herbs and spices to your diet could benefit your heart. A study found that feeding people a diet with plenty of ingredients such as cinnamon, coriander, parsley, garlic, black pepper, thyme and turmeric for four weeks was followed by improved blood pressure readings. The change was seen in people who consumed about one and a half teaspoons of herbs and spices per day. – The Guardian
- Golden age for UK film industry.
More than £4bn was spent on making films and TV shows in the UK in 2021 – more than double the figure spent pre-pandemic. An additional £2bn is expected in the final quarter, taking the total spent to over £6bn this year. Tax rebates for filmmakers, in place since 2007 and significantly extended in 2013, are being credited as drawing more productions to the UK. Streamers including Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, as well as traditional film studios, have put almost 200 TV shows and films into production in 2021. Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission and Film London, said the UK had entered a “new golden age for film and TV”. – Daily Express
TOP TWENTY OF THE DAY
TOP 20 saddest breakup songs in the history of music
What is it that makes a sad song so appealing? Is it the affecting vocals? Striking melodies? Lyrics that seem they’ve been written specifically for you? Sad songs have a way of becoming universally appreciated, topping charts and winning awards, even as they help us deal with our broken hearts. Here’s a list of the best weepy and wonderful songs around.
- “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor
- “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars
- “Careless Whisper” by George Michael (Wham!)
- “The End of the World” by Skeeter Davis
- “Apologize” by Timbaland featuring OneRepublic
- “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt
- “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” by The Righteous Brothers
- “Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse
- “Need You Now” by Lady A
- “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley
- “Just Give Me A Reason” by Pink featuring Nate Ruess
- “Crying” by Roy Orbison
- “Un-break My Heart” by Toni Braxton
- “You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel
- “Pictures of You” by The Cure
- “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak
- “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men
- “Let Her Go” by Passenger
- “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
- “Someone Like You” by Adele.
REMEMBER: The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
– Nicolas Chamfort
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FOR THE DAY
“The difference between a successful person and others is not lack of strength not a lack of knowledge but rather a lack of will.” —Vince Lombardi
HAPPINESS IS…
Happiness is…more than ever investment in films and TV in 2021.
GRANDAD’S ONE LINER JOKE OF THE DAY
A train stops at a train station. A bus stops at a bus station. Now, why is my desk called a ‘work-station’?
LOVE IS…
Love is…living today so that tomorrow is full of happy memories.
TURN…TURN…TURN!
A time for “Crying” by Roy Orbison…A time for “Someone Like You” by Adele.
©2022 Phil M Robinson