23 November: National Espresso Day

Today is National Espresso Day, so here are ten things you might not know about espresso.

1. Espresso is a concentrated form of Coffee produced by forcing hot Water under high pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso machines use 132 pounds per square inch of pressure to extract coffee.

2. It is served in a small cup called a demitasse, which is typically 25–30 ml or 2-3 ounces.

3. The lighter coloured foam on the top is called the crema.

4. The word could have three different meanings. Firstly, it could mean 'pressed-out' as the flavour is squeezed out of the coffee by high pressured steam. It’s also linked to the word “express” as in fast, like an express train, relaying the message that you won’t have to wait too long for it. Finally there’s the notion of doing something "expressly" for an individual.

5. One shot of espresso requires 50 coffee beans.

6. Espresso is often served with a small glass of water. This helps to cleanse the palate and counteract the dehydrating effects of caffeine.

7. Espresso is the base for numerous popular coffee drinks, including cappuccino, latte, and americano.

8. While espresso contains more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages, its smaller serving size means you get less caffeine per serving.

9. Espresso is regulated by the Italian government because it is considered an essential part of daily life in Italy.

10. From 2015, astronauts on the International Space Station have been able to brew fresh espresso on board.

Latest

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

22 November: Saint Cecilia of Rome

Today is the feast day of St Cecilia, also known as Cecilia of Rome. 10 things you might not know about her:

1. She is the patron saint of Music, organ builders, luthiers, singers, musicians and poets.

2. Her story goes that she made a vow of virginity, but her parents wanted to marry her off to a pagan nobleman named Valerian. At her wedding, she sat apart and sang to God in her heart, hence her patronage of music.

3. When Valerian came to her on their wedding night, wanting his conjugal rights, Cecilia told him she was being watched over by an Angel who would punish him if he had sex with her, but love him if he didn’t. Valerian demanded that she show him the angel. She said he’d be able to see it if he went to the third milestone on the Via Appia to be baptized by Pope Urban I. He did as she said, and could indeed see an angel then, standing beside his wife, crowning her with Roses and lilies.

4. Cecilia was martyred along with Valerian and his brother, at the hands of the prefect Turcius Almachius. Cecilia was struck three times on the neck with a sword, but lived for three more days.

5. As she died, she asked the Pope to convert her house into a church. The church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is reputedly built on the site of the house.

6. Geoffrey Chaucer retells the story of Cecilia in The Second Nun's Tale in The Canterbury Tales. She has even featured in Carry on films. She is mentioned in Carry On Abroad as a group of monks search for her tomb with an elixir named after her.

7. It’s possible Cecilia wasn’t actually her name at all. The name "Cecilia" was applied to Roman women from the plebeian clan of the Caecilii. Hence the meanings of the name suggested by Chaucer (lily of heaven, the way for the blind, contemplation of heaven) could be completely made up.

8. As patron saint of music, numerous music festivals have been held in her honour. The first known was held at Évreux, Normandy in 1570. She has also been inspiration for composers from Henry Purcell, Handel and Gounod to Benjamin Britten, whose birthday is on her feast day. He wrote Hymn to St Cecilia, based on a poem by WH Auden. Even pop music has a tribute to her. Paul Simon has suggested that the Simon and Garfunkel hit Cecilia is about her, and the song might therefore be about the frustration of fleeting inspiration in songwriting and the vagaries of musical fame.

9. The famous luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume produces a line of Violins and violas under the name St. Cécile.

10. She has appeared on a UK banknote. She appears in miniature, under Worcester Cathedral, on the back of the old £20 note featuring Sir Edward Elgar.

Latest

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

21 November: Albert name day

Today is the name day for people called Albert.

Albert is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Germanic Adalbert and Adelbert, containing the words adal ("noble") and beraht ("bright").

1. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: husband of Queen Victoria. It has often been used as a royal name, other examples being Albert I and Albert II, rulers of Monaco and Prince Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI of the United Kingdom.

2. Albert Einstein: theoretical physicist, scientist, and philosopher who developed the theory of relativity, widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time.

3. Albert Finney: English actor during the early 1960s, debuting with The Entertainer (1960), directed by Tony Richardson.

4. Albert Runcorn: a Ministry of Magic investigator in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

5. Albert W. Hall: American actor. He portrayed Chief Phillips in Apocalypse Now, Judge Seymore Walsh in Ally McBeal and The Practice and Brother Baines in the 1992 Spike Lee film Malcolm X.

6. Albert Gore, aka Al Gore: former Vice President of the United States.

7. Albert Tatlock: fictional character on Coronation Street. Actor Jack Howarth played Albert from 1960 to 1984.

8. Albert Fish: American serial killer also known as the "Gray Man", the "Werewolf of Wysteria", the "Brooklyn Vampire", the "Moon Maniac", and "The Boogeyman".

9. Albert Green, aka Al Green: American R&B musician.

10. Albert Spaggiari: French criminal chiefly known as the organiser of a break-in into a bank in Nice, France, in July 1976. 46 million francs were stolen, none of which were ever found.

Latest

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

20 November: The Colbys

The Colbys, a Dynasty spin-off, made its début on US TV on this date in 1985. 10 facts about The Colbys:

1. Dynasty had been the highest rated series in 1984–1985, so its producers clearly had high hopes for it. They basically threw money at it, with episode costing approximately $1 million to make. This made it one of the most expensive TV series of the 1980s. However, it wasn’t anything like as popular as Dynasty and was cancelled after two seasons.

2. The Colbys stars Charlton Heston as tycoon Jason Colby (Burt Lancaster was considered for the role); Barbara Stanwyck as his sister Constance (Katharine Hepburn was in the running for this); Stephanie Beacham as his wife Sable (Faye Dunaway, Diana Rigg and Susannah York all turned it down), Katharine Ross as Sable's sister, and John James and Emma Samms as their Dynasty characters Jeff Colby and Fallon Carrington.

3. A number of Dynasty stars like John Forsythe made appearances too, but Joan Collins refused to appear as she disapproved of a Dynasty spin-off.

4. The Colbys’ mansion, The Belvedere, is represented by Jay Paley House in Holmby Hills, then owned by business magnate Barron Hilton.

5. The exteriors for Colby Enterprises were shot at the First Interstate Tower in Los Angeles. Exteriors for Zach Power's headquarters were shot at the nearby Bank of America Building. These real life companies were rivals just like the fictional occupants of the buildings.

6. It was Barbara Stanwyck’s last acting project. Sadly, she hated it. She called the show "a turkey" and "The biggest pile of garbage I ever did" and demanded to be written out after one season. She wasn’t the only one. Stephanie Beacham referred to it as "Cobblers", as in "a load of cobblers", a British phrase meaning nonsense or rubbish.

7. In the UK, the series was shown on BBC1 from in January 1986 but was only shown every two weeks, alternating with Dynasty.

8. It was reported that Charlton Heston was paid $85,000 per episode and Barbara Stanwyck was paid $75,000.

9. The second series ended with Fallon, stranded in the desert, being abducted by aliens.

10. When the series was cancelled, John James and Emma Samms were offered and accepted contracts to continue playing their roles in Dynasty. Stephanie Beacham and Tracy Scoggins also accepted contracts for Dynasty, while Maxwell Caulfield resumed his role in Dynasty: The Reunion in 1991.

Latest

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

19 November: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

On this date in 1975 Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and Danny DeVito premièred at the Sutton and Paramount. 10 things you might not know about it:

1. The film was based on a novel by Ken Kesey, published in 1962. The title comes from a nursery rhyme which appears in the book: “Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn, Apple seed and apple thorn, Wire, briar, limber lock, Three geese in a flock. One flew East, One flew West, And one flew over the Cuckoo's nest.”

2. The book was made into a stage show in 1963, with Kirk Douglas in the leading role. Douglas owned the rights, and wanted to make a film of it at the time with director Miloš Forman. Douglas posted a copy of the book to Forman, but it never arrived. It was possibly confiscated by customs but neither party knew that. Hence Forman was annoyed with Douglas for not sending the book and Douglas was annoyed with Forman for not acknowledging receipt. It was only when Kirk’s son Michael decided to have another go at making the movie that the misunderstanding came to light.

3. Kirk Douglas had always fancied playing Randle Patrick McMurphy himself, but by the time the film was being made, he was too old. Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, and Burt Reynolds were all considered for the part before it finally went to Jack Nicholson. Likewise, several actresses were considered for the part of Nurse Ratched before it went to Louise Fletcher including Anne Bancroft and Angela Lansbury.

4. At first, Forman envisaged Nurse Ratched as “the personification of evil,” but the part evolved to suit Louise Fletcher so that in the end, she’s just the tool used by an evil system, believing that she’s actually helping people by doing her job.

5. Nurse Ratched didn't have a first name in the book. Louise Fletcher chose "Mildred".

6. The filming location was a real hospital. The actors lived in the psychiatric ward during filming and got to know real patients. As part of the process of getting to know their characters, Forman had the actors take part in ad lib therapy sessions, and secretly filmed them. Some of that footage ended up in the film.

7. Many of the people who appear in the film aren’t actors. Dr. John Spivey is actually facility superintendent Dr. Dean Brooks; Mel Lambert (Harbor Master) is a car salesman who happened to sit next to Michael Douglas on a plane; Will Sampson (Chief Bromden) was a Park Ranger in Oregon selected for the part because he was the only Native American the casting department could find who was big enough to play the character. Patients in the hospital used as a location appeared as extras and some got jobs as part of the crew. One was cured of a lifelong stutter as a result.

8. Jack Nicholson and Forman fell out over a plot point and refused to speak to each other for much of the production process. Any necessary communication was carried out by cinematographer Bill Butler as a middleman.

9. The rigours of filming and separation from his future wife got to Danny DeVito so much that he invented an imaginary friend to talk to. Becoming concerned that he might actually be going mad, DeVito sought medical advice and was told he was fine as long as he was aware that the friend was imaginary.

10. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of only three films to win all of the “Big Five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. The other two are It Happened One Night in 1934 and The Silence of the Lambs in 1991.

Latest

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

18 November: Quince

In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is the Day of Quince. 10 things you might not know about quince:

1. The scientific name for quince is Cydonia oblonga, and it is the only member of the genus Cydonia. The genus is part of the rose family, meaning quince is closely related to Apples and Pears.

2. Quinces are native to the Caucasus and Western and Central Asia. Wild trees grow in Azerbaijan, Iran, southwestern Russia and Turkmenistan.

3. The flowers of the quince tree are a pretty pale Pink, so the trees are sometimes planted in gardens for ornamental reasons.

4. The fruit is golden yellow and resembles a cross between an apple and a pear. It emits a sweet and floral scent rather like a combination of apples, pears, and citrus.

5. It is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins C and E, potassium, and antioxidants.

6. The biggest quince producers are Turkey and China accounting for 43% of the world total in 2021.

7. In Turkey, the expression "to eat the quince" means an unpleasant situation because of the rather bitter aftertaste of a quince fruit inside the mouth. In Greek mythology, it represents love and fertility, while in other places, it represents happiness and prosperity.

8. One popular use for quince is to make a sweet and tangy paste known as “membrillo.” This paste is served with Cheese or used as a filling in pastries.

9. Marmalade was originally a word used for quince preserves. The Portuguese word for the fruit is marmelo, from the Ancient Greek melimelon, or “honey-apple.”

10. Quince was once used as a natural source of pectin, a thickening agent for jams, jellies and other confections, before gelatin was widely available.

NEW!!

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book

17 November: Roentgenium

On 17 November 2006, a ceremony was held in Darmstadt, Germany, to celebrate the naming of the element Roentgenium. 10 facts about it:

1. Roentgenium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Rg and atomic number 111.

2. Not much is known about it. It’s a bit difficult to study as the most stable of its isotopes only has a half life of 130 seconds. Only a few atoms of the stuff have ever been made.

3. However, scientists predict that if ever enough is made to study it properly, it will turn out to be a dense noble metal which will be solid at room temperature, and a pale silvery colour.

4. Roentgenium has seven isotopes whose half-lives are known. There are more which haven’t been confirmed yet, including one, roentgenium-286, which could have a half life of as much as 10.7 minutes.

5. Roentgenium was first synthesised by an international team led by Sigurd Hofmann in 1994 at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research near Darmstadt, Germany.

6. The team that discovered it bombarded atoms of bismuth with ions of nickel in a linear accelerator.

7. Before it was assigned the name Roentgenium, it was given a temporary name, unununium, with a provisional chemical symbol of Uuu.

8. It is named after the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also spelled Roentgen), who discovered X Rays.

9. It is 272 times heavier than hydrogen.

10. Roentgenium does not occur at all in nature and has no uses apart from scientific study.

NEW!!

Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)

Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.

Paperback

E book