19 September: Barometers

On this date in 1648 Florin Perier demonstrated the barometer. 10 things you might not know about barometers.

1. The word barometer was coined by Robert Boyle in the mid 1600s by combining the Greek words for measuring and weight.

2. The first Mercury barometer was created in 1600s by an Italian physicist and mathematician called Evangelista Torricelli, who was a student of Galileo.

3. Florin Perier was Blaise Pascal’s brother-in-law, married to Pascal’s sister Gilberte. He was the one Pascal persuaded to climb a Mountain to test his theory about air pressure. Pascal himself was in poor health and unable to climb the mountain himself. The mountain in question was the Puy de Dôme, at a height of 4,790 feet (1,460 m).

4. Before modern barometers, people used simple devices using Water to measure air pressure and tell when a storm was on its way. One such device was the 'Donderglas' ('thunder-glass' in Dutch) or 'Dutch water barometer' consisting of a vessel and a spout. The level of water in the spout would rise or fall depending on the air pressure.

5. Initially, barometers were used to measure height above sea level, but people started noticing that measurements varied according to the weather. They soon figured out this was a way to predict the weather.

6. From there, they soon became status symbols; talking points that rich people had on display in their homes.

7. Barometers with a round display with a needle pointing to weather-terms such as 'stormy', 'Rain', 'change', 'fair', and 'dry' are called aneroid barometers. The aneroid barometer was invented by French scientist Lucien Vidi in 1844. It works by having a sealed chamber that expands or contracts as the air pressure varies, which is connected to a mechanical system including a pointer.

8. Another type of aneroid barometer is a barograph, which has a revolving drum around which Paper is wrapped, and a nib and ink. The changes in pressure over a period of time can be recorded on the paper as the drum turns.

9. Many modern smart phones have pressure sensors built into the design to pick up changes in weather and to calculate your current altitude. So you may have a portable barometer in your pocket.

10. There’s a man in Spain who has gone as far as to have a barometer implant installed in the back of his head. His name is Manel Muñoz and he’s a cyborg artist. In 2017, he had a chip put in that detected pressure changes. At first, the chip was connected to transmitters in his ears so he could tell the air pressure by the sound. I’m guessing this became rather annoying, like tinnitus, which may be why he had it updated with small motors that vibrate directly through his skull. If the left side of his head vibrates, it means low pressure and possible storms, and if the right side vibrates it means the weather will be fine.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

18 September: I Dream of Jeannie

On this date in 1965, I Dream Of Jeannie, TV Comedy starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, debuted on NBC. 10 facts about the show.

1. For those not familiar with it, I Dream of Jeannie is an American fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie from the fictional nation of Basenji, and Larry Hagman as astronaut Captain Tony Nelson.

2. The pilot episode was called The Lady in the Bottle. In it, Tony Nelson’s capsule, Stardust, lands on a deserted island miles from the planned recovery location. He finds a strange bottle that rolls around by itself. He opens it, rubs it, and out comes a beautiful female genie who only speaks Persian, and has been trapped in the bottle for two thousand years. Tony’s first wish is that she gains the ability to speak English. His second is for the recovery Helicopter to show up and find them. Jeannie is already in love with Tony and so she rolls her bottle into his bag to make sure he takes her home.

3. Jeannie’s bottle was a Jim Beam Whiskey decanter, which was painted and decorated with gold leaf. The inside of it was a set on a sound stage, which Barbara Eden had to climb an eight foot Ladder to get into.

4. Jeannie’s efforts to help Tony and make him fall in love with her raise the suspicions of Tony's commanding officer, Colonel Dr. Alfred Bellows, who is also a psychiatrist. He is often the only other person to witness Jeannie's magic and Tony’s efforts to cover it up, and is convinced that Tony is going mad or has a secret.

5. Jeannie has an evil Twin, Jeannie II, who appears in series 3. She dresses in Green rather than Pink and has dark hair. She was played by Barbara Eden in a brunette Wig.

6. The theme music was a song called Jeannie, composed by Hugo Montenegro with lyrics by Buddy Kaye. At least, it was from series 2. The theme for series 1 was an instrumental jazz waltz written by Richard Wess. For some reason, a theme song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King before the show ever aired, was never used.

7. Larry Hagman was drinking heavily at the time the show was being made and was frequently drunk on set. The producers almost fired him because they found him so difficult to work with, and had Darren McGavin lined up to replace him, and a storyline written to explain the change. However, the studio executives vetoed that. Barbara Eden, however, got on with Hagman really well and said in interviews later that she had a connection with him she’d never found with any other actor. The pair were also friends off screen and remained so until Hagman died in 2012.

8. This was the 1960s and so there were some strict rules to follow. Jeannie’s belly button could never be shown and extra layers had to be added to her costume’s bottom half so her legs didn’t show through it.

9. There were also strict rules to ensure that if Tony and Jeannie were ever alone in his bedroom, at least one of them had to be shown leaving the room so nobody could even imagine they got up to anything in there when the camera stopped rolling. It was even forbidden for her bottle to be left in Tony’s bedroom.

10. The decision to have Tony and Jeannie get married in season 5 was made by the network in a bid to improve ratings. Barbara Eden disagreed with this plot development. A genie isn’t human, she argued, so a marriage was probably not even possible (although in season 1 there is a reveal that Jeannie was human once, a girl from a peasant family, and had been turned into a genie by "The Blue Djinn.") Also, it removed the “Will they, won’t they?” tension between the characters and if Jeannie became a housewife it simply wouldn’t be as funny. Another of Eden’s arguments was that it made the show too similar to the rival show of the time, Bewitched.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

17 September: 260

Today is the 260^th day of the year. 10 fun facts about 260.

1. 260 Days is a 2025 Croatian-American English language war drama film based on 2011 autobiographical historical novel of the same name by Marijan Gubina (born 1981) It's based on Gubina's experience of captivity in Serbian concentration camp for 260 days during Croatian War of Independence, from August 1, 1991, to April 16, 1992.

2. The Roman numeral for 260 is CCLX.

3. 260 Huberta is a large asteroid discovered by Johann Palisa in 1886 in Vienna and named after Saint Hubertus.

4. The A260 is a road in Kent, England, which connects the towns of Barham and Folkestone.

5. +260 is the international dialling code for Zambia.

6. Pre-Columbian Mesoamericans used 260-day calendars.260-day calendars are still used in the Guatemalan highlands, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.

7. The year 260 was a leap year starting on Sunday, known as the Year of the Consulship of Saecularis and Donatus.

8. London bus route 260 runs between White City Bus Station and Golders Green Station.

9. In binary code, 260 is 100000100.

10. In numerology, 260 resonates with building things and doing business in cooperation with others. It has a comfortable understanding of business legalities and accounting.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

16 September: The Yeomen of the Guard

This date in 1485 saw the establishment of the Yeomen of the Guard, bodyguard of the English Crown, popularly known as Beefeaters. 10 things you might not know about them.

1. Or, at least, the date on the earliest known document that refers to them. In this document, one John Frye, a yeoman of the king's guard, is appointed to the office of Searcher at the port of Bristol.

2. The Yeomen were created by King Henry VII after the Battle of Bosworth Field and is the oldest British military corps still in existence. Of course, monarchs had bodyguards before this, but Henry wanted to reward his for their bravery and loyalty by creating a guard that would protect the King (or Queen) of England forever, of which they would be the first.

3. Their first official act was to escort Henry to his coronation on 1 October 1485. John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, led a company of fifty of them.

4. At that time, their primary function was protecting the monarch. This involved creating a physical shield around him wherever he went, even inside his palace, tasting his food and even standing guard in the king’s bedroom all night. In addition, they carried torches, served the King’s meals and made sure he had food and drink in his room in case he woke hungry or thirsty during the night. Making up the King’s Bed was another ritual, which involved stabbing the bed with daggers and jumping on it to spread out the bedding, and disturb any assassins who might be hiding in the bed.

5. This archaic function is reflected to this day in the names of two of the ranks: Yeoman Bed Hanger and Yeoman Bed Goer. Other ranks are Exon, Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Yeoman, Divisional Sergeant-Major and Messenger Sergeant-Major.

6. Today, their role is purely ceremonial. Their uniforms haven’t changed much since Tudor times and they still carry swords, although they are never used. There is an annual roll call and a Sovereign's Inspection about every five years. Their regular commitments include the annual Royal Maundy service, the Epiphany Service in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, installations of Knights of the Garter, summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace and a ritual search of the cellars of the Palace of Westminster in advance of the State Opening of Parliament, a nod to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

7. Fancy joining the Yeomen? It will take a while. Since 1830 the requirements are that all candidates must have served in the British military for at least 22 years, must have attained the rank of sergeant or above, but not be a commissioned officer, and must have been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Hence any new recruits will be at least 42 years of age, and retire at age 70.

8. The Yeomen of the Guard are not the same as the Yeomen Warders who guard the Tower of London, although their uniforms are almost identical. The Yeomen of the Guard can be distinguished by their cross belts, worn from the left shoulder.

9. The last time the Yeomen took place in a battle was the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 during the reign of King George II. It was after this that they became largely ceremonial, although King George V re-instated the guarding at the palace role during the first world war, and allowed them permission to join the regular forces and go fight if they wished.

10. Why are they called Beefeaters? Most likely because they tended to be quite beefy in build, but more relevantly, because they were allowed a generous daily meat ration.

For the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta click here: Yeomen of the Guard

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

15 September: Make a Hat Day

Today is Make a Hat Day. For those who celebrate, 10 quotations about hats.

1. A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in. Frederick the Great

2. Hats have power. Hats can change you into someone else. Catherynne M. Valente

3. How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about. Philip Treacy

4. Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day. EB White

5. Never try to wear a hat that has more character than you do. Lance Morrow

6. People get to like a soul, but a satisfactory hat makes an impression at first sight. Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie

7. I have an American top hat that's collapsible and works as a frisbee. Jackson Rathbone

8. A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat. PJ O'Rourke

9. Never run after you own hat – others will be delighted to do it; why spoil their fun? Mark Twain

10. If your brains were dynamite there wouldn't be enough to blow your hat off. Kurt Vonnegut 

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

14 September: Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was born on this date in 1983. 10 things you might not know about her.

1. Amy Jade Winehouse was born at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, London. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother a pharmacist. The family were Jewish, something Amy was proud of, although she wasn’t religious.

2. Music was in her blood. She had several uncles who were Jazz musicians and her father’s mother once dated Ronnie Scott. Her father loved to sing as well, and even released an album of his own in 2010, called Rush of Love.

3. When Amy was about 10, she teamed up with her friend, Juliette Ashby to form a hip hop duo. Inspired by the rap group Salt-N-Pepa, they called themselves Sweet ‘n’ Sour. In a 2004 interview, Amy said, “I was sour, of course.“ They even managed to make a small number of studio recordings: Glam Chicks, Boys … Who Needs Them and Spinderella.

4. At 12, she was admitted to the Sylvia Young Theatre School. She attended there for two years before being expelled for "not applying herself" and piercing her own nose. At 16, she made her debut with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. At 19, she signed with manager Nick Godwyn of 19 Entertainment, a company founded by Simon Fuller, the man behind Pop Idol and the Spice Girls.

5. “They” really did try to make her go to Rehab. In 2005 her manager Nick Shymansky was among those urging her to get help for her excessive drinking. Amy claimed at the time that she wasn’t an alcoholic, she just had a broken heart. She did, however, eventually give in and go to rehab in 2008.

6. Amy Winehouse was the first British female artist to win five Grammys at one ceremony, in 2008, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Her record was beaten by Adele in 2012.

7. Artists who have credited Amy Winehouse as an influence include Adele, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Jessie J, Emeli Sandé, Paloma Faith, Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch and Billie Eilish. Patti Smith's This Is the Girl is a tribute to her, as is Green Day's Amy.

8. When she died, there were rumours circulating that she was in the process of adopting a 10-year-old girl from St Lucia, with whom she had formed a strong bond while staying on the island. It was even said that she would have moved to St Lucia permanently to achieve this. Winehouse's representative has denied it, however, saying the rumours were not true.

9. Her last recording was a duet, Body and Soul, with Tony Bennett. It was released on what would have been her 28th birthday.

10. Since her death, Amy’s family have set up a charity which works to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people, and to help disadvantaged youngsters reach their full potential. The Amy Winehouse Foundation was also launched on what would have been her 28^th birthday.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/

13 September: 256

13 September is the 256^th day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 256.

1. 256 is an important number in computing. One byte is equal to eight bits and has 256 possible values, counting from 0 to 255. The number 256 often appears in computer applications, for example, typical number of different values in each colour channel of a digital colour image.

2. It is 2 to the 8th power, and the only 8^th power number to have three digits. There’s an obsolete mathematical term for the 8^th power, dating back to when powers were written out in words rather than as superscript numbers. The word is zenzizenzizenzic. Hence, 256 is the only 3 digit number to be zenzizenzizenzic.

3. In Binary, 256 is 100000000.

4. 256 Walpurga is a large Main belt asteroid discovered by Johann Palisa in 1886 in Vienna and named after Saint Walburga.

5. The A256 is a major road running along the east coast of Kent between the Isle of Thanet, beginning on the edge of Broadstairs, and Dover. In 2015, dual carriageway sections of the A256 were identified as a possible relief for Operation Stack, for queueing Dover-bound freight vehicles along the road. Used a lot since Brex-shit, I suspect.

6. +256 is the international dialling code for Uganda.

7. 256 is a regional North American telephone area code serving northern Alabama, USA, including the cities of Huntsville and Florence.

8. London bus 256 runs from Miramar Way to Wincanton Road.

9. 256 Steps is a 2012 short film directed by Jessie Hawkes and Jake Hodge, and starring Neil J Barrow, Neil Radford and Eric Radford. A murder in 1870, which was never meant to happen, pitched a town into Groundhog Day mode, repeating the same day over and over again. It is up to two young adults in 2012 to break the curse on the parallel plane. However, the pair are are pulled into the time loop. Can they save the town?

10. In numerology, 256 is a nurturing and methodical energy. A person under its influence follows established guidelines and procedures for specific results. The person is cooperative, diplomatic, supportive, diligent and practical. It is also a whimsical energy which cherishes time with family.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/