25 July: Skateboarding

On this date in 2021 skateboarding became an Olympic sport. 10 things you didn’t know about skateboarding:

1. The first skateboards were wooden crates with Roller skate wheels attached.

2. Skateboarding was initially called "sidewalk surfing" and was performed barefoot.

3. The first skate park was built in 1965 in Tucson, Arizona, and named "Surf City." Then in the 1970s skateboarders started practising in drained bowl shaped swimming pools. Early skate parks were based on that idea.

4. Making your skateboard jump into the air is called an “ollie”, which became possible when the kicktail was added to boards. The trick was invented by Alan Gelfand, whose nickname was Ollie.

5. Skateboarding was banned in Norway between 1978 and 1989 because there were a lot of accidents. You could be fined for even owning one. The film “Thrashin” was rated an 18 certificate in Norway because it was about skateboarding.

6. In the 1990s the US military trialled the use of skateboards in a program called “Urban Warrior ‘99”. Soldiers would use them to manoeuvrer inside buildings when seeking out snipers. It was concluded in the end that it wasn’t that effective.

7. The first gold medal for skateboarding was won by Yuto Horigome of Japan. A few days later in the women’s competition Sky Brown became Great Britain’s youngest ever medal winner, at the age of 13 years and 28 days.

8. The most expensive skateboard is the Louis Vuitton X Supreme skateboard priced at $59,000. Beyond most people’s budget but perhaps the richest skateboarder in the world, Tony Hawk, with a net worth estimated between 100 and 120 million dollars could stretch to one.

9. The Guinness world record for the longest distance travelled on a skateboard is held at time of writing by Andrew Andras who went 309 miles in 24 hours in 2017. That’s the equivalent of the distance between London and Cologne in Germany.

10. The record for the biggest skateboard is 11.14 metres long, 2.63 metres wide and 1.1 metres high. 12.5 times bigger than a regular skateboard. This monster skateboard was created by Americans Rob Dyrdek and Joe Ciaglia.

Character birthday

Harlequin, aka Henry Moran, an American genetic variant with the power to produce detailed and convincing illusions. Uses for his power have included making officials see entry passes and rendering himself and his team mates invisible. He moved to London to study criminology after his wife left him and rented a room from Gary Winchcombe (Chain), who recruited him to the Chain Gang when his power was discovered. Henry was later reconciled with his wife who joined him in London and they raised a family: Daniel (Sword Keeper) and Trish (Sparky). He appears in From A Jack to A King and Obsidian’s Ark.

From A Jack To A King

A royal palace is burning. The King and Queen are dead. The only hopes for an ancient dynasty flee to England for their lives.

A boy runs from his mother and the people he believes want to mutilate him, and vanishes, seemingly forever.

Gary Winchcombe, the experimental "super-cop" pursues a notorious gang of bank robbers, and starts to discover that his friends and neighbours have secrets he never could have imagined.

Tod Reynard wants to turn his life around. When he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Jade, he knows she might just be the one to help him change his life for the better. He cannot possibly know just how much.

When Jade's twin sister Gloria is kidnapped, old rivalries must be put aside and new associations formed in order to save Gloria's life and restore the rightful order of things.

Available from: Amazon, Amazon Kindle

Obsidian's Ark

Teenage years bring no end of problems. Daniel Moran's include getting hold of computer games his parents don't think he should have; a full blown crush on the beautiful Suki from Zorostan; maintaining his status as a prefect and getting his homework done. He must also keep from his parents and sister the fact that he is a superhero with a sword from another world.

Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.

Suki struggles to make friends at school when she cannot understand everyday cultural references, and they all suspect her of being a terrorist. She, too, has a secret, but is it what her classmates assume?

When Daniel stumbles upon a plot by an alliance of supervillains to plunge the world into war, he tries to alert the established superheroes, but none of them believe him. When the Prime Minister's only daughter, Yasmin Miller, is abducted, Daniel knows the villains' plan is underway. It seems humanity's only hope may be Daniel and the ragtag bunch of teenage superheroes he recruits. Can he pull together, not only his own team, but the older heroes as well, in a bid to save the Earth from a devastating war?

Available from:

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24 July: 205

Today is the 205^th day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 205:

1. 205 Martha is a large main belt Asteroid discovered by Johann Palisa on 13 October 1879, and named after Martha, a woman in the New Testament.

2. The South Circular Road in London was formally the A205. It’s a major road that runs from The Woolwich Ferry in the east to the Chiswick Flyover in the west. Together with the North Circular Road and Woolwich Ferry, it makes a complete ring-road around Central London and forms the boundary of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

3. Also in London, the 205 bus route runs between Cleveland Terrace Paddington and Bow Church Station.

4. 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital is Scotland's only Army Reserve Field Hospital.

5. The year 205 was a common year starting on a Tuesday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Geta. In this year, Plotinus, the Greek philosopher and writer was born.

6. On an infinite chessboard, a knight can reach exactly 205 squares within four moves.

7. 205 is the atomic number of a theoretical element temporarily called Binilpentium.

8. The Peugeot 205 is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1983 to 1999.

9. 205 Yonge Street is a four-story former Bank of Toronto building built in 1905 in Toronto. The E. J. Lennox-designed structure has a domed roof and Corinthian columns on the front, and it is an example of neoclassical architecture.

10. In numerology 205 energy resonates with scientific investigation and introspection. The energy also resonates with companionship and diplomacy. The person influenced by it is likely to be highly intuitive, spiritual, and wise; and enjoy the activities of analysing situations and scientific research. They are not thrown by unexpected turns of events others might see as a jinx or a spanner in the works. Instead, they welcome it as a learning experience. 205 energy is a good team member, always contributing to the group.

Character birthday

Porcupine, a genetic variant born with sharp spines on her back. Her mother died giving birth to her and she was rejected by the rest of her relatives. Her case came to the attention of social worker Rosemary Ellis (Shadow) who arranged for the baby to be adopted by Boulder and Dynamite, who were unable to have children of their own. Boulder’s tough granite skin meant he could cuddle the baby without coming to harm. Porcupine lives in the G-Men’s mansion and is one of a number of genetic variants who would be unable to live easily in society.

Fire in her Blood

A Superhero love story.

Sent away to school to get her away from undesirable company, Agnes finds herself homesick and lonely. A brief connection with Jason Warner leads to the teenage crush to end all teenage crushes. Jason is barely aware Agnes exists, but she plans her whole future around him.

It is only when they meet again as adults that the connection becomes mutual; but before it can develop, Jason makes a discovery which rocks his entire world. He needs time alone, away from everyone, including Agnes. When Jason is finally ready to go back to his old life, Agnes has moved on and he cannot find her.

Agnes is now a single parent to the remarkable Seraphina. The Power League want to harness Seraphina's powers for evil before the Freedom League become aware of her. Agnes has no idea her new colleague and friend is a supervillain with his own agenda, and his willingness to babysit is not as innocent as she thinks. As Incendio starts teaching Seraphina to use her powers, the Freedom League intervene. Little do they know that they have found one of their own.

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-book

23 July: Emma Name Day

In Sweden, today is the name day for people called Emma.

Emma is a feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic word ermen meaning "whole" or "universal".

Here's a list of 10 famous Emmas:

1. Dame Emma Hamilton: English maid, model, dancer and actress who was Nelson’s mistress.

2. Dame Emma Thompson: British actress and screenwriter.

3. Emma Lazarus: American poet remembered for the sonnet "The New Colossus", inspired by the Statue of Liberty, in 1883. Its lines appear inscribed on a bronze plaque, installed in 1903, on the pedestal of the statue.

4. Emma Frost: Marvel Comics character reated by writer Chris Claremont and artist co-writer John Byrne. She first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #129.

5. Emma Bunton: English singer who rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice.

6. Emma Goldman: Russian-born anarchist, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

7. Emma Peel: fictional character played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers, and by Uma Thurman in the 1998 film version.

8. Emma Watson: English actress, model and activist.

9. Emma Woodhouse: protagonist of Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma. She is described in the novel's opening sentence as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition... and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her."

10. Emma Samms: English actress known for her role as Fallon Carrington Colby on the prime time soap opera Dynasty.

Character birthday

The Tyrone Twins, Frank and Lee Tyrone, identical twins from Innovia, Infinitus. They were sucked through a wormhole which formed when the bomb exploded and were deposited in the Earth dimension. There, they sought out others who had travelled through the wormhole and together formed the Earth Guard. Wormhole travel gave them powers. They can attack using energy blasts, and there is a hyperlink between them: any object hitting one twin emerges from the other. The only discernible difference between the twins is that Frank is right handed and Lee is left handed.

22 July: 203

Today is the 203^rd day of the year. Here are 10 facts about the number 203:

1. The A203 is a primary A road in South London. It runs from Brixton to Vauxhall.

2. The Roman numeral for 203 is CCIII.

3. In Binary it’s 11001011.

4. The Battle of 203 Meter Hill was a battle which took place during the Russo-Japanese War, on 14 December 1904. 203 Meter Hill is the highest elevation within Port Arthur, and overlooked the harbour. The name "203-Meter Hill" is a misnomer, however, as the hill consists of two peaks (203 meters and 210 meters high) connected by a sharp ridge.

5. 203 Pompeja is a main-belt Asteroid. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on September 25, 1879, in Clinton, New York, and named after Pompeii, the Roman town destroyed in volcanic eruption in AD 79.

6. London bus route 203 runs between School Road Hounslow and Staines Bus Station.

7. The year 203 was a common year starting on Saturday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Plautianus and Geta. This year saw the deaths of Perpetua and Felicity, Christian martyrs.

8. 203 Field Hospital is one of ten UK Army Reserve field hospitals which can provide up to 200 beds when fully manned. It is based in, and recruits exclusively from Wales. Members of the Unit have previously deployed on a number of operations including Iraq and Afghanistan.

9. The Peugeot 203 is a small family car which was produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1948 and 1960.

10. In numerology, a person with number 203 energy tends to pursue whatever is of interest at the moment. The interest may change on a whim. They are optimistic, creative, and seem to have infinite potential. The person tends to be a fun companion. They enjoy meeting new people, being exposed to new ideas, and being enticed by new ways of looking at things. Curiosity tends to have no bounds. There is an interest in pretty much everything.

Character birthday

President Jack Ward, President of the nation of Innovia in Infinitus, whose life was saved more than once by the Superhero Power Blaster. Ward is married to Melie, his first lady, but is having a secret affair with one of his advisors, Sylvia.

Secrets and Skies

Jack Ward, President of Innovia, owes his life twice over to the enigmatic superhero, dubbed Power Blaster by the press. No-one knows who Power Blaster is or where he comes from - and he wants it to stay that way.

Scientist Desi Troyes has developed a nuclear bomb to counter the ever present threat of an asteroid hitting the planet. When Ward signs the order giving the go ahead for a nuclear test on the remote Bird Island, he has no inkling of Troyes' real agenda, and that he has signed the death warrants of millions of people.

Although the island should have been evacuated, there are people still there: some from the distant continent of Classica; protesters opposed to the bomb test; and Innovians who will not, or cannot, use their communication devices.

Power Blaster knows he must stop the bomb from hitting the island. He also knows it may be the last thing he ever does.

Meanwhile in Innovia, Ward and his staff gather to watch the broadcast of the test. Nobody, not even Troyes himself, has any idea what is about to happen.

Available from Amazon or Amazon Kindle

21 July: Hail

On this date in 2021 hailstones the size of golf balls hit Essex. 10 things you might not know about hail:

1. Hail is formed in thunder clouds where there can be winds blowing upwards. The temperature in these upper reaches of clouds can be below freezing, so raindrops forced upwards by the updrafts into this zone will freeze into hailstones.

2. This can happen several times as the hailstone catches the upward wind again on its way down. One source described hailstones in a cloud as being like balls in a lottery machine. The process is repeated until the ball of ice is too heavy for the wind to blow it back up and that’s when it falls to earth. Hence, the stronger the wind in the cloud, the bigger the hailstones. According to the US National Weather Service, upward wind speeds of 64 mph will support a hailstone as large as a golf ball, while a Grapefruit-sized stone needs a 98-mph updraft.

3. In order for hail to form the temperature of the top of the cumulonimbus cloud must be colder than -20C.

4. If you cut a large hailstone in half it has rings, like an Onion or a tree trunk, so you can tell how many times it bounced to the top of the cloud. Some rings are milky White while others are clear. Clear layers form when the hailstone is in a part of the cloud where the air temperature is just below freezing so the water slowly freezes over the hailstone and air bubbles can escape. Opaque layers of ice form when the air temperature is well below freezing and a water droplet freezes immediately upon colliding with the hailstone, trapping the air bubbles.

5. An ice crystal with a diameter of more than 5 mm (0.20 in) is considered a hailstone.

6. They can get a lot bigger than that. The largest hailstone in the UK fell in Horsham, West Sussex, on 5 September 1958 and weighed 142g. In the US an even bigger one fell in Vivian, South Dakota on 23 July 2010. It weighed 0.88kg and was 20cm in diameter, about the size of a volleyball.

7. Needless to say, hailstones that big can cause a lot of damage as they can fall at speeds ranging from 44 to 72 mph and some monsters might even reach 100mph. This can damage buildings, vehicles parked outside, crops and can even kill people. 250 people in India were killed by falling hail in 1888.

8. Mountain ranges and high elevations in mid latitudes get the most hail. In North America, hail is most common in the area where Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming meet, This is known as "Hail Alley". Central Oklahoma has reported the most 1-inch-plus hail events in the U.S. since 2015, with over 2,200. In Europe, southern and western Germany, northern and eastern France and northern Italy get the most hailstorms, but the world prize goes to Kericho, Kenya, which experiences hailstorms, on average, on 50 days annually. Kericho reached the world record for 132 days of hail in one year.

9. In the UK, we get hail in summer. Hail in winter is more likely to be graupel, which is softer than hail and forms when supercooled water droplets add a layer of ice or rime to falling snowflakes.

10. In the Middle Ages, church bells would be rung in an attempt to prevent hail and preserve the crops.

Character birthday

Dorothy Mayfield, Ultra Grav’s mother.

20 July: 201

Today is the 201^st day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 201:

1. 201 Penelope is a large main belt asteroid discovered by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa in 1879. It is named after Penelope, the wife of Odysseus in Homer's The Odyssey.

2. 201 in binary (11001001) is the title of an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In it, members of an alien race called the Bynars hijack the Enterprise in space dock.

3. Area code 201 is the area code assigned to northern New Jersey in the United States.

4. 201 is short for 201 Poplar, the jail in Memphis, Tennessee alluded to in many rap songs from Memphis artists.

5. The year 201 was a common year starting on Thursday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Fabianus and Arrius. In this year, Galen, the Greek physician, died.

6. A 201 file is the term used by the U.S. Army for service history files maintained by the government. It is also referred to as the Official Military Personnel File.

7. The sixth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park is entitled “201”. It was also the 201^st episode overall. In it, a superhero-like group of religious figures (The Super Best Friends) team up to save South Park from a group of angry celebrities and their monster introduced in the previous episode, while Eric Cartman learns the true identity of his father.

8. 201 (Northern) Field Hospital is an Army Reserve Field Hospital with its Headquarters in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

9. Event 201 was a tabletop exercise which simulated what would happen if a fictional coronavirus passed to humans via infected pig farms in Brazil with no possibility of a vaccine being available in the first year. It took place in October 2019 and was run by the CHS partnered with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

10. 201 is the course number of basic or entry-level courses at some Canadian universities.

Character birthday

Firebolt, aka Russell Conway, a genetic variant whose powers include flight, shooting firebolts and immunity to heat and fire damage. His powers manifested when he was still a child resulting in accusations of arson and criminal damage. Unicorn of the Freedom League intervened and began training the boy, who in time became a full member of the team. When Target left to pursue a career in politics, he appointed Firebolt the leader. Firebolt works for the fire service as a day job, where his immunity to fire has helped save many lives. He has never wanted to settle down and is known for having a string of girlfriends, leaving them as soon as they show signs of wanting to make things permanent. There was always some chemistry between him and Electric Blue, although she was looking for a long term relationship and married Superwil. The pair did, however, have a one night stand after a particularly gruelling mission. Hence Superwil and Electric Blue’s middle son, Jason (Firefox) is Firebolt’s biological son and has similar powers. It’s thought the villain Incendio may also be Firebolt’s long lost offspring.

Eternal Flame

The Freedom League's numbers have dwindled to three - but leader Unicorn knows his team isn't finished yet. The turning point comes with Russell, a boy with bright red hair and a genetic variant ability to start fires. He's the first of an influx of new members who will take the League into the future. 

Judith and Wil are child prodigies - Judith in physics and electronics, and Wil in medicine. They have another thing in common - they are both genetic variants. And another thing - they both have fiery red hair. They are drawn to one another as their destinies intertwine, but the course of true love doesn't always run smoothly!

Richard is not a variant. He's an Olympic athlete who has picked up useful knowledge from his unusual friends to add to his own natural abilities. A chance encounter with a dying alien throws him into a Freedom League mission in which his skills are put to the ultimate test, along with theirs.

The Freedom League's arch-enemy, the super-villain Obsidian, wants his family fortune all to himself. One person stands in his way - his niece, Fiona. Fiona, devastated by a family tragedy and her failure to get in to her first choice university, is miserable and has few friends. When she realises her brother's death was no accident, and his killer is also after her, she fears it may be too late to gather allies around her and learn how to use her own genetic variant powers.

Available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle

Fire in her Blood

A Superhero love story.

Sent away to school to get her away from undesirable company, Agnes finds herself homesick and lonely. A brief connection with Jason Warner leads to the teenage crush to end all teenage crushes. Jason is barely aware Agnes exists, but she plans her whole future around him.

It is only when they meet again as adults that the connection becomes mutual; but before it can develop, Jason makes a discovery which rocks his entire world. He needs time alone, away from everyone, including Agnes. When Jason is finally ready to go back to his old life, Agnes has moved on and he cannot find her.

Agnes is now a single parent to the remarkable Seraphina. The Power League want to harness Seraphina's powers for evil before the Freedom League become aware of her. Agnes has no idea her new colleague and friend is a supervillain with his own agenda, and his willingness to babysit is not as innocent as she thinks. As Incendio starts teaching Seraphina to use her powers, the Freedom League intervene. Little do they know that they have found one of their own.

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-book

19 July: Sirius

The ancient Egyptians celebrated the Rising of Sirius at about this time of year, as it coincided with the flooding of the Nile. Here are 10 things you might not know about this star:

1. It is 8.6 light years from Earth and therefore one of our nearest neighbours.

2. The name means "glowing" in Greek.

3. It is twice as massive as the Sun and twenty times brighter, so it’s the brightest star in the night sky. Only a few planets, the full moon and the International Space Station outshine this star. And it’s getting brighter. Over the next 60,000 years, Sirius will move closer to us and will therefore get a little brighter, before it starts to move away. Then it will get fainter and in 210,000 years, its title as the brightest star visible from Earth will be stolen by Vega.

4. It’s also known as The Dog Star, because it’s part of the constellation Canis Major, "the greater dog." This is also where the expression “Dog Days” comes from, referring to the period of the year when Sirius rises in conjunction with the sun. Interestingly, many ancient civilizations also associated Sirius with Dogs or Wolves. The Chaldeans called it the "Dog Star that Leads"; in ancient China, it was a heavenly wolf; in Assyria and Akkadia, it was called the "Dog of the Sun”; Native Americans referred to it as a “dog that follows mountain sheep” or the “Wolf Star”; and the Alaskan Inuit of the Bering Strait called it “Moon Dog”.

5. Ancient peoples also often blamed it for the heat of summer. In ancient Greece, it was said to cause “plants to wilt, men to weaken, and women to become aroused.” Weather conditions at this time would mean Sirius was seen to twinkle more and the Greeks thought this had something to do with its bad influence. Anyone suffering its effects was said to be "star-struck".

6. It’s actually two stars, Sirius A and Sirius B. Sirius B was discovered in 1862, after it was speculated in 1844 that Sirius might have a friend. Sirius B is a white dwarf 10,000-times dimmer than Sirius so not as easy to see. Astronomers couldn't estimate its mass until 2005, thanks to data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The distance between the two varies between 8.2 and 31.5 astronomical units as they orbit each other every 50 years. Sirius B has been affectionately dubbed “The Pup”. There’s speculation that there could even be a third star in the system, but there’s no evidence to confirm this. Yet.

7. According to a controversial book by Robert Temple, The Sirius Mystery, the Dogon, an ancient African tribe from Mali, knew that Sirius was a binary star, even though it’s impossible to know this without the use of a Telescope.

8. Sirius is one of the 27 stars on the Brazil flag, representing the state of Mato Grosso.

9. Does it have planets? It’s a fairly young star, as astronomers don’t think it all that likely. Certainly, none have been discovered as yet.

10. How do you find it? First locate the constellation of Orion. Follow the line of the three stars of Orion’s belt downwards to the left and there it is.

Character birthday

Buccaneer, a tall, thin pirate from Classica, Infinitus. He hails from the land of Soaring, where people are naturally much taller and slimmer. He left home in search of adventure and for a while was a sideshow with a travelling circus before joining a group of bandits, where he learned to use firearms. When he grew bored of that life, too, he joined the crew of a pirate ship, which sailed for Bird Island. Hence he was one of many who were pulled through a wormhole to Earth caused by a nuclear test. Here, he joined with the group which called themselves The Desperadoes.

Over the Rainbow

'We're not in Trinity anymore,' says Leonard Marx, quoting a line from an old Innovian  movie. The moon is different; the planes flying overhead are different. Nobody has any idea where they are or if it's possible to get home. 

In this strange new world, people from the highly technical Innovia and the less advanced Classica must co-operate in order to survive. In addition, travel through the inter-dimensional wormhole has given some people unusual and unexpected powers.

Innovia mourns the loss of its superhero, Power Blaster, last seen carrying a nuclear bomb to the upper atmosphere away from the inhabited Bird Island. They don't believe he could possibly have survived.  Power Blaster has survived, but is close to death and stranded in the new dimension. He is nursed back to health by a Classican woman, Elena. She has no idea who he is, only that she is falling in love with the handsome stranger.  

Shanna sets out to discover what happened to Nathan Tate, who didn't return from his hiking holiday, not knowing her life is about to be turned inside out and upside down. 

Meanwhile, Desi Troyes, the man responsible for the catastrophe, is at large on the new world, plotting how he can transfer his plans for world domination to the planet he now finds himself on - Earth. 

Available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle