Let’s just say I’m familiar with the workings of the news business – although it’s not something I do for a living now. And I know, very well, that there are to kinds of news stories that get more attention than any others. The first is bad news. It’s always at the top of a news broadcast, screams of print headlines, flies across Twitter quicker than – well – a Google search result. We can skip that for now, though.
It’s the second kind of news story that I want to address this evening – and that’s big things. We see these all the time: Giant statues, huge animal sculptures attracting tourist crowds, giant flags, even the elusive, almost-mythical, giant squid. Today, however, we get the story of the discovery of a rare, giant pitcher plant in the Philippines. Now, if you’re not familiar, the pitcher plant is not unlike the Venus flytrap. It’s a small thing with sticky corrosive goo inside it’s flower that allows it to grab, kill and eat small insects. This one, however, is not that small, and has been known to devour frogs and rats.
Frankly, I’m of two minds on this one: One big gross-out for sure, but imagine this as a natural rodent trap. “Look honey, it kills all the mice in the house – and it blooms so beautifully! I don’t even have to water it!” This is clearly the extra-large version, but what if it were to come super-sized? I’ll stick with the Japanese plum tree in my front yard, thank you.
This day in history soundtracks:
In 1000, Hungary was officially founded.
President Andrew Johnson finally declared the American Civil War over in 1866. Here’s the theme to Gettysburg by Randy Edelman.
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture debuted in Russia in 1882. Do you think we’d love it as much if it didn’t have the cannon fire in it? I do!
Senagal won its independence on this date in 1969.
Birthday Soundtracks:
Jack Teagarden (1905), one of the great trombonists of the jazz age. Here he is playing The Stars Fell on Alabama.
Alan Reed (1907), the original voice of Fred Flintsone – Yabba Dabba Doo!
Isaac Hayes (1942) – What’s My Name? Dig it!
Robert Plant (1948), the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Many people think this is the number one rock song of all time. Many people also disagree, and I happen to be one of them.
Doug Fieger (1952), the lead singer of The Knack, performers of My Sharona – a perennial college party favorite.
Agnes Chan (1955), who hit the Asian music scene with a hit album in 1971 when she was just 15 years old. Here is her cut of Devoted to You.
Yuri Shiratori (1968), singer of Japanese pop.
Actress Amy Adams (1974), star of the hit Disney movie Enchanted, where she sang this.
Maxim Vengerov (1974), a phenomenal violinist. Here he is playing Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler. And time for another trivia moment. Kreisler was a very talented violinist and composer in his own write, who claimed to have come into possession of lost compositions by well-known composers. These, it turned out, were actually nice pieces he wrote himself – and thus ruined his reputation for the remainder of his career.
More notes on notes tomorrow.
Posted by jbtakenote 
Taking Note 