What I Learnt Today

New Zealand’s third favourite folk comedy duo are on a mission. They need to raise one million dollars to fund research into life threatening illnesses in children, as part of a project for Red Nose Day.

Brett and Jermaine decide to do what they do best. Roll over Bob Geldof, they know that a successful song will get them over the line. So they go right to the source. Who better to help them with the lyrics then the children from their old primary school in Wellington? What ryhmes with hospital? lospital, of course.

The resulting collaboration – “Feel Inside (and stuff like that)” – is being released internationally today. Look for the cameo from ‘Slice of Heaven’ Dave Dobbyn. You can buy your own copy on iTunes, and help Brett and Jermaine on their mission from god.

What I Learnt On 28th August in other years

28th August 2011 Par for the Gutter

It’s official.

The jokes below have been voted the best ten at the Edinburgh fringe festival for 2012.

1.
Stewart Francis – “You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.”

2.
Tim Vine – “Last night me and my girlfriend watched three DVDs back to back. Luckily I was the one facing the telly. ”

3.
Will Marsh – “I was raised as an only child, which really annoyed my sister.”

4.
Rob Beckett – “You know you’re working class when your TV is bigger than your book case.”

5.
Chris Turner – “I’m good friends with 25 letters of the alphabet… I don’t know Y.”

6.
Tim Vine – “I took part in the sun tanning Olympics – I just got Bronze.”

7.
George Ryegold – “Pornography is often frowned upon, but that’s only because I’m concentrating.”

8.
Stewart Francis – “I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting!”

9.
Lou Sanders – “I waited an hour for my starter so I complained: ‘It’s not rocket salad.”

10.
Nish Kumar – “My mum’s so pessimistic, that if there was an Olympics for pessimism… she wouldn’t fancy her chances”

via http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19316443#

herchanceschances.”

Curiosity is a roving laboratory which is the size of a compact car.

As you will have heard, it landed successfully on Mars last Sunday after a journey of 566 million kilometres that took 8 months.

Nasa reports that extraordinary efforts were needed for the landing because the rover weighs one ton, and the thin Martian atmosphere offers little friction to slow a spacecraft down. Curiosity had to go from 20,920km/h to zero in seven minutes, unfurling a parachute, then firing rockets to brake. In a Hollywood-style finish, cables delicately lowered it to the ground at 3.2km/h.

At the end of what NASA called “seven minutes of terror”, the vehicle settled into place almost perfectly flat in the crater it was aiming for.

“We have ended one phase of the mission much to our enjoyment,” mission manager Mike Watkins said. “But another part has just begun.”

It takes 14 minutes for messages sent from Mars to be received here on earth. The first picture taken by Curiosity has been received, and has been uploaded by George Takei for us to view.

What I Learnt On 7th August in other years

7th August 2011 This American Life

Usain Bolt, Ted and I have the same problem with pesky paparazzi.

What I Learnt On 5th August in other years

5th August 2011 GadgetWatch: Storm OIC Missile Launcher