Monthly Archives: November 2010

On April 11th, 1998, having recently failed to scoop the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for her debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling, responded to a young fan’s good luck wish with this handwritten letter:

Edinburgh
11th April 1998

Dear Thomas,

Thank you very much indeed for your card wishing me luck in the Guardian Children’s Fiction competition. Unfortunately, I didn’t win — a writer called Henrietta Branford did. But she’s very nice, so I smiled bravely and said “Congratulations” and tried to look as though I didn’t mind at all.

I am very flattered indeed to hear that “Harry Potter” is the best book you have ever read. There will be seven Harry Potter books altogether, and the second one (“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”) will be in the shops at the start of July.,

Thank you again for writing. (Your handwriting is excellent, by the way).

Yours sincerely,

J. K. Rowling (Jo)

Letters of Note

You stay classy, accountancy dudes.

Subject: Wed

Employee No 1: (From the Audit dept.): ‘Good night on wed man. Good old craic. Any luck with the ladies ?’

Employee No 2: ‘Was a very good night. Got very messy in the end. No luck with the ladies. Had my eyes on this one xxx x’xxxxxxxx. Some piece of work. But bottled it in the end’.

Employee No 1: ‘I know the one your talking about alright. She’s friends with one of my mates….Seems like a nice girl. Gonna chance it next time ?

Employee No 2: ‘Definiately (sic) going to stick the head in next time. Falling behind on this whole k score thing. Need to get on board. She’s top notch in fairness. What u reckon ?

Employee No 1: ‘Ya, sure go for it if you like her’.

Employee No 2: ‘Alright next thurs, im gonna stick the head in. Just wait for the right moment. (When she’s drunk) and she cant say no. Got this unreal technique for scoring aswel, called the whisper. I pretend im whispering in her ear and when shes not looking I just kiss her. The element of surprise throws the(m) off and BOOM’.

Employee No 1 then sends the e-mail thread to the girl his colleague has designs on, saying:

‘Hey xxx,

Thought id give u the heads up about this chap xxxx here. Think he has some serious plans for you’.

Which, we think you’ll agree makes him the most despicable playa in the whole Accountancy/Schoolboy debacle of the past week.

Previously.

[vimeo clip_id=”2822787″ height=”” width=”640″]

Two years ago, Michael Marantz edited clips of Carl Sagan reading from his inspirational 1994 book The Pale Blue Dot with a time-lapse sequence filmed in Mexico and Utah.

Now, YouTuber Ian Wallace has done something similar, this time using cut-scenes from Halo: Reach.

Stirring stuff, either way.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePpjCNLCCi0

EXPLOSIVE

* Daniel O’Donnell did not seem to want to flirt with me at all.

TELLING

* The day Keith Duffy told me he was a bit sad.

PROVOCATIVE

* Danni Minogue was Australian.

INTIMATE

* My stand up row with people I can’t name.

BRAVE

* AA Roadwatch was a constant source of traffic news.

HONEST

I quit television to spend more time with my money.

Includes incredible Lorraine through the years slide-show (below)

[smooth=id:20]

[CLICK the ARROWS to BROWSE]

(Photocall Ireland)

[smooth=id:126]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC3idlx6VQA

They have divided the nation (the part that reads Broadsheet).

They were just asking to be rated, said some.

Is this a video for Fiddy? Wondered others.

I haven’t seen a teacher in a thong since Brother Brennan passed away, said Karl.

But the sensible among us, applauded the girls from St Patrick’s Teaching College. They raised a lot of money for charity and lifted the spirit of a nation at this most troubled (Cont. Page 64).

(Vid via Michael Goodfellow)