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Leno seems to have attracted some curious speculations. He features in Peter Ackroyd's 1994 mystery, Dan Leno & the Limehouse Golem, which also managed to include a lot of stuff about Babbage, Lovelace and their Difference Engine.

I read the novel twenty years ago but it has not left many traces in my memory. I now see it was made into a movie in 2016, by which time CGI steampunk was in its stride and titles ever harder to distinguish. Anyway, Dan Leno's name was lost from the film title. :dunno:
I should add that to my self-isolation book list. I got very engrossed by Ackroyd's "The house of Doctor Dee", only to find that my copy was incomplete. Hugely frustrating.
 
Leno seems to have attracted some curious speculations. He features in Peter Ackroyd's 1994 mystery, Dan Leno & the Limehouse Golem, which also managed to include a lot of stuff about Babbage, Lovelace and their Difference Engine.

I read the novel twenty years ago but it has not left many traces in my memory. I now see it was made into a movie in 2016, by which time CGI steampunk was in its stride and titles ever harder to distinguish. Anyway, Dan Leno's name was lost from the film title. :dunno:

The film's pretty awful, but I have heard the book was a lot better. Dan Leno is a character in it (performing with an invisible orchestra, somehow).
 
Years ago, my Fortean Times plopped thru the door and I was reading an article about the criminal case involving the shipwreck involving Dudley and Stephens eating Richard Parker, a cabin boy. In the article it said that whenever this subject comes up, it usually comes up again shortly afterwards. My reading was interrupted by a friend who worked for a man called Dudley. This employer was denying him sick pay, and he had to go to Citizen's Advice. He invited me to meet him for coffee afterwards. There he told me that he was advised that this Dudley fellow was riding roughshod over accepted procedures. My friend said that it was not surprising that he was riding roughshod, because his ancestor was convicted of eating a cabin boy...."Richard Parker!" I said, somewhat spooked.

Yesterday another friend, who also used to work for this Dudley fellow, phoned to tell me that what with this Corona virus, he and his workmates had been joking about eating each other and "we'd have to eat Colin first because he is fattest." Then he told this tale of Dudley and the cabin boy. Given the circumstances, he said, there should be a reprise mention of the cabin boy tale.

I just put BBC4 on, readying myself to watch Mark Kermode talking about cinema. It was nearing the end of a documentary about shipwrecks, and the first word I heard was "Dudley"! Yes, the cabin boy tale had reprised, as per legend.
 
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Years ago, my Fortean Times plopped thru the door and I was reading an article about the criminal case involving the shipwreck involving Dudley and Stephens eating Richard Parker, a cabin boy. In the article it said that whenever this subject comes up, it usually comes up again shortly afterwards. My reading was interrupted by a friend who worked for a man called Dudley. This employer was denying him sick pay, and he had to go to Citizen's Advice. He omvited me to meet him for coffee afterwards. There he told me that he was advised that this Dudley fellow was riding roughshod over accepted procedures. My friend said that it was not surprising that he was riding roughshod, because his ancestor was convicted of eating a cabin boy...."Richard Parker!" I said, somewhat spooked.

Yesterday another friend, who also used to work for this Dudley fellow, phoned to tell me that what with this Corona virus, he and his workmates had been joking about eating each other and "we'd have to eat Colin first because he is fattest." Then he told this tale of Dudley and the cabin boy. Given the circumstances, he said, there should be a reprise mention of the cabin boy tale.

I just put BBC4 on, readying myself to watch Mark Kermode talking about cinema. It was nearing the end of a documentary about shipwrecks, and the first word I heard was "Dudley"! Yes, the cabin boy tale had reprised, as per legend.

Yeah, if I had to kill and eat someone, pretty sure it would come up again soon after. :sick2:
 
Years ago, my Fortean Times plopped thru the door and I was reading an article about the criminal case involving the shipwreck involving Dudley and Stephens eating Richard Parker, a cabin boy. In the article it said that whenever this subject comes up, it usually comes up again shortly afterwards. My reading was interrupted by a friend who worked for a man called Dudley. This employer was denying him sick pay, and he had to go to Citizen's Advice. He invited me to meet him for coffee afterwards. There he told me that he was advised that this Dudley fellow was riding roughshod over accepted procedures. My friend said that it was not surprising that he was riding roughshod, because his ancestor was convicted of eating a cabin boy...."Richard Parker!" I said, somewhat spooked.

Yesterday another friend, who also used to work for this Dudley fellow, phoned to tell me that what with this Corona virus, he and his workmates had been joking about eating each other and "we'd have to eat Colin first because he is fattest." Then he told this tale of Dudley and the cabin boy. Given the circumstances, he said, there should be a reprise mention of the cabin boy tale.

I just put BBC4 on, readying myself to watch Mark Kermode talking about cinema. It was nearing the end of a documentary about shipwrecks, and the first word I heard was "Dudley"! Yes, the cabin boy tale had reprised, as per legend.
I've seen Richard Parkers memorial in Pear Tree Church, Woolston in Southampton, amazingly the case is still remembered in the area.
 
Experienced a funny little coincidence last night, which made both myself and my daughter laugh out loud.

We were in the living room playing the Junior and Adult version of Trivial Pursuit, with my 7 year old son laying on the rug watching an episode of the Simpsons.

From the adult section of questions, my Daughter asked me a question about the author C.S Lewis, which I got wrong. I then randomly selected a question from the junior section for her, which involved a possible three answers, and which C.S. Lewis was one of those three.

My daughter got that question correct, so I randomly picked another junior card, and it was this : What is the colour of Marge Simpsons hair in the TV show the Simpsons..?

Weird eh.?

Oh -my Daughter beat me by the way, by 2 clear pies.
 
My synchronicity must have switched itself back on. Last week, I came across an article on Facebook on the comet C/2019 Y4, otherwise known as Atlas. Scrolling further down, there was an On This Day in History type of article. The date was March 24-- the day Van Halen's album 5150 was released in 1986. Atlas is depicted on the album cover.

Earlier today, I was looking through old blog posts and found one I'd written about the new job I had started, what a difficult time it was etc...and how I kept finding quarters during that time. Mr. Impybat just texted me to tell me he was given three quarters at the drive through as change. They have bats on them.

I feel like there's a message in there somewhere about "life change".
 
Found the answer, but with weird twists in the context of the new Covid-19 driven reality:
Bats (possible source of virus which crossed over to humans) are part of the design of newly minted quarters (released in February, 2020). These quarters commemorate the National Park of American Samoa. https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...samoan-fruit-bat-new-quarter-2020/4433464002/

The bats depicted, however, are fruit bats from Samoa. They have no connection to Covid and are necessary to the pollination of trees in Samoa's rain forest. Without these bats (which are endangered, like so many other creatures that are not cockroaches or us), the rain forest could perish.

Apparently enough people took the bat design as "proof" that sinister forces deep within the US government were behind the Covid pandemic, that disclaimers were needed:
https://texasbreakingnews.com/break...t-quarter-has-nothing-to-do-with-coronavirus/

Personally, I don't think any government anywhere at anytime would be organized enough to unleash a killer virus and benefit by it. Governments and their agencies are all run by humans after all. Same for those contrail things.
 
Found the answer, but with weird twists in the context of the new Covid-19 driven reality:
Bats (possible source of virus which crossed over to humans) are part of the design of newly minted quarters (released in February, 2020). These quarters commemorate the National Park of American Samoa. https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...samoan-fruit-bat-new-quarter-2020/4433464002/

The bats depicted, however, are fruit bats from Samoa. They have no connection to Covid and are necessary to the pollination of trees in Samoa's rain forest. Without these bats (which are endangered, like so many other creatures that are not cockroaches or us), the rain forest could perish.

Apparently enough people took the bat design as "proof" that sinister forces deep within the US government were behind the Covid pandemic, that disclaimers were needed:
https://texasbreakingnews.com/break...t-quarter-has-nothing-to-do-with-coronavirus/

Personally, I don't think any government anywhere at anytime would be organized enough to unleash a killer virus and benefit by it. Governments and their agencies are all run by humans after all. Same for those contrail things.
:eek: Whoa! Thanks so much for doing the research! That is pretty wild about the disclaimers. Apparently it doesn't take much for people to get the wrong idea about already misunderstood bats.

I was texted a very tiny pic of the quarter so I haven't seen it in person yet. I love fruit bats though. There are many rescues for fruit bats/flying foxes in Australia, another place in their range. Tolga Bat Hospital is one. Bat World Sanctuary is a rescue in Texas that also does great work. Chiroptera need all the good press they can get!
 
Personally, I don't think any government anywhere at anytime would be organized enough to unleash a killer virus and benefit by it. Governments and their agencies are all run by humans after all. Same for those contrail things.

Not so much a coincidence but a good decision on my part. Today I have been feeling very down, not least because I rang a friend for a sympathy chat/pep talk but she was asleep and so I got her partner instead.

Bl00dy 'ell, I got the benefit of his grand conspiracy theories for a whole hour. He's been thinking along these lines for years and so has got it all sussed out in his mind and was difficult to stop!! From what I can gather it was along the lines of we're crated not evolved but we've fallen short of our creator as we don't think deeply enough and our minds are being controlled by evil forces here on earth. Including via religions which are a distraction from our real purpose. I'm sure he thought he was making sense! Oh and the CV virus was created on purpose!

Trouble is I started to worry 'what if he's right'!

Anyway I remembered that yesterday I'd been feeling almost cheerful and that was because I'd spent a lot of time on here ... the best company around! So before going to bed I decided to pop on here for a bit of comfort and RIGHT ON CUE here is your post!

So thanks for saying that IbisNibs I needed to hear that! If only for a bit of balance!

Sollywos x
 
Not so much a coincidence but a good decision on my part. Today I have been feeling very down, not least because I rang a friend for a sympathy chat/pep talk but she was asleep and so I got her partner instead.

Bl00dy 'ell, I got the benefit of his grand conspiracy theories for a whole hour. He's been thinking along these lines for years and so has got it all sussed out in his mind and was difficult to stop!! From what I can gather it was along the lines of we're crated not evolved but we've fallen short of our creator as we don't think deeply enough and our minds are being controlled by evil forces here on earth. Including via religions which are a distraction from our real purpose. I'm sure he thought he was making sense! Oh and the CV virus was created on purpose!

Trouble is I started to worry 'what if he's right'!

Anyway I remembered that yesterday I'd been feeling almost cheerful and that was because I'd spent a lot of time on here ... the best company around! So before going to bed I decided to pop on here for a bit of comfort and RIGHT ON CUE here is your post!

So thanks for saying that IbisNibs I needed to hear that! If only for a bit of balance!

Sollywos x
Good gods...just wow! Sorry you had to deal with that, Sollywos. If it helps, I'm surrounded by people not taking the pandemic seriously. None have verged into conspiracy territory yet, thankfully. As crazy as it sounds, I'm grateful my parents aren't alive to see this...I suspect my mom would have fallen into that line of thinking. She had pamphlets given to her once about the Three Days of Darkness and demons swarming the earth after the Four Horsemen arrived or some crap. I feel like this event would have fed into it.

Don't give in to fear! :)
 
Thanks for understanding Impybat. I'm living on my own and it's easy to fall prey to negativity. I'm feeling sorry for my friend and can't help thinking that no company is better than living with a conspiracy theorist who is so sure he's right. I mean I don't mind discussing them but I don't like being told!

My mum died 5 years ago but I keep thinking 'I wonder what she's making of this?' forgetting that she's no longer here and then remembering and feeling so grateful that she's not so I know what you mean.

Sorry so many people around you are not taking it seriously I hope non of them are putting you in the way of danger!

Sollywos x
 
Thanks for understanding Impybat. I'm living on my own and it's easy to fall prey to negativity. I'm feeling sorry for my friend and can't help thinking that no company is better than living with a conspiracy theorist who is so sure he's right. I mean I don't mind discussing them but I don't like being told!

My mum died 5 years ago but I keep thinking 'I wonder what she's making of this?' forgetting that she's no longer here and then remembering and feeling so grateful that she's not so I know what you mean.

Sorry so many people around you are not taking it seriously I hope non of them are putting you in the way of danger!

Sollywos x
It is hard to stay positive when it feels like we're all being bombarded by bad news. And I hear you...I still want to call my parents sometimes! Yes, certain people have been a challenge but (thankfully) I don't live with them. Mr. Impybat installs alarm systems for work and he's still going into people's homes and businesses, which concerns me...but so far everyone has been keeping their distance and practicing good hygiene, so that's reassuring.
 
Thank you for your appreciation, Sollywos! This proves that simple things you say really can help somehow.

Your friend's partner sounds difficult--maybe next time you you accidently get him on the phone can say you forgot to put your ice cream away and "it's melting all over the kitchen floor! Goodbye!"
I have to wonder (being me) what this partner believes is our "real purpose".
Anyway, he's not right, Impybat is right:
Don't give in to fear! :)
 
He was a bit waffly on what our real reason for existing is. I just heard him being rather judgemental on the vast majority of his fellow human beings for not asking the 'right' questions and not joining up the 'right' dots. I calmly told him (through gritted teeth) I thought he was being rather arrogant.

Yes you are right ... just don't try and engage! I'll compile a list of 'ice cream' type excuses for next time! :)

Finding ways to conquer the fear isn't easy. I've just been doing it with anger, which only leads back to the fear (sigh) so I'd best find other ways!

A start will be posting one of my strange coincidences and bringing this thread back on topic! Apologies for the slight diversion but I have found it helpful. Thanks for the support :)

Sollywos xxx
 
Not so much a coincidence but a good decision on my part. Today I have been feeling very down, not least because I rang a friend for a sympathy chat/pep talk but she was asleep and so I got her partner instead.

Bl00dy 'ell, I got the benefit of his grand conspiracy theories for a whole hour. He's been thinking along these lines for years and so has got it all sussed out in his mind and was difficult to stop!! From what I can gather it was along the lines of we're crated not evolved but we've fallen short of our creator as we don't think deeply enough and our minds are being controlled by evil forces here on earth. Including via religions which are a distraction from our real purpose. I'm sure he thought he was making sense! Oh and the CV virus was created on purpose!

Trouble is I started to worry 'what if he's right'!

Anyway I remembered that yesterday I'd been feeling almost cheerful and that was because I'd spent a lot of time on here ... the best company around! So before going to bed I decided to pop on here for a bit of comfort and RIGHT ON CUE here is your post!

So thanks for saying that IbisNibs I needed to hear that! If only for a bit of balance!

Sollywos x
I had the opposite happen last week, I was talking to my friend Barry on the phone and mentioned the crazy conspiracy theories going around, the strangest being comet atlas, he started saying "that makes a lot of sense, what if its true", I then had to spend the next 20 mins talking him round to being sane again, I felt really bad about it and made a mental note not to talk conspiracy, no matter how outlandish.
 
What I won't be doing is phoning a friend who moved from the area last year. Everything to him is a conspiracy, including the weather. I really dread to think what his thoughts are on the current situation, and have no intention of asking him.
 
What I won't be doing is phoning a friend who moved from the area last year. Everything to him is a conspiracy, including the weather. I really dread to think what his thoughts are on the current situation, and have no intention of asking him.
He's probably in a bunker somewhere.
 
Read about Emu, as in Rod Hull and Emu, on the Covid-19 Disinformation thread, a mere five minutes after watching the repeat of Sunday Night at the London Palladium which featured Emu attacking Larry Grayson. Will now continue reading to see if Lal is mentioned here.
 
I had the opposite happen last week, I was talking to my friend Barry on the phone and mentioned the crazy conspiracy theories going around, the strangest being comet atlas, he started saying "that makes a lot of sense, what if its true".

I don't know what the conspiracy theories are concerning comet Atlas, maybe it involves the idea of panspermia ? I just want to say that by sheer coincidence the last three times I went down with a really fierce cold/flu symptoms was after night-fishing on the east Suffolk Coast, watching the Leonid showers (November).
 
I don't know what the conspiracy theories are concerning comet Atlas, maybe it involves the idea of panspermia ? I just want to say that by sheer coincidence the last three times I went down with a really fierce cold/flu symptoms was after night-fishing on the east Suffolk Coast, watching the Leonid showers (November).

Well there you go then ...fishing is bad for you! My dear old dad often went fishing there so I know what the conditions are like. He used to blame the weather man!

Sollywos x
 
I don't know what the conspiracy theories are concerning comet Atlas, maybe it involves the idea of panspermia ? I just want to say that by sheer coincidence the last three times I went down with a really fierce cold/flu symptoms was after night-fishing on the east Suffolk Coast, watching the Leonid showers (November).

I wondered this also because there seems to be a resurgence of the Nibiru theory, somehow connected to Covid 19.
 
I had the opposite happen last week, I was talking to my friend Barry on the phone and mentioned the crazy conspiracy theories going around, the strangest being comet atlas, he started saying "that makes a lot of sense, what if its true", I then had to spend the next 20 mins talking him round to being sane again, I felt really bad about it and made a mental note not to talk conspiracy, no matter how outlandish.
I'm feeling even worse now, even though I made a mental note not to talk conspiracy I still posted the above and now have Bad Bungle and Victory doing a 'Barry'.
 
I'm feeling even worse now, even though I made a mental note not to talk conspiracy I still posted the above and now have Bad Bungle and Victory doing a 'Barry'.

I spoke to a friend I'd not spoken to for years luckily she wasn't into conspiracy herself but told me about another friend of hers who is .... BIG TIME. sigh

We laughed but mmmmm 'what if?'

I'm beggining to wonder of the spread of conspiracy theories might do more damage to us than the blasted virus. Especially as few of them are hope inducing and the majority downright scarey. It's hard enough keeping sane as it is.

To counter them I'm making up my own. I can't share it yet as I've not finalised the details but it does involve a prominent role for me healing the Earth and putting the World to rights. I just need to search the internet for bits of random stuff I could use as compelling evidence and I'm sure if I think hard enough I can remember being abducted by aliens as a child ........ ;)

Prepare ye for the age of:-

:cheer: SOLLYWOS :cheer:

It will be a good one!

I hope I've cheered you up Tuco :)


Sollywos x
 
I am aware this thread is for strange-coincidences and not Covid 19 conspiracies and I didn't intend to do a "Barry".
Encore : it is by strange coincidence that after night-fishing on Dunwich beach in November with a clear night sky, watching the Leonids meteorite shower and hoar frost forming on the rod rings, I'm inevitably sticken with/by a viral infection a few days later.
 
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