Err...can I come in?

I've posted before about the very real difference between the city of London and the City of London (see 18/5/16).  One fascinating fact is that the Queen has to have permission to enter the City.  It all goes back to her namesake Elizabeth I, and today it's more of a tradition than a rule, but she will still stop at Temple Bar (the entrance to the City) and await the Lord Mayor's invitation before entering.

Rugby Union

Having watched the Six Nations, anybody else feel that the game is in danger of turning into a sort of team sumo-wrestling contest?  It all seems to depend on which side can push the other backwards furthest and more often.  One looks in vain lately for flair and guile.

Is it in yet?

Whilst on the subject of Newton's laws of motion. the third law says that for every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction.  Apparently this will make sex in zero gravity somewhat problematical!

Whose law is it anyway?

Newton's first law of motion - which says a body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion at a constant velocity in a straight line unless acted upon by a force - was published in 1687.  So?  Well, although it is known throughout the world as Newton's First Law, the self-same rule had been published some forty years earlier in a book by René Decartes (he of the "I think, therefore I am" fame - see post dated 6/9/10).

What a mistake-a to make-a!

I know he got a generally lukewarm press back then, but I personally liked George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and thought he would have made a very good long-term replacement for Sean Connery as James Bond and was rather disappointed when he was replaced after only the one film.  I now learn that in fact he was offered a contract to do a further six films as James Bond, but was talked out of it by his agent, who convinced him that there was no future in secret agent films.

The Doomsday Rule

This rule says that the following dates - 

January 3rd (or 4th in a leap year)

Last day in February

April 4th (4/4)

June 6th (6/6)

August 8th (8/8)

October 10th (10/10)

December 12th (12/12)

will always fall on the same day of the week.  This is a very simplified version - the full rule also covers the odd-numbered months, but even this stripped-down version will enable you to calculate the day of the week any given date will fall on, provided you know the key day for the year.  The rule also tells you how to find this out, but it's a bit long-winded to explain.  Suffice to say that for this year - 2019 - the key day is Thursday.  So, try it out.  Today is the 4th of March. We know that the last day in February was a Thursday, so four days on means today must be Monday.  Well, what do you know?