Monthly Gaga

Prise de la Bastille

The confrontation that led to the people of Paris storming the Bastille on 14 July 1789, following several days of disturbances, resulted from the fact that gunpowder and arms had been stored there, and the people (whose fears had been raised by a number of rumors) demanded access to these. The later idea that they wanted to free the prisoners (only 7 of whom remained) has been discounted.

A crowd of around 8800 men and women gathered outside around mid-morning, calling for the surrender of the prison, the removal of the guns and the release of the arms and gunpowder. Two people chosen to represent those gathered were invited into the fortress and slow negotiations began.

In the early afternoon around 1h00, the crowd broke into the undefended outer courtyard and the chains on the drawbridge to the inner courtyard were cut. A spasmodic exchange of gunfire began; in mid-afternoon the crowd was reinforced by mutinous Gardes Françaises of the Royal Army, and two cannons, all of which were originally supposed to help the governor protect the prison. The governor ordered a ceasefire; in spite of his surrender demands being refused, he capitulated and the vainqueurs swept in to take control of the fortress at around 5:30.

When the rioters entered the Bastille, they collected cartridges and gunpowder for their weapons and then freed the seven prisoners (which they had to do by breaking down the doors, since the keys had already been taken off and paraded through the streets). Later, the governor and some of the guards of the Bastille were murdered under chaotic circumstances, despite having surrendered under a flag of truce, and their heads paraded on pikes.

As a symbolic gesture, the key to the west portal of the Bastille was presented on the 17 of  March 1790 by Marquis de Lafayette to George Washington and is displayed in George Washington's home at  Mount Vernon

Aeroplanes through the ages

The dream of flight goes back to the days of pre-history. Many stories from antiquity involve flight, such as the Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus, and the Vimana in ancient Indian epics. Around 400 BC, Archytas, the Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist, was reputed to have designed and built the first artificial, self-propelled flying device, a bird-shaped model propelled by a jet of what was probably steam, said to have actually flown some 200 m. This machine, which its inventor called The Pigeon ,may have been suspended on a wire or pivot for its flight. One of the first recorded – still dilettante – attempts with gliders were those by the 11th century monk Eilmer of Malmesbury (recorded in the 12th century) and the 9th century poet Abbas Ibn Firnas (recorded in the 17th century); both experiments ended with lasting injuries to their pilots.^[11] Leonardo da Vinci researched the wing design of birds and designed a man-powered aircraft in his Codex on the Flight of Birds (1502). In the 18th century, Francois Pilatre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes flew in an aircraft lighter than air, a balloon. The biggest challenge became to create other craft, capable of controlled flight.

INTERWIEW

CF owns four ponies, read how she first got into ponies:

When did you first get interested in ponies? When I was a little girl.

Did you ride? I started riding when I was six.

Did you have your own pony? Yes, just before I was ten.

What was its name? Smokey, a welsh section A* mare.

How long did you keep her? Nine years, until just before my 19^th birthday.

Did you get another one? When I was 14 I was loaned a bigger pony.

What was it called? Kips

* Type of pony living in the welsh mountains  

SHORT STORY

Pony Love

Jenny Planker lives at a stud farm, she was twelve and had her very own pony, Merrylegs, a wonderful bay. Jenny was persuaded that he could do anything. It was Jenny’s older sister, Lucy, who had taught her to ride and Jenny was really good, but sadly she had died a year ago and Jenny really missed her.

One day as Jenny went to give Merrylegs a carrot she realized that Merrylegs had gone. “Merrylegs!” she cried as she dropped the carrot on the floor and ran back to the house.

“Dad, Merrylegs has gone!”

“Gone?! Where?!”
“ I don’t know!”

“We shall have to go and look for her”

“But where?”

“Go and get your torch, quick”

But Merrylegs was no where to be seen. All night Jenny thought about her and when finally she got to sleep she dreamt about her being attacked by wolves.

The next day as she went to school she saw a poster:

FORSALE, 8 Year old bay mare, 14h, calm temperament. Tel: 68 13 48

and underneath was a picture of …. Merrylegs!

She made sure no-one was looking, pulled the poster off the lamppost, stuffed it into her bag and ran off because she was late.

When she got home that evening she showed her father the poster.

“Look Dad, Merrylegs has been stolen!”

“Oh there, darling, not so fast. Merrylegs might just have run away and they have found her.”

“Well, in which case we can go and ask for her back.”

“OK, let’s phone up.”

Ten minutes later Mr. Planker put down the receiver.
“The man on the phone didn’t sound too happy, he said that Buttercup

-at least that’s what he said she was called- had been with them since she was born.”

“But that’s a lie!”

“Yes dear, I know that, you know that, but we can’t prove it.”
“Oh yes we can: Merrylegs can say her name in Morse code but only under my orders.”

“And?”
“Well we just need to ask if their pony can do that. If they say yes we can ask them to show us and they won’t manage and if they say no then I’ll show them I can.”

“That seems like a good plan”
“Then can we go round to their house, now, please!”

“Now?”

“Please!”

“OK, go and get ready, I’ll be waiting down by the car.”

When they got there a man came to open the door. When he saw them he said,

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“We’ve come to see the pony you’ve got for sale.”

“Oh, follow me then.”

“Can she say her name in Morse-code?” asked Jenny

“Err … yes, of course.” He said quickly.

“Can we see then?”

“Err, yes, follow me.”

As they came to the field where Merrylegs was being kept the man was looking more and more scared. Merrylegs, on the other hand, gave a whinny of excitement when she saw her mistress coming.

“Say your name in Morse, Buttercup” said the man. Merrylegs didn’t move.

“Go on Merrylegs, what are you called?” asked Jenny

Merrylegs immediately tapped out his name in Morse.

“See we told you she was ours”, said Jenny.

That evening back in the barn Jenny was talking to Merrylegs

“I shall never let you be stolen again, Merrylegs.”

The End.

INTERWIEW

 IT Director

What is the best about your work? It is such a changing world that you are never bored.

Who do you work with? I am lucky enough to work with people that come from different countries.

Is there anything you don’t like about your work? Sometimes it is difficult because I have to travel and I don’t see my family for a whole week.

 What do you do in your work? I listen to what people want and try to make the computers do it.

How did you get the job? I was recruited by head hunter.

What other jobs have you done before? I worked for a French car company.

What does the company you work for do? Medicines

Do you like your job? Yes

Bâle carnival

The Bâle carnival is an event that takes place every year in Bâle and is spread over three days. On the Monday after Ash Wednesday the city awakes with the "Morgenstraich" and at four o'clock all the lights are turned of. Thousands of picolos play the traditional melody of the "Morgenstraich" and the only lights are the big lanterns of the Fasnacht groups, the pole lanterns of the "Vortrab" that clear the way for them, and the head lanterns of the the masks of all the participants. It is a truly magnificent event.