A P.S.A.L.M. May 2016 South Gate Nugget submission

What's in a name?

What connects:

Abigail

Barney

Clodagh

Desmond

Eva

Frank

Gertrude

Henry

Vernon

Wendy

!912 Olympics

What was unique about the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games opened by King Gustav V?

Venus

Venus is called the Evening Star and the Morning Star - True or False?

Dementia - recollection

My youngest daughter, Ellie, was studying health within her class at Woodstock Christian School. The initial topic she chose for her project was Abortion. Her form teacher did not believe she was of the age to undertake such an emotive subject. As her parent, and having talked with Ellie, I did not agree. However, we eventually decided to tackle Alzheimer's/dementia.
I had been a caregiver for my grandad who suffered from dementia. To supplement the project I wrote the following from the perspective of my grandad, based upon actual events.

My name is Frank. I am 84-years-old. A widower. My wife Nellie. short for Eleanor, had a severe stroke over seven years ago. She was hospitalised, and died shortly afterwards.
I live in Sowerby Bridge, but this two-up two-down house is becoming too much for me . I decide to sell. I move into Ladstone Towers. I live in a flat on the tenth floor.
I am struggling. I can't see very well, I have cataracts.
My grandson has arranged for me to move into sheltered accommodation in the town where he and his wife, Lesley, live. This is better. I can now spend time with my great grandchildren, Joshua and Sarah.
I am starting to forget things. It's more than, 'where did I put my key?' I don't know what day it is.
I can't look after my pension. I have signed my pension book so our Ian can collect it for me. Where is my pension book? I am sure I put it here, in this drawer! Oh yes, our Ian has it. But he shouldn't. He's stolen it. I am going to report him. I am trying to find my way to the Police Station, get lost and I am in the local court building.
I go to see our Ian. I sit at the kitchen table. I see my pension book. Our Ian explains to me that I have given him permission to collect the pension for me - I don't believe him. I grab the pension book and leave.
Our Ian and Lesley come to see me later. What are they doing in my fridge? They tell me that the food in the fridge is past its best before date. There is mould on the cheese. The milk is rancid.
My trousers smell, urine. I can't help it, I wet myself. Where is the toilet?
I am going with our Ian to see the doctor. I am told I have dementia. I can't answer questions asked by Doctor Robinson.
He admits me into hospital. I am confused. I do not know where I am a lot of the time. I open a door, I need the toilet, I need a wee. That wasn't the toilet I am told by a nurse. It was a wardrobe.
Our Ian comes to see me with Joshua and Sarah. He tells me Lesley has been killed. Something about cycling, but I'm not sure.
A man has come to see me. I am moving to a nursing home called Abbeymoor. I think that's where our Ian works.
I am settled. I like this place. Our Ian has bought me some clothes. These care assistants help me to dress, but I don't see our Ian.
Someone tells me he left, he's looking after two children. I didn't know he had children.
I am beginning to have headaches.
I have a stroke.
I am sleeping. I know there is someone by my bed, but I don't know who.
I open my eyes; I try to focus.
Then I close my eyes for the last time.

Ladybird

Why do we call a ladybird a ladybird? First of all why the 'lady' and secondly why a 'bird'? And if you look up in the OED, the historical dictionary, its first record of the word 'ladybird', you'll find a 1674 glossary of southern English dialect. And the author describes how the dialect word 'bishop' is the southern English term for the little spotted beetle commonly called the Lady cow 'or the Lady-bird.' And then 'ladybug' followed, and eventually 'ladybird' settled. But bot terms are preceded by this 'cow-lady' and 'ladycow' which is even stranger than a ladybird. There is a parallel going back even further of 'God's cow', which may have been the same insect. Neither a bird nor a lady, if you start with the 'bird', there is some idea that it might be an alteration of 'budde', which in Middle English was applied to quite a few different forms of insect. However, it's generally considered that 'bird' was simply a reference to the bug's winged nature and its flying abilities. 'Lady', apparently refers to the seven spots of the Coccinella septempunctata, the common (UK) native ladybird, that is being threatened by the harlequin ladybird. The spots are said to symbolise the seven pains of the Virgin Mary in the RC faith, which involved the flight to Egypt and the crucifixion of Christ. And so 'ladybird' was simply 'Our Lady's bird.'

Drop-In

Whatever your Information Technology (portable electronic device) problem, 

let's try and work it out.

Pop Charity Records

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir’s A Bridge Over You secured the UK’s official Christmas No 1 spot.
Proceeds from the NHS choir’s single will go to health charities including Carers UK and Mind.

Another charity song released by Ferry Aid in 1987 made No 1 in the UK chart. However, what was the name of the song they covered?

Do You Know?

What are Pixy, Alfred and Farmingdale types of?

A Presidential DYK?

Gerald Ford is the only man to become Vice President and President of the USA without being elected to either post.

A fact that you will be itching to know

The flea belongs to the order Siphonaptera of which there are 1600 species.

A pop DYK?

The Searchers, the UK pop group who had three No one hit singles in the 60s, was named after the John Wayne film.

Middle Ages

DYK?

In the Middle Ages, there was a job named, 'Groom of the King's Close Stool' given to one of his most trusted advisors. The groom wiped the King's bum.
In the Middle Ages, moss wrapped in a napkin was used as a sanitary towel.
In the Middle Ages, women were known to take extensive care of their skin washing their faces every day with urine because of its antiseptic qualities.

Can you work out this maths problem?

6+4 = 210

9+2 = 711

8+5 = 313

5+2 = 37

7+6 = 113

9+8 = 117

10+6 = 416

15+3 = 1218

Trivia assortment

The Chilean capital of Santiago is named after which saint?

The song, 'being Alive' comes from which Sondheim musical?

Questions III

Complete the saying: 'If you don't ask you don't ... ?

What duo had an 80s hit with Edge of Heaven? 

Which King of the Huns had a brother called Bleda?

What 2001 Disney film is subtitled The Lost Empire?

Which Italian cheese is made from the whey of Mozzarella?

How many minutes are there in two-thirds of an hour?

Which 60s rock musical was written by Rado and Ragni?

In Norse myth, Thrudheim is the realm of which god?

It's enough to make you shed a tear

The onion is the most widely used vegetable in the world.

Did You Know - something to get your teeth into

Did You Know? (DYK?)

The world's largest waterfall can be found under the sea in the Denmark Strait, where it carries 2,000 times as much water as Niagara Falls.

Working with Wikipedia

I was researching for information about Woodstock, Ontario https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.phptitle=Woodstock,_Ontario&gettingStartedReturn=true#cite_note-3.

I noticed the page contained outdated and incorrect information, and so, having created an account, I proceeded to update the data.