Lost Charlie Chaplin film surfaces on eBay

This is a little bit like Antiques Roadshow—online version.

A battered film cannister and contents, described “as an old film,” sold on eBay for £3.20. Luckily, someone recognized it:

Morace Park, who lives in Essex, England, bought the battered olive green film canister listed as “an old film” for £3.20, and found the title Charlie Chaplin in Zepped inside.

His neighbour, John Dyer, former head of education at the British Board of Film Classification, knew the legend of the lost seven-minute film that includes a Zeppelin bomb attack. Released in 1916, it was believed to be World War I propaganda to reduce fear in Britain of German airship attacks, but the film vanished years ago.

It seems to be a copy of a 7-minute Charlie Chaplin short film mocking Zeppelins. The film was meant to lift British Commonwealth spirits during World War I. Rather than being filmed for the purpose, it seems to have been content re-use of outtakes from other Chaplin films, Zeppelins, and other material.

She had bigger wolves to fry.

303/365 she had bigger wolves to fry., originally uploaded by kharied.

Love this photo! A story in six words.

Plans

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

This weekend: clean.  week: work. Next weekend: Watch Ironman. Week after: Work.

Breakfast on the bridge

Breakfast on the bridge, originally uploaded by Tracing Tray.

Strange things to do to a bridge: carpet it with grass and host a garden party.

How did I miss this?

Moose demolishes car, driver OK—in South River, Ontario, 2004.

Moose in car, South River, Ontario

 

Are you a religion hunter?

Heather Rosa at Quiche Moraine talks about people with a special need to belong, to follow, and to learn the secret of happiness:

Being a religion hunter says a couple of things about you. First, you are likely sincerely seeking that something outside yourself. Unfortunately, the longer you look without finding, the more you are likely to become prey to the grifters, the charlatans, the greedy, and the idiots who just might kill you. Second, it says you are looking to others to give you what you are unable to give yourself. If you hunt out religions, you must carry the belief that other people know something, hold some secret, that you haven’t found yet–and that it’s something that they can share.

Family weekend

We had our granddaughter in Toronto for the weekend. She had a short visit with her dad on Saturday afternoon, but he had forgotten it was her weekend and was hosting a party that evening and working on Sunday. Work is good.

On Saturday evening we picked up a possible Hallowe’en outfit for her at Value Village, a for-profit thrift store that stocks new and used costumes for Hallowe’en. On Sunday we went back to Value Village for a very nice charcoal-grey satin formal that was just a little big for her but should be perfect about the time she graduates from elementary school.

On Sunday morning LotStreetWiz headed out for an 8-hour bike ride with only two protein bars in his pocket. If biking burns off a few hundred calories per hour, you have to eat more than that to stay caught up! Eating enough to stay fuelled is one of the challenges of the longer triathlons. After dropping off our grand-daughter, I drove on and picked him up in Niagara Falls, rather cold and tired but triumphant at riding 100 miles.

Busy times

The last two weeks have been busy at work, so I’m trying to catch up at home this weekend. The laundry is under control. We’ve had a nice supper and are watching a Sherlock Holmes mystery.

I can almost see the bottom of the laundry, catching up after a hold waiting for some plumbing work to be finished a few weeks ago.

Interesting blog by Dave Ford

I just stumbled across this blog, called “Dave Ford Does Earth,” in which Dave writes about his travels, his neighbours, attending the Burning Man campout, coffee, and New York City.

A freethinker’s grave marker

Freethinker, originally uploaded by Mr. Ducke.

This grave is evidence of the long tradition of freethinking in both the U.S. and Canada. It seems that Robert Adams, a New Englander, travelled to Montreal, Quebec, where he was a leader in the local freethought movement and the Canadian secular movement. He died in the U.S. and his gravestone quotes that father of U.S. independence, Thomas Paine.

Erected by his friends.

Capt. Robert Chamblet Adams

Born in Boston, Mass. Dec. 1, 1839
Died in Sedgwick Me. Aug 10th 1902

President of The Montreal Pioneer Freethought Club
Past President of The Canadian Secular Union

“Character is above Creed and Goodness is a matter of Life, not of Belief.
Therefore do not shun nor judge harshly those who differ in Opinion from you.
Doubt is the Father of Progress.
Do not stifle its Questionings but prove all things for yourselves.”
“The World is My County. To do Good My Religion.”

–Thomas Paine