Whistle her up
WOULD you remember the girl you took to your school dance, say 20 years ago, if you were to meet her at a reunion and she wasn't wearing a name tag? A dolphin would, according to researchers at St Andrew's University, in Scotland.
I wasn't aware that dolphins had school dances, but these scientists must know what they're talking about when they make the comparison. They say dolphins would remember their heart-throb of 20 years ago. They apparently communicate by whistling at one another and never forget a whistle.
When they hear a familiar whistle they respond, rushing eagerly toward each other. The University of Chicago has joined the research and confirms these findings.
Does this mean you should whistle at every girl you see, in case you took her to your school dance? It could, I suppose, yield spectacular results. But in this day and age, many girls don't appreciate being whistled at – they see it as sexist and demeaning – and you could end up getting a klap.
Sigh! I guess we have to leave the whistling to the dolphins.
Free and fair
ROBERT Mugabe and his family decide on an overseas holiday to celebrate the stunning election victory. His wife, Grace, his son, John, and his daughter, Sarah, want to go to the Bahamas. But Mugabe wants to go to Dubai.
They vote on it. The outcome: Bahamas – 3. Dubai – 68.
Bomber overhead
RECENT mention of Durban during World War II reminds Patrick Coyne of a story he came across while writing the history of Gordon Road Girls' School
"One of the old girls, Mavis Grimwade (80, nee Goyns) who now lives in England, told me that in August 1941 she arrived in Durban as a nine year-old evacuee, and was enrolled at Gordon Road.
"She wrote: 'We had been through heavy bombing in England and our ship had been chased by submarines in the Atlantic during our voyage to South Africa. So in Durban we thought we had come to heaven. But one day in class the peacefulness was shattered by the throb of the engines of a German bomber. I automatically dived under my desk and shut my eyes, waiting for the bombs to drop. I was suddenly aware that all the class were staring at me and giggling, and my teacher asked me what I was doing under the desk.'
"Mavis pointed upwards and said: 'It's a German bomber.' Her teacher said: 'It's only an aeroplane. How can you tell it's a German bomber?' Mavis answered: 'Oh, you can tell,' and scrambled back to her seat 'feeling utterly foolish'.
"Later that week, they read in the newspapers that an enemy bomber had been captured in North Africa and brought down to Durban for examination and testing, with flights over Durban. After much research, I discovered that in 1941 no German bomber made it to Durban, but an Italian Caproni 133 bomber did. It was a popular exhibit at the Air Commando show at Stamford Hill aerodrome. Experts have told me that the three engines of the Caproni often got out of synch and could easily have sounded like the German bombers whose engines also made that distinctive throbbing sound."
Redheads unite!
GINGER Pride is stirring. Hundreds of redheads marched through the streets of Edinburgh the other day to affirm pride in their coloration and to protest against "gingerism" – the mocking and bullying of those who happen to have red hair.
Slogans included "Ginger and proud!"; "For the love of ginger!", and "All hail! The red, orange and pale!"
They were led by Canadian redhead comedian Shawn Hitchins, who said he was glad to be in Scotland with so many fellow-gingers. Back in Canada there were not that many.
It seems the Scots carry a recessive ginger gene that gives them one fifth of the world's population of redheads.
I myself have never been prejudiced against redheads, especially if they are Size 38 and sporty by disposition.
Tailpiece
Blonde: "Can I have a burger and fries?"
Librarian: "This is a library."
Blonde (in a whisper): "Can I have a burger and fries?"
Last word
I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.
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