Here you will find a rag-tag collection of
amusing or interesting information. Some is true, some slightly
less so. We leave to you to decide which is which.
Submitted by:
Madam Mau Mau
Date:
05/03/10
Title:
The auto-icon of
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was a political
activist and social philosopher born in 1748. He was a child prodigy
who began to study Latin at the age of three, being sent
to Queen's College, Oxford at the age of twelve.
He was a man ahead of his time, advocating rights for women, homosexuals
and animals. He was also the founder of the principle of
utilitarianism. This is a system of law whereby the right act,
policy or institution is that which would cause "the greatest good for
the greatest number of people".
As requested in his will, Bentham's body was dissected as
part of a public anatomy lecture on his death. His preserved skeleton
was then dressed in his own clothes and surmounted by a wax head. His
mummified head was placed at his feet and the whole was placed in a
wooden cabinet at the end of the South Cloisters of University College
London. However, following the abduction of the head by students in
1975, the head was relocated to safe storage. The body remains on
public display.
As a side note, I came across the cabinet unawares,
whilst on my way to the UCL library one cold, December evening. My word
did I get a shock!
Submitted by:
Madam Mau Mau
Date:
03/10/08
Title:
The Sultan's Elephant
This truly extraordinary performance took place in May
2006 in London. It was staged by Royal de Luxe, a French
mechanical marionette street theatre company. The company was
brought over by Ken Livingston, then Mayor of London, but of course he
asked my advice first.
Submitted by:
Demian
Date:
27/09/08
Title:
The Mysterious Ticking Noise
I saw this on Youtube and thought they were singing about
Severin's snake. I wondered who had been peeking. Having
calmed down, I found it quite entertaining.
