Days of Yore

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10 Years Ago

Ansible 150 reported in January 2000 on an impending adaptation of Good Omens: "Terry Gilliam has become 'attached' (it says here) to the Good Omens movie, based on that Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman novel of comic Armageddon. [Colin Smythe] In theory he'll be directing, and also co-writing the script with one Tony Grisoni (Neil: 'Terry P and I went through Writing the Good Omens Movie Hell almost a decade ago, and wouldn't go back again for all the tea in Balham.') - but has another film to make first, Don Quixote. Both authors approve of Gilliam's involvement, but Terry P remains cautious: 'as Nanny Ogg says, there's many a slip 'twixt dress and drawers. When they start filming, then I'll get a bit excited.'"

The attempt to make the Don Quixote movie encountered a few difficulties (see the documentary Lost in La Mancha), but hope springs eternal-- just last October, it was being reported that Gilliam was getting ready to take another whack at it with a new script "which he has the rights to this time". Sir Terry may yet have his chance to get excited.

100 Years Ago

With the land speed record reaching 142 mph (over 2 miles, with a running start), someone had the idea of inventing the autodrome. The first opened in Playa del Rey, near Los Angeles, in April 1910. Not having worked out how to pave banked turns yet, the racing surface was planks of wood.

1000 Years Ago

Rajaraja I of the Chola Empire, centered in modern Tamil Nadu, dedicated a huge temple to Shiva (worshipped as a god of creation as well as destruction) in his capital of Thanjavur (Tanjore). The temple, known as Brihadeeswarar, still stands as one of the great architectural achievements of India, and has been named a World Heritage Site.

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