vol.1 issue.13

:: Beauty Queen get mad on Larry King Live
:: Spiders on air planes
::The Amazing life of Mark Twain
:: Garden of dreams

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Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Florida Missouri in 1835 the same year that Haley’s Comet appeared in the night sky. He grew up in Hannibal Missouri until the age of 17 when he moved to St. Louis to become a printer.

While in St. Louis, Clemens became a river pilot's apprentice. He became a licensed river pilot in 1858. Clemens' pseudonym, Mark Twain, comes from his days as a river pilot. It is a river term which means two fathoms or 12-feet when the depth of water for a boat is being sounded. "Mark twain" means that is safe to navigate.

Twain began to gain fame when his story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" appeared in the New York Saturday Press on November 18, 1865. Twain's first book, "The Innocents Abroad," was published in 1869, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in 1876, and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1885. He wrote 28 books and numerous short stories, letters and sketches.

He traveled the world meeting kings, queens and presidents alike. And he was not impressed by any of them.

Mark Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, Just as Haley’s comet made another appearance. During his long and remarkable life Mark Twain made an endurable impression upon the world.

With his quick wit, and good sensible midwestern persona he gave pleasure, and real intellectual enjoyment to millions, and his works will continue to give such pleasure to millions yet to come.

Famous quotes by Mark Twain

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

"Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

e-mail: matt@avalonn.com

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – A Briton has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro airport after security X-rays discovered he was trying to smuggle 1,000 live spiders out in his luggage, reports said Thursday.

The man, unnamed in online reports by the state Agencia Brasil and other outlets, was apprehended late Wednesday for violating laws banning the export of Brazilian animals without authorization.

He faces imprisonment of up to a year and a fine of up to 2.3 million dollars for trying to fly out with the arachnids in his two suitcases.

After being charged and processed, he was released on bail pending a court date.

The seized spiders were taken by Brazil's environmental watchdog agency Ibama to a museum in Rio's federal university.

 

 

 

 

 

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