December 31, 2013
“And Now for Something Completely Different”
Nightmares of slithering hissing pythons wrapped around your SQL code while you sleep? Ni!
Python was meant for FUN, as in Monty Python fun. Yes, the Python programming language is more of a salute to the remarkable British comedy troupe Monty Python – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.
The “Pythons” started their BBC television series, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” in 1969 running through 1974 and eventually five movies:
- And Now for Something Completely Different
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Monty Python’s Life of Brian
- Monty Python’s Live at the Hollywood Bowl
- Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
After that, there were several high-profile benefits for Amnesty International, known as “Secret Policeman’s Ball”. The group went their ways with many successful solo careers, while frequently working with one another. And of course, the many, many zany quotes and phrases.
Did you catch all the quotes in this volume’s articles?
Crazy Holy Grail Facts
From www.imdb.com
- The airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 11 meters per second, or 24 miles per hour, beating its wings 7-9 times per second rather than 43. It’s true: a 5 ounce bird cannot carry a one pound coconut, but furthermore, no swallow weighs 5 ounces. The barn swallow, which is what most English people mean when they say “swallow”, weighs only 20 grams (2/3 of an ounce).
From www.pajiba.com
- The directors were surprised at the success of the film. When it opened at Cinema One in New York, before dawn, there was a queue around the block. They didn’t know how people had heard about it and they snuck into shows with audiences. Gilliam remembered two people coming to him from out of the crowd, it was John Belushi and Gilda Radner, both of whom were just starting out–trying to break into showbiz.
- The movie was made at a time in England when the rich were paying “crazy” taxes, 80 to 90 percent. All the music stars had made lots of money and were looking for ways of creating tax losses to salvage their earnings, so Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Elton John and Chrysalis Records funded the film. The Python group didn’t have a lot of money to make it (most of the money went to costuming), thus the mimed horse riding with coconut banging (copied from BBC radio horse-clopping) sound effects. It is the film from which they made the most money because it cost the least to make and the group owns most of it. There is no ad-libbing; everything was scripted and rehearsed, which helped to keep down the cost.
And don’t forget, c‑treeACE SQL now includes Python modules for your next Crunchy Frog or Dead Parrot applications!