Notebook Letters 12.

* When "guilty pleasure" first appeared in the New York Times, in 1860, it was used to describe a brothel.

* TV drama Broadchurch was inspired by Thomas Hardy's Wess*x.

* The coldest spots on earth are on mountain ridges in Antarctica, set a little bit down the slope from the top.

* Until May 2013, "being an incorrigible rogue" was a criminal offence.

* China uses drones to monitor herds of wild yaks in a remote mountain region.

* Birmingham City Council blocks the word "commie" from incoming email.

* American alligators position sticks on their snouts to lure birds to land on them.

* James Bond's average weekly alcohol consumption was 92 units.

* Proteins in the seeds of tropical plant Moringa oleifera can be used to purify water.

* The Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII) thought he might have been able to prevent World War II if he had remained on the throne.

10 things we didn't know last week; 14th of December, 2013.

Lost in 30 Nights

Lost Boys starts OK but turns into The Goonies 20 mins from the end. Near Dark has more style, Fright Night more laughs. Best recent vampire flick is 30 Days of Night, the kind of movie John Carpenter would be making if he was still good. Dave, Widnes

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 24th of December, 2008; 1/6.

* Qantas' Sydney to Dallas service is the world's longest commercial flight at 8, 568 miles (13, 790) km).

* Mothers think the youngest child is shorter than they really are despite correctly estimating the height of their other children.

* An apple a day really does keep the doctor away, especially for the over-50s.

* There is only one floating cat sanctuary in the world- in Amsterdam.

* Penguins huddle like traffic jams, using a stop-go series of movements to keep the group warm.

* Tea is more popular in France than coffee is in Britain.

* Cliff Richard's hit Mistletoe And Wine was originally written as a protest song about poverty.

* The fashion for tight-fitting jeans caused problems for the manufacture of dollar bills.

* One in every 200 young American women says they become pregnant while still a virgin.

* The British send more traditional greeting cards per capita than any other country in the world.

10 things we didn't know last week; 21st of December, 2013.

Crown the Dark Knight

Heath Ledger's incredible performance deserves to win Best Supporting Actor Oscar but I'd welcome nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. Nominations in these categories wold break new ground for film of this genre and would be a victory in itself but to win would be all the more historic as well as being deserved. Paul, Shipton

Is there going to be a fourth Jurassic Park movie? Neil, Stockton

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 24th of December, 2008; 2/6.

* It would have taken 2.5 million seagulls to lift James's giant peach into the air, not the 501 that Roald Dahl suggested.

* Hot drinks taste different according to the cup colour.

* It's easier to pick wet things up with wrinkled fingers- suggesting an evolutionary reason for getting "prune fingers" in the bath.

* There are two firms in the world cloning polo ponies.

* Two per cent of Europeans lack the genes for smelly armpits.

* Horse-eating is called Hippophagy.

* "Russian" flu got its name because of the Cold War rather than because it originated in Russia.

* Women look their oldest every Wednesday at 3.30pm.

* Prince Charles did not use the London Underground between 1986 and 2013.

* The House of Lords has a rifle range.

* Wines with animals on the label are known as "critter wines" in the US.

* Female hawksbill turtles can store sperm for 75 days.

* Fidgeting is good for men's concentration but bad for women's.

* Workers at Amazon's warehouse in Rugeley walk past a life-sized cardboard image of a blonde woman who says, "This is the best job I have ever had!"

* William is the last name that has decreased the most since 1901.

* 1980s pop star Glenn Medeiros is the vice principal of a high school of Hawaii.

* Haribos are so-named because of founder Hans Riegel and his hometown Bonn.

* Drone operators experpience post-traumatic stress at the same rate as combat pilots.

* Nigel Farage writes a column for Total Sea Fishing magazine.

* Monkeys avoid selfish people.

* "Aunt" is the most popular p*rnographic search term in Syria.

* Place lace their nectar with caffeine to keep pollinators loyal.

* South Korean media often refer to national politicians using only their initials.

* Sarah Green used to bite Peter Duncan's ankles to distract him during Blue Peter cookery demos.

* South Africa was included in the BRIC as it made for a better acronym than Nigeria.

* There are more deer in the UK now than at any time since the last Ice Age.

* Some Norwegians feel strongly about whether firewood is stacked bark up or bark down.

* Tears do not fall in space.

*Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak belonged to a group of hackers and hobbyists called the Homebrew Computer Club.

* At a Swedish dinner you should never fold your napkin and put it on the table before the hostess has done so.

* Bill Bailey bought a live owl in a Chinese restaurant to take it off the menu.

* Women really are satisfied by deep, husky voices.

* Midsomer Murders is massive in Denmark.

* Lucifer" and "." (full stop) are banned baby names in New Zealand.

* Birmingham City Council blocks the word "commie" from incoming email.

* Using "don't" and "won't" correctly in online dating messages boosts response rates by more than a third.

* The Frech call a walkie-talkie a talkie-walkie.

* Philip Hammond used to be a Guardian-reading goth.

* 6x8 is the multiplication children get wrong most while 9x12 takes longest.

* Time doesn't fly when you're having fun (we just remember a lot more detail after enjoying something so think it went quickly).

* Babies learn to grimace in the womb so they can show they are unhappy after birth.

* Sleep deprived men think women are more amorous than they actually are.

* Until recently the US Navy had a requirement that all official messages be sent in capital letters.

* "God's bones" was the sweariest expression in medieval times.

* Qantas' Sydney to Dallas service is the world's longest commercial flight at 8, 568 miles (13, 790 km).

* The pigment gene SLC45A2 causes tigers to be white.

* It's not the "Spending Review", it's the "Spending Round".

* The French had no official word for French kissing... until now. It's "galocher".

* The film Life of Brian remains banned in parts of Germany, but only on Good Friday.

* Ampersand was once an actual letter which followed the letter Z in the Latin alphabet.

* There are only two escalators in the entire state of Wyoming.

* The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams is the most frequently misquoted song in the UK.

* McDonald's drive-thru staff won't serve people on horseback.

* You could drive on the left or right in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

* The least common PIN code is 8068.

* Bookshop customers are six times more likely to buy romance or cookery titles when they can smell chocolate.

* Scientists still don't really know how bicyles work.

* Women who fear being forced to marry abroad are advised to hide a spoon in their underwear.

* There's a Kenyan tradition of running naked at night.

* The first recorded incorrect use of the word "literally" was in 1769.

* Chimpanzees and orangutans swim a form of the breast stroke.

* Polyamorous people have invented a word to indicate the opposite of jealousy- compersion.

* Wearing camouflage clothing is an offence in Barbados.

* You need an 8ft-high table to ensure toast lands butter side up when dropped.

* Justin Bieber and Will.i.am used to live next door to each other.

* Glaswegians are starting to sound like Cockneys because of EastEnders.

* Men with wide faces make people around them more selfish.

* Shy male birds build closer friendships than bolder birds.

* Bill Clinton was taught a jujitsu move by his aides to prevent Yasser Arafat hugging him for the camera.

* Cuban rescue workers use sniffer rabbits to find people in collapsed buildings.

* People pour more white wine into a glass than red.

* The Soviet Union published a children's book of Stalin's five-year plan.

* Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall won't eat the brown bits in bananas.

* Some species of marsupials mate with such vigour that it kills them.

* Medieval French cookery book Le Viandier de Taillevent contains a recipe for plucking and basting a live chicken, which is then rocked to sleep and placed on a platter beside two roasted chickens.

* Morrissey was asked to perform Smelly Cat on Friends.

* A universal law of urination news that elephants, cows, goats and dogs all take roughly 21 seconds to empty their bladders.

* In Scrabble, a Benjamin is a three-letter extension to the front of a five-letter word.

* A man's walking pace slows by 7% for wives and girlfriends but not for other women, and increases if walking with another man.

* The word "get" went out of fashion in books between 1940 and the 1960s.

* Red underwear is popular in Wales, while those in North-West England buy a lot of thongs.

* Amazon's original name was to be Relentless- and the URL relentless.com still redirects to the company website.

* Nervous dogs wag their tails to the left, and happy dogs to the right.

* The most effective time to drink coffee is between 09.30 and 11.30.

* Lee Harvey Oswald still has an overdue library book from Dallas.

* Wayne Rooney's voicemail password is Stella Artois.

* There's only one sneeze in the bible.

* John Wayne coined the phrase "the Big C" to avoid naming cancer.

* There's a twins-only military unit in Russia.

* The pope used to work as a bouncer.

* A hummingbird's brain accounts for 4.2% of its bodyweight, the highest of any bird.

* Americans pronounce gifs as "jifs".

* Victorian students put crocodile skins on their walls.

* The mathematical chance of meeting your soul mate is one in 10, 000.

* A long-term lover is known as a "small house" in Zimbabwe.

* In Brazil barbecuing is a form of public protest.

* Urban blackbirds grow up faster than their country cousins.

* Hemingway never used a Moleskine notebook.

* Mothers think the youngest child is shorter than they really are despite correctly estimating the height of their other children.

* Until May 2013, "being an incorrigible rogue" was a criminal offence.

100 things we didn't know last year; 28th of December, 2013.

Riddled about Murphy

Murphy as The Riddler? I think Giamatti would be better as Mad Hatter/ Penguin. My vite is for Matt LeBlanc to make a good Riddler. Mak, Sunderland

Is there any release date scheduled for series seven of The Shield on DVD? The best US TV series for years and they're holding back on the release of the final episodes. Why? Sue, Isle of Man

Just watched Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. One word, bafffling. Charlie, Ayr

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 24th of December, 2008; 3/6.

* It's possible to fry chips on Jupiter.

* In China, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are known as Curly Fu and Peanut.

* Dates are distributed in the same way across 1986 and 2014, meaning that anyone finding a 27-year-old calendar knocking around can re-use it.

* Dogs align themselves along a north-south axis when they defecate.

* Lesbians are four times as likely as straight women to drive a Subaru, according to the car company.

* Consumption of cigars in the UK has fallen by 80% over the past 20 years.

* Architects practising in Teaxs have to be fingerprinted.

* Finding a heap of broken china on your doorstep on New Year's day in Denmark is a sign of popularity.

* Some nurses in the UK wear fat suits as part of their training for dealing with morbidly obese patients.

* It is possible to balance 53 spoons on a standing human body.

10 things we didn't know last week; 3rd of January, 2014.

A fearless nomination

The Fearless Vampire Killers is the best vampire movie of all. The Count Yorga flicks were brilliant too, but I would love to see Robert R McCammon's sublime novel They Thirst. The best vampire novel after Salem's Lot. Would love to see a film of Baal too. It would make us McCannon fans' day. Kevin, Saintfield

Please can you tell me when the next film Gerard Butler will be in is out at the cinemas? Janet, Swindon

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 24th of December, 2008; 4/6.

A joke of a makeover

Dave, Tyneside. Jack Napier is the Joker's real name. When he was the Red Hood he swam through the chemical waste pipe of a playing card company to flee from Batman. The chemicals gave him white skin, green hair and red lips, and thus the Joker was born. Frank, Glasgow

Does anyone know if there will be a Region 2 DVD release for the Korean movies The Good, The Bad, And The Weird and Aachi & Ssipak? Iyabo, London

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 24th of December, 2008; 5/6.

The year in music news

JANUARY Adele is the winner of the first Critics Choice prize at the Brits for new artists, playing at the launch ceremony. The Shins keyboardist Marty Crandall and his model girlfriend Elyse Sewell file domestic suits at each other, later dismissed in court.

FEBRUARY Arctic Monkeys, Kate Nash, Mark Ronson and Mika are among the winners at the Brits. Alex Turner and Miles Kane unveil their side-project band The Last Shadow Puppets.

1/7.

MARCH Bjork gets into trouble at shows in China and Serbia, yelling "Tibet!" and "Kosovo!" at gigs during her song Declare Independence. Nine Inch Nails let fans download instrumental new album Ghosts I-IV for free, with a range of deluxe editions to buy too.

APRIL Portishead release Third, their first new album for 11 years. Crystal Castles are accused of stealing their Madonna spoof T-shirt design from a picture by artist Trevor Brown.

2/7.

MAY Noel Gallagher claims Jay -Z isn't a suitable headliner for Glastonbury. Nas announces his new album will be called "N***er", but is forced to change it by his record label as just "Nas". Scarlett Johansson releases an album of Tom Waits covers.

JUNE Jay-Z covers Wonderwall at a triumphant Glastonbury show. My B****y Valentine play their first show since 1991.

3/7.

JULY Rage Against The Machine play their first British show at T in the Park. Kele Okereke accuses John Lydon of racially abusing him at a festival in Spain, denied by Lydon. Ian Curtis' gravestone is stolen from a cemetery in Macclesfield. Alicia Keys and Jack White record Another Time To Die, the new James Bond theme.

AUGUST Burial reveals his real identity. The Killers, Metallica and RATM headline Reading/ Leeds Festival.

4/7.

SEPTEMBER Oasis are forced to cancel several shows after Noel Gallagher suffers cracked ribs when he is pushed off stage by a fan at a gig in Toronto. Elbow win the Mercury Music Prize, beating the likes of Burial, Rachel Unthank, British Sea Power and Estelle.

OCTOBER The Long Blondes are forced to split, as Dorian Cox is unable to play following a stroke in June. Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel makes very rare appearances at gigs in the US.

5/7.

NOVEMBER After a 17-year wait, Guns 'N' Roses finally release their Chinese Democracy album. Richey Edwards is officially declared daed, 14 years after he went missing. Paul McCartney releases the third album under his The Fireman alias with producer Youth.

DECEMBER Pet Shop Boys are named as the winners of the Outstanding Contribution prize at next year's Brits Alexandra Burke and Jeff Buckley are at No 1 and 2 in the Christmas charts with Hallelujah.

6/7.

Those we lost in 2008

Rich Wright, Pink Floyd
Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience
Isaac Hayes
Bo Diddley
Buddy Miles
Jerry Wexler
Levi Stubbs, The Four Tops
Davey Graham
Danny Federici, The E Street Band
Miriam Makeba
Norman Whitfield

7/7.

Teletext page 821; 25th of December, 2008.

The stars' favourites of 2008

By John Earls

Brandon Flowers, The Killers

I'm glad the MGMT album didn't come out in the UK until this year, as it means I can say that one.

I heard the album when it came out in the US last year. It's easily the album I've played most this year too. We've been so busy with our own record, I haven't had a chance to explore as much new music as I'd have liked. I wish I could say something super-cool that'll break big in the UK like MGMT in 2009!

1/6.

Guy Garvey, Elbow

I love DJing at 6 Music because I find records on my desk I might not have known otherwise, like The Acorn's album Glory Hope Mountain. It's an amazing story, about his mother's exile from Honduras, but the music is so girgeous you don't need to know the story to fall in love with it straight away.

My single of the year is The Last of The Melting Snow by The Leisure Society. It's indescribably beautiful.

2/6.

Brody Dalle, Spinnerette

I loved the Ratatat album. They look like hippies, but they're amazing punks from Brooklyn. I admire their DIY ethos too, though it's frustrating. I'm trying to get hold of them to ask to work with them, but I can't find them.

Sam Sparro

Blind by Hercules And Love Affair was my favourite single, and Cut Copy for album. Why? I can never give reasons, it's just what my ears loved best.

3/6.

Rab Allan, Glasvegas

I don't care how arrogant this sounds, I'm going to say our album. Well, it's best to be honest! I genuinely think our record is the most rewarding and intense album released all year. For someone else, I'd say Thomas Tantrum's self-titled album. It's unique, but accessible with it.

For a single, I'll say Love Lockdown by Kanye West. It's just a fantastic total pop moment.

4/6.

Jamie Hince, The Kills

I couldn't even tell you what singles have been released this year, but I'll say XX Teens for the best album. It sounds naff, but it's such a real album. It's not trying to sum up any genre. It's just a band trying to make amazing music. It's off-kilter and unique. When you see them it makes sense. But if you try to describe it, it sounds daft.

I also love Childballads, the guy from Jonathan Fire eater. It's very poetic.

5/6.

Elly Jackson, La Roux

TV On The Radio is really good, but I love Sebastien Tellier's album. He's such a character, you get so much of his personality in the record. It's a very s*xy album. None of the songs grate. I don't have to skip any of it.

I admired Sebastien for going on Eurovision. I was speaking to my manager the other day about going on Eurovison or The X Factor for a total laugh and take the p*** out of it all.

6/6.

Teletext page 824; 25th of December, 2008.

Simon Cowell has an unfair advantage in getting the Christmas No 1 spot. Given that millions watched and voted for Alexandra Burke on The X Factor, it doesn't give other Christmas contenders a chance.

Perhaps it's time to exclude The X Factor from the chart. Cowell knows with its media coverage, it's bound to win and I'm sure he wouldn't care as long as sales give him more money in the bank. Ann Baldwin

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 1/7.

Goldfrapp are great for Alison's breathtaking voice and their live musicianship, but it's a shame about their creepy all-female dancers and her previous adolescent masturbatory theremin abuse on stage. This female audience member felt the opposite of empowered. Alison Editor

It's good to see Comsat Angels get some mentions. In asimilar vein, I offer Long Ryders, Green On Red and The Rain Parade from the era. Alan Watson

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 2/7.

Although I'm an Oasis diehard, I can't comprehend how anyone can deny that Girls Aloud's Biology is one of the great pop songs of our time. It's got a very different form and structure than the average rubbish. Aaron O'Neill

Christmas is a time of goodwill, but also for indulging in guilty pleasures. Not just Christmas songs, but the likes of Girls Aloud's Something Kinda Oooh and Paul McCartney's Pipes of Peace hit the spot. Rob Hunt

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 5/7.

Here And Now were a very good space rock outfit, and who remembers the very odd Cardiacs? Zero

There are two verses missing from Alex Burke's Hallelujah. As well as the rude one, there's one that goes "I've seen your flag on the Marble Arch/ And love is not a victory march." X Factor voters' attention spans wouldn't last the original seven minutes. And Jo's spoof Hallelujah was rubbish, it doesn't scan with the song. Yvonne Gool

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 4/7.

Is there nothing Gabriella Cilmi won't advertise? Deodorant, TV channels, soap and now supermarkets. I don't know if she's being clever or stupid. Also, the Brits could learn from The American Music Awards as shown on TMF. All genres should be represented. Gav N

After six years, Girls Aloud are still unable to write a memorable song and have no global impact. Leona Lewis, with one dull song, is better known than they are. Rebecca Nahid

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 5/7.

Top 10 albums of 2008

1) Red Guillemots
2) Santogold Santogold
3) Alas, I Cannot Swim Laura Marling
4) 808s And Heartbreak Kanye West
5) Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down Noah And The Whale
6) Consolers of The Lonely The Raconteurs
7) Slime And Reason Roots Manuva
Eight) Accelerate REM
9) Rockferry Duffy
10) Viva La Vida Coldplay

George McCormick

The Void; Teletext page 825; 25th of December, 2008; 6/7.

Winging into Batman

Nightwing would be a worthy addition to the Batman films as he is also a Dark Lone Wolf. Jack, Edinburgh

Rumours about the follow-up to The Dark Knight are unfounded. A sequel hasn't even been announced yet! Anon

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 26th of December, 2008; 1/6.

The Dark Knight gave me a movie experience like nothing else. It's the best superhero film ever but it's much more than that. I genuinely believe it's a classic, from the performances to the characters and the audience. A rare summer blockbuster that makes you think. Paul, Shipley

My favourite film of the year is Rock n Rolla. Janet, Swindon

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 26th of December, 2008; 2/6.

Nolan knows best

I was a bit shocked when I heard Eddie Murphy could play The Riddler, but Christopher Nolan got a great performance from Robin Williams in Insomnia. My only worry now is that Riddler is a weak bad guy. I'd prefer to see Taila turn up to avenge his father, perhpas in the guise of Batgirl? Would be a cool twist having Batgirl as a bad guy. Dunc, Newcastle

Does anyone when the Devil May Care movie will be out? Justin, Ipswich

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 26th of December, 2008; 3/6.

Point about Lee Marvin

I've got so many fave actors that it's hard to know where to start. Lee Marvin in Point Blank is worth a look and a great place to start. Stevie, Muirhouse

Eddie Murphy? A villain fond of fat suits that runs a daddy day care? An ideal nemesis to me! Paul, Hailsham

The Lizard's alter ego, Dr Curt Connors, played by Dylan Baker, appeared in Spider-Man 3. He's set up to appear in a forthcoming movie. Justin, Manchester

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 26th of December, 2008; 4/6.

History of The Joker

Jack Napier was a name made up by the writers to give The Joker a history and Bruce an idea of who shot his parents. Eddie Murphy is absolutely not going to be in a Batman film. It is far too early to be debating who will be in the next film because Nolan has no interest on making one yet. He will concentrate on a smaller project, just like he did with The Prestige. Dan, Plymouth

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 26th of December, 2008; 5/6.

Top 50 singles of 2008

9) BROKEN RECORDS If The News Makes You Sad, Don't Watch It

The most exciting new live band in Britain, their debut single caught their barely controlled chaos perfectly.

A glorious cacophany of every instrument going, Arcade Fire are the obvious comparison, if only because the scale of ambition here is shown by all too few bands, let alone that they've got the stirring anthems to make them a breakthrough of similar potential.

2/4.

Teletext page 822; 27th of December, 2008.

By John Earls

Top 50 albums of 2008

10)LUPE FIASCO The Cool

After the gorgeous mournful soul of Superstar gave the Kanye West protege his first proper hit, it was surprising that his album didn't quite break through in the same style.

Certainly, there was more imagination here than from his peers, with the accessible beats to match his novelist vision. Check out Gotta Eat, surely the best hip hop song from the perspective of a dodgy burger.

1/4.

Top 50 albums of 2008

9) GLASVEGAS Glasvegas

Sure, it's hard not to trace their influences. Phil Spector's dramatics, The Jesus & Mary Chain feedback. And The Twilight Sad are entitled to ask why they weren't similarly raved over.

But that would be to needlessly carp, when James Allan was both a Scottish emotional singer in the Delgados tradition, a superb lyricist with an eye for minute detail, and backed by a band able to showcase his soul.

2/4.

Teletext page 823; 27th of December, 2008.

The rhyming slang in Hallelujah doesn't even begin to compare to Leona Lewis' version of Run. Robert Davies

It is dreadful that the nasty Simon Cowell has monopolised the Christmas chart once again. Before he came along, we had wonderful festive chart-toppers like Bob The Builder, Westlife and Mr Blobby. Ah well, at least Jeff Buckley ended up at No 2. Adam Syntax

Void: You forgot to mention Save Your Love by Renee and Renato.

The Void; Teletext page 825; 27th of December, 2008; 1/7.