Trivia: 04/15/12 Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water

TODAY'S MYSTERY QUOTE

QUOTE: "Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

HINT: (1891-1980), American writer and painter, some works include Tropic of Cancer (1934), Black Spring (1936), and Tropic of Capricorn (1939).

RANDOM TIDBITS

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is painted a specific shade known as International Orange. The bridge's designers felt that the orange hue blended best with the warm colors of the land in the area and the cool colors of the sky and sea.

On May 30, 1883, with mobs of people still crowding the promenade of the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge, a woman tripped while walking and screamed. Others interpreted her scream to mean that the bridge was collapsing, and the ensuing stampede resulted in 12 deaths and scores of injuries.

The single busiest land border crossing in North America is the Ambassador Bridge, which links Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. When the bridge first opened, it became a fad for couples to exchange their wedding vows in the middle of it, until it was pointed out that the area was technically a "no-man's land," neither America nor Canada, and the marriage might not be valid.

Shortly after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened in 1940, it earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie," due to the way it undulated in the wind. On November 7 of that year, owners of a nearby camera shop got word that the bridge was in trouble due to high winds and captured footage of the bridge as it twisted, buckled, and ultimately collapsed.

The London Bridge was built in 1831, but due to increased traffic, it was falling down by 1962. On a whim, the local government put the bridge up for sale. To their surprise, they found a buyer. Robert McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu, Arizona, paid nearly $2.5 million and had the bridge moved to Arizona brick by brick. It still stands in Lake Havasu.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is home to more covered bridges than any other area of the U.S. The protective covers over the bridges keep them free of snow and rain so that the horse-powered carriages of the Amish can safely cross, no matter what the weather.

QUOTE: "Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

ANSWER: Henry Miller.