Thanks for the Julia Nunez CDs, whoever sent them!
Author Archives: Sarah
Mind you, cobblestone bites can be pretty nasty
Oh, Iceland, so civilized even when you’re totally flipping your shit. First use of tear gas in 60 years, one cobblestone injury, everyone quieted down for the funeral. OK, there was fire and egg pelting, but that is so wholesome and traditional. And I bet there were hot dogs after. Best in the world!
Too long for Twitter
“The devil has as much right to take part in a religious meeting as the Macon Telegraph has to a voice in Democratic councils, says Sparta Ishmaelite.”
Me versus Mythbusters
I’ve been watching Mythbusters episodes on DVD and agree with my friend Craig that some of the questions they address would be better answered by some rigorous book research rather than blowing things up (as entertaining as that is). But that would be a different and altogether more boring show.
Episode one of that boring show, hosted by me: Pirate eye patches as way to retain your night vision by swapping which (functional) eye it covers when traveling from light to dark and dark to light. While they showed that it was quite effective in retaining night vision, there was no evidence presented that pirates actually did that.
My research: from Daily Life in the Age of Sail’s section on Pirates, it was pointed out that pirates themselves didn’t really keep records, since they were criminals. Most accurate records were kept by the people in charge of ending their criminal activities, and this did not include handy eye patch tips. More damning, the Oxford English Dictionary entry on Patch defined it only as a covering for a damaged or missing eye, with no information or usage as anything else.
My verdict: no evidence for this usage.
Newsflash!
A curious case of love and persecution has come to light in New York. A man named Romero fell in love with his son’s intended wife, and in order to marry her, sent Romero, Jr., to Cuba. The latter was soon reported to be dead and the wedding took place. Subsequently the young man returned home, when his father caused him to be arrested and put in the lunatic assylum. The wife has discovered the facts in the case, and secured the release of her first, and perhaps only love, and an interesting and spicy lawsuit is now said to be very probable, growing out of this exceedingly romantic affair.
Florida Union, (Jacksonville, FL) Saturday, August 18, 1866; Issue 52; col F
Newsflash!
Anderson Released.
He Did Not Murder His Wife as Supposed.
“Birmingham, July 24.– Sheriff Shirley, of Tuscaloosa county, this morning received a telegram from the sheriff of Shelby county saying that Lucinde Anderson, the wife of George Anderson, supposed to have been murdered by her husband and step-son, is in the poor house at Columbiana, as the husband claimed. Anderson and son were accordingly released from jail. There is no danger of Jones being lynched. He is in jail here.”
The Macon News, (Macon, GA) Saturday, July 24, 1897; col D
Especially owners of purse dogs
An interesting article on various movements to restrict the breadth of species used as service animals in fact raises the need for a new right: the right for anyone to physically punish people who say their regular pets are service animals. Possibly with garden implements.
Newsflash!
“One of the funniest things got up in New York lately was the excursion of the Augur Association, in burlesque of the target excursions. Each man carries an augur instead of a gun, a calithumpian band accompanies them, and the exercises consist in walking blindfolded to the target and boring a hole through it. Not one man in twenty can do it, and the blunders that are made cause a great deal of sport.”
The Ripley Bee, (Ripley, OH) Saturday, January 01, 1859; Issue 32; col G
Newsflash!
“SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. On Wednesday morning a heap of coal of about 100 chaldrons, which had been placed several weeks before, on wet ground, in Boston, was discovered to be on fire, smoking like a volcano, with a volume of sulphuruous matter rising in a state of ebullition. Unquenchable by water, it was found necessary to remove them to prevent a conflagration. This is the third instance of the kind within a year in that city.”
The Saturday Evening Post, (Philadelphia, PA) Saturday, September 06, 1828
Another use for LPs!
This guy’s work is so cool. SO COOL!