Yes, the “funny” aspect of this story is the killer lava lamp (actually a much less funny shard of glass through heart), but here are the elements that make it an FP story:
1. Kent, WA
2. Trailer home
3. the lamp was being heated on the stove for reasons unknown
4. “Police found no evidence of drug or alcohol use.”

Earlier, I was all sarcastic about some advice on protecting your child from syphilis by making sure that no visiting relatives have it. But in the 1920 book The care and feeding of children: a catechism for the use of mothers and children’s nurses, page 195:

“Are there any valid objections to kissing infants?
There are many serious objections. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, syphilis, and many other grave diseases may be communicated in this way. The kissing of infants upon the mouth by other children, by nurses, or by people generally, should under no circumstances be permitted. Infants should be kissed, if at all, upon the cheek or forehead, but the less even of this the better.”

Jeez! How long did this myth persist? “No, really, honey, I got it from kissing a baby!”

Later note: OK, turns out I wasn’t paying enough attention in health class. Syphilis can be passed by kissing if the sores are on the mouth. Never again will I mock old medical or child-rearing advice.

Would you like to discover the wonders of the Kamchatka peninsula? Why not visit by dogsled?

Earlier, I recommended Robert Sullivan’s book, Rats. One of the (many) cool things he mentioned was Audubon’s engravings of rats, which the modern observer can find (where else?) in New York, at the library!

A rare ailment, yes, but serious: a bad case of the falsetto jackass.

Two moments in time from this afternoon:
a. a guy I have warned at least 5 times not to leave his stuff lying around because it’ll just get stolen, comes to the desk to complain that something he left lying around has been stolen.
b. small boy who wants books about LIONS! and is thrilled when I find him one that he can read.

Historic Australian travel posters!

Again, in the French-English dictionary, some things translate easily, some don’t:
trainspotter: personne dont le passe-temps est de noter les numeros des trains
he’s a bit of a trainspotter: il est vraiment ringard

Flip to ringard: uncool, unhip

While anorak: anorak

Take a look at historic Des Moines, WA!

While looking for the French word for fan-boat, I browsed through a book on Cajun French (if anyone has a need for this word, it would be Louisianans), but instead found “Dos brilliant et ventre criant”- referring to people who spend too much on clothing and too little on food!