Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Odds and Sods
19th century manly slang
From The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man, an absolutely delightful "Dictionary of Manly 19th Century Vernacular."
Anointing: A good beating. A case for the application of salve. Blind Monkeys: An imaginary collection at the Zoological Gardens, which are supposed to receive care and attention from persons fitted by nature for such office and for little else. An idle and useless person is often told that he is only fit to lead the Blind Monkeys to evacuate. Another form this elegant conversation takes, is for one man to tell another that he knows of a suitable situation for him. "How much a week? and what to do?" are natural questions, and then comes the scathing and sarcastic reply, "Five bob a week at the doctor's-- you're to stand behind the door and make the patients sick. They won't want no physic when they sees your mug."
Cupboard Love. Pretended love to the cook, or any other person, for the sake of a meal. My guts cry cupboard; i.e. I am hungry.
Earth Bath. A grave.
Fimble-Famble. A lame, prevaricating excuse.
Gentleman of Four Outs. When a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, " Yes, a Gentleman Of Four Outs"--that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners.
O'clock. "Like One O'clock," a favorite comparison with the lower orders, implying briskness; otherwise "like winkin'." "To know what's O'clock" is to be wide-awake, sharp, and experienced.
Rumbumptious. Haughty, pugilistic.
Snotter, or Wipe-hauler. A pickpocket whose chief fancy is for gentlemen's pocket-handkerchiefs.
Tune the Old Cow Died of. An epithet for any ill-played or discordant piece of music.
'Lightning Lisa' died a noble death.The 48-year-old retired stripper, also known as Lisa Marie Palmiere, gave her live to save a friend. She stepped in front of a gun aimed at her boyfriend on Sidney Street in Trenton, on Feb. 27. She was shot and killed. Jason Frost, 30, and Michael Garniss, 49, are charged with first-degree murder.
"The last day of her life she tried to save someone else," her friend Cathy Bateman said during a memorial service held at Trenton's At The Crossroads Church, on Sunday, March 14. "She didn't save herself. I'll never forget her."
Lightning Lisa's life left a laundry list of tragedy.
At age 14, her mother's boyfriend delivered an ultimatum to pick between him and her children. She chose her boyfriend. Lisa spent the remainder of her adolescence on the streets of Vancouver.
She quickly discovered the adult entertainment industry, where older dancers became role models teaching her the trade. Her new-found profession helped fuel many addictions.
"She was always type of person who was drawn to problem people," said Ms. Bateman. "She was too kind to the wrong people, that was kind of her downfall."
She had her first glimmer of hope at age 17 when she joined a recovery program and married a construction worker. The glimmer faded five years later when her husband fell to his death at a job site. She plummeted back into her former life.
"She tried and she tried and she tried," said Heather L., Ms. Palmiere's Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) sponsor, whose last name cannot be revealed under the conditions of the AA program. "There is no shame in that. The only hurt she did was to herself."
Using the stage name Lightning Lisa, Ms. Palmiere returned to adult entertainment. She developed a routine involving pyrotechnics and became a well known name in strip clubs throughout eastern Ontario.
Her act eventually found a home in Trenton.
"All she really wanted was love," Ms. Bateman said. "She found it in a lot of different people."
Ms. Palmiere's murder isn't the first time she faced her fate. An ex-boyfriend told her he planned to kill her during a drive down Hwy. 401 in June, 2008. She jumped out of his moving car.
Ms. Palmiere called this her rock bottom.
She began seeking help for her problems with addiction. She started by attending the At The Crossroads Church.
"An alarm rang out in the pit of hell," said Sharon Gauthier, a friend of Ms. Palmiere. "Satan was screaming at his demons, 'You fools. You let Lightning Lisa slip through your fingers'."
With the help of the church's Pastor Jacques Blais, she entered AA and retired from her career as an exotic dancer.
"I guided her in a few things," Pastor Blais said.
The pastor helped her through several relapses. She eventually became a part of the church, referring to the pastor as 'dad'.
"She was a daughter to me, I lost a part of myself," Pastor Blais said.
Ms. Gauthier said the congregation was in shock when they learned Ms. Palmiere was murdered.
"My whole body ached, I had to sit down. There wasn't a part of me that wasn't hurting," Ms. Gauthier said.
Heather said Ms. Palmiere's actions leading to her death were characteristic of how she always treated her friends.
"We used to go to the water and share our hearts and souls," Heather said. "She helped me more than I ever helped her."
In her pastor's eyes, her death was the last step to redemption.
"They may have got her body," Pastor Blais said. "But they didn't get her soul."
Fifty-two cards, one amazing trick
A magician stuns Ellen DeGeneres with an elaborate trick that tells a funny story.
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Is your new 'friend' the FBI?
Offhand tweets and photos can be paydirt for law-enforcement agents lurking online.
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A Funny One ...
What did the redneck get on his I.Q. test?
Drool.
Economic News
5 new rules for great credit scores
Opening up more accounts and carrying a balance could actually improve your credit.
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Lehman sacked whistleblower who called out accounting games
It's all fun and games on Wall Street until someone wants to tell the truth.
From Reuters:
Lehman Brothers Holdings ousted whistle blower Matthew Lee just weeks after he had raised concerns with Lehman's auditor about the firm's accounting in 2008, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Lee, a former senior vice president, Finance Division, in charge of global balance sheet and legal entity accounting, was let go in late June 2008 amid steep losses at the firm as it tried to wade through the global financial crisis, the paper said.
How March Madness hurts businesses
The NCAA's basketball tourney costs the economy a staggering amount in lost productivity.
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Gourmet living on food stamps
Hit by the recession, one group feeds its foodie habits with government subsidies.
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Big companies with impressive job growth
These top businesses are adding workers without any signs of slowing down.
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Health News
Women in the least healthy nations are more likely to choose men with masculine faces, which is a sign of health.
The guinea worm grows to a meter long in its victim's body before punching its way out – but hopefully not for much longer.Parasite lost: Exterminating Africa's horror worms
Science News
Our planet may be tugging at Venus's heart, explaining a curious coincidence when the two are at their closest approach.Are Venus and Earth in a long-distance relationship?
Not only humans cajole bored friends to keep playing with them – it shows that gorillas may have "theory of mind", and maybe even a sense of humour.General Interest
Blarney castle
How the St. Patrick's Day pinch started
Why are we punished with a pinch for not wearing something green on the Irish holiday?
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Photo via Dan Bennett
Salmon and salad. Two things we might not jump to make a link between unless they're both on a menu at a restaurant. However, they're more intensely connected than one might think. And we're not talking water pollution from farm land run off. Nope - we're talking no water at all...for the salmon. Agribusiness is draining the very rivers and streams the salmon need to reproduce.
Article continues: Water Wars - Pitting Salmon Against Agribusiness
From Treehugger:
Newly-discovered Laniarius willardi had been noted as an anomaly among Malaconotidae (pictured) for years. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
One small branch of the bird kingdom's species tree has sprouted a new bud. Researchers from Texas A&M University believe they have found a new species of shrike living amongst the more common Malaconotidae. The new species, labeled Laniarius willardi, was picked out from the crowd by its unique blue-gray eyes.
Article continues: New Bird Species Picked Out by its Eyes
Sleep solutions from Chinese medicine
Pressing your fingertip at these key acupressure points can enhance your sleep.
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Trade schools a costly mistake for many
One graduate spent $30,000 on a degree, hoping for a new, highly paid career.
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Local News
Officials say more than $90 million in federal and state money could be saved with the change.
Mystery Knocker Terrorizing Rutherford County Women
In Cop News
National News
The Winguts-Birthers-repugicans aren't going to like this ...
Hawaii may start ignoring repeated requests for proof that President Barack Obama was born there.
As the state continues to receive emails seeking Mr Obama's birth certificate, the House Judiciary Committee there heard a bill permitting government officials to ignore people who won't give up.
Officials at the state Department of Health say it gets between 10 and 20 emails seeking verification of President's birth each week, most of them from outside Hawaii.
Both the director of the Health Department and the state registrar of vital statistics have verified that the Health Department holds Obama's original birth certificate.
Hawaii may start ignoring repeated requests for proof that President Barack Obama was born there.
As the state continues to receive emails seeking Mr Obama's birth certificate, the House Judiciary Committee there heard a bill permitting government officials to ignore people who won't give up.
Officials at the state Department of Health say it gets between 10 and 20 emails seeking verification of President's birth each week, most of them from outside Hawaii.
Both the director of the Health Department and the state registrar of vital statistics have verified that the Health Department holds Obama's original birth certificate.
A former Massachusetts dentist is accused of putting paper clips in patients' mouths during root canals, then billing Medicaid for the stainless steel posts he should have used.
A woman was arrested Monday for child neglect after reportedly leaving her 2-year-old son in a parked car on a downtown street for four hours while she shopped.
A 5-week-old infant was placed in a kitchen oven and now the child's father is under arrest.
Major flooding expected to strike Midwest
Forecasts confirm people's fears: A wetter-than-usual winter will make for a dangerous spring.
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Immigrants making a landmark shift
Large "gateway" cities are being shunned as new arrivals opt for a different type of locale.
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Bizarre attack ads test the limits of 'edgy'
A giant floating head and "Avatar" makeup push campaign spots into tricky territory.
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In Cop News
More than 100 cases must reviewed because of potentially falsified and inaccurate tests by FBI analysts
Google Appears to Drop Censorship in China
Web sites dealing with subjects such as the Tiananmen Square democracy protests, Tibet and regional independence movements could all be accessed through Google's Chinese search engine Tuesday, after the company said it would no longer abide by Beijing's censorship rules.
Full story
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Grayson rips into Palin
Last week, Sarah Palin went to Florida and made the mistake of attacking Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL). While Palin can get away with slinging abuse at many Democrats, Grayson isn't one of them. He shows how to respond to the GOP/Teabagging Superstar. There's only one way to do it. Unrelenting mocking:
In response to Palin's attack on Rep Grayson, Grayson actually complimented Palin. Grayson praised Palin for having a hand large enough to fit Grayson's entire name on it. He thanked Palin for alleviating the growing shortage of platitudes in Central Florida. Grayson added that Palin deserved credit for getting through the entire hour-long program without quitting. Grayson also said that Palin really had mastered Palin's imitation of Tina Fey imitating Palin. Grayson observed that Palin is the most-intelligent leader that the Republican Party has produced since George W. Bush.
When asked to comment about what effect Palin's criticism might have, Grayson pointed out, "As the Knave's horse says in Alice in Wonderland, 'dogs will believe anything.'" Earlier, as the Orlando Sentinel reported, Grayson said, "I'm sure Palin knows all about politics in Central Florida, since from her porch she can see Winter Park," which is part of Grayson's district.
Grayson said that the Alaskan chillbilly was welcome to return to Central Florida anytime, as long as she brings lots of money with her, and spends it. "I look forward to an honest debate with Governor Palin on the issues, in the unlikely event that she ever learns anything about them," Grayson added, alluding to Politifact's "liar, liar, pants on fire" evaluation of much of what Palin has said.
There's just so much material. And, Grayson isn't afraid to use it.
Scientists are studying Sarah Palin's travel between Alaska and Florida carefully.
They hope to learn more about the flight patterns of that elusive migratory species, the wild Alaskan dingbat.
Damn, Alan Grayson is ready to kick some ass - I like this guy.
Full-body scanner debuts at O'Hare
Travelers will notice a new layer of security at the nation's second-busiest airport.
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Failing to do so could result in fines up to $5,000. Filling Out Census Is Required By Law
Editorial Comment
We are experimenting with a new post format today so it is taking a bit longer than we expected, please be bare with us.
World News
Mexican police implicated in killings, abductions
Scores of police officers - including the entire department of one town - have been detained in Mexican probes of killings and kidnappings.
Full story
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In Cop News
Hubby keeps house, wife takes roof
A Swaziland woman said she followed through with a court order allowing her to remove all of her possessions from her ex-husband's house, including the roof.
Full story
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The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Better keep a box of tissues handy, because you're about to become unusually sentimental.
Nostalgic, even.
And maybe in the mood to reminisce.
Whatever you're feeling at the moment will emerge, regardless of whether you're comfortable with letting others see it.
So if you've been trying to hide your feelings for a certain someone, you should probably just forget about that.
Why disappoint yourself?
Some of our readers today have been in:
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canarias, Spain
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
San Sebastian, Pais Vasco, Spain
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Oberursel, Hessen, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Bhubaneswhar, Orissa, India
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
as well as Romania, Brazil, Egypt, and the United States in such cities as Tomah, Attleboro, Tuscaloosa, Bemidji, Quincey, Ladysmith, Crownsville and more
Today is Wednesday, March 17, the 76th day of 2010.
There are 289 days left in the year.
There are no unusual holidays and celebrations today.
This is St. Patrick's Day
Happy St Paddy's Day
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