Wilson elected. GLC abolished. Poll Tax riots. CND march on Aldermaston and other.
Monday, March 31, 2008
On This Day March 30th
.
Reagan stops a bullet. Car bomb kills Airey Neave. Rosenbergs found guilty. Queen Mother gone and other.
Reagan stops a bullet. Car bomb kills Airey Neave. Rosenbergs found guilty. Queen Mother gone and other.
On This Day March 29th
.
My Lai massacre. William Calley guilty. First London Marathon. Manson sentenced to death. Torrey Canyon bombed. Hanratty appeal. and other.
My Lai massacre. William Calley guilty. First London Marathon. Manson sentenced to death. Torrey Canyon bombed. Hanratty appeal. and other.
Friday, March 28, 2008
George Wallace "The Little Judge" and All Round Good Ol' Boy
.
I do hope Ethan Persoff doesn't mind me posting the entire strip (to save you opening all windows) of what I found a rather fascinating and probably uniquecomic sixteen page political manifesto.
It was only searching for a Montgomery graphic to adorn today's On This Day post that I happened on this comic book (and other publications) blog with a difference. Please pay him a visit as I shall be doing after this post, http://www.ep.tc/intro.html I think it might turn out to be a treasure trove.
Easier for me to post the introduction by Ethan Persoff but I cannot go without asking the rhetorical question, just what would be the average IQ of the person that this comic was to target.
Kind of reminds me of the tale of Billy Bob Bodean, who moved from Bumfuck Alabama to Scrotumville Georgia and the average IQ of both towns went up.
I do hope Ethan Persoff doesn't mind me posting the entire strip (to save you opening all windows) of what I found a rather fascinating and probably unique
It was only searching for a Montgomery graphic to adorn today's On This Day post that I happened on this comic book (and other publications) blog with a difference. Please pay him a visit as I shall be doing after this post, http://www.ep.tc/intro.html I think it might turn out to be a treasure trove.
Easier for me to post the introduction by Ethan Persoff but I cannot go without asking the rhetorical question, just what would be the average IQ of the person that this comic was to target.
Kind of reminds me of the tale of Billy Bob Bodean, who moved from Bumfuck Alabama to Scrotumville Georgia and the average IQ of both towns went up.
ALABAMA NEEDS "THE LITTLE JUDGE" - GEORGE C. WALLACE FOR THE BIG JOB - 1960/1961 Pro-Segregation Comic Book commissioned directly by George Wallace during his campaign for Governor of Alabama. This booklet is credited as one of the principle reasons Wallace won the gubernatorial election, later allowing him to become one of the South's most iconic and hostile voices against Integration and Civil Rights. GEORGE WALLACE FOR THE BIG JOB is also one of the most covered up pieces of comic book history, as most copies were destroyed or hidden away. We present it now, all sixteen pages, in full, for the official and permanent record -- Ethan Persoff, http://www.ep.tc
Your Kid Dies Of Neglect, Play The God Card
.
These parents should not be prosecuted in any shape or form.
Rather a strange statement coming from me you might query? let us look at two cases, one contemporary one from 2007.
Do I have a problem with these parents? not at all at all.
Why not? Because God is involved, and where God is involved the State absolves all things including the right to life.
So there you have it, not a problem, but wait a minute you might say, one child is nine and the parents didn't seek medical attention and the other is fourteen and made his own decision.
That might well be the case, so all I can say is what kind of brainwashing was this kid subjected to over four years by, in this case his aunt, that death was preferable to the promised horrors of eternal damnation and purgatory that awaited him if he accepted a blood transfusion?
What really burns me about all this, the obvious apart, is the goddamn judge who obviously has a cross stuck so far up his arse that all this and his ruling make perfect sense.
And let us not loose sight of just what are the rights of a fourteen year old to act freely in other areas of life. In ninety nine percent of all things he is just a boy, a child in fact, and we know how America seeks to protect it's precious children and keep them young and pure, they are after all only children.
They are only children until they want to die for Jesus or commit a crime and then in many instances the State decides that they are children no more and charges and tries them in a court of law as adults, but that's the way it is in the One Nation Under God.
A more comprehensive report on the Lindberg case here.
These parents should not be prosecuted in any shape or form.Rather a strange statement coming from me you might query? let us look at two cases, one contemporary one from 2007.
Parents Pick Prayer Over Doctors, Girl Dies.
WESTON, Wis. Police are investigating an 11-year-old girl's death from an undiagnosed, treatable form of diabetes after her parents chose to pray for her rather than take her to a doctor.
An autopsy showed Madeline Neumann died Sunday from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that left too little insulin in her body, Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said.
She had probably been ill for about a month, suffering symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness, the chief said Wednesday, noting that he expects to complete the investigation by Friday and forward the results to the district attorney.
The girl's mother, Leilani Neumann, said the family believes in the Bible and that healing comes from God, but she said they do not belong to an organized religion or faith, are not fanatics and have nothing against doctors. more
Do I have a problem with these parents? not at all at all.
Why not? Because God is involved, and where God is involved the State absolves all things including the right to life.
Mount Vernon leukemia patient, 14, dies after rejecting transfusionsA 14-year-old boy who refused blood transfusions in his fight against leukemia -- based on religious beliefs -- died Wednesday night in Seattle, hours after a Skagit County judge affirmed his right to reject the treatment.
Dennis Lindberg, of Mount Vernon, died around 6 p.m. at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, according to KING-5 television. As a Jehovah's Witness, Lindberg objected to receiving blood. Doctors had said he needed it to survive his cancer treatment.
In court Wednesday, Superior Court Judge John Meyer said that Lindberg, though in the eighth grade, was old enough to know that refusing blood transfusions might amount to a "death sentence," and that he had the right to make that decision.more
So there you have it, not a problem, but wait a minute you might say, one child is nine and the parents didn't seek medical attention and the other is fourteen and made his own decision.
That might well be the case, so all I can say is what kind of brainwashing was this kid subjected to over four years by, in this case his aunt, that death was preferable to the promised horrors of eternal damnation and purgatory that awaited him if he accepted a blood transfusion?
What really burns me about all this, the obvious apart, is the goddamn judge who obviously has a cross stuck so far up his arse that all this and his ruling make perfect sense.
And let us not loose sight of just what are the rights of a fourteen year old to act freely in other areas of life. In ninety nine percent of all things he is just a boy, a child in fact, and we know how America seeks to protect it's precious children and keep them young and pure, they are after all only children.
They are only children until they want to die for Jesus or commit a crime and then in many instances the State decides that they are children no more and charges and tries them in a court of law as adults, but that's the way it is in the One Nation Under God.
A more comprehensive report on the Lindberg case here.
On This Day March 28th
.
Three Mile Island pops a leak. MLK leads march to Montgomery, sidebar, Wallace, Bombs, murder, KKK. and other
Update: The graphic is the front cover of a comic book of that name and can be found at the link.
http://www.ep.tc/mlk/
Three Mile Island pops a leak. MLK leads march to Montgomery, sidebar, Wallace, Bombs, murder, KKK. and other
Update: The graphic is the front cover of a comic book of that name and can be found at the link.
http://www.ep.tc/mlk/
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Mugabe Warns.....
.
Black Bob is at it again, he's some player I tell you. Would you care to hazard a guess as to what the election result will be?
Black Bob is at it again, he's some player I tell you. Would you care to hazard a guess as to what the election result will be?
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has warned his opponents not to protest if they do not win elections on Saturday.It was this however that really caught my eye, the level of bullshit and disconnect sounds like it could have come straight out of the Whitehouse."Just dare try it," said the 84-year-old leader at one of his final campaign rallies. "We don't play around while you try to please your British allies."
"People know the contribution he has made to the well-being of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans in particular. So they love him and they want him to continue leading them until he completes the goals of the revolution."more
On This Day March 27th
.
Hundreds dead in Tenerife plane crash. Big loss of life in North Sea rig collapse. Doctor Beeching gets his axe out. Russians go to the polls and other.
Hundreds dead in Tenerife plane crash. Big loss of life in North Sea rig collapse. Doctor Beeching gets his axe out. Russians go to the polls and other.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Hard Hard Time: Supermax
.
I did on one occasion watch Bill Maher mention the "greatest country on earth" and in his inimitable way asked the question, Who says so, the eighty five percent of arrogant dipshit Americans who don't even own a fucking passport?
I could, but I won't, make a list of all that ails America, American society and most importantly the American psyche.
The same psyche that starts at the very top with the endless "Kick arse because we can" attitude and works it's way down through a para-military police force that is totally out of control to a prison system and it's employees that should be the shame of any society that aspires to wear the label of "Civilised."
I shall not enter into a diatribe for it has all been said before, you only have to search the labels "Prison Nation" and "Police," I will just leave you with a short sentence that I came across, part of which I used as a previous title.
The prison authorities, more often than not, are persons of limited intellectual capacity and of authoritarian attitudes whose primary penological goal is to maintain order.
And if anybody wants to try and convince me that America deserves the tag of greatest nation I would be glad to listen to your argument.
*window* If indeed the cell even has a window. there are Supermax facilities where the secure housing units (SHU) are sixty feet underground and like all such places the cell lights shine twenty four seven.
I did on one occasion watch Bill Maher mention the "greatest country on earth" and in his inimitable way asked the question, Who says so, the eighty five percent of arrogant dipshit Americans who don't even own a fucking passport?
I could, but I won't, make a list of all that ails America, American society and most importantly the American psyche.
The same psyche that starts at the very top with the endless "Kick arse because we can" attitude and works it's way down through a para-military police force that is totally out of control to a prison system and it's employees that should be the shame of any society that aspires to wear the label of "Civilised."
I shall not enter into a diatribe for it has all been said before, you only have to search the labels "Prison Nation" and "Police," I will just leave you with a short sentence that I came across, part of which I used as a previous title.
The prison authorities, more often than not, are persons of limited intellectual capacity and of authoritarian attitudes whose primary penological goal is to maintain order.
And if anybody wants to try and convince me that America deserves the tag of greatest nation I would be glad to listen to your argument.
Torture in Our Own Backyards: The Fight Against Supermax PrisonsImagine living in an 8-by-12 prison cell, in solitary confinement, for eight years straight. Your entire world consists of a dank, cinder block room with a narrow *window* only three inches high, opening up to an outdoor cement cage, cynically dubbed, "the yard." If you're lucky, you spend one hour five days a week in that outdoor cage, where you gaze up through a wire mesh roof and hope for a glimpse of the sun. If you talk back to the guards or act out in any way, you might only venture outside one precious hour per week.
You go eight years without shaking a hand or experiencing any physical human contact. The prison guards bark orders and touch you only while wearing leather gloves, and then it's only to put you in full cuffs and shackles before escorting you to the cold showers, where they watch your every move.
You cannot make phone calls to your friends or family and must "earn" two visits per month, which inevitably take place through a Plexiglass wall. You are kept in full shackles the entire time you visit with your wife and children, and have to strain to hear their voices through speakers that record your every word. With no religious or educational programs to break up the time or elevate your thoughts, it's a daily struggle to keep your mind from unravelling. more
*window* If indeed the cell even has a window. there are Supermax facilities where the secure housing units (SHU) are sixty feet underground and like all such places the cell lights shine twenty four seven.
McCain: Too Old By Far
.
And too many "senior Moments."
This piece from Arianna makes a rather good follow on from the "Extremely So" article further down postings.
I like the turn of phrase but Arianna does let Lieberman off rather lightly, unlike myself, when she describes him as "McCain's chief lady in waiting,"
And if by some rare chance you're not convinced, have a basin-full of this.
Fresh off his eighth Iraq visit, Sen. John McCain declared Monday that "we are succeeding" and said he wouldn't change course — even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year.Raw Story
And too many "senior Moments."
This piece from Arianna makes a rather good follow on from the "Extremely So" article further down postings.
I like the turn of phrase but Arianna does let Lieberman off rather lightly, unlike myself, when she describes him as "McCain's chief lady in waiting,"
A McCain Moment: Do You Want Four More Years Of This
For those who were too busy watching Rev. Jeremiah Wright damn America for the 10,000th time to hear about McCain, let's review: at a stop in Jordan last week, McCain made the ludicrous claim that Al Qaeda insurgents were being trained in Iran*. Asked again about it, he dug in deeper, claiming it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known."
A few moments later, McCain's chief lady in waiting, Joe Lieberman, leaned forward and whispered in his ear. McCain promptly offered a quick rewrite: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."more
And if by some rare chance you're not convinced, have a basin-full of this.
Fresh off his eighth Iraq visit, Sen. John McCain declared Monday that "we are succeeding" and said he wouldn't change course — even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year.Raw Story
The Planet Is Fucked: Plastic Rubbish Edition
.
The situation on Medway described below is far from unique, plastic rubbish effects the whole of the Pacific rim with the the Hawaiian Islands suffering just as badly as this deadly flotsam makes its endless circuitous route around the Pacific.
The situation on Medway described below is far from unique, plastic rubbish effects the whole of the Pacific rim with the the Hawaiian Islands suffering just as badly as this deadly flotsam makes its endless circuitous route around the Pacific.Diary from the middle of nowhere
Our environment correspondent David Shukman is on the remote Pacific island of Midway to report on the threat of plastic rubbish drifting in the ocean.Plastic debris collects around the island, scene of a seminal World War II battle, with serious consequences for its wildlife. David will be reporting on the issue this week for the BBC website, radio and TV.more
On This Day March 26th
.
Israel Egypt peace deal. Pope prays. Compo for miners lung disease. Stock exchange admits women and other uninteresting stuff.
Israel Egypt peace deal. Pope prays. Compo for miners lung disease. Stock exchange admits women and other uninteresting stuff.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Oh Do Come In Officer
.
I'm having trouble believing what I've just read. Stroll on!
I'm having trouble believing what I've just read. Stroll on!
Boston police officials, surprised by intense opposition from residents, have significantly scaled back and delayed the start of a program that would allow officers to go into people's homes and search for guns without a warrant.The program, dubbed Safe Homes, was supposed to start in December, but has been delayed at least three times because of misgivings in the community. March 1 was the latest missed start date.
Commissioner Edward F. Davis has been taken aback by the criticism. Davis promoted Safe Homes as a voluntary program that would help overwhelmed, frightened parents and guardians by removing guns from their homes without fear of prosecution.more
Bush: A Funny Kind Of Christian
.
Somewhere in the Middle East, Jesus Christ is strapped to a bench, his head wrapped in clingfilm. He furiously sucks against the plastic. A hole is pierced, but only so that a filthy rag can be stuffed back into his mouth. He is turned upside down and water slowly poured into the rag. The torturer whispers religious abuse. If you are God, save yourself you fucking idiot. Fighting to pull in oxygen through the increasingly saturated rag, his lungs start to fill up with water. Someone punches him in the stomach.
Perhaps this is how we ought to be re-telling the story of Christ's passion. For ever since the cross became a piece of jewellery, it has been drained of its power to sicken. Even before this the Romans had taken their hated instrument of torture and turned it into the logo of a new religion. Few makeovers can have been so historically significant. The very secular cross was transformed into a sort of club badge for Christians, something to be proud of.more
Extremely So If You're Really Looking For An Answer
.
What gives more weight to the article and the writers questions is the very fact that the Republican nominee for the next President of the United States is John, lets bomb the shit out of Iran, fucking McCain!
What gives more weight to the article and the writers questions is the very fact that the Republican nominee for the next President of the United States is John, lets bomb the shit out of Iran, fucking McCain!
Happy Anniversary, America!
How Lethally Stupid Can One Country Be?
Watching George W. Bush in operation these last couple of weeks is like having an out-of-body experience. On acid. During a nightmare. In a different galaxy.As he presides over the latest disaster of his administration, (No, it’s not a terrorist attack - that was 2001! No, it’s not a catastrophic war - that was 2003! No, it’s not a drowning city - that was 2005! This one is an economic meltdown, ladies and gentlemen!) bringing to it the same blithe disengagement with which he’s attended the previous ones, you cannot but stop and gaze in stark, comedic awe, realizing that the most powerful polity that ever existed on the planet twice picked this imbecilic buffoon as its leader, from among 300 million other choices.
Seeing him clown with the Washington press corps yet once again - and seeing them fawn over him, laugh in all the right places, and give him a standing ovation, also yet once again - is the equivalent of having all your logic circuits blown simultaneously. Truly, the universe has a twisted and deeply ironic sense of humor. Monty Python is about as funny - and as stiff - as Dick Nixon, by comparison.more
Dirty Bomb Cominig To A Town Near You?
.
Why you might ask is Paul Craig Roberts writing about Polonium-210, radio active teapots, Litvinenko and Vlad the poisoner?
Read on through the bones of the case and check out his hypothesis.
In a nutshell, not a hope in hell of anybody without all the protective kit, and I'm not talking about a lead suit but the whole nine yards, putting an effective bomb together. Sorry no link.
Why you might ask is Paul Craig Roberts writing about Polonium-210, radio active teapots, Litvinenko and Vlad the poisoner?
Read on through the bones of the case and check out his hypothesis.
America's next 9/11Afterthought. I read some good while ago about all the bullshit surrounding amateur/homemade dirty bombs.
The media used the Litvinenko case as sensational propaganda against Russian President Putin and then tossed it aside. For those whose memories of the case have faded, Alexander Litvinenko was a former KGB officer living in England who died in 2006, apparently from the radioactive isotope Polonium-210.
The British government encouraged the tale that Russian President Putin had sent Andrei Lugovoi to poison Litvinenko’s tea at a meeting on November 1, 2006. The story appealed to people brought up on James Bond thrillers, but the story never made any sense. Polonium 2-10 is a rare and tightly controlled substance as likely to contaminate the assassin as the victim. There are far easier and more effective ways of killing someone.more
In a nutshell, not a hope in hell of anybody without all the protective kit, and I'm not talking about a lead suit but the whole nine yards, putting an effective bomb together. Sorry no link.
Bangla Cartoonist Arifur Rahman Released
.
I reported about this fellow back in September, well it would appear he has been sat in jail cell for the last six months.
Maybe he should look on the bright side, he still has his head on his shoulders, but I can't help but think it wouldn't be a very pleasant six months for him.
Previous including the offensive cartoon, it don't take much I tell ye.
Cartoon Capers, They're At It Again: Arifur Rahman
I reported about this fellow back in September, well it would appear he has been sat in jail cell for the last six months.
Maybe he should look on the bright side, he still has his head on his shoulders, but I can't help but think it wouldn't be a very pleasant six months for him.
Previous including the offensive cartoon, it don't take much I tell ye.
Cartoon Capers, They're At It Again: Arifur Rahman
A cartoonist in Bangladesh who was jailed after the government said his drawings were insulting to Muslims has been released, prison officials say.The country's Deputy Inspector General of prisons, Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, said that Arifur Rahman was released on the orders of a court.
He said that the police official bringing charges against him repeatedly failed to appear in court.
Mr Rahman is a former cartoonist for the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo.
Last year Bangladesh's home minister said that Mr Rahman had hurt the sentiments of the people.more
Join The Army
.
Why did I never have teachers of this calibre? Not that I ever joined the army mind you. Taking the kings shilling, when we had a king, never struck me as a very wise thing to do, and today?
Today you take the politicians shilling, join up and take your bob and put your life in the hands of Tony Blair.
And that really is the top and bottom of it, your life in his hands and all for a couple of bob. Not this kiddy.
Why did I never have teachers of this calibre? Not that I ever joined the army mind you. Taking the kings shilling, when we had a king, never struck me as a very wise thing to do, and today?
Today you take the politicians shilling, join up and take your bob and put your life in the hands of Tony Blair.
And that really is the top and bottom of it, your life in his hands and all for a couple of bob. Not this kiddy.
Paul McGarr, a teacher from east London, said only when recruiting materials gave a true picture of war would he welcome them into his school.These would have to say: "Join the Army and we will send you to carry out the imperialist occupation of other people's countries," Mr McGarr said.
"Join the Army and we will send you to bomb, shoot and possibly torture fellow human beings in other countries.
"Join the Army and we will send you probably poorly equipped into situations where people will try to shoot or kill you because you are occupying other people's countries.
"Join the Army, and if you survive and come home, possibly injured or mentally damaged, you and your family will be shabbily treated."more
Monday, March 24, 2008
Well Fancy That!
.
Right so! I'm back in the saddle, here's something light to ease in.
Some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were
starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide
the body odour. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when
getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man
of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the
other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the
babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in
it. Hence the saying, 'Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.'
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no
wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all
the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When
it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and
fall off the roof. Hence the saying 'It's raining cats and dogs.'
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a
sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt. Hence the saying 'dirt poor.' The wealthy had slate floors that
would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on
the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they
added more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping
outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the
saying a 'thresh hold.'
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and
added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much
meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot
to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew
had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme,
'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.' Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite
special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon
to show it off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could 'bring home the
bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing
lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for
the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt
bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or
'upper crust.'
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination
would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone
walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for
burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the
family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they
would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a 'wake.'
Right so! I'm back in the saddle, here's something light to ease in.
Some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were
starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide
the body odour. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when
getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man
of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the
other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the
babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in
it. Hence the saying, 'Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.'
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no
wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all
the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When
it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and
fall off the roof. Hence the saying 'It's raining cats and dogs.'
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a
sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt. Hence the saying 'dirt poor.' The wealthy had slate floors that
would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on
the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they
added more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping
outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the
saying a 'thresh hold.'
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and
added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much
meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot
to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew
had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme,
'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.' Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite
special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon
to show it off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could 'bring home the
bacon.' They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing
lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for
the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt
bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or
'upper crust.'
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination
would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone
walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for
burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the
family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they
would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a 'wake.'
England is old and small and the local folks started running
out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take
the bones to a 'bone-house' and reuse the grave. When reopening these
coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on
the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So
they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the
coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to
sit out in the graveyard all night (the 'graveyard shift') to listen for
the bell; thus, someone could be 'saved by the bell' or was considered a 'dead ringer.'
out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take
the bones to a 'bone-house' and reuse the grave. When reopening these
coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on
the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So
they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the
coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to
sit out in the graveyard all night (the 'graveyard shift') to listen for
the bell; thus, someone could be 'saved by the bell' or was considered a 'dead ringer.'
And that's the truth.
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