Entries from February 2006 ↓

An expert in gems has lately called attention to a property in the diamond which has not hitherto been fully appreciated. Robert Boyle mentions a diamond that became phosphorescent simply by the heat of the hand, absorbed light on being held near a candle, and emitted light on being briskly rubbed. Observations by Mr. Kunz, the gem expert, confirm Boyle’s statement that diamonds become phosphorescent in the dark after exposure to sunlight or electric light by being rubbed on wood, cloth, or metal. This property is an important one, as it will help the non-expert to distinguish between the true diamond and other hard stones, as well as imitations, none of which is said to exhibit this phenomenon.

Bill tagged me with a four things meme, though he already knows most of the answers! But I will play along — now I must try to figure out a way to answer in Odd Ends style (if there is such a thing).

Four jobs I’ve had:

1. Game room attendant
2. MIS wrangler (in the early ’80s I was the Management Information System, being the only one in the 30 person office who could run Lotus 1-2-3)
3. Factory service engineer
4. Heat treatment process researcher

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. The Philadelphia Story
2. 1776
3. Some Like it Hot
4. There is no fourth one. I don’t watch movies much.

Four places I’ve lived:

1. Cincinnati, Ohio
2. Altoona, Pennsylvania
3. Glasgow, Kentucky
4. King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Four TV shows I love:

I don’t like to watch TV, but if I’m in the same room with it, I usually won’t turn off

1. Cash in the Attic
2. Changing Rooms
3. Law and Order
4. Whatever someone else is watching

Four places I’ve vacationed:

1. Duck, North Carolina
2. Juneau, Alaska
3. St. Pete Beach, Florida
4. Maryhill, Washington

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. Unagi sushi
2. Pumpkin pie (but only my mother’s recipe)
3. Anything that starts with bacon, onions, and curry powder (cf. Bill’s #2 for this section)
4. Spinach

Four sites I visit daily:

1. DP
2. ucomics.com
3. comics.com
4. Google news

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. The desert
2. The desert
3. The desert
4. The desert

Four bloggers I am tagging:

None, sorry. Most Odd Ends visitors come via search engines, so if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Four books (or series) I love:

1. W. A. Clouston, Flowers from a Persian Garden
2. R. A. Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
3. L. M. Bujold, Vorkosigan Saga
4. T. Pratchett, Discworld Series

Four games I can play over and over again:

1. Scrabble
2. Settlers of Cataan
3. RoboRally
4. Sudoku

Odd Ends has updated to WordPress 2.0.1. Please let me know if you experience any issues. You shouldn’t, but one never knows, does one?

A curious case of swindling has just been tried before the Correctional Tribunal of Paris, with the result that an adventuress, who passed herself off as the Princess of Reuss, has, in spite of the able advocacy of M. Lachaud, been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. A few weeks ago, a “lady of distinguished appearance, very elegantly attired,” fell down, apparently in a fainting fit, at the St. Lazare Railway Terminus, and among the persons who hurried to her assistance was a retired servant, who had already been struck by the grace of her demeanor. When she came to, he asked permission to assist her to a hotel in the neighborhood, and sent for a doctor, being assured, in return, that he would have no reason to regret his kindness; “for,” added the lady, “I am the Princess of Reuss and shall not forget your goodness.” The Princess went on to explain that she had immense possessions in Germany, which, unfortunately, had been seized by Prince Bismarck, and that the worry to which she was subjected by the suit going on for their recovery, had so affected her that she was often overtaken by fainting-fits. “But,” she added, with touching condescension, “can I regret all this, since it has procured me the opportunity of meeting with such disinterested attention?” The retired servant was so completely won by this last phrase, that he begged the Princess to accept the loan of any money which she might require for temporary purposes; and it was not very long before the £400 which he had saved during long years of service, had been borrowed from him. After these had gone, and when the Princess still failed to receive the remittances she was expecting, he awoke to the possibility of his having been defrauded; and the inquiries which were instituted by the Police showed that the Princess of Reuss and a well-known swindler by the name of Perin were one and the same person. Justice has been satisfied by the sentence of two years’ imprisonment; but the retired servant will not, it is to be apprehended, recover his £400.–Pall Mall Gazette.

The Three Brides, Love in a Cottage, and Other Tales by Francis A. Durivage. Published 1853. Forty-seven short stories from a popular (and prolific) contributor to literary magazines. Durivage (1814-1881) also edited a “Popular Cyclopedia of History.”

Thanks to Sankar Viswanathan for Post-processing this text!