By Jonathan Shipley

A weekly roundup of what’s on Shipley’s nightstand.
Swallowing the Spit
There’s really nothing cooler than sword swallowing. Well, maybe dueling. Dueling, and those old Secret Squirrel cartoons. Be that as it may, there’s a great blurb (fourth item) in the May issue of The Atlantic that discusses the medical issues sword swallowers have to contend with on the job. Some common occupational maladies include, well, sore throat, along with chest pain and perforations of the esophagus. Half of the sword swallowers surveyed for the story noted that when they removed the blade it was smudged with blood. Sometimes they vomit blood after the show.
Another Brick
“In the spring of 1929, a man named Patrick Murphy left a bar in Bisbee, Arizona, to bomb the Mexican border town of Naco, a bunny hop of about ten miles (16 kilometers),” writes Charles Bowden in an article about the expanding wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, in the May issue of National Geographic. “He stuffed dynamite, scrap iron, nails, and bolts into suitcases and dropped the weapons off the side of his crop duster as part of a deal with Mexican rebels battling for control of Naco, Sonora. When his flight ended, it turned out he’d hit the wrong Naco, managing to destroy property mainly on the U.S. side, including a garage and a local mining company. Some say he was drunk, some say he was sober, but everyone agrees he was one of the first people to bomb the United States from the air.”
And so it goes.

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Posted on April 20, 2007

By Jonathan Shipley

A weekly roundup of what’s on Shipley’s nightstand.
Scout’s Honor
James Calderwood has earned every Boy Scout merit badge possible – 121 in all, according to The Week. He’s also earned a badge not officially offered by the Boy Scouts but tough to achieve anyway: Virgin for Life.
Beam Them Up
After 300 years of unification with England, the Atlantic says, Scotland may finally achieve independence. Its president-in-exile is already making plans.
Make ‘Em Dance in the Aisles
NBC News anchor Brian Williams tells Men’s Vogue his secret: “To be taken seriously, make them laugh.” Because the news is so funny.

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Posted on April 9, 2007

By Jonathan Shipley

A weekly roundup of what’s on Shipley’s nightstand.
Historic Poop
Fascinating tidbit (second item) about the Dead Sea Scrolls and a Jewish sect called the Essenes in the March issue of Natural History. It says that Josephus, Jewish historiographer of the 1st century A.D., wrote that the Essenes, who probably penned the scrolls, were “adamant” about defecating in “retired spots” and burying their feces. Sadly, my puppy is an Essene and his “retired spot” is on my pillow.
Dino-mite
Spanish paleontologists have found a nearly complete skeleton of a new 150-million-year-old sauropod, the largest European dinosaur ever found, according to the March issue of Discover.
Italy on a Budget
A Travel & Leisure reader asks in a letter to the magazine: “Can you recommend some affordable B&Bs along the Amalfi Coast?” Why yes, we can. In Positano, check into the Villa Rosa Positano. Also popular is Villa Lara. Finally, there’s Al Borgo Torello.
No joke, just being helpful.

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Posted on April 4, 2007