"Friday is one of only two days a year when the sun sets in precise alignment with the Manhattan grid, fully illuminating every cross-street for the last 15 minutes of twilight."posted by ericb at 7:51 PM on July 11, 2008
"The Manhattan street grid is angled 30 degrees east from geographic north. [I]n May...and July...this angle results in a sunset at the end of every cross-street."How Far from True North are the Avenues of Manhattan?
The Wit At Home. Home in his hut in Gondar, AG-H was one day at dusk lying in his bed. His wife had gone to the river to wash her private parts, as is the custom of the Amhara women at nightfall. Tired from the uphill climb from the valley, she rested before the hearth to dry herself, but dozed off. Soon AG-H heard a cannonade of farting, issuing from his half-conscious wife. He called out to her, "Where are you? Come to bed!"WTH is that all about?
Awakening, she said dazedly, "I am just drying myself."
To which he replied, "You are drying yourself so much that you are cracking apart."
"A Woman's Way." [In accordance with ancient custom, women used to pluck out their pubic hair, rubbing ashes between their finger to get a good grip while plucking.]
One day a girl student of AG-H was late for her lesson. Taking a quick short-cut across the back yard, she tumbled into the ash heap, soiling her lower toga and her legs with the ashes. She excused her appearance to her teacher, saying, "Oh, Master I was so eager to come quickly, and have now dirtied myself with ashes all over."
"That is your way," nodded AG-H.
Only much later did the girl learn that he had meant not only the wrong way she had come, but was referring to the fact that being smudged with ashes was the natural "way" for a woman.
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posted by tellurian at 6:31 PM on July 11, 2008