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SINCE 1994 and reaching more than 110,000 readers in over 200 countries,
   this is the 723th weekly issue of...

THIS is TRUE: 20 April 2008           Copyright http://www.thisistrue.com
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GOOD CLEAN FUN: The Purple Door, a lap dancing club in Newcastle,
   England, has applied for a permit to install a shower -- on its stage.
   City Councillor Geoff O'Brien is against the shower, claiming it
   "pushes the boundaries" of decency. "I have never heard of any other
   clubs with shower booths in the country," O'Brien complained. "It begs
   the question what we will get next?" (South Shields Gazette)
   ...Scantily-clad dancers on stage: fine and dandy entertainment.
   Scantily-clad dancers in the shower on stage: the end of decency as we
   know it.

LEGAL BRIEFS: Female lawyers in London, England, are upset that local
   firms are banning wearing fishnet stockings, calling them
   "unprofessional" attire. "My male partners openly coo when I'm wearing
   Jimmy Choos, short skirts and nicely cut tops," complained one on an
   online forum, since it helps display "the quality of bird they've
   attracted to the partnership." Another posted that she wondered if "I
   detect a hint of jealousy among the frumps that can't get away with
   it?" And a partner at another firm asked, "Why is everyone getting
   their knickers in such a twist over this?" (London Daily Mail)
   ...Getting their knickers in a twist isn't the problem. It's when
   everyone can see they're twisted that it's a problem.

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GOOOOD MOOOOD: Rob Taverner, who runs a farm just outside Exeter, Devon,
   England, has taught his cows tai chi. "I want to make sure I am as
   relaxed and focused as possible," the organic farmer said. "As organic
   farmers we believe happier cows produce better milk." (Exeter Express &
   Echo) ...And if you think that's good, just wait until you taste the
   tai cheese!

SURPRISE PACKAGE: A man in Illovo, Johannesburg, South Africa, picked up
   a prostitute and took her to a hotel. The hooker refused to strip, so
   the man grabbed her. "Let's just say that when he touched her he
   realized he wasn't touching a woman," said police Inspector Moses
   Maphakela. "The man realized the prostitute was strong, so he paid 300
   Rand (US$51) and told him to get out," the police inspector said.
   Police got involved when the man realized his cell phone was missing
   and reported the theft to police. While he was at the station the
   hooker arrived to file an assault complaint. The prosecutor declared
   the two even and dropped both charges. Still, the police inspector was
   impressed by the transvestite. "The prostitute was wearing a tiny skirt
   and wore so much make-up, there was no way you could tell it was a
   man," he said. (South Africa Independent) ...That depends on how tight
   his skirt was.

YEAH, THAT'LL WORK: "Sex Offender Runs for Mayor, Hopes Voters Overlook
   Arrest" -- Austin (Texas) American Statesman headline

DID YOU FIND an error? See http://www.thisistrue.com/errata.html

WAS BROKEN: TRUE's shopping cart and archive were broken last weekend
   (geek: SQL table corruption). It's fixed now. Thanks to those who let
   me know. That's particularly important to those who were trying to
   order the special on the Get Out Of Hell Free laser-engraved solid oak
   sticky notepad holder (with two custom GOOHF stick notepads), just $16
   plus shipping at https://secure.thisistrue.com ONLY through the end of
   the month (Last Call!)

ONE RECURRING COMMENT I get from readers is how my stories show how wacky
   Americans are -- they don't seem to notice the foreign stories. I
   decided to make this issue "All Foreign" to help remind you that it's
   *people* that are wacky, not just Americans. My ideal is for each issue
   to be half stories based in the U.S., and the other half everywhere
   else combined. The Premium edition was just that this week, but I can't
   always find enough good foreign stories -- at least, good ones that I
   can read: I not only require "mainstream, legitimate" newspapers as my
   sources, but they have to be in English, since that's the only language
   I can read with any precision whatever.

   Most of the stories posted by readers on Groxx are U.S. based. I'd
   definitely like more from outside the U.S., so consider this an
   invitation to post more. (One coming up in Groxx popularity today: man
   advertises for a drinking companion in London: he's paying 7 pounds
   (US$14) per hour -- plus, one presumes, the drinks.) Groxx is one of my
   story queues where I find the "good stuff". With free registration, you
   can submit stories as well as vote on which ones you see there are
   best. http://Groxx.com

                                   o o o

REPORTERS AND PUBLICISTS (if you're not interested in either, you can
   skip this section): Reporters need to find good sources when they're
   writing stories. One of the jobs of publicists is to get clients with
   relevant information in front of reporters working on stories. The
   reporter gets the needed quotes, the client gets a bit of publicity --
   a win-win. There's a service that sends out such inquiries to
   publicists and "sources" who want to go through them, but it costs a
   LOT to get those leads. Enter the Internet: there's finally a good and
   free service for this. Called "Help a Reporter Out", it was launched
   just six weeks ago, and it already has 6,000 people getting the leads.
   It's run by Peter Shankman, a NYC publicist. He bundles up the queries
   from journalists and sends them out about three times a day. Several
   have been relevant to me, like a guy writing a book on unusual virtual
   marketing success stories. TRUE (and my "Get Out of Hell Free" cards!)
   was right up his alley.

   If you're a publicist or "source", get on his e-mail list by signing up
   at http://www.HelpAReporter.com -- it's free, it doesn't take much
   time, and it might get you (or a client) some great exposure. It's also
   easy to get OFF the mailing list if it turns out not to be what you
   want: he uses the terrific AWeber service for distribution, the same
   one I use for update notifications on Jumbo Joke (and Cranky Customer,
   and new blog posts) -- http://www.ThisIsTrue.net/d-aweber

   And if you're a reporter, there's a form on the site for you to make a
   request, and get responses within hours. Shankman pounds on the sources
   to ONLY respond if they have truly relevant info to share. There's even
   an anonymous option if needed (Shankman will forward relevant queries).
   And hey, if you're a reporter, remember me as a source: not just about
   e-mail publishing, weird news, spam, viral marketing and more, but I
   have top-notch contacts for just about *anything* to do with doing
   business online. :-)

                                   o o o

I'M STILL WORKING on going through back issues of TRUE and pulling out
   the "Best Of" the comments in this section for my online archive -- my
   blog. Last night I added these, from 2004:

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-whats_in_a_number.html -- I manage to land
   a new address that's particularly good for taking orders for GOOHF
   cards.

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-a_failure_to_grasp_reality.html -- I get a
   phone call from a total, complete, jibbering IDIOT.

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-proof_im_a_stinking_liberal.html -- I
   watched Ronald Reagan's funeral on TV this week ...and therefore I'm a
   nasty liberal who deserves hatred from Republicans.

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-trues_ten_year_anniversary.html -- TRUE
   celebrates 10 years online ...and another spinoff web site.

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-another_spinoff_site.html -- Oh: I need
   ANOTHER spinoff web site! And some "psychic pay" from readers.

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-separated_by_a_common_language.html --
   Watch out London: I'm coming over!

http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-live_free_or_whine.html -- Reader whines
   that I'm going on a business trip. Really! At least readers get more
   entertainment at his expense.


AND AMONG THE LATEST postings to Jumbo Joke: "Over 60" Perspectives.
   http://www.JumboJoke.com

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YOU MISSED THE U.S. STORIES this week, including: New state law is the
   first step toward implementing Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451". Woman
   steps out of shower, sits on her bed, and finds man staring at her from
   her closet -- and the jury acquits him of all charges! ZT in action:
   security guard stops a teen shoplifter stealing booze ...and is fired
   for it. The Premium edition has DOUBLE the stories of the free edition,
   and keeps TRUE going. http://www.thisistrue.com/upgrade.html has more.

TEN YEARS AGO IN TRUE: Man rescues couple's dog, but they then leave him
   to (nearly) die: http://www.thisistrue.com/man_s_best_friend_5923.html
   -- yes, another foreign story. :-)

BONZER WEB SITE OF THE WEEK: http://www.AnimatedKnots.com -- Animated
   Knots by Grog. You've found that great armoire and it's on the back of
   your pickup truck; the only thing left is to secure your load. If your
   skill with a rope stops at the granny knot, you need to check out this
   site. Excellent animations and written instructions take you through
   all the knots you need, sorted into convenient categories including
   household, boating, climbing and decorative. There is a great section
   on rope care which shows you how to avoid those useless frayed ends on
   your rope. With a little practice you will be able to amaze passers-by
   at IKEA by executing a trucker's hitch using a rope with perfectly
   whipped and burned ends. So go and get knotted! (ME)
-- Bonzer Sites archive: http://www.BonzerSites.com

THIS WEEK'S HONORARY UNSUBSCRIBE goes to Germaine Tillion. An
   anthropologist, Tillion was studying the Berbers in Algeria when
   Germany invaded France in World War II. She returned to Paris to help
   organize the French Resistance. She was betrayed by a priest and
   arrested by the Nazis. Sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp, she
   was the only one of the organizers of her cell to survive. While living
   in the camp, she taught other prisoners history, and wrote a plan to
   reform education in France after the war. In the 1950s, Saadi Yacef,
   the leader of Algeria's National Liberation Front, asked Tillion to
   intercede in its war of independence against France. She worked to
   ensure France didn't let Algeria wallow in poverty, and fought against
   France's use of torture of Algerian prisoners, comparing it to
   "specters of the Gestapo." In return, Yacef ordered his troops to stand
   down, which they did until he was overthrown. Tillion was one of only
   five women to receive the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. She died
   April 19 at her home in France. She was 100.
-- Honorary Unsubscribe archive: http://www.HonoraryUnsubscribe.com

I NEED YOUR HELP: Please send this issue (in its entirety, please) to a
   friend with your personal recommendation. A friend told YOU about this
   newsletter, right? Pass the favor on! Links to TRUE from your site or
   blog help too. Thanks.

TIRED OF BEING TOLD WHERE TO GO? "Get Out of Hell Free" with our popular
   and (in?)famous cards, created in response to a reader telling Randy he
   was doomed. http://www.GOOHF.com

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COPYRIGHT 2008 by Randy Cassingham, All Rights Reserved. All stories are
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