June 05, 2003

SOME FOLKS’LL NEVER LOSE A TOE ...

... but then again some folks’ll. Like Finn Enger, the Drammen yokel.

Posted by Tim Blair at June 5, 2003 02:27 PM
Comments

Best part:

It's just the same when the snow comes and we get people sticking their hands in the snow blower. It's the kind of thing you only do once. But it is a well known injury, a lawnmower is a dangerous tool in untrained hands," said Dr. Knut Melhuus at the injury ward at Oslo Emergency.

And here I am, doddering through life in Minnesota without lawnmower or snowblower training. So, no hands in the snowblower. Check. But why not stick my toes under the lawnmower?

"Lawnmowers can be pretty powerful," Melhuus said.

Oh, okay.

Posted by: Dylan at June 5, 2003 at 03:40 PM

Well, this yank remembers some similar stuff. Don't really think this Norseman is a yokel or anything. People do make mistakes, intelligent people also.
Someplace I lived (can't remember where, Americans being such gadabouts), a woman decided to mow her grass on a dew besotted early morning. Barefoot. Electric mower. Ran over the cord - electrocuted herself (as in, dead). Another guy I knew fairly well (military officer and no dummy), mowing with a gasoline machine, decided to clean the compacted grass from the heavy steel blade housing (where it DOES build up). Used his right (favored) hand. Now he'd shut off the machine, but as it was determined later, the 2 cycle's piston had stopped very close to the cylinder's 'top dead center'. Due to tipping the machine up and probably nudging the blade a bit, the blade snicked around, taking off his right thumb. He bled like a pig, got to a hospital and was told a gruesome prognosis. Thumb's too mangled to reattach. You'll live out your life not being able to grasp anything well with your right hand. Opposal thumb's so important. Tell you what I propose (the surgeon said), we'll amputate your right index finger and attach it at the stump of your thumb. It will heal and become essentially a new thumb (with therapy, etc.). He said he really sweated that decision, but took it. He offered his right hand in evidence, a rather thickened index finger opposing his other three fingers, for my examination. I've taken his advice faithfully ever since. Never reach near the blades of a lawn mower even when off, without REMOVING THE SPARK PLUG! Amen. Heavy boots are advised, steel toed if possible. Ditto snow-blowers, my full digit friends. G

Posted by: Gerry at June 5, 2003 at 04:02 PM

That is why you hire a gardener! Saves time, saves hassles and saves toes.

Posted by: Driver at June 5, 2003 at 04:40 PM

List of best national jokes:
1. Norwiegian
2. Irish.
3....Xn

Well, this week's round in the League has thrown up a real rank outsider, what do you say, Jim.

I'd say Fred, the Irish have become complacent. Notice the lack in serious effort by the forward half....
Quite right Jim, the Norwegians have gone all out for this game.Slashing your toe, now that's passion..

Not least also,Fred passion..ouch.

And commitment. let's face it Jim, you need to be committed if you do that.

They should change their club tag from, Vikings, to,The Maniacs.

Posted by: d at June 5, 2003 at 05:05 PM

I like this story from the same paper. Unfortunately, it's not illustrated. :(

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=558293

Porn shots may end teen's political career

Ann Kristel Fure, 19, is running for mayor in Steigen for the populist Progress Party, but pictures of her in the latest issue of the Norwegian porn magazine Aktuell Rapport may end her political career before it gets off the ground, newspaper Avisa Nordland reports.

The saucy story was picked up by most Norwegian media, and further exposure after the publication of the year and a half old photo shoot was not what her decision to enter politics needed.

Fure had previously reaped considerable media attention when Norway's major TV stations interviewed her for being the country's youngest mayoral candidate.

Posted by: Indole Ring at June 5, 2003 at 06:57 PM

Norway is not as boring as I had previously believed! Also from the same paper:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=558220

Newspaper editor charged with pimping

Editor Nils Olav Bruteig of sensationalist tabloid SøndagSøndag (SundaySunday) refuses to acknowledge hefty fines after authorities ruled that the publication's advertisements for massage centers and escort services are just veiled promotions for sexual services, newspaper Dagbladet reports.

The once-weekly newspaper was charged by the Gender Equality Ombudsman and the Center for Gender Equality with violating the so-called 'pimp section', a legal clause forbidding the advertisement of sexual services. Police fined Bruteig's paper NOK 100,000 and demanded an additional 420,000 from the profits of the ads.

Bruteig, and the Norwegian Editors Federation, believe that an editor can only be held responsible for the editorial content of the publication.

"At the same time, I think the editor of SøndagSøndag is treading a legal minefield and so must be prepared for someone that questions his assessments," said federation leader Marit Haukom told Dagbladet.

Mona Larsen-Asp, director of the Center for Gender Equality, was jubilant that the case would be getting a workout in the courts.

Asp said that the publication looked more like a porn magazine than a newspaper and that she was stunned by the ad content last autumn. The charge filed was to test the validity of the rarely used 'pimp section'.

Posted by: Indole Ring at June 5, 2003 at 07:15 PM