Oh, you're back? And I'm also back for this? Okay, well, since we're both here already, might as well do the thing...
Word of the Day (from Merriam-Webster again):
hidebound (adj.) - something or someone that is inflexible and unwilling to change (I know, I know, you thought of at least three vigilantes just then)
Batman is hidebound to never kill, even though many people have argued that not doing so results in the deaths of more people that could have been prevented otherwise (he's built like a brick wall, and sometimes arguing with him is like arguing with a brick wall).
Mack with Gotham Responses' neighbor, Bill, is hidebound on taking out her succulent for axe-throwing and Arby's, despite the fact he ate 47-year-old jerky earlier in the day and needed an emergency crown (nobody spoil him on the season finale of MASH unless you want your hide bound to a telephone poll in the rain).
I don't usually do this, but the evolution of this word is kind of fascinating to me.
Originally, it was used to describe the skin of cows who had been either sick or malnourished (or both), causing their skin to become hardened to the point where it couldn't be pinched or loosened.
People later extended its use to refer to human skin that had similar characteristics, and eventually it took a more metaphorical direction, being used to describe people who are "stingy" or "miserly" (so, like, Penguin, for not paying his henchmen better).
Now, we're at the point where it's used to described being rigid and "unyielding" in beliefs/views/actions.
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Thing of the Day (from Smithsonian Magazine):
Kate Warne (hey, cool name) was the first female detective in the United States.
Aside from being an overall badass, here are some key facts about Ms. Kate the Great (she's not actually called that, but she is now):
In 1856, at 23 years old, recently widowed and a transplant from New York, Kate sauntered up to Allan Pinkerton himself, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and tells him that no, she wasn't there to be his secretary - she wanted to be a detective.
Because she was a woman, Kate could get into places he and his other male detectives couldn't - she could infiltrate different social groups, befriend the wives and girlfriends of suspected and known criminals, and gather intel because Kate understood the way men underestimated women (suckers).
Pinkerton himself said that Kate never let him down; in his words, Pinkerton described Kate as a "rather a commanding person, and with an ease of manner that was quite captivating at times, she was calculated to make a favorable impression.”
As a detective, Kate helped save the life of President Abraham Lincoln from a planned assassination attempt in 1861. She disguised Honest Abe and had him pretend to be her sickly brother. Warne, his loving caregiver, sweet-talked a train conductor into securing a private car so that she and her Pinkerton posse could smuggle Lincoln out of harm's way, potentially altering the course of U.S. history forever (#girlpower)
She even inspired the Pinkerton logo and motto, their motto "We Never Sleep" believed to have been influenced by the story of her watching over Lincoln on that historic train ride while he caught some zzzz's.
In 1860 Kate was appointed head of the Female Detective Bureau, an offshoot of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, where she would recruit all the women that went on to serve the agency as detectives; Kate served in that position until she died.
Warne died, tragically young, at only 34/35 years old from pneumonia (who the hell is cutting onions right now? My eyes are watering...).
Even though she lived in relative obscurity due to her career, the entire Pinkerton agency, then and now, viewed her as a legend. In her obituary it was written, “She was undoubtedly the best female detective in America, if not in the world.”
God, talk about a brotherchuckin' legend.
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Resources of the Day (websites):
Now I Know is the passion project of Dan Lewis, who finds, researches, and shares some really fascinating stories, like the one linked above about a man who, after suffering a severe concussion, could magically play the piano like a savant despite never having taken lessons (and still being unable to read sheet music).
Dan has a free newsletter that will send daily emails to your inbox about the wild and weird things he's researched (he cites his sources in links so you can fact-check him for yourself, which I encourage everyone to do).
I just recently rediscovered Coursera and forgot how incredible of a resource it can be. With a large catalog of online courses in a variety of subjects, you can enroll for free and receive college-level (U.S. American-based) education without having to pay the college-level price tag. Some courses do have a paid option that will give you certificate of completion at the end of the course to add to your resume and show your employers in case the course is relevant to your field of work.
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Day 2 of Bat-Facts is done. Peace out, Cub Scout.
Try not to be hidebound about being a jerk when you know you're in the wrong (this is talking to myself, mainly); do be hidebound when it comes to standing your ground.
