Parting Glances: Yuletide Soup Testes, Anyone?

"Freaks of nature, odd crimes, shocking deaths, devastating disasters, bloodcurdling rites, crazy conspiracies & much, much more …"
Golly. Gee! Who could resist the "Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: fascinating facts and shocking trivia on movies, music, crime celebrities, history" by Jamie Frater, Ulysses Press, 701 pages ($14.95)?
As a trivia buff and a Facebook groupie, I was intrigued when I read Frater's bio. He lives in California with "his partner of seven years and a pet Bengal cat named Dexter."
One assumes that with the last two details that Frater's gay, and Dexter just might be a serial killer of mice. (There are no rodentia in Bel Air, so I've been told, courtesy of a snooty FB contact.)
Having recently seen a photo enlargement of Frank Sinatra's legendary Rat Pack in the men's restroom of a popular suburban restaurant (subliminal message: look who's well hung), I found this sample leadoff item from the book of lists bizarrely compelling. You really can't take it with you, kiddies…
"Sammy Davis, Jr., died in 1990 due to complications from throat cancer and was buried in a cemetery in Glendale, California. When it was discovered that he was buried nearly bankrupt, his wife, Altovise, had his body exhumed so she could remove $70,000 worth of jewelry that was buried with him." Who ratted on whom?
And under "10 Absolutely Awful Roman Emperors," this entry about Elagabalus, who sat on Rome's throne at 14, merits sharing. His egregious, post-pubescent offense — there were many more to follow 'til death at 18 — is that he wanted to be castrated in hope of becoming a woman.
Writes Jamie, "Elagabalus offered gargantuan sums of money to the physician who could turn him into one for real." As the operation wasn't forthcoming, the young emperor got in drag repeatedly, visiting Rome's many whorehouses, actually "purring" at every male passerby.
If you're like me, you probably thought Christine Jorgensen had the first sex-change operation in 1952. She wasn't first. That M-to-F honor goes to Einar Wegener, a now-forgotten, once-famous artist living in Paris in the 1920s.
"He was subjected to a series of experimental operations that involved removing his penis and having ovaries implanted. These surgeries were unsuccessful." Einar took the name Lili Elbe.
For the record: Jorgensen was the first to be given accompanying hormonal treatment.
Under the heading "10 Fascinating 'Facts' That Are Wrong" is this myth buster about Joan of Arc. Apparently, our St. Joanie wasn't burned at the stake for heresy. The faggots — logs for burning set afire around her, hence the gay pejorative word — were for the crime of dressing like a man!
Unable to trap her into admitting to charges of religious heresy, "a prosecutor made an offhand remark and asked if it were true that she dressed like a man during battles. Seeing no harm in telling the truth, St. Joan soon-to-be replied yes, and this was enough to seal her doom." (Cross dressers beware; see Deuteronomy 22:5.)
And for what it's worth to Parting Glances gourmet cooks, this listing with preparation — no doubt for Yuletide dining novelty — appears under the flavorful rubric of Bizarre Soups. Number 7. Chicken Testicle Soup. Lipstick lesbians, please leave the kitchen!
No, not your usual Julia Child specialty, but a brunch brightener nonetheless. And energizing. (Note: How to remove chicken balls may prove something of a gourmet challenge.)
Lastly, under "It's all been done before," "Gay marriage was legally recognized in Rome, and Emperor Nero himself married two gay couples." Postum scriptus: Nero didn't fiddle while Rome burned. He was outta town in Antium. Doing Jupiter knows what, with which, to whom.