This is a good one

touche

Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.

Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner.

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

"The most important thing is that he should let me kill many Americans."

Inside the Mind of an Iraqi Suicide Bomber.

alas

Well, the Supreme Court yesterday took the easy way out and ruled against Grokster and p2p filesharing networks, holding that they can be liable for copyright infringement if it can be proven that Grokster (and others) had or have the requisite intent to infringe. The opinion solves nothing; it neither deals with the realities of modern technology nor confronts the murky yet very real issue of the public domain, where traditional conceptions of property and absolute ownership break down. Of course people use it to steal. Of course there has been infringement. But the dangers of corporate control of the exchange of ideas on the internet is a far more dangerous reality than any conceivable (and yet unproven) profit loss by the record companies. Yes, stealing is bad. But the internet overall is good and fruitful and enlightening, and we should be extremely wary of handing control over its content to those whose very purpose is to provide and capitalize on their own proprietary content. Their interests are self-serving, and in the long run the internet will suffer. The benefits of an open pathway to the world's expressive content far outweigh the burdens placed on companies who have refused to adapt to the recent paradigm shift in technology we are witnessing.
{{stepping from soapbox}}
I'm shocked, but not surprised. For your entertainment, here are the opinions in .PDF form, curtesy of boingboing.
Opinion of the Court
Breyer's concurrence
Ginsberg's concurrence

love it

These photoshop remixes of famous album covers are pretty good. This one made me laugh out loud.

outta here

Alright folks, I'm heading to Boise, Idaho this weekend to attend a wedding of one of Mary Pat's cousins. Having never been to Idaho, this should be interesting--I'll bring back lots of potato(e)s. Enjoy.

oh lord

Texan Evangelist drills for oil in Israel based on Bible 'clues'

what!?

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses -- even against their will -- for private economic development.

New Scientist

Hubble spies lord of the stellar rings.

no problem

Plot IP tells you your IP address and other information about your location. Fortunately, if the RIAA ever uses this service to actually come after me I'll be in the clear:

Quote of the day

"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it."
--Andre Gide

What a wonderful world

This is a list of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

In the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., many television and radio stations altered normal programming in response to the events. During this period, a list of 'songs with questionable lyrics' purported to be from radio conglomerate Clear Channel Communications to its subsidiaries began to circulate on the Internet.

Here are some of the 'inappropriate' songs:
Louis Armstrong – "What A Wonderful World"
The Animals – "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
The Bangles – "Walk Like An Egyptian"
Buddy Holly and the Crickets – "That'll Be The Day"
Creedence Clearwater Revival – "Travelin' Band"
Dave Matthews Band – "Crash Into Me" (--understandable)
Gap Band – "You Dropped A Bomb On Me"
Jimi Hendrix – "Hey Joe"
Led Zeppelin – "Stairway To Heaven"
John Lennon – "Imagine"
Jerry Lee Lewis – "Great Balls Of Fire"
Rage Against The Machine – all songs
Simon And Garfunkel – "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (WHAT?!)
The Zombies - "She's Not There"

I want one

Michael Connally is in the process of making a remote controlled boat that flies. Watch the video--this will be fun.

Just for larvae

The Onion, June 29, 2056.

I say we raise his allowance

A 12-year-old Scots schoolboy has been praised by airport bosses after inventing a gadget which could help prevent plane crashes.

loss prevention

Sir, what's that in your shirt?

Organized retail theft (ORT) is a growing problem throughout the United States, affecting a wide-range of retail establishments, including supermarkets, chain drug stores, independent pharmacies, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, and discount operations. It has become the most pressing security problem confronting retailers. ORT losses are estimated to run as high as $15 billion annually in the supermarket industry alone – and $34 billion across all retail. ORT crime is separate and distinct from petty shoplifting in that it involves professional theft rings that move quickly from community to community and across state lines to steal large amounts of merchandise that is then repackaged and sold back into the marketplace. Petty shoplifting, as defined, is limited to items stolen for personal use or consumption.

Here's a .PDF link to the top 50 shoplifted items.

'I'd rather die standing than live on my knees."

In pursuit of Pancho Villa, 1916-1917.

storm chaser

Eric Nguyen gets close enough to these tornados to take some really amazing photographs. Like this one:

wtf

This is the David Hasselhoff paper airplane.

ug

Now that's a thumb drive.

exactly

Diese elektronische Ausgabe wurde erstellt mit Hilfe einer Original-Ausgabe des Haeckel'schen Werkes, das freundlicherweise von Prof. Dr. v. Sengbusch zur Verfügung gestellt wurde. Alle Tafeln wurden mit einer Auflösung von 300 dpi und 16 Millionen Farben eingescannt!!!!!!

there he is

Alfred Hitchcock made cameos in almost every film he directed.

oh dear

after Nagasaki

Censored Japan A-bomb stories published. You can read the stories here. Also check out Remembering Nagasaki--good collection of photos and writings.

Live Music Archive

Download all this free music now.

Last words

mp3s and transcripts of plane crash recordings. Wow.

Books For Change - Reading and Imagination for a Better World

To read is to empower
To empower is to write
To write is to influence
To influence is to change
To change is to live.

Celestia

This looks very, very cool.

Enjoy, Dave

Great shot of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Massive Corporation

If you're thinking about investing, you may seriously want to to check out the Massive Corporation. "Our goal is to make sure corporateness is woven into the fabric of our company - into all our processes, into day-to-day business practices, creating a mindset within every employee and manager that will allow them to consciously think about corporate massiveness in everything that they do."

Actual cameo on SNL made by Steve Martin.
FEY: Hi Steve, what are you doing here?

STEVE MARTIN: I'm doing a cameo. I was home in bed and I thought, I'd like to do a cameo.

FALLON: Steve, do you want to tell a joke or something?

STEVE MARTIN: Oh no..just doing a cameo. And I think it's going well.

FEY: How long is your cameo?

STEVE MARTIN: Just regular cameo length. Just a few more seconds, and.., there we go.

FEY: Well, great work. That was a really good cameo.

STEVE MARTIN: Ya think?

pure drivel

Pure Drivel is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Written by Steven Martin in 1998, it is at once silly, irreverant and utterly ridiculous, and takes the form of a series of essays, some of which were published in the New Yorker. Here's a text link to the first chapter of the book, and here is an interview with Steve which is actually quite good. Here's a review that Salon did way back when. Ah, Steve.

IMPORTANT NEW DISCOVERY

Summer Moon Illusion

The lowest-hanging full moon in 18 years is going to play tricks on you this week.

Abandoned

file magazine

A collection of unexpected photography. Very impressive.

classic

You know those cheesy motivational posters they have in every office building? I hate them. Well, apparently others do as well. I'd love to hang up one of these parodies in my office and watch the reactions.

well looky here

Long-Lost Da Vinci Masterpiece Found Behind Palazzo Walls

It could be a scene from the "Da Vinci Code:" A high-tech art sleuth finds a hollow space behind an Italian palazzo’s murals, and believes he may have discovered a Da Vinci masterpiece not seen since 1563.

In a case of life imitating art, Maurizio Seracini, an internationally recognized expert in high-technology art analysis, has done just that – and, in an odd twist, he does indeed appear, as himself, in Dan Brown’s popular bestseller about secrets hidden in Leonardo’s work – the book’s only non-fictional character.

Ani DiFranco, in carbs

those were the daze

New York nightlife in the 70s. (some photos NSFW)

oh, Alistair!

How to become a romance novelist.

you don't say

Big Paychecks Are Exhibit A at C.E.O. Trials

One of the perils of being paid an enormous amount of money is that people will ultimately conclude that you're worth it," said Robert A. Mintz, a former federal prosecutor who is now a partner at McCarter & English in Newark.

Happy father's day

This isn't either me or my father, but this picture says a lot. Here's to you, dad.

that's one crazy kid

14-year-old finds keys in airplane, decides to take it for a ride.

the onion

Scientists compiling list of everything that can go wrong.

beware the porn stars

This is quite possibly the strangest commercial for Playstation I have ever seen.

oh great

MasterCard International Inc. reported yesterday that over 40 million accounts were stolen by a computer hacker who planted malicious code at a processing center in Tucson operated by CardSystems Solutions Inc. MasterCard spokesman said that the hacker had full access to the database and it is difficult to say how many account were stolen.

[begin dramatic operatic chorus]

Once again I post the daily dose of imagery without fear of reproach. This man knows his way around a camera.

history is the new fiction

Reading the article, one might be inclined to believe that a structure thought to be the world's oldest building, nearly twice the age of the great pyramids of Egypt, has been discovered underwater off the coast of Japan. But then, one always has to consider the source.

very cool

Dropped rockets may take astronauts into orbit

amazing photo

shh...don't tell anybody

Office pranks on the increase

This is great.

where's the article? I can't see it..

Interesting article on The Art of Camo

recantation

William Powell, author of "The Anarchist's Cookbook," has become an Anglican Christian and wishes his own book would be taken off the shelves (scroll down and read his statement). Unfortunately, his publisher owns the rights and won't let that happen. Should we listen to him, or do his ideas belong to the reading public now?

In hell, this is all you get.

Experimenting with prison wine.

Interesting phenomenon

Death Valley Moving Rocks

this is fun

I am a Japanese School Teacher

One day after class, a ninensei girl walked up to me, and out of nowhere proudly exclaimed "Spread your legs!" Perhaps mistaking the look of shocked bewilderment on my face for misunderstanding, she stuck her chest out and repeated it even louder - "Spread your legs!"

She then produced a book of colloquial English expressions. Apparently. She'd taken the phrase from the police section...you know, "Get out of the car! Against the wall! Spread your legs!" She had just randomly selected "Spread your legs!" and decided to hit me with it one day.

But imagine one day a 14-yr old Japanese girl walks up to you and just shouts out "Spread your legs!" I had no idea how to react to that. If she'd whipped out a gun or a a samurai sword or even a small woodland animal I could have dealt with that, but "Spread your legs!" left me completely incapacitated.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the teacher leaned over and asked "Oh, is it correct?" I somehow pull myself back together and say no, it's not. Well, technically I suppose it is, but...just no. So then she asks "Why?" Oh Lord.

This was not in the job description.

Could You Have Gotten into MIT in 1876?

Try Your Hand at an Entrance Exam.

The cultural gap continues to widen

Muslim woman 'ordered to marry rapist'

Reports say the 28-year-old woman was raped when she was alone at home in Charthawal, in the norther Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

When the incident came to the notice of the [Muslim community] council, it ordered that she marry her father-in-law and change her relationship with her husband to that between a mother and son.

more engrish

read to live, live to read

Link database of Unusual Literature.

Bene qui latuit bene vixit

Latin phrases, mottos and quotations.

amen brotha

now that's a green thumb

Israeli doctors and scientists have succeeded in germinating a date seed nearly 2,000 years old.

The Scratchpad

This is novel.

taking bling way too far

This is riduculous.

nice

The Hubble Space Telescope will be watching when the University of Maryland's Deep Impact space probe crashes into a comet July 4, setting off a cosmic firework that may be visible on Earth.

Crazy eBay mom

Official proof that anything, if done without moderation, can be bad for you.

hah

S-A sent me this a while back and I'd forgotten about it. This is an excerpt from an actual Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals opinion, which are often written by clerks who work for the judges. The footnote at the bottom of the page rocks. Props go out to the clerk who got this past everybody.

wish i was there

Original Pink Floyd to play Live 8 show.

good lord

ouch

The latest trend: Corset piercing.

silly rabbits

What a deal!

the art of mathematics

Fractals never cease to amaze me, especially patterns rendered in three dimensions.

rewriting history

News

Archaeologists have discovered Europe's oldest civilisation, a network of dozens of temples, 2,000 years older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

More than 150 gigantic monuments have been located beneath the fields and cities of modern-day Germany, Austria and Slovakia. They were built 7,000 years ago, between 4800BC and 4600BC. Their discovery, revealed today by The Independent, will revolutionise the study of prehistoric Europe, where an appetite for monumental architecture was thought to have developed later than in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

perhaps

Unlocking Minnesota's 'DaVinci Code':

Researchers have found new evidence of a secret code concealed on the Kensington Runestone, one of the most controversial pieces of Minnesota history.

The rock was found near Alexandria, Minn. a century ago. It bears an inscription that places Norwegians here in 1362.

Were Vikings exploring our land more than 100 years before Columbus? Or is the Kensington Runestone an elaborate hoax?

blasphemy

Apparently The Last Supper is a fairly popular image.

odd

The expressionless girl.

curious

Bob Dylan's Gigging Bands

This has not been photoshopped.

rehash

Rolling Stone interview with George Lucas in 1977.

Adrenalin Strip

I'll take some.

so you really get it

Annotated lyrics of LCD Soundsystem's "Losing my Edge," with accompanying mp3 annotations.

quote of the day

"I devoted so much time to mastering Super Mario that I must have been the world champion by the end of my seclusion."
--Salman Rushdie

on the CNN website

the internets is an odd place

Ian's Shoe Lacing Methods

Surely this is a joke

"Sprayonmud is a specially formulated spray-on product for anyone that wants to give friends, neighbours, colleagues or just anyone at all, the impression that they have been off-road or, at the very least, out in the country for the weekend.

If you’ve got a 4X4 or off-roader, Sprayonmud will send a message to anyone who disapproves or is just plain envious – you use your off-roader, off the road as well as on it."

it might work

This is the new anti-rape device.

Let the games begin

Now we have 30GB storage space on a credit card.

the kids will love it--especially the real young ones

Shark Lagoon: Build a real shark lagoon at home for under $500

maven

Here's an interview with Linus Torvalds, inventor of open source software, by a 15-year old high school student whose school runs Linux. I loved this question:

"What be in the new 2.8 Kernel?"

There's something innocent and strange in hearing a question about a highly technical computer issue couched in the lazy incorrect grammar of a teenager.

1000 words won't work here

No doubt, this guy's photographs are most definitely beyond weird, but in an alarmingly beautiful way. Not safe for work, though--some nudity, in an artistic sense.

beyond LEGO

This is bricklovinfreakboy.

meta mixaphors

Once again, the wacky photoshappers over at Worth1000 crack me up and blow me away (in that order) as they tackle M.C. Escher.

ha

Once again, there's just something wrong about this

Perhaps this is strange to me because, according to Exodus 22:25, the Lord sayeth: "If you lend money to any of my people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest."

Headlines you don't see every day

'Ice volcano' found on Titan moon

It may be formed by an upwelling of hot ice from the interior, scientists say.

Old Time Radio

Thousands of Free Radio Show Downloads (MP3, Real Audio)

wish list, part 2

This is a unique watch.

This is my friend Mat. Do not be alarmed--this is only a photo and he's not going to hurt you. That's his wife Harper next to him and I'm told she has a very calming influence. However, Mat is really pissed off right now about global warming, as he should be, so please do not drive your Cadillac Escalade or Hummer to his next barbecue. Don't drive them to mine, either, for that matter. In fact, you should probably sell that shit, buy a hybrid and write your congressman. In the meantime, wish for good weather in the Sierras this month as Mat and Harper head out for a long, amazing hike on the John Muir Trail, weather permitting. We need to support those who get out there in the wilderness, because it seems there's less and less of it around every day.

bionic

Japan has taken a step into the science-fiction world with the release of a "robot suit" that can help workers lift heavy loads or assist people with disabilities climb stairs.

fyi

"wikiHow is a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest how-to manual. With your contributions, we can create a free resource that helps people by offering clear, concise solutions to the problems of everyday life. Please join us by writing a new page, or editing a page that someone else has started."

what Beck does with his free time

I think this calls for a 'Passion' remake

Jesus died of blood clot, Israeli researcher says

Ansel Adams Landscapes

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

fridgeplay

This is very cool and I want one. Play chess on your fridge with magnets.

I guess everybody has to go shopping

we must be in the 2d precinct

viaboing

Interesting story on surviving a lightning strike.

eye see

55 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena

Julian Beever

I really like this guy.

How Mark Felt Became 'Deep Throat'

Great story by Bob Woodward.

da da da dum

The BBC is making all nine of Beethoven's symphonies available for free as mp3s.

indeed

5 Movies I Wish People Would Stop Quoting

nice

"Alan Izhar-Bodner, an Israeli inventor, has developed a way for divers to breathe underwater without cumbersome oxygen tanks. His apparatus makes use of the air that is dissolved in water, just like fish do."

Let's see how the Intelligent Design crowd explains this

Dolphins use sponges as tools:: A group of dolphins living off the coast of Australia apparently teach their offspring to protect their snouts with sponges while foraging for food in the sea floor.

outthere

Phil Kutno is an Alternative Psychedelic Opti-Visionary Engineer.

I saw his work at a Grateful Dead show in Charlotte, N.C. and, at the time, I had to have it on my wall. It kind of freaked everybody out who came over, though.

more illusion

If your gaze is really steady, the magenta patches will disappear, leaving only a rotating green spot

I'll take one!

Illusion

They can't be!

Skype hype

'In the next 10 years, I cannot imagine a telecommunications company that will be able to charge for telephone calls,' said Howard Hartenbaum, a venture capitalist whose Silicon Valley firm is backing Skype.

Wiki

So I was browsing through the very very cool Wikipedia (which, fyi, is a free open source user-edited online encyclopedia) when I noticed a side link to Wiktionary, which is a sister dictionary project. I haven't used Wiktionary due to the large number of dictionary resources available online, but I noticed something cool in their logo.

See it? The next word is 'Wilco', which was originally a term used during WWII radion speech to mean 'OK' or 'Roger.' But it also refers to the band Wilco, who recently established themselves as advocates of peer-to-peer file sharing and the open source movement. Read this Wired article for a better idea of how they got into that position. I couldn't help but wonder if the inclusion of the word in the logo isn't a tip of the hat to the band. Well, in the absence of any proof, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

no thanks

This crazy/stupid guy launched a flare into his own parachute, causing it to go up in flames.

oh my word

"In-Souls™ inserts are designed to provide a tangible support to assist Christians to literally "walk in the word of the Lord." Worn in the right shoe, each one provides a related scripture and affirmation. To enhance the spiritual walk with God, the inserts help one to "stand" on His Word, meditating on it day and night. Inserts may be alternated daily to help cultivate the word of God in your life. Look for other In-Souls sets to cover a variety of topics – from trust, obedience, patience and redemption to marriage, work and body image."

no nickel required

Public Domain MP3s here: Popular Victor, Edison, Columbia recordings from 1900-1930.

get high

Here's a direct link to the video of the landing of a helicopter on top of Mt. Everest.

heil

When in doubt, compare your opponent to Hitler.

lol

quote of the day

"Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining."
--Jef Raskin

can I go? please?

Acting legends ponder the Appalachian Trail
First, it was Wyatt McGuire and Joe McMaster.

Now, Robert Redford and Paul Newman?

Redford and Newman, who comprise one of the most famous acting duos in film history, are planning to reunite for one final movie, according to Times Online. Redford is negotiating for the movie rights to Bill Bryson’s non-fiction book “A Walk in the Woods,” which chronicles the author’s attempted thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, the 2,175-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine.

According to Times Online, the 67-year-old Redford would take the role of the author, while 80-year-old Newman would play his friend. Redford and Newman starred in the blockbusters “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969 and “The Sting” in 1973.

“That might be something for Paul Newman and me, if we’re not too old,” Redford told Times Online about “A Walk in the Woods.” Added Redford: “That’s if Paul can hang on long enough and we can get him on the Appalachian Trail before he gets into a wheelchair.”

The judges weren't biased at all

A Slovenian TV program that tried to prove top models were brainless bimbos was scrapped after a beauty queen turned out to have a higher IQ than a nuclear physicist.

Hey...you. Yeah, you.

so true

REAL LUXURY IS TIME & OPPORTUNITY TO READ FOR PLEASURE.
--Jane Brody

(so quoteth the bibliovixen)

venii

There really is nothing one can say.

I am now Dr. Phil

I just have to put this out there, wholly without context in true blog-style randomness. Thinking is the act of rearranging prejudices. Let me back up--as it is past midnight, the Quotes of the Day have changed, and I saw this little tidbit:

Well, isn't that true? I mean, isn't being exposed to a new idea simply a process of supplanting one idea with another in the heirarchy of thought? Our 'prejudices' simply consist of the methods with which we value some ideas against others. I guess my reaction is really against the negativity of the quote. I think you could say as well that the act of thinking is the process of rearranging our preferences or our... values.

No joke, for a great read about what it means to be exposed to new ideas versus rearranging your existing and arguably unchanging ideas, read this book.