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Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence. If this 1975 article from the The Bulletin of The Atomic Sciences were written today, the "Body Pleasure" bit would have probably been left out. But that doesn't mean this article isn't worth the time to read. Also see this cite of James W. Prescott's work in Carl Sagan's bestselling book and PBS series in chapter 13: Who Speaks for Earth?
posted by crasspastor at 10:42 PM PST - 12 comments

The Amazon.com Of Spirits is getting closer and closer, with California's BevMo now giving Internet Wines and Sam's a good run for their money. If you cunningly use Wine Enthusiast and the Chicago Institute for your tasting notes (I don't much like the gushing, amateurish drivel on Epinions, but some reviews are surprisingly good) you're away and ready to say: "Wake up Mr. Bezos - your time may be almost up. What are you waiting for, kind sir?" [I linked to vodka selections for comparison purposes, but here are the main links to BevMo , Internet Wines and Sam's. Unfortunately, I failed to find a good price comparison guide to complete the package. As for European online spirits retailers, I found none with the kind of range a discerning drinker will countenance.]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:00 PM PST - 10 comments

Bo Diddley is no fan of rap music. Apparently the well known blues player isn't particularly fond of the musical style. He commented on rap lyrics when talking to a group of high school students.

"The lyrics are very disgusting because you are a person, and a person deserves respect. I have daughters, my mother was a woman, and I don't like what I'm hearing."

He did offer a "clean" version of rap.

"Some folks say old Bo Diddley can't rap. I'm Bo Diddley and I ain't taking no nap."
posted by wondergirl at 8:47 PM PST - 65 comments

Chanthaburi Fruit Fair "These vibrantly colorful parade floats are perishable wonders of the world, awesome scenes and statues and designs all decorated almost entirely with thousands of tropical fruits and many vegetables too." Slideshow here. The photographer, Shunyam Nirav, also operates the excellent Durian Palace website with additional Chanthaburi info and great Durian galleries, even Durian poetry. Thailand is also known for their exquisite fruit carving.
posted by snez at 8:34 PM PST - 10 comments

Human shield Britons quit Baghdad Yeah, I wanna be a human shield, really I do! Er, uh, Saddam, you want me to station myself at a likely target? Well, that sounds too dangerous for me. I'm heading home.
posted by Oxydude at 6:37 PM PST - 41 comments

State of California sells confiscated items on eBay. Actually, it's not just items confiscated at airports -- it's any kind of surplus the state wants to get rid of. See the complete list here. (Apparently they unload some at Goodwill, too.) (SFGate link via ObscureStore)
posted by Vidiot at 5:42 PM PST - 12 comments

OldVersion.com bears the motto "newer is not always better." This virtual graveyard/archive of older windows programs lets you stick to versions of programs before they had advertising, before they had Digital Restrictions Management, and even those that no longer exist *sniff*. I can tell sites like this will be coming in handy as we enter a Matrix-like world of advertising, spy-ware, and DRM baked into everything, while a holdout of luddites stick with 0.9 betas of their favorite programs.
posted by mathowie at 2:28 PM PST - 24 comments

George W. Bush is Jesus Christ. Bush delivers, he sets free. He liberates. He is the 21st century incarnation of Psalm 23. As the HAZMAT suit becomes the American burka, Bush is praying, and we will do the same.
posted by the fire you left me at 1:40 PM PST - 57 comments

"Why can't we have independent inspections of the US military's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons stocks?...[W]hy must Americans, and the rest of the world, take the government's word without question?" Why indeed. The group Rooting Out Evil (who need a new name, IMO) recently sent an international delegation of "citizen weapons inspectors" to inspect an Army facility near Baltimore (they were unsurprisingly unsuccessful.) You are invited to become an honorary weapons inspector.
posted by homunculus at 12:11 PM PST - 38 comments

A Great Day in Harlem. Jazz history through one photograph.
posted by plep at 11:55 AM PST - 13 comments

If Wishes Were Horses - "the site dedicated to human-equine transformation." If you ever had a secret desire to be a horse, this site explains the reasons for becoming a horse and offers helpful advice on topics like building your own hooves. Oh, and don't miss the artwork. Not interested in equine transformation? Well which animal would you like to be?
posted by madamjujujive at 11:50 AM PST - 38 comments

Resistant-bacteria reports cause alarm Another good reason to avoid Fenway Park and the Redsox
posted by Postroad at 11:42 AM PST - 3 comments

Put Your "arms around the Gray Building" to save the Florida State Library. Jeb Bush has a "poorly conceived plan" to move the library's circulating collection to Nova Southeastern University. So, if you're tired of protesting against his brother, and you're in Florida, come on over, about 10 a.m., on Tuesday. Send an email to SaveFLStateLib@bellsouth.net with "Save the Florida State Library" in the subject line. "Bring signs, pins, stickers, whatever you have to show your displeasure, but please no profanity." More info Here on the closing. Meanwhile, Washington is trying hard to be The First state without a state library.
posted by Blake at 11:26 AM PST - 12 comments

We can thank Crunchland for introducing us to the addictive online game Bookworm. The downloadable version is finally here. The bad news: It's $25.
posted by stevefromsparks at 10:23 AM PST - 14 comments

The superconducting Magnetically-levitated Linear Motor Car is a most promising high speed transportation system in the 21st century. Mechanics and future benefits of Maglev trains.(video) [more]
posted by hama7 at 4:52 AM PST - 21 comments

You don't drink milk! Your parents go crazy over you. You get scolded for this. Not anymore, you have reasons not to drink it. If those weren't enough there are even more reasons to avoid it. Richard Cohen went on a 205 day hunger strike.

If you are the one who cannot imagine life without milk, then you should read "why milk?"
posted by jayantk at 3:22 AM PST - 64 comments

The America's Cup which became New Zealand's Cup in 1995 today became Switzerland's Cup. The land-locked Swiss have yet to decide where or when the next cup will be held, but it will be in Europe for the first time in the cup's history.
posted by sycophant at 2:24 AM PST - 13 comments

James K. Polk has been made famous by They Might Be Giants, but what do we really know about the Napoleon of the Stump? You can check out a fact sheet or test your Polk IQ. If that's not enough you can always visit a museum devoted to Young Hickory. Or you can visit his memorial in Mecklenburg County, N.C. How about the man in his own words? Sure, we all know (pdf file) all the stuff he achieved from the recent song, but did you know that The Might Be Giants was not the first to put the 11th President in verse? Least you forget President Polk, link to Hall of Forgotten Presidents or remind your friends and loved ones with an e-card. It seems that there are those who will never forget him and will always give the first dark house president his props.
posted by Bag Man at 2:07 AM PST - 16 comments