Paper in Prison

Jun 21, ’12 5:02 PM

Read this very interesting article on how paper is used in prisons. Or just read this quote:

Books have practical purposes as well, used to “prop up one end of the mats we sleep on,” wrote T.H. He had seen books “torn up and mistreated,” but was excited to find a complete GED test book and assess his 12th-grade knowledge. He wrote, “I’m a high school graduate but I lost a lot of knowledge and going through the test book has been very rewarding!” Ironically, the GED manual contained chemistry lessons on explosives, giving T.H. the idea “for making gunpowder or fireworks as a chemistry experiment and an educational learning experience.

“Small explosives can be made with household items if a person had the right ingredients and knowledge,” he wrote. “I’m guessing that’s probably illegal because it sounds like fun.”

That last part got me thinking. That does sound fun and it’s not illegal! So in honor of Independence day coming up: Small explosives can be made with household items ALSO homemade smoke bombs AND (this is my favorite) homemade rockets!

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Wow Spaceships!

Jun 18, ’12 10:16 PM

From Boingboing.

UPDATE:

Now in an extended edition from the space nerds at r/space. They add more ships and a tiny human for scale which is great. But they also organize the projects by country, unpleasantly reminding me of the nationalism these space programs are meant to inspire. But look! How cool!

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Charlotte Caron

Jun 14, ’12 8:13 PM

Human/animal portraits on photographs made by french artist Charlotte Caron. The animal masks look like they have appeared in a splash of energy, or like they’ve been shot out of a gun. Violent like jets breaking the sound barrier or fruit shot by a gun. The paintings I found on ffffound.

 

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UPDATE: chicago.craigslist.org

May 22, ’12 7:06 AM

2001 VW Jetta 4 dr Sedan Wolfsburg addition, Great condition. Manual transmission. Approximately 130,000 miles. Good interior, cracked driver’s side view mirror. Serviced regularly in Montana. New timing belt, good brakes, good tires.

$3500. Call or text Colleen 406-439-Seven four six one.

Location: United States

  • it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 3029184724

My parents. They do the most unbelievably generous things for me. There is no thank you wide enough to cover what they do to keep me going. But thank you anyway Mom and Dad. For this and everything.

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Ken Burns on Story

May 16, ’12 7:28 PM

Direct from Kottke:

In this short film by Sarah Klein and Tom Mason, Ken Burns shares his thoughtful perspective on what makes a good story.

Abraham Lincoln wins the Civil War and then he decides he’s got enough time to go to the theatre. That’s a good story. When Thomas Jefferson said “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”, he owned a hundred human beings and never saw the hypocrisy, never saw the contradiction, and more importantly never saw fit in his lifetime to free any one of them. That’s a good story.

Over at the Atlantic, Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg has an interview with the filmmakers.

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