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WikiLeaks’ Parody of Mastercard Commercial: Priceless

June 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
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Say what you will about Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, the organization definitely seems to have a sense of humor. This clever advertising spoof of a popular credit card commercial highlights the fact that many major banks and online payment companies continue to withhold over fifteen million dollars in international donations that have been made to WikiLeaks. In the ad a disembodied voice recites a list of various operating expenses and their costs, then it ominously asks what is the value of:

“…watching the world change as a result of your work? Priceless. There are some people who don’t like change; for everyone else, there’s WikiLeaks.”

Woodworking: Creating Basic Splices and Wood Joints

June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Old fashioned wood joinery is an art that has been slowly fading from mainstream life since the invention of metal gusset plates. Back when buying hand forged steel was more expensive than cutting a timber from your back yard and hand hewing it it to fit, all framed houses used wooden joinery. Aside from saving materials and providing comparable structural stability, wood joinery just plain looks better and adds an element of style to any wood connection. Now, with more and more people starting to return to building their own homes, there has been a resurgence of interest in how to build while minimizing the amount of metal used. Below is a handful of some of the more simple, to more complex wooden joinery types.

Sanctuary City: Fallen Trees and Beaver Tears

June 30, 2011 By 2 Comments
new beaver pond
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A warm light rain began to fall as Klaus sat on his haunches and surveyed the freshly constructed pond. The large beaver found himself staring at a tree that was slowly rotting into the earth nearby. Last autumn, after hours of focused gnawing, the tree had fallen in the opposite direction than had been intended, and was far too large and heavy to be drug into place for the dam. The log was a constant reminder to him that, regardless of your intentions, one never knows how your efforts will turn out.

A Message of Hope from the U.S. Senate to Queer Youth

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Senator Al Franken
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This new video contribution to the It Gets Better Project from a group of congressional Democrats completely brightened my morning, filling me with optimism and warm fuzzies. The message is partly an open expression of love and support for queer youth and diversity, but is also a reminder of what are meant to be the core principles of our nation. The senators also evoke our ongoing fight for marriage equality, justice and equal rights for us all.

Which is Scarier: Michele Bachmann or John Wayne Gacy?

June 28, 2011 By 3 Comments
John Wayne Gacy
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Did you know that Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and sadistic serial killer John Wayne Gacy were both from the same small Iowa town? No? Apparently Ms. Bachmann was also not aware of that fact. This week when speaking at the official start of her campaign in Waterloo Iowa, the politician alleged that John Wayne was born there, and that she shared a special affinity with the dead man. She claimed:

“That’s the kind of spirit I have, too.”