ninme

Sure the government is robbing us of our property rights, the keystone of the god-given freedoms that make this nation possible. But at least we can still laugh.

Between Worlds - Dibs on Nevada

Hot on the heels of the recent eminent domain ruling in Kelo vs. New London:

Buoyed by the Supreme Court’s decision to expand cities’ power of eminent domain, New York City filed today to acquire the state of New Jersey for commercial development.

“New York has been facing some very difficult economic decisions,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Building viable economic development strategies for the city has been our number one priority. We think that the Supreme Court decision really opens a door for us, and will allow New York City to finally resolve some of these intractable issues.”..

“The Supreme Court decision makes it easier for us to justify this course of action in the name of economic development,” said Bloomberg, “although actually we could easily have made the case that taking over New Jersey would be analogous to condemning a blighted property. I mean, come on. Have you been there lately?”

New York will compensate the current residents of New Jersey with “fair market value” for their property, a total amount estimated to be well within Bloomberg’s ability to pay out of his own pocket. After evicting all current residents from New Jersey, New York plans to add a new Olympic stadium, a Trump apartment complex, international airport, and, most critically, a 4,000 square mile landfill.

“I have mixed feelings about this,” said Newark resident Franklin Comstock. “On the one hand, I am not thrilled to be kicked out of my home and be paid pennies on the dollar for the privilege. On the other hand, New York is evicting our state government as well, every last official and bureaucrat. That is an immensely appealing concept.”

Others are more concerned about the Supreme Court decision and New York’s plans.

“The Supreme Court has really started down a slippery slope by expanding the definition of “benefit to society” which can be used to justify eminent domain ,” said economics professor Brad Turkelson, of Cornell University. “Making way for an interstate or a military base is one thing. Making way for a new golf course is something entirely different. Where is this going to stop? What if they decide that eminent domain could be invoked for the moral benefit of society? Do we want to go there?”

If New York is successful, it would mark the first time that eminent domain was used to take over an entire state. Other states are reportedly watching New York closely, and may be considering takeover efforts of their own.

“Dibs on Nevada,” said California Governor Schwarzenegger.

Yesterday’s is probably still funnier. Maybe because I bear more ill-will towards Souter than I do New Jersey, and “vindictive” is my middle name. Who would have thought a Supreme Court decision could be the source of such hilarity?

I would stay there. I have no interest in going to New Hampshire, but I would make a point to go and stay there.

Freestar Media - Press Release

Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) 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.”

Awesome.

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.”

Clements’ plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise investment capital for the project. Clements hopes that regular customers of the hotel might include supporters of the Institute For Justice and participants in the Free State Project among others.

Come on, people! Support this noble cause! Think of the benefit to the public of the city of Weare when this hotel is built! Think of the taxes, which can be spent on old people, on children! You don’t want to be responsible for starving the elderly, do you? For leaving the children to die? Dig deep, people. Dig deep.

Bubblehead; “Thailand was quite an interesting place. ‘Never in the price range of 500 baht have so many offered so much so explicitly to the so drunk.’”

Sailors.

An unusual choice, given the subject matter, but what can I say: it made me laugh.

The Stupid Shall Be Punished - Trip Report

Featured Episode:

On the Availability of Various Consumer Goods in Areas of Low Population Density

Spent the night in Idaho Falls, then got up early to drive the last 25 miles to Rexburg, Idaho. (Those with really, really long memories may remember that this was the town that was decimated when the Teton Dam burst back in 1976.) We wanted to get gas at some point along the way, and I figured that there’d be plently of gas stations between Idaho Falls (a town of about 50,000) and Rexburg. I thought wrong. Apparently, people in this part of Idaho use potatoes to fuel their cars. Anyway, we finally found a gas station in the middle of nowhere, near what I think was E. Bugsplat, Idaho (pop: inbred). I got some gas, and SubBasket went in to get something to drink. She came back out and said, and I quote, “I was disappointed with the selection of bottled water here.” You can take the girl out of California…

Also, Hercules the Cat continues his nefarious ways.

Skor Grimm - Free Kittens to a Bad Home

What you see is what you get. I have these five stupid kittens that somehow appeared in my house. I can’t stand kittens (which, come to think of it, I’ve mentioned before), so I’m offering them for free to whoever wants them. The one condition is that it must be a bad home. Like I said, I hate kittens, so I don’t want them to end up in any place that they might get love, attention, or an adequate supply of food and water.

Suggested uses for kittens are:

Read the whole thing. Anyone in the Seattle area especially. Cute lil’ puddy-tattems.

Btw, for a bonus laugh, check out his comments.

This cracked me up:

Wheat & Weeds - The Intelligence of 12 Professors, Yet Pious as a Child

Also, evidently Benedict speaks fluent Latin. . . .which reminds RC2 of a friend who approached a priest in Rome for directions when he was lost –and asked in the only foreign language he’d studied: Latin. Receiving his answer, this friend turned to his impressed companions and said, “Yes, I slip effortlesly from dead language to dead language.”

Haha. Aw, I wish I could do that.

I went to a Brothers of the Holy Cross high school. Only the Jesuits taught Latin. I wonder if I would have taken it, if I had the choice. Probably not. French was too important and plus I had to worry about all that math and kumbaya-religiousity stuff cluttering my schedule.

Boing Boing - Real-life Tetris video

As someone who’s frequently played so much Tetris she’s been unable to read a book because her brain kept trying to fit blocks in the blank spaces between words and lines, I must say, this video speaks to me.

Breaking Update!

Ooooh, wait, this might be even funnier!

Madonna getting more and more hysterical about the heat in the studio before being interviewed. “I can’t even think! I can’t even think to answer the questions!” With that accent of hers! Augh!

Bonus video: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog does the Michael Jackson supporters.

“On the scale from 1 to 10, how old is Michael’s boyfriend?”

Best. Interview. Ever.

If I name my firstborn Peter, it won’t be for my Peter, it’ll be for Peter Overton. God how refreshing to have someone ask real questions, rather than the usual, fatuous, “Tell us, what was it like working with Steven Spielberg again,” to which he can reply, “Oh, you know Peter? It was great, it was really great. Let me tell you why…” And I love how Tom told him to say they’re the questions Peter wants to ask, not everyone else, because everyone else doesn’t want them asked. But yes, Tom. Yes they do. I really do want to know if you loved Nicole, and if you did, why you dumped her like that, and why you’re rubbing a 26 year-old in our faces just months after Penelope Cruz’s father passed away, and why you need to have every human being on the face of the planet see the tight-shot close-up on your twinkling eyes as you tell the TV presenter of the day how much in love you are, and yet you won’t let anyone ask you about Nicole and what you did to her.

And then there’s the Scientology thing, which was just beautiful. His people didn’t think that Peter would do the segment like that. They didn’t think he’d tell the audience what goes on behind the curtain, what Tom’s really like, what a blessed audience with him takes, rather than just listen, blushing with happiness, to him say, “You know what? You know how I feel? I feel fortunate, that’s how I feel.” Well bloody hell Tom, you ARE fortunate, and if you’re too dim to realize that, then you’re a colossal moron as well as a rat bastard.

Ah, science jokes. They truly are the best kind.

A.E. Brain - Chemistry

Why do white bears dissolve in water? Because they’re polar.

Did you hear about the industrialist who had a huge chloroform spill at his factory? His business went insolvent.

What kind of ghosts haunt chemistry faculties? Methylated Spirits

Q: What do chemists use to make guacomole?
A: Avogadros.

Q: How many atoms in a guacamole?
A: Avocado’s number.

Q. What do you do when you find a dead chemist?
A. Barium.

Q. What is the purpose of a doctor?
A. Helium.

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds; biochemistry is the study of carbon compounds that wriggle.

There once was a girl named Irene,
who lived on distilled kerosene.
But she started absorbin’
A new hydrocarbon,
And since then has never benzene!

It’s actually absolutely the funniest item of the day from a couple years ago, but Peter was just going through the server looking for the Hitchhiker mp3s, and now we’re watching Yatta!

Vote Beeblebrox!