America’s raisin
regime: Since the 1940s raisin farmers have been obliged to make over a
portion of their crop to a government agency called the Raisin Administrative
Committee. The committee, run by 47 raisin farmers and packers, along with a
sole member of the raisin-eating public, decides each year how many raisins the
domestic market can bear, and thus how many it should siphon off to preserve an
“orderly” market. It does not pay for the raisins it appropriates, and gives
many of them away, while selling others for export. Once it has covered its own
costs, it returns whatever profits remain to farmers. In some years there are
none. Worse, farmers sometimes forfeit a substantial share of their crop: 47%
in 2003 and 30% in 2004, for example. [Note: seriously?]…Source: http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21574522-supreme-court-grapples-tiny-fruit-de-minimis-curat-lex
The kidnapping
service: Extreme Kidnapping is a company operated by Adam Thick, an
entrepreneur and convicted counterfeiter from Oakland County, Michigan. Thick
founded Extreme Kidnapping in 2002 after being inspired by the old David
Fincher movie The Game. (SPOILER: It was all a game!) For $500, Adam and his
crew will abduct you at gunpoint and hold you hostage for four hours. A
thousand bucks gets you ten hours, along with a bit of customized sadism.
[Note: here’s the key: “At some point, in order for the illusion to work, the
script has to break down. The kidnapper has to acknowledge that the kidnapping
is fake and then create the impression that the fake kidnapping has somehow
gone awry. All it takes is a tiny seed of doubt.”]…Source: http://www.gq.com/news-politics/mens-lives/201304/how-to-be-kidnapped-abducted?printable=true
Steve Wozniak
Explains Virtualization: [Note: good, plain language for dumb folks like me,
and FIO might be worth a look]…Source: http://readwrite.com/2013/04/02/steve-wozniak-explains-virtualization-video
How superconductor
levitation works: [Note: real juice starts at 3:20. It’s worth it I
promise]…Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4XEQVnIFmQ
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