Drawing upon the work of colleagues, historian Michael Todd Landis proposes new language for talking about slavery and the Civil War. In addition to favoring "labor camps" over the more romantic "plantations", he suggests retiring the concept of the Union vs the Confederacy.

Specifically, let us drop the word "Union" when describing the United States side of the conflagration, as in "Union troops" versus "Confederate troops." Instead of "Union," we should say "United States." By employing "Union" instead of "United States," we are indirectly supporting the Confederate view of secession wherein the nation of the United States collapsed, having been built on a "sandy foundation" (according to rebel Vice President Alexander Stephens). In reality, however, the United States never ceased to exist. The Constitution continued to operate normally; elections were held; Congress, the presidency, and the courts functioned; diplomacy was conducted; taxes were collected; crimes were punished; etc. Yes, there was a massive, murderous rebellion in at least a dozen states, but that did not mean that the United States disappeared.

Tags: Civil War   history   language   Michael Todd Landis   slavery

Man legally named Santa Claus wins City Council seat in North Pole

Walmart mistakenly stocks gun counter with ‘Gun Oil’ sex lubricant

Merry T-Rexmas! Whoever said Santa couldn’t be a T-Rex?

The Garden Igloo isn't just an igloo (of sorts) it's an igloo multi-tool (of sorts). The transparent geodesic dome has been "proofed" for both winter use as a sealed enclosure able to absorb and retain heat from the sun, and summer use as a canopy shelter with its removable panels and optional canvas cover for shade. As a year-round outdoor living space the Garden Igloo can withstand wind and snow when it's cold out, plus maintain airflow and ventilation when it's still and hot. Beyond serving as a personal retreat, the dome can also play the roles of greenhouse, playground, outdoor bike or gear storage, garden shed, or conservatory.

Garden Igloos measure 11.8' in diameter and stand 7.2' tall in the center. They are designed for easy user assembly and ship with complete setup instructions. How-to videos and tips are also available on the Garden Igloo website. Once in place the domes require no regular maintenance, aside from the occasional cleaning of their covers. Structural materials and transparent panels are all non-corrosive so they won't rust or rot. They are also 100% recyclable.

Zombie Bedding – And you thought the monster under your bed gave you nightmares

 

Are…are there other things?

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In WWF No Mercy for the , I recreated horror movie killers as playable wrestlers. One wrestler could have three additional costume variations. So my character was Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface and Yoko Ono. True story!



See more: Destroyers of Friendships

Hot Topic has announced a new limited edition collection inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas just in time for Halloween, and there’s a little something for every occasion. Pinstripes and Jack’s head adorn everything from a cozy cardigan to a flocked dress to a very cool moto jacket.

If you’re a plus sized lady like me, you’ll be happy to know that HT is making all of these in sizes up to 30, so there should be something for all of us who love all things NBX.

See more pictures after the break.

Head on over to Hot Topic to check out their entire NBX lineup.

Pemberley Peeps! It’s time to congratulate the lovely Laura Spencer (Jane Bennet from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries), who was recently bumped up to a regular cast member on The Big Bang Theory! She currently plays Emily Sweeney, girlfriend of Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and a dermatologist. This announcement means we’re getting more of Laura on the show, and we here at PD can’t wait!

So head on over to Laura’s Twitter (@itslauraspencer) and congratulate her on this wonderful news! And make sure to tune into The Big Bang Theory Mondays on CBS at 8/7c!

True origin of the Mavericks.



See more: Are you a Robot?

The main event.

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There Is No .bro In Brotli: Google/Mozilla Engineers Nix File Type As Offensive - Slashdot

Prosthetic company Open Bionics, has partnered with Disney on a line of incredible robotic hands that would really made kids feel like superheroes!

The three variations modeled after Iron Man, Frozen, and Star Wars are fully automated and have LED lights for an extra awesome effect. Open Bionics is part of the Techstars’ Disney Accelerator program which means they have royalty-free access to these properties and even collaborated with Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB on the Star Wars hand.

See Also: Robert Downey Jr. Presents Iron Man Prosthetic Limb To Little Boy

Open Bonic’s CEO Joel Gibbard is known for his groundbreaking Open Hand Project. His goal is to create commercially viable prosthetics with this technology that are affordable and can boost confidence for the wearer.

Check out more images of these amazing bionic hands along with a video of the 3D printed technology in action after the break.

(Gizmag via Gizmodo)

Weekend wear for Wayne Manor residents. Comfy lounge pants for hanging around Wayne Manor on the weekends. Glow-in-the-dark Batman mask pattern because, well, he IS the night! The glowy, vengeancey night. $24.99

Artist's Note:

Oh Stephenie Meyer. I wish you were doing this to troll us, that this is one giant prank on the world. But it's not. And you're serious. Very serious. Ugh...

Writer's Note:

As much as I hate it, I have to give Meyer some credit for the sheer gumption it takes to market a fanfiction-style gender-swap novel to her fans. She's basically selling the same shit twice.

I do wonder though, if her book does well in sales, whether J. K. Rowling (or at least her publisher) will start getting ideas?  

Some people work to live, some people live to work, and some people work to...figure out a feasible way to turn their desk into a nap station. Like industrial designer Athanasia Leivaditou. Inspiration for her convertible nap desk came from the long hours she and her classmates would spend studying and working on studio projects at university. The students who didn't have apartments close by couldn't run home for a quick bite to eat or,what they needed even more: a nap. Their solution was to push chairs together to squeeze in a few minutes of sleep in between the academic grind. Leivaditou's solution was to create a desk whose bottom portion converts to a bed.

The desk's top slides forward and its ends fold outward to provide some extra head clearance and spread-out space, while the front panel, a wood plank covered in sections of padding, drops down to the desk's bottom frame to serve as a mattress.

He may be a golden retriever - but this floppy-eared hero is a life-saving blood hound

The Pope’s new “comedic advisor” is a rabbi

Nobel Peace Prize committee accused of ignoring what Alfred Nobel wanted

Raptor Jesus Candle – Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus wasn’t a raptor.