Cuppacafe

When discussing our most important documents (The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution) some folks like to use the phrase "Framers Intent." That is to say, they like to interpret the portion of either document at which they are looking by what they believe the author(s) intended, rather than what we may believe it to be in today's modern society. Which is why this new discovery of an earlier draft of the Declaration of the Independence revealed.

Spectral analysis of an uncharacteristic ink smudge on an early draft of the Declaration of Independence uncovered a little of the rebel spirit in Thomas Jefferson, the colonist and future president who wrote the document.

About 80 years ago, some archivist sandwiched the pages of Jefferson’s draft between sheets of plastic. When the document was taken out of its permanent display case for a brief analysis last year, Library of Congress research scientist Fenella France noticed an uncharacteristic smudge.

According to France, the different spectral bands of the document, revealed a smudged segment of the document , suggesting that the top word — "citizens" — might be hiding another word under it. After some 10 hours or more of tricky processing carried out over a series of months, France pulled out the masked word: "subjects."

The revision offers a glimpse into Jefferson’s attitude as he wrote the Declaration. He rejected the idea that the colonists were traitors to King George III; they were citizens of a nascent nation.

Jefferson had been copying the phrase from a newly written Virginia constitution that used the word subject. Seeing Jefferson’s rebuff of that characterization “was a spine-tingling moment,” France says.

“With this new technology we never know what we’re going to find,” she says, “which reinforces that preservation of original documents is important.”

Pretty cool, eh?

The Perfessor

Now her's something you don't see every day (OK, at least I don't see it every day), it seems that Texas cops apparently need some help getting rid of 200,000 pounds of weed. Hey I went to college, and that was never a problem for us.

The Brooks County Sheriff's Department has a marijuana problem. They've got 200,000 pounds of pot, and they're complaining that it would be too expensive to destroy it.

"This is a problem that doesn't seem to be going away and anything we can get to help us to dispose of these cases once they're done and to get ready for the next one that are coming in would be a great help," said Deputy Daniel Davila.

Something tells me Toke of the Town readers could be of great assistance to the deputy. After all, at a trying time like this, we all have to pitch in, people!

Seriously, some guys have all the luck.

The Perfessor

And now, for something completely different...

...OK, maybe not.

The Perfessor

'Nuf Said! (This one is for Ben, who is putting up with me this week!)

The Perfessor

Imagine this; a "typical" day on Main St. USA. Two iconic figures of "normalcy" of Suburban American life meet, and it is a duel to the death, or well, something like that.

Watch and be chilled to the bone by this true "Clash of the Titans"

We told you so!

The Perfessor

Yeah, you heard that right. It is apparently OK to be unclothed; especially if you are in your own home, and it is it prior to 7:00 A.M. and, well, your house is well set back on your property. We know, we know, as silly (and obvious) as this all sounds, there was recently a man sued over this very matter.

No, really!

Fairfax Naked Guy -- Not Guilty

A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury took less than 20 minutes Wednesday to find Erick Williamson, "The Naked Guy," not guilty of indecent exposure, for standing nude inside his Springfield house last fall.

"It's a weight off my shoulders," Williamson said of the verdict, which was an appeal of his misdemeanor conviction by a judge in Fairfax General District Court. "I think it sets the record straight. It was an innocent action."

Apparently there was like a whole thing about this.

The appeal trial for The Naked Guy, Erick Williamson, got underway in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Wednesday, after Williamson appealed his conviction for indecent exposure while inside his Springfield house last fall.

Though Fairfax prosecutors limited their case strictly to the two women who say they saw Williamson, 29, standing naked at the door to his carport on Oct. 19, one new detail did emerge today: Yvette Dean, who testified she was walking her 7-year-old son to school that fateful morning, said that when she spotted Williamson posing in the doorway, "I flipped him off."

Apparently is was the not only that the woman was (apparently) too far away to "look him in the eye", but, according to the defense attorney:

If a woman is "walking along and sees someone naked," Young told the jury in his closing argument, "the last thing they're going to be looking at is his eyes."

Yeah, we thought that part was funny too.

The Perfessor