From Unearthly Landscapes On Earth, To The Truly Unearthly

Escaping from the Earth is the ultimate Summer vacation. Do so vicariously by having a look at some of the superb images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Privacy or the Lack thereof on the Internet

You may or may not be concerned about your privacy or lack of privacy on the web. Social networking such as Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn have their issues; and the way your use of the web is tracked raises other issues. Should you be concerned about privacy? Check out:
Social Networking Privacy: Something to Tweet About; and,
E-Monitoring and the First Amendment: What Can Tech Do?


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

People's Court Testimony Not Good Enough for Brooklyn Supreme Court

It turns out that The People's Court isn't quite the same as a real state court. Last week, a judge in Brooklyn found that testimony from the show could not be relied on in NY Supreme Court. However, the city might appeal the decision, which probably also affects testimony given before Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

West Reference Attorneys Blog

It's midsummer, and many law students are under pressure at summer associate and internship positions to quickly produce documents and research. This year help is available from one more source--the West Reference Attorneys Summer Associate Blog. Twenty West reference attorneys (those folks who answer phone and Live Help questions for Westlaw users) contribute and edit the frequent posts with great tips and "where to find it" citations. Need to find financial reform bill or Goldman Sachs/SEC settlement documents, for example? This blog provides citations that link directly to the Westlaw sign on page. Other posts address research strategy and other questions frequently asked by summer associates, such as how to restrict a search by court or use the "Limit Key Cite Display" feature. It is not known whether the blog will continue after the summer, but it has a searchable archive (back to the first posts in May) and you can sign up for RSS feeds.

A hat tip to Legal Blog Watch.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

The Most Alien-Looking Place On Earth?

Look at these photos of Socotra Island, in the Indian Ocean, and decide for yourself.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

George Steinbrenner

The end of an era: the Yankee's owner George Steinbrenner has died from a heart attack. Steinbrenner has owned the Yankees since 1973 and during that time they earned 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Independence Day!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day. An interesting side note: scientists at the Library of Congress recently discovered that when Thomas Jefferson was working on a draft of the Declaration of Indepedence, he first wrote the word "subjects", wiped it out, and replaced with the word "citizens".

For a quick review of the history of the Declaration of Independence, check out the wikipedia article. We should remember the context of the holiday we are celebrating.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Do You REALLY Want To Get Away From It All?

If so, then have a look at some striking photos and descriptions of a few of the most isolated places on Earth.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Books about the Credit Crisis

Are you looking for books about the credit crisis? This New York Times article reviews books about the collapse of Bear Stearns and Goldman Sachs. Enjoy!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Right Brain vs Left Brain test

Just for fun, check out the Right Brain vs Left Brain test. Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or counter-clockwise? And can you get her to change direction?
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat