19-year-old Broderick Laswell was arrested in Benton County, Arkansas last September on a murder charge. He weighed 413 pounds at the time. Since then, he has lost 105 pounds, and is now suing his jailers for starving him.

According to the U.S. District Court complaint, an excerpt of which you'll find here, Laswell contends that he is being provided with so few calories that, about an hour after every meal, "my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again." This purported "lack of nutrition," Laswell claims, is reflected in miniscule biscuits and cake sizes, the small amount of chips accompanying sandwiches, and the occasional provision of "2 small cookies." And just in case anyone thought he was only concerned about junk food, the accused killer also complains about the "drizzle of dressing" placed on his "small side of lettuce."

Authorities report the jail food provides 2300-3000 calories a day. The Smoking Gun has a series of mug shots showing Laswell’s weight loss. Link

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I think the point is that you can get a lot of people in the vehicle. The Ford Ka is manufactured in Spain and Brazil. -via Digg

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If I had one of these, I’d never get anything done because I’d spend all my time fidgeting with it! http://www.shop.theneocube.com/category.sc;jsessionid=D97C4CB0460924556B16348FD7E7C1BC.qscstrfrnt03?categoryId=3 -via reddit

Today lunchtime quiz at mental_floss is on the fads of the 80s. Do you remember these? I scored a horrible 50%. Although I was around in the 80s, the questions seem to be aimed toward people who were very young in the 80s. http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14451

A motorcycle with one wheel? No, it just looks that way. The Uno has two wheels, side by side. It runs on electricity and is controlled by body language. The only controls are an on-off switch. To go forward, you lean forward. Lean further to go faster. The Uno was invented by 18-year-old Ben J. Poss Gulak. Motorcycle Mojo has the story of how the Canadian engineering prodigy built the prototype Uno. http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/articles/the-uno/

It’s a pity that marvelous old architecture is left to rot, often due to lack of funds for repairs. But there’s beauty to be found in the ruins, as you’ll see in this collection of abandoned hotels from all over. The stories these walls could tell! Pictured is the Bokor Palace Hotel and Casino in Cambodia. Link -Thanks, Andy!

This image was found at WTF?!urls, where it is followed by a rousing discussion on the definition of irony. http://wtfurls.com/pics-images/130/wtf-how-ironic -via reddit

Photographer Joshua Hoffline stages his photos like small movie sets. The results are ever so creepy!

I believe that the horror story is ultimately concerned with the imminence and randomness of death, and the implication that there is no certainty to existence. The experience of horror resides in this confrontation with uncertainty. Horror tells us that our belief in security is delusional, and that the monsters are all around us.

This gallery may bring back memories of nightmares, but they are beautiful in their own ghastly way. Link -via reddit

Open your beer with the starship Enterprise! This item should be in stock by the end of June, but you can preorder now. http://www.red5.co.uk/Star-Trek-Enterprise-Bottle-Opener-pr-534.html -via Gizmodo

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Sorry, we don’t know how many times the dog tried to run up the slide because the cameraman lost it. -via Arbroath

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Maybe the tow truck driver wanted to be paid up front and wasn’t. Spotted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. -via Arbroath

Why should Wheaties boxes only showcase football, basketball, and Olympics stars when there are so many other sports? In an article from mental_floss magazine, you’ll find the fascinating stories of ten sports heroes who gave their all in sports that don’t make the headlines, such as sumo wrestling, elephant polo, bullfighting, and tug-of-war. Then you’re invited to leave a comment to sign a petition to get these athletes on a box of Wheaties. Link

Someone sent a letter to the parents of students at Lincoln High School in Portand, Oregon, urging them to provide alcohol on prom night.

Recipients of the missive were urged to consider opening their homes this Saturday for parties as "a safe, secure place for students to have fun," adding if adults "provide the alcohol, you can have peace of mind knowing that they did not acquire it illegally. Condoms were included with the letters--which were written on Portland Public Schools stationery--since "STD epidemics have spread through other high school communities and we want to prevent such an outbreak as best we can." The letter was purportedly written by "The Lincoln High School Faculty and Administration."

Parts of the letter are ridiculous, such as the statement that a fifth of cognac will serve eight adults or four teenagers. School official want police to find out who was responsible for sending the letter, which was copied on the limited-access school letterhead. The Smoking Gun has a copy of the letter. Link -via Fark

Wired contacted a chef, a food development consultant, and a food scientist to investigate the difference between pizza in New York and in San Francisco. The differences are in the ovens and in the water. Consultant David Tisi explained the oven.

"As you cook, some ingredients vaporize, and these volatilized particles can attach themselves to the walls of the baking cavity," Tisi says. "The next time you use the oven, these bits get caught up in the convection currents and deposited on the food, which adds flavor." Over time, he says, more particles join the mix and mingle with the savory soot from burned wood or coal — the only fuels worth using — to create a flavor that you can't grow in a garden: gestalt, if you will.

Author Joe Brown is partial to the New York style, and describes how he brings home six pies every time he visits. Link -via Digg

(image credit: David Owen)

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Turn the switch on, and the hand comes out to turn it off. That’s all this machine does! And you can have one of your very own. Link -via Boing Boing