It’s officially March 24th and in case Google’s themed banner on their homepage didn’t tip you off, today marks the 137th birthday of America’s most legendary and influential magicians of the early 20th century – Harry Houdini. But for all his contributions to stage magic and his immortal legacy, not many people know much about him beyond the fact that he was a master escape artist. Houdini was born Eric Weisz on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary to Jewish parents and was one of seven siblings. Early in his youth, his family traveled to America and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin before ultimately moving to New York. Learn more about Houdini after the jump!

Is it just me or have we all entered some kind of Twilight Zone in which torture and terror are both permissible as long as the defenders of freedom and democracy are using them?
This past Saturday, March 9, President Bush exercised his veto on a piece of legislation that would have banned interrogation techniques used by the CIA, such as Waterboarding.
In his w… Click to read more