The lost cosmonauts. According to this site, there where many more manned spaceflights done by the soviet union, some even before Gagarin, but where kept quiet because they went wrong and the cosmonauts died. Fascinating, if this is true. Especially heartrendering is the last transmission of what should have been the first female cosmonaut.

I Have Been Cited In A Case Against John Ashcroft More more inside

Words fail me ... The funniest damn thing I've read all week. [probably NSFW] more inside

1930's Japanese Military Propaganda Photos - Rare vintage prints used to create propaganda. In the late 1930’s Japan was at the zenith of its military power. The government hired photographers & their work was heavily retouched by hand to enhance their nationalistic fervour-inducing qualities. These photos have never before been seen - well, by us, anyway.

North Korean Potato Pride! North Korean propaganda videos, complete with Kim Jong-Il on horseback causing "huge storms when he shouts", and people singing a very silly song with the chorus, "Fucking USA". more inside

headtrauma.org The story-based blog of a guy who just wants to sell a few human organs. Almost certainly NSFW, unless you happen to work in an abattoir or as the evil henchperson (equal opportunity henchness) of a certifiably mad scientist.

Long-Time Atheist Now Believes in God "At age 81, after decades of insisting belief is a mistake, Antony Flew has concluded that some sort of intelligence or first cause must have created the universe. A super-intelligence is the only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of nature, Flew said in a telephone interview from England."

Weasels Ripped My Flesh. [First link requires NYTimes reg.]

Maps are latest casualty of government secrecy (PDF). For the first time since WWII, the U.S. defense mapping agency will curb public access to aeronautical maps, charts, and databases next year. Slated to become historical relics are the famous TPC charts and other worldwide chart sets, online maps and SPOT imagery, and the only source of detailed free worldwide airport data. Reasons include "avoiding competition with commercial interests", i.e. the Jeppesen monopoly and conceivably ESRI. What's left are a paltry offering of historical maps.

Just when you thought Coulter and Carlson could not get any stupider... Coulter: They [Canadians] are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent. Carlson: Canada's essentially -- essentially a made-in-Taiwan version of the United States. There's a nice little movie (quicktime or window's media) outlining the main arguments of Carlson and Coulter.

Curious, George: Good Pet Choice? What a good pet choice besides a cat or dog?. I like cats, but my wife is allergic. We both like dogs, but we live in the city, don't like to scoop, travel out of town a lot and have little kids. What are some other pets you have had? What have been your best and worst experiences?

Ho! Ho! R'lyeh!

FAA reconsiders ban on in-flight cell phone use. Now you can listen to your neighbor bitch about his boss/wife/kids/coworkers/mother-in-law all the way from NY to Seattle. Greeeaaat! (WP link, reg may be required.)

2001 Explained our site is intended for non-commercial and educational purposes only. (Flash)

Blue Christmas: "Our goal here is to provide you information on [what businesses] gave what to what political party this last election cycle.... The long term goal is to help reduce corporate money from politics; this is not a geographical boycott." In the interest of being non-partisan, feel free to also consider this page as "Red Christmas".

Curious George: Tech Problem I'm having some pc trouble, and I'm finding no help. Skip it if you're not interested. more inside

Crappy Gifts '04, PoopReport's annual guide for the poop humor aficionado.

If I win, I'm picking Rutherford Personally, I doubt anyone will meet the $8,000 reserve... more inside

Tea leaf fortune telling (Flash 5 required for the full video version). From the UK Tea Council's interesting site.

Dimebag Darrel (ex Pantera) is dead - & it is possible other members of his new band Damageplan are injured, perhaps including Vinnie Paul. Reports are confused, but some say another band member is dead. more inside