Get rid of ignorance This site's been linked before, but never featured. For getting educated on anything under the sun. Don't know something, go ahead, ask a question.

"Bremer has destroyed my country" Guardian article about how not to occupy a country. Shut down the newspapers. Enfore the law arbitrarily or in a half-assed way. Allow corruption. Don't supply the hospitals. You get the picture. more inside

Shroud of Turin: More fodder for the debate. I thought this seemed like a good Sunday post. Apparently the sewing style "belongs firmly to a style seen in the first century AD or before." Your call.

Algiers: The Right Bank. A taste of a historic New Orleans neighbourhood through old photographs.

Curious, George: What is a papasan? Does the term "papasan" refer to the style of rattan/wicker furniture, or just the familiar round chair with padded cushion? more inside

Metal Baby. (Flash, needs sound).

Whose Mind is it Anyway? more inside

Curious, George: CafePress and Cousins CafePress and cousins; I'm interested in any monkey experience with CafePress or any of the workalikes, since I'm trying to get a good idea of whether it's a useful option. more inside

The Height Gap: Why Europeans are getting taller and taller This fascinating article seems to be just the tip of the ice-berg for uses of the height to understand history and health. [via A&L Daily] more inside

Tidepooling...what an amazing adventure For a different adventure, try tidepooling. Point Reyes National Seashore in No. California has some beautiful viewing areas for seeing amazing sea creatures... anemones, starfish, crab & the like... more inside

My tortured quest for a real life Transformer continues. Learn more about the Tmsuk over here.

Terror in Thailand: 'Ghosts' and jihadis.

MAVs for fun and profit UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been in the news quite a bit lately, but the micro versions of these craft, or MAVs represent the bleeding edge of technology. Their small sizes almost make them seem like mere toys. While they are used for serious business, the home hobbiest is quickly catching up. more inside

Amazon's revenge? Apparently deforestation is causing rabid vampire bats to descend on Brazil. more inside

Miss Digital World: "The first online beauty competition, for the most beautiful and glamerous models made using the most advanced 3D graphic tools. Miss Digital World will take place on the internet in a three-dimensional environment. All the contestants will parade along a virtual catwalk, and - of course - there will be a virtual presenter and guests who will help to create the atmosphere of a beauty contest. The model who, at the end of the preliminary rounds, has the highest number of votes from net users, will be crowned on the site in a breathtaking, tear-jerking ceremony." (Teaser)

Burma's military government is waffling again on whether they will release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest for talks on May 17 the pro-democracy party, the NLD. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 has been under arrest again since her motorcade was attacked last summer.

Coming Down from LSD This drug is 'dropping' off the face of the earth, and nobody seems to know why. I've had some memorable times with the stuff, and, though I haven't used any in almost 15 years, I'd hate to see it go. Oh well, there are always flashbacks.

Puzzles + Math = Magic [A] small mahogany coffee cup is firmly attached to a polished wooden saucer. A wooden spoon sits on the plate. So do two white sugar cubes, also made of wood. But can the cup be lifted off the saucer? It seems locked in place. more inside

Chatty Catty [intro] is a chatbot (and blogbot) whose vocabulary, instead of being preprogrammed in, comes from google, in whole sentences. This makes for fun. From Language Log. more inside

It Doesn't, oops, Didn't Matter If You're Black Or White According to a recent study conducted at Dartmouth College, racially biased people take longer to perform tasks when they have to make an effort to control their racial responses and actions. more inside