Turkmenbashi Part II? Ahead of Turkmenistan’s presidential election, the successor to Saparmurad Niyazov — the so-called Father of the Turkmens — has emerged: Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, the former health minister.

50 Fun Facts About Credit Cards Okay, let's face it "facts" are never fun and "credit cards" are only fun half of the time. So how can this be fun? I dunno, it just is. Ever notice all your credit cards are of uniform shape and size? Their dimensions are governed by the ISO 7810 standard, an international standard for identification cards. Banking cards, as well as driver’s licenses and retail cards, follow ID-1 (passports follow ID-3). If your card has a smart chip, it follows ISO 7816, and if it has RFID, it follows ISO 14443. Interested to know what’s on the magnetic stripe? Check out this breakdown of the three tracks on Wikipedia (the rest of the page explains other magnetic stripes). via J-Walk blog

Curious George's first cell phone. I need to buy Mother Renault a cell phone -- we simply haven't had cause to buy one before, not living in an urban area, everyone we would call otherwise readily available, etc., etc. (Yes, we're hicks.) What should we look for as first-time cell phone buyers? more inside

Curious George Gets a Virus: My girlfriend's laptop has got a virus... maybe? more inside

"Just like a mini mall" youtube via Waxy

From the jaws of a shark comes a ripping yarn The shark had the diver's head in its jaws, but marine experts say it chewed him then spat him out when it realised he was not a seal. "He was actually bitten by the head down," said a friend and fellow diver. "The shark swallowed his head."

Cruise 'is Christ' of Scientology Made me laugh out loud at first. But then I realized that Tom's CGI guys could bring about much greater miracles than that tired old "feed the multitude" routine.

High Definition Porn . . . Too Much? "Pornography has long helped drive the adoption of new technology, from the printing press to the videocassette. Now pornographic movie studios are staying ahead of the curve by releasing high-definition DVDs. They have discovered that the technology is sometimes not so sexy. The high-definition format is accentuating imperfections in the actors — from a little extra cellulite on a leg to wrinkles around the eyes." more inside

Canadian Charter of Rights for sale on eBay. For Sale: One (1) copy of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as signed by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Supply limited -- act now!

Le Grand Content - an exquisite witty look at "the omnipresent Powerpoint-culture", in which your older brother's suit, goldfish, alcohol and religious doubt are charted. Here's a quick YouTube version. Via .

I like Pie! January 23rd is National Pie Day! Try to perform at least one random act of pieness today.

Iranians' love affair with America

Curious George becomes victim of Conspiracy Planet more inside

Why Do Rocks Look Solid? Speech by Richard Dawkins, not about the perfidity of religion, but rather the strangeness of science and the limits of human perception. Mp3 link comes from The CBC's Ideas podcast page.

Curious, George: Simpletech, my ass. So my removable Simpletech USB drive just stopped working this morning. I've contacted their tech support, but while I wait I ask you for options and 'splanations. more inside

Circus images - a Dutch collection with some marvellous pictures (Flash). Via more inside

Grammar Girl is apparently quite poplar.

Curious Hiking George. Which trails or hikes would you like to do one day? The West Coast Trail (temporarily out of order)? The Milford Track? The Camino de Santiago? (For the purposes of discussion, assume no limits on time, money, or skill.)

Half of all children are below average, and teachers can do only so much for them ... Too many Americans are going to college ... Those with superior intelligence need to learn to be wise. Ah, the Wall Street Journal. Ah, the American Enterprise Institute.

Caring for the wounded in Iraq From the New England Journal of Medicine. Warning: Graphic Content