An Act for the Encouragement of Learning - the British Council and the 300th anniversary of the first copyright law.

Monkey GO Happy 2 Silly Simian Flash tomfoolery.

Tweets from Bruce, Oskar and Joan Are you up to the conversational expertise of your simian relatives?

Collateral Murder Wikileaks has acquired gruesome footage from a US military helicopter killing two journalists in Bagdad in 2007. more inside

A Massachusetts bill providing for response to public health emergencies has generated conspiracy theories. But is it even law yet? The Massachusetts legislative Web Site's bill history seems to indicate that the two houses haven't agreed on a final version of the bill yet. more inside

Atwood in the Twittersphere Margaret Atwood's thoughts on being a Tweeter. via

Glimpses of the Lost World of Alchi: Threatened Buddhist art at a 900-year-old monastery high in the Indian Himalayas sheds light on a fabled civilization.

Meetup ahoy! Not that I anticipate a huge response, somehow, but I'm planning to attend the Metafilter meetup in Auckland, NZ, next month. Any NZ monkeys (which I think amounts to rodgerd and vitalorgnz, although there may be more), please join me and I will buy you the beverage of your choice (conditions apply).

Fragrance cannons will be deployed to overpower the stink of Beijing's so-called Seventh Ring - a vast circle of garbage dumps and overflowing landfills. more inside

Hand-y relief effort The first half of the video is enough, please.

The International Banana Club^® Museum (For Sale) – Via Gawker (sorry about that). more inside

Lullaby Furry Nanny sings baby to sleep (SLYT)

Alien vs. Pooh. An online comic.

Curious George Uses a Slow Cooker. Also known as a crockpot. Winter is almost upon us down under and it will soon be time to haul out the slow cooker. I had a recipe book but had to give it back to my sister before she got mad at me, and I'm too stingy to buy another. Share your tips, recipes or links to recipes for everyone here!

The Man Who Planted Trees. [Via]

Ugly Animals. Although some, I think, have been hard-done by. more inside

Plastic Bag But the COOLEST plastic bag ever, voiced by THE WERZOG!!! (SLYT, 18+ mins)

Repeat Performances This parallel between Jewish ritual and Civil War reenactment reveals a deep, unexpected similarity in Jewish and Southern culture that distinguishes both from mainstream American public life. Jewish and Southern cultures are both post-traumatic civilizations—they are both built upon a sense of overwhelming obligation to the past.

Pompeii Fast Food Joint To Re-open After Two Thousand Year Hiatus. [Via]

Draw yr own Monkey In fresh scalable vectors to adorn your website or other graphic creation. Or Just Because.