For Oliver Stones latest film Alexander he consulted with Oxford professor Robin Lane Fox who had one unusual request in return for his help 'a place on horseback in the front ten of every major cavalry charge by Alexander's cavalrymen'. Read the interview here.

Curious George: Celebrity Arrests After reading about our friend Macaulay, I couldn't help but wonder which celebrity arrest my fellow monkies liked best and why?

Curious George: War Stories With the intense and ongoing fighting in Iraq, and the incredible collective violence that makes up much of 20th-century history and continues today, I am curious if any Monkeyfilter members have actually experienced combat or have relatives or friends who have lived through battle, either as soldiers or civilians. more inside

eScholarship editions is a full-text public repository of hundreds of recent scholarly works on a wide range of topics, from the collected essays of Robert Creeley to the role of calligraphy in Muslim societies to oral tales from India to Judeo-Spanish ballads to fiscal reform in eighteenth century China to oil-age eskimos to counter-reformation propaganda in Bavaria to heian and kamakura era Japanese poetry... and much more.

Oh No! Not words! The Anne Jacobson School of Paranoia has a new graduate.

Poetry makes a comeback? more inside

It AKA Barktoberfest. One highlight of the day: A toenail clipping demonstration. Also don't miss pics of Yorkiefest I ("People came in all types of vehicles") and II ("Hubbies and friends manned the front gate after the planned ticket takers cancelled with no notice). So, come on, "Let

So, you want to date a white woman. Now you, nervous Asian man, can read this handy guide that tells you how! But wait, there's more! more inside

Is Putin's reaction to Chechen terror one of the last nails in the coffin for Russian democracy? On September 13th, Vladimir Putin announced a plan to eliminate the general election of regional and independant seats in parliament. The Kremlin now enjoys (Reg. Possibly Required) control of "an absolute majority in parliament, all major television stations, the Russian gas giant Gazprom (which reportedly is positioning itself to acquire the private oil company Yukos), the country's corrupt judicial system and a massive state security apparatus," and the suppression of viewpoints opposing the Kremlin has prompted parallels to be drawn. more inside

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People of Earth, Your Attention Please
For those can't wait until next year for the movie, a new series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy premieres this evening on BBC Radio 4. 18:30 BST, repeated Thursday 23:00. For those unable to catch the live feed, the new eps will be up on the listen again site for a week after the initial broadcast.

We men don't get this kind of lovin' :-(

Women and Dogs

Flight of the Valkyrie. Forty years ago to this day was the first flight of a huge Mach 3 aircraft, as big as a DC-10. The XB-70 Valkyrie lifted into the skies at Palmdale, California and embarked on an intensive testing program. After its role as a bomber was abandoned, NASA helped it build a mountain of research for the doomed Boeing 2707 SST. The XB-70 was an icon of an era in which technology was grandiose and inspiring, and anything seemed possible.

Academic fashion, or lack thereof. I think my section was beginning to get suspicious when I wore the same thing every time - now they know it's the only decent clothing I own. [via A&L daily]

Animations by Pes These reminded me of the work of Jan Švankmajer, but that is a good thing. Using everyday objects and materials, Pes creates a very funny films. Examples: KaBoom!, Drowning Nut and Prank Call. Many more available, some are NSFW. [Quicktime required]

Eyesore of the Month. Architectural blunders in monthly serial: photos and articulately astute commentary from architectural critic and artist James Howard Kunstler. more inside

How To Loose An Election This article on Alan Keyes is so hysterical that it reads like a Tom Tomorrow comic strip. I let you monkeys read it and post your comments. more inside

Kalashnikov vodka. I swear I'm not making this up. "I've always wanted to improve and expand on the good name of my weapon by doing good things," he told Reuters Television. more inside