Newsfilter: Judge rules Intelligent Design not acceptable in Pa. Biology Curriculum Judge John E Jones described the Dover, Pa., school board policy requiring Year 9 Biology students to listen to a prepared statement that evolution is not a "fact" as being one of "breathtaking insanity." more inside

The Unofficial Stephen Jay Gould Archive A collection of articles, books and other writings by Stephen Jay Gould (and a few others). Mostly biology, but there are some history of science, religion/science, and other topical essays. The bibliography alone is astonishing. (Couldn't find full-text stuff on baseball, though.)

Newspaper prints picture of snow penis . Full story (Google cache)Some readers are not amused. Gives a whole new meaning to "police beat".

Star Wars Vs. Matrix Vs. Lord of the RIngs in a knock-down drag-out fight to see which trilogy has truly achieved Greatness. The author analyzes all three with regard to source material, character development and, perhaps most importantly, visual effects. more inside

The Nature of the Beast. (Flash preferable) Splendid Japanese depictions of beasts; traditional, real and imaginary (including, somewhat incongruously, Doraemon the cartoon robot cat). With a personality-based monster generator.

Curious George: New Year's Eve "Maybe it's much too early in the game / But I'd thought I'd ask you all just the same / What are you doing New Year's / New Year's Eve?"

NZ finds Black Cocks hard to swallow