Curious George: Remembering the dotcom era. What are your memories of the dotcom era? Did the boom of those years affect you directly? Was life better for you back then? Did the times seem more optimistic? (granted, there wasn't all this 9/11 stuff) more inside

Peter Maxwell Davies is one of our most prolific contemporary composers and he has a pretty good website to boot. more inside

Catholic dissent over mystery of the pregnant Madonnas - Italian architect and author Renzo Manetti has a theory connecting a mysterious symbolic theme in western art to the suppression of the secretive Knights Templar order, the implications stirring criticism from a sensitive Roman Catholic church.

Some proposed Space Rescue systems. My favorite system is the MOOSE, which allows a single astronaut to bail out in space, fire a rocket to head towards Earth, and survive re-entry in a foam cocoon! more inside

More than just eye candy. The exhibition has been in Birmingham a while now, and includes a tactile display for the blind as well. Each photograph is coupled with some information on the plight of the abjectly poor in Third World countries.

The next fifteen minutes will destroy you. That's how long it takes to complete this game. But it will utterly destroy the rest of your life. Kinda like Borges' Zahir. Now don't say I never do anything for you.

"As we may think" This has not been a scientist's war; it has been a war in which all have had a part. The scientists, burying their old professional competition in the demand of a common cause, have shared greatly and learned much. It has been exhilarating to work in effective partnership. Now, for many, this appears to be approaching an end. What are the scientists to do next? more inside

Mr. Floaty, the seven-foot-tall poo, wants to educate us about sewage treatment. -- via BoingBoing

Patent Pending Not everyone is :). Some people are :-(. Personally, I am >:|

Himmler's Fortress of Fear - Rumours of prominent Nazis' involvement with the occult have persisted for decades. Fortean Times unearths the truth behind SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler's vision of an ancient and noble Aryan prehistory that verified the superiority of the Master Race.

The Chatterbot collection contains links to hundreds of chat bots available on the internet more inside

Imaging the French Revolution. Seven scholars present essays analysing images of the crowd and violence in revolutionary France. via AHR. Flash required for image comparison tool.

EVERYONE POOPS is a kid's book that demonstrates a fact of life and a true Zen saying.

The White Hawk was a jet-powered hydrofoil built in the early fifties by Frank and Stella Hanning-Lee to beat the world speed record on water. It had a Rolls Royce Derwent jet engine capable of producing 6000 horsepower, which was possibly enough to get the relatively small aluminum boat airborne. Yet, as far as we know, the boat never actually went faster than 70-80mph. Simon Lewis (author of the above link) thinks he knows why: cavitation off the foils. As you read the story, you wonder how much the Hanning-Lee's knew of their boat's flaw as they were starting to get desperate to raise money to continue their quest for the record. more inside

Jose Francisco Borges (he signs his work as J. Borges)is an artist from northeastern Brazil who makes woodcut prints and publishes cordels (a local type of chapbook). His work has been displayed in many places, and at the age of 70 has recently started dabbling in sculpture. more inside

CIA Gains Powers In Ireland US INVESTIGATORS, including CIA agents, will be allowed interrogate Irish citizens on Irish soil in total secrecy, under an agreement signed between Ireland and the US last week. Suspects will also have to give testimony and allow property to be searched and seized even if what the suspect is accused of is not a crime in Ireland. more inside

Curious Monkey: The Pain and Suffering of Garnishment My paycheck is being garnished. What are my options? What are your experiences? Any recommendations?

Inaugural edition of our new time, effort and money-saving exposé on DVDs! "[I]f you bought a movie upon its initial release only to discover that another tricked-out version was scheduled for distribution, we're going to save you the time, trouble and most importantly expense of finding out the hard way which set is better." from ign.com

Computer History Museum

For when you absolutely, positively must dress up as Indiana Jones