RIP Nipsey Russell Nipsey Russell, who died Sunday at 81, was a pioneering black comedian who was successful enough to became ubiquitous as a guest on game shows, among other venues, setting him up as the kind of celebrity of whom nobody is quite sure how he got there or why. Yet Russell was part of a generation for whom appearing in regular television roles was itself a step forward.

Anonymous George: need advice on gastroplasty, etc. My fiancée Pat received a call last night from her Aunt Janet telling her that Pat’s 54 year old mom, Carla, was admitted to the hospital for breathing problems. more inside

Xena and Gabrielle, together forever. Scientists have dubbed celestial object 2003 UB313 'Xena', and her orbiting moon 'Gabrielle'. Aww... so cute. more inside

Ronnie Barker has died. Star of The Two Ronnies, Open All Hours and my fave, Porridge, died today aged 76. Ah. Sorry for the newsfilter, but he was a top funny chap.

Illiterate sets up library. ...nearly all the books are mysteries. Born into a poor family, he dropped out of school after third grade and, at 51, is practically illiterate...books, he knows, are the gateway to a life of greater possibility and more promise than his own. So bloomed the passion that has consumed Leite's free time over the last two years: transforming his home into a public library...

Roy Moore, Governor? The guy who disobeyed a federal order banning the placement of the 10 commandments memorial on federal property is now running for Governor of Alabama. more inside

MoFi CDX V: It is that time again. Please go to the above link to vote on a date. If you want in, be sure to email me at the new and improved MoFi CDX email address: moficdx@gmail.com If you need schoolin' in the rules of the swap, visit the subsite. Drop your questions here or over there.

When did you stop beating your wife? MoveOn.org (a prominent liberal USAian political action group) has put out a call for dirt (in the guise of "research") about SCOTUS nominee Harriet Miers, with such questions as "What was her record at the head of the scandal-ridden Texas Lottery Commission?" and "White House Council Alberto Gonzales played a pivotal role in softening Americas stance on torture. What positions has Harriet Miers advocated for in the same role?" via LostRemote

Find the Brownie! The objective of this blog is to find an important government job occupied by a person with no apparent qualifications other than strong personal, political, or business ties to a member of the administration. You'll do a heck of a job.via

NaNoWriMoDoPo It's that time of the year again. I'm not going to sign up, since giving up after 120 words last year was a little embarrassing. more inside

Cool and poignant video ... that makes you think about memories, aloneness, rooming houses, friends, happiness and...running! Oh yeah, and photos. Lots of photos. The music is called "Breathe Me" by Sia. (requires Quicktime) 4 mins.

Not surprisingly, non-English speakers don't pronounce "@" as "At." What is surprising is that many of them agree that it looks like a monkey. The Albanians call it "the monkey sign," the Germans call it "the clinging monkey," and the Swedish call it "an ape's tail." It's not all siman-related, though; the author relates a conversation with an Israeli who gave his e-mail address as "Winkie M, Strudel, Yahoo dot com"...

Miers for SCOTUS? Dubya has nominated Harriet Miers to fill the other vacant supreme court seat. Very little is known about her politics, but all sides agree: She's never been a judge. more inside

More for the Monet Joan's Monets: 'Every Christmas my Aunt Joan gives me a Monet calendar. After a couple years the same old paintings become dull. So she started enhancing the master's works...' Via plep more inside

The Gitmo Cookbook (ugh)

Strong as a Monkey -- (blurb ...in German. Attempted translation within.) more inside

Khmer Rouge Cafe. A new Cambodian cafe is offering diners a slice of life under the Khmer Rouge, with a menu featuring rice-water and leaves, and waitresses dressed in the black fatigues worn by Pol Pot's ultra-Maoist guerrillas. more inside

What's the ugliest part of your body? What's the ugliest, part of your body, oh-oh, some say your nose, some say your toes but I don't think it's your mi-iind. The synapse revealed. I think it's my new desktop.

Cambridge in Color (via that other site)

Google SF. Google offers a bid to provide free city-wide WiFi in San Francisco. Some project that this is just the first big step at providing nation-wide WiFi.