Curious Annual Gift George It's that time of year again, and I'm feeling particularly lazy and want to try to do all of my shopping for far-away relatives online. Gimme your favorite online shopping links! NOW! more inside

Landings photographed as long exposure shots by Branislav Kropilak. Highways to heaven, anyone? more inside

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence "Sixteen days may, in the near-manic world of politics and media, seem a long time to expect people’s attention to one topic, but given the scale of the issue in hand, it is a relatively small demand – one we wish to make." [links preserved from original text] more inside

Maud Fontenoy, tough cookie. After rowing across the Atlantic solo, and then the Pacific last year, Maud is now doing something a little more 'sensible', by by putting down the oars and sailing around the world solo, southern hemisphere, against the prevailing winds. She's having regular contact every day with visitors to the Musee de la Marine in Paris, if you feel like having a chat before she rounds the Horn.

Dude

Making a Saint out of Peter - "In reaction to the runaway success of Marcion's Pauline Christianity, scribes in Rome concocted a sacred history to bolster their own claim to singular authority. Their chosen hero figure was Peter, 'first of the apostles.' Why did Rome need to make a saint out of Peter?"

What's hairy, hops, and is fun to say? potoroos and bettongs and bilbies and numbats and quolls

flong.com more inside

Expact "is an electronic catalogue of medieval and renaissance scientific instruments from four European museums." more inside

Light To Unite click on the link - light a virtual candle - donate a dollar to AIDS research (courtesy of Bristol-Myers Squibb)...