Curious George: Xmas cookie recipes Any tried-and-true Xmas cookie and candy recipe recommendations to share? I fill Xmas tins for gifts every year and I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. I'd like some personally-tested and Monkey-approved recipes - what cookies do your family traditionally make/associate with Xmas? more inside

Just another meteor shower, you say? Perhaps not. This solar Coronal Mass Ejection (last night) was pointed almost directly at our Pale Blue Dot. A Middle Latitude Aurora Warning has been issued meaning that the Northern Lights may be seen as far south as Northern California, Kansas, Southern Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina (U.S.) and France, Northern Italy, Poland, Central Russia on the east side of the pond. Southern Hemisphere watchers should be alert as New Zealand and Southern Australia may see periods of activity. more inside

Watch out fellow monkeys; the Superlions are here!

Peter Boyle dead at 71. Oddly, his lengthy career is overshadowed by Everybody Loves Raymond. So much so that the obit doesn't even mention the funniest bit ever put on film:the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene.

Cat fishing Guess the subject from the Wikipedia categories.

The DJ Riko Merry Mixmas collection is now up for grabs. Includes links for prior year mixes.

The Baiji Yangtze Dolphin is with all probability extinct. The white dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.

How do you pronounce Pinochet? There's no single correct pronunciation for the name in Chile. The first two syllables don't change too much, and should be something between "pin-oh" and "pee-no." But the last syllable is up for grabs: Some Chileans go with "shay," others "chay," and still others "chet."

Ben Crispin Glover and his friend Ben, along with a cast of characters (what's your major malfunction?) _{YouTube goodness all around} more inside

52 (Almost) Free Website Advertising Ideas. A must read for all bloggers...

Santastic II is totally Clausome! more inside

Soldiers Say Army Ignores, Punishes Mental Anguish. more inside

The 2006 Golden Bull Awards have been announced. The awards are given to public figures who make baffling statements. This year's Foot in Mouth winner was Naomi Campbell, who said, "I love England, especially the food. There's nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta." The Golden Bulls are given by the Plain English Campaign.