Curious George: Birthday Gift for a 12 year-old What to get a horse-loving 12-year-old skater girl who's been through a trainwreck? more inside

John Pilger "There is no War on Terrorism; it is the great game speeded up. The difference is the rampant nature of the superpower, ensuring infinite dangers for us all." more inside

Curious George: What should I do in life? I have a bachelor's in industrial design, which seemed like a good choice since I love creative thinking. Surprise! Design involves very little creative thinking in practice (or in theory). I have no idea what I should pursue in terms of self-education or graduate programs or work. more inside

No hobbitses for you says New Line to Peter Jackson. more inside

Tacky beach towns I’ve always loved them, and regret that they’re being up-scaled, at least in California. In the 1940s and 50s, Santa Monica had its Muscle Beach and a small pier,, with it’s merrygoround, separated by a boardwalk with hot dog stands, curio shops and small wood frame beach houses. Now, it’s prime real estate. more inside

Curious George: Automatons? Is it possible there are automatons among us? (Grab a Sam Adams and click "[more inside]")... more inside

Comedian Michael Richards loses it. I hesitated posting this here, because by now you've probably all heard about it and can get your fill of it elsewhere, plus the ensuing discussion is bound to get contentious, but I would like to see how Monkeys weigh in on this. more inside

Bloggers can't be sued The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that bloggers and participants in Internet bulletin board groups cannot be sued for posting defamatory statements made by others.

How to eat a banana. Mindful eating in the CAMP system aims to restore balance and harmony with what you eat. more inside

An Audi S4, some blue painters tape, mix in some Americana...what could happen? (last link photo heavy)

Moon Bear rescue. Moon bears, aka Asiatic Black Bears, are held in truly appalling conditions in 'farms' in China for their bile, used in traditional medicine. more inside

Attack of the Copybot

What were the Americas like before Columbus arrived? According to 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, a recent book (itself an expanded version of the Atlantic article in the first link), they had a much bigger Native American population than the standard story tells us, they had been populated for way longer than the 12,000 years the standard story holds is the case, and those people had developed cultures that were way more advanced than the standard story says. Here is an interview with the author, Charles C. Mann. Here is a review of the book.

Curious George: Articles on Widescreen Vs Fullscreen I need to write a speech on why widescreen is better than fullscreen and need help! more inside

The First Annual Solstice Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace Hey, you never know. I certainly plan to do my part.

Monkey Goodness from Adobe Creative Suite (Warning: Flash, broadband, trying to get you to buy their stuff). Not sure if it does a very good job of describing their products, but a dang cute monkey...

“V” Makes A Mark In DC. As promised a week earlier, on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, nearly 100 men and women in “V” masks and clothing arrived at the White House and other government buildings to receive a response to the People’s Petitions for Redress of Grievances. There was no response from the powers that be, but there are some great photos. [Via.]

Central Asia travelogues. Forget about the fictional home of Borat (no links, find your own), this is about the real countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as seen through the eyes of random web people. more inside

Explore of the Forum Antiquum of the University of Pennsylvania. "a 'gateway' site providing easy access to hundreds of internet resources related to the study of the ancient Mediterranean world (between ca. 5,000 B.C.E. to ca. 1500 C.E.)." more inside

Fisting and God's Will Plunging into sex-positive Christianity: "My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him. (Song of Solomon 5:2-4)" more inside