I abound in lizards. Thoughts on the difficulty of learning Arabic and cultural misunderstandings. more inside

io9 The new(ish) sci-fi blog from the Gawker stable. For all your Dr Who, Star Trek, Batman, Cloverfield etc gossip. Plus cheesecake Imperial recruitment posters.

Nick Brandt depicts the animals of East Africa with an intimacy and artistry unmatched by other photographers who choose wildlife as their subject. Wildlife photography has become a holiday and adventure cliche: have telephoto lens, will snap view up rhino's nostril -- so uninteresting, so blah. And then there's Nick Brandt. Brandt eschews the telephoto lens in favor of patience combined with a rare courage, determination and an artist's eye to photograph wildlife. The results are animals so accustomed to Brandt's presence and so untroubled by him that his pictures are breathtakingly beautiful and touching in their honesty and emotion.

Safety Gear for Small Animals FLASH interface & I just threw my back ooch ouch