The very name of Frenchman is become odious! What the Times said about the French Revolution (Read this ye ENGLISHMEN, with attention, and ardently pray that your happy Constitution may never be outraged by the despotic tyranny of Equalization!) Happily, it's a very different story this year.

She made it up.

Will Compasses Point South? "The collapse of the Earth's magnetic field, which both guards the planet and guides many of its creatures, appears to have started in earnest about 150 years ago. The field's strength has waned 10 to 15 percent, and the deterioration has accelerated of late, increasing debate over whether it portends a reversal of the lines of magnetic force that normally envelop the Earth."

Big + Rich
I'm deeply embarrassed to admit, but after hearing a few tracks... well, I kinda like these guys. So here's a guilty pleasure for the truly perverse among you.

Federal Marriage Amendment Goes Down In Flames The Democrats in the Senate let the vote go to the floor so the Republicans can cut their throat with it. I agree with Billmon that "the damn thing was never anything more than a campaign stunt to whip up the bigot vote. Now that that's done, we can all move on. The only place this amendment is going to reappear will be in a Bush-Cheney 20-second spot - coming soon to the rural areas of a swing state near you."

Curious George: fashion What's the deal with capri pants and/or flip flops? Am I just out of touch with fashion? more inside

Rare East German Video Arcade Machine. East Germany did know how to have a little fun now and then as evidenced by the recently recovered homegrown Poly Play videogame! more inside

Can an inflatable version be far behind ?

Energy-Efficient ? Pros: Energy Efficient, cheap, appropriate use of available resources, easy to maintain, no need for expensive siren - a "moo" suffices, Cons: well... On one hand i'm tickled by the whole idea, BUT it saddens me to think that people still dont have access to basic health care in parts of the world while others bitch about how HMOs are teh sux0rs. In developing countries, healthcare is not a basic human right, it's a luxury available to only the rich. Yes most developing countries are full of corrupt politicians that divert much needed funds and aid for their personal gain, but try explaining that to a mother watching her child die of malaria with no access to healthcare. Sometimes i hate the world we live in!!

Photographs matter. Peter Dombrovskis was a photographer of the Tasmanian wilderness. It was his images, most especially Rock Island Bend, which helped to stop the damming of the Franklin River for hydroelectricity, and which preserved it for the enjoyment of all. more inside

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity #1 is one we are all familiar with: "Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation."

Disco. Baseball. Explosions. What more could anyone want? How about Loreli? Swiped from hitandrun

Will comics be the next evolution of the novel? link from NYT Magazine, reg. req. Comix, under the (arguably goofy) title of "graphic novels" have steadily been gaining mainstream cred over the last two decades. Does this mean something, or am I just bored today? more inside

Guess the Dictator and/or Television Sit-Com Character

Psssst! Wanna buy a dinar? Everything you need to know to purchase the world's latest money. Such as: "The new currency will supercede all previous 'Saddam' Dinar, and as of January 15th, 'Saddam' Dinar is considered a collectors item." The current exchange rate is 770 dinar for every US$1; it was 33 cents to $1 before the war. A good investment? Buy 'em here.

Pulp Fiction Bad Mother Fu**er Wallets and other Pulp Fiction/Tarantino memorabilia Pulp Fiction Bad Mother Fu**er Wallets and other Pulp Fiction/Tarantino memorabilia eg the Kill Bill Pussy Wagon keyring/keychain.

The Virtual Gramophone: Canadian historical sound recordings. Et aussi en Français.

The versatile kilt Have you worn a kilt lately? The kilt is distinctly Scottish, but what about the Irish? Did the Irish wear kilts too? Whether they did or not is up to debate, but if you want to wear your own, someone has your interests in mind.

UC Irvine's Blog Survey Do you blog? Take this mindblowing survey. It has its own blog. Takes most ppl about 5 minutes. more inside

Could the bagpipe actually be cool? Let your ears... more inside