Pirates! Scans of all sorts of goodly resources. Anyway, can't stop, off to ride the monk.

Gaelic psalm singing Yale music professor Willie Ruff thinks it might be the roots of gospel music in America. Whatever the truth of that, it's one of the most glorious sounds on God's good earth, a profound spiritual happening.

Calling crane in the shade Author SJ Marshall's great resource on the 易经, or I-Ching. Use the Book of Changes to access profound insights from the ancients, perhaps add your own hippy claptrap, or even enjoy other surprising interpretations.

"We are not starting a party because we have an ideology...a vision for a better Bhutan. We are starting a party because the king has ordered us." Democracy is coming to Bhutan by royal fiat.

Shirker! I love how he's going to work on his own garden instead. Bless.

Spectacular Times "Larry Law's renowned series of situationist booklets. Probably the easiest to understand introduction to Situationist thought around." more inside

Outlaws and Highwaymen Nice set of quotes and texts about English robbers, designed to accompany a book but much more than just puff.

Digitised version of Matteo Ricci's 1602 map of the world. Via

Uyghur goes pop! Fully downloadable album (with samples to try before you don't buy) of pop music from Xinjiang, aka East Turkestan, home to the Uyghur.

China’s Most Incredible Holdout An apparently extreme case of refusing to make way for the property developers down in Chongqing.

Police chase goes a bit wrong [Youtube] Neat footwork by the lad on the bike, though he's probably adjusting his tactics in future Via.

Paper Gods Nice little collection of old Chinese religious images.

London: A Life in Maps Lovely microsite from the British Library. As well as the maps, some nice e-cards to send, and even a Google Earth layer. Cor blimey!

Daleks as a force for good Missed this at the time. Would that all pitiless mutants bent on universal domination exhibited such a fine social conscience.

Trio A lovely seasonal poem by Edwin Morgan is briefly available to read online. More from perhaps Scotland's greatest living poet at the Poetry Archive.

Free monkeys on the NHS! Err, sorry, no more inside

Religious popular music from Upper Egypt The munshidin (en français) of upper Egypt. Just one of the many music resources at bolingo.

Population mortality and football results "On days when the local professional football team lost at home, mortality attributable to acute myocardial infarction and stroke increased significantly in men... No increase was observed in women." Via

Baka Pygmies Culture, music and rites of initiation in the Central African rainforest.

Victor Jara The death of Augusto Pinochet set me thinking of one of his many victims, singer Victor Jara. Here's some mp3 rarities and pictures of a man whose torture and murder encapsulate the brutality of Pinochet's regime.