It's finally here!! Groups of Death. North Korea. England vs the US. Brazil vs Portgual. The Dutch and the Danes. Are we ready to rumble?

Once again, Slate's explainer has its annual list of questions that it dare not answer, for fear of a massive drop in IQ, EQ, and quality of readership. How many can be answered here instead?

Whack the PM! Flash Fun and beating up politicians. (OK, so they're Canadian politicians that no-one else has heard of, and our election doesn't compare to that one, but it's all we've got.)

Curious George. What are you reading at the moment? Would you recommend anything? In the last few weeks, I've read Waugh's "Black Mischief", a couple of Harry Potters, Rawicz's "The Long Walk", and had started Capek's "War with the Newts" (one of my all time favourites) before misplacing it. But my library bores me at the moment, and so I must open my reading list to all. Mofites, please don't disappoint me!!

So, you want to be a franchisor? You have a proud history. A reputation for extensive community involvement. And all it takes is one boneheaded decision by one franchisee to blow it all up, and create one massive controversy.

The Naughty Truthiness of Christmas The consumerism of the baby Jesus, and the politics of "The Night Before Christmas". All in one tidy place.

The Great Unanswered. What questions did Slate's explainer decide not to handle this year? And how many can be answered right here on Mofi? The follow-up to last year.

That should be errata. Northern Exposed regrets the error. One million murders in Detroit. 40-45 pounds of shrimp. Dewey beats Truman. And more!

Just say no....to Canadian drugs. The feds couldn't do it. The RCMP couldn't do it. And the BC Marijuana Party is concerned. But the rising loonie just might. I could have put this in the other thread. I just thought it was amusing enough to stand alone. Tracicle, back me up on this.

Oil or Fishing? Have both!! We missed it this year, but howzabout the first ever World Monkey Jamboree is held as part of this? Seriously though, the title speaks for itself. via OK, it's a crap post. They can't all be gems. Just don't throw that skrik at me.

Are you a travelling celebrity? Or at least travelling with one? Tips for you from the WAG's Guide to Travel.

Curious George. My gooseberry bush has exploded this year, and I have a bumper crop of the lovely green sour things. Now what can I do with them all?

Historical references to the Tiananmen Square massacre have been eliminated from most of mainland China. So it it surprising that mistakes will be made?

Zagat the noted rater of upscale food, lowers its sights as it rates the major US food chains. No Cheesecake Factory or In and Out Burger though.

How well do you really get along with your friends, co-workers, family, Mofites? Create a group, or join the newly created Monkeyfilter group*! more inside

qaSvI' ngoch cherwI' is trying to win re-election to the Finnish Parliament, by appealing to the Klingon vote. A few words may require the assistance of native speakers of the language, but fortunately, his site is also in English, Swedish, and (obviously) Finnish. Clearly, he is a man ahead of his time.

It'll do until you get rich. So you can't have a Jeeves. Maybe this can let you pretend otherwise, at least until you wake up.

Who wants to know? Slate's Explainer presents the best (or worst?) of the questions received this year. One of them WILL be answered, but which one should it be? And which one was asked by our very own Captain?* *OK maybe he didn't ask any of them, but if he had, which one would it have been?

Ripoff-ee or ripoff-er? What is the rental market in your neighbourhood? Are you paying too much? Charging too little? This handy tool will tell you how you compare!! (US, Canada, and London only.) No claim made for the accuracy of this website!

In which is revealed a device to encourage the recitation of tongue twisters. This may be old, juvenile, and requiring of translation from our Asian monkeys, but I'm still glad we didn't have these in school.