New Pope - Cardinal Joeseph Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI

Curious George: European Vacation? : My sister and I will be travelling through Europe this summer. Where should we go and what should we see? [MI] more inside

Shoot the head, kill the ghoul! Guy in the next cubicle looking a little more pale and slack-jawed than usual? Maybe you should check out some Some Zombie Survival Guides. Important things you need to know, like: Zombies have limited offensive capability: Mainly they bite, like a lil' sissy boy. That's a close range weapon with a range of about three inches square. Don't let them get that close. Refuse slow dances. Don't be taken in by the old 'gee your hair smells terrific' routine. You'll be fine. Of course, maybe you'll want to run some simulations to know what you're up against.

A hat, a guitar, some whitey tighties, and a Dream. With all the election ruckus, isn't it nice to know that, somewhere out there, a man in his underwear is happy just playing his guitar for tourists? Oh, and making a movie? (warning: last link contains flash, all links contain excessive flexing)

Yup, four more years

From tip to tip, three cheers for this naked Brit! Steve Gough, aka The Naked Rambler, has finally completed walking from the southern tip of England to the northern tip of Scotland, all while completely naked. Along the way he's often been harrassed and spent almost five months jailed on indenceny charges. You can read all about him and his sojourn into nudism here and here.

Stop your gurning, you metoposcopists, and absquatulate to this page. Over 1400 pages exploring the nooks and crannies of the English language, all compiled by one guy. Think of him as the Jim Loy of English.

I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me. The Project is based on the idea that people in a foreign country have an irresistable urge to try to say something in the indigenous tongue. In most cases, however, the best a person can do is "Where is the bathroom?" a phrase that marks them as a tourist. But, if one says "I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me," you will be viewed as an insane native, and treated with dignity and respect.

Bhutan rejects GDP in exchange for Gross National Happiness balancing economic growth with cultural growth. They may have a point. Right or wrong, one thing is certain: It sure is purty.

I go looking in other people's songs for their sailors and their towns. I don't know, everybody has things that they gravitate towards. Some people put toy cars or clouds or cat crap. Everybody puts something different, and it's entirely up to you what belongs and what doesn't. They're interesting little vessels of emotional information, and you carry them in your pocket like a bagel. Today is the birthday of one Tom Waits. Go check out his most recent albumns, read an interview, or try to figure out when the next Waitstock is. Better yet, slump on down to your nearest dive and drink till you feel pretty.

Grizzly Murder Ended Study. The cabin looked perfectly normal from the outside when he arrived by helicopter. And it was immaculately swept. But inside, he found the baby gall bladder in plain view on the wall. A landmark study by Canadian naturalists on Human-Grizzly interaction was cut short when the bears being studied were slaughtered. Read about the reasearch here.

Activism, Old Ladies, and Funny Hats. The Raging Grannies emerged in the late 1980's to bring attention to pressing peace, justice, and environmental issues. Their goal was to create a more humane, just and non-violent world for their grandchildren and for all the world's people. Hint: The Seattle Chapter has the best songbook by far.