Vanishing species acts? Punch and Judy performances, once common scenes of marital/social disfunction, can still be found, but you may have to hunt harder for them nowadays. more inside

The Eyes Have It: photographer John Goto's digitized galleries kept me happily occupied for hours. There is fascination after fascination here, from the pastoral landscapes portrayed in 'High Summer' to the urban setting of 'Gilt City'.

World of Illusion: Community Bridge, is not what it seems to be, but the creation of muralist William M. Cochran, who transformed a plain concrete bridge into an elaborate trompe l'oeil structure.

From the Pigeons Viewpoint: After a ten-year study, scientists conclude pigeons navigate by using landmarks such as highways and railroads. (It has been known for some time that pigeons use magnetic and celestial patterns to find their way}.

Wozzat you say? Words to the left of us, Words to the right of us, Words may look familiar but fuddle the wits of monkeydom -- Wot does it mean? more inside

Timeless Skool Stories: Calling all 'swots, wets, weeds, tuoughs, ect ect': chiz chiz even if you have 'a face like a squished tomato' you may enjoy discovering life at a British boys skool, as recorded in the deathless prose of Nigel Molesworth (aka Molesworth One,or, the terror of St Custard's). more inside

Charlotte Salomon (1917-1943): In 1939 this young Jewish artist fled from Berlin to southern France, where she began painting. She produced a body of work (over 1,000 gouaches, text, and music) which she called Life? or Theatre? [click on "complete work" in link to see]. She gave her work to a friend shortly before she was sent to Auschwitz, where she was killed.

Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo: these stories center on the often-rocky relationship between Don Camillo, a priest in a small Italian village, and the mayor, a communist, and they brought world-wide fame to their author and illustrator. more inside

Undeparted bodies:: Recent mummies in the news plus more about bog bodies and bodies that just won't quit.

The Man's the Gowd: Robert Burns Day: I'll be spending much of it with the Canongate Burns, a volume I've recently been savouring, its inclusion of many items not formerly attributed to Burns make it a fascinating read. more inside

Morrocan writer: Ahmed Bouzfour refuses his country's top literary prize: in protest of Morocco's low rate of literacy.

New Zealand painter Alex Ogg demonstrates versatility of style in his online gallery.

Welsh Whisky? This should prove verra verra interesting.

Surrealist Kazimierz Dzyga: highlights of his career

I gie ye fair notice: January 25th is Rabbie Burns Day!

Paintings by contemporary surrealist Odd Nerdrum are enigmatic and intriguing.

Floats like a butterfly, talks like a man Hoover the harbour seal amazed people by speaking -- with 'a heavy Boston accent', no less. He is now the inspiration for further investigation of seals learning to use human speech. (Scroll down to November 4th entry.)

The rich trove of artist Philip Northover's Fractal Art more inside

There's something fishy about Prawnography

Correction: should be Cheese racing