An Uncommon Lama: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, director of "The Cup" and "Travellers & Magicians."

People of the forest. "Conrad Feather is only part way through his PhD but has already spent several years living with indigenous people in the Amazon, helping them drive loggers from their ancestral land. Recently he trained them to use GPS devices so that they could create the first map of their territory and make an ambitious bid to win legal title to it. This month the project won him the prestigious St Andrews Prize for the Environment." [Via Disinformation.]

Eric Idle presents... The FCC Song. [Not safe for America, via Disinformation.]

"Power in itself has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal. My aim has always been to defend the secular foundation of our nation and the poor of our country." So said Sonia Gandhi as she declined the position of Prime Minister of India. more inside

Britain opens stem-cell bank. "The world's first national repository opened this week north of London, angering anti-abortion groups."

Gambian rodents risk death for bananas.

Yang Shan-Shen, a Chinese artist of the Lingnan school of painting, has died at the age of 92. [Via wood s lot.]

Monkey man robs milk bar. [Via Fark.]

An Introduction to Biophilia and the Built Environment [via WorldChanging.]

"Elves and fairies are usually considered to be part of our folkloric and literary heritage, not creatures we might actually meet. MOYRA DOORLY certainly thought so until, living on a Scottish Island, she had a series of unnerving encounters with the Little People." [Via Disinformation.] more inside

Did you see the gorilla? [Via Crooked Timber.]

In male monkeys, too much soy has adverse effects. [Via FuturePundit.]

Badger badger badger badger bananaphone! [Flash]

The extinction crisis is over. We lost.

4:20 [Flash, possibly NSFW, via Milk and Cookies.]

The man who knew. PBS is rebroadcasting their fascinating look at FBI agent John O'Neill, one of the few who really understood the threat of al Qaeda before 9/11, when he himself was killed. more inside

A National ID Card Wouldn't Make Us Safer. Bruce Schneier responds to Nicholas Kristof's call for Americans to adopt National ID cards. [Via rebecca's pocket.]

Neat chimp mask. [Via RealityCarnival.]

Emma Goldman, Affinity Group Spokesperson of the Anarchists.

Killer Staph Is Hitting The Streets. "Drug-defying strains of the bacteria have moved way beyond hospitals." Eek! [Via Boing Boing.]