Happy Beethoven's Birthday! more inside

50 Pages of Neat Lots of cool stuff, which is apparently some design-minded person's blog, and is perfectly designed for wasting lots of time. There's some excellent stuff there though, and something on the linked page looks familiar . . . Oh, and via BunnyCorp

The Fletcher Capstan Table One of the more beautiful pieces of furniture I've seen in awhile. A circular table that expands to double capacity in a mesmerising radial fashion. the Montana is my favorite. Santa. Hint.

Democrats hate families? Next year, members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday, Hoyer said. "Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says." Work Monday through Friday? OMG WTF?! more inside

Horseballs [SFW]

This is an American Citizen A description and pictures of the routine handling Jose Padilla, the only American citizen held without charge as an "Enemy Combatant". more inside

Speedbandits.dk A unique approach to solving the everyday problem of speeding motorists. NSFW, contains embedded Flash! You're welcome. Happy Friday. Oh, and via SexistJerkFi more inside

Animal Terrorism Act Signed Into Law. Yes, the US Senate bill 3880 makes it illegal to commit "animal enterprise terror." Consistent with some interpretation, Animal Activist groups are now terrorist organizations. Demonstrations which cause animal-based businesses to lose profits are now terrorist acts. By the by, this bill passed with six votes, total. A tip o' the banana peel to the illustrious H-dogg for many of these a-hear links more inside

How's Your Boy? (NewsFilter) Virginia Senator-elect Jim Webb recently declined to stand in a receiving line to meet President Bush. But President Bush sought him out. A testy exchange followed. A sign of things to come? more inside

Bush Goes to Vietnam The president said there was much to be learned from the Vietnam War -- the longest conflict in U.S. history -- as his administration contemplates new strategies for the war in Iraq, now in its fourth year. "My first reaction is history has a long march to it" Bush said. Bush, Vietnam, Iraq, Vietnam, Bush, Quagmire, Bush more inside

UC Berkeley Study Finds Web only 1% Pronography more inside

Battery-Powered Jesus Rejected! . . as an appropriate toy by the excellent Toys for Tots organization. more inside

A Cold Night In Workington. A man seeks solace in the local bar. But No! A Pubwatch scheme has identified the man as a troublemaker. A lout! A common drunk-and-disorderly. What does one man have to do to get a beer in this lousy town?? That's right . . . Fart Spray. more inside

Dukakis In A Tank As the votes are counted from todays USA mid-term elections, and inspired by this Simpsons episode, why not take a moment to remember how a single photo-op can affect a campaign. more inside

Radio Expedition Into Ancient Egyptian Garbage What would you expect to find among the papyrii that were discovered in an ancient Egyptian landfill? Can you say Porn? What about alternative interpretations of the Bible (The number of the beast isn't 666, btw, ymmv). This downloadable radio show (available in whole or in part) is an entertaining listen, and you just might learn something. Like what ancient porn sounds like.

'Only 50 Years Left' for Sea Fish .

Tom Waits Interview in the Observer "Waits talks like he sings, in a rasping drawl and with an old-timer's wealth of received wisdom. It's as if, in late middle-age, he has grown into the person he always wanted to be. His tales are often tall, and his metaphors and similes tend towards the surreal. 'Writing songs is like capturing birds without killing them,' he quips. 'Sometimes you end up with nothing but a mouthful of feathers.'" via linkfilter

Yesterday: "Q Would you agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives? THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's a no-brainer for me . . " Today: White House denies Cheney hailed 'water boarding' Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary: "You know as a matter of common sense that the vice president of the United States is not going to be talking about water boarding. Never would, never does, never will," Snow said. "You think Dick Cheney's going to slip up on something like this? No, come on." (emphasis added) And now today's Pop Quiz: How Dumb Do They Think We Are? more inside

100 Million Year Old Bee Experts believe pollen-dependent bees arose from carnivorous wasp ancestors. With the arrival of pollinating bees, flowering plants blossomed on Earth. Prior to 100 million years ago, the plant world was dominated by conifers which spread their seeds on the wind. Do we have bees to thank for all the flowers in the world? Mayhap! more inside

Bush Uses The Google Yes, hot on the heels of the megahit "The Internets", the red hot despotic act POTUS releases a new single The Google, on which the eponymous "Google Maps" is misunremembered, but email - is eschewed. more inside