World to end on August 22 (Brian Whitaker, The Guardian, 9.8.06)

If it's reported by the Wall Street Journal it must be true!

PS: The comments on this blog entry are actually entertaining. I must try out the recipe for blackcurrant jam before the Apocalypse cuts off the electricity.

Sexually charged music directly impacts teenage sexual habits, new study says - (BP)

Who else but the Rand Corporation could do a report on the impact of music on teenage sexuality?

And who better than the Southern Baptists' media arm for us to look to for reportage of the findings?

The full Randy press release can be found here.

Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years Of American Independence | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

What happens when one of my favourite websites takes the piss out of another of my favourite websites?

And this week's Yo Blair Award for stupid things you say when you think no one's listening goes to: Dean Jones.

"...the terrorist has got another wicket..."

- DM Jones, commenting on Hashim Amla's catch of Kumar Sangakkara off the bowling of Shaun Pollock, TEN Sports, 7.8.06

Seen listed one after the other in the "World" section of today's smh.com.au home page:

• 
• Britons to stage 'masturbate-a-thon'
• Spiderman's grip closer

Badminton fanatic Dan Chien began noticing a change in his shuttlecocks a few months ago. The feathers seemed thinner and his shuttlecocks were falling apart at an alarming rate.

- opening paragraph of article by Jia Rui-Chong (LA Times), via Lexington Herald, 31.7.06

LEBANON: An environmental disaster looms

BEIRUT, 29 Jul 2006 (IRIN) - Lebanon is facing an environmental crisis after an Israeli air strike on the Jiyeh power station, about 20km south of Beirut caused 10,000 tonnes of oil to spill into the Mediterranean sea.

The air strikes on 13 and 15 July hit the power station’s fuel tanks and the leaking oil was pushed north by winds, and a thick sludge now coats much of the Lebanese coastline. At least 80km of the 200km coastline is affected.

Riah Abu El-Assal is the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem. As presiding bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, he oversees the Anglican Church in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Yesterday he issued the following statement on the crisis in the Middle East:

Dear Friends,

Somerset 688 for 8. Surrey, in reply, 717 all out. If you were the curator at Woodbridge Road, Guildford, would you be proud of this? And why is the ECB silent?

Dancing on Lies

The latest Flash animation from Peter Nicholson and the Rubbery Figures crew.