Via Weasel Zippers: Two Moroccans arrested in Italy yesterday wanted to blow up the Milan Cathedral on Christmas. They hoped an attack during the busy holiday would cost dozens of lives. This according to tapped phone calls, reports La Repubblica. The two belonged to an Islamic terror cell which had been followed by the Italian police already for months. “The plot was discovered yet before the suspects could get explosives,”

A new BBC adaptation is being made of The Day of the Triffids, but why are we still prepared to believe in a post-apocalyptic world roamed by flesh-eating semi-sentient plants? And do we have a love affair with fictionalised destruction? It’s just awful, isn’t it? when people project their paranoia onto plants. All these Britons new no good could come from GM crops, but they hardly dared suspect it would

I may go out tomorrow if I can borrow a fur to wear Oh, I’d step out in style with my sincere smile and my psycho bear Outrageous, alarming, demented, barmy Oh, who would think a psycho bear Could be well accepted everywhere It’s just amazing how fair people can be Seen at the nicest places where Deutscher faces all stop to stare Making the grandest entrance is Gustav Klimt

Being another Serr8d joint

Al Franken’s campaign claims that he’s taken the lead in Minnesota. In related news, a movie about Muddy Waters is due to arrive in theaters soon. You can donate here.

Stolen from Curmudgeon at Power Line Blog Forum: Wilson Research Poll The 12 “Zogby” questions were duplicated, one on the Keating scandal was added for extra balance. The results from Obama voters were virtually IDENTICAL in both polls. Here are the highlights: 35 % of McCain voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct. 18% of Obama voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct. McCain voters knew

Nice work, if you can get it: As a great man of finance, Mr. Rubin would be paid CEO money — a total of $115 million since 1999, not including stock options — but without having to run a business or be accountable for the results. For years, journalists tried to figure out exactly what Mr. Rubin’s job was at Citigroup, and perhaps even his fellow Citi directors weren’t entirely

Some well-intentioned ninny at St. Mike’s asked me to sign this pile o’steaming, yesterday: Vermonters for the CCA The Civilian Claims Act is a bill written by Senator Leahy which would provide monetary compensation for innocent civilians accidentally harmed by the U.S. military in war zones. Currently, civilian losses are addressed by the Condolence Payments program which is both arbitrarily administered and inadequate. (It has a cap of $2500 per

An image driven by the metaphor of Ron Howard:

From my friend, Jonathan Wilton: Billabonk: to make passionate love beside a waterhole Bludgie: a partner who doesn’t work, but is kept as a pet Dodgeridoo: a fake indigenous artefact Fair drinkum: good-quality Aussie wine Flatypus: a cat that has been run over by a vehicle Mateshit: all your flat mate’s belongings, lying strewn around the floor Shagman: an unemployed male, roaming the Australian bush in search of sexual activity