Miscellaneous

. . . or they'll jump on yours: > More than a quarter of obese and overweight people do not want to lose weight, a survey says. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4589010.stm]

I've made no secret of my opinion: Joseph Epstein is the best essayist in America. When he writes, people oughtta read, for the simple elegance of his prose, if nothing else. He has now written a great piece about the decline of the newspapers. Link [http://www.commentarymagazine.

Rocket-powered bike [http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/f5dec714c2648010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html] . Zero to 60 in five seconds.

An award-winning pastry chef has opened a bakery that caters only for dogs in Paris [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1671047.html].

From a story late last night: > Twelve miners caught in an explosion in a coal mine were found alive Tuesday night, more than 41 hours after the blast, family members said. > Bells at a church where relatives had been gathering rang out as family members ran out screaming

> Winter begins now, when there's nothing left to look forward to and nothing left to look at. One final blessing on this side of the holiday divide is: At least there's not much daylight for looking. That's from Darragh Johnson's dirge

For the hugging types in my audience: How to give a hug [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1326555]. Related: When it is acceptable for a man to hug another man [https://thedailyeudemon.com/1108/] (see last paragraph).

> A human rights group is alleging the United States operated a secret prison near Afghanistan's capital as recently as last year. > The group claims that music by Eminem and Dr. Dre were used as instruments of torture. Link [http://www.kcra.com/news/5577000/detail.html]

> A German art expert was fooled into believing a painting done by a chimpanzee was the work of a master. > The director of the State Art Museum of Moritzburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Katja Schneider, suggested the painting was by the Guggenheim Prize-winning artist Ernst Wilhelm Nay. >

> German towns may erect 'No Prostitutes Here' signs over fears an army of call girls are coming for the 2006 World Cup. Link [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1653451.html]. Where sin isn't discouraged, it's encouraged. Where it isn't