Captain Renault: What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca? Rick: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Captain Renault: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert. Rick: I was misinformed.

A view from the Independent

Roger Ebert on Casablanca, first shown 26 November 1942.

Fourteen essays about Casablanca.

Iain Banks stirring up trouble!

"Maps are an excellent propaganda weapon against a (geo)political enemy. We trust cartography instinctively to ‘show us the right way’, and thus be truthful; but maps always reflect the mapmakers goals"

"when marine scientists arrived at the island in the Coral Sea off Australia they were in for something of a shock: it didn't exist."

"Every nation is entitled to defend itself. But unless violence is part of a political strategy, it rarely creates real security."

Just for reference.

@terryandrob interviewed by @pennyred.

Genuinely diverse set if interviewees, though a fairly consistent set of answers.

Gerbert of Aurillac (aka Pope Sylvester II).

Here's hoping....

What @TxTbUk has been up to.

"One of the best-kept secrets in Christianity".

On iOS and iPhone, waiting for the Android version...

The General Council of Monty Python have today rejected moves to enable women to become directors of Monty Python films. This comes twenty years after it was agreed that women could attempt to tell jokes on screen, but were not allowed to ascend to the position of director.

The Economist looks at the numbers. Number of Israelis killed by fire from Gaza between January 1st 2012 and November 11th 2012: 1 Number of Palestinians in Gaza killed by Israeli fire during the same period: 78

The youngest participant in European Parliament sessions, now aged two.

End of an era.

More expensive - less economically viable?

Difficult to see how Galway hospital can independently investigate itself!

Oops.

How and why Lem's honorary SFWA membership was revoked.

@thenicolabryant, @Sophie_Aldred & @Lou_Jameson (with @SylvesterMcCoy and @tuckerspatch, sort of)

Fascinating.

And it's no joke.

How the story was broken.