Gareth explains (quite rightly) why Facebook "seriously sucks for serious discussion. Seriously."

there are some remarkable instances, in which Zoroaster lays aside the prophet, assumes the legislator, and discovers a liberal concern for private and public happiness, seldom to be found among the grovelling or visionary schemes of superstition

Andy Carcia to play Saakashvili in big-budget Holywood movie about last year's war filmed in Tbilisi. Meanwhile Emir Kusturica will be in South Ossetia, directing a film taking the other point of view. I am not making this up.

Stephen Fry apologises to Poland and has interesting thoughts on Twitter and democracy

Woman denied the right to comfort her dying partner because they were a same-sex couple

Where do vowels come from?

On the younger Gordian: Twenty-two acknowledged concubines, and a library of sixty-two thousand volumes, attested the variety of his inclinations, and from the productions which he left behind him, it appears that the former as well as the latter were designed for use rather than ostentation.

Thanks to communicator

My own comment - this is not the first I have heard of this rumour; we should take it seriously.

Why Eight is not canon (old post)

Fascinating review of an even more fascinating article on Manchester's book about what happened in Dallas on 22 November 1963

Recipes

In a magnificent temple raised on the Palatine Mount, the sacrifices of the god of Elagabalus were celebrated with every circumstance of cost and solemnity. The richest wines, the most extraordinary victims, and the rarest aromatics, were profusely consumed on his altar. Around the altar a chorus of Syrian damsels performed their lascivious dances…

Sad news.

The Sensorites / The Web Planet / Tomb of the Cybermen / The Krotons, all available to watch for free worldwide

For the inaugural stint in this high-profile function, EU citizens should expect the selection of a decent national statesman, a statesman with impeccable European credentials, a respected and experienced politician, with a genuine ability to convince his former colleagues with the right mix of technical and political skills. Blair is not that man…

So Tony Blair is being considered for the job of European Union president... If the new, improved, post-Lisbon EU is to have any credibility or integrity, it needs a different leader.

After Pertinax is murdered, the Prætorian Guards auction the empire to the highest bidder, one Didius Julianus. His rule is contested by Clodius Albinus in Britain, Septimius Severus in Pannonia, and Pescennius Niger in Syria. Septimius Severus outwits and kills the other three (starting with Didius Julianus), and settles down to rule Rome.

This chapter is about 70% Commodus and 30% Pertinax; the former reigned for 13 years and the latter less than three months. Though from what Gibbon says, Pertinax is much the more attractive of the two as characters. A lot about Commodus himself, but it is rather long on outrage at his infamy (...infamy, they've all got it in for me) and short on …

Disgraceful.

...without public announcements, the administration of President George W. Bush removed all nuclear weapons from Greece in 2001 and from Britain in 2008, plus withdrawing most of the deployed weapons from Germany in 2007 and a large number from Italy... Today, five countries [Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey] host ‘tactical' nuc…

"At this point the challenge is how to go about flushing out the Cyprus moon rock"

and watch the complete canonical Whoniverse in one sitting without toilet breaks, sleep or anything else, it'd take you 15 days, 19 hours and 36 minutes to get through One-Ten, Torchwood, Sarah Jane, even K-9 & Company.

Scroll down for his interview with a Czech journalist