Mat Bowles

OK, one of the basic rules of blogging is that links aren't there to help the blogger, they're there as a service to your readers. Consequently, although this link has little appeal to me, I provide it because I know a fair number of my friends are filthy perverted voyeurs who like looking at pictures of mostly naked young pretty people. Therefore, this link is fr all the filthy perverted types out there; the Leaky Couldron (a site I'm not known to frequent but I lost the via link, sorry), has pictures of Daniel Radcliffe almost naked taken from the publicity for his new play, Equus. Somehow, I suspect I'm going to attend that play at some point. Oh well, it looks like it might have a few redeeming features (the website can't seem to tell me who she is, any ideas out there?).

On the subject of Harry Potter fans; jantshira (and possibly others) would likely be interested in this quote by james_nicoll which he's repeated on his profile:

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

There's an icon with a paraphrase doing the rounds out there as well, but it's rather apposite to a few conversations I've had recently.

Now, via tyrell, this is rather good ad Bash.org, book report comparing Bill Clinton's memoirs with Titanic:

Titanic:..... The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and
subsequent catastrophe.
Clinton:..... The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and
subsequent catastrophe.

Titanic:..... Jack is a starving artist.
Clinton:..... Bill is a bullshit artist.

Perhaps of more general importance, one of Blair's best mates has been arrested (again), and of course we all believe Mr Blair's Spokesman when he says the sainted Tone had nothing to do with it, don't we children? Meh. Why is it always corruption that gets them? Invade a small country illegally after lying about the justification? No problem. 'Borrow' money to pay for an overbudgeted election campaign, and you get caught. Ah well, they got Capone on tax fraud after all.

Now this, on the other hand, is very cool, Stonehenge builders' houses found (also at CNN.com). How cool is that? Might have to make a small detour seing as the site is directly on the drive to Torquay from here.

Also, it looks like, if things keep going, we may actually get peace in our time! Well, in Northern Ireland, anyway, which is good enough given the history of the last 30 or so years. This also means a lovely new set of elections to watch, coming soon; sammymorse has already started an analysis of the more interesting battlegrounds, and I bow to his superior local knowledge (he was nhw's agent when he ran for the precursor to the assembly).

And last up, from Alex Lucard what has to be the weirdest hotel resort in existence. It's a former top security prison in Latvia, and you pay them to lock you up and be treated like a prisoner. Nice... (site is flash based, and thus BAD, but given I'm no longer on dial-up, it's actually loadable, still crap though, as entirely flash sites always are).

Lastly, a question: Would I be better off attending Les Miserables for the first time having read up on the plot, or going in cold?