Sunday smörgåsbord

There was no smörgåsbord last Sunday because the day was devoted to "Blog appreciation." So today I have a superabundance of offerings. There has to be at least one thing in this list that will fascinate you...

"Montaigne... wrote in his autobiography that he wanted to die quietly. He died in 1592 of abscesses in his throat grown so large that they cut off his ability to speak." This anecdote from a review of the "Book of Dead Philosophers." More re the book after I get a chance to read it.

"The Calendar of Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of Henry VIII is now complete. Covering the whole reign of Henry VIII, the calendars give direct access to key events, such as the divorce from Katherine of Aragon, the Henrician Reformation, and the fall of Thomas Cromwell." It's truly amazing what you can find to read online. Go to this link, pick a sublink, and start reading. You might find something fascinating.

If you search Amazon for "Girl Scout Cookies" you will see things you weren't expecting...

The CIA has revealed certain secrets about restaurant menus. You can get an overview at Consumer Reports, or in more detail at the CIA's website.

Fears about vaccines causing autism have caused so many California parents to obtain exemptions for the children that "herd immunity" is disappearing in primary schools there.

HULU has compiled 62 episodes of the superb NOVA series. Aussies and others for whom HULU is blocked can access material through NOVA's YouTube channel.

The number of butterflies in the U.K. is reportedly plunging. The decrease is blamed on a combination of wet summers and loss of habitat.

In the U.K. is is now permissible to watch a woman having an orgasm before 11 p.m. Video at the link.

A panoramic photo of Obama speaking at a public gathering in Prague. For those new to panoramas, just zoom in/out, then click and hold while moving your mouse over the photo.

One of the rarest sea creatures in the world was recently accidentally caught by Phillipine fishermen. Only 40 of the "megamouth shark" have ever been seen. The fishermen ate this one.

The Colorado motor vehicle licensing bureau has forbidden a woman from putting "ILVTOFU" on her vanity plate. She claims to love tofu. They say it's only two letters short of being a sexual profanity.

Catholic priests have been advised to stop saying "Good Morning" to their congregations. The phrase is apparently considered to be "too distracting."

A woman in Texas has won a court judgment that allows her to have sperm harvested from her dead son so that she can have a grandchild through the use of a surrogate mother.

The FBI believes that serial killers are working in this country disguised as long-haul truckers. They have compiled a database of 500 female victims whose bodies were discarded at truck stops, motels, and roadside locations.

Blind Muslims are reluctant to make use of guide dogs, since they consider the animals to be ritually unclean. One solution may be to substitute miniature horses, which are highly respected. Story from the Telegraph, and video at Arbroath.

A Slate op-ed piece presents the reasons why Israel is likely to bomb Iran.

A Hawaiian chihuahua was born with only two legs. He serves as an inspiration to others. Video at the link.

There are 21 surviving prisoners of war from the 1991 Gulf War, according to the Department of Defense. However, there are 286 veterans receiving disability benefits as a POW from the Department of Veterans Affairs. An article at AOL explains why there are more POW claimants and beneficiaries than actual POWs (also true for Vietnam).

A Massachusetts legislator wants to ban elderporn and disabled porn. She does not believe that anyone over age 60 or anyone with a disability should be allowed to consent to pose in the nude.

It appears likely that stem cells can be used to reverse some forms of deafness.

A man in Kenya was attacked by a python, which began to pull him up into a tree. He bit the snake's tail and managed to reach his cell phone. Story at Arbroath.

One city block in Detroit. Viewable in a stitched-together pseudo-panorama of still photos. The process results in some weird visual effects, but concentrate instead on the state of the houses.

If you use those blue fitness balls for stretching or exercise, don't overinflate them. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that the blue balls can explode when you exercise.

China is rapidy adapting wind turbine technology. They are already the fourth-largest wind power producer in the world, and will double their capacity in just two more years. By 2020 the wind power capacity could be equivalent to five Three Gorges dams.

A husband shot his wife in the head. The "bullet from a .38-calibre handgun struck her squarely in the forehead, passed through her skull and exited through the back of her head." Afterwards she was fine, holding a rag to her forehead and making tea for the investigating officer.

Photo credit here (dessert buffet at the Bellagio).