Up here in sunny Northland the locals don't seem to be aware that the end of the world is nigh and the Rapture is at hand. Don't they watch the telly? Of course it could be because the Rapture Index (aka the Dow Jones Industrial Average of end-of-time activity) isn't actually anywhere near all-time, make that end-of-time, highs.

Sigh.

Anyways, from Mark an explanation why the Irish can't say no. I thought that was only when it came to drinking. He also sends this on the dangers of too much weather.

Chris goes, like, so gross, with disgusting foods including ancient Arabia's "mellified man". Yum-o! He also sends a relic of early, post-revolution Cuba, via Stumble Upon, "when spirits were higher and cultural enrichment was a more pragmatic than idealistic goal", the remains of lost art schools.

Via Arts & Letters Only four Shakers are left in the world, all living in southern Maine, and unless the church can attract new converts, it’s heading for oblivion. Following on from Mark's recent story about economists who "make economics less economical", the Economist reckons we cannot live without big, ambitious economic models but neither can we entirely trust them.

Viking Penguin is about to publish the unedited version of Jack Kerouac’s hugely influential novel On The Road.

Chris isn't suggesting we knew it at the time, but some of us NZBCers were talking about prosopagnosia in the pub on Friday, over lunch. In fact he thinks he has it. I have it too, but consider it a blessing.

From me, and speaking of drinking, here's a man who took his responsibilities really seriously (more here).

That's it. Go away.