Phlegmatic

OK, we haven’t had a Phligm Phlagm post since mid-October, and the world was a different place back then.

I’ve been busy all right? Anyway, here’s the first load of links to catch up on. Feel free to take your time over them…

Christmas Reading List 2025

The Red Dwarf theme tune has secret lyrics, and they've only just been discovered. (But they’re actually suprisingly easy to hear once you know about them!)

What would you call a mystery species of aurochs / bison known only from cave paintings? The Higgs Bison of course!

I think we can call this "corruption", don't you?

Canoes are racist now, apparently. (Or to put it another way, the University of Victoria employs a complete fuckwit as its Professor of English, apparently.)

£250,000 gold coin found in child's pirate treasure collection.

"Kid needs permission slip to read 'Fahrenheit 451', his dad's response is brilliant." Of course, both teacher and dad (as well as almost everyone else) have in fact misinterpreted what the book is about.

One of the overlooked greats of RPG art: Russ Nicholson. I love his stuff.

Dilbert creator Scott Adams on being bullied by Clinton supporters.

True story: The raven in Poe's poem was inspired by Charles Dickens's pet raven.

OK, now will leftards shut up about tax 'avoidance'?

"...where he displayed upper body strength far beyond his supposed years and also was able to completely strip a rifle at a shooting range."

You don't need this laptop either.

The latest target of the PC police - Gilbert & Sullivan.

"Controversy as Chester Zoo opens 'Wrexham Scally Enclosure'". (I should point out that Homo Wrexhamius Scalliensis Chavus is pretty much confined to the southern part of Wrexham, not the nice bit where I’m from…)

Why Gandhi is such an asshole in Civilisation.

The Curious Case of the (Medieval) Weapon that Didn't Exist

Why you can't just have more quantitative easing to get rid of the national debt.

This is not a 512gb microSD card.

The worst football kits of all time. They’re all bad, but Colorado, seriously…?

This month's best headline is from an astronomy website.

"A lousy, stupid, no good, bad, law is being proposed."

Star Wars Episode IV in a single image. (OK, it’s a very big image, but still…)

Minimalist, anonymous rooms are probably not a good place to do teamwork.

"We all owe a significant debt to Richard Murphy." No, really.

I'm an only child, so I can't really relate to this. Nevertheless I thought it was a sweet film about growing up being “Player Two”.

Woman accidentally joins search party looking for herself.

Today's most widely misinterpreted piece of economics, from the IMF. There are two arguments put forward in the paper. The first is that there are risks associated with capital account liberalisation (allowing money into and out of the country with less regulation). The second is that although high public debt is bad for growth and welfare, for countries with excellent records of debt repayment, like the US, the UK and Germany, a “credible medium-term fiscal consolidation” makes more sense than a “fiscal noose today”. In other words, slowly bringing down debt as a percentage of GDP, not slashing everything to balance the budget as soon as possible. Now that’s pretty much what the UK’s current fiscal policy is. Still I suppose “IMF economists broadly agree with George Osborne” isn’t quite as good a headline as “You’re witnessing the death of neoliberalism – from within”. Seriously, this is a paper that says “There is much to cheer in the neoliberal agenda. The expansion of global trade has rescued millions from abject poverty. Foreign direct investment has often been a way to transfer technology and know-how to developing economies. Privatization of state-owned enterprises has in many instances led to more efficient provision of services and lowered the fiscal burden on governments”… and Facebook (and one of our less reputable newspapers) is full of idiots claiming that “we are witnessing the death of neoliberalism”.­

"Stabbing victim pulls knife out of own neck, kills terrorist"

Celebrating "the diversity of world culture" is now racist, apparently.

Then and Now photos of my hometown of Wrexham

Recommending someone for an award is now a heinous crime, apparently.

A 1984 television programme shows us how to send an email.

Interesting article for those of you, like me, who are late sleepers. (I agree that the world of work seems to discriminate against late sleepers, but everything else works in our favour. Entertainment takes place at night, not first thing in the morning, for example. In fact, when you think about it, must fun things do.)

Apple was founded by three people. Here's an article about the one who wasn't called Steve.

"Socialism...really?"

How IBM managed to charge $1.4million for a coin-toss simulator.

The best business schools now recruit people with both experience of industry and teaching ability. (…and so does my university, which is how I’m there. However, since the business school is only in its second year, it might be a while before we catch up with Harvard…)

Japan is more low-tech than you might think.

...and Sony has just finished making Betamax cassettes. (I bet there are still fanboys out there arguing that the picture quality is better than VHS.)

Not for the first time, I thought we'd reached Peak Guardian, but no!

The sad tale of the man who designed the Diamond Jubilee Barge.

Visiting every Toby Carvey in Britain with a blind photographer.

7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding (Actually, they’re more things you might like to avoid than really appalling sins, but hey.)

A really nice map of Expert D&D Module X1: The Isle of Dread

'Virtue signalling' is not virtue. Good point. (And I am aware of the irony of linking to this post using social media.)

Christmas trees are "like catnip" to lions.

So you've spent thousands on gold-plated network cables and power leads, but there's still something not quite right about your hi-fi. Could it be your NAS drive?

The bows of The Hobbit.

The Yamural Curse - most residents of this Colombian village have dementia by the age of 40.

KILLER NAZI SUPER-COWS!!!!!!

How do dragons get their hoards to where they want them?

Red hot nickel dropped in water. You need the sound turned on to appreciate this.

Billy Joel playing harmonica looks like dying Anakin Sywalker

The Israeli government has had enough with anti-semitic LibDem MP David Ward.

Here's a great time-sink - side by side historic maps and modern maps.

A version of The Hobbit for those who complain that the film trilogy is too long.

Streaming Doctor Who on a 31 year old TRS-80. From floppy disks.

There are now about 100,000 bushmen on Earth. For most of humanity's existence as a species, most humans were bushmen.

Comets did not bring water to Earth.

"How I defeated the Tolkien Estate"

One in seven people arrested in Britain last year was a foreigner.

I love this black velvet Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Am I the only one who thinks that all eight of these "amazing workplaces guaranteed to give you office envy" look like awful environments to work in?

Why Brazil changed the names of two characters in Star Wars Episode II.

Clever comparison chart for anyone looking to buy a new smartphone.

The story of Brazil's yellow and green jersey.

Examining the implications of the Fermi Paradox.

Plug-in 'safety' socket covers are very unsafe.

Seven grammar 'errors' you shouldn't worry about. (This makes perfect sense until the last two lines.)

Like Kerbal Space Program? You need a custom controller.

Argentina is getting exactly what it deserves. (Nothing to do with football, although while we’re at it, I would _love_ it if Germany humiliates the dirty, cheating, slimy, Falklands-invading bastards the way they humiliated Brazil.)

Typography gift ideas.

Alfredo di Stefano has died.

Following the success of 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Lord of the Rings', it was inevitable that someone else would bring an epic work of fantasy literature to the screen. This wouldn't have been my pick, but who knows...?

Doctor Who fan art by Peter Capaldi, from 1976

These aren't just any network cables, these are...

10 big myths about World War One debunked

12 games you've never played (and should have done) (Actually, I’ve played Beyond Good & Evil – didn’t like it – and Ico – loved it, and have pictures of it hanging in my living room.)

10 classic games you can play online now

There's feeble badly written fan vids, there's impressive machinima and then there's Death Knight Love Story. It's got Joanna Lumley, Jack Davenport and Anna Chancellor in it! AND BRIAN BLESSED! (Created by cairmen.)

The incredible story of the Sahara Memorial.

Bunch of undergraduate astronomy students discover supernova during ten minute telescope training session.

A History of D&D in 12 Treasures

What could be more stupid than believing Richard Murphy? How about getting him mixed up with the blog that takes the piss out of him?