Here’s a quote from a story in today’s Independent talking about the problems experienced by satirists in Putin’s Russia. It’s an interesting read - and one sentence in particular stood out.

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Just spotted this lovely story on the BBC News website: a Swiss amateur parachutist has made a successful descent using a replica of a parachute designed more than 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci. And there’s a video of the jump too so you can see the design - quite different from a modern [...]

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This is definitely my top pick for headline of the day. From the New York Times, it appeals to me because of its Charlie and the Chocolate Factory connotations. I’m not so sure the story itself is nearly as interesting, but we can dream for a little while:
Candy Maker Reported Near Deal for Chewing Gum [...]

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Here’s something to ponder in those long, quiet hours before Doctor Who is on. I’m reading an excellent book at the moment called The Many-Coloured Land by Julian May.

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I am informed that the phenomenon of goats in a tree is completely real and genuine and that there is no production company slightly off-camera in the following video clip putting the goats in the trees then filming them coming down again.

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Bloody hell, this one takes some beating. Note particularly the remark of the judge when faced with an apparent no-show by the defendant.

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Kudos to this guy for persevering with his goal in the face of what must be considerable discouragement. Here’s hoping he has more successes in the future.

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It transpires that Robbie Williams has been spending the time he’s taking out from his recording career exploring a very serious interest in the paranormal. And, when he decided to go to a conference in Nevada on alien abduction, who on earth else would he call up to accompany him but Jon Ronson?
Here’s Ronson’s resulting [...]

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Prince Charles and his offspring (real and presumed) really do make you believe increasingly in republicanism, don’t they?

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Here’s an incredible tale from The New York Times - an orchestra falling foul of European health and safety legislation on noise. I knew that sitting in front of the brass section could be a hazard, but it turns out to be vastly more complex than that.

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