There are now podcasts of three Religion & Ethics programmes: Beyond Belief, Thought for the Day and the Sunday programme. You all know what Thought is. Sunday is a religious news programme, factual in tone. Beyond Belief is a discussion programme with some cool topics (check the drop-down list on its page to hear past programmes, on things like creation myths, creationism, meat, Mary Magdalene...) and seems to be very well received critically.

The podcasts are accessible from the programmes' individual pages or our audio/video page. (And these are 'actual' podcasts, as in syndication, not us trying to glorify a bog-standard mp3 download with a trendy name. Heavens forfend!)

Yes, I'm really going to talk about comic books. Bear with me.

I was already very aware that the reason I enjoy this particular title is the dysfunctional friendship between the two main characters.¹ In fact, in some aspects, it ranges almost uncomfortably close to the relationship between two of my own characters, and I knew that was part of the furtive attraction of the comics for me.

However, I may have to stop reading, because they're apparently reading my mind in return. The other night I picked up the last few issues to catch up. And lo, in one of them, the dialogue went so close to the tentative 'famous last words' I'd sketched in for a possible character death that I was left speechless. And suffering the usual "am I so unoriginal" writer angst. Thanks, Marvelbutts.

Unrelatedly, I have a book on my desk about animals in wartime, lent by a colleague. It looks like it's going to be a superb read; it's just getting it home safely that has me nervous, because it's a rather big square hardback with dust jacket.

¹ Dysfunctional friendships just do it for me, ok? What with all the fucked-up need and the Odd Couple squabbles and the "why the hell am I doing this" moments and the banter and the glorious non-sexuality of it all.

Not that there's anything wrong with sex jokes or fan 'shipping. I find that cute and amusing. I just don't roll that way.

Conservative leader David Cameron should "unveil the party's soul" rather than make "vacuous" reforms, ex-deputy leader Michael Ancram has warned.
--BBC: Tories warned not to lose 'soul'

That's exactly what they don't want to do — let slip their party's misogynistic, racist, WASPish, reactionary soul! Nobody bothers sucking up to their core voters, after all.

See? The mere existence of Finland makes everything automatically awesome.

Unfortunately, their printer has now run out of black ink.

Livestock breeds face 'meltdown'

I look forward to seeing the haxx0rs get their hands on this. *still not buying a mobile phone!*

In "no, duh?" news, men go for looks while women go for wealth.

Also, men don't like to smooch.

Spy hard! Yeah I'm just gonna 'test' this naturist magazine for 'hidden writing'. I'll be in the toilets.

This is a half-interesting question. Ban all materials written by convicted criminals? Is 'The Paedo' transmissible through writing?

Pupils 'shunning healthier meals'. This is because their stupid chav parents do things like this.

Oh Lucy, you're adorabubble.

Cyber crime tool kits go on sale

INTARWEBS KILLED THE CINEMA STAR O NOES. Maybe this'll teach the 'plexes not to charge a fiver for a dispenser drink and treat us all like criminals with their patronising "don't film this film" trailers.

BBC reveals Doctor Who 'gap year'

We have a serious problem these days with actors seemingly unable to commit for a long run. It doesn't matter so much with the companions, but if Tennant bails like the last one he's going to cut that cash cow's throat right in its prime; here's why. (Tennant is the tenth, so they'll only have three more incarnations before the party's over.)

I suspect more magic wand waving in the very near future.

If there's a romantic connection with this new companion too, I'll scream and throttle things. Y halo thar subtlety and non-sex-obsessedness, where've you been? Mainstream turning into fanfiction for the ginormous fail. *grumbles*

Check out the cute mini-god. Awww.

edit: poor pigu!