Interesting eyewitness account of the German surrender on VE Day.

Ad Access “presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955” and has some genius images.

“PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Just go read it. (via buggery.org)

Woo! Scored

Peter Garrett on nuclear power.

The space hijackers are back, challenging MPs to a test match in Parliament Square this May Day.

Hello Cthulhu!

In other news, Sir Joh is dead. It would be rude to wish that three times is the charm and Howard will be next.

Really interesting re-evaluation of the Elizabeth Gaskell-based representation of Charlotte Bronte based on her own letters. It’s particularly hot on Bronte as hornbag, but I loved this letter:
“I had been toiling for nearly an hour. I sat sinking from irritation and weariness into a kind of lethargy. The thought came over me: am I to spend all the best part of my life in this wretched bondage, forcibly suppressing my rage at the idleness, the apathy and the hyperbolic and most asinine stupidity of these fat-headed oafs and on compulsion assuming an air of kindness, patience and assiduity? Must I from day to day sit chained to this chair prisoned within these four bare walls, while the glorious summer suns are burning in heaven and the year is revolving in its richest glow and declaring at the close of every summer day the time I am losing will never come again? Just then a dolt came up with a lesson. I thought I should have vomited.”

Tragic Onion horoscope: “Although circumstances will force you to take a menial job requiring a nametag, it will not lead to anyone knowing your name” and good Pope slideshow.