“Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers, new research has claimed.” (BBC)

Too cute: transported with joy

Historic occasion yesterday.
I went to the gym for the first time in months, and Neighbours was on! Oh, and the new Pope was announced.
Archbishop Tutu put it well: “We would have hoped for someone more open to the more recent developments in the world, the whole question of the ministry of women and a more reasonable position with regards to condoms and HIV/Aids”. (BBC)
Not to mention someone who wasn’t homophobic.
Still, the new guy is old so hopefully he’ll die soon.

I finished Shirley Hazzard’s Transit of Venus last night – absolutely loved it, and will read it again soon – and did a quick google to see what others thought.
Apart from reading an Amazon reviewer that made me want to read more of their reviews for the first time, I loved the review from the woman who sniffs, “it’s no Jane Austin”. Jane Austin? No, I guess it’s not.

“Stone-age figurines depicting what could be the oldest pornographic scene in the world have been unearthed in Germany.
Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the 7,200-year-old remnants of a man having intercourse with a woman.” (Guardian)
The best bit? They’ve given the figurine of a man the name “Adonis von Zschernitz”.

“The human race is living beyond its means. A report backed by 1,360 scientists from 95 countries – some of them world leaders in their fields – today warns that the almost two-thirds of the natural machinery that supports life on Earth is being degraded by human pressure.” (Guardian)

Perfect for me: www.hippyshopper.com.

Bit old now, but still a goodie: Banksy hits New York.

They never told me this at (Catholic) school: Boys can wait.

Finally, you can vote on BBC images at Am I Abstract or Not.