Mad Minerva Blog is moving house! The new blog, Mad Minerva 2.0, is at: http://madminerva.blogspot.com/   Thanks to all for nearly 4 lovely years at Blog-City.This URL will remain online for archival purposes. 

2007 is nearly over!  It's time now for predictions for 2008.  A witty writer for the Telegraph has these amusing, satirical forecasts for 2008.  Here is a sample:Google announces plans to buy a 40 per cent stake in the year 2009.

Since the holidays are a busy traveling season, here is a new ranking of Europe's worst airports!#1 on the list as the world's worst?  The insufferable hellhole better known as London Heathrow. Well, all I can say is -- I've spe

Ummmm . . . yeah. Maybe it'd be easier just to read "The Arabian Nights" or watch Disney's "Aladdin," which has a flying carpet with personality. Oooo, oooooh!  Wait!  I have an idea!  Maybe this Harvar

Here it is. You already know how I feel about mandatory "diversity training." (otherwise known as "trafficking in scapegoats and stereotypes.") Link xie-xie to the inimitable Instapundit, the most famous professor-blogger of

I find this just hilariously funny.  A few days ago, China launched an anti-corruption website.  The website then crashed on the same day; it was overwhelmed with an avalanche of unhappy people logging on to complain about government corrup

Beijing + jingoism = "Beijingoism." What a fantastically witty name for the inevitable and ever-increasing mess of propaganda about the upcoming Olympics.   Well, whatever you want to call it, expect more of it.  I expect to

Yes, that's $30 million in American dollars. A pretty penny indeed:"The Taiwan government's National Development Fund on Tuesday said that it would invest US$30 million into an Israeli venture capital fund. The move is seen as a br

Even better?  This fellow is a former government official.  More here:Chen [Yuhau], 65, a retired Commerce Ministry official and U.N. Development Program accountant, said he sued because he believes that, under China's law and the Commu

17-year-old Rachel Rosenfeld of New York heard about the hardships of poor students in southeast Asia. So she went out and raised $52,000 to build a new school in Cambodia.FABULOUS. Plus a great example of that good old American can-do sp

This cartoon, one of the latest bits of humor from the People's Cube. Take a look at the holiday-themed section.For more, see humorist/commentator Oleg Atbashian's latest. The Communist "dictionary" at the end is worth a

Well, this is one of the more unusual ideas I've heard coming out of the world of Egyptology!

Happy Boxing Day to all you Brits!Now to today's post-holiday posting.  I have to confess: I'm tired of choirs and Christmas carols.  Yes, yes, they're all very very beautiful, but after an entire day of carols, I want something

Merry Christmas to all! The Nativity by Federico Barocci (1597); currently in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain On this festive day, I give you a few links fit for the season:~BBC Radio 4 has its annual broadcast (available via Interne

The gorgeous Christmas song "Silent Night" first appeared on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Austria (in a little town near Salzburg).  "Stille Nacht" went on to become one of the most recognizable songs in the world. The Austrians

It's a Mad Minerva Blog holiday tradition -- every Christmas Eve, MM invites her gentle readers to track Santa as he flies around the world to deliver gifts to good boys and girls. (Thank goodness he also delivers gifts to naughty kids too, or MM

I didn't realize that the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life" is in the public domain!Here it is via Google Video.  Enjoy!  The immortal Jimmy Stewart is fantastic, and he is the ultimate "Everyman" who really

That's right! The Royals now have their own YouTube channel at http://uk.youtube.com/TheRoyalChannel.The Queen's Christmas Day speech will be broadcast there tomorrow. For the present, you can enjoy the YouTube version of her 1957

Read it and weep, Oxbridge!The Ivy League is luring record numbers of talented British students away from applying to Oxford and Cambridge. I can tell you from personal experience that there is an entire British diaspora in the Ivy League!

Keep an eye on this: Chinese farmers are beginning to say that they have the right to own their land.This could potentially be a huge development, particularly in light of how the rural population of China has suffered under the depredations of the g

BUH-BYE!The remains of Chiang Kai-shek and his son are leaving Taiwan and going back to China. Personally, I think the faster Taiwan can divest itself of Chiang's legacy, the better. You recall that I've been quite supportive of e

Her name is Zhen Zhen, and she is ADORABLE.Click for news story and video clip.  Too cute! 

Really?A fruitcake that's actually good?  Well, Christmas IS a time for miracles.   I think I'll stay with my stollen and panettone, thanks.

Does Japan's pacifist constitution allow it to fight Godzilla ? The Japanese defense minister wants to know!Well, I guess it's good to know that he's thinking outside the box on defense issues . . . though he'd probably be bette

Well, I suppose this is no surprise.Taiwan is gearing up for a national referendum on trying to join the UN with the name "Taiwan." Condi Rice has proceeded to blast the idea as "provocative."Maybe. To Beijing.