Every week I browse dozens of websites and note down links that might one day find their way into this blog. Most don't, but that doesn't mean they're not interesting.
Here, for example, is the answer to a question I've often asked myself: What Is the Link Between a Horse's Arse and Space Shuttles? Surprisingly, there is one!

Speaking of things spacey, the Phoenix lander will hit the Martian atmosphere on May 25, and scientists are preparing themselves for "seven minutes of terror" according to the BBC.

Someone experiencing considerably more than seven minutes of terror because of the BBC is knitting and sci-fi fanatic Mazzmatazz. And all because she/he published knitting patterns of the monsters on Dr Who!

From the monstrous to the delightful. Pavs at linuxhaxor.net has collected screenshots of 10 stunning Linux desktops to demonstrate what can be done. Wow!

OpenOffice.org version 3.0 beta is out with a host of new features. Here's the download link for all operating systems. If you're an Ubuntu user, Tombuntu has a way you can try it out without disturbing the current version. (The final version is scheduled for release in September.)

Security guru Bruce Schneier is always worth keeping an eye on. Laptops, PDAs and even cellphones are increasingly being seized and searched by Customs agents -- especially US ones. His guide to the do's and don'ts of protecting your data is here.

The laptop snatchers' are probably using COFEE -- the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor -- a Microsoft bundle of 150 off-the-shelf computer forensics tools.

BusinessWeek joined in Vista bashing last week, reporting that General Motors might skip the operating system entirely and wait for Windows 7. That's scheduled for 2010 or 2011, or -- on the Microsoft slippage calendar -- somewhere around 2015.

And of course no roundup of links would be complete without a clip from the Bulgarian version of Pop Idol. It seems that Valentina Hasan -- who has "little bit broken English" -- decided to perform a song she learned from her cassette recorder; that well known Mariah Carey hit "Ken Lee"...



And if you think she made a horse's arse of herself doing that... perhaps not. According to this Bulgarian news item, internet exposure has led to two record companies pursuing her. And she's working on a sequel!