Interesting links

Truth or Consequences, a town in New Mexico named after a gameshow, was the first, but not the last. ABC reports on towns that brand themselves for cash, or TV.

Dilbert’s creator has an amusing new blog.

The ever-excellent Ben Goldacre discusses the fact-lite coverage of MRSA in the tabloids.

The Sunday Times reports that the MoD is selling off Burlington, a massive nuclear fallout shelter designed to house the Queen, the Prime Minister and 4,000 civil servants. The city lies 120 feet underground in an old mine in the West Country – and with a rail connection from the

In a discussion on imperialism on Metafilter, someone said that the Indian flag had been patterned on the Irish tricolour, by way of solidarity between anti-imperialist national movements. I thought this sounded a bit odd, so did some research. The Indian flag, image from Flags of the World I’d

Wikipedia has an international list of enacting formulae – the bits that go at the front of Acts of Parliament. Though not a monarchist by any means, I always think that the British enacting formula is pleasantly orotund: BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with

The National Archives present a selection of public information films from the 40s and 50s, including the famous ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’. BBC News magazine considers the genre.

The Stranger (Seattle) reports an art/beer project, of a quite … er … intimate nature. Link (not necessarily safe for work) via MeFi.

Lots of interesting historical material, from Zola Budd to Kosovo, on the FCO’s Freedom of Information site.

I thought this was very clever. The Goethe Institut – Germany’s answer to the British Council – are offering courses in ‘German for football fans’, in the run-up to the World Cup there next year.