Happy holidays to all readers of The Daily Grail! As is usual at this time of year, we'll all be taking a bit of a break and recharging the batteries while internet traffic is down. Postings will continue as the mood strikes us, but nothing is guaranteed. But rest assured we'll be back better than ever in 2012 to continue posting the latest news from the edges of science and history.

If you got something from the website over the past 360-odd days (and around here, they certainly are 'odd'), please consider returning the favour by helping us out financially with a small Xmas donation:

Here's looking forward to an interesting, though hopefully not apocalyptic, 2012! I leave you with this photo I took of the constellation Orion in the early evening here in Australia - hence the reason he's upside-down. It's one of the sure signs of Christmas to me, and staring into the interstellar distances represented by those pin-pricks in the sky is pretty much a religious experience for me (click for a larger version). All the best!

I just added a new advertising banner to the top of the page, which links to the Mysterious Universe website. Seeing as (a) I already visit MU regularly and enjoy the content there, and (b) like to support those who support TDG, I thought I'd make sure Grail readers know about the site (which has a great look about it BTW, to match the content):

Plenty of fascinating paranormal-themed content over there, check it out when you get the chance.

Note please: regular news updates are continuing, you can find them all in the river of news view. Leaving this story on the front page for the week so that all visitors get to see it (so far, from the last 38,000 page visits, we have 25 donations/subscriptions).

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In July last year I suggested that Daily Grail readers and supporters could help keep the site running, evolving, and independent by sending a small annual 'voluntary subscription' (ie. donation). The money raised certainly contributed enormously to the ongoing health of the Grail - my sincere thanks to all those who valued the site enough to part with their hard-earned coin, it is appreciated more than you probably imagine. Your support has enabled me to continue working on site improvements (work on the next upgrade is underway) as well as expand the Daily Grail's readership, contributor base, and our publishing efforts (stand by for a number of fascinating book releases).

Money raised in this fashion - now commonly known as "crowd-funding" - has become an essential part of independent publishing over the past year. And so, once again, I'm putting out a call for those that got something from TDG over the past year to give just a little back. Below you'll find a 'Donate' button through which you can send a secure, absolutely voluntary 'subscription' to The Daily Grail via PayPal (either using a PayPal account, or using credit card/bank account details):

You can enter any amount you like in the form. If you prefer to send a check, please email me personally to discuss it (there are significant bank fees involved for foreign checks being banked here in Australia): head to our Contact page and select 'Greg (editor') under the 'Category. (n.b. scummy people trying to buy TDG's user emails or advertising hidden as content: don't even bother, k thx.)

If you can't even afford to make a small donation, don't fret - you can certainly do other things to help the site. Support the advertising sponsors who purchase banner space by checking out their wares if they are of interest to you. Put links to The Daily Grail or our articles on your site, email them to your friends, or post them to Facebook or Twitter - if everyone brings a friend to the site, that doubles our readership, and hence doubles our advertising revenue.

Small things can make a big difference, especially when done in numbers - we appreciate any help you can offer us!

Just in case you didn't know, you can follow the Daily Grail on Twitter as well - I post interesting news as I find it, opinion, and updates on the site and upcoming books as I'm working on them. Still no substitute for the complete website, but still a handy extra resource for any self-respecting Grailer.

Read the feed directly at Twitter or alternatively follow updates using a desktop client or on your smartphone.

There were few more inspirational speakers than the late Bill Hicks. So I really enjoyed seeing this video of 'kinetic typography', which works brilliantly when connected to such an amazing lyricist. Though makes me incredibly sad that he's not around anymore.

I almost tear up when I listen to the end of this particular monologue...

Wonderful. (h/t @hey_dub)

This year I'll be working on yet another incarnation of The Daily Grail, to keep up with changes in back-end software etc. As I plan for this, I thought I'd post some polls and some posts such as this to gather feedback from readers.

To start with, I'd like to ask your thoughts on a preferred format for the front page (ie. the page that displays when you go to http://www.dailygrail.com). Back in the day, we use to have the 'river of news' format that remains popular at sites like Slashdot and Boing Boing (and which can still be accessed here via the 'Grail Blog' link at the top of the page). More recently we changed over to presenting a summary page, trying to point out the newer and more important content on the site, so that those stories didn't get lost in the mix as the daily deluge of news stories got posted. I've found there are both positives and negatives to the change: on the plus side, some stories that I think deserve extended coverage now get exactly that by staying on the front page, rather than slipping down as new items are posted. Additionally if I find it difficult to post to TDG for a few days then readers aren't faced with a long line of 'News Briefs' postings and nothing else (for example, see the last 6 days). On the negative side, perhaps now those 'lesser' stories that don't get featured on the front page are disappearing without most readers knowing that they exist.

So anyhow, take the time to register your preference by voting in the new poll, and add any pertinent comments that you think might help us as we go about creating the next version of the site. Certainly seems a better solution than me simply taking a guess at the best presentation.

Farewell Thomas Alexander Taylor, I could not have wished for a better father and role model. I will miss you terribly.

Just a quiet Sunday here, not doing anything too exciting....

(Click image for the super-big version).

As Christmas approaches here in the Antipodes, I'd like to wish readers all the best for the holiday season, no matter which faith or non-faith you belong to. As a little Fortean Xmas present, here's a wonderful presentation of Neil Gaiman's dark poem Nicholas Was...

And something else I came across via Paul McAuley's Twitter feed: a very cool collection of Xmas covers from science fiction magazine Galaxy during the 1950s, created by the legendary Ed Emshwiller. Here's one of my favourites (bubble helmets on the reindeer FTW):

All the best to each and everyone out there, and here's wishing you a brilliant 2011!

Last month I put out a call to help my sister out by throwing a few votes her way in a competition to kit out the teacher's staffroom at her school. A bunch of you kind folk rocked the vote, and we pushed her school right up to #4, but unfortunately fell just short of topping the poll. All the same, I'd like to thank y'all for your kindness - it sure blew Sister Grail's socks off and I know she'd want me to pass on her thanks. Here's raising one to you tonight.