The semi-regular look at the links that matter:

• Plenty have wondered if Arafat has died of AIDS (and what about the quilt?). Someone knows the truth. Best headline of the week goes to Ace. Hemlock (Friday entry) has the solution to the problems of the Middle East, which Harry nicely summarises. As Giles has mentioned, the temptation for Israel to invite itself to the funeral and knock off his co-terrorists must be huge.
• Phil looks at the rise of Hong Kong blogs.
• The Battle of Fallujah is being comprehensively covered by Joe at Winds of Change. It is a massive and detailed summary of what's happening, why it's happening and what people are saying about it. It is also a demonstration of the power of blogs at their best.
• Some people are too smart for the navy. Some people are too smart to be reporters.
• Every day you should learn at least one new thing. I've got your weekend covered. And here's the perfect anti-rant to remind you some real humans still exist in the blogosphere.
• Ilyka has discovered new monuments in flyover country. You should read her other posts over the last few days as well - thank God she's kicked the Sims 2 habit.
• Next time you have some beggar rattling the tin at you, throw this in their face and then carry on ignoring them safe in the knowledge that economics backs you up.
• Cheer up: all that melting of polar ice caps will help your hip pocket. Do the world a favour and help global warming along.
• Wikipedia has its jumping the shark moment.
• The historian who wrote The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, committed suicide aged 36. TML reflects on the book and the suicide.