Well, let’s call it ten things that Wikipedia doesn’t think you know about Wikipedia and would like to claim about itself. Believe it at your own risk. The only thing this list has going for it is that it is actually citable and from a credible, primary source, namely the Wikimedia Foundation.

1. We are not for sale.
2. Our work can be used by everyone, with a few conditions.
3. We speak Banyumasan and about 250 other languages.
4. You cannot actually change anything in Wikipedia, you can only add to it.
5. We care deeply about the quality of our work.
6. We do not expect you to trust us. Even at its best, Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a primary source, with all the limitations it entails. We ask you not to condemn Wikipedia, but to use it with an informed understanding of what it represents. Also, as some articles may contain errors, please do not use Wikipedia to make important decisions.
7. We are not alone. (Cue UFO music.)
8. We are only collectors.
9. We are not a dictatorship nor any other political system.
10. We are in it for the long haul.

Zimbabwe’s ambassador to the US, Machivenyika Mapuranga, speaks to Foreign Policy TV about his nation and its inclusion in the 2007 failed state index at number four, after Sudan, Iraq and Somalia. (Hat tip: This is Zimbabwe.) It’s all a plot, of course. Things are just fine. In fact, Zimbabwe is one of the strongest and well-organised states in Africa. It rocks, it rolls, and shimmies to the beat. If racist homosexual colonialist imperialist in Britain and the US didn’t ban the export of harps to Zim, it would be heaven!

Sadly, the fellow speaks some truth:

In Africa, Zimbabwe is not regarded as a failed state. We are greatly loved and admired by the other 53 African countries.

Including by Zimbabwe itself, one assumes.

The United Nations voted Zimbabwe to be the chairing country of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. … They wouldn’t do that to a failed state!

Actually they would. And they did. Someone should abolish that impotent, corrupt and downright offensive charade of an organisation.

This isn’t very good for darts players, but if your favourite sport involves small, light arrows or something, this could be just what you need. Modern-day dwarves may work aluminium, but one benefit of their materials science progress is that they make shirts that weigh only 10kg.

Granted, ordering one means you’ll probably have a hard time explaining to customs officials why a t-shirt weighs 10kg, and arguing whether you need to pay the 40% textile import duty or whether the regulations on arms sales would apply. You may get arrested. At least you’d have a story to tell, though I’m not sure it will impress the numbers gangs in prison.

Do read the instructions, though. It seems chain mail requires some special dressing and undressing techniques your mother probably didn’t teach you.

Some time ago, I posted a few links on the question of aid to Africa, and included a pointer to some fascinating statistics maintaned by Rav Casley Gera, who runs African Development for the Completely Bloody Ignorant. Rav informs me that the data has been updated. Instead of just detailing the history of government in Africa by country, the new and improved African History in Ten Seconds chart is weighted by population, to show the proportion of Africans living under various forms of government. Since a prerequisite for prosperity is liberty — to work, communicate and to trade — this graph makes for uplifting reading:

Do visit his site for more detail, including lots of data, analysis and different views on African development. (Apologies to Madiba for stealing his book title.)