Vancouverites, rejoice! Spider Robinson is the Vancouver Public Library's artist in residence: "During his four-month tenure, Robinson, an internationally acclaimed author of 36 novels, will mentor emerging writers and share… Read the rest of the article: Spider Robinson is the Vancouver Public Library writer-in-residence

My beloved backpack bit the dust last month and I've been on a quest for a replacement bag ever since. Last week, I found such a bag, and I've travelled… Read the rest of the article: Hideo Wakamatsu Super Hybrid Gear II: awesome road-warrior travel-backpack

Jesse Brown from TVOntario's Search Engine sez, "The Search Engine Guide to Moral Panic explores the difference between news media hysteria about teens and tech, and the actual thoughts of… Read the rest of the article: Virtual reefer madness: kids talk about "DigiDrugs"

Michael Geist sez, A coalition of English-language writers organizations have publicly posted their response to Bill C-32. Despite an ideal opportunity for constructive dialogue and a good faith effort to… Read the rest of the article: Canadian writers' group issues FUD warnings about new copyright bill

The tantalyzingly named "Secular Products" asked readers of the January, 1960 issue of Inside Story: "Do you want power?" Power to make you victorious in all you undertake? Power to… Read the rest of the article: DO YOU WANT POWER?

Update: John Newton, Director of IT for Valdosta State U, has issued this statement: "The Spectator article was, unfortunately, factually in error. While our process is not yet defined, we… Read the rest of the article: UPDATED: Valdosta State U promises prison sentences for students who use P2P

Tiger-Stone makes this enormous, unlikely and quite marvellous road-laying machine that semi-automatically sets down neat sets of interlocking bricks, ready to be sealed with a light dusting of sand. The… Read the rest of the article: Brick-road-laying machine

I reviewed Tim Wu's great history of media consolidation and regulatory capture The Master Switch earlier this month; now Tim says, "This piece I wrote for the Wall Street Journal… Read the rest of the article: Tim Wu on the new monopolists: a "last chapter" for The Master Switch

Johnnyedge checked the TSA's website and learned that the San Diego airport had not yet implemented its porno-scanners, so he went down to catch his flight. When he arrived, he… Read the rest of the article: Man at San Diego airport opts out of porno scanner and grope, told he'll be fined $10K unless he submits to fondling

Just look at it. Just Look At This Awesome Inflatable Banana Protector Previously: Just look at this awesome laser-cut banana. Boing Boing Just look at this zombie banana. Boing Boing… Read the rest of the article: Just look at this awesome inflatable banana-case.

Paul Chambers is a Briton who, on hearing that his local airport was shut and that he'd miss a flight to see his girlfriend, tweeted "Crap! Robin Hood airport is… Read the rest of the article: Twitter users re-tweet Paul Chambers' "bomb threat": #IAmSpartacus

This roundup of the altruism exhibited by Reddit users is truly heart-warming; from a suicide-prevention hotline to silly, mass-scale Secret Santas to countless small and large acts of fundraising, technical… Read the rest of the article: Reddit's uncanny altruism

The best thing about effervescent brain salt is that it's not immediately clear whether it's salt to make effervescent brains even more delicious, or salt to give you an effervescent… Read the rest of the article: Effervescent Brain Salt

Enemy585 is a reverse-platformer: imagine a Super Mario style flashgame, except you play the little platform that Mario rides on, and your job is to carry him to safety. Meanwhile,… Read the rest of the article: Enemy585: you're the platform, get Mario to safety!

Michael sez, "Oamaru in New Zealand's South Island is a small rural town with a difference. The town has been handed over to steampunk, the Mayor even the Prime Minister… Read the rest of the article: Entire New Zealand town goes steampunk

Reuters wants to know: "Are new security screenings affecting your decision to fly?" (via Reddit)

This old Dictaphone features some oddly compelling copy: "To secretaries who leap like stricken deer at every blast of the buzzer — to executives who can't break work jams and… Read the rest of the article: Dictaphone ad

Instructables user Jacco1997 explains how to turn your lace-up shoes into slip-ons by fashioning custom laces made from inner tubes. They look awesome, and the procedure is plenty simple: "Lay… Read the rest of the article: Make inner-tube laces, turn your shoes into slip-ons

Whoops I Think I Broke It has a quick HOWTO for making your own glowing, mysterious, revolting specimen jar filled with little bits of ick from the Elder Gods' plane… Read the rest of the article: HOWTO make a terrifying specimen jar

A reader writes, "Tim Powers, James Blaylock, and K.W. Jeter, all Cal State Fullerton alumni, give their university's paper an interview about their creation of steampunk, their friendship with Philip… Read the rest of the article: Steampunk's founding fathers talk shop