Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Afraid of Mice?
The International Society for Human Rights has created a compelling collection of posters depicting the threat of cyber dissent to regimes with a less-than-friendly disposition towards free expression.

My Wind Turbine is Bigger Than Yours
"A green building is green because it’s compact and resource-efficient, because it’s healthy, and because it’s stingy on water use. The heavy lifting in green design has to come from these measures, not from the window dressing."

Bionic Beetles, Spy Cats, and Other Military Critters
Researchers have tricked out a beetle with tiny electrodes that allow them to control its flight. Next step: Outfitting the insect with onboard sensors that relay information back to mission control. Hello, coleopteran espionage!

Fatherhood is Good for Your Brain
While recent studies show that pregnancy and childbirth positively alter the brain chemistry of mothers, could parenting have a similar impact on men?

The Smartest Videos on the Web
It’s tough to find intelligent and educational videos among the teeming masses of cat movies and puppy cams that clutter the web.

When Volunteerism is Like Slavery
Conservatives are going apoplectic over the whiff of a national service plan in the United States.

The Lost Art of Lettering
Hand-lettering extraordinaire Alison Carmichael, has made a name for herself by producing elegantly-scribed messages.

A Guided Tour of David Byrne's Insane Office
A three part audio and photo tour of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s enormous workspace. Byrne’s commentary is fabulous. Enjoy.

The Art of the Literary Introduction
"Once, the person introducing me bit his tongue so badly that blood poured over his necktie onto the index card on which he had inscribed my entire life."

Inside the Tank at Tiananmen Square
A new look at the famous "Tank Man" standoff in 1989.

Note to Atheists: Be More Funny : Religious fundamentalists and modern atheists have something in common: Neither one can take a joke.

Anti-Semitism and the Financial Crisis: A recent Stanford study asked the question: "How much to blame were the Jews for the financial crisis?"

Chevron Thinks You Could Do More: When we named Tzeporah Berman one of Utne Reader’s 50 Visionaries, she told us that it’s essential to transition from hyping individual green actions to pushing for large-scale, legislative change. Guess Chevron didn’t get the message.

The World's Cutest Bento Art : Feast your eyes on Makiko Ogawa’s adorable bento, which is almost too cute to eat.

Brian Mock Makes Amazing Art from Junk : Brian Mock  creates amazing sculptures from 100% recycled materials (discarded Xerox machines, sewing machines, clocks, tractors, escalators, garden tools, etc.). Lots of folks use recycled materials in their artwork, but few do it in such a refined manner.

Recycle Your Bicycle Wheels in the Garden : Organic Gardening just made this bicycle geek smile: The May 2009 issue includes simple instructions on how to convert old bike wheel rims into a support for climbing garden plants.

Dark Days for University Presses and Journals : Some of the most prestigious university journals and presses are on the chopping block, all in the name of preserving “core” academics. But what, asks Ted Genoways, defines an academic core?

Punctuation Mark News: Meet the Interrobang! : What if there were a way to merge the exlamation point and the quotation mark? You're in luck.

Sex Workers Respond to Craigslist: After considerable political wrangling, Craigslist recently announced that it was getting rid of its “erotic” services section. Instead, the website will have an “adult” services section with a more stringent screening process and a $10 fee. The sex workers who have come to rely on Criagslist for their livelihood have been largely absent from this conversation.

Netanyahu to Obama: Yoou'll Love this Book About Arab Savages : If Barack Obama ever reads that book Benjamin Netanyahu gave him, he'll be horrified. 

100 Things Everyone Should Know About Russia : You can almost see it from here, but Russia remains an enigma to many Americans, easily reduced to crude caricatures. Start filling in the Ural-sized gaps in your knowledge.

Image courtesy of  Makiko Ogawa .