Weekend Reading from Utne Daily 6/5/09

By Jeff Severns Guntzel
Published on June 5, 2009
article image

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.

UTNE
UTNE
In-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.