1. “The State of the Internet, in Infographics and Video” by Patrick James | GOOD Blog
So many good infographics out there. This one, by creative agency Jess3, condenses the net’s mind-boggling growth into a handy four-minute video.
2. “Gender-neutral O Canada: An idea whose time already happened—130 years ago” by Luke Champion | This Magazine
Introducing gender-neutrality into the lyrics of our national anthem is not a new idea. Calixa Lavallée and Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier’s original French version was sans bias, and R. Stanley Weir’s 1908 English poem includes the line now being proposed to replace “in all thy sons command” — “thou dost in us command.” Personally, I think we should adopt “The Maple Leaf Forever” and be done with it.
3. “Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Epilogue: Why Educators Need A ‘Cultural Utility Belt’” by Linda Holmes | Monkey See
Neil deGrasse Tyson is probably the most charismatic astrophysicist alive, as evidenced by his numerous Daily Show and Colbert Report appearances. In this account of a speech he gave to 2,000 physics teachers, he argues that to really connect with students, teachers must be attuned to young people’s cultural reference points.
4. “Does Google Books Do No Evil?” by Mark Leslie Lefebvre | The Mark
In a deal struck between Google and the Authors Guild of America, writers will receive a paltry $60 (US) per book available for unlimited viewings on Google Books. According to Lefebvre, this agreement could lead to the company gaining monopolistic control over digitized literature. Does that sound like its informal slogan: “Don’t be evil”?
5. “Shorts Program: Animated Oscar Edition” by Jandy Stone | Row Three
The Oscars air this Sunday, and once again I am woefully behind on seeing the films up for best picture. But, thanks to the fine folks over at Row Three, I’ve now caught up on the nominees for best animated short.
6. “Polytechnique leads the Genie Awards with 11 nominations” by Melissa Leong | The Ampersand
With so much interest focused on the Oscars, our very own Genie Awards may, once again, get swept under the rug. A shame, because truly great Canadian films like Polytechnique (eleven nominations) and Nurse.Fighter.Boy (ten nominations) deserve our attention.
7. “Michael O’Donoghue Is Plunging Steel Needles into His Eyes From the Grave” by Matt Welch | Hit & Run
Welch laments what he sees as Saturday Night Live‘s fall from anti-establishment greatness and loss of cultural relevance. You may quibble with his assertions, but this post is worth it for the Ron Howard–directed presidential reunion sketch starring current and former SNL greats — created for Funny or Die, not the venerable TV franchise.
8. “Open your wallets for plastic cash” by Steven Chase | Ottawa Notebook
Perhaps the most surprising element of Stephen Harper’s new budget is the announcement that, starting in late 2011, plastic will replace paper-cotton as the material of choice for bank notes. The polymer material is apparently very hard to counterfeit, and will allow for more complex designs and security features.
9. “Marketers can (literally) read your mind” by Karl Bates | Futurity
Advertisers have been experimenting with a technique called “neuromarketing,” which uses brain scans to detect a consumer’s reactions to various products. Basically it’s a high-tech focus group, but I think it’s the first step down a slippery slope that leads to commercials being beamed into our dreams à la Futurama.
10. “Changes at Chatelaine” | Masthead Online
Thursday was a brain drainer at Chatelaine — six employees were laid off, including most of the editors who handled the magazine’s newsiest articles. The title has recently slipped in both subscriptions and single-copy sales, but lobotomizing its content seems like an odd plan to reverse course.
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Seenloitering: The “gender analysis” in this article is upside down. Marie Calloway is a threat to the status quo because she threatens the myth that women are morally superior, above...
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