Guardian Online Web watch
Some interesting things in this weeks edition, including "Six of the best: Hotspot finders", and "Un-googling".

What We Learned In The New Economy
Interesting and insightful article from Fast Company Magazine. I particularly like the part on "The Brand Called You"... makes a lot of sense:

Boom-Time Buzz: Free Agent Nation is a utopia. The Brand Called You makes you more marketable than ever.
Cold Reality: Free Agent Nation is a jungle. The Brand Called You is the only way to survive.

Simon Hoggart pokes fun at our honarble MP's register of members interests, lovely :-)

"Meanwhile, the new register of members' interests was published yesterday. It's always fascinating, and here are a few nuggets.
Most boring freebie: Richard Allan, visit to Ottawa to Centre for Collaborative Government, a Canadian thinktank.
Most meaningless job: 'Peter Mandelson, adviser to AM Conseil, an industrial consultancy on strategic development, including internal and external communication and change management issues.' Does one single word of that convey anything at all?
Most disappointing perk: Alistair Burt, 'upgrade to business class on flight from London to Paris'. Can anyone sink eight gin and tonics in a 35 minute flight?
Most obvious legal tax wheeze: Barbara Follett, 'communication consultant to Ken Follett, author'. ('Pick up the phone Ken, then you punch the numbers in that order ...')
Most politically incorrect trip: Edward Garnier, 'a day's shooting in Bedfordshire as guest of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association'. Just make that 'shooting endangered species', and you have a full house."

The DrumSolo Collection
One for Ciaran...:DRUMMERWORLD: The DrumSolo Collection - from Steve Gadd to Dave Weckl

Barcode Yourself
You are a number, you are not a free man.

Independent journalists blog from Iraq and Iran
These are interesting blogs worth a look. Some good points on "embeded journalism" and the nature of reporting, as well as first hand accounts.

http://www.kevinsites.net/"Kevin Sites is a freelance solo journalist currently on assignment for NBC News in Iraq, but this site is a personal website not affiliated with or funded by NBC News"
http://www.stuhughes.co.uk/"DISCLAIMER: Stuart Hughes works for BBC News, but this is a personal website not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by the BBC. Archives of Stuart's work are available here, and at www.bbc.co.uk/news"

Curry KitKat anyone?

"As well as the cumin and masala flavour, NestlÈ is considering offering lemon cheesecake, liquorice, saffron and passion fruit."

Chicks dig computers
i) A Linux Distro for Barbie? Lovely !
ii) Female IT Experts
Suggested by jamesh. Enjoyed by guys in a post-feminist, ironic, laughing *with* the sisters kinda way.

That Petrol Emotion prove they CAN break into the Top 40 !
It seems the wonderful Mark and Lard have been running a survey to find the "WORST BAND NAMES EVER". As a personal friend to some of the stars of TPE, I'm impressed at their solid position of #35 in the ranking, proving once and for all that they can make the top 40 !
Thanks to RayG for the tip ;-)

Coole Games - Hit the pinguin (HOT!)
More penguin related mayhem - thanks to jamesh for the tip

[See earlier item]

World of Ends Concise and highly clueful essay on the internet... makes lots of points which seem so very obvious, especialy once they are articulated so clearly by somebody else ! Worth a read for anyone interested in the internet and the future of humanity.

What the Internet Is and
How to Stop Mistaking It
for Something Else.

Written by Doc Searls and David Weinberger - who were behind the highly influential (apparently) 1999 book/essay the cluetrain manifesto

Wikitravel
I ran accross this nice site just recently... may be a good introduction to "Wikis" for those who are uninitiated.

Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide. So far we have 1147 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now.

Apple plays Big Brother
A nice (large, slow to download/play) remix advert pointing out the very strange and outrageous position of the Recording Industry establishment, plus Coke, plus Apple.

Our World Our Say
An interesting site/organisation agitating and petitioning for a proper ("full, independent and open") inquiry as to why Britain went to war with Iraq (er, I thought it was to protect access to Oil, which is running out, and seeing as iraq has the second largest oil reserves....)

Identity
Our World Our Say is a non-party political organisation with no specific religious affiliation.
Mission
Our World Our Say works to give people a voice when politicians circumvent them, particularly over world changing issues. Through re-connecting ordinary citizens with their elected representatives and giving them a voice, we aim to give people power over their own future and invigorate the democratic process.

Ziggy gave-Away Guitaaaaarrhhhaaaarrrsssss ! Bowie Donates 2 Guitars

"David Bowie has been supporting B.A.D.D. Bikers Against Drunk Drivers for over 18 years and has signed two donated Takamine 12-string acoustics. David also personalized them with lyrics to Ziggy Stardust and Rock 'N' Roll Suicide."

Copy-crippled CDs launch in UK
More on this ongoing saga of stupidity... remember, CDs that the record companies call "copy protected" are actually broken, and do not comply with technology standards... don't but copy protected CDs ! If you want to stop piracy, don't pirate your collection or download pirated music.... it's easy !

Crippled CDs that won't play on many CD drives, including car players, crept onto the UK market last month. Of course the CDs, which break the Red Book standard, don't allow you to copy the music. And on some car players they play nothing but silence.

Guardian comment piece Blair's claim is simply incredible.
A former senior intelligence officer challenges Lord Hutton's account.

truly, madly, geeky, you have to love this...Jeff Russell's STARSHIP DIMENSIONS

"this site is intended to allow science fiction fans to get an impression of the true scale of their favorite science fiction spacecraft by being able to campare ships accross genres, as well as being able to compare them with contemporary objects with which they are probably familiar. The scales are based on meter-to-pixel ratios so that they are accurate on any platform"

Tuning in to the surreal voice of God
Thanks to Ciaran for the tip...

"A look at the impact of Maradona’s involvement in a TV talk show."

Aussie Glossie
From Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's TV web site...

Crikey! What did Steve just say? Learn some popular phrases from the land down under.