Obama's Playlist It's been confirmed that President-Elect Obama's first foreign trip as President Obama will be to Canada, reinstating a long tradition. While visiting Presidents have often given speeches to the Canadian public (tv and radio clips), this time we're going to give the President a little musical education, and you can help by voting for the top 49 songs to showcase Canada. more inside

We have identified the man to blame for the current global financial crisis and apparently it's David Bowie.

Human Hunters Genetically Shrink Their Prey. Animals hunted by humans are evolving faster than any other animals of their kind in the wild, becoming progressively smaller.

NASA Detects Mystery Booming Sound In Deep Space, Origin Unknown.

The story of the NS11 , a record-breaking airship which met a disastrous end. more inside

It's the bicentary of Louis Braille inventor of the writing system for the blind. But does it matter?

My Genome, My Self. "In the coming era of consumer genetics, your DNA will have much to tell you about the biological bases of your health, your physique and even your personality. But will this knowledge really amount to self-knowledge?"

A prenatal test for autism would deprive the world of future geniuses. [Via]

The Odyssey retold as part choose-your-own-adventure, part amusing multiple choice quiz. Test your classical knowledge or just ask yourself "What would Odysseus do?" more inside

Russia has agreed to cut gas supplies via Ukraine, claiming Ukraine have been siphoning off gas. Unfortunately, the Ukraine pipeline also supplies Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. 100% of Slovakia's gas is supplied via the pipeline and they have declared a state of emergency.

On the Wings of Love: At Temple's Aviary, Problem Birds Find Feathered 'Friends'. [Via]

Google has a new year's present for Mac users. Picasa for the Mac is finally available (in beta, like all Google products). Now I can finally wave goodbye to iPhoto. (I am doing a happy dance right now.) more inside

Best fiction of 2008. I haven't read a single one of these. Have you? What else would you recommend from last year's new books?

How would you feel about a half-human half-chimp hybrid?

The Uninvited - how to seriously disconcert the new guy in the building. If you need help with your costume let me know, I have made mine by wrapping a black t-shirt around my face with a hooded jacket and cut finger holes in black socks for the gloves. I do not have any black pants so will spray paint my legs on the night.

Child elopers' Africa plan foiled Bless.

Singapore in 1938. The Singapore Grand Prix then and nowish.

Curious, George: Paypal Customer Service? Asking for a friend-filter. Buddy bought a refurb Xbox Elite for his kids on Ebay. Worked for a few days, then red circle of death. Tech looked at it and determined that he'd been sold a modded POS with a non-Elite motherboard, and either it failed or MS detected and bricked it. more inside

How the city hurts your brain ...And what you can do about it.

'I expected an ambulance, but a donkey cart carried the injured.' Ewa Jasiewicz is one of the only international journalists on the ground in Gaza. Here is her account of a week spent trying to document the attacks.