To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea... Canada will launch an expedition to find the Erebus and Terror, the ships of doomed Arctic explorer and folk hero Sir John Franklin.

Curious George the ebay n00b. Right. I've never done the ebay thing -- never made a purchase, have no account. There are a couple items I need to pick up which I have never come across on my travels, but regularly appear on ebay. How do I go about this? What tips can you pass along, so that this n00b doesn't get totally burned?

Bernie Mac dead at 50. Damn.

Curious George softly weeps. The beeb asks men: what makes you cry? On the list, vasectomies and Johnny's video for "Hurt". Monkeys of the male persuasion, what makes you blame the ol' hay fever?

Curious Complimentary George. What are some of your favourite MoFi comments? What did you think was funny and/or clever at the time, but you might not have said so? more inside

The Mary Rose, or la Maria Rosa? The crew of the famous ship might not have been English, but Spanish. Feel free to indulge in some 16th century conspiracy theories. Tin-foil morion not included.

FreakFridayFilter: On the Busses. News for a slow work-day: a beheading on a bus by a cannibal with a possible taste for carny flesh. Enjoy!

Orwell a blogger? "...each diary entry will be published on this blog exactly seventy years after it was written, allowing you to follow Orwell’s recuperation in Morocco, his return to the UK, and his opinions on the descent of Europe into war in real time."

'Curing' or 'enabling' hikikomori? "Millions of young men live their lives entirely on the Internet, unable to leave the house, in fear of human contact. In response to this troubled niche, an entertainment company has come up with a possible cure. Videos of girls that stare into the camera... and occasionally say good morning..." [Hikikomori and other social recluses previously discussed here.]

A little on Little House. Melissa Gilbert will star in a new musical of Little House on the Prairie. But as 'Ma' Ingalls? What? more inside

Curious George and the Required Reading List. What books are you ashamed not to have read? What books are you ashamed to have indeed read? [Blatantly lifted from der blau.]

Dode, dude. Surprising amount of detail for an article warning about the dode-drug's dangers. Looks like I can finally cut down on the nutmeg...

Gorbachov: The Music Video. Some vid that is simply mindblowing in terms of its sheer AWESOMNITY. I won't spoil any surprises, except to say that it's made of 100% weapons-grade Soviet AWESOME. [Liberated from our Imperialist adversaries in the Blue.]

The Fly lands on the opera stage. David Cronenberg directs an opera adaptation of his own movie, and sets it in the time of the original. It's showing at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris if you happen to be in town. Reviews are good or simply so-so.

Curious George wants to ask about you and Bob. What's your Bob Dylan story? more inside

Bonne fête Québec! At about 11 a.m., July 3rd, 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain walked up to Cap Diamant, and founded Québec City, before going on to lose his astrolabe and stuff. more inside

Covering Canada: The best, worst and strangest foreign covers of Canadian songs. Happy Canada Day!

Casual Car Pooling on the rise in San Francisco. It's been around for a while, but is getting more popular with the rise in gas prices. Be sure to observe the rules!

Bottle or tap? How do you drink your water? Do you match up?

Art in the Montréal Métro.