Ah, Web 2.0. You make everything more interesting.

The World Economic Forum - where politicians, businessmen, intellectuals and journalists get together to discuss how to improve the world and stave off social and environmental collapse for another year – has gone whole-hog with their use of social media. Last year, the Forum allowed interested individuals to submit questions via YouTube. For the 2009 edition, the YouTube channel is back. And, one lucky submitter will be selected to attend the Forum in Davos, Switzerland, based on their originality and how well they answer the following questions:

• How confident do you feel about global growth in 2009?
• To what extent do you think environmental issues will be sidelined by the economic crisis?
• What are your expectations of incoming US president Barack Obama’s administration?
•  Should company executives should abide by a similar code of ethics to lawyers and doctors?

But the social media goodness doesn’t stop there. There is also a WEF twitterstream, Facebook and Myspace pages,  a wiki for their Open Forum program, and a pretty decent blog.

The WEF isn’t always seen as the most progressive of institutions, but this use of  web tools is a fairly innovative way to open the conversation up to more people. And who doesn’t love the chance to win a Swiss vacation by spouting off on political questions? Now, if only I can come up with a decent video concept…

This entry is cross-posted with Rabble.ca.

Canada

• Ottawa’s answer to economic downturn: shipbuilding! No word of a lie, Elvis Costello wrote a song warning us against exactly this.
• Conrad Black seems to like Ignatieff. Perhaps not the best endorsement, but there you go.

World

• Thousands protest the imprisonment of the shoe-throwing journalist.
• Sarah Palin’s crazy church was badly damaged by fire. Officials suspect arson. Really? You think?
• The Clinton’s beloved cat, Boots, is at death’s door.

Media

• The Guardian declares a “Victory for Irony” as a spurious libel suit by Elton John is defeated.

Science & Tech

• The US Air Force fires its first airborne laser. That’s right, a frickin’ laser.
• Over 400 crocodiles are living in a Florida nuclear power plant. Teenage mutant ninja turtles may soon have competition.

Pop Culture

• Add the Benny Hill theme to any YouTube video. Finally.
• You’re the editor of Mexican Playboy. How do you piss off your entire country? Do a “Virgin Mary” themed covershoot.
• Gizmodo provides a handy list of snow-themed toys.

Full points for originality, fellah. But your aim could use some work.

Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, threw his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in Baghdad. Both projectiles missed, and al-Zeidi was quickly subdued.

One of the nice things about doing something nutty at a press conference is that someone is bound to have a camera. Video!

Rather than a random attack, al-Zeidi was probably trying to make a point. In Iraqi culture, throwing your shoes at someone is a gesture of contempt. With that in mind, Bush should probably happy he isn’t under a constant shoe barrage.

Times are tough all over. Even on the Internet.

Long-running (in blog terms) Toronto website Torontoist has announced it will cease operations as of January 1, 2009. Seems the site could not weather declining ad revenue and the resignation of Editor-in-Chief David Topping.

Of course, it probably didn’t help that Torontoist was owned by the American-based Gothamist network. As the economy retracts, its no surprise that a US company would axe their Canadian properties first. We’re a smaller market, and thanks to our small army, have little military recourse for blog-loss scenarios.

But in any event, it’s sad to see Toronto’s blogosphere get a little bit smaller. It will be interesting to see if any of the other big blogs go down as well. But fear not: since Nunc Scio has never made any money, I am perversely immune to the current economic difficulties.

Neil Gaiman, writer of the Sandman comics, Neverwhere, American Gods and all kinds of other nifty stuff, is unassailably cool.

No surprise, then, that this poster based on his poem “The Day the Saucers Came” is so awesome:

The poster was illustrated by Jouni Koponen and is available from Neverwear.

New feature time! Taking my cue from some big-time bloggers, I’ll be posting a weekly roundup of most-read stories and exciting events here at the Nunc. So, without further ad0…

Pretty quiet around the ol’ blog this week. As I waited with baited breath for the results of the Canadian Blog Awards (still waiting), here’s what you were reading on the site:

1. Why Canada has fallen off its political high horse.
2. A new trailer hints at the awesomeness of Terminator: Salvation
3. Bob Rae hands the Liberal crown to Michael Ignatieff. I am confused by this, and a little bored.

And, in case you missed it, Department of Culture‘s Michael and I had an comment argument about the Coalition government, grassroots organizing, and which one of us was more smug. Fun, fun!

A genius of the interwebs has cut together the inspirational speeches from 40 movies, and put them in one affirmative, two minute package:

I don’t know about you, but I feel better.