[The environmental benefits of manual transmissions](http://www.slate.com/id/2176867/fr/rss/). The US obsession with automatic transmissions is bizarre. Personally I'd pay more manual...
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[The most disturbing pencil sharpener ever](http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/30/decapitated-doll-hea.html). Really creepy, but I want one!
[Kevin Smith protests his own film](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QepgKVOVfZ8). Sadly, probably funny than *Clerks II*.
*Announcements*: * Coalition announces [$444m for more doctors and nurses](http://liberal.org.au/info/news/detail/20071031_MoreAustraliantrainedDoctorsandNurses.php). * ALP announces [a national public holiday hospital report card system](http://alp.org.au/media/1007/mshealoo310.php). *Other*: [Not a good day for Tony…
[Beautiful typographic art](http://www.kottke.org/remainder/07/09/14138.html). I love fonts.
[A very unstable bookcase](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/concepts/topple-bookshelf-concept-is-as-unstable-as-the-dollar-311563.php) Probably not what you want if you are trying to encourage people to read.
[A guide to when it's safe to eat people with various diseases](http://mcsweeneys.net/links/lists/30MaryamAkbariandSeanMichaels.html). Hopefully I'll never need it, but handy to know...
[Where plants and animals fit in the scheme of things](http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/29/plants-and-animals-o.html). It's amazing just how much of the genetic variation in the world is in things smaller than can…
[The new version of Microsoft Live Maps will give you directions that include signs that you've gone too far](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/29/live-search-maps-getting-better/). Better, but the future is probably when the online…
*Announcements*: * Coalition announces [$168m in training vouchers for small business](http://liberal.org.au/info/news/detail/20071030_SmallBusinessTrainingVouchers.php). * ALP announces a [20 per cent renewable energy target for 2020](http://alp.org.au/media/1007/msCCloo300.php). *Polls*: [Newspoll](http://www.pollbludger.com/659) ALP 54-46. *Other*:…