Well what are we afraid of this week? Bird flu? Meteors? Terrorism? WMDs? George W.? Global warming? Super volcanos? Hard landings? Jeez, there is so much hysteria around I can't believe it. And those tough, hard-nosed kiwi business-people seem the most lily-livered of the lot.

The "cult of the CEO" must be a celebration of spinelessness. Boo! Look at them run for cover!

Anyway, for any readers not cowering under their kitchen tables, here are our weekly items of interest. First one for you CEOs out there. Via Boingboing, William Gibson explains how when the world didn't end, as expected, in 1962 his trust in science fiction began to.

Chris points to the Penguin Podcasts. These have a feature at the end called ‘Penguin Remixes’, excerpts from existing audiobooks mixed with dance music. The latest episode is Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey, the bit where the narrator is musing that the picture will never grow old, repeated in dance music fashion.

Chris absolutely promises this will be his last Mixed Lolly on Russell Hoban "Britain’s most singular genius" for at least three months. One fan sold everything she owned to record Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook reduced to touring by camper van. And what the hell’s a site called Butt hat snot all? From reader Chris McBride, a site designed to damage your employer’s productivity: Pop Cult Mag.

Fight fight fight! Russell Brown says The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is on its way here, but Fiona Rae says it most certainly is not. It can only end in tears.

Stephen is tres excitement, if you’ll pardon my French, about DGM Live, it’s the future of rock and roll all over again. So that makes it the future and the past. Sort of ... He reckons it is a new model for how bands might connect with their audience – downloads, photos, diaries, fan reviews, even free downloads from very recent performances.

Finally, from Stephen, a very good joke.