The Invent the Future contest is looking for your latest and greatest ideas on energy conservation, sustainable energy creation, a sustainable product, or even a sustainable lifestyle choice.

Here are some of the basic details of the contest:

There is a ton of prizes to be won, from $2,500 to Flip video cameras and tickets to the 2010 Winter Olympics. There will be a people’s choice category and the grand prize winners will be selected by a panel of judges (which is where I come in).

I’m on the prestigious panel of judges for Invent the Future along with big name film and television industry player, digital media innovators, and the Vancouver Canucks own Ryan Kesler. We’ll be judging entries based on their concept plan, feasibility, cost effectiveness, originality, and the quality of the submission (writing style or video production).

You can check out the 2008 Invent the Future grand prize winners to get an idea of the submission styles. Below is the winning video entry by Sacha Husband (16, Vancouver) and the winning essay by Cameron Ring (14, of Fort Nelson) can be downloaded here.

Entries for 2009 are already flowing in and can be viewed in this gallery online. I know I’m going to have a really fun time going through these.

You can follow @InventTheFuture on Twitter and should you know any inventive and creative individuals (13-24) be sure to pass along this information. The contest closes November 8, 2009.

Andrew Templeton’s Biographies of the Dead and Dying was my first Fringe Festival show in about 10 years. Taking place at the Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive, tucked behind the Havana Restaurant, the two actors on the minimalist set sure do pack an emotional punch with their powerful performance.

Biographies of the Dead and Dying is chilling but not in the way you may expect. It’s frank, open, and a little bit crazy but that’s the point… aren’t we all. I don’t want to give too much away but Heather Lindsay does a remarkable job of deconstructing her character before our eyes.

A few items to note. The first is that the play features nudity as well as mature language so it’s not quite suitable for the kiddies. The second is that the savory roasted garlic aroma from the restaurant will drive you crazy if you haven’t had dinner. I recommend having a bite at Havana before the show, but leave yourself enough time as it’s a very busy place.

The Vancouver Fringe Festival will run until September 20th and host performances in dozens of venues across town in venues that range from trailers, hotel rooms, and stages. You can purchase tickets online and you’ll need a Fringe membership as well (which is just $5).

For the third year Rick Mercer is challenging high school, college, and university students across the nation to raise awareness and funds for his Spread the Net initiative through UNICEF Canada.

At SFU this morning Mercer announced he was pitting the East versus the West to see who can raise the most funds for the cause. The winning school on each coast will play host to an episode of the Mercer Report in 2010. The goal this year is to raise enough for 500,000 bed nets ($275,000) or enough to deliver 27,500 nets to children and families.

Founded by Belinda Stronach and Rick Mercer following their trip to Africa in 2005, Spread the Net aims to ease the devastating impacts of malaria through an affordable solution. The funds raised by students will go toward the purchase of insecticide-treated bed nets for locations in Liberia and Rwanda.

Registration opened today and if your school isn’t already signed up, you can register online and campaign until February 2010. Registered schools will appear in the Spread the Net directory and can accept donations online.

You can follow the initiative on Twitter @SpreadTheNet for updates or follow Rick’s hi-jinx, @RickMercer.

Last week I didn’t realize how long I had been running the “then and now” photo series so we had Part Three, twice. I’m back on track this week and I’ve decided to feature transit and bus transport.

Vancouver 1948 – Photo credit: Jack Lindsay

With everyone heading back to school and with commuting options changing, let’s take a look back at what Vancouver bus travel looked like when the city was young. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

The Canadian New Media Awards (CNMAs) are happening December 1st in Toronto and they have just opened up the nomination platform.

Categories for nominations include:

Nominations should be done by the companies themselves. If you belong to a Canadian digital media company that you think should be considered for a CNMA, you can now throw your hat into the ring in any of the categories listed above. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges.

Past winners include Cossette of Vancouver for Designer of the Year (2007), Viigo as Most Promising New Company of the Year (2008), Webnames.ca for a Lifetime Achievement Award (2006) and CBC Olympics for Excellence in News & Information (2006).