Here's What's Awesome Salutes Ingenuity... And Zambonis

In putting together our last set of weekly links of 2008, Here's What's Awesome noticed a lot of the links reflected a certain trait that makes so much of what you hear and read from Word of Mouth... ingenuity. That spark of genius that builds something out of nothing, that sees what isn't there and makes it so. We also had a link about zambonis that we didn't dare discard, so a little something for everybody - plenty of ingenuity and a dash of zamboni.

Riding the storm out (hybrid remix)
Here in ice storm-ravaged New England, Prius drivers have one more thing to crow about to their gas-guzzling neighbors and co-workers: a fellow in Massachusetts turned his Prius into a generator during the storm, keeping his home powered for about three days. [New York Times]

Malawi: Where kids can be kids
Eat your heart out, frugal Yankees: kids in Malawi have outdone even your thrifty ways by making new toys out of old trash. Check out the photo gallery, in which youngsters with very little to their names turn plastic bags and rubber bands into soccer balls, or milk cartons into toy racing cars. [Inhabitat]

I sing the zamboni electric
Actually, zambonis and ingenuity aren't mutually exclusive - in fact, the ingenuity here is that ice resurfacing is going green. The IceCat does everything a zamboni can do, only without the gasoline exhaust. Toronto is one of several Canadian cities testing out the IceCat to see if they can make their fleets all-electric in the coming years. [Wired]

Now it's your turn - remember, this is your last chance to share an awesome link before 2009, so share aplenty in the comments field.

(Photo by flickrsquared)