Internet picks of the week

Democracy Live With the leadership debates and constant jousting in the run up to the general election, British politics is getting closer to sport every day – which is possibly why this site, which was originally designed with the 2012 Olympics in mind, works so well. Eight screens stream the activities of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament and so on. While it doesn't make politics sexy, it manages to make it more technologically swish and open up the process of government. An excellent "text to speech" search engine allows you to pinpoint and view topics. Kitsune Noir Not to be confused with the similarly titled French music and fashion label, Kitsune Noir is the blog of American designer Bobby Solomon. The site does a brilliant job exploring products, design and music with videos about the London pirate radio scene and the return of Flat Eric, alongside links to artists like Josh Cochran, whose current work is a battle between warring armies of zombies and unicorns (a future Hollywood blockbuster surely). Solomon also collates The Desktop Wallpaper Project which turns out free downloadable designs for your computer, PSP or iPhone – the latest is Michael Cina's work for Gadi Mizrahi's single Oh Love. Elsewhere there's free music in the form of mixes and podcasts. Blog roll: Dogs Dogs Playing Poker The history of artist Cassius Coolidge, who uncovered the sinister canine gambling underworld. Dogs Who Look Like People Exploring the strange phenomena of dogs who not only look like people but also wear hats. Boggins Adam and Joe's virtual dog on Twitter, where he can drink from as many dirty puddles as he pleases. Dogs In Cars The enduring pleasure of seeing a dog with its head stuck out of a car window. Hipster Puppies Dogs in Kanye shades share the trauma of their owners failure to get tickets for the upcoming Animal Collective concert. The Long And Short Of It All Weiner Dog Derby news and the roll of sausage dogs in popular culture. Famous Dogs Database of fictional dogs from Ace to Zoltan. What we learned on the web this week An A to Z of Manga sound effects Where to get down to some pleasant business in London Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change You are not you, you're me The greatest long takes in movies The Bard of Barking needs your help The best loos in Las Vegas How hotel fires were dealt with in 1972 Where our Facebook events rate on the sausage scale This internet thing will never take off Ben Folds sings to strangers on ChatRoulette