Linkage: From Kafka Pest Kontrol to B'eau Pal Water

Yikes, where does the time go?! After heading down to Austin to talk at the How Design Conference and then opening After Life my art show at Quirk Gallery and finally a business trip to NYC, I've finally caught up with things enough in the office to return to my non-skull related blogging. First up, a bunch of links that have been sitting on my shelf that haven't quite hit their expiration date yet...


Literary reference trucks deliver books and a message about reading. (image shown, more HERE) via

SpecWatch keeps you updated on the insidious world of design competitions/crowdsourcing. Thanks @PrixMadonna

Captcha graffiti to tell if you're human or not. (image shown) via

A public bicycle counter shows that you are not the only one on two-wheels in Copenhagen.

Get a free brochure on how not to greenwash from Roughstock Studios.

You know you want a USB-powered chainsaw! via

Traitor Joe's gives you the dirt on a well-known (and similarly named) grocery chain's seafood sources. via

Bizarre attempt for a multi-national corporation to "localwash" (the local movement's equivalent of greenwashing). via

Boring flyers get free makeovers from Cardon Copy! (image shown) via

Reincarnated McMansion is going to take 1 wasteful house and turn it into 2 green homes! Thanks Stephanie!

The 3/50 Project wants to save local brick & mortar stores with your help. Thanks Mim!

Eco-Mag, a magazine about art, design & sustainability, is available as a free downloadable PDF via

B'eau Pal Water is the Yes Men's response to Dow Chemical's toxic waste in Bhopal. via

What happens when you put pianos on the street for anyone to use?

No Longer Empty turns vacant storefronts into art venues. via

Artist Favianna Rodriguez explains why is graffiti a good thing.

Eco-friendly cardboard coffins, come with the image of your choice printed directly on them. Thanks Amy!

Jamba Juice rips off Get Your War On! Thanks Kate!

Grand is turning their junk mail into self promotion. (image shown)

A newspaper in China goes from printing press to recyling bin with no stops in between.

SafeLink provides free cellphones and airtime for lower income Americans.

Linkage: Art Crimes and Clothing Punishment

The Onion Network is looking for socially conscious design and marketing partners.

Does the gay flag need a makeover?

Getting the word out with mud stencils (image shown).

What to do with reusable bags, when they're used up. Thanks Mim!

A hand-cranked eco-vibrator for the ultimate environmentalist. Thanks Leah!

Would you wear the same dress every day for a year if it was for a good cause? via

Making a barrel monster will get you arrested in North Carolina (image shown) Thanks Carlos!

Who doesn't like free books?

Linkage: From Green Guitars to Green Weddings

Students help Break The Jam and encourage people to Give Way in DC. (images shown)

Jobs for Change wants to help you work for nonprofits.

Patching cracks with Legos. (image shown) via

The greening of guitars.

The greening of weddings.

Free books for London commuters.

Mapping the NYC advertising takeover. via

Starbucks Twitter campaign hijacked by documentary of their anti-union practices. via

Linkage: From Dumpster Pools to Slum Tours

Turning dumpsters into public pools, gardens, skate ramps...and more! (image shown) via

Shop Well With You is a body image resource for women surviving cancer.

Helping street vendors understand their rights visually. (image shown) via

Slum tours, the future of tourism?

Anti-war ads show what goes around comes around literally. (image shown)

Once again Sappi is offering grants for design projects around social issues. via

"Now Slower with More Bugs" stickers for software or organic gardening! via

The future of insulation? Mushrooms! Thanks Carlos!

Linkage: From Self-Erasing Paper to Self-Imposed Homelessness

Xerox's answer to recycling: paper that erases itself! via

Innovative campaign makes you into a homeless person (image shown).

Disney may need to sue themselves for copyright infringement. via

One for the true design geeks: "Helveticaca" Onesies (image shown).

And a few longer articles worth reading...

Ode on the mainstreaming of social entrepreneurship.
and a medicine hunter's support of indigenous cultures.

Mother Jones on the future of sustainable food in the US, fake farmer's markets, and bio-fuels VS rainforests.

ALR on UTNE

I was recently asked to be a guest blogger by Utne Reader! They wanted me to share just 5 links that inspired me and gave a little insight into my personality. You can read the results HERE.

Linkage

Well this week flew by thanks to MLK and Obama and so there were plenty of links I didn't get around to writing about once again...

DIY laser bike lane via

Urban Repaid Squad makes their own bike lanes (shown)

Affordable recycled paper houses thanks Carlos & Mark!

Women run co-operative housecleaning service in Brooklyn

Replace ads with art via Firefox plugin

LeVar Burton explores the Science of Peace thanks Mica!

Osocio says goodbye to W campaigns

Don't feed the lions: the street art of Posterchild (shown) via

Linkage

Interesting stuff encountered this week:

Coffee shops canceling live music due to costs of copyright laws.

Photoshop graffiti on Britney Spears ad (image shown). via Art Threat

Do we really need a graphic design reality show? via Rosscott, Inc.

Bicyclists get bailed out too! Thanks Mim!

Bulgarian Squat Shops (image shown).

Vertical farming, the future of cities?

Atheist bus ads in London. via Boing Boing thanks Mim!

Fake auction bid protects land from drilling. via Current thanks Leah!

Even recycling effected by economic downturn.

New Year's Resolution & Missing Links

Well, I got woefully behind in posting here last year and ended up with a ridiculous backlog of stuff I wanted to share. To that end I've resolved to do two things in 2009:
1. Make more of an effort to immediately blog about items I want to share (rather than bookmarking for later)
2. Save most reposts for a regular roundup (I'll aim for weekly, but no promises there).

To start the year off with a clean slate, here's a jumbo post of last year's missing links...

A free report on the efficacy of nonprofit taglines from Getting Attention.

Pay what you want music directly from artists like Kristin Hersh, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, and more.

Animated graphic of Walmart's takeover of America.

Animated version of the hilarious Get Your War On.

Subvertr wants to be the Flickr of subversive image manipulation.

Greenwashers beware EcoLableing.org is investigating your claims.

Get prepared for summer with the Skin Deep subscreen database.

Socially conscious designers are encouraged to sign on to the Designer's Accord.

Studio 360 interviews Steven Heller on design propaganda.

Design 21's socially conscious design blog.

World maps adjusted for accuracy. (thanks Stephanie!)

The Spirit wants your old cell phones. (thanks Mica!)

Amazee want to encourage social collaboration instead of just social networking. (thanks Mica!)

Open source filmmaking.

World's oldest hamburger. (thanks Eliza!)

Twitter activism. (thanks Marc!)

Faux cardboard sheets support homeless. (thanks Mica!)

Fake roadsigns from artists. (thanks Marc!)

X-ray messages for the TSA.

The mysterious Poster Boy makes art in the NYC subway. (thanks Mica!)

Neil fights back against marketing in The Bonfire of The Brands.

Cake goes solar. (thanks Justin!)

48 Hour Film Project meets fair trade Equal Exchange. (thanks Mica!)

The Green Bible

Greenhouse Gas Stock Photography

Recycled bottle temple

Google Street View performance art. (thanks Mica!)

Drive-By Press: the mobile printmaking studio. (thanks Josh!)

Shared Culture a documentary about Creative Commons.

Gaming the possible future with Superstruct.

Free strips of paper!

Do bicycle helmets work? (thanks Coryndon!)

Buying for Equality: Human Rights Campaign shopping guide 09.

Suicide Food catalogs creepy animal mascot food logos.

Blue Man Group the school. (thanks Mica!)

The Story of Stuff goes international.


And also bunch of great articles from The Christian Science Monitor:

Why white roofs are green.

How green are those jeans?

The benefits of bicycle recycling.

DIY Green Cleaning

Local food cafeteria

Environmental consciounsess wins wars.

Products as TV plots

Carbon labeling on food products


WHEW! Hopefully I can keep my resolutions and that won't have to happen agian!