How to Shut Down McDonald's

Steve Lambert of the Anti Advertising Agency "shut down" all the McDonalds in Manhattan on September 15th. Find out the details HERE and check out this press conference featuring "Ronald McDonald" explaining his actions...



via StayFree!

Used Book Activism

Better World offers bookworms an opportunity for easy do-goodery. Buying used books through the web based retailer funds a variety of international literacy programs. The only downside is they don't say how much of what they donate from sales, but their parent organization Better World Books seems to have a decent reputation. Find out more here.

Thanks Mim!

Coffee Bikes

Good magazine tells the story of how a Portland coffee roaster helps coffee growers in Rawanda with bicycles...



Thanks Vickie!

King Corn Trailer

King Corn looks like it will be an excellent companion to the book Omnivore's Dilemma. Watch the trailer here...



Thanks Chris!

Flying Spaghetti Monster Billboard in Maryland

While I'm generally not a fan of billboards there are a few I admire, including this one on the side of a house in Baltimore, Maryland featuring the infamous response to creationists in Kansas: the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Get the story behind the billboard at the Baltimore Sun.

Thanks Mica!

Nine Inch Nails hammers another nail in the corporate music industry coffin

Following on the heals of Radiohead's announcement to leave their label and offer their latest album to fans at a price of their choice, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails announced his own departure from his label on October 8th.
Now Reznor is offering a similar deal to fans on the new album by Saul Williams that he produced. William's album Niggy Tardust will be available November 1st for $5 (if you click a button that says "I want to directly support the artists involved in the creation of this music") or Free (if you click a button that says "I'm not concerned about that.I just want the music"). Unlike Radiohead's release, however this downloads will be in 2 different MP3 formats as well as in lossless FLAC! Find out more here.

Lessig on Corruption

Writer/Professor Lawrence Lessig explains on Danish TV why he's switched his focus from copyright issues to the issue of government corruption...




Thanks Russ!

Kleenex Strikes Out

In a follow up to their previous hijacking of a Kleenex commercial in NYC the folks at Greenpeace follow the film crew to Chicago as part of their Kleerkut campaign to encourage Kimberly-Clark to stop using old growth forest trees in their paper products...

Reverse Graffiti

Brazilian artist Alexandre Orion creates reverse graffiti by removing dirt from walls...



Thanks Brad! Via Milk and Cookies

Work It Out

Dancer/Choreographer Bill Shannon developed a unique performance style in response to his bilateral hip deformity that requires the use of crutches. His work challenges stereotypes about disability and is also just plain cool. Check him out in this recent Rjd2 video...

Give One, Get One

If you've been ogling the cute little affordable computers developed for the One Laptop Per Child Project, you've now got a rare opportunity to get your own (without having to be a needy child in a developing nation). Starting November 12th if you donate $399 to the project one laptop will be sent to a child in need and one will be sent to your child. Find out the details HERE.

News Roundup

Getting caught up here from a very busy spell, I have lots to post, plus it's Blog Action Day so definitely want to get some environmental links out there. Here's a smattering to start you off...

From the Christian Science Monitor:
Amazon Farmers work with Corporations to Save the Forest
New Yorkers Using Biodiesel for Heating

From Ode Magazine:
Sesame Street working for Middle East Peace
Organic Agriculture CAN Feed The World
How Hospitals Make You Sick

From Mother Jones:
The Problem with Plastics (including a handy chart for your fridge)

Shock Resistance

I just can't get enough of Naomi Klein. She recently worked with filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón to create a short film which explains the basic premise of her new book The Shock Doctrine.
Not only is it visually powerful and beautifully executed but it ends with a hopeful message.

San Diego Mayor on Gay Marriage

Footage from a recent press conference where San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders explains his decision to support marriage equality...



via StayFree!

Tearing down Guantanamo...one pixel at a time.

Amnesty International is collecting signatures for a petition urging the closing Guantanmo Bay using an interface that allows an image of the prison to be dismantled on pixel at a time (for a total of 500,000 pixels. Find out more and remove your own pixel at: TearItDown.org.

Amy Goodman pits Alan Greenspan against Naomi Klein

Alternet has posted the transcription of an excellent debate between writer Naomi Klein and former Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenpan on Amy Goodman's program Democracy Now. An excerpt:

NAOMI KLEIN: Well, I'm just wondering if it troubles Mr. Greenspan at all that wars over resources in other countries are actually illegal. Mr. Greenspan has praised the rule of law, the importance of the rule of law, in his book. But in his statements about the reasons why this has not been publicly discussed, he has said that it's not politically expedient at this moment. But it's not just that it's not politically expedient, Mr. Greenspan. Are you aware that, according to the Hague Regulations and the Geneva Conventions, it is illegal for one country to invade another over its natural resources?

ALAN GREENSPAN: No. What I was saying is that the issue which, as you know, most people who were pressing for the war were concerned with were weapons of mass destruction. I personally believed that Saddam was behaving in a way that he probably very well had, almost certainly had, weapons of mass destruction. I was surprised, as most, that he didn't. But what I was saying is that my reason for being pleased to see Saddam out of office had nothing to do with the weapons of mass destruction. It had to do with the potential threat that he could create to the rest of the world.

Read the entire debate here.

Thanks Vineet!

Henry Rollins' Ember of Rage

Henry Rollins talking in Israel about his experiences volunteering with the USO...



via Glumbert

Thanks Melinda!

FDA fights natural sweetener

A recent Organic Consumers Association article outlines the attempt by the FDA to prevent US consumers from having access to products containing stevia, a natural herb that is a healthy alternative to artificial sweeters for people who can't consume sugar. Claiming that research data is inconclusive the FDA has already requested that Celestial Seasonings stop selling their stevia sweened items.

According to the American Herbal Products Association, "Stevia leaf is a natural product that has been used for at least 400 years as a food product, principally as a sweetener or other flavoring agent. None of this common usage in foods has indicated any evidence of a safety problem. There are no reports of any government agency...indicating any public health concern whatsoever in connection with the use of stevia in foods."

Read more here.

Design Rebel: James Victore

I had the pleasure of meeting artist/designer/activist/teacher James Victore yesterday.

He was a visiting lecturer at Virginia Commonwealth University's Graphic Design department and also met with my Design Rebels class where he shared his personal experiences working for excitement rather than money. Some choice quotes:

"I don't want to be known as a graphic designer."

"We're supposed to be the people who make culture, not decorate culture."

And when asked what school he went to said, "Ecole Des Hard Knocks. Whatever you learn there you keep."

He also passed out the stickers, shown above.

See more of his work here.