"Our ancestors could have picked a sunnier place to be."
 

The Complaints Choirs

Feeling thankful after America's eating holiday? Not so fast. If it's early enough for barking Jingle Bell dogs, it's early enough for Bah Humbug. It started in Birmingham, then Helsinki, with works planned for Hamburg and St. Petersburg. They collected the grievances, gripes, angst, and ennui of citizens; and then composed a choral work based on their complaints. "Why always me?"

Complaints Choir project website

YouTube - Helsinki Complaints Choir

YouTube - Complaints Choir of Birmingham

Baring Witness in Vancouver, British Columbia
 

The Global Orgasm

Shades of Wilhelm Reich. The latest viral news story on the web is another flash mob event, The First Annual Solstice Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace. The mission is to effect change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy. The Global Orgasm is the creation of the same Californians who co-founded the anti-war organization Baring Witness which has organized more than 200 naked displays of dissent. But will it register on the Global Consciousness Project?

Global Orgasm

Baring Witness

Global Consciousness Project

Get Nieuked!
 

Playing in Peoria

It's the year of the YouTube election. While perusing the positive, negative, and non-broadcastable ads for mainstream candidates, I stumbled across busboy and werewolf hunter Timothy Nieukirk and Student Council wannabe Garrett "Casey" DeFauw, two Washington Illinoisans who ran as write-in candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Like some traditional politicians (and Texas deathrow inmates) Nieukirk also has a MySpace page. Unlike winner Blagojevich, Nieukirk was looking forward to moving into the Governor's mansion, to get out of his parents' house.

YouTube - Tough on Crime

YouTube - In Bed With

Getnieuked: MySpace.com

Getnieuked: CafePress.com

Comidas Rapidas La Senora in Ecuador 

Kiva

Be a microfinancier. Kiva in partnership with PayPal and microfinance organizations around the world allow you to loan money in ten different countries. You don't earn any monetary interest but neither do Kiva or PayPal. Kiva has a historical repayment rate of 100% and its partners average 96%. The minimum is $25 and you receive periodic e-mail updates from the borrower. Nobel Peace Prize not included.

Kiva