Falling Whistles gives a small window into our world’s deadliest war. Originally just a journal written about boys sent to the frontlines of war armed with only a whistle, readers forwarded it with the same kind of urgency in which it was written and demanded to know what can we do?

The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response – make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Proceeds go to rehabilitate and fight for peace in Congo.

Together with local retailers, our Partners in Peace, we will build a coalition capable of pushing for peace. The Partners in Peace program   has been designed to build distribution to disseminate the idea that peace is possible in the Congo. Each Partner in Peace is meant to  educate  on Congo, rally their community around solutions, and raise money through sales to rehabilitate war-affected children in the Congo and advocate for their freedom. 

We will continue to progress this model through the lens of our core values, constructive rebellion, expanding collective liberty, and measurable transparency. Our strategy is a five-fold pathway to peace:   Rehabilitate, Educate, Disseminate, Congregate and Advocate.  

A community’s unique identity is inextricably bound to its local businesses and we need to give them a way to compete with big box stores.  Go Local Austin is a for profit business which supports local businesses in Austin by shifting spending in their direction. The vehicle for this is a card which may be presented at over 550 local Austin businesses who provide a reward of their choosing.  Cardholders may use the card all year long as often as they wish and save money every day way beyond the cost of the card.  Businesses also retail the cards, a benefit to them in this way as well.  The card is also ideal for fundraisers and promotions, all of which help bring new and/or increased return business to local establishments who have joined our program. 

My poster series, ‘Excess’, is a commentary about the absurd amount of excess packaging used in modern society. Just stroll down any supermarket aisle and you’ll find things like baby carrots triple sealed in various layers and thicknesses of plastic. This multi-layered approach to packaging commodities is not only ridiculous, it is the epitome of wasteful. A water bottle takes an average of 1,000 years to decompose…and some never do when buried in a landfill. Is it necessary to purchase 4 Gala apples on a styrofoam tray, wrapped in Saran Wrap? Or will the individual, non-sealed apples suffice?  Might there be a happy middle ground to satisfy both the needs of producers/shippers and the buying public?

The Jingle Maker makes your cause important through the power of the jingle! Simply record your cause, either for or against, and jingle maker will give you a ready made jingle to spread the word! Not just for causes — also works for friends, loved ones, pets, body parts, historic figures, and more!

What it really is: A fake “Jingle Maker 3000” box with speakers, a mixer, a microphone, and my iphone. We will upload whatever is recorded to somewhere on the web — we’ll figure that out today.

One or two fashion items displayed on a model and/or dress form.  The pieces will have DIY logos screened and stenciled on them.  The idea has a couple different concepts.  One is that modern fashion has lost any sense of meaning but that we can take it back, make it special and transform it into something that we can really believe in…..fashion that signals something more important and interesting. I will have a station for people to create their own logo stencils for the issues that they believe in.  Creating your own DIY logos for the issues that are important to you is a way to engage conversation about those issues.  The example that I will be showing is a logo that incorporates “350 ppm” which represents the science behind climate change. 350 parts per million is the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the air.  Right now we are currently at 391 ppm and it is getting higher each year, which means we are in danger of runaway climate change if we don’t do something about it.  The problem is that many people, including important decision makers refuse to believe that climate change exists.   By wearing this logo, you are signaling to others that you believe in the science of climate change.  

UNITE! is a gay equality project that seeks to create a visible community of supporters, and to give gays and lesbians the opportunity to speak their mind.  This is done through the distribution of a turquoise colored ring to be worn on one’s wedding band finger.  It is an attention grabbing symbol that invites conversation and reminds the wearer to get out there and share their stories, opinions and experiences.  The project also includes posters, t shirts, bumper stickers and videos to represent the enthusiastic experience of being gay. 

We are looking to update imagery for LGBT activism to represent the needs of a newer generation of activists, and want to focus not on what inequalities we have, but what success we have already made and to explore the power and beauty of being gay.  As we like to say: Being Gay Is Awesome!

A photographic collection of the stupid/amazing/awesome/fascinating things 20 something’s do these days.

Naturescape discussing the harmful effects of disposable products and the benefits of a new reusable product, Memory Goo.

Memory Goo takes the shape of any material stored inside of it.  Memory Goo can be molded with the warmth of your hands and easily returned to its original, flubber-like state to be used again and again.

Created by a group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Reilly Elementary.

BirdProject:

BirdProject is creating black, bird shaped glycerin soaps to help fund clean up due to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster, with %50 of profits going to Gulf Restoration Network & IBRRC. Each soap contains a ceramic bird, handmade by me, which remains as a keepsake once the outer soap has been washed away.

Through the daily act of washing, you will eventually free the clean, white, ceramic birds inside - potent symbols of restoration and recovery. The soap is shaped to be cradled in your hand and is a powerful representation of all creatures affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster.

The soaps are made with natural, locally sourced ingredients: biodiesel glycerin, fair trade olive oil, organic aloe, activated black charcoal, and a delicious Rigaud cypress scent - reminiscent of Louisianan bayous. They are made by Emily Manger Davis of Sweet Olive Soaps, a third generation soapmaker from New Orleans.

50% of profits go to environmental cleanup and care for affected animals of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. [Gulf Restoration Network & IBRRC]

“Pink Freud” and “The American Way”