Would you like a cleaner environment? Ride bike. Would you like a Democrat in the White House? Vote for Barack Obama.  Or, mash the two together with this Obama bike that just hit eBay. The bike is designed by activist Dan Funderburgh and his renowned Obama print. This bike isn’t just a print — there is only one and it is up for bids on eBay (guess where the proceeds go). For those of you bikers the specs should be rather pleasing. Have a look on the auction page. Happy bidding.

via Arkitip

During this political season it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be relying on various media sources for your up to the minute election coverage. If you’re looking at online periodicals and sites run by certain 24-hour news networks, the likelihood that all of your information will be ‘fair and balanced’ is slim to none. Most gatekeepers have an agenda that might not always be obvious to those who look to them for commentary. Thankfully, if you have trouble cutting through the biased sheepdip, interactive agency Sarkissian Mason has launched The Contrarian, an independent online fact-checking site that seeks to empower the masses to demand truth in media. The site doesn’t undermine your favorite news source, but rather enriches it by allowing readers cull key points on an issue from several “contrary” sources in order to develop a more focused opinion on world matters.

Ever since Beijing was picked to be the site of the Olympics (which, as we all know, starts on Friday) controversy has ensued. From concerns about pollution to censored web access, issues leading up to the Games are only going to get crispier on this political hotplate. I just got an e-mail from my Brazilian friend Pedro Inoue (a graphic designer who did the splendid work for artist Stephen Doitschinoff’s book), alerting me to an online project he’s co-partner of called Remember Tibet. He’s putting out a request to all creative types to send in any copyright-free work related to the quest for Tibetan freedom — animation, music, T-shirt designs, etc. It’s a sensitive subject that sadly fluctuates from being a hot topic to a cold one and back again, but with China on the international stage this week the issue has never been hotter.