Hugo and Joachim, the men behind Other Side of Silence and Anothercompany, respectively, just released a tiny booklet called “Thank You Too,” a business card-sized collection of appreciative comments. The idea behind “Thank You Too” is to give people the chance to offer a quiet nod of appreciation to people who make our day to day living a little bit easier; people like the ones who help you find a good book at the bookstore, or put extra whip cream on your hot chocolate without your asking. There’s even a card in the booklet that offers gratitude for a stranger’s hotness, which is my personal favorite, mainly because I have gotten like thirteen of them so far. If the idea of slipping cards into bags and across tables is too conspicuous for you, “Thank You Too” also comes in the form of postcards and a stamp (I like the idea of just walking by someone and laying a stamp on them; Hey, I want to say thanks! Bam!). Head here to start spreading the love.

My mind is jumping right now, and the culprits are South Korean internet art collective Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries (aka, YHCHI).

Taking Flash animation to a totally visceral level, their breakneck text-based works move so fast they look strobe-lit. Swinging from styles as diverse as gumshoe spy stories to sex-induced political upheaval (one of their most interesting works is called Cunnilingus in North Korea), the text drives the narrative while the original soundtrack and wordplay bring every mood to life without a single colour, voice, or picture.

Exploring the trove of work on their site, the constant visual and sonic barrage creates an almost physically hypnotic sensation. The relentless black and white lettering takes you on it's own pace: sometimes you're given time to take it in and sometimes it almost subliminally, Clockwork Orange-style, just speed flashes it's meaning into your brain. Once stirred, it's up to your imagination to complete the visual — instead of reading a book, it's a lot like having one hurled into your face.

Their latest project, BLACK ON WHITE, GRAY ASCENDING, is a temporary installation in the lobby of the New Museum of Contemporary Art on New York City's Bowery. This time they've upped the game from their regular one-screen format to a sensory-assaulting seven. Each separate story weaves together to tell different accounts of one violent abduction and assassination.

Like any worthwhile film noir, these are all best viewed alone in a dark room. But be forewarned, their site's as addictive as whatever pill you'll need to get to sleep once the thought-inducing onslaught is over.

Many designers talk the talk when it comes to being environmentally conscious; the question remains, can they walk the walk? The folks at Core 77 are asking design firms, emerging designers, and design students to prove their dedication to the earth with their Greener Gadgets Design Competition. The contest, which will coincide with upcoming Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City on February 1st. challenges contestants to come up with new and innovative solutions to address the issues of energy, carbon footprint, health and toxicity, new materials, product lifecycle, and social development. Submissions will be judged on innovation, clarity of design, originality, form and presentation.

If you think you've got a winning idea, then you best be getting to work, because the submission deadline is January 27th. Check out the competition website for more details on how to get your entry in. Who knows by February 1st, you could be reaping the $2,500 first prize award. See, caring about the environment does pay.

It’s finally 2008, and we all know what that means: Dub-ya is on his way out of the White House. Most of us are thrilled about that; some of us are not so thrilled about that (ahem, some), but the fact remains that change is coming, and we’re as much a part of it as the presidential hopefuls stepping up their campaigns for the final push. One thing about this election season that has been refreshing to me is the slew of interesting candidates that we’ve had to choose from. So many different religions; the first woman; the first African American — our next president might represent something truly historical, and I find that, in itself, incredibly exciting.

Aside from environmental issues, this site has generally kept it’s distance from Washington, D.C. On the other hand, nothing stirs up a good debate like politics — and 2008’s elections are shaping up to be something impossible not to talk about. So, at the risk of getting risque, we want to know your current stance on the elections. Who’s your candidate? Why do think they have what it takes to clean up America’s current messiness? Is there one candidate that will send you to a cave should they take office? Also, if you happen to be reading from somewhere other than the US, feel free to jump in — we want to know how you think we can turn our country around, too!

God bless Sweden: check out the organic magnificence that is the Plantwall by Swedish designers Green Fortune. Growing up on walls from Moscow to Tokyo, these living architectural installations are custom designed for each space they appear in. They've devised a drip irrigation system that keeps the wall fresh without spreading harmful moisture and fertilizer for the plants is built into the textiles the Plantwall is mounted on. It's green genius. I want an entire house made out of this so that I can create my own personal indoor Eden…walls and all.

If your New Year's resolution involves saving money, but the prospect of opening a savings account doesn't sound at all appealing; perhaps you just need to start small. May we suggest a piggy bank? Ah yes, remember when you were a child putting away all of your pennies for a rainy day so that one day you could purchase that yo-yo you had your eye on? Well, now you can relive those days and channel your inner child with Urban TrendHK's Hungry Bank. This adorable oinker has a motion sensor that activates the mouth to chew any size coin until it is swallowed. It even makes piggy noises as it puts away your pesos into its potbelly — so go ahead quarantine your quarters for the next bout of inclement weather or whenever your rent is due.