Congratulations to Phil and Mike. These gentlemen commenters came closest to the actual number of comments we have up on the site: 4241 (and hundreds more after this contest). We’d also like to give Chris Ing an honorable mention. Chris, you were over by one. Bob Barker would have plotzed. We want to thank everyone for playing, but more importantly, wanted to let you know that tomorrow JoshSpear.com starts “BIG TICKET TUESDAY“, our weekly giveaway for those lustworthy items you don’t have the bank roll for.

We really tried to not use the word pimp in this post, but alas — the crew at Infectious Car Art pimp a meaningful message (see, it works here) with their Obama Car Art contest. Independent artists have a shot at seeing their Pro-bama graphics plastered all over Infectious patrons’ cars — in addition to some prize money — prior to this year’s election. A progressive idea built to push a progressive candidate? If you’re an artist who can see yourself hitting this, the deadline for submissions is August 7th. McCain would have attempted to adapt this concept to his own campaign, had he not shun the Internets.

Sometimes bad things happen. A couple weeks ago, an unknown spider bit Matthew Woodson and sent him to the hospital. The doctor's report requires a weekly treatment until the wound heals; roughly eight months. To make matters worse, Matthew is “in between” health insurance companies, which means he needs to sell some art. Luckily, he’s really good and has a rap sheet with clients like Wired, American Express and Threadless to prove it. While scary medical bills stack up every week he is asking for commissioned artwork … and by asking we mean begging. He will do anything, large or small — yes, that even includes tattoo projects. He also has some great prints available here and a full list of his illustrations on his website. Having gone through a spider bite personally, I know it can be quite scary. We wish Matthew a quick recovery. He has left a web of contact details on his blog for commission information or just to send a supportive note.

Via Drawn

If you’ve ever wanted to add the fancy term “Hotelier” to your business card but lack the capital to actually open a hotel, here’s your chance. Our Planet Retreats, an eco-friendly company aimed at providing truly unique accommodations, is relying on donations from people just like you to get their project off the ground. For a scant $30 donation you can become a shareholder, creating a rare travel experiences for eco-tourists while boosting the local economy. Each retreat consists of 12 rooms that are more or less spheres in trees that house four people apiece, giving travelers an incomparable connection to their surroundings. Each retreat location comes with activities tailored to their environment: whale shark diving, bird watching, turtle conservation projects, or surfing, among others. The current goal is to set up four locations in Vanuatu, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea within the year. Maybe it’s time you got in on the ground floor.

Bay Area designer, and poster artist for the indy stars, Jason Munn brings his clever, literal style to the world of T-shirts. In a limited set of tees, hoodies, and posters for Insound entitled the Insound 20, Munn blesses 20 bands with his simple storybook cover technique. The line-up includes Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Beirut, She & Him, The National and more. Each is a signature piece that is a graphic interpretation of the band’s name and the feel of their music, yielding sweet looking designs that you might only “get” with a second look. My personal favorite is the one for The New Pornographers.

There are a million ways to say thank you. You can send someone flowers, buy someone a boat…or just say “thank” and “you” together. Joachim Baan and Hugo Verweij have added a new wrinkle to the act of showing your appreciation with “Thank You Too”, their book of business card-sized thank you notes athat give friends and strangers alike the respect they deserve for being so wonderful. The recently launched website allows visitors to purchase postcards and stamps, send e-cards, or come up with their own specific messages that may be added to the site. No need to thank us, your blog patronage is thanks enough.

It’s a tie. Two of our readers guessed the exact same number of comments in our iPhone 3G milestone giveaway — which just happened to be the closest to the correct one. Before we announce their names and let you know exactly how many comments JS.com has, we need your input. Either a) we can be equitable and give away two iPhones or b) DEATHMATCH! The comment section will be open until 4 p.m. EST to let you decide their fate and suggest how the tie might be broken. Winners and the final ruling will be announced at 5 p.m. EST.