Today's Equinox Event at San Francisco's 111 Minna will be the most recent SF Beta event and program from Virgance, the for-profit activism campaign management company whose primary tool for encouraging change is online networking. They're the brains behind 1 Block Off the Grid, a community effort to make solar power available in bulk to neighborhoods, and consumer network Carrotmob, which invites people to reward companies that make socially responsible purchasing decisions. Promoted as “the biggest beta ever,” today's Equinox Event is co-sponsored by cloud hosting company GoGrid and GOOD Magazine, and promises cocktails with entrepreneurs and activists to celebrate Virgance's upcoming first anniversary.

Do you think that the air smells like roses and the sun is always shining? Are you constantly enveloped in the warm fuzziness of your being? If you said yes to either of those statements you run the risk of leading a positively boring existence. Fret no longer, because the excitement of any number of obstacles is headed your way all thanks to the new site Need A Problem. For a small to sizeable fee the fine folks at Need A Problem will toss a dilemma your way in the hopes that you can be their solving savior. The problems range in scope from trivial to nearly unsolvable, and the prices vary accordingly. Upon conquering your quandary you are entered into the site’s hallowed hall of fame and one percent of your monetary donation is donated to help those with greater hardships. So be a part of the solution.

The first time I heard of Kendo was when I was actively involved (read: snatching up) Adidas’s legendary AZX collection. For those who don’t know, Kendo is a specialty sneaker store that caters specifically to female clientele. They are located in Los Angeles, and in the past few years have really captured the attention of companies looking to level the field in a game dominated by men. In their latest Double Label collaboration, DC teamed up with Kendo to produce The Spruce Kendo. The hightops sport a unique colorway thanks to the use of reptile skins and animal print. Rounding out the sneaker is the use of gold, tan, and copper colors that compliment each other and gives it a strong Asian vibe. The shoes dropped April 1 and can be purchased at DC retail locations in LA and Soho as well as online direct from Kendo LA and DC Shoes.

Ian Svenonius has blessed the old D.C. punk scene with several incarnations, each a screwy satire of various styles. His most influential days likely behind him, but Svenonius’s current work, Down with Liberty…Up With Chains, is still worth paying attention to. It’s a stripped down sound and some old crusty lyricism that compounds a joke until you can’t tell if he’s making fun of you or himself. The first record from Chain and the Gang, the brand new brainchild of an ancient genius, is out today.

Neil Young is a survivor. The 70s artist has always been a bit different from his contemporaries; far from a typical rock star and not quite made for every man. It’s not about Kent State or Nixon, but Young has managed to continuing his tradition of activist music with Fork in the Road. It finds this old head in a new ride –  specifically a hybridized Lincoln. That’s right, an entire album based around the hybrid car. The thrill of the open road with rechargable batteries isn’t just a nagging protest though … it’s a pretty good story.