Visualizing the Great Spill

This whole oil "spill" thing has made me stop and think about just how much stuff we "spill" onto the earth in general. There's a lot more being dumped into the oceans than just oil, unfortunately.

While the news has been pretty grim this year, ignorance won't help anyone. But sometimes it's pretty damn impossible to comprehend the magnitude of all that's going on. Thankfully we have artists like Chris Jordan who has taken the numbers and made art out of them, producing functional, educational and stimulating pieces that help bring it all to scale. His Running the Numbers exhibit showcases that while a photo is worth 1,000 words, it can also capture 106,000 aluminum cans.

Beware, Jordan might have you rethinking your own contribution to the Great Spill.

Music Musts

Sorry y'all. Been a bit busy with moving and whatnot, but I'm trying to get back into this blog thang. Given that these two must-have albums dropped today, I couldn't let these pass without some screen time.

Jannelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Ms. Moane's amazing funky unique style, coupled with features from Saul Williams and Big Boi, make this album a must buy. Amazon has it for $7.99. For less than the price of lunch you can have some feel-good music forever.

NaS & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives

Anyone who heard Road to Zion knows that it's hard to deny that NaS and Junior Gong make a brilliant team. This album doesn't disappoint musically or lyrically, allowing both artists to explore their african roots. As Marley said in the New York Times' article, "By the time Africa is developed it will be the Wonderland of the world... But it nah go just drop out of the sky. So we have to put in work." While the amount of work Africa needs may seem daunting, at least now we've got some theme music to whistle to while we work.