Battle Bunny

Left vs Right: A View of the Political Spectrum

February 5, 2010 · Leave a Comment

A couple of days ago I made a status update on Facebook in opposition to the group “Making Drug Tests Required to Get Welfare” which started a debate over whether or not the idea is (as the ACLU puts it) scientifically, fiscally, and constitutionally sound.

I’m sure my conservative friends and family see my viewpoints as naive, sinful and heathenistic while I see theirs as cold, exclusionary and based on a sense of moral superiority. Sometimes I have a really hard time finding any common ground and it feels like the chasm is too great to ever agree on solutions.

The whole thing just reminded me of an interesting chart I saw awhile back on one of my favorite sites, Information is Beautiful. It’s called Left vs Right: A View of the Political Spectrum by David McCandless and information artist Stefanie Posavec, taken from my book The Visual Miscellaneum.

Click on the image to enlarge. And FYI, counter to what you’d expect, Left is in red and Right is in blue.

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… That Don’t Suck

February 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Cyberoptix is a tie “lab” created and ran by Detroit artist, Bethany Shorb. I love the delicious colors and fun graphics. If you’ve gotta wear a piece of useless fabric around your neck, might as well make it art! You can purchase one of her ties on her site or at her Etsy shop for around $30-$40. She also maintains a really cool blog, Toybreaker, where she showcases new designs.

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The Bumblebeez “Misfit”

February 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been pretty neglectful of the poor old Battle Bunny blog. I blame Sundance. But now it’s over and I’m free to return to my extraordinary life. ;)

This is a pretty sweet little video by Glue Society on Vimeo. Best costumes ever.

more about “The Bumblebeez “Misfit”“, posted with vodpod

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Victorian Monster Portraiture

January 25, 2010 · 3 Comments

Its ironic but I think there are few things that can make us humans feel as alive as a well-executed fantasy. When I first heard that Avatar goers were reporting depression I was totally in the “you’ve got to be kidding me” camp but I think I’ve moved a little to the “I get it” side. It’s like waking up from a night of flying dreams. I’m always bummed that I’m awake and try to fall back into the same dream, but it never works.

I think Brooklyn artist, Travis Louie, probably gets it too. He specializes in what I’d call Victorian monster portraiture. His mythical beings appear to be upper-class elites, each possessing a personality and unique story. I spent a good hour looking through his paintings and reading the little blurbs that tell their tales.  It’s a little like digging up a photograph-filled time capsule on an alien planet. He does a fantastic job of creating mysterious little worlds that leave you wanting to know more.

You can purchase his work at a number of fine art galleries, including Roq La Rue.

Choking Krampus

Maxo the Ultra-Chimp

Miss Bunny

Stack of Demons

Uncle Victor

Richard the Small

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Solar Powered Sea Slug

January 21, 2010 · 3 Comments

Check out this little guy! His name is Elysia chlorotica and he looks like a sea slug but processes energy like a plant. After feeding on algae for the first two weeks of his life, he stores the chloroplasts in the cells of his gut. After that he can survive without ever eating again! Read the entire story here.


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♫ Short Stack ♫

January 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

It’s been awhile since I’ve made a music post. Here are a few songs I’ve had on repeat the last few weeks.

Fan Death – Veronica’s Veil

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Warpaint – Billie Holiday

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Twin Sister I Want a House


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Thee Oh Sees – I Was Denied

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Pit Er Pat – Water

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Ready, Set, Sundance!

January 15, 2010 · 1 Comment

I love living in Salt Lake during the Sundance Film Festival! Not only do we have access to fantastic indie films before the rest of the world, but we can enjoy them without going to Park City and fighting the crowds.

We were able to secure tickets for the first three below and can hopefully waitlist our ways into the last three.

Click on the image to view the trailer.

ODDSAC

Jean-Michel Basquait: The Radiant Child

Enemies of the People

Sins of My Father

Lucky

Get Low

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Helping Haiti

January 13, 2010 · 1 Comment

Photo by Matthew Marek/American Red Cross

My heart is really hurting for the people of Haiti. Imagine that you are pulled from the rubble that was once your home only to find that you have no access to medical care, food, water or shelter and that a quarter of your friends and family are either dead or missing. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around.

Photo by Pan-African News

Donate what you can, even if it’s only $10. Remember that everything counts in large amounts. Small donations from millions of people make all of the difference.

 

Here’s a list of reputable charities:

International Foundation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Doctors Without Borders

UNICEF

Oxfam

Stillerstrong

Operation USA

International Medical Corps

Partners In Health

Direct Relief

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1 A E O N

January 12, 2010 · 3 Comments

I’m kind of in love with the owl and hawk designs below from 1 A E O N. You can find the full line here on Etsy. They also run a blog which they update on a fairly regular basis with new designs and happenings.

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Kings of Camouflage

January 11, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Cuttlefish are hands down my favorite animal. These strange little creatures have three hearts, blue-green blood, can alter their skin to match an enormous range of colors and textures even though they can only see in shades of green and are intelligent enough to change their defensive strategies based on the type of predator they are facing.

Below is fascinating hour-long Nova special which does a great job explaining how their skin functions as well as exploring their intelligence and odd mating behaviors.

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