Zimbabwe democracy and human rights advocacy group Sokwanele built a compelling Google maps hack that visualizes news reports of the election-related human rights violations in Zimbabwe.


Such a high-bandwidth service won’t enjoy much viewership in Zimbabwe, where mobile phones and SMS are the new political technologies of choice.


But the Sokwanele map is a powerful way to reach international audiences. In one glance it conveys the larger patterns of what’s going on, and it lets people zoom in and link off for more detail about individual events.


(”Sokwanele” means “Enough is enough.”)

I’m an optimist, so I’m going to assume this Dunkin’ Donuts photo is a coincidence – unlike the Bush product-endorsement shots.

I shot the same moment from the Apostles’ point of view:

(Click the photo thumbnails to view originals on Flickr).

Start with The Arcade Fire video: the whole band crowds into an elevator, plays “Neon Bible” there and emerges to wander among an enormous crowd of fans while playing “Wake Up.”

They provide Youtube-quality thumbnails, but don’t miss the luscious high-rez DivX download versions of each video.

(Thanks, Jeremy, for turning me onto this.)

Rats, I’ll be out of town when he plays Bimbo’s in San Francisco Feb. 29.

Congratulations to Peter Bober, who was just elected mayor of Hollywood, Florida.

Pete was my college roommate in Austin and one of my best friends going back to high school days in Florida. Best of all, he unseated Mara Giulianti – a notorious mudslinging, scandal-plagued mayor who sold out to shady condo developers and other unsavory interests.

Giulianti spent nearly four times more than Pete on the campaign, but the underdog toppled the 20-year incumbent.

“If you take three steps toward the gods they will accidentally trample you. Then they will curse and scrape you off their boots like dog doo.” – Campbell Joseph

I tried a cup of their C.O.E. Cooperativa Vasquez from Nicaragua. It was the most expensive cup pot of coffee I’ve ever had but it was delicious, and what a spectacle.

More photos.

[Editor’s note: You just never hear that sort of thing in a San Francisco cafe.]