Satirically Awesome

Hey There, Superman. Papers, Please.
Art is often used as a means to advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations. Take, for example, the Firelight Foundation’s Cradle Project which underscores the serious plight of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa in danger of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. Along the same lines, visual artist Neil Rivas is using superhero art to question US immigration policies. It turns out that Superman, a native Kryptonian, is in the country illegally. So if you see him hanging around (at Starbucks?), please call ICE.

Data…and in Color!
There’s a ton of data in the interwebs on poverty in the developing world. Could all this data help advocates do their work better? Possibly, but first they have to find it…and then understand what the heck it all means. The World Bank’s data viz blog is making this process just a bit easier. The Bank is building a reservoir of infographics on the global fight against poverty; and they’re inviting web savvy folks to submit their own visuals for public consumption.

A Plan for the Chronologically Challenged
Given all this talk lately about Medicare, we applaud David Rothkopf’s concrete and comprehensive plan to deal with the “chronologically challenged” among us. There’s a long history of satire as an advocacy strategy. While it can make us laugh (a lot), satire can also help us reflect on the political discourse of the day. In this sense, Rothkopf’s piece is an admirable attempt to interrupt and refocus the current conversation about seniors. Thankfully, no babies are involved. We hear they leave a bitter aftertaste.