UrbanMedium is Derek and Heather, a husband/wife design duo who use paint, paper and the street to broadcast messages. Their iconic images use a mashup of pop culture and historical figures to provoke thought. One of their best-known prints, CheTrooper, reimagines the Marxist revolutionary as part of the Imperial starfleet. Back with some new screenprints, UrbanMedium now turns their attention to Kim Jong Il and Charles Manson. For the former, the duo presents a set of three prints, Kim Jong-iLL, mixing up the North Korean dictator with ODB, Michael Jordan and James bond. For the latter, Hello Charlie, UrbanMedium asks the question of what happens when an icon of evil is replaced by its absolute pop culture opposite.

Hot Air Brand brings you geometrically, and sometimes erratically-patterned streetwear, inspired by man’s mellowest attempt at defying gravity: the hot air balloon. Everything from the color combinations to the illusive slants and curves within each pattern makes for unique gear, each with an unusual design layout. Hot Air is afloat! Be sure to check them out.

While IKEA specializes in churning out convenient, (sometimes not so) easy to build furniture for the masses, Martin Sprouse is busy producing the antidote. Acknowledging that no two clients have the same needs, the California based furniture designer creates unique pieces that are custom designed to his clients specifications. Being influenced by architecture, though not relying on suggestions from one specific school of thought, Sprouse with the assistance of his close friends and family brings a fresh sensibility to each of his works that are designed to put the accent on “quality, functionality, and longevity.” If you’re in the market for some furnishings that capture the essence of your space and caters specifically to your needs, we recommend checking out Sprouse’s site. Innovation never looked so good.

Get your campaign loyalties on with Mark Defrates’ Obama symbol pendants. The familiar contemporary emblem of hope and change is available in silver in three sizes, as well as in earring, cufflink, tie-bar or -tack and signet ring forms. While we were hoping for one in dinner-plate size and encrusted with gems, we can see how it anything more than the classy 1.4 inch piece might undermine the message. Half the sale price of these pendants is donated to the campaign.

Jesse Hora has never ceased to amaze us by consistently producing eye-popping illustrations, and the Spear Collective member has a steady track record when it comes to wowing us with artistic ability. His latest site update keeps that streak intact by adding some superb apparel design work including his sweet Jail Break design for Clandestine Industries and Summer Shades tee for Warner + Reprise Records. Check it out for yourself, we’re sure you’ll want to soak up his creations and make them your very own.

The big summer festivals have come and gone for another year, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop sleeping under the stars, listening to music through the night or start showering again. The Antic Banquet is a small September festival just outside of Norwich, England and unlike Glastonbury or some of the other major music festivals in the UK, this one focuses a little more on getting the audience creativity. Let’s start with sleeping arrangements: you can put your bed in a tree! Tickets: get in for free with some kind of creative contribution. Food: it is a banquet after all, and what is a banquet without a huge fest that is covered in the ticket price? The antics begin September 12th, check out their website for more information and ticket sales. Have a look at last years flickr for a bit more of what to expect when the Antic Banquet rocks your gypsy soul.

When you’ve got offices both in Los Angeles and Copenhagen, all style bases that matter are covered. That’s Rubber Duck’s explanation for having addresses on two continents in the northern hemisphere, a justification that’s working ’cause their line of Miami sunglasses is turning the right heads. It’s got the classic Wayfarer-inspired shape in hot colors, but the tint on the shades updates ‘em so they’re not so bland ’80s, which we agree has too far outlived its resurrection. Rubber Duck’s also got some interesting basic drugstore tennis shoes that come adorned in solid to plaid colorways that while holler back to your elementary-school days, could become a fave and a new classic. We’re not against that.

Science, Nature, Art, People: It’s Boulder’s newest intellectual get together and it’s called SNAP! Yet another acronym with a great purpose, the conference joins TED and PopTech! as an excellent place to go get inspired, educated, and network — and it’s invite only as well, and at $1500 a ticket it’s still a little spendy but on the brighter side, it’s just fraction of the price of TED.

Speakers like Daniel Pink, Author Naomi Wolf and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis and many more interesting folks will be telling their stories September 23rd to 25th at the Boulder Theater. Michael Franti and Spearhead will be on stage as well, for the musical and film portions of the program.

Oh, wait, did I mention we’ve got a ticket to give away?

The Prize: A ticket to the festivities in Boulder, with hosted receptions and meals (retail value $1500; travel and hotel not included).

This Week’s Rules: Make an acronym like SNAP! of your own. Come on, you can do it. Make it good, make us laugh, make it matter, and relate it to changing the world for the better through science, nature, art, and people. Politics, too. We’ll choose winners next week. Comment away!