This Month in Charts: October

Coming to you from New York City, safe and with power in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I Love Charts brings you the month of October, charted.

Red Bull Gives You Wings

October’s most exciting moment was Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting skydive. The stunt was sponsored by Red Bull, previously known mostly for making the energy drink we like to mix with vodka.

Debate Season

Far less exciting than Baumgartner’s jump was the series of presidential debates, which while fodder for many GIFs and grist for the mills of the wonkish, were generally rather drab affairs serving only to infuriate fans of logic and honesty.

Crazy Old Uncle Biden

However, not all the major party debates were boring. The vice presidential debate proved to be a battle of personality worth the prime-time slot. Can’t we get these guys a weekly show?

Cable Clash

Perhaps the most anticipated debate was Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly’s “Rumble In The Air-Conditioned Auditorium,” an event which pit The Daily Show host and Fox News talking head against each other on the issues of the day. Unfortunately, the most pressing issue of the day proved to be of a technical nature.

Troll Hunting

The debating this month wasn’t limited to politics. Online, Internet privacy was front and center in the cultural discussion, with the saga following exposed “jailbait” Reddit moderator Michael Burtsch, who had risen to Reddit fame moderating some of the websites seedier sections. Many were outraged when his anonymity was destroyed by Gawker (and Reddit in fact boycotted the piece). The irony, of course: these voices for privacy were the same people who were mute throughout Burtsch’s time as a Reddit celebrity, moderating communities dedicated to posting erotic pictures of underage girls.

(Yet Another) Sign That Print is Dying

One place you might expect to find substantive discussion about matters like Internet privacy — or, you know, Princess Diana’s zombie—is within the pages of Newsweek, though “News” and “week” is set to take on new meaning as the magazine announced plans to go all-digital in 2013. No word yet on how Muslims reacted to the move, though I’m sure if anybody can get to the bottom of it, it will be Newsweek Global—now online!

Brooklyn Gets a Stadium

Don’t cry too hard about the dying art of print, ye hipsters of Brooklyn, for now you have sporting events to attend! Barclay’s Center is fully operational in downtown Brooklyn, set to play host to the Brooklyn Nets and, in 2015, the NY Islanders. Hockey in Brooklyn: where playoff beards are year-round.

The Obligatory Sexy Halloween Chart

For those depressed that the NHL is still locked out, at least there was Halloween to look forward to. Well, until that whole Sandy thing came along. And what better Halloween tradition than shock and outrage over the latest slutty Halloweenwear? It’s almost like we forgot about all the bad jokes from last year. And the year before … and the year before …

Vote Or Die. (No Really: Vote!)

Now, we head into November, a month metonymically linked to our political process. It’s at this time of the year that everybody tells you that no matter what you believe, it’s time to get out and make your voice heard. We won’t buck the trend.

See you in November!

By Jason Oberholzer & Cody Westphal of I Love Charts via Tumblr