VW Leaves Detroit, Along with Hope and a Future

You see those ruins from ancient civilizations, you know the once thriving port cities and towns along trade routes from the Persian, Greek, or Roman Empires, and you think to yourself: What happened over the years? What could turn a thriving city into an abandoned ghost town with nothing but crumbling ruins?

Well, now we have an answer, everyone please turn your attention to the city of Detroit. Yes, a thousand years from now, the archaeologists of some advanced civilization will be digging through the ruins of the crumbled American empire and they will find Detroit. They will say, hear is this once thriving city, home to industry and innovation. Arguably once one of the most important cities in all the world! And here is it's ruin. What happened? How vast was this city at its peak?

Think it can't happen? There was a city, whose name escapes me, on the mediterranean coast of northern Africa. One of the largest ports and cities in all the Roman empire. An emperor even hailed from there, the first African-born emperor in Roman history. A large, bustling, important, historically significant city. Somehow lost for hundreds of years until archaeologists stumbled upon it. This once rich city now just a collection of wind-blasted columns and sandy paving stones.

Maybe that's an extreme conclusion to draw from this article, but Detroit's been circling the drain for a couple decades now. One more straw on the camel's back.


Sure it may just be one foreign auto maker and about 1,000 jobs. But these losses pile and pile and pile.

VW/Audi Leaves Detroit

Levi's Ad Switcheroo

We've probably all seen the new Levi's commercial where the guy pulls a pair of jeans on and the street level magically rises to his apartmenr (or vice versa). This MSNBC article talks about how that ad has two versions: a gay and a straight one. One is made to air on regular television, while the other will air on specifically gay-targeted programming and channnels.

I agree with many things in this article, from "who still uses a phone booth?" to Levi's marketing VP, Robert Cameron, who says this idea shouldn't be a big deal. He's right, it shouldn't be but it is.

I, for one, look forward to the day (to badly paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr.) when people don't look to the color of someone's skin or their choice for a lover, but rather the content of the (pick one) character/story/idea. But we've a long way to go.

Click once for straight, twice for gay

P.S. I always thought the woman in this ad was hot, but that her ass, as seen in the shot at the end when they're walking off together into the night, seemed a little...lacking in female attributes... I'm just sayin'

Adam Espinoza

Local guy + bad-ass reel = me linking it here to help get the word out.

Animate Me

The Latest Trend in Camo

Me, personally, I HATE camouflage as fashion. Always have, always will.

However, my colleague Mr. M. Miller, opened my eyes to the really long, interesting history and progression of camouflage from a evolutionary survival method for animals to today's fashions and everything that's happened in between (from camouflaging boats to Warhol's final paintings). Really cool stuff.

The point is that while I hate it as fashion, the reasons why have nothing to do with camouflage itself.

And none of that is the point here!

What is the point, is this awesome new technology called Kameraflage. Some weird-ass technology that renders certain patterns invisible to the naked eye. They don't show up as visible to us until we're viewing them in a pciture. Freaky cool huh?

Reveal the Hidden Message

The Lives of American Vagabonds

These photos are fantastic. I mean, great photos in and of themselves, but also a great essay on American homelessness. All the homeless photographed here are young (well, most of them) and they obviously have money for alcohol, cigarettes, tattoos, etc. Which would lead one to believe they're just lazy. Who knows.

I will, however, echo the sentiments of the Denver Egotist and point out that most of these really look like they could be from a fashion shoot which begs a larger question about where we're at as a society. Dig the Banana and Tobasco breakfast...and...Marsupial, it's what's for dinner...it's like a Mugatu campaign (that was a Zoolander reference for all y'all that ain't up to speed).

Derelicte!

Sidewalk Sale!

Really cool article about a creative agency in Madison that had a sidewalk sale for all their old, never-sold-in creative. Not only is it a creative idea, it's a heck of a way to get your community caring about your success...or at least knowing who the hell you are.

Also, I found this article at The Denver Egotist and if you don't know that Web site yet you should. And shame on you.

Slightly Used Concepts for Sale!