AMERICAN PSYCHO

The great state of California used to have the 5th largest economy in the world. This is the governor gaVin Newsom. 

Coming to a neighbourhood near you. 

Make your own mind up.

California Fires Weirdness

I have no idea how a fire could cross a road, avoid the surrounding trees and take out the houses. 

See for yourself in the drone footage. 

It's inexplicable unless we factor in alternative reasons than just wind and fire.

Coming To A Neighbourhood Near You - Only In 'Merika

You'd be mad to hand your guns over to the Feds in the US with the police completely out of control like this. The whole Dark Knight episode is designed to push forward anti gun laws going through the UN right now just as the US is beginning to descend into the long predicted chaos we've been ringing an alarm bell over for years.

Police firing rubber bullets and unleashing dogs into women and children. These are pigs. Thugs with the finest pension scheme and benefits on the planet and a media that barely chastises the most egregious of crimes. Of course they can get away with murder. They're a law unto themselves and are there to protect the interests of the elite.

Sunsets & Time

I thought I'd be clever and weave this post into something lengthy about time and running out but I think the pictures speak for themselves. The sunsets on Huntington Beach are astonishingly beautiful but the day care centre where the old folks are marking out their final days is somewhat different. No less interesting though.

The first image of the post belongs to a staff member's wrist at American Apparel which is a brand I've really fallen for. Who couldn't? Clean and fresh image, simple but noticably hip garments, and all priced very fairly with proper brand values including a positon on immigration that puts both the Democratic and Republican parties to shame (though perversely not George Bush pre 911). I've talked (at length) before about why I think brands in a product parity world can differentiate through having a position that sits outside the quarterly report. One that preferably upsets a few people too.

These are the sort of brand values which are the difference between those that stand for something and those that would like to stand for something but fail to have anything to stand for because that's what pretesting and focus groups do don't they?

Anway I've been thinking about time for quite a while and I think it's a long post in the brewing. It's got nothing to do with planning and yet everything to do with planning of course.

This last image is taken from the Nokia N95 and while not perfect is every reason why I'll miss having a 5 megapixel cameraphone once I buy an iPhone. Unless of course Apple dish up one in the future.

As Promised

One for JD ;)

Location Location Location

I have got loads of suggestions for Starbucks.

If you want to know I'll be hanging out here. I'm the Brit with a black Macbook Air.

Update: Must be Karma, I came across the lady who contibuted to the My Starbucks Idea in San Francisco.

SoCal

Lots of intense political discussions with old friends, catching up with some 2.0 people, Mexico this weekend, San Fran/PSFK next week and Beijing on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

It feels like a bubble here; particularly the Hummers. Completely removed from the the outside world and yet the ever present reminder of oil pumps and real estate for sale looms large.

Southern Californians though have to be some of the most generous and helpful on the planet. Pretty much every transaction or interaction is seamless and delightful.