My good friend Joe Lombardo and I were talking today about the new reality, our struggles and what this all means for people like us.

He asked for my thoughts on the economic recovery and I told him I’m not optimistic, for many reasons and based on some pretty clear indicators.

Then I clicked on the Huffington Post and saw this interactive map.

I was born in North Dakota. Judging by this map, I might have to go back there.

Take a look.

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dshort.com should become your daily bread.

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I come from the branding and design world, where images are generally sexy, inspiring, artistic, creative, fashionable etc.

This ain’t one of them.

I am part of that statistic. And since I can’t do a damn thing about it right now,  I think I’ll go meet my friends for lunch.

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I found this today on the Graffiti Research Lab website (http://graffitiresearchlab.com/).

Does it hit a nerve with anyone besides me?

The country didn’t even go on sale. We never had that chance. One day it was simply over.

So now what?

Last I heard, the recession is over too.

What does that mean to people like us?? Do I get back my book of business I worked 13 hard years to develop?

Somehow I very much doubt it.

Because businesses like mine have been devalued in this new economy. Nobody can pay for great ideas and great work. They still want it, to be sure. They just can’t/won’t pay. And they don’t have to.

Because we now have this big free art gallery called the Internet. While it’s a great source of inspiration, it’s also the land of creative thievery.

Yes, it’s over. It’s also the beginning. Of what I am not sure. That, of course, is the million-dollar question.

Posted by Patty Soffer under Art & Business & Design & Economy & Politics & The Collec+ive & The Collective & This just Sucks | No Comments »

I have the luxury of this lovely blog that nobody reads anyway, so I can blow off some built-up steam and nobody will know the difference.

(If a tree falls in the forest . . .).

So here are some things , in stream-of-consciousness order, that absolutely piss me off.

1. Dishonesty.

2. Ill-advised ex-employees who think they can rob the company server and post our work, a gross violation of copyright.

3. Anything that comes out of Sarah Palin’s mouth.

4. Bank bailouts that only favor big businesses. If small business is 90% of what runs this country, what about it?

5. Selfish, self-involved baby-boomers who don’t give a crap about their parents.

6. Anything George Bush ever said.

7. Our legal system.

8. Did I mention our legal system?

9. Condo associations.

10. All of the above - x 10.

11. Oh yeah . . . health insurance.

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