As Thanksgiving approaches, it's an opportunity to look back at things we are grateful for. In a letter to the President offering to buy his land circa 1855, Chief Seattle had a clear picture of what thanksgiving truly is.

Happy Thanksgiving


Chief Seattle's Letter

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.
We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family. [More]

I remember this photo from a Barney's New York ad, many years ago. I tore it out of a magazine and posted up on my wall. It was there for years. I didn't know who took it or where it was shot exactly, but I was just psyched on the mood and the dynamic, the animated position of the dancers. I think I could have guessed it was shot in a jazz club sometime in the '50s, probably up in Harlem.

Fast forward 20 plus years...

Driving home a few weeks ago, I heard over the radio of a passing of a photographer who had documented the lives of ordinary people up in Harlem. I vaguely remembered his name: Roy De something. I type it into my google search, then there it was: the very same picture that was pinned up in my wall all those years ago. I finally get info on the man behind the lens. Roy DeCarava passed away a few weeks ago, but his photos made a lasting impression and some how guided me on my creative journey.

-S. Choice

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As we all look forward to more effcient ways to travel, both environmentally and economically without sacrificing the driving experience, BMW is introducing much needed power into the hybrid market. Here is a peek at the 2010 BMW X6 Activehybrid. We have some mixed feelings on the shape here at the studio, but with the LA Auto Show just around the corner, we wonder who will bring the hybrid technology and design to the next decade and beyond.

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On our recent trip to Asia, we got to witness the art of Ai weiwei. Dubbed "one of the most evocative creators in contemporary China", Ai weiwei's most public work to date was a collaboration with architects Herzog & de Meuron on the "Bird's Nest" Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. These photos are from his show called "According to What?", now on exhibit at the Mori Museum in Tokyo. We were truly in awe by the thought provoking craftsmanship of his creations. Get inspired. [More]

  

 

Wes Anderson's newest film "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (in theaters November 13) captures the imagination of the visionary writer Roald Dahl, author of classic books such as James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Anderson felt that Dahl wrote Mr. Fox as a self portrait so the film version becomes a tribute to the late, great author. Painstaking work went into the minutiae of designing the characters and sets for Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Anderson made sure that details in the movie depicted Dahl's personal life -- from the countryside surrounding his home to the miniature replicas of his actual living room furniture. We can't wait to see it. [More]