A few weeks ago, the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby collectively gave a talk addressing what in particular about Philadelphia had inspired and enabled the Derby and its outlandish entries.

These are the slides from my part of that presentation. The overarching theme was that Philadelphia is big enough to grant an audience but small enough that we can do whatever we want.

It’s no secret that the world is changing. As years go by and we attempt to make up for decades of environmental neglect, permanent alterations to the global outlook are unavoidable. Higher temperatures and a greater intensity/frequency of rainfall are just two symptoms of the overall climate change problem we face.

But we aren’t the only ones who live here.

The planet we will find ourselves inhabiting in the coming years will be a much better suited environment for things we don’t want. While we humans may not be able to stand the heat, floods, and other natural disasters that come with climate change, other species will find a new Promised Land in the aftermath.

Since I can remember, I have had an obsession with zombies.
Maybe it has something to do with the Michael Jackson “Thriller” video airing just days before my third birthday.
Maybe it comes from growing up in Detroit, where zombies roam the streets freely.
Wherever this obsession comes from, the past ten years in pop culture have been a wonderland of undead delight. Not only do I love a good zombie flick, but it is interesting to examine their influence on all mediums.

Welcome to the Green Age.
We live in a time in which the threats of yesteryear are staring us right in the face. Gone are the warnings and predictions; summations and theories. The global problems terrorizing us now—climate change, deforestation, global warming, ocean pollution—are all too real and all too proactive to ignore.

Clearly, the times are changing, and not just out of the sake of progress; out of necessity. Yet, despite the facts, studies, and historical references that are all screaming “ACT NOW!” there are those big, industrial smoke stacks that just can’t help but slow things down for all of us.

[Editors Note] We are simply reporting on the popular styles of the season. We are in no way decking the Tango Echo halls with plaid, which seems to be the ‘to do’ this fall season.

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, plaid is back with a vengeance, and it’s going to stick around through the season.

It’s popping up on jackets, shirts, dresses, scarves, and even shoes. Comb your local thrift store for pieces that were loved the last time plaid was in style. Don’t let that awkward thrift-store fit limit you; if you have a sewing machine, it’s super easy to turn a men’s XXL into a fitted shirtdress for less than a fraction of what you would pay at a chain store.