"Will the last person leaving Seattle..."

...Please turn out the lights.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the famous saying from the 1970s. If that that specific phrase, then perhaps one of the many altered forms that pop up in any depressed city or institution. According to the Seattle Times:

The message has been copied all over the world, with the word "Seattle" replaced by Detroit, St. Louis, New Jersey, Australia and even "the planet." And it has been used for other occasions in which a catchy, sardonic slogan is desired — "Will the last person with ethics on Wall Street... "

The two minds behind this iconic message are Bob McDonald and Jim Youngren. The pair were selling commercial real estate during one of the darker periods in Seattle's economy. Boeing had recently laid off 60,000 workers and the state's unemployment rate was more than double the national number at 13%. The two posted the sign as part satire and part business opportunity.

Now, with recent layoffs from Seattle's major companies: Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks...stories and blogs have started to recycle the famous line.

Read the full article here.