Nike Better World

Nike has always created good spots. They are more than commercials. Commercials sell things. Nike sells inspiration, ideas, and ambition. You see, there's a big difference between a commercial and what Nike does. Commercials are 30 seconds long. Nike uses as much time as it needs. Commercial have scripts. Nike tells stories. Commercials are discarded and forgotten while Nike can save what it creates, reuse it, and still make something that resonates beyond the norm. It's a pretty amazing thing.

Three for One

A high school football player gets the trifecta - kick block/interception/touchdown. You don't see that everyday.

Penfield 'Rockford' Down Jacket

A hint of western flare combined with modern styling. I'm all in. 

Mid-Season NFL MVP Goes to…

Peyton Manning! Sure, you can make a good case for Aaron Rodgers with 20 TDs and only 3 interceptions. He’s coming off of a Super Bowl victory and has his team in position to win the NFC North at 6-0 this year. You might even throw Tom Brady into the mix. He’s already accumulated nearly 2,200 yards and has 16 TDs of his own. And at 5-1, the Patriots are looking pretty strong, too.

But let’s take a look at Peyton Manning and the woeful Colts. Indianapolis was able to amass some of the best regular season records of the last 5 years – 10 wins, 14 wins, 12 wins, 13 wins, and 12 wins with a Super Bowl victory to boot. He’s been the face of the franchise and a coach on the field. Of course this year, as we all know, he’s out. And the Colts have ZERO wins. They’ve struggled to get first downs let alone W’s.

The Colts roster looks very similar to its past contending rosters yet they are failing beyond imagination. The only difference is that #18 is on the sidelines. This season has proven how valuable one player can be to a franchise.

Other teams have been able to manage without their signal caller under center. Last year, the Steelers held up nicely while Big Ben sat out due to suspension. But the Colts have done nothing of the sort.

So who’s to say you have to be playing to be the most valuable player to your team and to the league. By not playing, Manning’s shown that he is virtually irreplaceable. The Colts are losing and almost unwatchable, which hurts their fanbase and the NFL's bottom line. And that’s why he’s my 2011/12 NFL MVP.

Rank and File

It's been a tough decade to be a 49er fan. There has been a lot of L's over the years. A lot could've, would've, should'ves. So when the power rankings came out this week, I almost dropped a load in my shorts to see them at #4. That might be as good as it gets this year. But one thing's for sure, their future looks bright.

Levi's Cords

The life of corduroy has been that of ebbs and flows. I've always been a fan of the boot cut Levi's, but I can say that you won't always find a pair in my closet. Unlike bell bottoms, it's hard to know when exactly this look goes out of style. One day they're in GQ and the next day you can't find them anyway. Well, today they are in GQ. So if you have a pair on the bottom shelf, dust 'em off and slip 'em on. Hopefully, they still fit.

Lign Golf: For dudes who play

I've never actually bought a Lign shirt, but I still hit up their site every once in awhile. I dig the vibe and style of the brand. Of course, if the fit and wear aren't any good, they won't progress.

Regardless, I think they're hitting a consumer segment that's only going to grow - dudes who play golf. Not guys who play but dudes. Not retirees with nest eggs or Porsche drivers who live on the hill. But the dudes who serve you drinks at the bar and design your websites. The dudes who play Tiger Woods on the PS3 when it rains and hit the links when it's sunny. The dudes who have etiquette but don't get bogged down in the rules. It's tempered rebellion. It's generation now.

Tim Tebow (Question Mark)

Tebow is one of the only players in the NFL who can prove his critics right and wrong at the same time. Is he widely inaccurate? Of course he is. You saw the stats for the first three quarters of the game this weekend. He couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. But can he win games? Technically, yes they won. He orchestrated a final drive and threw a game-tying touchdown pass. Of course, no one is giving Prater any love for the final field goal. But that's another story.

The fact of the matter is that Tebow's game is like an alcoholic who gets sober. Everyone pats him on the back for not taking a drink in a year. But if he wasn't an alcoholic to begin with, he could've skipped the 12 steps altogether. Get my drift?

Cool

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Pass the Popcorn: Bad Teacher

I actually turned it off halfway through. I don't do that very often. But I couldn't find a single reason to root for the main character. I tried but couldn't. Bad Teacher was simply bad.

Nike Zoom Kobe VII

The new Kobe's look to be more understated as far combining multiple patterns in the upper. But that doesn't mean Nike isn't still playing with unique textures (note the subtle horizontal ribbing).

The shoe looks like it has a super-reinforced heel clip but the removable insole/ankle support is the most noticeable addition. Regardless, I like the nod to a more classic silhouette.

Pass the Popcorn: Hood to Coast

197 miles separates those who talk big stories and those who live them. Hood to Coast does what every good documentary should; it takes an interesting event and humanizes it. Whether you're a runner or not, you'll be inspired by average people doing something more.

Parenting Vault: The Hammer

My kids were having a tough time listening last night, so I had to use the "Daddy Voice" and settle the situation down. Of course, after I use the "Daddy Voice," I like explain to my kids why I needed to be the bad guy.

Last night, after our little "Daddy Voice" time, I said to my daughter, "You know why I got angry? When you and your brother don't listen, I have to put my foot down. I'm not a push over like your mom, dear. If you don't listen to me when I need you to, I'll drop the hammer."

Then I followed it up by asking if she knew what I meant. She replied, "Yes. If me and Henry don't listen to you, and you have have a hammer, you will drop it on us."

Apparently, 4-year-olds don't quite grasp the idea of metaphors. Although, I think it was equally effective.

Converse Chuck Taylor Thinsulate

These Chuck Taylors come with 3M Thinsulate - the same type of insulation most outdoor brands use for their cold weather hiking, hunting, and everything in-between boots. They don't say how many grams are packed inside, so I wouldn't expect that there's much. However, with Thinsulate, a little goes a long way.

Kudos to Converse for letting us look cool while staying warm.

Next up, the kettle will call the pot black.

VW Beetle

There's always a fine line between losing where you came from and ending up where you need to be. I think the new VW Beetle rides the line nicely. And in a time of SMART cars and the Mini Cooper, the redesign might make the Beetle relevant again..

The Avengers

I'm still not sure about this one.

Boom

Pine State Biscuit Bliss

Right around Belmont Street and 37th Ave in Portland, there's a whole-in-the-wall biscuit joint that serves nothing but happiness. Pine State Biscuit offers a range of biscuit dishes from traditional biscuits and gravy to The Reggie Deluxe (see below).  Piled high with goodness, the food at this place is well worth the effort.

Hi-Tec Rainier Event WPi Boots

My nightstand clock says 5:15 a.m. In 15 minutes the alarm will go off, but there's no sense in waiting around. It may be the second weekend of hunting season, but it's the first chance I've had to test out my new Hi-Tec Rainier Event WPi hiking boots.

A light drizzle has been coating the Tillamook State Forest for the past 24 hours, so I'm excited to see how effective the Hi-Tec ion-mask waterproof technology holds up to the Oregon rain. According to the shoe tag, ion-mask is a plasma coating that penetrates all exposed surfaces of the boot, allowing it to repel water, dirt, and mud. The process means there's no uptake of moisture in the fabric itself, which makes the boot highly water repellent and stain resistant.

The first thing I notice as I lace up the Hi-Tec Rainier boots is how durable the rustproof hardware feels. As I cinch down the laces, I can feel the TPU heel locking system around my ankles. The height of the TPU feels a little uncomfortable at first, but after walking around a bit, the leather starts breaking into my stride and evening out.

By the time I reach the Tillamook State Forest, the rain has stopped and the fog is settling in. While the ground is soaking wet, the temperature isn't much colder than 60 degrees, so I'm glad this version of Hi-Tec hiker isn't insulated.

The instant cushion of the 4:SYS, six density PU / CMEVA backpacking midsole doesn't disappoint. While the leather around the ankle needs to be broken in a bit, the midsole and insole are comfortable right out of the box.

My first trek takes me up a 4-wheeler trail beneath a transmission line. It's mixture of wet, packed mud and large, slick rocks are the perfect test for the Rainier's exclusive Vibram® backpacking outsole. The boot's lugs grip the terrain well. The mud cakes a bit but releases as I make my way up. And while my pants slowly start soaking up moisture, the waterproof, full-grain leather upper stays nice and dry.

Several hours later, I find myself trudging up a near vertical hill full of downfall. The slope, which looks seemingly innocent from a distance, turns out to be knee-high vines, dead trees, and shrubs. The Hi-Tec Rainier's Stabila-flex elite, contoured thermo-plastic bi-fit board keeps me sure footed as I make the ascent. It wasn't till the descent a little later that I felt my back heel start rubbing a little - something that's to be expected when you're testing a backpacking boot with zero break-in period.

All in all, the boots are great. They're comfortable, stable, and keep my feet dry. They're the second pair of Hi-Tec boots in my closet - the first being the Jackson Hole 400s. Hi-Tec's instant cushion combined with stable platform continues to win me over, especially in their upper-tiered product.

Probably.

Long Live Michael

The man in the Hathaway shirt

 The man in the Hathaway shirt is the original Most Interesting Man in the World; except he let the eye patch do the talking for him.

Remember When?

Remember when men knew how to do manly things. We could change a tire in snow storm and manually adjust a carburetor. We didn't reference Google to know how to countersink a screw. And if we wore skinnier jeans, it was because we herded cattle on horseback and the jeans were Wranglers.

We had feelings but didn't feel the need to share them. We were strong because we worked hard, not buff because we counted calories and spent every waking moment at the gym. That's back when men were men, and we were proud of it.

A Quote From My Mouth

"I've got good news and bad news. Unfortunately, the good news is that I'm optimistic about the bad news."

I Love Cats?

This would be funnier if the original video didn't feel like a fake. In the original version, it sounds like someone laughs at 2:20. Good try though.

Pass the Popcorn: Hesher

Hesher, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is supposed to be about an out-of-control youth who happens upon a grief-stricken family. His crazy antics supposedly help this dysfunctional family get past their grief and start to move on. It's supposed to make you see the good in someone no matter how messed up they are. Unfortunately, none of that actually came to fruition.

While Gordon-Levitt does a fine job of acting like a greasy-haired loner, the script's backbone fell apart during the second act. The quirkiness that pulled you in during the first 30 minutes starts to fade when you realize you're not going to learn any more about Hesher's motivations, which makes the rest of the film feel forced at best.

I kind of wonder if writer Spencer Susser had a couple of interesting characters and funny scenes in his head, so he tried to make a movie about them - as opposed to having an interesting story and creating scenes and characters to correspond.

Regardless, Hesher had a couple of great moments, but mostly, it was off color, slightly inappropriate, and left you feeling uneasy. But I'm all of those things, too. So saying it completely sucked would make me a hypocrite.