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.

I'm a sucker for Nike ACGs

Nike ACG Takos Low LE sneaker

Ridiculous or Ridiculously Cool?

I'd say both.

Listening to and Liking: Middle Brother

I think these guys are going to be good.

Corporate Displeasure

I hate that if you accidentally make a late payment to a company, they instantly charge you a late fee. But if a company charges your debit card incorrectly, they can take 30-45 days to reimburse you. And that's just the way it is.

I want the ability to start charging companies every time they screw something up. If my satellite company doesn't cancel my service when I call them the first time, they should get charged. If the service guy tells me that they will send out the return box, but never actually puts the order in, they should get a late fee. If they decide to randomly charge my debit card for an installation that didn't happen 40 days ago because I don't actually have their service, I should be able to bill them extra.

But instead, they simply say, "Oh, we're sorry for the inconvenience. Deal with it." It just doesn't sit right with me.

Yeah, I'm talking to you Direct TV. 

Great Movie Poster

Not New but Still Sweet

Nike ACG Air Pegasus

Good Karma. Good Creative. Thanks Creature.

I stumbled upon this sweet Cave Singers poster in last month’s Communication Arts. A couple of the guys at my office have been digging the band for the last two months now, so I really wanted to hook them up with this unique wild posting.

I found out the artwork was designed by Creature (an agency in Seattle), so I emailed them and asked for a copy. Luckily, they had one left stowed away in the basement.

An account guy told me I had to sell him on why he should give it to me. I recounted how the Cave Singers, beer, and Red Bull got us through a myriad of late night pushes and that the poster would fit nicely with the new routine. He agreed and sent it my way.

Thanks for being awesome, Creature.

More

What's in a name anyway?

Who had the better name change; Ron Artest to Metta World Peace or Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco?

Regardless of what you think, Artest showed more commitment. Ochocinco can still go by Chad. But Artest is stuck with Metta. Not to mention, Chad forgot to add a space in-between the Ocho and the Cinco.

On those two arguments alone, I'm going with Artest. That dude's crazy.

Pass the Popcorn: Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness has been on my list of movies to watch for awhile now, but for some reason it kept slipping through the cracks. Darkness is about an old crotchety detective who's daughter is murdered, sending him on a mission to find out why. I came into it thinking that it was going to be a revenge driven blood fest, but it's actually more politically charged... or at least tries to be.

Over all, it was just okay - the right movie for a night if you have nothing else to do. I was hoping for more.

Vans Wingtips

See More

Cool Art

4-Eyed, Buck-Toothed Bottle Opener

My grandma gave me one of these as a kid. I have no idea what happened to it. Apparently, they're collectible.

Teva B-1 Britania

The Marty McFly

Perhaps the success of the Air Yeezy got Nike thinking. Why create a show that looks like it was inspired by the McFly's when you can simply make the McFly's? They're supposed to have a patented automatic lacing system and trippy lights. We'll see. Regardless, they'll be a nice homage to the Back to the Future fans out there.

Super Intrigued

R.I.P.

New Duck Uniforms

You can't go wrong with matte black.

Listening to and Liking:

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

The Exploding Whale

Duh

Sometimes, I think people ask questions just because they want to be lied to. They know the answer. They may not like it, but they know it. So what do they do? They ask anyway. Don't get me wrong, I prefer to be as honest as possible, so in most cases I let my silence lie for me. But every once in awhile, self preservation kicks in, and I open my mouth and lie.

Such is life, my friends. Truth only lives in actions, not words. And the sooner people understand that, the sooner they will stop lying to themselves, as well.

Watch the Throne

Kanye West is alright and Jay Z obviously holds his own. But when they sample and collaborate together, they're damn good. Check out their project Watch the Throne.

The Head and the Heart

I would like to be there for this one. The Head and the Heart having growing on me over the last couple weeks. Good stuff.

Under Armour Charge RC

 

I could see this design taking off. I've haven't looked into, so I don't know if they're pushing the Charge as a trainer, runner, or a recovery shoe,  but it's got an interesting look. I would love to slip on a pair to see how it performs. Check it out here.

Fandom

My buddy asked me if I was excited that the 49ers finally got a "big name" receiver. I said that I was about as excited as I would be about getting my driver's license without owning a car.

I love that the 49ers finally have a name to throw to, but unless Alex Smith figures out how to be successful in the NFL, it won't matter.

Vintage-Style DC

Listening to and Liking: The Head and the Heart

Portland Style or lack there of.

All I ever see in Portland are dudes wearing tight jean shorts rolled up at the knee. When did guys decide it was okay to start dressing like chicks?

I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the best style. But I would rather have no style than awful style. Call it what you want call, but the sissy hipster look has got to go. It's time for men to start acting like men again.

Battleship the movie?????

I guess you can basically create any story you want about ships shooting at each other and call it Battleship. But the question still begs to be asked, do we really need a big-budget movie based off of a game that has literally requires no strategy? I think not.

My prediction: The movie is as boring as the game.

Demetri Martin = Funny

I'm surprised it took me this long to stumble across this cat. He's good at what he does, and he inspires me to make charts.

Olympus XZ-1

I want this camera. Why? I will tell you. I want to take professional looking pictures and video, but I don't want to deal with something big and bulky. I want my wife to be able to use it without being confused about lenses and complicated setting. I want to be able to control the aperture and F-stop. Unfortunately, I don't want to pay $500 bucks for a camera right now. But maybe someday I will. And when I do, I will look for this one.

Pressure Check

Japan flipped the script on the U.S. to take the World Cup Finals. It felt very similar to the U.S. vs Brazil game, only this time, the U.S. was on the receiving end. You have to feel good for Japan and their story. But you can't help but know that the U.S. team missed a giant opportunity.

It's hard to keep the momentum after so many botched first half goals. The ladies still put on a good show. And according to my wife, had way better uniforms.

Young the Giant

Good find D to the K to the J. This is a great track.

The Cave Singers: Summer Light

Saw them live last week. The music was good but the show would have been better in a smaller venue.

Friendship Bracelets

GQ is trying to convince me that dudes should be trying to pull off the wristband thing. I'm not buying it, especially when half of their top picks cost over $100... for a wristband! No thanks.Watches? Yes. Braided fabric? No.

America!

Nothing beats the 4th of July in small town. When you're in the city, it can often feel like an obligation. But in the country, it always feels a little more genuine.

Obsurd Signs

Straight from HappyPlace.com, here are signs for stupid people, made by stupid people. Who know how many of them are actually real. Furthermore, who really cares? They're funny. Click on the link to read them all.

Portland Brew

Last night the news said that Portland is now the #1 city for microbrews. I know that will cause a lot of grumblings in other parts of the country. My brother still tries to convince me that Denver brew is better. I'm not sold on that statement, though.

Regardless of where the #1 ranking comes from, I think it's pretty spot on. The best part about the Portland microbrew scene is that there's such a large variance of product to choose from. We've got regional competitors and local heroes, lights and darks, organics and sours. From Henry's to the Widmer Bros, there's something to drink for everyone in Portland.

Pass the Popcorn: Battle Los Angeles

The human race is battling alien attackers, yet again, in Battle Los Angeles. This action epic comes with the standard doomsday plot lines - John Wayne hero, civilian counterparts, and the "how do we spot these guys" dialogue.

Overall, it worked for me. The action was good and the effects held up. It was a little stop-and-go during the second act, but it kept me engaged on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Aaron Eckhart even tried on his best Batman voice. If you're looking for some good popcorn fun, give it a go.

Life's a Beach

Even when it's raining.

Pass the Popcorn: The Next Three Days

I'll remember it for about the next three minutes. This one isn't really worth your time.

Listening to and Liking: The Civil Wars

V-Lite Infinity HPi

I scored some Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity HPi trail runners today. I'm gonna tear up the Portland Warrior Dash in them this fall.

Nike: Chosen

I like the creative execution, but I really don't like the name of the campaign. Chosen just doesn't fit.

Talking Funny

Comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, and Louis CK have a round table discussion about their craft in HBO's Talking Funny. This was a really enjoyable show that provided great insights on the differences between comedians and what makes a joke funny.

Listening to and Liking: The Cave Singers

Cowboy Up

Listening to and Liking: Typhoon

Tree of Life Trailer

This movie will either be epic or aweful. I'm hoping for the former.

Pass the Popcorn: Movie Roudup

The King's Speech: This was a good movie comprised of great acting and a good script. My only knock (spoiler alert) is that the whole movie builds up to the King giving a slow, emotionless speech over the radio - yeah, that's the spoiler... That's it. I know King George VI made great progress as far as linguistics are concerned, but I wanted a more climatic conclusion. I really don't think it should have won the Best Picture Oscar.That being said, it's still a good movie that sheds some light on a part of history most people don't know about.

The Mechanic: Jason Stathom runs around and kills a lot of people. Then he feels obligated to teach someone else how to do the same thing. Will it backfire? Probably. If you go into a movie like The Mechanic expecting cinematic brilliance, it's your own fault. But if you're looking for a decent action movie to kill (pun intended) some time, then it will do the trick. There's nothing special here, but nothing too offensive either.

No Strings Attached: Ah yes, what will happen when two people try to have a meaningless relationship based solely on sex? Chances are someone is going to fall in love. The plot of No Strings Attached is definitely a retread, but the execution works for me. Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher have good chemistry and comedic timing, and the jokes are funny enough to keep the story moving along. I actually enjoyed this one.

Pass the Popcorn: Somewhere

Sofia Coppola tries to recreate the magic she captured in Lost in Translation with the introspective Somewhere. Unfortunately, it falls short.

The movie bills itself as being about a hard-living Hollywood actor who re-examines his life after his 11-year-old daughter surprises him with a visit. In reality, that plot line doesn't come along until you're well into act two, which wouldn't have bothered me if it was replaced with more meaningful material. But it wasn't.

I think there was a lot left on the table with this one. Coppola delves back into her nearly dialogue-less scripts that tend to linger far too long on scenes that don't carry enough weight. For example, there was a 5-minute long scene where Stephen Dorff (the father) watches Elle Fanning (the daughter) ice skate. One minute would have had the same affect.

I understand what she's trying to accomplish by looking for meaning in the mundane, but that's a technique that's hard to perfect. And when it's not done right, all you get is the mundane. Wes Anderson has stronger knack for nailing this type of film making. Of course, he also uses a lot more dialogue to do so.

All in all, Somewhere wasn't a bad movie; it just felt incomplete - something the metaphorical ending didn't help. I really wish she would have made the movie that was advertised. Moreover, I wish she would trust her dialogue and write stronger scenes the actors can own.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but that doesn't mean it's better.

Sneakerpedia

Foot Locker launched Sneakerpedia to give fans a global platform to share their kicks. It's a wiki-based platform that seems to be picture driven. We'll see how long it takes for the footwear industry to infiltrate the ranks flood the wiki with their product.

Blitz Ladd

The Blitz Ladd sports bar is just down the road from my office, so I go there for lunch on occasion. I love all the games they have available - pool, darts, ping pong, hot shot basketball, air hockey, shuffle board, etc. They also have a decent menu and tap selection.

If they could only increase the level  of service, I would be sold. Until then, I will still only go there on occasion.

VROOM!

My midlife crisis is going to happen on a Harley.

Personal Dissappointment

An office NHL Playoff Pool has turned me into a semi-quasi hockey fan, and I'm not okay with that. I drew the Canucks and Lightning and have been riding the wave ever since. I've even watched several periods of play.

I'm not sure what's going to come of this, but it can't be good. All I know is that the Red Wings are going down (sorry Ken). Go Canucks!

Heroes

My two heroes just so happen to be TV characters. First is Ron Swanson from NBC's Parks and Recreation. Second is Dan Stark from the cancelled Fox show The Good Guys. If I were the combination of the two, I would be awesome. Seriously Awesome.

Good Tunes: Blind Pilot

Happy Endings = Good

Not the dirty kind. Get your mind out of the gutter. It's a new comedy on ABC and it's good.

Good Article

This is a great article describing the ethics behind the bin Laden assassination.

This anchor will have a hard time living this down.

Death of a Salesman

Osama bin Laden is nothing more than a seller of extremist ideals. And today, he is no more. I'm sure the blog world is erupting with Osama posts, so I won't take too much of your time with additional ramblings.

But today is a good day for the U.S. Yes, Osama's terrorist cells will function without him. But this is more of a psychological victory for the U.S. than a tactical one. We've removed the boogie man from under the bed. And on some scale we've righted a wrong - even if it was long overdue.

It's not too often I find it appropriate to celebrate death, but I have no problem with those who are dancing in the streets. I have no problem with those who have lost love ones at the hands of Osama rejoicing in his death. I have no problem with justice being served to bad people who do bad things and spread nothing but hate.

I pray for our troops. I pray for our country. I pray for all of those who believe in freedom. And I support those willing to protect it.

Stupid People Suck

There's nothing worse than an ignorant person trying to prove a point. This morning on 95.5 The Game (sports radio), the host Chad Doing said that he didn't like rap or Hip Hop music. It's just not his thing. Some moron proceeds to call in and say that Chad is a racist. Really? Just because he doesn't like rap music.

Fortunately Chad didn't miss a beat. He listed off about ten Motown artists from the 70s that he loves, all of which are black. The caller, in his infinite wisdom, refused to back down. At this point, Chad asked him if he liked country music. The caller said no. Of course, Chad followed that up with, "So that means you must hate white people."

After some more stammering and ill-conceived statements, the caller decided to finish making his point by saying that basketball is a black person sport, you need thugs on your team in order to win a championship, and then hung up.

While it was entertaining, it's hard not to feel bad for someone who is looking so hard for the hate. He must be living a pretty miserable life.

Bed Mart's Lack of Creativity

I don't expect a lot out of local commercials, but I can't stand Bed Mart's new Be Bed Smart ads. They make me want to rip out my brain and throw it at the TV every time they come on. At least the mattress nightmares had some semblance of creativity.

B Roy and the Blazers

It's great that the Blazers won in a must win situation. I think they got the same home court calls that the Mavs got in game one, and there's nothing wrong with that.

B Roy had a big game, but I still don't think he's a game changer anymore. Portland, in all it's fickleness, is conveniently singing a different tune this morning. Don't get me wrong; Roy still has a good shot and can kind of get to rim; he just doesn't do it in a max contract way.

Here's hoping the Blazers can grab another win at home and head back to Dallas with a clean slate. And as far as Roy is concerned, I just hope he keeps ballin'. I would love for him to prove my skepticism wrong. But more than that, I just hope he can continue to contribute.

This is pretty cool.

I hate the rain...

That pretty much sums it up. I'm sick and tired of the rain. When people say that it's not that bad, I want to punch them in the face. It is that bad.

Best Video Advertisement

This won Ad Age's award for Best Video Advertisement. It's more of a short film. It's really well done.

Wheat Thins Stix Commercial

I'm sure this one will be overplayed soon, but for now it's still funny.

Outdoor Industry Gets Funnier

Quote From My Day

"Should we schedule a meeting to talk about our next meeting?"

Pass the Popcorn: Cyrus

So this dude who's kind of a loser falls for a chick who has a kid with mommy issues. Oh yeah, the kid is 21+ years old. That's basically the plot of Cyrus.

Cyrus is the epitome of the indie film. The actors all do a great job and there are some really interesting scenes, but the movie can't quite get off the ground.

I liked it but can't quite bring myself to recommend it.

Pass the Popcorn: The Tourist

An American tourist visiting Italy is singled out by a mysterious woman. Sounds interesting. To bad it wasn't. Everybody called this one in - the writer, the director, and the actors.

There was one cool shot in the entire movie. Besides that, I'm pretty sure the studio was trying to bore the audience into submission. I can't believe it was nominated for a Golden Globe.

How Many Sleeps?

My daughter doesn't quite get the idea that "days" are how we keep track of time. She prefers to track time with how many "sleeps" it has been.

For instance, if I told her we were going to see her friends tomorrow, she would have no problem saying "next year" or "next week" instead of tomorrow. But if I told her that in one sleep, we will be going to see her friends, she would know that we are leaving tomorrow. Go figure.

Pear Blossom

In my infinite wisdom, I have decided to run the Pear Blossom 5k this weekend with my wife. In my earlier years, I would scoffed at the idea of this being a challenge. But since my knees went to shit on me, running has become part of the past.

Regardless, I dusted off the old running shoes last night and ran a mile... one solitary mile to see how I would feel. My body got angry at me. I was way more tired than I had expected to be, and my knee is already little sore today.

So there it is. This is what I've become - a whiner, a complainer, a man full of excuses. My plan now revolves around ibuprofen, ice, and pure stubbornness. I will run one more mile tonight just to give my lungs a shock and then wait till Saturday.

Everything in me is saying that I should take it easy and run at my wife's pace - finish the race and get on with my life. But I will not. This weekend has become my Little Big Horn but it will not be my last stand.

The Decemberists: The King is Dead

I'm digging the new Decemberists album - The King is Dead. It's got a little more of a folk hit than their last disc.

Situation Under Control

A Comcast representative read my blog post, which didn't speak too kindly of the company and how felt I was being treated. They contacted me and rectified the situation. Thank you, Comcast. I appreciate it.

Now that's the power of social media.

Sucker Punch - Probably for Suckers.

I'm intrigued by Sucker Punch on two levels. First, the graphic elements look like they have promise. Of course, I thought the same thing about Max Payne. Granted, Payne was cool to look at, but the movie sucked. The same thing might happen here.

Secondly, when you have this many hot chicks running around with guns, it really should be rated R. I'm mean seriously, it screams, "show me some skin." And for that reason alone, I will probably skip it.

Comcast Sucks

I finally gave Comcast the finger. After 3 years of paying way too much for crappy cable, I quit Comcast.

All I wanted to do was downgrade my service because I was sick of my OnDemand not working. But when I called Comcast, they told me that they wouldn't downgrade my service without charging me $150 for breaking my contract. Really?

So instead of holding on to me as a customer, which would have equated to roughly $90 a month for the next two years ($2,160), they decided they would rather have $150 once. Good business decision, Comcast.

The best part is that the lady on the phone tried to tell me that the $150 they were charging me for HD TV, Internet, and phone (which no one uses) was a very competitive price. News flash, Comcast; I am now getting more HD channels with DirectTV and Internet for under $80 a month.

I can't remember the last time I was ever so dissatisfied with a company. The worst part is that if they would have simply let me downgrade my service, I wouldn't have looked for another provider. Instead, I switched and will save that $150 the contract fee cost me in the fist two months.

Thanks for nothing Comcast.

The me that I am not

I think I'm gonna act like a rockstar for a little while - wear dirty clothes, not comb my hair, and grow a half beard. I'm gonna act like I don't care just enough that when I do care it will seem super special and sh#*. See, I'm already doing it.

I'm gonna wear sunglasses on cloudy days and carry a helmet even if I'm not riding a motorcycle. I'm not going to sleep around, but if you saw me on the street, you'd be like, "that dude is totally bangin' chicks."

I'll have a personal soundtrack that plays in my head 24/7 - 7/52. It will be sexier than Saturday Night Fever, more real than Boogie Nights, and as badass as any Bond movie you've ever seen.

I will be the epitome of me - the person I was never cool enough to become. Yep, that's my plan for this week. It's gonna rock.

The Cold Hard Truth.

I was supposed to get a raise for staying in Portland. Instead I got rain... So I guess the question is how do I turn water into wealth. Hmmmmmm.

Upon second thought, I don't think there is even a question; only an answer. God is punishing me for my decision and the entire city is merely collateral damage. Sorry, PDX.

Charlie Sheen - Winning

Charlie Sheen is already old news, but these kids do a good job making great songs every time a weirdo speaks.

The Letdown

Duke killed me again. I've picked them to win the NCAA Tournament 2 out of the last 3 years. I bet you can't guess which year I didn't pick them to win. Ding, ding, ding. Your right; last year. I now consider myself the ultimate jinx.

It's been awhile since I've seen a team completely fall apart in the second half like that. I'm not taking anything away from Arizona. They played lights out. But Duke surprised me. For a team that's coached so well, they actually looked like the game was bigger than them.

Oh well, there's always next year.

A Man's City Truck

I was in need of some new wheels, but since I work in the city, I couldn't go too Montanan. So I settled for a Chevy Colorado - the little big truck. It's supposed to get 20 mpg but still have some get up and go. We shall see.

Chad Johnson and the MLS

The Bengals' Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) is trying out for a professional soccer team. I think it's hilarious how a lot of professional athletes assume they can cut it in another professional sport just because they played in high school.

I have no doubts that Chad is better than your average soccer player, but these guys play the sport for a living. No matter how good he was at 18, I have hard time believing he can simply pick it back up on the professional level.

Of course, with the NFL lockout, it never hurts to start looking for other means of getting paid.