I just got back from the fireworks store where I found this “Twitter Glitter” fountain by TNT fireworks. I couldn’t pass up this explosive which shares a name with the popular microblogging service. What are the odds it goes Fail Whale on me tonight and ends up a dud?

The parking meters around here are such a drag - all gray and utilitarian…like a grumpy uncle. But the meters in Montréal have flair, and flaunt it even on cloudy days. They are cheery, and literally smile for loonies and toonies.

Ahh, another vintage odd-shaped children’s book - and only 29 cents! I found this morsel in the same stack as my Golden Shape Books, and it’s got a whole different vibe and style. This is probably because it was published in 1970, and was printed in the Netherlands (so how did I end up with it in Indiana?). It seems rather rare, as Google is only returning 10 results.*

*UPDATE: Now I’m the #1 result. Nice.

Each March for the last few years, I’ve been throwing down with some of the best designers in amazing PhotoShop battle modeled after the NCAA basketball tournament. I looooooves me some PhotoShop tennis, and adding a format like this makes it extra fine.

This happens over in The Arena at Flashkit.com, where the rest of the year you’ll find typical PhotoShop tennis-style battles happening. The regulars are incredible designers, and this tournament brings out their best.

A pool of 32 entries is seeded into a bracket by reputation, and designers share stock and go head-to-head in a battle of PhotoShop skills. The community members vote on each pairing, and after 4 elimination rounds, the final pairing competes to become the champ. Bragging rights and mad respect are the bounty, but the experience is always where it’s at.

These are my images from round one and two…not even close to my normal output and I pretty much got routed. So as usual, I was in way over my head (I’m 6-4 overall), but that’s what makes it…um, educational!

You can see some of my past March Madness entries here and here, and a couple of other battle images here and here.

While searching for a particular Dr. Seuss book the other day, I noticed there was a wide range of colors on the bindings. Inspired by chotda’s rainbow bookshelves, I quickly threw the Seussian volumes into their proper ROYGBV order (I left all the white ones on the right). Not a mind-blowing display, but Coop liked it!

As a skater, I never stop analyzing every curb, planter, ditch, gap, and set of stairs for potential skatability - even if most of these tempting street obstacles would send me back to the hospital for sure (I’ll stick to the parks, thank you).

Anyway, because I can’t stop gawking at these urban artifacts, they really stand out over time. Waxed curbs, scuffed walls, chipped paint on hand rails - it’s like Luminol on carnage to me.

So when Coop and I walked up the East side of the Ravenel a few weeks ago, I noticed that almost every skateable feature had been hit. The benches have been ground, and the cable anchors have been carved. Definitely an interesting setting for a session, and I imagine the photos were even better.

And seriously, I swear I’m not obsessed with this bridge or anything…really. I’ll post about other stuff soon, I promise!

It’s a fine line, even in Vancouver.

Driving north on I-75, the tundra of Western Ohio is pretty bleak. Rows of harvested corn fight off sticky snow, and the sky already has that gray winter glaze. This is why so many Ohioans move to SC…can you blame them?

Somewhere south of Dayton, a giant red logo caught my eye. LORD. Not just any lord, but LORD in big red uppercase techno typography. I drove on, slightly tickled and more than curious. Turns out to be innocuous, but you always have to keep an eye out…

BTW - how cool is it that they own LORD.COM? Swank.

Last night as the Riverdogs were playing Hickory, I commented to my friend Josh that our seats seemed to be in good foul ball territory. Mid-way down the third base line, just past the covered pavilion.

Then just as our boys were cracking open juice boxes, it happened - A crack and the ball was coming our way. It took a hard bounce down low, then landed three rows in front of us. Everyone kind of froze.

I made my move, and before I knew it the ball was in my hand. I instinctively raised my fist high with its trophy, and my crew howled.

I gave it to the boys, and realized after 34 years, I finally had my first foul ball.

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This message was left on my voicemail about a year ago, but I’ve never posted it here. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t who she was looking for. It’s short…enjoy!

Here’s the .mp3

I love this sticker found on my banana…I wish all branding were this easy.

Since we don’t watch TV with the boys very often, we constantly have our iPods plugged into various devices. They have playlists, but mostly they like to listen to our music. So as we made our way through our nation’s birthday, I made sure they heard some songs about freedom. Here are five of them:

• Freedom, by Rage Against the Machine
• Fight the Power, by Public Enemy
• Get Up, Stand Up, by Bob Marley and the Wailers
• Freedom, by Richie Havens (live at Woodstock)
• Freedom ‘76, by Ween (this was just for fun)

The 4-year-old really liked Fight the Power, and I loved explaining why that was important. What’s weird is that I actually think he got it…kids are smart. Since I usually fly my “Don’t Tread on Me” flag the whole 4th of July week, I might as well keep on with the Freedom Playlist…I want my kids to know why this country is important, and why they should stand up against their oppressors when the time comes.

I was going through my browser history trying to find something, when I ran across a Google entry with my son’s name on it. When I opened the page, it became clear what had happened. Apparently he’s taken up egosurfing, and was googling his own name!

OK, so he entered a little more than just his name, but still - what a clown.

You know, I got out of the habit of actually writing here despite that being one of the objectives for this project. My main focus was to create a repository for 100% original work. Because of this, I’ve been leaning on my photos…which is fine. But I totally forgot to post the 1990 video!

Huh?

Like all passionate skaters, we practiced self-documentation in ritualistic fashion. We filmed and we shot. We developed, edited, and screened. Guys were forever making sponsorship videos, and we analyzed contest films like fiendish hoops coaches. It was all part of the life.

Every year, my friend Todd and I would boil down a years worth of footage into “The Video.” We had two VCRs, one of which miraculously had an audio overdub feature, and we would spend hours getting our dub-on. After the segments were compiled and the hand drawn/written graphics were added, we slapped some tunes over the top.

I’ve been digitizing and posting these on YouTube for the crew…you can see the 1988 video here (Almost 20 years ago…gulp.) I had some flexibility when I worked on the 1990 video, because we hadn’t yet added the audio. I was able to mix the sounds of the skating with a the music, and this gave it a production quality that was unavailable back in the day.

So in writing this painfully long intro and posting a twenty-year-old video testament to skateboarding’s timelessness, I have pushed myself a little farther along. You poor soul. Here’s the video.

And for the record, the slams video gets watched the most on YouTube.

It’s back baby!

With only six days until Selection Sunday, I’m already seeing brackets in my sleep and unconsciously drifting to ESPN for ticker-time. I long to be in a Vegas sports book, or at least that room in Graceland with the wall of TVs. It’s March, and it’s maddening.

So why shouldn’t we all head off to Bracketville a few days early this year? With stops at all six major conference tournaments, picking the winners of each game in the Big 10, Big East, ACC, SEC, Pac 10 has never been so much fun.

As always, the Championship Week Challenge is a great way to get an early look at teams you’ll need to know for next week’s office pool. So indulge a little early this year, we won’t tell anyone.

69 teams, 63 games, 6 champions, 5 days, 1 winner < -- you?

Download this Excel Spreadsheet, and start your pool today.
Games start on the 7th, so get your hustle-on!

Austen Heard, 2006
I cobbled together this composite of Austen hitting the funbox on Go Skateboarding Day.

There are very few things more enjoyable than watching other people fall, especially when they are doing it for fun. Enjoy this collection of Skateboarding slams, captured in the late 80s.

Enjoy this classic old school skateboarding video featuring a hip-hop soundtrack that is definitely fresh for ‘88. Come for the dated clothing, but stay for the funky boards.

Go Skateboarding Day is only in its third year, but the enthusiasm and commitment of those involved is steeped in tradition. Skateboarding is in undeniable force for those who participate, and the once cheesy phrase, “Skate for Life” takes on new meaning as I edge into my thirties.

So, in honor of my lifelong love affair with my four-wheeled toy, I skipped work and attended the event held down the street at the Mount Pleasant Recreation Center Skatepark. The turnout was decent - about thirty skaters, of all ages and skill levels, crawled over the street course like a group of padded ants. Fueled by Code Red and bite-sized Oreos, we endured 90+ temperatures and burning hot coping to tear it up with our fellow skaters. Viva la skateboarding!

And now for some random thoughts on the day…

1. Even though there were about thirty skaters present, it seemed like only five or six of us were actually trying tricks. Most of the kids just did kickturns on the quarter and wedge, and stood around on the fun boxes.
2. Nobody skates fast, to the point of it being strange. I must look like one of those old-timey Babe Ruth movies where he’s flying around the bases in jerky double time. This is probably the reason they can’t finish 50-50 grinds on the rails or hit the coping on the ramps - they’re simply going to slow.
3. I like the questions younger skaters ask me, though I’m shocked they never ask my age. I get a lot of, “How high can you ollie?”, “What tricks can you do?”, “Can I see your board?”, and “Are you OK?” That last one makes the list because I’m constantly slamming trying frontside disaster slides or backside ollies.
4. I cut my ankle, and it bled onto my shoe. I found this extremely satisfying.
5. Skating with full pads is still strange, but I’m getting used to it. This is not unlike how my parents’ generation must have felt when wearing seatbelts became law in the 1980s, except without all the blood and hippers.
6. The best kid there, a quiet 12-year-old name Austen Heard (pictured above), asked me if I wanted to play SKATE. I was floored, and took the offer without thinking twice. I lost S-K-A-T-E to S, but it was still cool. I hadn’t even thought of SKATE in probably fifteen years, and it was nice to see someone born in the mid-nineties (when my everyday skating was winding down) interested in a game.
7. I just can’t slam a soda and keep skating like I once could. I tried, but felt like I was going to puke. Good thing I brought a jug of water.
8. Hitting the wedge at full speed, I heard one of the kids say, “That scared me.” Well, maybe if you weren’t just sunning yourself on the deck like a girl, you wouldn’t be afraid of a skateboarder skating on a skateboard in a skatepark. Where has all the aggression gone…15 years ago that would have gotten a “Yeah!”
9. This overtly friendly skater and I had a good time doing old school tricks. He was into doing berts, slides, nose manuals, and actually had a little style…something not often seen in today’s fliptrick wilderness.
10. At one point, a kid about eight-years old asked me what was on my finger. When I told him it was my wedding ring, he said, “Oh, I thought is was a bearing.” WTF?

What a great day…I’m already looking forward to next year.

Hotel Dunkin’ Donuts

On a dark crowded strip mall, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of Coconut Kreme, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a pink and orange light
My gut grew hungry, and my mouth watered, I had to stop for a bite
There she stood at the counter, I heard the drive-thru bell
And I was thinking to myself, this could be Krispy Kreme or this could be Hell
Then she picked up a powdered, and she showed me the way
There were voices from the back room, I thought I heard them say

Welcome to the Hotel Dunkin’ Donuts
Such a lovely place, such a lovely glaze
Plenty of room at the Hotel Dunkin’ Donuts
Any time of year, you can eat ‘em here

Her fav is the Chocolate Frosted, but she got the Chocolate Glazed
She’s got a lot of yummy yummy cakes, that she calls friends
How they eat in the breakroom, sweet summer sweat
Some eat to remember, some eat to forget
So I called up the baker, please bring me my Lime
He said, “We haven’t had that flavor here since 1989″
And still those crullers are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night, just to hear them say

Welcome to the Hotel Dunkin’ Donuts
Such a lovely place, such a yummy glaze
They’re eating ‘em up at the Hotel Dunkin’ Donuts
What a nice surprise, bring your appetite

Donuts on the ceiling, large coffees on ice
And she said, “We are all just customers here of our own device”
And in the baker’s kitchen, they scrambled for the yeast
They kneed it with their steely fists, but they just can’t smash the yeast
Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
I had to find the way back to the place I parked my car
Relax said the cashier, we are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave

I’ve been reading so much lately about the looming energy crisis, and how nearly everyone seems to have their heads in the sand. While I don’t advocate the doom and gloom theory put forth by James Howard Kunstler in “The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century“, I can’t figure out why the mainstream media isn’t constantly attacking our politicians over this. Could it be that their noggins occupy the very same sandbox?

In a rare moment of clarity, MSNBC.com published an article discussing the recent claims by agri-giants Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland that corn-produced ethanol can replace our soon-to-fade hydrocarbon economy. With corn prices rising, they have the most to gain in the short term, but surely they know this is not sustainable…or do they even care?

Here are some of the key points from the article:

• Last year the U.S. produced just under 4 billion gallons of ethanol, serving just 1 percent of U.S. fuel needs.

• If we used all the corn produced in the United States to produce ethanol, it would provide only 7 percent of our total vehicle fuel use.

• If every car in America was fully powered by ethanol, it would take 97 percent of U.S. soil to grow enough corn to support it.

• About 30 percent more fossil energy is required to produce a gallon of ethanol than you actually get out in ethanol.

• Corn causes more soil erosion in the United States than any other crop.

• Corn uses more nitrogen fertilizer than any other single crop, and it’s the prime cause of the dead zone down in the Gulf of Mexico.

• Corn also uses more insecticides and herbicides than any other crop.

• Each acre of corn drains 500,000 gallons of water over three months.

I know to the militant energy watchdog these bullets are old hat, but it was refreshing to see a corporate news wrangler actually willing to write against the current of complacency and wishful thinking.

Cheers to you Dylan Ratigan.

Dr. James Naismith developed the game of basketball as a winter diversion for the Springfield, MA YMCA. His original 13 rules remain mostly intact to this day. Little known to most hoops fans are the 13 donut rules he applied to another New England winter treat - Dunkin Donuts.

The 13 donut rules.

1. The donut can be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

2. The donut can be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.

3. A coworker cannot run with the donut. The coworker must throw it from the spot on which they catch it.

4. The donut must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.

5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping a coworker.

6. A foul is striking at the donut with the fist.

7. If a comworker eats three consecutive donuts it counts as lunch.

8. A foul shall be made when the donut is thrown or batted from the box into the hall and stays there.

9. When the donut goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the hall and eaten by the first coworker touching it.

10. The umpire shall be judge of the team and shall note the donuts and notify the referee when three consecutive donuts have been eaten.

11. The referee shall be the judge of the donut and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which cowrker it belongs, and shall keep the time.

12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves with a five minute rest between.

13. The coworker eating the most donuts in that time shall be declared the winner.

“This Is My Donut”
The Creed of a US Worker

This is my donut.
There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My donut is my best friend.
It is my life.
I must master it as I must master my life.
My donut, without me, is useless.
Without my donut, I am useless.

I must eat my donut true.
I must eat more than my coworker who is trying to eat them.
I must eat them before they eat me.
I WILL…

My donut and myself know that what counts in this war
is not the sprinkles we eat, the glaze of our yeast, nor the cake we frost.
We know that it is the donuts that count.
WE WILL EAT…

My donut is human, even as I, because it is my life.
Thus, I will learn it as a brother.
I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts,
its ingredients, its toppings and its hole.
I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage
as I will ever guard my legs, my arms,
my eyes and my heart against damage.
I will keep my donut clean and ready.
We will become part of each other.
WE WILL…

Before Dunkin’, I swear this creed.
My donut and myself are the defenders of my workplace.
We are the masters of our tummy.
WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF MY FRIDAY.

So be it, until Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s
and there is no Krispy Kreme, but peace!

In the endlessly creative world of Photoshop Tennis, a design battle can take many forms. Over at Flashkit.com, we’ve just completed Rollcanvas III. This impressive collaborative design is possible only in today’s web-enabled world, and I am proud to have contributed.

The Rollcanvas mural battle requires participants to build horizontally off the previous image, but with a catch: they can only see the last 100 pixels of the previous image. I know it sounds confusing, but a good explanation can be found here.

This is all very exciting, as everyone must wait until the end to see the full mural. At over 20,000 pixels long, it’s truly something you should go see.

Below is my contribution.

If you want to see more, you can also check out Rollcanvas I and Rollcanvas II.

So…..how’s everyone doing in their office donut pool?

While my head says Boston Kreme will run the table, my heart wants Lemon to make a deep run out of the 5/12 pairing. The box is wide open this year, and even tournament newcomers Maple and Sour Cream have legitimate shots.