Skateboard + Blog = SKLOG?

2007 Skate the Planet Skateboard Blog Archive

Below is the archive of random skateboard thoughts that crossed my mind in 2007.

2007 Skateboard Blog Archive

December 2007

12/25/07: Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Skate the Planet and GRIND•12
12/8/07: Hating Ryan Sheckler Just when you thought you had to go to a middle school to find some really hateful brats, now all you need to do is look 5 feet behind Ryan Sheckler. The amount of shit being doled out to boy-Sheckler is as amazing as it it abundant.

When I heard he had an Mtv reality show, I really had no interest in seeing it. Rob & Big was a cool show because those guys had a lot of charisma and worked well together. Now I'm dying to catch an episode of "Life of Ryan", but my local paper has problems with printing accurate TV listings. Anyway... the hate that has come from this show is astounding especially when you see how much of it comes from skaters. All sorts of skaters - Pros, Ams and random skate punks. Everyone is on the bandwagon of hate.

I know it can be fun to piss all over someone for no good reason, but Sheckler is an amazing skater. Seems to me he's proven himself in that respect. All this hate seems to stem from his "reality" show that sucked and really didn't show the "life" of any sort of respectable skater. On the other hand, when was the last time someone offered to do a show on YOUR life?

I'm fairly certain he made a ton of money off this thing. If they offered me a stack ‘o cash to have cameras follow me around... I'd be down and so would you. Here's the problem...

There is no such thing as Reality TV - it's a myth. Reality is boring. Following anyone around with a camera will result in a crappy show. No amount of editing will help. Unfortunately, reality TV is a big marketing gimmick and lots of people think its the greatest thing (I wish all those people would go die in a fire). So, when the show gets too boring, even for moronic television directors, they start to "make it interesting" by adding in shit.

I'm sure Sheckler had no creative control on the project and the way they shoot these shows, you never know how the footage will be portrayed. Anything can be misrepresented or used out of context.

Speaking of "out of context"... nice bracelet:
If you really want to hate Ryan Sheckler... check out this fancy little diamond tennis bracelet he wears in those Nixon ads. What's up with that shit?

November 2007

11/30/07

Farewell to THE Daredevil

Evel Knievel inspired me as a kid in the 70's. His mixture of courage, charisma and insanity made him a hero to me and my numerous failed attempts to jump over garbage cans on my bicycle. With his passing comes the passing of a great American tradition - the daredevil.

When Evel retired there was no one to replace him. He was irreplaceable. When I think of today's "stunts" of skateboarding, Danny Way and the MegaRamp come to mind along with Bob Burnquist's Grand Canyon jump. It also makes me realize how under-publicized each of these events were. People don't seem interested or inspired anymore by such feats.

Every jump Evel performed created a media frenzy and people were stoked to see him. You just don't see that today on the same grand scale. Someone needs to carry on Evel's spirit of adventure - I'm too damn old to do it.

11/28/07

Your Town Needs A Skatepark

Jam this sign in your front yard and let everyone know what's got to be done. Order up this sign for your yard (or your neighbor's yard) and let Town Hall know how you feel.

11/22/07

Happy Thanksgiving Scarf some turkey and go skate!!

11/19/07

LL Cool J Bean Buying LL Cool J's "Bigger and Deffer" was a turning point for me in my musical exploration back in 1995. Rap just isn't what it used to be and likely it never will be that way again. But that's not really what's on my mind right now.

Once Thanksgiving is on the horizon, LL Bean starts sending me catalogs. Not one or two, but 7 or 8 - and they don't stop. I guess its my own fault for buying a pair of pants from them last year. But they have catalogs for categories of products I've never heard of. Anyway...

Every time they deluge me with catalogs, I start to think it would be nice to live in the wilderness of VT or ME and trudge around in a pair of snow shoes. Maybe it would be fun to stand out in snow storm in a pair of Khakis and a blazer with a hot cup of coffee. Then it occurs to me that I'd rather be fucking skateboarding.
Thanks for the catalogs.

11/15/07

Hubba's Sk8 Calendar What better way to command your schedule than with a boobie-filled calendar from Hubba Wheels. Sure that Thrasher calendar is swell, but its not quite as titillating as Hubba's offering. If their wheel ads are any indication of this calendar's content... sign me up.

Hubba skateboard wheel 2008 calendar

The Hubba 2007 callendar...

11/1/07

Grind | Ground | Grim

GRIND	GROUND	GRIM
Steve Austin & Oscar Goldman	Lindsey Wagner reping therapeutic mattresses	The new Bionic Woman TV show
Post-Halloween sales	"Sexy" Halloweenn Costumes	Cleaning raw egg off your car cuz your candy-offerings sucked

October 2007

10/31/07: Happy Halloween! Get out there and scare dem kiddies...
10/24/07: Extreme Sports Are Clean? The Fuel cable channel isn't offered in my area so the sports offerings are pretty much relegated to football, golf and other time-wasting atrocities. Sometimes I can find something semi-palatable on the tube - sports-wise. But here's something I've recently noticed... Banners for Paul Mitchell styling products are popping up at various sports events. Maybe this isn't new, but I'd never seen ‘em.
I was horribly bored and found myself watching the Jeep Mountain Bike downhill races and there was that damn banner at the finish line. I've seen it at skate and snowboard events too. If shampoo-boy Paulie Paul wants to kick in some funds to cover such events - power to him. The thing I don't get is what the fuck is the demographic for styling products sold in salons?

I'm a clean sort of guy. I take showers. I do not, however, go into salons to buy shampoo and shit when the local supermarket has what I need. Maybe my raggedy ass could benefit from a salon cut and some pro products, but it isn't gonna happen. If I'm dropping $60, rest assured I'm coming home with a new deck, not shorter, shinier hair.

Does anyone who skates (or whatever extreme thing you're into) go to salons for anything? Yes, ladies I'm aware that you can kill on the half pipe and go to a salon. I'm talking about the guys!

Here's an excerpt from the "About" page of the Paul Mitchell site:
More than 26 years ago, two friends had a vision to found a company by hairdressers for hairdressers - one that would provide tools of success for stylists, their salons and the entire beauty industry.

Um, yeah. That makes me want to reconsider my hair-care requirements and visit a fucking salon. Their site also has a sports schedule of events that I'm guessing they sponsor. Is this what viewers of extreme sports TV are looking for? A better salon product?

Next time you get all sweaty from skating, go buy some cheap-ass shampoo at the corner store and throw your TV out the window. And get some Sk8Kleen Soap!
10/22/07: Calling All Lizard Kings The Dec. '07 issue of Skateboarder magazine has a sick interview with Lizard King. This guy is insane and gave up a crazy interview - check it out. I never knew too much about him - and still don't - but seeing him in sk8 vids... he kills. Anyway...

In this interview, he gives out his cell phone number [801-953-3398] - yeah, I called it - saying he loses his cell phone a few times per month, so why not give out the number. He said he wanted kids to call up and say, Hey. That's pretty cool. The problem is that getting a replacement cell phone doesn't mean you get a new number each time. I've lost phones and the replacement is just put on the same account. If you lose your house keys... you don't buy a new house. WTF?

I hope he's prepared to be annoyed by kids until he retires that number. Pick up the mag and read this interview. You won't see one this good for a long time!
10/20/07: Habitat Goes to Wellfleet The East coast Habitat team came out to the Wellfleet skatepark on Cape Cod for a demo sponsored by the Boardinghouse shop. I wanted to promote my site & zine with a 4-up flyer, but that left the back side blank. Problem solved - I made a "support your local shop" image for the other side...
The weather could have been more cooperative, but the event was a blast. The Habitat team killed the park for 2 hours, did a group photo with all the kids and headed out.
10/9/07: Deconstruction of a Complete We've all come to accept the term "complete" to mean a pre-assembled skateboard. After purchasing one you might find yourself saying, "I was a complete moron for buying a complete." Generally, completes are cheaper than buying and assembling the parts yourself. Often this is due to no-name brands and generic crap. Besides, half the fun of a new set-up is putting all the right parts together yourself. Anyway...

Twice I've walked into skate shops and found this stubby Enjoi longboard complete. It has an odd deck shape and in both cases it has had these awesome lime-green retro shaped wheels - complete with a wide conical shape.

My quandary is shop owner's unrelenting inability to sell me the wheels. I don't require a stumpy longboard, but the wheels are to die for. The perfect shape - and fucking lime-green! The next time I see one of these completes, I'm gonna have to get insanely unpleasant if I can't just buy the fucking wheels. I know it upsets their delicate SKU system and their inventory will forever be awash in tainted figures, but each shop I've visited had 4 or 5 of them laying around. Top seller? Hmm... doesn't seem likely. JUST GIMME THE DAMN WHEELS!

All in time I suppose...
10/3/07: Cool Instructional DVD Leave it to the girls to do it right. Pro skater Holly Lyons has released a free (you pay for shipping) DVD called Learn To Ride A Skateboard with Eric Muss-Barnes. Aside from being free (they even encourage you to copy it and give it to friends), its other benefit is it doesn't suck. How many instructional skate vids can you say THAT about? Only a small handful - most of them are horrible and won't teach you a damn thing.

This vid is for beginners, but has a lot of info for all riders (and Holly is cute). To demonstrate that anyone can learn to skate, they scrounged up the kids" from the TV show Everyone Loves Raymond and ran them through the class.

September 2007

9/28/07: Skate Spot Abuse Does this look familiar? The skate spot, not the tits!
Area skaters, close to the stripper scene in Portland, OR, allege this is burnside - the ad being for Union Jack's (a strip club on East Burnside known for it's punctured and painted performers).

What better way to blow-out a spot than setting it as the backdrop of a topless photo shoot? And can a photo shoot be classified as "topless" when the model is questionably transgendered? We suspect Victoria may actually be a bone-smuggler named Victor.
9/26/07: Socks Suck When you live in the Northeast and have to endure changing seasons - and temperatures - the change from one season to the next can be traumatic. I dig the Summer heat with cooler nights for skating. As Fall approaches the days cool down and the nights get cold. Finally, the realization sets in that I need to add a snow shovel to the broom and rake I leave in the car for clearing pools.

The real crux however is I have to start wearing fucking socks! I love Vans Slip-on shoes and live in them as much as possible - cuz I fucking hate socks. But when the chill sets in the socks come out. Crap, Winter must be near.
9/24/07: Skirts That Skate "Skirt" has long been a slang term for a woman among elderly sailors and others who enjoy expounding on how out-of-touch they are with the modern world. "Chick" is a much hipper term if you really need some alternate way of referring to girls. Anyway...

If you've ever heard the term "pretty good for a girl" or had the expression used on you, check out Skirtboarders - a new DVD out of Montreal. These chicks take the skirt out of skateboarding but wear them well in the off-time. Flicks like this should inspire all skater-girls to get out a camera and create a film. Easier said than done, but Skirtboarders will inspire you even if your aspirations end with YouTube.
9/13/07: Cheap-Ass Skate Art Have you ever received a catalog in the mail and read through it even though you knew it was a complete waste of time? I get this nagging feeling that there may be some amazing item that I can't pass up. Next thing I know, I've wasted a half-hour flipping through fucking crap.

Such is the case with this cat from the folks at Lakeside. Stranger is how did the hell did I wind up on their mailing list? Anyway...

I'm flipping through this thing and came across this sports oriented wall art - presumably for decorating some little kid's room - of football and baseball shit. Then It hit me... In the midst of it was a skateboarder. WTF?

You just don't expect to see skateboarding in the same scene as miscellaneous football and baseball shit. As art goes all these $6 trinkets leave a lot to be desired, but it's nice to see somebody gave thought to skateboarding when bringing mainstream sports crap to market.
9/9/07: Grandparent's Day? I guess I missed the memo from Hallmark... what the fuck is Grandparent's Day? OK I get the gist of it, but WHY do we need Grandparent's Day? Don't grandparents also qualify for their individual Mother's Day & Father's Day festivities?

My protest will involve an insane mega-party (for the G'rents) but I'm not buying a fucking card! So there, Hallmark! Stop making up fake holidays.
9/7/07: Rang² I have to admit I was a bit pissed off to discover (long ago) that Mark Gonzales' latest video masterpiece, Gnar Gnar, was being released in limited quantity and ONLY on VHS. There's a whole generation out there (almost) that hasn't been exposed to the gritty world of VHS video tape. Beta was a much better format - FYI. Anyway...

I wanted a fuckin' copy dammit - even if it means dragging the VCR out of storage (I'm sure I didn't throw it away). But alas, the "limited quantity" release meant that very few people would actually own a legit copy. Enter the internet - land of all things forbidden, obscure and unattainable.

After a few tries I finally found a site that had a digital copy for download. Better still it was encoded as an MP4 file. This means it can be converted into DVD format and burned to a shiny new DVD for viewing on a TV, instead of a tiny window on the computer screen.

With beer in-hand, I greatly enjoyed Gnar Gnar.
If anyone has any copyright infringement issues, then this entry is entirely fictitious.

August 2007

8/21/07

Grind | Ground | Grim

GRIND	GROUND	GRIM
411VM for free	Oversize 411VM format	411VM monthly
Muska on Element	Muska Beatz	Muska's disappearance from skating
Teaching my son to skate	Getting a bottle at 2:00am	Changing diapers

8/9/07

Big Wheels When I was 5 I rode my big wheel like it had just rolled off the line at Orange County Choppers. It was rad as Hell. Decades later I can still buy one at any Toys R Us - although I've outgrown the desire for pedal-power. In the late 80's I skated big wheels (65mm+, not the fucking toy) in a rainbow of funky colors. But today... try to buy a 65mm wheel that hasn't been designed for longboarding and has the durometer of foam.

Who dictated that all skateboarding must be done on 50mm wheels? OK, maybe they're better suited for flippy tricks, but what about skating downhill without bailing due to a pea-sized rock? How about a smooth ride on rough crete? I'm not part of the small wheel movement. Bigger is still better, but few shops sell them. The case at my local shop looks like its full of marbles - wait - those ARE wheels? Damn!

If you crave big wheels you have to buy ‘em online in the "Old School" section. Retro is in, but some shops haven't received the memo. So, shop owners: On your next order, ignore the SKU's and model numbers and simply fill in the description like this. "Lime Green, Bright Orange and big as fuck."

Thank you. Your consumers will appreciate it and so will I.

8/2/07

Delta The mathematical definition of "delta" is an incremental change in a variable. Anyone past the ninth grade has probable encountered this term. However the average ninth grader may not have encountered Delta as in the airline. In this respect, the term delta refers to a complete inability to maintain a fucking schedule.

I spent 7 hours at the airport waiting for these folks to get their shit together and deliver my son to me. One of the worst facets was the later it got the more skateable the terminal looked as the place emptied out. If you think it's tough to get a gun on a plane... it's just as hard to get a skateboard into the terminal. The shoot-to-kill security staff has been extensively trained to ensure no one brings too much shampoo or a dangerous nail-file onboard, but skateboards are a mystery. Hence - they are banned. Very bizarre. Fuck Delta Airlines. They suck. The ugly truth is that all airlines suck and perform equally poorly. Air travel used to be convenient. Now it's an unavoidable hassle if you need to get far fast. Otherwise, I'd hop in my car.

July 2007

7/23/07: Harry Potter Doesn't Skate Like it or not reading is a good thing. I confess to reading way to many sk8 mags, but I also like to read books. My 2-year old son loves books and gets numerous doses of everything from pics in the newspaper to "Goodnight Gorilla"... and a bit of sk8-lit.

He's too young for Harry Potter, but there's been an interesting debate as to whether this series has prompted kids to read more. Here's the bottom line folks... kids who read have parents who read - end of story. Reading a 500+ page book every 2 years isn't really a good measure of reading habits. Reading is something everyone should do daily.

I'm stoked to see an increase in skateboard-themed books for kids these days. It makes the "reading sessions" more interesting for Dad. Besides, what the hell is Quidditch. Potter doesn't know what he missed out on by riding a broom instead of a skate!
7/19/07: Big Dick, Small Deck? The internet has brought on some interesting social norms when it comes to being truthful. I've heard a bunch of female skaters complaining that once they enter a "sk8" chat room, guys start telling them about their big dicks. Huh? Sex knows no boundaries, eh? However this lie hinges on plausibility. Yammering about your 14" johnson sounds unrealistic, but sticking to single digits somehow offers just the right amount of credibility. Hence the constant declarations about 9" wieners.

OK, but what about that stupid little popsicle-stick deck you ride?

At Skate the Planet, we boast about our 10" wide decks. Old school is the new school, so give the ladies what they want: Dinner, a movie and the satisfaction of dating an old-schooler with a 10" deck!
7/4/07: Happy 4th of July I hope everyone can avoid a trip to the ER to join all the other looser assholes who don't understand fire or fireworks. Be safe - don't blow off a finger.

June 2007

6/21/07: Go Skateboarding Day June 21st has officially been proclaimed Go Skateboarding Day by the U.S. House of Representatives! Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D- CA, Orange County) recognized June 21st as the official holiday of skateboarding.

I took my son to the local skatepark so we could say we took part in some of the mayhem.

May 2007

5/12/07

Things I Won't Do Dear Skateboard Retailer,

I refuse to...

Pay $22 for a fucking t-shirt
(Even if it has the design printed on the entire shirt - in which case I won't pay $28 either).
Pay $50 for a hoodie.
Pay $50 for a pair of shorts.
Pay $60 for a pair of jeans - even if they have custom rivets and skully screen-prints).
Pay $95 for a pair of sneakers.
Pay $35 for a pair of flip-flops.
Pay $10 for a bandana.
Pay $60 for a backpack with crappy little speakers sewn into it.
Pay $33 for a ball-cap.
Pay $10 extra for colored trucks.
Buy stupid little wheels (50mm) for any price.
Pay $5 for logo'd risers that can't be seen when sandwiched under my trucks.
Pay $20 extra to have a crappy plastic ramp shipped to my house.

5/11/07

Hot Diggity Dog, I'm a Skater Why is the Ballpark hot dog company advertising in Transworld Sk8 Mag?
I like hotdogs even though they're made from animal parts that can't otherwise be sold (i.e. horse feet, rooster dicks and squirrel lips). But are skaters now the un-tapped market for boosting hotdog sales? Will pro skaters now be "riding for" BallPark Franks?
"Yo dude, is that a BallPark deck your riding? Those Mustard wheels are smokin' hot!"

I can't wait to see BallPark banners at the next X-Games! hot dog

5/5/07

Churchill Downs -vs- Skateboarding As I watched Street Sense win the 2007 Kentucky Derby, I suddenly realized how similar it is to skateboarding. Quite a comparison, eh? Stick with me!

Look at the fanfare around football. You have a 4-hour grudge match prior to which fans are getting drunk in the parking lot while cooking hotdogs and crap next to their SUVs. At the Derby, people are getting into the spirit of things. Everyone is dressed up for the event and the chicks sport the craziest fucking hats they can find. Royalty shows up and everyone pounds Mint Juleps as they wait for the race. They create a scene around something they love... horse racing.

Like skateboarding, the Kentucky Derby lasts about 2 minutes (the horse race itself). There aren't heats or playoffs or any shit - just THE race. This short duration and the fanfare around it makes a 2 minute run at a skate contest seem reminiscent. It's all or nothing. No 2 out of 3 bullshit. You go. You ride. That's it.

And just when you thought skating had blown up into this huge entity... forget it. Until you see a credit at the X-games to the Element blimp for arial coverage, don't forget that skateboarding is an expanding counter-cultural phenomenon that infects only those who have passion for it. Everyone else can continue cooking hotdogs in the Superdome parking lot.

5/1/07

Can Payless Shoe Stores Buy Style? Back in the day - late 80's to be specific - Airwalk and Vision Street Wear were huge in the sk8 shoe market, among other things. I rocked all that shit. Imagine my surprise in 2007 when I stumble into a Payless shoe store and find a pair of Airwalks for my two year-old son. I was stoked and a bit curious.

I had no idea Airwalk still existed and why would they be making shoes in a toddler's size 5?
It turns out that Payless bought both Airwalk and VSW as brands. The companies were pretty much over, but the brands still have recognition in the market. When these brands were part of active companies, they screamed punk rock and skating. Somehow I think finding these brands in Payless may diminish that appeal.

The answer to my original question is; NO, Payless can't buy style.

April 2007

4/27/07

High Tech Cheating Remember when cheating on a writing assignment meant turning in a friend's paper from the previous semester?
No more, alas. Technology isn't just for limiting the quantity of shampoo you can carry on a plane or sending speeding tickets from a highway-cam. Now your "original" piece of literature can be scanned by "Plagiarism Prevention" software, such as TurnItIn (www.turnitin.com).

According to their website - Every paper submitted is returned in the form of a customized Originality Report. Results are based on exhaustive searches of billions of pages from both current and archived instances of the internet, millions of student papers previously submitted to Turnitin, and commercial databases of journal articles and periodicals.

Contact 2600 Magazine. I'm sure they have a clever work-around.

4/25/07

Hairy Book Profit If you think reading books isn't cool... think again and start brushing up on your writing skills while you're at it. Harry Potter author Joanne (J.K.) Rowling is the first person ever - male or female - to make a billion dollars from writing books. Sure most of the loot comes from merchandising, but it all stems from that magical wand-waving owl-boy, Harry.

Unfortunately, her series of books are slightly more popular than skateboard literature, but don't stop sending shitty articles to sk8 mags. Maybe you'll be the first loser - male or female - to make $100 off a lame sk8 article.

4/22/07

Game On If you just bought an X-box, sell the fucker cuz gaming will never be this much fun on a Microsoft product!

Based on the repurposed guts of a PC, the folks at Popular Science magazine concocted this custom arcade table designed to run MAME or any emulator. With steel bolts for legs and parts from Happ Controls, this project will entertain longer than any current game console and all the games are FREE!!
Missile Command, anyone?

4/20/07

Redefining Unnecessary

Avril Lavigne has a manga comic book?
Wtf?
Apparently she does and it has 2 volumes (so far). Titled, Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes she doesn't appear to have done anything but lend her name to it. And I'll bet there's no skateboarding!
Damn that skater-girl.

4/15/07

Pay Up Please pay your taxes on time so President George Bush (the stupidest human to ever hold that office) can fund more of his corrupt agenda before 2008 rolls around and he has to resort to non-sanctioned criminal activities for the same gain.
Thanks.

4/14/07

Pick A Numb3r, Any Numb3r I dig the TV show Numb3rs. Math and numbers can be fascinating if you start digging into the various relationships. The premise of the show is Rob Morrow plays an FBI agent whose brother is a math-whiz and helps him solve crimes with equations. Last night's episode involved a skater who was making a killing at fantasy baseball. See any problems yet?

He devises a formula to calculate some important baseball stat shit and the bad-guys come after him. Once agent Morrow (whatever his TV name is) locates the skater, he has to catch him. The kid takes off on his skate and seemingly escapes as he grinds a 10-stair handrail leaving the cops long behind. Cool trick to see in a mainstream TV show, but then they stop the kid by tossing a broomstick in his path. WTF? Ollie?

If I understand correctly...

Skaters give a damn about baseball.
Skaters would go out of their way to formulate a ground-breaking formula involving a stupid jock sport.
Skaters who can grind a handrail don't know how to ollie a broomstick.
TV is for the mentally challenged.

It's still a good show, but you should watch an episode of "Northern Exposure" to see why agent Morrow is not the most convincing FBI agent to take the stage... as it were.

4/12/07

No More Surplus Orleans Army Surplus store ad

When I was a kid, coming to Cape Cod for vacation, I didn't give a damn about the sun, sea or beach. I wanted to go to the Orleans Army-Navy Surplus store. It wasn't one of those crappy ones that looks more like the Gap. It was a real surplus store and carried all sorts of incredibly cool stuff. That store made my childhood.

Founded in 1948, my Grandfather took me there, my Dad took me there and I took my son there. They've put it up for sale and are ending an era for a lot of people. Just goes to show that skateboarding isn't the only business that needs local support. If you love something, support it!

4/10/07

Join the Crew Steve Olson and Duane Peters.

Doesn't a pic like this make you want to be a part of skateboarding? So, go do it - go skate!

4/9/07

Penny For Your Poop? I hope my fecal reference didn't catch you in the midst of a meal. Speaking of which... a friend of mine had a Taco Bell (Runs at the Border) ritual that I thought I'd share.

When you're hungry and craving diarrhea (I mean, food) Taco Bell is no worse than any of the other shit-bag fast-food joints the world has to offer. [don't go to an organic market or anything... pack you tummy with vile yum-yums, by all means] If you "Think Outside (your) Buns" and crave the runs, let Taco Bell double as a cleaning service.
"What the fuck?" you ask.

That's right. As you stuff tacos down your throat (to test peristalsis, naturally) grab a few extra packets of their sauce. Open a few and insert loose change (coins, dumb-ass) into the liquid flavor death-delights (packets).

By the time you've finished your meal (and 3 minutes before you'll need to shit out you innards) check your change and see if it isn't as clean as any coin minted 20 minutes ago.

Now explain to me why you put al that change-cleansing muck on the food you eat. Bon appetite... and squirt a big one for all of us that decided to have a salad.

4/8/07

Reverend RUN Approved? Adidas Logo

Unless you're a jock Adidas is not the most likely sk8 choice as far as shoes go. Although I'd rock some Adidas long before stuffing my smelly dogs into a pair of Nikes.

Remember back in the day how Adidas really became cool? Yeah, it was that RUN-DMC/Aerosmith concoction of "Walk This Way" - a video that RUN-DMC didn't want anything to do with. But it all came out cool in the end. And I'll be damned if anyone ever came along that could out-show RUN-DMC.
So anyway...
Those incredible pioneers of Rap, RUN-DMC always wore Adidas without laces. Even as pale-white as I am, I thought it was cool and tried to rock my sneaks in a similar lace-less state and promptly stumbled onto my face and said, Rap is cool, but fuck this noise... and re-threaded my laces.

Adidas Gonz shoe

So, fast-forwarding to today... Adidas (not unlike Nike) has a skateboard division and got none other than the Gonz to ink up a design. Mark is an incredible artist whether he is armed with a paint brush or a camera... or a Sharpie pen.
Don't tell anyone I told you this, but you too can buy a white shoe and mark it up with a Sharpie. Just don't go around thinking you're all Krooked and cool or anything. Like me... you'll just be some dik with a marker and fucked up shoes. Mark rocks | R.I.P. Jam Master Jay | Remember history or it will repeat itself.

Get artistic and fuck anyone who's not down with ya!

4/7/07

Then the Next Day Everyone has a favorite skate shop - well, most everyone. I have a new one. It's Day One in Bridgeport, CT. I used to live down the street from it's location (wasn't there at the time - dammit!). I pass through the area every few weeks and have gotten to know the owner. He's a really cool guy and runs a great shop. He carries a lot of local brands and is very active in the sk8 community.

On my last visit I picked up Thrasher's Box Set of DVDs - an amazing find of awesome vids - The whole Thrasher VHS collection on 6 DVDs. I also found out that the guys from Grindline were breaking ground on a new sk8 park in Stamford, CT. I had to check it out...

Park In Progress - CT I love visiting skate parks - not just to skate, but to check out the different styles, scenes and all that good sk8 shit. Upon hearing of a grindline park in the ground breaking phase, I had to check it out. It's in Scalzi Park just a ½ mile from the Stamford, CT train station. A couple of the guys were on-site and let me walk around and shoot a few pix. With the train station a ½ mile away, I'm sure there will be a lot of NYC dwellers heading north to check it out.

4/6/07

Indestructible Easter Treat With the advent of Easter Sunday, I hope everyone is prepared. Ya know... got candy, baskets, bunnies and chotchke junk? You'd better cuz it's time to slam some beers and paint some eggs. And then there are Peeps - those odd marshmallow chicks and bunnies that contain more sugar than sugar itself.

Leave it to news powerhouse CNN to unravel the mystery... sort of.
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Inspired by a sugar rush after consuming several of the ubiquitous Easter confections known as Peeps, Emory University scientists James Zimring and Gary Falcon decided to try to find out just what it was they were eating. Using everything this side of a nuclear device, these intrepid scientists conducted experiments to discover just what would dissolve a Peep.

The final result was nothing destroys peeps - other than your mouth and digestive tract. So after the next ice age, Earth's re-population will depend on cockroaches and peeps. Best of luck, mankind.

I don't want you to think this is some frivolous entry devoid of merit, so here are a few Peep-facts (ripped from the official peep site)...

In the early 1950's it took hours to make one Peep. Now it takes 6 minutes.
Each Peep has 32 calories and 0 grams of fat (don't be fooled. these things will fucking kill you).
Peeps have been the best selling non-chocolate Easter candy for the last decade.
Peeps come in 5 colors. Yellow chicks are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.

4/5/07

Been There. Done That. Bought the T-shirt I haven't been to Paris, nor have I done her (per say) and I'm not planning on buying this t-shirt. As far as Ms. Hilton is concerned, I'm more apt to want to see her in a tight t-shirt rather than wear a t-shirt with a pic of her in a t-shirt. Which is a bit too much like me holding a picture of myself holding a picture - maybe I should just jump down the rabbit hole.. Lakai Paris Hilton shirt

Either way, I'm sure Lakai will make some cake off this nominally alluring t-shirt design.

4/4/07

Demand Meatier Equipment Who hasn't broken a board, truck or some skate component that finally gave out? Skate companies are scrambling to find the next "big thing" in sk8 durability particularly when it comes to stronger deck materials.

When it comes to designing stronger, meatier decks, it's hard to disagree that Alien Workshop is paving the way. Their new Dyrdek - Rob & Big model (below) is definitely as Meaty as they come. When you ride a board this Meaty, you'll salivate for more of their Meat. Rob Dyrdeck's dog has a signature deck

The part I can't figure out is whether Dyrdek's dog has a pro model or if Dyrdek's latest board has a pic of his dog on it. Could go either way.

4/1/07

April Fool?? I'm not a fan of April fool's Day. Idiotic pranks and falsehoods designed to elicit horrific responses seem lame once you pass age 12. Still they persist. On the other hand, there are some things you'd like to attribute to such a holiday rather than believe the alleged "truth".

This screenshot is from the home-page of the aworldwithoutpros.com website. This is what you call back-peddling...

screenshot from the A World Without Pros website

If you've followed the sk8 industry's claims about their demise due to shop decks and blanks, then you have to wonder about this claim. They've taken down the site and simply left this banner.

The original site had interviews with several prominent company owners and skaters (Tony Hawk among them) talking about how money spent on non-pro decks is ruining the sk8 industry. This whole campaign has erupted into a nonsensical argument creating a lot of in-fighting. Why attack others in the industry rather than band together to solve the problem?

If Blitz really believed in this argument, why remove the site? Why not leave it there to elicit more comments or "educate" those who visit it? If you believe in something, the last thing you do is back down. I'm guessing there was sufficient backlash against those pros who agreed to post there comments, that they asked for it to be removed. Few things are worse for business than shitting on those who actually support you by re-selling your products.
Wouldn't you rather play Atari's Missile Command than T.H.U.G.? lol. Makes you wonder.

March 2007

3/26/07

Urethane -vs- Rubber Remember when it was cool to call the internet, "Cyberspace" and Al Gore frequently referred to this new information superhighway as the infobahn? So along comes a sk8 wheel company, Autobahn, whose latest ad states that their wheels are formulated to offer a broader range of skateability and smoothness to otherwise rough skate terrain. They go on to say their wheels won't make every spot skateable, but your range of skate spots will expand with the ride you get from autobahn wheels.

Um OK... but when the ad is for 53mm wheels doesn't that size kind of limit the roughness of terrain you can skate regardless of the wheel dynamics? Jeep Wranglers can handle a lot of different terrains, but they do so much better with large knobby tires as opposed to street slicks. Does urethane really possess that much diversity that you can ride rough surfaces easier when purchasing by brand?

Gimme some nice squishy 65mm Kryptos... then I'll see if I can't expand my rideable terrain.

3/23/07

American Idle There seems to be some confusion about viewing American Idol. Here's how it works...
Watch the first 2 or 3 eps where they have whacky losers seeking attention and talentless hacks who think they're the next big thing. This stuff is fairly entertaining - often funny - and offers Simon's best ridicule. Once they gather up the real-deal contestants the fun's over and the show fully sucks.

Then, there's the issue of lame music. I wouldn't say rock & roll is universally loved by all, but who wants to hear ballads? Once they figure out who has real talent, the song selections begin to circle the drain.

3/21/07

Spring Chill New England was bewildered by 60° temperatures in December followed by a chilling March. Now that Spring is officially here... birds are chirping, the sun occasionally appears and I'm still bitching about the cold weather. Isn't Al Gore's global waring brigade supposed to be supplying us with warmer weather? I'm all for conservation and preserving the planet, but something has to warm up my local outdoor park... dammit!

3/18/07

Van Halen Rehab Tour There are few bands like Van Halen, probably because there are few guitarists like Eddie. Even though the world is full of loud-mouthed assholes, David Lee Roth was the next element that made their sound larger than life. They ended for me with 1984 - an amazing album that would mark the end of their unique sound and vibe. Van Hagar wasn't my "cup of tea" as they say.

Can't Drive 55 was a cool song, but the whole Sammy thing just wasn't a good continuation of VH. So, I sat back until Gary Cherone, formerly of Extreme, came along with the potential to overcome the Van Hagar era. Didn't really happen, but I suppose it kept hope alive.

Then DLR crawled out of some hole and tried to re-ignite his celebrity status. That didn't happen wither, but gave some hope to a real VH reunion. Then they announced a 2007 Van Halen reunion Tour. What great news, right? Apparently DLR is still a loud-mouthed asshole and Eddie is in rehab until he can give 110%. How about you drop the crack pipe (or whatever) and just give us 70%? I ant my Van Halen... and I want to be 17 again - sort of.

3/16/07

Sk8kleen Soap for Skaters Check out the Sk8kleen soap site and discover why "it's lame to reek!"

They make soap shaped like skateboard wheels - they even shrink wrap them in packs of four like real wheels. Check out our interview with Sk8kleen and find out more about the punk-rock teacher who makes this off-beat, but cool product.

3/10/07

Another Manufactured (fake) Gas Crisis Gas has just jumped about 25¢ in the last few days. Isn't this newly Democratic congress supposed to be squelching some of the "get rich quick" schemes the Bush administration lets slide?

This is bleak news as people start to gear up for road trips.

3/8/07

Dubious Infamy A letter I wrote to Thrasher Magazine was published in their April 2007 issue.
Yay, I'm cool now.

What?

Oh Crap! I guess I'm still just a random dork.
my letter to Thrasher Magazines Mail Drop

my letter to Thrasher Magazines Mail Drop

3/7/07

Grind | Ground | Grim

GRIND	GROUND	GRIM
Pro boards	Shop decks	Blank decks
Freedom of choice	Orwellian choices	Blamed for skateboarding's demise
Supporting skateboarding	Feeding money to lost causes	Anal rape at the "hands" of overzealous sk8 companies

3/6/07

Blank Decks and the Skate Industry I think blank decks are best for art or furniture construction.
As to sk8 companies demanding that shops not sell blanks... Mother fuck any company with the balls to tell a hard-working indy shop what products to carry. They're just trying to make a living like everyone else.

Whether I buy a Santa Cruz deck or a blank - I'm supporting skateboarding. If I tear apart roller skates and nail the wheels to a plank - I'm supporting skateboarding. If sk8 companies say otherwise, they're fucked in the head.

Skateboarding is about counter-culture fun. It has nothing to do with putting money in the pockets of select sk8 manufacturers. If their business model is undermined by the sale of blank decks, then they'd better change with the times or accept their demise.

Do they think people buy blanks because of the amazing non-existent graphics? Blanks are bought because not everyone has $60 lying around every time they break a board. People illegally download music because CDs are very often overpriced. It's about what the market will bear. If someone comes out with a way to sell decks at half the competitor's cost... that competitor will soon be out of business or innovating their strategy.

Skateboarding will always belong to the people. Mother fuck ANY company that thinks otherwise. Skateboarding is a culture, a lifestyle and a form of creative freedom. Any company that thinks skateboarding is about skaters putting money into company pockets is in fucking dreamland. Wake up assholes the unicorn ride through the cotton-candy field is over. Innovate or fuck off. Skateboarding belongs to people not corporations, companies or narrow-minded soul-suckers.

This whole issue has me a bit miffed so I wrote and article about the Blank Wars with a little more depth and thought... and a solution or two.

3/4/07

Grind | Ground | Grim

GRIND	GROUND	GRIM
Bikecar	Electric cars	Republican Presidents
Indy Films	Hollywood	"Sponsor Me" videos on VHS
Rob & Big	Viva La BAM	Skate Maps
S.O.T.Y	2^nd place @ S.K.A.T.E.	Leers from random strangers
Ghost Whisperer	Charmed	Myth Busters
Jennifer Love Hewitt	Alyssa Milano	Those 2 kooks who bust myths

February 2007

2/28/07

KISS - Ace = Ki__ For no particular reason, I wanted to point out that Kiss without Ace Frehley is NOT Kiss. They're a helluva resilient band that have gone through a lot of changes, but getting some dude to replace Ace (same spaceman makeup, different guy) just doesn't cut it. I've seen them live several times and the non-Ace shows lack the punch they once had. All of Gene Simmons' ingenuity can't replace Mr. Frehley. Nuff said.

2/26/07

Oscar Fizzle I like awards shows. I typically fall asleep during them, but none the less I like watching them. When it comes to the Oscars, the Pre-show is definitely the best... mainly cuz I am still awake and can recall Ryan Seacrest's witless antics as he demonstrates he's a woman trapped in a jerk's body. Remember him from that Cnet technology show "The Web"? He had a part (with host Sophie Formica - way hot) with a technology report as some sort of cyber dork. Does anyone kkonw why this asshole is so popular? I don't get it.
Anyway...

When you strip away all the idiocy like "Best Dressed" (incidentally, Penelope Cruz is Best when Un-dressed) you have nothing. Well, you have some awards, but this year - like most other years - the true winners were'nt even given mention. For instance »

2/23/07

The Lorax was "Green" in 1971 I don't spend any time hugging trees, protesting fossil fuel, buying hemp clothing or scarfing organic foods, but I was reading the Lorax (one of my childhood faves) to my son and had forgotten how pro-Earth the story was. With today's economy and state of resource depletion, it's hard to imagine our wasteful ways haven't changed much despite what we knew long ago. We live in such an un-caring oblivious world in which nothing matters until it directly effects us individually.

If Dr. Suess was introducing conservation to pre-schoolers in 1971, how come the idea didn't take hold. Maybe because I was 4 at the time and stopped reading Dr. Seuss soon after. At present, when Al Gore tells us the world is getting fucked over, we simply shrug, get into our SUV's (I own one too) and drive thirty feet to get some fast food in styrofoam containers.

Here's the larger Seuss problem - the Lorax was a fuckin' wimp! He should have told the Onceler he could only chop down enough Truffula trees to make skateboard decks and he had to stop creating false demand for his fucking Thneeds. Are we supposed to believe that the one last Truffula seed will ever replenish what the Onceler razed? And even if it would, do we really need the Lorax to come back? What the fuck did he do to prevent the depletion in the first place.

The moral here is: take a stand, don't be a pussy, stand up for what you believe in and fucking do something other than complain!!

2/20/07

Presidential Library of Sk8 Each US President wants to leave a legacy - usually in the form of a presidential library. But, what do you do when the president openly admits he doesn't read books? George W. Bush (the dumbest man ever elected President - twice no less) brings this quandary to a head. The man has demonstrated no viable reasons to extend the "pursuit of knowledge" as his legacy. He's made no attempts to better anyone's life, but his own.

Since he is a useless fool, shouldn't we use the perverse existence of his legacy to do good for someone - like skaters? How about we create a Library of Sk8? It would archive the entire documented history of skateboarding from newspaper and magazine coverage to the numerous videos that detail the world and culture of skateboarding.

Skateboarding isn't an American phenomenon. People all over the world skateboard. I say we create a monument to the future of something good - like skateboarding - rather than a chronic reminder of corruption, treason and criminal negligence against the people of this country. Thanks for nothing George Bush!

2/14/07

Happy Valentine's Day As stoked as I am about fake holidays, I have to warn you about the trappings of insipid marketing wonks. Ignore the retailer's desperate pleas for your business.

Chocolates makes her fat
Roses are over-priced until Feb. 15
Diamonds are for wives who wish to be married - not the fakers who are plotting your demise

Get her a nice card and go skate! Only the cool chicks will let you go skate. Others need not apply.

2/8/07

Slap Me, Amadeus (or Bam) Bueno Skateboarding ad - Football is for idiots

Falco's one-hit-wonder?
I sometimes watch the Superbowl to see if any of the commercials are cool. For a couple of million bucks each, you'd think they'd be great. Bud Light did one in which they replaced the congratulatory ""hand-bump" with a slap across the face. Pretty funny, but the controversy is much funnier.

A comedy troupe, The Whitest Kids U'Know, claims they did the same thing on their website a while back. They even have an attorney to attempt to extract some cash from the King of Beer. Good luck, assholes. Anyway...

I think it's important to realize that "congratulatory face-slapping" was pioneered in 1999 (maybe earlier) by Bam Margera and his CKY series of pre-Jackass skits. Even today, skaters who get his autograph can't pass up the opportunity to let the master jackass give ‘em a good slap across the face.

In the midst of all this debate, Bueno Skateboards says it best, "Football is for idiots."

2/7/07

Green Snow I was reading a short article about "green" snowmaking in which windmills are used to generate power for the snowmaking equipment while the heat from the snowmaking engines was piped down the hill and used to heat the ski lodge. That's some pretty efficient shit, eh? Too bad more industries can't make green power happen like this.

If someone wants to make a donation, I'd be happy to install a windmill to power the beer-fridge next to my ramp. Any takers?

2/6/07

Riser Rant Risers seem to have gone out of favor. Wheel-bite is pretty nonexistent with 28mm wheels (i hate small wheels) and no one seems to give them much regard - except manufacturers.

I always use risers - always! No set-up is complete without ‘em, in my opinion. From thick soft ones for the ultimate cushioned ride to the ultra-thin ones that take a bit of roughness out of my lines, I deem them a necessity. You don't have to feel that way and I'm straying way off the focus of my rant. My beef is with manufacturers and a cosmetic issue.

I usually buy Dooks since they hold up and they're cheap. Although, the branded ones look pretty cool in the catalog. It looks like fun to have Zero risers with their signature skull or the Mystery ones with the Kiss-shaped "K". Even the Lucky ones with the clover leaf and the "L" in the center look pretty sweet in green. But here's the rub...

After they're installed (between truck and deck) you only see a thin sliver of plastic (aka - the funky material they're actually made from) - usually in one color. So what? So, why pay more for the branding if it doesn't show post-install? My feet don't know the difference between a skull or a clover-leaf when it comes to sandwiching a hunk of plastic on your skate!

Enough of my negativity... Enter Pig and their checker-board risers. At least these give a glimmer of "different" when you see them installed - the pleasing checker-board pattern shows in the profile. And even though their signature pig-face is hidden, the checkerboard accentuates the style. Well done, Pig guys.

I still buy Dooks... so, nevermind.

2/4/07

Keep Your Mouth Shut, Hotel-Girl This is hardly breaking news or even recent news, but the soundtrack CD for the movie "House of Wax" rocks like a motherfucker. Complete with Marilyn Manson, Def Tones and Disturbed it fuckin' rocks - check it out. But the movie... Well, I had no desire to see it until I discovered a copy of the DVD at the library (Yeah I know, checking out library DVDs is low-budget lame).

The inclusion of Paris Hilton in a movie can be both good and bad. Good, if she struts around in lingerie. Bad, if she starts talking. Nuff said. The movie was really good considering how awful most horror flicks are these days. Even Ms. Hilton was surprisingly good - both visually and verbally.

2/2/07

Punxsutawney Ramp-Rodent Happy Ground Hog Day!!

For those who don't know the tradition, if the infamous Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow, he'll build a half pipe in your backyard - cuz Spring is coming soon!

Otherwise, you'll be stuck with another 6 weeks of Winter - and when the warm weather does arrive, you'll still be skating that rotting sheet of ply that's laying in your parent's backyard.

What the hell - beavers build dams!

2/1/07

Ladies: Got the Anime-Sk8 Look? Get Hooked-Up Do you have an Coke-bottle figure with a 14" waist and enourmous over-sized eyes? Well get to the Hookups web site and send them a few pics as outlined in the ad below. Any chick can be in a porn mag or beer calendar, but only a precious few (with wildly exagerated features) can be a Hook Ups girl.

Just remember those pix you send could wind up anywhere...
Hookups Model Contest

January 2007

1/30/07

Piratical Porn shelved at Blockbuster I wouldn't say I'm a connoisseur of porn, I simply tend to be more attentive in certain areas. For example when I see a porn-film box cover with a pirate theme as opposed to the usual T&A, I take notice. Such is the case with a recent title from Digital Playground, aptly named... Pirates. I saw it on an end-cap rack, at the local porn-store, displayed along with a sea of dildos.

Aside from the piratey box cover I gave it no thought until I saw the same box cover at Blockbuster Video. For those who don't know, Blockbuster is known for their "family entertainment standards" which loosely translates to "No Porn". Naturally, I had to snap up this little gem and see what the deal was.

This is a first (again reminding you that I'm really not a connoisseur of porn)... The original flick is X-rated, but they also made an R-rated version for the wholesome-minded viewer of sexual activity. This is the version I found at Blockbuster. You can view this flick against 2 standards. Either it's a lousy knock-off of Pirates of the Caribbean or a porn flick with astounding production value. It even has cgi effects for fight scenes and the ship. Check it out - it's worth the laugh.

So, what does this have to do with skateboarding...? I skate and I like pirates. Pretty thin, eh?

1/26/07

Reality TV Goes Sk8... again Before seeing Rob Dyrdek's reality show, Rob & Big on Mtv, I had my doubts as to it's necessity (remember Skate Maps?). Reality shows in general tend to get boring pretty fast. Still I had to support the sk8-ness of it and watched an episode.

Damn, that shit was funny. Sure, a lot of it seemed staged, but I thought it was pretty well done anyway and I've gotten a kick out of all the episodes. But when a good things goes to the power/money hungry marketing wonks, I get a bit irked. Do we need a Rob & Big merchandising campaign? Of course Mtv will think so - they're on the skids (remember when "M"s stood for music?) and grapple for any sign of life (i.e. profit).

When I hear there was a skate deck coming out, I rolled my eyes. However I dig the Alien Workshop touch. They did a cool job of maintaining their brand while creating a cool deck. I haven't rushed out to the store just yet, but this might be a collectable add to the sk8 stash. I don't want to get hypocritical since I "friended" Dyrdek's dog on Myspace.
Rob & Big deck by Alien Workshop

1/24/07

No Kids?!? When I hear skaters say they don't want kids, I have to admit it sort of pisses me off - especially Myspace pages with the "Don't want any Kids" checkbox marked. Naturally, the decision to have kids is personal and none of my business, but I'm still gonna share my unsolicited opinion.

Slowly approaching the age of two, my son has become an avid knee-boarder. Outfitted with knee & elbow pads and a small helmet, he loves to scoot up and down the driveway with me. I bought him a small Arbor slalom board for X-mas since my boards were pretty big for him. When he sees me riding, he instantly gets up and tries to stand on his board - to be like Daddy. I quickly dissuade him from this as he's still mastering coordination while walking, so falling off a sk8 wouldn't be good.

So, I start to knee-board along side him and he sees we're both doing the same thing and he gives me a huge smile. As the Mastercard folks would say, "priceless".

Mankind's basic needs have always been shelter, food and procreation (I should have said "fucking" so you don't mistake me for a religious nut - cuz I'm not). So, while you're engaged in sex (didn't want to say "fucking" again) consider the value of creating a little skater to whom you can teach/expose to the world of skateboarding! Go sk8 and then go make more of us!

1/22/07

CCS Girls Catalog With the stench of money in the air, online skateboard retailer CCS sent me a copy of their first catalog for girls. I'm not a girl - and probably wouldn't fool anyone with a wig and tucking it under - but I am interested in girls who skate and how the sk8 industry tries to reach out to them.

Do they want skull-laden dresses and pink skateboards? Do they want better products styled to their bodies and dimensions? I don't think the sk8 industry really knows. I think they're throwing shit at a wall and seeing if it sticks - which isn't a very strong market research effort. Anyway...
Check out my take on the CCS Girl's Catalog.

1/18/07

The 70's Go Mainstream? The March 2007 issue of Transworld Skateboarding mag had a one-page article on 70's slalom boards. Could it be that people are acknowledging the 70's? Old schoolers are staunch supporters of the wide (10" decks) of the 80's. Perhaps we're seeing this acceptance trend leap to the previous decade.

With the resurgence of companies like Tunnel Skateboards and Bennett Truks, it seems as though sidewalk surfing might actually reemerge. Short narrow boards, narrow trucks and wide wheels - now you're talkin'! Even the newer companies like Dregs and GH Boards are pumping out 6" x 29" decks. Let the old times roll!

1/3/07

One Question for Brandie May Just after New Year's Day, pornstar Brandie May posed an interesting idea (although it's been done before) on Myspace. She promised to honestly answer ONE question from each of her fans. Being part of the adult film industry and knowing what we do about such a fan-base, I'm sure she was inundated with questions from the sick and seedy to the truly bizarre (and a few obligatory, "Will you fuck me?" questions).

I felt it my duty to inject some SK8 into this event... if she would even answer.
My email:

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Sk8 the Planet
Date: Jan 3 2007

What a cool idea - I dig you!!!

My question:
Have you ever fantasized about interrogating George W. Bush about his deconstruction of the American middle class, while the two of you are on the rollout deck of Bob Burnquist's Mega Ramp as Bob sails overhead For ESPN?
Thanks...

To my surprise, I did get a response:

Date: Jan 3, 2007 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: you get one question

i can actually say no to that because i wouldn't talk to gb i would slap him and espn is hot. so is skating. i love it.

In conclusion, I have to say Ms. May seems like a cool chick to have responded and even better that she doled props to the sk8 community! Check out her blurb and her websites...

My name is Brandie May and I was born in Elkhart, Indiana on August 23. I am 5'1" and 110 pounds. I have red hair blue eyes and my measurements are 36-24-32. I own my own company called Sparxxx Entertainment Inc.
www.myspace.com/brandiemayxxx -and- Brandiemay.com

1/16/07

Separation of Church and Rape I'm glad there is a separation between religion and politics, but how did anal-rape get so ingrained in modern religion?

I envisioned kids fleeing over the hills in stampedes of mammoth proportion. Looks of abject despair on their faces as they ran. But where to? Away from the priestly pervs. To ease their confusion, government funded Skate Programs would enlist volunteers to generously hand out skateboards and offer them freedom through shredding.
But the stampede never came.

I'd have thought if a religious organization began paying out settlement money to thousands of victims of sexually abuse at the hands of it's own leaders, the followers of such religions might flee the church in search of something better. If I had befallen such an atrocity, I'd vacate that religion immediately as would my family and any seemingly rational person.

I guess some religions have brainwashed their followers to tolerate anything (Ouch, it hurts in there!). Sounds more like a cult than a centuries-old organized religion.

1/11/07

George W. Bush is Stupid Everyone who voted for him in 2000 owes me a letter of apology - I feel handwritten letters convey more sincerity (fyi). Those who voted for him again in 2004 should be slapped (or shot).

1/5/07

Thrasher VHS Goes to DVD A small and easy to miss blurb in the February issue of Thrasher stated that they are putting all their VHS sk8 vids on 5 DVDs for $40! If that's the case, I'm one very happy guy. I haven't seen it mentioned on their website yet, but keep an eye out for it.

1/1/07

Happy New Year! It's hard to say why we feel compelled to put out holiday messages to wish various wonderful things upon people. The reality is, I want to have a happy new year. I hope you do as well, but I'm really looking out for myself on this one. Selfish, eh? Sorry. Can't help it. I'm primed and ready for a cool-as-all-Hell 2007.

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