Hand painted.

There are still some people out there doing it right.

Hostel 3.

This f'n song and it's every remix from Rihanna to any Reggaton kit has been torturing me worse than a blowtorch to the eye.

Sittin' sideways.

Rodeo Roundup.

Yesterday we had to play some musical cars with the in laws for some airport pickup/RV prep situations, and we ended up taking the Rodeo home last night. This morning I drove it back over to Carmen and Andy's and holy crap did it get me to thinking.

I bought this car in 1996. I had just moved to Vermont and I had the realization that my piece of shit mini van was going to be no match for the impending Vermont winter. I started the intimidating process of buying my first "new" car. 

So I started the intimidating process of searching for my first "new" car. Any by new I mean it was not a $450 Ford Escort, a Subaru that literally rusted into the ground, or a piece of shit minivan I bought from a WWII vet in Buffalo because I felt guilty after the test drive. The car I was getting had to take me into vehicular manhood.

After a week or so of dealer visits and cold shoulders from salesman who did'nt really take a 22 year old kid buying a nice car seriously, I finally settled on the Rodeo which was at Willie Racine's on Rte. 7 in South Burlington. It had everything that I was looking for:

-Four Wheel Drive

-Roof Rack

-Plenty of room for samples

-Tape Deck

-After Market Sunroof, complete with leaks

And most importantly, it was in the approved color of Dan Mac Tan™.

Eva adjusting the mirrors of her future first car. 

After we dropped the car off this morning, Yolanda and I started talking about all of the memories we have in the Rodeo. Surf missions to NH. Spring Loaded Pro Ams. US Opens. Trips back home to Buffalo down the endless NYS 90 Thruway. Boston trips. Long Island trips. Driving through downpours or extreme heat with Eberz to skate the Rutland park on a summer day. Not too mention countless roundtrips to Stowe every morning for years on end as well as all of the rep roadtrips that it carried me through. 

A definite highlight was getting all 4 tires frozen solid in over 12" of mud while I was away at Surf Expo in January. After digging it out/pouring hot water on the tires, we finally got it free. The freeze lasted, and I had to drive with 4 huge mudblocks on my tires for over a week before they fell off on the 89. That was a rough ride that week.

We also got to talking about all of the random snowboarders, skateboarders and random heads that have been in this thing at some point or other, whether on a road trip (thanks for the odometer trick Chad), or a contest run, or just a random trip through VT. Here are a few of the funner ones.

-Daniel Franck (this trip from Burlington to Stratton is one of my more memorable ones, such a funny and unique dude)

-Jason Brown

-Jeff and Billy Anderson

-Chad DiNenna (Nixon Founder)

-Victoria Jealouse

-Troy Eckert (Volcom OG)

-Sebu Kuhlberg

-Donny Barley

-Tim O'Connor

Random.

The Rodeo is still alive and well with over 157,000 miles on it (actually around 215,000, see odometer comment above) and is still running strong for Carmen and Andy, and it gets them where they need to go. It still makes that clicking noise that all Rodeos and Troopers from that era make (ask Jared), but until it has no life left, it is here to stay.

Carved+Wood=Good

Skeletor came through huge with this delivery yesterday. This little gem graced the main lodge of my former home resort for years, and now it has made it's way west to add some more ambience to the workspace. 

I seriously probably saw this sign twice a day nearly every day in the winter for years. Including when Holiday Valley only let you ride 2 trails (one was the bunny slope) and made you show them that you could get on and off the lift. The place has always kind of been behind though, they still require leashes. Leashes. In 2008. Right.

It needs some minor repairs, (you would too if you were outside for
over 25 Ellicottville winters), but this one is going to be around for the long haul. Props to Skeletor for stopping some clueless Cattaraugus County redneck from tossing this and the other gems he sent into the dumpster.

It's time to start the music....it's time to dim the lights...

Everyone's favorite Jewish DJ is back with another solid mix, this time taking the helm for the Nike+Original Run series. This is the third in the series, following up the first two that were done by The Crystal Method and Aphex Twin.

Running Man just came out on iTunes this morning, so head on over and download it. It comes with a digital booklet as well as a video interview where you can not only see how Alain matches plaid with an all over New Era, but how he puts his projects together. I am feeling the "Animal from the Muppet Show" reference. Recommended.

Click here to go to the iTunes download.

Who you gonna call?

Whored my car our for yet another show; this one being a NightShift event right in my backyard at Belmont Raceway. Showed at the event for Valvoline, one of the event's biggest sponsors. While I thought it would be a fun "check out my car, where are the comp snacks?", I had to work the event giving out materials and managing the crowd when the dyno runs were going on. All in a day's work for years of free oil I guess. Beats paying the $80 entrance fee any day though. I was happy to bring home a win at a nationally sanctioned event (NCCA) with a grip of Subarus showing.



"Yeah Valvoline Synthetic is what I use because it's...free. Try Royal Purple."


Oh yeah, Egon was there with his bitches advertising a new video game coming out.


900hp FIZZ IS300. Tard.



Bro 1: "So where's my money?"
Lady: "My feet hurt."
Bro 2: "I'd hit it."


.

Go Skate Day.

Headed up to Westerly CT to skate their new park. Guess it used to be a wooden mess, but a couple DIYers worked to get it where it is today. Super smooth with weird skateable trannies all over the place. Getting a line was tough at first, but we just had to watch the eleventeen year old rippers for a few minutes. A def rarity for us East Coasters and worth the 3 hour drive up and back especially with a stop in Groton to skate their park and a large Tank from everyone's favorite, Tim Horton's. Didn't get a chance to sample their "face slapping" donuts cuz I didn't want the midday sugar crash.

Board meeting.

Jenny had some great input on radial sidecuts.

So I got to thinking...

I stumbled across this random photo I took back on April 3rd and got to thinking. At that point, I really thought gas was climbing at a ridiculous rate. And, as we all know, since then, at least here in California, it has gone up to at least $4.50 for Regular, and up to and even over $5 a gallon for Premium.

Now, this got me to thinking, what other industry is there where prices can be raised so much, and none of the oil companies even offer any sort of explanation, or even communication on why things happen. Beyond that, I don't think anyone even notices that NONE of the big oil companies advertise beyond their stations, or even offer anything beyond basic services to give the customer a good user experience.


Could you imagine a gas station that was actually pleasant to go into? Or a frequent buyer program? Gas is one of the top 3 things that people spend money on, yet no one makes any sort of effort to make it a good experience so at least we feel like we are not getting ripped off when they raise prices over 15% in 30 days. I would even venture to guess that some people would have paid the current gas prices happily if there was some thought out into why they were being raised and there was some value added to the experience. That is the reason that people pay almost $4 for Starbucks when they can essentially get the same thing at a gas station for under $1.

I find it pretty intriguing that retailers of the most widely traded and competitive commodites on earth (oil is first, coffee is second) have chosen to take such different paths, with one being revered as new age capitalists with a conscience (i.e. Starbuck's) and the other the equivalent to a crack dealer (i.e. people are hooked, let's make them pay for it.) It would be nice to see someone try something different. Hopefully the same thing happens here that happened in the music industry, people got tired of being gouged and found a way around it. My next car will at least be a hybrid if not better.

Big Willy Style.

Just for scale, JP is 6ft+.

Jester's dead.

Big (ish) looking fire on Camp Pendleton this afternoon. Maverick and
Goose are at it again back there.

Ummm....yeah.

"Was that just E-40 mixed with Cheap Trick?"

If you are looking for a new summer mix that will last for the whole summer, this is it. Girl Talk has indeed done it again, using samples from across all genres and eras of music to create nothing less than a masterpiece of digital music. Almost entirely made of samples, it is seamless and very unprocessed.

I think the best way to describe it that it is like getting dropped on your head and all of the music from your childhood, through elementary, junior high and high schooI, and right through college and your adulthood all got mixed together and is being played at a party with all of your closest friends. No matter what music you are "into", you can appreciate this. But then again, I am a huge music nerd, so, take that into consideration.

I highly recommend going and downloading it for yourself here . Don't forget to donate you cheapskates.

A look behind the the mashups:



And below the Capitol Hill hearing on trademark infringement where he is one of the main subjects. Who knew?



Thanks to Chris B. out in the great state of Utah for the heads up on the album drop date, and for the reference link as well. Buy some turntables already Bruns.

1992.

Flat packed.

Party.

Crack.

This just in....

He's back...

Shut Em' Down.

I'll be forever praying for a Knicks win just like every Chicago Cubs fan, but I gotta give it up to the Celtics. To come from last place last year, get shafted in the draft, and win with the first season of KG, Pierce, & Ray Allen playing together-that's one amazing Cinderella story. And to crush by 39 points (131-92)- nothing short of amazing. At least I have my Giants win to hold on to with the Yanks in the hole like Tiger Woods' drop on Sunday. Congrats.