Austin and Stack Footy...

On a lighter note, Think Thank's new film, "Stack Footy" premiered this past weekend in Seattle. Go out to your local shred shop today and grab a copy and watch Austin kill it!

Also, go out and grab the new issue of Snowboarder and flip open to Austin's "On Deck" article. Mad props homie! Mad props!

Don't even want to talk about it...

Overtime loss to the 49ers, another receiver out for the season, and even Seneca Wallace getting hurt after pre-game warm ups at the receiver spot...what can I say??!!? Painful!

Football...

Went to the UW vs. Oklahoma game tonight and what can I say, absolutely painful to watch. It was an all out drubbing by the Sooners and showed that we still have a long ways to go before our team gets back online. One thing I liked though was that they got a lot of looks to D'Andre Goodwin and it looks like he is starting to build some confidence. That and David Freeman looked explosive at times coming out of the backfield. What I didn't like....where do I begin??!?!? D-line can't get any pressure on the QB, secondary can't cover worth a lick, and worst of all, nobody seems to know how to tackle on our defense! I am frustrated with the offensive play calling, skill players can't hold on to the damn ball, and I really am starting to get on board with the idea of Fouch playing QB and Jake moving to RB. Too early to commit though, I think Jake can show us he can toss the ball and deserves a few more games slinging it to get into a groove. That is if he isn't hurt too bad as it looked like he got banged around a lot tonight. Here's my take away, the team is young, needs to gel and mature, AND NEEDS TO FIRE WILLINGHAM!!!!! Sorry coach, much respect, but it's time for a fresh start to inject some life into this program, maybe an injection of Chip Kelly??!?!? Come on UW, go after him!

Side note, my 'Noles looked damn good in their 2 warm up games and has me reeling with some confidence for this young team. They still have a few steps to go before getting back to the standard, but with the talent this team has right now and how young they are, they are going to surprise some folks this season and build to be back in the top 25 in no time! Ponder is the man and Richardson is a hyper duel threat that can come in at any time to spell Ponder. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if FSU runs a duel QB offense going forward with these two. Stacked on receivers, finally a running game that looks strong, and a defense that has several potential first rounders, I LIKE!!!! I know they had push overs for the first two and it's early to say how strong this team really is, but with Parker coming back next week and the rest of the normal starters coming off suspension in two weeks, sky is the limit for my guys. Wake this upcoming week should be a good indicator of how the season will play out for the 'Noles. If they score at will against that defense like they have the first 2 games, it's going to be a good season :).

On to NFL, Hawks tomorrow and I am PUMPED! I think that we are going to come out blazing and handle the Niners at Qwest. We need to prove that this team is much better than what the country saw last week in Buffalo. I am nervous about our receiving corps, our O-line (Big Walt looked like the only guy that could block anybody last week), and our defense, mainly our run-stopping ability. But I am confident they will all get the job done tomorrow and get us a W. Injuries are killing us, I am starting to think our team is cursed this season with the injury bug. As long as we get them all out of the system up front and our players are healthy when it counts down the road, that's good with me!

GO HAWKS!!!!

iPod Nano...

Here is a post for all you Gadget lovers out there. Apple recently announced a few updated products in its iPod line with the coolest update being the new iPod nano. At 3.6 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide, the size is impressive for how much power the little guy packs. Oh yea, it's 6.2mm thick too, not much thicker than your credit card! The new nano plays video now and can be turned sideways to watch them in portrait view. The nano also has a new "shake" function, where you can shake the iPod to shuffle to a new song in your library. It comes in 9 different colors with my favorite being the purple. 8GB and 16GB versions available, time to upgrade those old iPods out there to the new generation! Get on it!

IRONMAN INIGO...

A lot of you who saw the post a couple months ago of Inigo finishing the Half Ironman asked that I post a pic of Inigo finishing a FULL Ironman because the expression and pain his face displayed from the Half Ironman finish was priceless!

Well this past weekend, Inigo traveled to Louisville Kentucky to put himself through pain once again in his first full Ironman event. That's 140.6 miles covered in less than a day for those that don't know!!!! It was 95 degrees and the course was brutal, taking many victims over the span of the day.

Inigo crossed the finish line with the time at just over 17 hours (his official time was just over 16 hours) and displayed a gritty look as he came across to become an official Ironman! Man, what a feat, just to finish an Ironman is an accomplishment in itself! Peep out the chick in the background checking out Inigo's studliness! Ha!

Congrats Inigo, you are a true man!

Bus characters...

Bus characters, who are they you ask? They are those special characters that when they step on the bus, you glance over at the empty seat next to you and start wishing, "PLEASE do not come sit next to me!!!!"

Everyone knows them, everyone has seen them. I just wanted to dedicate a post to some of my favorite, or should I say least favorite, transit characters. Most likely you have sat next to one, two, or all of them. Here are my top 5 along with a Tolerance Factor from 1-10, 1 being not too bad, can stand it for one bus ride and 10 being, DING, get me the hell off this bus now!!!

5. Compact Queen - This is the chick that gets on the bus with four bags, one for work, one for the gym, her purse, and one for straight makeup! The instant she sits down, her four bags engulf you. Two are on your lap, one is against your face, and the makeup bag is open and ready for business. First comes the foundation, then the mascara, a little blush, a little eye liner, yada, yada. The chick is a full blown traveling MAC counter and it frightens you how good she is at putting on her makeup on a bumpy bus going 50 down the highway! By the time you get downtown, she's just finishing and looks like a completely different person than the one that initially sat down next to you. SCARY!

Tolerance Factor = 2, as long as she doesn't start plucking her eyebrows right there, or drops an item and spends the next 8 minutes trying to reach down to find it, it's bearable for the commute. Stay on!

4. What's in the Bag Man - Everyone is dumbfounded when this guy gets on the bus. He looks so normal, usually jeans, t-shirt, maybe a hat, but the dude smells like absolute garbage. Sure, you expect a bum to smell like that, but not this guy. What is it??!?! Then you notice his bag. It could be a backpack, it could be a messenger bag, heck it could be a fanny pack. Doesn't matter, all that matters is that his bag looks and smells like he stopped at a port-a-potty on the way to the bus stop and decided to do a little dip and go with his bag. Come on man, there is no reason to have a bag that smells that bad. Sure you had some good times with this bag by your side, but it's time to let go and buy a new bag!

Tolerance Factor = 8, the smell is unbearable at times and you find yourself gagging as the bag rubs against your leg. You feel like you might pass out, but it's raining and you're still 8 blocks from your destination. Stay on!

3. Little Miss Chap Chap - She is barking on her cell phone and drops it while trying to swipe her bus pass. Doesn't faze her though, picks it right back up and gets back to the nitty gritty, talking about nothing with another Chap Chap on the other end. She is so engaged in her conversation about nothing that she blasts you with her backpack as she sits down. Then the real pain comes, having to listen to her annoying ass voice for the next 25 minutes! "Like, oh my gosh, David is such a jerk, so I went out last night and drank 8 shots of Vodka and hooked up with this random at the bar, then ended up throwing up all over the bathroom." "I don't know, what do you want to do? I don't care, what do you want to do?" Dammit, you want to smack the phone out of her hand but you refrain. You feel like you are getting dumber by listening to her talk.

Tolerance Factor = 6, the conversation she is having is mind-numbing, and her voice sounds like she trapped a pack of hyenas in her esophagus, but you can get through by cranking your iPod up just a bit louder. Stay on!

2. Crackhead Clarence - From the minute this guy sits down next to you, he is non-stop. Scratching his arms, sniffling, scratching his neck, bobbing back and forth. The dude can't sit still cause he needs another fix and he needs it bad! Crack, Meth, Speed ball, hell, maybe he's a warrior and does them all at once. Who knows, all that is obvious is that he needs it ASAP! He starts to make funny noises and at first you think he might be trying to communicate with you. But then you notice that the guy is about 6 feet tall and weighs no more than 125 pounds soaking wet! He's cold man! He's got no meat and he needs another treat! He's looking for the iceman and hopefully this bus will bring him to his icy destination! He has no awareness of your personal space either as he continues to bob back and forth, sometimes bumping up against you. He's harmless though....unless you are holding some crack in your work bag, then WATCH OUT!

Tolerance Factor = 5, he sways back and forth and constantly mumbles, turning to you every 8 minutes asking, "hey man, you got a couple dollars to spare?" You feel for him, he needs help, but money for drugs, you ain't got nothing for him. Your almost to your stop and he's in his own world. Stay on!

1. Bum Pack - Bum Pack is seen on every bus in every city. Dude rolls up with a couple garbage bags in hand and smells like he went swimming in a pool filled with Gin and Whiskey. He sits down next to you and anything is game on from then on.

True Story #1 - On my way to work, Bum Pack gets on, entire bus is pretty much empty. For some reason, homie feels the need to sit down next to this girl on the other side of the aisle from me. About 3 minutes after he sits down, he passes out and is pretty much hanging on the girl's shoulder. The girl looks repulsed, but does nothing, just sits there. About 10 minutes later, she makes a startling noise, I look over and Bum Pack is peeing himself as he's passed out. Man, it sucked, girl got some Bum Pack pee on her and the bus driver had to shut the bus down and tell everybody to get off, saying a "bio-hazard clean up crew" was coming to sanitize the bus. Needless to say, I walked the rest of the way to work.

True Story #2 - On my way to work again, another Bum Pack and just my luck, Bum Pack decides he wants to sit next to me. He smelled terrible, and I felt like I was getting drunk from the fumes coming off his clothes. But I'm strong, I bear it through, all the way to work. I ding the bell and turn towards the Bum Pack, politely saying, "excuse me sir, this is my stop." He turns away to let me out and I notice the entire left side of his body is covered in what looks and smells to be puke!!!!! Argh! WHAT THE HELL, how did I not notice that when he got on??!? Worst part, oh yes, there was puke on my clothes from him sitting next to me. I spent the first 20 minutes of the day in the bathroom doing laundry in the sink to get that nasty nast out!

Tolerance Factor = 10, Bum Pack can seriously bring the stench pain and can ruin a day just like that with a little bodily fluid. When Bum Pack gets on don't risk it, there's always another bus, ding that bell and get the f%$k off the bus!

Ian x G-Star...

So my favorite 206 boutique has teamed up with one of my favorite design brands to launch a mini G-Star store at the downtown Ian location. They have converted the entire 2nd floor to all G-Star and will be featuring items you can't find anywhere else in Seatown. I am pretty pumped about this and will be visiting Ian much more frequently going forward!

If you don't know, go check Ian out. They have two locations, one on 2nd Ave and one in Fremont. They carry awesome men's and women's fashion brands and offer pieces that not everyone and their mom will be rocking. Can't do the stores justice with words, just go and make a visit!

More music...

Here's a list of some more good music that is coming out soon to cure your rainy day ailments!

- Michael Jackson will release a compilation album titled, "King of Pop" on August 29th. It will contain all your Michael Jackson favs.

- Robin Thicke is pretty damn cool for being the son of Alan Thicke. His new album on September 9th, "Something Else" should be a hit with the JTimbo crowd. Thicke is extremely talented and even has some street cred teaming up with hip-hop heavy hitters like Lil' Wayne.

- September 30th won't be just T.I.'s day as Anberlin (New Surrender), Amon Amarth (Twilight of the Thunder God), and Tom Morello (The Fabled City) will all drop that day also. If you've never heard of any of these bands, just go buy the CDs or download them on iTunes, you won't be disappointed!

- 2008 will also see new music from, +44 (Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker's latest project), The Killers, Linkin Park, NIN, Pearl Jam, Rancid, and everyone's favorite American Idol, David Cook.

Obviously there is much more music than just this that is coming out, but put some of these on the radar and start getting pumped for the fall music releases!

What I am amped for lately...

As the summer nears its end, kids go back to school, and the days get shorter and shorter, we need to look forward to what's on tap to keep us going till the summer shines again. I'll have no problem, since I can't wait for the snow to drop and to be back on the hill shreddin'! But for those who become clinically depressed when summer says bye bye, here's some new hip-hop/rap music that you can look forward to for the fall...


- The Game's new album, "L.A.X." drops this Tuesday and I really, really, really hope that the entire album lives up to the hype its been getting. The Game is one of my personal favs and the first 4 singles he's dropped off the album have been pretty strong, with my favorite so far being, "My Life." The Game is no doubt one of the hardest working men in rap and breathes life into what has become a fairly stale West Coast hip-hop/rap scene. The Game fans know that he displayed 2Pac-like work ethic with L.A.X., recording over 300 tracks for it. Lets hope he picks the best set for L.A.X. and pushes the rest onto the 28 mix tapes I am sure he'll release between now and 2009. We want to hear all 300+ tracks!

- Young Jeezy will be dropping his new album on September 2nd, titled, "The Recession." I am not the biggest Jeezy fan, but I do think he is talented, notable, and reps the scene well. His new album should be a good one featuring T.I., Jay-Z, The Game, & Kanye, and will quench the thirst of Jeezy fans all around the globe.

- Nelly and his new album, "Brass Knuckles" will be dropping September 16th. Now I know what you are saying, "Nelly is wack!" But you can't fool me, I know all of you were bumpin' Nelly at one time or another. Driving down the road singing along with him, "It's gettin' hot in he'er, so take off all your clothes!" You know who you are, quit lying! Nelly's new album guest stars T.I., Pharrell, Pimp C, and others so at the very least you'll have some star power fueling the album.

- Wu-Tang fans will be delighted in September as they will have new albumes from Killah Priest and Cappadonna the 23rd and 30th respectively. Wu-Tang Forever!

- T.I. quite possibly the 2nd hardest working man in rap (Lil' Wayne being #1 since he guests on every album in every genre this year) will be releasing his long-awaited new album, "Paper Trail" on September 30th. This one is going to be a banger, go pick it up when it drops!

- Anything past September is too iffy to call since most artists in rap like to push albums back, and back, and back. But do know that we should see new albums from Dr. Dre (will Detox finally be finished and released???), and Rakim (The Seventh Seal) sometime in late 2008, early 2009 and new albums from Jay-Z (Tha Blueprint 3) and Eminem (no news on this one) sometime in 2009!

Summer time and all I can think about is snow...

If this teaser for the upcoming film from Travis Rice, "That's It, That's All" doesn't make you want to go out and shred, I don't know what will. Check it and be in awe of the mind-blowing footy. I need this blu-ray on my TV ASAP!!!!! Coming soon, very soon...

More Olympics...More Usain Bolt...

Usain Bolt does it again, winning the 200m sprint and breaking Michael Johnson's world record with a time of 19.30 sec!! He is the first man to set both world records (1oom and 200m) in the same Olympics. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Usain Bolt is an absolute freak and is so exciting to watch! Step off all you haters, Usain is here to rule the sprint world!

This pic is just awesome and needs no explanation!!

Olympics Beijing 2008...

Most people these days have been watching their TV more than usual (and later than usual) as the entire world centers its attention on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. I have to say that the Olympics are pretty dope cause it's the only event where you'll find yourself enthralled watching fencing, women's gymnastics, table tennis, etc. Sports you normally would not give two cents any other time. All for the glory of the country you cheer any male or female athlete wearing the stars and stripes! Here's a list of my top Olympic moments so far:

1. Michael Phelps

He's pretty much been the golden child and poster boy for the 2008 Olympics, setting 7 world records and an Olympic record on route to 8 gold medals. He broke Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record for most medals in a single Olympics and single handedly brought up the Olympics' TV ratings. But for as much love as Phelps has gotten, he has been hated on even more as many say his accomplishment is more cause swimming is the only sport that allows an athlete to accomplish a feat like his. Whether you love him or hate him, the facts are straight. Dude didn't just win 8 gold medals, he did it in commanding fashion breaking record after record. He went up against specialists, guys who only swim one stroke and work on swimming it the fastest they can. None of them could hang with Phelps. All that and he did it day-after-day-after-day-after-day. Geez, London 2012 could mean 4 or 5 more medals for Phelps, but one thing's for certain, MP is going to make buckoo bucks over the next decade or so. More money than he'll know what to do with as every major corporation bids to put his face on their name!

2. Bela Karolyi

Long time US Women's Gymnastics coach and now NBC commentator has shown some serious emotion throughout the games. Each night during the gymnastics competitions, all I wait for is NBC to cut away to its studio room with Bob Costas and Bela Karolyi so that I can watch the carnival he is when talking about gymnastics. Whether he is jumping up and down out of his seat celebrating a stuck landing or perfect performance by the US team, or almost breaking into tears as he felt for Alicia Sacramone being robbed of the bronze medal by a Chinese girl who landed on her knees (he said that the judging result was a pure, "leep-ov" or rip off as most know), he brings pure entertainment to the house! You can tell that this dude has some serious love for the sport.

3. Dave Calder

Lived with Dave my freshman year in College at the 17th Ave House. Awesome guy and it's sweet to see his Olympic dream fulfilled as he brought home a silver medal for Canada in the men's pair rowing competition. Congrats DC!

4. "Lightning"

Usain Bolt, what can I say, rough, rugged, and 9.69 GOLD BLAZING!! This kid is a rocket, and I like the swagger he brings to the Olympic Games. A lot of people are saying that he is too cocky and flashy, but I say the sport needs more of that! I love the pic of him looking to the crowd and basically jogging through as he crushed everyone in the 100m sprint. He should win the 200m tonight, we shall see! Run on Usain, run on!

(Check out the dude lunging for the Bronze in the photo, that's Walter Dix, FSU PRIDE!)

5. Any athlete that was heavily favored to win his or her event and failed to do so. Just because it shows that nothing is given and there will always be someone out there that wants it more than you do!

Let the Games continue on!

Back at it...

So it has been a full week since the last post and I apologize as I have been a bit sidetracked as of late. Stay tuned though as there will be many AWESOME posts to come in the near future! Football season is right around the corner, Snow video premiers galore with all the homies, and more flat out random content!

Costco or Home Depot = $$$$...

Most of you have probably made a visit to your local Costco or Home Depot recently to pick up some items of "need." Can anybody post a note saying that they were able to spend less at one of these places than they had initially planned? Maybe I am being far-fetched, but I am going to assume that a majority of the people who are asked that question will reply with a firm "NO!"

You see, it's just almost impossible to do, we as Americans are a society of consumption + impulse, so places like Costco and Home Depot are like a drug to us! Think about it, how many times have you drove to Costco to buy just a couple of things, maybe $50 worth of stuff, and you walk out $200 later with a flat cart full of nonsense!?!?!

Costco is genius (they really do have an awesome business model) and has figured out a way to hypnotize anyone who walks through the doors! Once you flash your card and walk through that entrance into the warehouse of spend, the trance is on! All of a sudden you "need" 64 AA batteries, 8,000 yards of duct tape, 18 lbs of mango slices, 6 jugs of spaghetti sauce, 18 chicken breasts, 16 cinnamon rolls, a 6-month supply of soap and shampoo, and 500 blank Cd's. Not to mention 250 granola bars, 10 lbs of M&Ms, and every one's favorite, the 10 lb jug of animal crackers that are sure to go stale before you even get through half of it! But for the amount you get it's so cheap so why not!?!

Home Depot is genius too! They must use a similar hypnotic technique like Costco does cause you always walk out with a bunch of stuff that you somehow convinced yourself you would use or need. That crazy power drill that can drill through titanium like it's warm butter or the super glue that supposedly glued a Toyota Tundra to a wall! How could you pass crap like that up??

Guy on cellphone with friend before walking into Home Depot: "Yea, I'm just walking into Home Depot now, need to pick up some screws and maybe some grout to redo some tiling, just the mix-it-yourself kind though cause the other stuff is more expensive, let me call you back."

Same guy calling his friend back after walking out of Home Depot: "Shit man, I just dropped some serious cash at the Depot, ended up buying a box of tungsten strip-proof screws, some fancy pre-mixed grout.......a washer, a new BBQ, and a new Trex deck! DAMMIT!"

Costco and Home Depot, I salute you, I can only hope to have as successful as a money-making machine as you guys are one day! In the meantime, I will continue to spend freely against my will at your establishments!

Other like establishments that take advantage of American's impulsiveness:

1st Team:

(1) Best Buy

(2) Target

(3) Ikea

2nd Team:

(1) The Container Store

(2) The Apple Store

(3) Crate and Barrel

Honorable Mention:

(1) Firework Stands

(2) Golf Stores

(3) Taco Bell

SEAHAWKS!!!

So with tonight's preseason game vs. Minnesota, we officially kick off another year of Seahawks football!!!! Even though the starters will only be on the field tonight for just a few plays, I am excited to see the young guys get some time to show what they can do. Man, I can't say how pumped I am to see the Hawks back on the field for another run at the NFC West title and hopefully more! Here are some of my predictions for this season:

- Hawks will finish the season 12-4

- Nate Burleson will lead the team in reception TDs

- Julius Jones and Maurice Morris will tag-team for over 1,500 yards and 15 TDs

- The defense will finish the season in the top 10 for best defenses in the NFL

- The defense will be tops in the NFC in interceptions

- Matt Hasselbeck will throw for more than 3,500 yards and 25 TDs

- Julian Peterson will have more than 10 sacks

- Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor will both emerge as notable receivers by season's end

- Darryl Tapp and Patrick Kerney will combine for over 20 sacks

- The Hawks will beat the Rams on a MISSED field goal by Josh Brown

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!

Random weekend note...

Just laying back from a long day out on the links in Walla Walla and needed to drop a quick and random piece on how cool the Sharpie is! Think about it, it's a permanent marker that is used throughout our entire lives, yet no one gives it the shout out it deserves. 8 grams of permanent ink that basically immortalizes itself on whatever it comes into contact with! Here is a list of some of the integral roles the Sharpie has played in man's life:

- Your mom used it when you were young to mark your initials on the tags of your clothes, lunchbox, basketball, etc.

- You were enthralled with it at an early age in Elementary school as you realized it was the only pen you could use to write on the bathroom walls. Unlike other weak pens that would smear or be unable to mark the tile, the Sharpie would write your best poetry or classic bathroom one-liner clear as day! The sentence, "For a good time, call xxx-xxxx" owes you everything Sharpie!

- You became oddly engaged with the Sharpie in Middle school when you found out that sniffing the tip of the Sharpie would result in strange and euphoric periods of dizziness. (Disclaimer: Samo's Update does not endorse the sniffing of permanent pens as a hobby)

- You created the world's greatest mix CD and who did you go to for the finishing touch??? None other than the Sharpie, who helped you come up with amazing and brilliant titles for your CD such as, "The Cuts, THA HITZ, Slow-Jams, May Mixes, 90's Hits, Party Mix, etc!"

- The Sharpie played a cruel, yet crucial role at every party, silently waiting in a desk drawer for the poor soul who succumbed first to the power of Vodka. Once the victim's eyes shut and his or her mind went off to dreamland, the Sharpie revealed itself and unleashed its fury on the helpless victim's face, arms, body, etc. Picasso-like artwork would be born and any attempt to wash the artwork off would result in loss of skin layers. Nothing is better than going to breakfast after a late night party and holding in your laughter as your friend gets all the way to the breakfast joint without realizing he or she is a walking tattoo!

- Without the Sharpie, your golf ball would be just another Titleist Pro-V1 #1 in the crowd. But now your Pro-V1 #1 becomes a Pro-V1 #1000, a smiley face, a globe, or whatever your little Sharpie can make it. I played with a guy last week that had the "leist" and "-V1" blacked out with a Sharpie, what's it say now?

The Sharpie's uses are endless, thus why the pen is so damn cool!

We got one...

That's right, we got our first house!

Something I heard on the bus...

So on the way to work this morning, I overheard a conversation between two homeless dudes that was pretty funny. They were talking about Religion and God and one of them asked, "did you know that God has a wife?" The other replied, "no, I had no idea that he was married!" The first guy continues by saying, "yea, and she is hot....but mean as hell!"

Then he goes on to say, "I met her, she's really not that mean, but definitely smokin' hot!" I had to get off the bus at that point in the conversation, but man was it an entertaining thing to listen to on the way to work! Lesson for all the young bucks out there, don't pound Icehouse tall boys in the morning, it will make you say ludicrous things!

iPhone 3G Madness...

So its been a little over 2 weeks since the launch of Apple's new iPhone 3G, yet the long lines and madness over the phone continues as Apple has been unable to supply enough phones to meet the initial world-wide demand.

After seeing on the website Friday night that all the Apple stores in the area had gotten new shipments in for the weekend, I made it an early morning by heading down to the Apple store at 6:30am. When I got to the store there were about 15 or so people in line already. In the next hour, at least a 100 more people showed up, and by the time the store opened at 8am, there were over 150 people in line! The store manager said that this line was crazier than the lines they had during the launch weekend!

Anyways, I will just say, the iPhone is bad ass and if you don't have one, pony up and get one cause it will change your life to coolness! It lives up to all the hype and is worth every penny plus the hour and a half I waited in line for it!

Top 10 things I saw/heard while standing in line:

10. The first 5 guys in line continuously grumbling about how tired they were, and how it was BS they needed to get up so early for this (These dudes probably showed up at 4 or 5am). Come on guys, no one ripped you out of bed and dragged you down to the store for this, quit your complaining!

9. The lady who sucked down 2 donuts, 2 Starbucks beverages, and part of her man's breakfast sandwich in the span of less than an hour. IMPRESSIVE!

8. The guy who replied, "It's fine, money is not an issue and I don't care how much it costs!" when told by an Apple store employee that he would not be able to purchase the new iPhone for the discounted price because he already had the old iPhone. "Money is not an issue?" What a tool.

7. The guy who I heard say, "I don't even think the iPhone is that cool." Then why the hell are you standing in line at 7:30am for one? What an idiot!

6. All the girls who made sure they had make-up and high-heels on just to line up for an iPhone. The only girls that have make-up on for something like this before 8am are the ones that NEED makeup!

5. The programmer homies in front of me getting all jazzed in a conversation that included the words, "Binary Code," "Source Code," "C Code," and "Legacy Code." It was NERD-FEST! Although I am probably considered somewhat of a nerd myself, I mean I did line up for an iPhone! :)

4. The guy who came peeling into the parking lot around 7:30am, parked with a screech, and proceeded to sprint from his car towards the store only to discover 10 steps later that he was going to be 100 or so back in line. Dude, did you really think you were going to be the first person in line a half hour from opening?

3. All the people who showed up early, stood in line, and then walked away pissed off with no iPhone because they discovered they could not upgrade to the iPhone 3G for one of the many reasons AT&T and Apple made. (I was part of this group a couple weeks ago as they told me that since I had a company discount attached to my account I could not get an iPhone until I got the discount taken off, BUNK!)

2. The guy who was standing 2 people in front of me who first said, "I can't wait for the iPhone, I've been waiting months for the 3G!" Then later on said, "Yea, the iPhone is really cool, mine got stolen last week and I'm just here for a new one." Then went on to say as the doors opened, "Yes! Finally I will have an iPhone!" Dude, which one is it? Have you had an iPhone or not? One minute you've already had one, the next your life is changing because you are finally getting one? I was confused with this dude.

1. The guy who for some reason became livid and started yelling at the Apple store employees while standing in line. I think he was upset about an issue preventing him from getting the discounted price. He was a full on Lou Piniella act, throwing his arms, hair flailing, and stomping around like a 10 year old. Shoot, all that was missing was the dirt for him to kick and the base for him to pick up and throw! One of the things he screamed was, "I've been an Apple customer since '85 and I've never been as disappointed in the company as I am with the iPhone!" It was pure comedy, somebody needed to tell him, 1) that it's just a phone, and 2) to talk to the guy in the front of the line who didn't care how much the iPhone cost (see #8)

Shoppers' Delight...

Southcenter Mall, now owned by Westfield, will open its new expansion today that entails over 400,000 sq. feet of new retail space. One of the biggest attractions to the new wing of the mall will be a 25,000 sq. foot H&M, a clothing store that many around the region have long awaited. H&M is known to bring "High Fashion" styles to the public at a low and affordable price. But with anything, you get what you pay for and in this case many people around the area will soon learn to put H&M clothes in the same category as the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, and American Eagle, clothing names that should all have the discretion, "Wash at your own risk."

Don't get me wrong, the styles that H&M puts out blows away these other names for the most part, but you have to realize that to bring it to you at that price, something has got to give. Check it out and make your own call, I am sure that most people will really like the styles and be blown away by the selection. But when you put that long sleeve shirt in the wash and a totally different shirt comes out (maybe a sleeveless tee and two leg warmers), don't be surprised. Enjoy it for the price more so than the quality.

The Dark Knight...

"Why so serious?" the Joker asks...the only thing the masses are so serious about right now is how AMAZING 'Batman: The Dark Knight' is! Saw the movie this weekend and all I can say is that this movie is an absolute epic!!!! From beginning to end it is packed with chaos, mayhem, and unreal special effects, all tied together by a great script that does an awesome job of telling the story of The Dark Knight!

In my opinion the best thing about the movie is Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. I don't think that anybody could have played the role better, his performance was an absolute masterpiece and proved that he truly was one of today's greatest young actors. Sad that we will never get to see how far his career could have gone, but he leaves us with this last treasure of a role that will no doubt get a posthumous Oscar nomination.

If you haven't yet, go see this movie. I promise you that you will not be disappointed, even with as much hype the movie has gotten building up to its release. The movie industry is basically saying, "Put this one up on the shelf next to Godfather II and Empire Strikes Back as one of the greatest sequels of all time!" I COULD NOT AGREE MORE, this movie kicks ass!

6 Stars out of 5 for this one, yea, that good!

Anniversary Sale...

I love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Not so much for the actual shopping, but more so for the pure entertainment of watching women claw and shove each other to get that last size of whatever the heck they want! The deals are good, especially if you want a new pair of dress shoes, but overall the stuff on sale is the type of item that when you wear it, 48 other people on the street are going to have it on also. As with any sale, none of the really good stuff is on sale and the sales people are bulldogs trying to push each and every item on you. Anyways, here's a list of the top 10 things I saw/heard this morning:

10. Coming out of the parking garage and seeing a pack of girls sprinting for Nordstroms. Come on girls, no need to risk breaking that 5" stiletto heel just for a new pair of jeans!

9. Getting bombarded by 5 sales people as soon as you hit the jean tables asking, "How you doing this morning, want to try those on" Then proceeding to grab 7-9 other pairs of jeans for you to try on. I wanted to try on one pair of jeans and the sales girl brought me 8 other pairs as I was in the dressing room.....RIDICULOUS!

8. Looking at the sale price of $39.50 and then noticing the "After Sale Price" of $45.99. Whoop Di Doo, for every 1 thing that is marked down reasonably, there are 4 things marked down weak-sauce like this.

7. Seeing the dude that rolls into Nordstrom at 7am and starts picking through the designer jeans with his sunglasses still on! COOL GUY!

6. Seeing the same dude stop as he's walking by a mirror to see if his hair is still all good.

5. Walking from one end of the floor to the other and being asked the same 2 questions 12 times, "Are you doing ok? Can I start a dressing room for you?"

4. Witnessing people who are genuinely crushed that what they were looking for is already gone. PEOPLE! It's not that bad, it will be ok, I promise!

3. Being amazed that it only takes 15 minutes for the frenzy of people to make Nordstrom look like a tornado just ripped through it. Clothes everywhere man!

2. The people who grab one thing, get a dressing room right off the bat, leave that item of clothing in the dressing room to "reserve" it, and continuing to go out and shop. These people are snizzes, they tie up every dressing room and make it impossible for the person wanting to try on just one thing and go.

1. Every year I hear it at least once while walking through the store, "Some bitch grabbed the last size!" HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! Awesome how pissed some chicks can get at one sale.

Ironman...

This is my boy Inigo, he ran his first half Ironman this past weekend so I had to throw him up on the blog to give him a shout and some love! For those that don't know, half Ironman is 70.3 miles of serious pain. You swim, you bike, and you run...and you end in pain like Inigo as shown in the picture of him crossing the finish line with a scream! Props for finishing in a great time though, more man than most Inigo is!

Inigo will be competing in the Lexington, Kentucky full Ironman next month, can't wait to see the finish photo in that one :).

Good luck iRod!

Happy 4th...

Happy 4th of July to all! I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend. I just wanted to post a small bit of comedy for everyone. This is a you tube clip of a couple AWESOME phone messages that this dude left on a girl's voicemail. The messages were so ridiculous that the girl decided to post them on the Internet. I heard them on the radio last week and was reminded of them when my brother-in-law, Jake brought it up this week.

Click play and listen to how much of a douche bag this guy is. Note: This is not a skit, you can't make crap like this up, HA! There is no picture, just sound. Listen and be amazed that there are guys out there like this guy.

Sonics...

So after a small period of mourning, it's time to make the official post regarding the Seattle Supersonics leaving the city. All I can say is that I am pretty bummed. Bummed not only that Howard sold the team to a lying weasel whose intention was to steal the team from the get go, but also that the city and NBA allowed the move to happen. Sure, the city tried to win the team back through law suits, and so did Howard in the end. But it was too little, too late, the writing was on the wall that after the transaction was made, it was only a matter of time.

Some people say that this city doesn't deserve an NBA franchise, to that I say BULL S$%T! I grew up with the Sups as my team, I cheered for them in both the good and bad, and know a lot of people who share the same passion for the team as I do. "Downtown," Slick Watts, Shawn Kemp, "GP", Detlef, "X-Man," "Big Smooth," "Mac-10," George Karl, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen.....the list goes on and on and so do the memories. I remember running out in the streets cheering like a crazy man when the Sonics made the finals in 1996. I remember growing up going to Sups' games to watch GP throw oops to Kemp. Every game I got to go to, I would throw my jersey on with pride and get stoked on the way to Key Arena.

Just because a vote shows the city did not want to pony up for a new stadium doesn't mean that there is no love for the team in the 206. No losing team in the NBA sells out stadiums and for sure does no losing team make money. If the Sonics are a playoff team with a winning record, it's hard for me to be convinced that Oklahoma City would be a better place for the team than Seattle would be. What the heck is in Oklahoma City?? Kemp said it best, "No team gets a new state of the art stadium without putting W's on the board." Clay and his ludicrous demands are a joke! It's a shame that a franchise with as much history as the Sups have could be uprooted and moved to another city just like that. As a sports fan it makes me sad.

I close this post with just one thing to say, Thank You SEATTLE Supersonics for all the memories!