...I'm a NIKE head...

Oh yeah, a bunch of NEW spring 09 NIKES are here...more to come aswell. The shoe wall is going crazy!!!

VANS SP09 + Vans & Crooks CO-LAB

G'yeaaah... The new SPRING 09 VANS have arrived and they are radical. A bunch of different styles, like the Half Cab, ERA & Athentic (era & authentic not pictured)

PLUS we are proud to annouce the arrival of the VANS + Crooks & Castles CO-LAB.

Damn son.

Spring Kicks!

Freshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Brand new kicks yo. SO many dope shoes right now...sizes are limited so best get on the good foot...(ehh? ehh?)

Groan

Emily Kaiser reports for City Pages that the Minneapolis City Council is looking at options for banning drink specials and "bar games" at bars throughout the city. When I say banning drink specials, I mean just that: goodbye happy hour. So long nightly specials. Good grief, in this economy we have the state's largest municipality angling to shuffle bar patrons to adjacent cities to get a good deal on drinks, putting a millstone around the ankle of restaurants and bars that are already on thin ice. How out of touch can these people possibly be?

The theory behind these measures is to decrease binge drinking. What the fuck is next, mandatory coasters and seatbelt requirements for barstools? In a state with the most unfriendly booze laws this side of Utah, one must ask, as Kaiser does, "Could Minnesota drinking become any more lame than it already is? Apparently Minneapolis is trying to make it so."

The story was apparently broken by WCCO on Feb. 10. Link. The next council meeting is scheduled for March 9.

via citypages.com

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 = $199

So remember how I was saying that you could easily get a netbook or mini laptop that would offer leaps and bounds of functionality beyond the Kindle and Kindle 2 for around the same price? Well here is your proof.

$199 for one day only! Go here now.

via gizmodo

Bummer

OObject is reporting on 15 amazing skyscraper projects that have hit the skids due to whatever it is that people in finance have done to the rest of us who don't know anything about finance. I'm pretty bummed that some of my favorites are among them: the Chicago Spire, the Russia Tower, and 56 Leonard St. in New York. All three pictured below.

The Chicago Spire, Santiago Calatrava

Russia Tower, Foster + Partners

56 Leonard St., Herzog and de Meuron

via dvice

Sample shots with the Pentax DA*55 f1.4 & DA 35 f2.8 macro ltd

In 2005,  after our honeymoon,  my wife and I visited some friends in NYC and I took a visit to B&H photo and found new stock of the legendary FA* 85 f1.4.  The Pentax specialist urged me to pick it up while they had them in stock,  but I stewed on it overnight,  returning the next morning to find that the 2 in stock were sold immediately after I left.  I dreaded that day over the last 4 years.  

With the recent release of the new DA* 55 f1.4,  Pentax has essentially restored the beauty of that classic "85mm look and feel." Their new 55 mm, SDM driven, and weathersealed replacement delivers an  82.5mm field of view,  considering the conversion factor.  This new DA*55 will take the place for all the tasks that I would have normally assigned to the 85,  full frame view.

Concurrently,  I now use the DA 35 macro limited to restore the traditional "normal" field of view that a 'fast 50' did for full frame.  The 52.5mm field of view  simulates the nostalgic look of the normal full frame 50.  

These 2 lenses have quickly become my prime "duo of choice" for walk-around and all-purpose photography.

All images shot handheld, raw and converted to 4-star jpeg using in-camera conversion and applying some of the creative built in filters of the Pentax K20.

DA* 55  In-camera raw to jpeg normal setting (1/60 , f1.4, focus pt at inner corner of eyelid)

DA* 55 using in-camera B&W conversion with sketch filter (1/250 f1.4, iso 400)

Original in-camera B&W conversion

DA* 55 using in-camera raw to jpeg, portrait setting (1/180 f2 iso 400) -this is image was shot while my daughter rapidly came near to the lens, AF-C and center point focus worked fine.

DA*55  In-camera raw to jpeg "bright" setting (1/60, f1.4, iso 400)

DA 35 ltd.  In-camera raw to jpeg, B&W setting with cool tint filter (1/250 f6.7 iso 1600)

DA 35 ltd.  In-camera raw to jpeg B&W setting with warm tint filter (1/1000 f2.8 iso 280)

StripGenerator

StripGenerator lets you make your own comic strip without requiring artistic talent. Believe it or not, I made the strip below in less than five minutes!



via allmyfaves

385: Gallery of Inspiration

Here are a few examples of "inspirational" images from the web that you can find at 385.


The post-it made me chuckle. Out loud. AT WORK. So embarassing. Yeah...so what are you up to tonight? You wanna get some Thai food and watch The Biggest Loser? Oh...no I didn't realize...no I'm sorry...well how the hell was I supposed to know you find the topic of obesity offensive? Oh, get personal, real mature...no...no...well fine, I don't want to see you either you fat-hating bigot. Maybe they can't afford...well of course its cosmetic, but their health is at stake...Jesus, plastic surgery is your answer to everything isn't it? WHY DON'T YOU JUST LIPO YOUR FUCKING BRAIN?!

mmmmm coffee.

UNO Industries @ POOLTRADESHOW

So last week all two of you and my mom may have noticed that the blog was severely neglected. That is because, as previously stated, I was in Las Vegas for the POOLTRADESHOW with my pals Abraham and Rachel, the muscle behind the superbrand UNO Industries. Below are several fairly unrepresentative photos of the chaos that is registering, building, setting up, and selling at a trade show.

On Monday morning, I took a cab from the airport to the Planet Hollywood Hotel (awful place, don't stay there). After a quick change of clothes, I was picked up curbside by a U-Haul panel truck. As there were five of us for set-up day, I took my place in the back of the truck with the lumber and Oscar, the outside construction consultant who was gracious enough to help out. Riding in the back of a dark panel truck is scary, and also dangerous: I nearly lost a leg to flying lumber and shifting tools. Thankfully Abraham is a skilled truck driver and these uncomfortable incidents were kept to a minimum.

The Canvas

We arrived at the LVCC, which is probably about the size of downtown Minneapolis, at around noon. Making this logistical nightmare all the more fun was the fact that UNO had two booths at the show, each on opposite sides of the convention center. After shuffling materials from one booth to another, the building process began in earnest. After several hours, some ill-fated experimentation with tables and drop-cloths, and a splinter or two, we had the foundation in place. Day one in Vegas ended with a $14 club sandwich and me snoring loudly.


The Agony


The Product

Tuesday. Opening day of the show. Madness. The guys from Homage constructed a beer pong table, the fur was flying, and I spent 3 hours driving around in the panel truck looking for a phantom Home Depot. In my defense, my iPhone map is clearly not up to date. After locating a store in a distant location, I made my way back to the show and began demonstrating to looky-loos and serious buyers alike the magic that is UNO magnetic jewelery. Day 2 ended with the best Cuban sandwich I've ever had, the opening night party at Beauty Bar, and some intense craps at Caesar's with Abe and Terrence.

Creative Differences

Slangin'

Wednesday... sick. Desert air? I don't know, but I had a head cold to beat the band (what the hell does that even mean?). I slept in and let the professionals handle the show. I had lunch and dinner with my cousin, who works for MC2, who ironically build trade show displays... I learned a great deal about the trade show business and assault weapons, as well as a powerful lesson that upsetting my cousin could be a terrifying prospect. Ah, the Dahlens...

Thursday, and its getting to be about that time. I pack up and help out on the last day of the show. UNO is huge in Japan, and so am I.