In the wake of my 1901 cover, I also recorded the greatest ’80s one-hit wonder this month: The Promise by When in Rome. Enjoy it (mp3).

After rediscovering them again during this year’s Winter Olympics, my respect for downhillers soared. Reading this 30 year old piece on the history of the event makes me respect the sport all the more. From the article:

“I can say that the ideal downhiller must be a little uppity, a little arrogant,” Downhill Charlie says. “I love that type. He has to have guts, and he should always be plenty nervous before the start. And then, too, it doesn’t hurt if he is born poor, because when a skier’s born poor it is in his nature to want to get ahead. Yes, take the poor ones—Klammer, Moser-Pröll, Nadig, Wirnsberger—they all came from tiny villages, from poor parents, and they wanted to prove they were someone through performances on the mountain.” Continue reading…

Excluding blog posts and short news articles:

• Fox News: Global warming debate heats up in wake of record snowstorms
• Kotaku: A Frag Without the Fest: If Chess Was a Shooter
• GamePro: The biggest voice in video games
• VentureBeat: Better quality creates opening for third-party game controllers

Although I think BMWs handle better, this Audi commercial entitled “Breaking the spell” is brilliant from a branding perspective. Love it. The black cars are pretty hot too.

Although gimmicky, Reebok Pump became such a phenomenon in the early ’90s, that even Nike released pressurized knock-offs for a while. That being the case, the above documentary of Pump technology is well worth 22 minutes of your time. Featuring the inventor of the shoe, Dee Brown, Michael Chang, and urban collectors.

See also: Classic commercials: Reebok Pump vs Nike Air

• He has many great ones, but my favorite Beck album remains 2002’s Sea Change. Strait up lovely. #
• just chased his lunch with a delicious Shirley Temple. Doesn’t get any better than that. #
• The iPad does little to enable creativity—it’s a closed-circuit digital consumption machine. Zing! #
• is just a squirrel trying to get a nut. #
• He was a diplomat’s son. It was ‘81. #
• prefers black and white photos because they highlight the subject matter better than color ones. #
• is gonna get bit by a dog in this godless part of town, I swear. Swarmed by 5 today. Danger averted, but they didn’t like me. Bad dogs! #
• is artistic. #

True to chain letter form, Lindsey emailed me the following “friend survey” today. With exception to nos. 23 and 41, her responses made me proud to call her my wife—especially with Valentine’s around the corner. They also make me look chivalrous, which is always a good thing.

Warning: some of her answers are a little sappy. But this is my blog—not yours. You can get lost if you have a problem with that! Continue reading…

I like Shirley Temples. A lot.

So imagine my frustration this weekend, when I was told by eight different grocers, including one floor manager, that they didn’t know what it was or if they even had it. “You might want to try a liquor store,” one lady incredulously advised me, as if I haven’t purchased at least two dozen bottles of the delicious red syrup at other grocers over the years.

Most upsetting, though, was not a single worker said, “I’m not sure if we sell that, but I will find out.” Not a single one.

Like Click To Flash or Flash Block, Caffeine is a must for portable Mac users. With this tiny program installed, your monitor won’t dim unless you say so by clicking an icon on the menu bar. First discovered in December (thanks, Matt!), it’s just the shot my portable video needed to stay awake. There’s also a PC version.

• sat next to a man at church yesterday that was openly doodling in a sketchbook. Like Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, and Star Wars drawings. #
• works to live (never the other way around). #
• is grateful for his mechanic Paul, coming through and fixing his power windows for a mere $174. Dealership wanted something like $2800. #
• A company that cannot satisfy consumer needs in the market or that requires government funds to remain competitive should not be in business #
• Phoenix's 1901 is your song of the day. Again. Pretty much has been for a straight year. #
• would rather be on a boat. #
• wants to start playing live music with in ear monitors: http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/pf_article_detail.asp?article_id=2115 #