“You see, it’s like the old saying, ‘Everybody loves a cane.'”

A couple months ago, there was a dustup between Nike Skateboarding and Minor Threat over the former appropriating the image from the seminal Minor Threat album cover for their summer tour. I really want to go on a rant about this, but don’t have the time to. I think that Jason Kottke was right in calling it an homage.

I remember about 15 years ago that the rage in skateboarding graphics was copying a well known logo and transforming it into a skateboard manufacturer logo. The best was the NBA logo of red, white and blue lay up guy transformed into a skater doing a kickflip. These were all tweaking of the establishment. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

I remember about 20 years ago that my favorite pair of skate shoes were the black and red Air Jordans. Still the best after all these years. Nike was a part of skate culture a long way back. I can still recall a cover of Thrasher with Jesse Martinez kicking out a big judo air in a pair of Air Jordan’s.

“Don’t try to confuse me with the facts.”

I am saddened by the events befalling the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I wish it would not have happened like this. I remember coming into South Florida after Hurricane Andrew. The place never looked so strange.

Yet, the devestation showing on TV is out of this world. Katrina was a Cat 4 and it would seem that it should not have wreaked as much destruction as the Cat 5 Andrew. Yet, here it is almost a week after it has hit and it looks as if the end of the world has arrived there. I can’t imagine facing this.

New Orleans is gone. She won’t recover for years if not decades.

My heart and thoughts go out to those affected by this.

Gas

Gas prices are high.

I was driving in to work and was at 320 miles since my last fill up last friday. I did a lot of driving the last few days running errands and picking people up that I burned gas quicker than normal. So last night I planned to get gas hopefully to avoid the cost adjustment because of Hurricane Katrina.

Well, as I drove in this morning I saw at one station in Chase, $3.18 for premium and $2.99 for regular. I decided then and there to not wait until after work but to fill up now. You see, when I usually wait, by the time I get to the gas station in the afternoon, the price has changed by 10 cents.

So, I stopped at my favorite cheap gas, the Exxon by work. Filled up 12.440 gallons of premium (damn turbo!) for about $35.00 at $2.89 a gallon. I think I saved a few dollars.

Leaving work in the afternoon, there was a line to get in to the Exxon, and it was $3.20 for premium.

Rediculous!

End of Summer Movie Season

Pretty soon it will be September. Hurrah! As it is my favorite month. Yet I have not finished this summer movie season strong. My attempts have trailed off the last couple of weeks. In fact I have seen some movies but have not posted my reviews because I essentially forgot that I did see them. Well, let me wrap up the latest films I have seen.

The Island is as absurd a movie as there ever was. Supposedly, Micheal Bay’s comeback to action vehicle. Umm. Has he ever been away from that genre? The most absurd aspect of that movie. Scarlett Johanson running away from god knows what. Ewan told her to run so she ran. Not like Tia Leone. Why did she run?
2 of 5 stars.

Valiant. We took my nephew. He got frightened from the evil hawk. I was wondering why none of the pigeons died. Come on it should’ve been the standard war movie plotting. Rag-tag bunch. Each one to die.
3 of 5 stars.

The Cave was not this year’s Deep Blue Sea. It should’ve been. Sad. It was not even good. But it was better than The Island.
3 of stars.

Hurricane Katrina

By this time tomorrow, New Orleans, LA may be a relic of the past. Hurricane Katrina (a name befitting a dominatrix) is bearing down on the city. She’s a Cat 5, a powerful one. Hopefully, every unessential person has been evacuated. Depending upon the path Katrina takes, the damage will be unpredictable.

Here are some links to interesting commentary on what such a devestating hurricane means to hit dead center on New Orleans.

Some interesting article.
Chris Mooney
Chris Mooney again but in The Washington Monthly.

Too random

For vacation last month, I bought an iPod shuffle. The 1 gig model. It works fine for what it does. Yet, I don’t like it. It is uncomfortable to me because I ususally like listening to a tune right this moment. I want to hear a song, now, but the shuffle doesn’t allow me to get to it right away. You must truly like to hear songs randomly to appreciate it.