May 27, 2010

The Ultimatest Driving Machinery

The other day I was driving 3rd, pulled to a red light and glanced to my right. My eyes fell directly on the unmistakable nose of an early 90s 8 series. A sight I've probably seen a hundred times since these things were new on the street, but this moment was different than the rest. It was as if I had instantly reverted back to a ten-year-old, sitting in the back of my mom's Oldsmobile Silhouette, watching the traffic gather at red lights seeing an 8 series for the first time. Like a suppressed memory brought back to the forefront of my consciousness by some stressful situation or trigger, except there were no triggers or stressful events, just a red light. I had forgotten I loved these cars. I had forgotten that as a kid I dreamt of driving one, thinking it was the coolest, fastest looking car on the streets.

Fascinating how time puts life in perspective. Nope, I don't still view this car with the same reverence as my ten-year-old self. I don't think it's the fastest looking, coolest car of its time, but I do still want one for some reason. If you don't agree with me, just check out what the car is capable of doing in the 1990 commercial. Is the car controlling the woman or is the woman controlling to the car? The woman is the human manifestation of the 8 series? The 8 series makes strange women dance in the streets of East LA and disappear? I would've loved to have been in the room when the agency pitched this one.


























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Too Rich For My Blood

Someone please win this and rub it in my face. I've been watching these damn RAF issue Seiko Pilots come up and go on eBay for months now and can't seem to grab one at a price I'm comfortable with. Even I have my limits. If you can't beat em... get pissed and post about it.




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May 26, 2010

Stay Frosty

Everyone needs a sleeping bag. No matter who you are, sometime in the near future, you will need one. Sure, a ton of great bags for all temps are on the market, but I tend to look no further than our brothers in arms when searching out well-made, fully-functional survival gear. Sleeping bags had never been a part of my search criteria while cruising surplus sites, but after a stop at "Utah's biggest surplus store" a couple weeks ago and running into a massive pile of MILSPEC sleep systems, I became a fan.

When will I need to get 4 hours of sleep in -40°F? When will I be on "patrol" and need the less cumbersome element of my three-part sleep system to fit in my pack between my claymores and MREs? When will I be Oscar Mike and field test the GORE-TEX® which has been "approved by all departments and agencies of the department of defense?" Never. But I'll be damned if I won't get some fine sleep knowing my bag is far more capable of survival than me. Score a used or "battle-tested" system for under $150.00 (guaranteed to smell of sweat and the desire to kill) or pick up a dead-stock newbie for $400.00.






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May 25, 2010

B&WRandomness




















































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May 24, 2010

Dig On This

I'm not one for name dropping architects or their contributions to various movements. I know what I like when it comes to the way houses sit, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. I also know I like Tom Kundig. Having a bit of a skewed Midas touch, everything he touches seems to turn to the proverbial gold, but then quickly to a perfectly tarnished shade of rust. Throwing the spotlight on the ordinary, Tom gives life to everyday elements of living we often take for granted. Opening a door becomes an adventure and doing the dishes a game. Life how it should be lived. Pick up his book, poke around his website, get stoked, go home and start tinkering.


















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