shhh!

From the "sometimes it's better to let sleeping (in heaven or otherwise) dogs lie" files, ladies and gentleman... Stephon Marbury:

Stephon Marbury Defends Michael Vick, Calls Dogfighting a Sport
August 22, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury defended Michael Vick, calling dogfighting a sport and comparing it to hunting.

Marbury spoke Monday about the federal dogfighting conspiracy charges against Vick while promoting his basketball shoe in Albany, N.Y.

"I think it's tough," Marbury said, according to Albany TV station Capital News 9. "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

On Monday, Vick said through a lawyer that he will plead guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. He also faces possible prosecution in Virginia.

"I think it's tough that we build Michael Vick up and then we break him down," Marbury said. "I think he's one of the superb athletes, and he's a good human being. I just think that he fell into a bad situation."

Just a tip to Stephon... if you want to keep peddling your own low-priced kicks (which is actually quite a noble endeavor), maybe it would be a good idea to steer clear of supporting a "sport" that results in electrocuting, beating, and hanging dogs, not to mention watching them tear each other to pieces.

the surest sign that kids are liars

This AP article only proves one thing... today's youth are not at all honest when taking surveys:

Poll: Family ties key to youth happiness

So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.

Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey — more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 — conducted by The Associated Press and MTV on the nature of happiness among America's young people.

Next survey -- what types of food do you find most tasty? Celery and carrot sticks, get ready for the shocking responses!

my favorite things...

As seen through the eyes of my camera phone:

My iPod Shuffle



When I first bought this thing back in LA, I thought it would be the perfect thing to use when I went running. Super small and lightweight, with a built in clip so you didn't need to have any pockets to hold it, what more could you ask from a running companion? I forgot one glaring hole in this purchase decision -- I don't like to run. I tried to get into it, but I used the shuffle for running, oh, about zero times. I remember telling a friend of mine it was perhaps one of the dumbest impulse purchases I've ever made in my life.

Well, no longer! Now the iPod Shuffle is my trusty companion nearly every day of my life. It's perfect for drowning out the city traffic noise, and making a mundane subway journey enjoyable. The fact that it can slide into my pocket along with my earbuds means that I can take it literally anywhere... even on a night out on the town.

My Magazines



I subscribe to a lot of magazines. I mean a lot. More than any one person should. This photo only shows a sampling of what I subscribe to. There's about 3 or 4 more not pictured. Again, I'm not kidding. I think magazines appeal to the ADD in me. I can't seem to focus long enough to read an entire book, so magazines provide just the right amount of reading material to hold my withering attention span. I also enjoy reading about a diverse set of random topics, ranging from finance, to pop culture, to start-up businesses, to fitness, to music, to hot actresses named Jessica (Alba or Biel, either will do).

Prior to NYC I'd be lucky to slog through half of my stack per month, but with the time spent on subways and just tooling around the parks to take advantage of being outside, I am actually powering through my magazines with renewed vigor. Yes, I just used the word vigor.

My Gold Adidas Sneaks



These babies are on their last legs and I'm really bummed about it. Purchased from the DSW in Pasadena, these cloth outer soled gold trimmed sneaks have been my constant companion for the past two and a half years. Light enough to stick in a suitcase, comfy enough to walk the streets of NYC, rugged enough to take outdoor hikes in Hawaii, yet stylish enough to get me into the trendiest clubs, I'm going to miss this kicks when I have to part with them. Sigh.

Jaywalking



Oddly, this is one of my favourite things about New York City. I like it so much, that I spelled the word favorite like I was Hugh Grant. A culture built around walking means never having to wait for the light to change. Why let a little thing like a bright red hand stop you when there's no traffic to be seen? Hell, why let a little thing like a bright red hand stop you when there *IS* traffic to be seen? Just take a quick glance, look to see that it's at least clear enough to get you across the street with only a glancing blow from a side mirror, and off you go.

My Blue Threadless T-Shirt with All the Animal Silhouettes On It



There's just something about the sheer simplicity of this shirt that I love. The shirt features the alphabet from A-Z with an animal associated with each letter. My favorite is "N" for norwhal (a whale with a horn, for those who aren't in the know). The bright royal Dodger Blue coloration doesn't hurt. But the Dodgers plummeting out of first and into 4th place in the NL West in the span of two weeks? Yeah, that hurts. Stupid Dodgers.

Vegas, baby... Vegas!



I just happened to have this picture of Vegas on my phone from testing a new feature that I'm building out at work. I also happen to love Vegas. For, oh, about 48 hours max. Any more than that, and Vegas becomes one of my most hated places in the world. If you've never been there, just trust me on this one. Get in. Get out. Don't stay too long. Remember that movie, Gremlins, where those cute little mogwai turn into menacing gremlins if you feed them after midnight? Um, yeah. Same idea.

Hooray for camera phones!