Last Post

Bye!

Hogs Beat No. 4 Oklahoma

(Penultimate Post)

The Arkansas Razorbacks beat the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners 96-88 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. What a win for the Hogs.

The Blogadier General Leaving the Web

This blog will cease publication at the end of the year. That's in a few days. The reason is simple: not enough readers. I want to devote my time to something more productive. I thought blogging was productive, but it isn't as productive as I wanted it to be. I like to write, and blogging is writing, so it makes sense to blog if you want to write.

One downside to blogging though is that it keeps you on the Internet way too long. One 2009 resolution for me will be to spend less time on the Internet and focus more on the real world. Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, ESPN and CNN can monopolize a lot of spare time, too much in my case. And that doesn't include the sneaker websites!

I may start a new blog in the future, but not anytime soon, or I may bring this one back if I choose. The Blogadier General has been fun to publish, but daily posts prove to be a grind. (It's like actual work!) Anyone who posts daily knows what I am talking about. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Nike Hyperlight

This basketball shoe looks hot. They aren't out yet.

Blagojevich Not Conceding

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/19/blagojevich.speaks/index.html

I'm going down in a blaze of glory ...

Remember when Jon Bon Jovi went solo? Remember the ending to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Remember Bonnie and Clyde?

Well, America has Rod Blagojevich now.

Blagojevich may or may not have conspired to sell Barack Obama's senate seat, but he isn't backing down from the people claiming he did.

And he is defending himself so well.

In the CNN article linked above, Blagojevich said, "I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong. I'm not going to quit a job that people have hired me to do."

If that isn't a slap in the face of federal law enforcement then what is? And it is so great how Blagojevich said he was "dying" to show his innocence but that he would do it in the appropriate forum, meaning a courtroom. Blagojevich's response could be used as a case study in the art of defiance. He executed it perfectly.

Readers of this blog may disagree, but I think he made the most of his press conference.

Clinton Still Owes for Campaign

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/21/clinton.debt/index.html

How would you like to owe $6.4 million? That is how much Hillary Clinton owes creditors as a result of her presidential campaign. She said she hopes to pay the debt off before her potential confirmation as Secretary of State.

I would so like to know how she will pay it off.

Deep Throat Dead

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

New Balance's 993

Image source: Niketalk.com

Here are the New Balance 993s. NB's 992s are a thing of the past now. Probably to avoid consumer confusion, New Balance likes to discontinue a popular model in favor of its latest gold standard, which is so similar to its predecessor.

The 991s stayed in the marketplace for years before the 992 rolled out. Now we're already looking at the 993. This seems like a rather quick turnaround for New Balance.

The 993 is a hybrid, featuring design cues from both the 991 and the 992. This makes for a familiar-looking product that also happens to be new and fresh. The 993 looks like a successful and logical progression for New Balance.

Somewhere some hardcore New Balance aficionado is already rocking these before everyone else. You go hardcore New Balance aficionado. You go.

If stability shoes didn't hurt my lower back, I would probably buy a pair of 993s even though I prefer Nikes to everything else. The only knock about these types of shoes, 991 though 993, is that New Balance only offers them as a stability runner. Why NB doesn't put the same upper on a neutral sole perplexes to this day. It doesn't make sense. This is one reason why I have never owned a New Balance shoe. Plus, historically, I am not a New Balance guy. During the 1980s, I couldn't figure out why anyone would wear a shoe with a large, awkward letter of the alphabet on the side. New Balance's branding didn't take with me. Then New Balance updated its branding, italicing its N logo, making it smaller and more discreet. The makeover made New Balance products appear smarter and modern.

The 993 comes in widths just like the 991s and the 992s. Another thing about the 993, New Balance offers them in two different shades of grey, which I think is a great idea. Both shades can be found at Finishline.com. I assume the variances pay tribute to the earlier models the 993 is based on. They also come in black.

Face Transplant

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/17/face.transplant/index.html

Big news about a new face. Didn't know this was possible.

Time Picks Obama

President-elect Barack Obama is Time's Person of the Year. Obama sounds so much better than past picks, including "You," as in everybody, and Vladamir Putin.

Putin was just a bad choice, and You was too conceptual. Obama survived a long presidential campaign and emerged as the perferred candidate of change, making Americans feel optimistic again in the wake of $4 gas and a historic financial crunch. Obama as Person of the Year makes perfect sense. Time nailed the obvious. Regardless of the man's politics, winning is winning.

If Hillary Clinton had won the presidency, she could have easily been Person of the Year. John McCain or Mike Huckabee could have, too. But they had to win to do it. They didn't. Obama did. Now he gets to enjoy the spoils.

Nike Wins Accolades for Design

http://creativity-online.com/?action=news:article&newsId=133277&sectionName=special_report

It seems like The Blogadier General has commented ad infinitum about Nike. One topic of preference is the company's stellar design initiative. Creativity is a publication that covers and comments on such initiative. More can be found at http://creativity-online.com/ as well as a print edition.

Creativity has named Nike the "2008 Design Company of the Year." The publication's accompanying feature is linked at the top. The article addresses themes this blog's publisher finds rather interesting. A bit of smart, modern design never hurt anyone. There is something positive to learn from Nike and the employees that challenge the parameters of the status quo.

An Adam Walsh Suspect?

Shut up. I thought this case would never get solved.
This is what law enforcement is for.

Image source: CNN.com

Shoe Throwers, Protesters

If these people in the Middle East don't have rocks to throw, they improvise by throwing their shoes. Absolutely amazing how they act over there.

Obviously, this post is about the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush. The journalist was arrested, which sets up the kicker in this oddball saga. People in Baghdad's Sadr City feel the need to protest the arrest.

Again, absolutely amazing. It is absolutely amazing how out of touch people in the Middle East are with civilized society.

On Ugg Boots

Cutting-edge fashion mavens may not like Ugg boots, but that doesn't mean Uggs don't look good. Enjoying strong Black Friday sales, Uggs are moderately expensive with some retailing around $200. By comparison, a pair of Air Jordan XX3s costs $185. One could say that Ugg boots are like Air Jordans for women, except that Ugg boots are a whole lot more practical and a whole lot more popular.

Yeah. Ugg boots are like Air Jordans for women.

New England Ice Storms

Ice Storms Pose Major Problems When They Hit

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/12/14/massachusetts.emergency/index.html

Nearly one million people are without power in America's upper northeast after an ice storm swept through. President Bush declared states of emergency for New Hampshire and Massachusetts, authorizing federal aid for both.

A massive ice storm hit Arkansas back in 2001, and it was serious inclement weather. This ice storm up north seems to resemble the Arkansas ice storm a lot. Icy tree limbs have roads blocked. Nobody has electricity. People in rural areas are likely taking the hardest hit.

Whenever the Northeast has bad weather, it has bad weather times ten. Nor'easters blanket that region all of the time. A heavy snowfall there could break records in Little Rock. Now there is this ice storm to read about. Weather in the Northeast is so hard! States like Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas have tornadoes. California is known for earthquakes. The Northeast has what it has. Thoughts of Miami seem rather sublime at the moment.

The Latest John Grisham Novel

Hopefully, John Grisham's new novel, The Associate, will measure up well against his past legal thrillers. When The Associate hits bookstores next January, this Grisham fan plans to be all over it.

Paramount Pictures will shoot a movie adaptation with Shia LeBeouf playing the lead role. How exciting! A movie project to look forward to!

The Caylee Anthony Case

Since Florida authorities have remains believed to be of missing toddler Caylee Anthony, they can move forward with a stronger prosecution against the child's mother, Casey Anthony. This case is moving towards some semblance of closure, which is good.

Nike's Kobe IV Not So New and Unusual

Read the article linked below and I will tell you what is wrong with it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3761462&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos2

Thank goodness I am here to right the wrongs in this story. Contrary to what Nike is saying, or what ESPN is saying, the Kobe IV is not a low-top shoe. The pictures show clearly that the shoe is a mid-cut, which I like to refer to as a quarter-top. It is three-fourths of the height of a typical high-top. The upper on the Kobe IV simply extends too high to be considered a true low-top basketball shoe.

The Air Jordan XI LE is a true low-top basketball shoe. http://www.kicksonfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/air-jordan-11-xi-original-og-low-black-dark-grey-true-red-1.jpg

This is the shoe Michael Jordan rolled his ankle in during a playoff game. He had to abandon them for a high-top XI for the rest of the season. The XI LE was a disaster. The shoe had little to no ankle support and was the most structurally unsound, misdesigned Nike basketball shoe that I have ever used. I rolled my ankle in a pair during a pickup game. This happened a week or so before Jordan did his. All I was doing was setting up on defense. I took a step and my ankle buckled and rolled. I couldn't believe it. I have fairly strong ankles. My foot shouldn't have rolled like that. I swapped the shoes with a guy who wanted to get rid of a pair of brand new Air Max Uptempos. I went from a disappointing shoe that was suited better for running than basketball to the best basketball shoe I had ever worn in my life to that point.

Anyway, the Jordan XI LE was closer to a true low-top shoe than the Kobe IV, and it was a problem. I like that the Kobe IV has a higher cut than the LE. This shoe looks like it should work as a basketball shoe. But will it sell? That's tough to know right now. Basketball players are understandably skeptical of low-cut shoes, and Nike is marketing the Kobe IV as a low-top. I do not believe it is wise to refer to it as a low-top. It really isn't one.

Still, with a little tape around the ankles, Kobe Bryant should be fine. The only problem I see with his latest sig shoe is if he lands on another player's foot. He needs to be judicious about where he lands. That is the only problem I see with the Kobe IV. Of course, one could make the same mistake in a high top shoe and still roll an ankle. Understandably, Bryant says practically the same thing in the article.

If Bryant wants to play in a lower-cut shoe, then fine. Since he already plays in a Hyperdunk, he won't concede much when he switches to the Kobe IV. The Hyperdunk provides less ankle support compared to other basketball shoes.

I just wish folks would understand, contrary to what one ESPN article says, that this has been done before. Nike invented the quarter-top shoe years ago. One of Nike's first quarter-top shoes was called the Sky Force. Later, in 1986, Nike launched the Big Nike. The Big Nike came in three varieties, low-top, high-top and quarter-top. The quarter-top Big Nike was the least popular version of the three. It was a relatively obsolete sneaker since it was so similar to the high-top. Nike should reissue Big Nikes. It has reissued nearly everything else.

The Air Jordan III was the first quarter-top sneaker with visible Max Air. Do you catch the implication here? Michael Jordan competed in a quarter-top sig when Bryant was a young boy. The III had the same bottom as the high-top Air Revolution and was every bit as comfortable. In many ways, the Air Jordan III could have been considered the best basketball sneaker on the market in 1987. There was competition from the Revolution and the Air Force II. All three were great basketball shoes in their heyday.

Anyway, back to the article. It weighs the trade off of performance versus risk of injury. Is a lower-cut shoe safe? I played basketball in a low to mid Nike cross trainer once and was surprised at how well it performed. It was designed to accommodate lateral movement and it worked on the basketball court just fine. My foot was locked into the shoe. It felt very light and responsive. It moved with my foot just fine. Plus I felt safe.

The Kobe IV should work the same way. The engineering knowhow has existed for over a decade. But remember, nothing revolutionary is happening here.

LeBron James' Dunking Style

Why does LeBron James keep his arm locked straight at the elbow when he dunks?

It doesn't look good.

The Media Inspects Obama's Illinois Ties

Since the Blagojevich scandal, the media has begun speculating about Pres.-elect Barack Obama's political ties in Illinois. The insinuation is that Obama may be associated with shady people in Illinois politics.

Yeah. (Yawn.) Whatever.

Shouldn't the media have investigated Obama's political ties by now? It had around two years to do it. It investigated Obama's ties to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Wright turned out to be a problem, but the majority of Americans still didn't care.

What if Obama does have shady connections in Illinois? Will anyone care about that? Probably not. What is the point of a media investigation other than to fill airtime on cable? This is a fairly lame topic for the media to bring up. The reasons for bringing it up are superficial at best.

Capt. Kirk Wears Air Jordans

These screengrabs come from the new Star Trek movie trailer. The J.J. Abrams' project hits theaters May 8. The shots are part of a car chase scene involving one James Tiberius Kirk, in his younger days before he assumed the captaincy of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The shoes on his feet, Air Jordan XX3s. What an interesting twist this is! I like this element.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Whoa! Are you kidding me? Illinois' governor tried to sell a senate seat? Please FBI, tell me this isn't true!

If true, how amazing. This is not how our government should work.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/09/illinois.governor/index.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/09/report-illinois-governor-taken-federal-custody/

Who appoints Pres.-elect Obama's vacant senate seat now? Illinois' lieutenant governor? Interesting legal detail.

McHale to Coach

Kevin McHale has stepped up to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Good for him. This should be interesting.

Blackwater Memorabilia

Did you know that Blackwater has its own pro shop?

http://proshop.blackwaterusa.com/

If those five Blackwater guards get convicted of manslaughter, would it be politically correct to own items from the pro shop?

No More Polaroid Film

Polaroid will not produce its instant film after February. What a shame. An end to an era edges closer. I still like film.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/08/polaroid.farewell/index.html

Iphones For Cooking

Cookbooks are a thing of the past. Time says they take up too much counter space in the kitchen. Use an iPhone instead, or a Nintendo DS.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1864437,00.html?cnn=yes

Keri Russell

Felicity Star Making Bad Decisions, Losing Her Cachet

I would love to meet the loser, or group of losers, that talked Keri Russell into this pathetic photo shoot for Details.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/04/keri-russell-get-grungy-w_n_148531.html

If this is all Details can do for Russell, then who would want to be in Details in the future? This poor old junk isn't helping Russell. It is hindering her. You're supposed to be wiser and smarter in your thirties, not dumber. Isn't she supposed to be a mother? Act like one. Don't pose in demented, suggestive photographs when you do not have to. Strive to be like Doris Day. Respect is always more important than fame.

Blackwater Guards To Surrender

Yeah. It probably wasn't a good idea to shoot up that Iraqi intersection.

CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/06/iraq.blackwater.indictment/index.html

The Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-blackwater7-2008dec07,0,7669066.story

The Associated Press has brief bios on each of the Blackwater guards under indictment.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkq0Lm5tQTbBACLDqF6hcELpX5AQD94TCP5O0

Madonna x Louis Vuitton

Madonna's latest print campaign for Louis Vuitton is why I like her.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/12/madonnas-new-lo.html

The following post explains some things I do not like about her.
http://blogadiergeneral.blogspot.com/2008/10/sad-pathetic-demise-of-madonna.html

My attitude about Madonna remains mixed. She needs to fix her life. She is beginning to resemble Britney Spears as opposed to the other way around. Like Madonna, Spears is very brilliant, yet very self-destructive.

The Air Jordan 2009

Alleged pictures of the Air Jordan 2009 have leaked to several Internet websites.

http://solesirius.com/2008/11/26/air-jordan-2009-first-look/

http://www.simplysneakers.com/air-jordan-2009-2k9-white-black-detailed-pics/

http://solesirius.com/2008/12/02/air-jordan-2009-blackgold/

It is impossible to know now if the shoes in these pics will be the actual '09 Js, but I hope that they are.

Many Air Jordan fans are likely asking, "Why Nike?" This shoe certainly seems out in left field for more than one reason. I know the feeling. Past Air Jordans have perplexed me and even persuaded me to keep my money parked at the bank. At least, and here is one upside, at least the '09 doesn't look like this:
http://sneakernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/air-jordan-15-black-red-01.jpg

Oh yeah. The link above references the dreaded Air Jordan XV. Perhaps the most atrocious, ridiculous Air Jordan ever. The XV was about as good of an idea as it's namesake's willingness to routinely drain fluid from a knee in order to play games for the Washington Wizards.

The reason I like the prototype shoes is because they look like an Air Jordan. The forefoot has a sculpted outrigger that reminds me of the XX3s and the XXs. I like the angles. I like the leather. Like a lot of Air Jordans, this shoe looks rather stiff, but I realize if I want flexibility I can always look to a Nike Free model for that. Another thing I like about this alleged 2009 edition is its resemblance to the Air Jordan XIV. I have never had a XIV, but I have always appreciated the aesthetics of that particular model.

Bring on the Air Jordan 2009. My outlook on this edition is decidedly bullish. I am actually of the mindset to acquire a pair on drop day and treat the experience like a big fun deal. I haven't done that in years.

On O.J. Simpson's Robbery Trial

O.J. Simpson, the NFL Hall-of-Famer, was sentenced today in his robbery trial.

Fred Goldman was at the sentencing hearing and at other hearings. Now that O.J. knows his fate, I'm asking myself why Goldman was allowed to attend the trial or the sentencing hearing. He should not have been allowed to be in court for Simpson's robbery trial because of his ties to Simpson's murder trial. Goldman's presence cast a prejudicial pall over the robbery proceedings.

If Simpson tried to appeal based on Goldman's prejudicial presence, he probably wouldn't get anywhere. Still though, Goldman's presence only reminded everyone of Simpson's checkered past with the law. The Las Vegas court should have banned Goldman and the rest of his family from attending the robbery trial.

Below is a related Associated Press story.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iUNgbOr-2bnpFUX0MiII6je2CkRAD94TGPG80

This next one is from The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/06/AR2008120600214.html

Re: The Auto Bailout

What U.S. Carmakers Really Need? New Ideas

The Big Three automakers don't deserve a bailout package. If they want to turn their companies around, then they need to get creative. Our economy, our democracy, is based on the ability of businesses to innovate in order to stay competitive and viable. GM, Ford and Chrysler are doing nothing creative to justify a bailout.

Look at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is thriving despite a global recession. How is it thriving? The specifics elude me, but I can generalize. Wal-Mart is thriving because it is successful at being creative. The executives running the Bentonville retailer are simply adapting to the financial climate better than anyone else.

Another great example of a creative company is Nike. I love Nike. Just when you think there is nothing else left to do with an athletic shoe, Nike makes up a new tweak. Just two years ago, Nike rolled out it's Air Max 360 line of running shoes. These shoes were the first athletic shoes without foam as the main cushioning element. That is simply amazing.

This year, Nike released shoes with Lunar foam. Lunar foam is a NASA invention. It is a lightweight foam used in seat cushions on space craft. Highly degradable when in contact with every day elements like air and water, Lunar foam challenged Nike to reinvent ways to make a running shoe. Nike had to invent a way to isolate the foam to prevent it from degrading when applying it to a shoe. After a lot of hard work, determination and innovation, Nike prevailed. What a great story.

Now, Apple Inc. is making iPods that change songs when users shake the iPod. That is great innovation. Apple has shown a lot of initiative with the iPod, iTunes and the iPhone. The music marketplace has changed forever all because of Apple. Cellular telephones have changed for the better, too. Apple's iPhone, now the gold standard for telephones, can be attributed to that.

American automakers aren't showing any of the creative juice needed to improve their standing. American cars seem rather stale. There hasn't been a noteworthy new car in the marketplace since Ford's latest Mustang. Ford's latest Mustang debuted in 2004. How many American cars have made headlines like the Mustang did four years ago? Zero. The Big Three need to roll out products like the Mustang every 18 months at least.

If American automakers want to improve their profits, they need to get more creative and make cars the public can get excited about. New ideas and creativity are the key to their future. A bailout package is a waste of resources.

Sickly

I am sick today. A sore throat and muscle fatigue is no joke. It could certainly be worse though.

Obama Nominates Richardson to Cabinet

Barack Obama wants Bill Richardson to be the Secretary of Commerce and nominated him as such.

It will be interesting to see how Richardson's loyalty to Obama plays out after Obama's presidency.

Plexico Burress, a Mayor and a Gun

I overheard some of the soap opera that is Plexico Burress and the Case of the Unregistered Gun. ESPN's Sal Palantonio is all over it. Palantonio reported about Burress arriving at a New York Giants practice facility for routine treatment for an injury. He reported about gun charges and police officers arresting Burress. Then, and this is the part that kills me, then Palantonio talked about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sending a letter to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, explaining what the NFL is doing about Burress and whatever.

Here is a really good question. Why is Goodell even speaking to Bloomberg about any of this? Isn't Michael Bloomberg New York City's mayor? As in like just the mayor?

He's a mayor. As mayor Bloomberg is supposed to do ribbon cuttings and attend high-profile fund raisers and what not. His role is strictly ceremonial. He is just a mayor and only a mayor. Bloomberg needs to step out of the way, stop meddling and let New York City's prosecutors and policemen do their jobs. He needs to stop communicating with Goodell and anyone else in the NFL. In turn, Goodell needs to stop communicating with Bloomberg. Goodell owes Bloomberg nothing in terms of explanations or anything else regarding Plexico Burress. How the NFL handles Plexico Burress and this gun situation is none of Bloomberg's business. Bloomberg is just a mayor. He's not the attorney general for the State of New York. He is not a prosecutor. He is not a sheriff. He is just the mayor.

Union Throws Stones at Wal-Mart

Some union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the largest grocery worker's union in the state of New York, said the Black Friday trampling death of a Wal-Mart worker was preventable.

I agree. Those people shouldn't have knocked that door down on top of the guy. All of them should be charged with something.

The union says Wal-Mart is at fault, which is typical. Any rational person knows the shoppers are to blame.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on Black Friday, two men were shot to death at a Toys "R" Us. I guess the union blames Wal-Mart for that, too.

Union antics slay me. They would blame Wal-Mart for the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the Titanic if they could get away with it.

Cyber Monday