Social Shredding

I had to share this new social gaming app I stumbled on. Following in the footsteps of Foursquare and Facebook Places, Vail Resorts introduced the Epic Pass.

With Epic Pass, Vail Resorts (including Vail, Keystone, Breck, Heavenly, Beaver Creek) enables skiers and riders to track their activity on the mountain and gain points and badges for number of days skied, runs in a day, being first on the mountain and more -- all tracked by a microchip inside the pass itself (you don't even need a mobile phone or GPS because the pass does the work for you). Then, you can share your accomplishments with other Epic passholders on Facebook (and iPad/iPhone via the Epic Pass app). Too bad I don't live near Vail, or else I'd jump on the Epic Pass (Shaun White's in, dog!). Especially for a mere $650! Not bad ...

I never pictured the day when social media and the outdoors would coexist. But it may be upon us.

I wonder if you get points for being first in the bar at the end of the day?

- J

Stream the new Blind Pilot Album

Photo by Ben Moon, courtesy of NPR.org.

Head over to NPR to listen to Blind Pilot's new album, We Are The Tide, in its entirety. I began supporting Blind Pilot once I learned they were touring on bicycles across the Northwest with nothing but a couple guitars. Three Rounds and a Sound was beautiful in its simplicity and We Are The Tide is satisfyingly similar, with the swoosh of acoustic guitars, crashing cymbals and strings gradually building into catchy, uplifting melodies.

It's nice to see this band have success. Hopefully they maintain their minimalist approach to songbuilding.

Enjoy.

Still Man-Crushin ...

Adam Haynes Artist/Illustrator from Adam Haynes on Vimeo.

Haynes

It was at least three years ago when I first saw this illustration for Nike 6.0 in a magazine:

Every time I've picked up a pencil since, I've had this illustration in the back of my mind, atempting to pick up on some of the great detail and warped perspectives. I finally did the research and found out who's pen was behind it: Adam Haynes. Some of his clients: Nike 6.0, Timberland, Adidas, ESPN, Fuel TV ... Not bad.

When it comes to inspiration, I don't need to look any further than Haynes (Squidbillies illustrator Ben Prisk is a close second, then Stephane Manel). Check out his online portfolio.

Fuel TV Artist Signature Series - Adam Haynes from Adam Haynes on Vimeo.

Big Box Fall Hard

In the summer of 2006 I was working as an intern for an independent newspaper in Bolton Landing, NY, called the Lake George Mirror. I was sent on assignment to cover a story in Ticonderoga where approvals were being sought to build a Lowes that would bring jobs and tax revenue to a city normally stifled by the Adirondack Park Agency's land-use regulations that aimed at keeping the Adirondacks rural in nature (and rightfully so).

However, when I got to the public meeting, held in a school gymnasium packed with local residents and local politicians (including a state congresswoman), I expected to find townsfolk reeling with excitment. Instead, I found many were in opposition. The big box store, they said, would put smaller businesses like the family-owned Aubuchon Hardware out of business and spoil the nature of their Adirondack town.

The Lowes was approved, and a 120,000 square-foot box was erected - nearly infringing on a fragile wetland (The sign looked Adirondack-y!). But it never met its targets over the years and was among a few others in the country to abruptly announce it will be closing.

Aubuchon Hardware, on the verge of being choked out by Lowes, was suddenly given new life. This article was one of the more fullfilling I've red in recent memory. A real David vs. Goliath sucess story.

Still, that mega-box will have to be filled. A Bass Pro Shops has the popular vote.

Whiskey and Paper: An Intoxicating Blend

Yee-Haw Poster Documentary from Aggrodesign on Vimeo.

Saratoga Springs: The Popular Vote

Dylan, Suze Rotolo, Pasha the cat, and Cafe Lena founder Lena Spencer.
Photo by Joe Alper, 1962.

Saratoga Springs, NY: Home of the Saratoga Race Course, Hatties Chicken and the historic Cafe Lena -- the coffeehouse that hosted some of the earliest performances by Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie, and was reportedly the place where Don McLean wrote "American Pie" -- was recently listed at No. 75 on Money Magazine's list of Top 100 Places To Live.

But the people have spoken, and in the past few days, Saratoga has risen 72 spots on the list to No. 3 on the fan favorite poll. Take that Money!

Click here to vote for Saratoga and help get it to No. 1 on the list.

Saratoga Race Course

Cantina Restaurant on Broadway, downtown Saratoga