Another Nike athelete? Coincidence?

I think Nike's at it again. This time, the fuss is over Roger Federer's wizardry. The clip creating all the hoo-ha was supposedly shot behind the scenes at a Gillette shoot. Here's the clip:

Now, there is no official word from Roger or any of his sponsors on whether what he did was real or not but for those of you who have not seen the other clips featuring Nike athletes that had audiences guessing its authenticity, here they are:

What's even more amazing is that the first day of polling done by the Sydney Morning Herald (link here) shows 68% of the 6780 respondents believing that it's real! The result really surprised me. Maybe they were all impressionable kids.

There is no doubting that Nike (if it was them) is a marketing genius. I have to admit that when I saw the Kobe clip when it went viral, it got me thinking if he'd really done it. However, coincidently, Nike later collaborated with Aston Martin to release limited edition pairs of Kobe's signature shoes. They have created heroes out of the elite atheletes that they endorse. A lot of their ads do provide inspiration (I have some of the older Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong ads saved on my computer to provide me with that pick-me-up when I needed one) but do we sometimes exaggerate the capabilities of some of these athletes in our heads? As Tiger, Kobe and even Jordan have shown us, they are human and just as susceptible to desires and failures like any one of us. I think it's important to remember that. As far as their talent is concerned , whoever's doing it is really pushing into Hollywood's territory of make believe with the twist being instead of actors, they're using real athletes. AWESOME!

Thank your lucky stars!

Va va voom!

Wow! I never realised she was that hot. Schwinggggg indeed!

I'll take two please...

Behold the Rafael Nadal x Richard Mille RM027 Tourbillon.

Now, I like watches and I like watching Rafa play. So, naturally when Richard Mille came up with a collaboration with Rafa I was like, 'Sweeeeeet! Where do I buy one?', but for a whopping US$525,000, my butt hole's spider sense started tingling furiously as if a large cylindrical object was approaching it. Yes, it was the fear of being pummelled up the ol' sewer pipe.

Ok, lets give the watch the benefit of doubt. Besides being limited to 50 pieces, what else is there? Here's the blurb:

The weight equivalent of 20 paper clips!

"Weighing under 20 grams (13g without strap), the incredibly light RM 027 has a carbon-composite case, and the manual-wind movement – itself weighing just under 4 g — is constructed titanium and LITAL ®, lithium alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium, zirconium. Power reserve is 48 hours. Lithium alloy is also used in many aircraft parts such as the A380, helicopters, missiles, satellites or even Formula 1 and offers extreme performance attributes. The back bezel and caseband are monobloc to ensure total lightness. The glass; the bezel and the flange in carbon have remarkable properties of stiffness and torsional rigidity."

Hmmm...ok. No diamonds, no gold, no sapphires, no rubies, just a bunch of high grade metals. So, let's say you're playing a high stakes poker game with a bunch of roughies and you're down half a mil with no cash to pay. I think you'd better pray that these guys are illegal weapons manufacturers and have a good sense of humour when you start your sales pitch.

Almost makes the Kobe Bryant x Nubeo below look cheap at US$25,000 a pop.


Ok, ok, I know I sound like a sour puss but credit must be given when credit is due. I love the watch! It's simply a work of art.

Source: perpetuelle

The Secret of Nike Air

Found this to be pretty good.

The week that was.

Crazy dust storm has got us thinking that the end was nigh this week. Turned everything orange. Even in the middle of the day!






The Sydney Harbour Bridge Fun Run.

Oh my creaking body.

Ten years ago, I'd put on my sneakers, grab my racquet/ball and run or ride my bmx to the courts. Now, I have to pack the voltaren and depending what sport I'm playing, the ankle guard, knee guard, elbow guard, compression shorts and singlet and just for good measure, the number for the ambulance on speed dial.

Ten years ago, warm ups were a waste of time. We'd get to the courts and go all out instantly. Now, if I wanted to walk the next day, even warm downs are a must let alone warm ups.

Ten years ago, I'd come home after 4 hours of chasing a ball and go about the rest of the day with plenty of energy. Now, I have to ice the knees and elbows and stretch so that I can get out of bed without the help of a forklift the next day.

Ten years ago, rice had only one meaning and that is food. Now, rice is rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Gotta' love ageing.

Be careful what you wish for.

Two-oh-oh-nine is now more than 60% lighter and it feels like only a sneeze ago that I started my new job.

They say time flies when you're having fun...or when it's so busy that you don't have time to fix a wedgie. One which I've had since January. Now, imagine my discomfort.

When I left my old job, I was looking forward to the challenges that accompanied the perquisites of my new job. In fact, I was pumped! Bigger company, nicer offices and equipment, great training and more people to interact with, what's not to look forward to right?

Well, the title of this entry probably reflects my sentiment.

The politics (BS in real speak) I've had to deal with so far is incredible. People covering their asses when things go slightly off track, the two - no, multiple faced characters that can be your best friend one minute and stab you with anything that they can grab hold off the next. There are no loyalties, it's everyone for themselves! And people gossip here like their lives depended on it. Apparently, depending on who you talk to, everyone is sleeping with somebody in the office.

Heck, I've worked in organisations that are larger than this in previous postings and I didn't have to deal with so much BS there. Personally, I find that it shows a lot about a person's character if they admit to a fuckup and fix it rather than blaming someone or everyone other than themselves and nothing gets done.

Experiences in life can open one's eyes and if one is submersed in an environment long enough, I believe it will definitely affect them somewhat if left unchecked.

The question I have been asking myself is - do I stay true to myself or do I want to play the game and be bent and molded into somebody that has so many layers that you cannot tell who you're dealing with?

There are 3 options for me. 1) Rise up and take the high road, focusing on what is right 2) Be a Swiss cheese and stay neutral or 3) Go with the flow.

I've been struggling with this question more so in the past couple of months than ever before trying to figure this out to get things done but mainly to reevaluate myself and who I want to be.

I am proud to say I've thought it through and I'm going to do what blue eyes did - I'm doing it my way.