Andrea Duran for Nike Sparq

From Styleant.com:

Andrea Duran's quick will wave hello to you from the Gold Medal Podium in Beijing, China this summer. I'm proud to present a close personal friend of mine and my wife's - Andrea Duran. The former UCLA Bruin and current Team USA hard-hitting 3rd baseman is featured on Nike for their new Sparq campaign. A testament to hard-work and dedication, Duran's inclusion in the campaign is a sign of things to come, not only for the young athlete, but for the sport of softball. Congratulations!

Getting Married Blows for Tax Purposes

This picture represents what marriage will do to you come tax season - throw pie in your face. Last year's tax return:

Me - $1128
Claire - $ 754

This year's tax return:

Amundson family: $468

Hey government, I think you're pretty lame. Wonder why people aren't out spending money on your stupid economy - because we're getting taxed to death. Oh and aren't Republicans supposed to be all good at cutting taxes and stuff? Nice work during your last 8 years in office. You stink.

Dude, I Miss Mr. Miyagi

I was watching Karate Kid Part I the other day and I realized how much I miss Mr. Miyagi. I guess you never know how much you'll miss something until its gone. He was a good guy - wise, articulate, hard-drinking. But he had a softer side as well. Member that part in Karate Kid Part II when he chopped the giant wood plank that was crushing his former nemesis, Sato? That was seriously nice of him. Then remember in Part III when he arrived at the newly renovated Cobra Kai dojo and kicked not only Sensei Kreese's ass, but also tossed Terry Silver into a ladder causing white paint to spill all over his greased up pony-tail. That was pretty bad ass. There's never been a character quite like Mr. Miyagi and frankly I don't think there ever will be again. Peace out Miags. Miss you, miss you everyday.

Work Days, Shmurk Days

Work sucks, we all know this. But today was an especially lame day at the office. It's amazing to me that this is really life. We are supposed to sit and accept this insanely high level of bullshit day in and day out, and that just seems really strange. Now fuck off, I'm no Communist or anything like that, but there really has to be a better way of going on about life. Many of us have great families, great relationships, great shit going on around us - and yet for 8 hours of our day (the biggest block of time) we spend it being miserable.

I guess the old man was right, "Son, you don't want to be out of school." The reality is, there is no out of school. Not many people get to just hang out, and yet this is the ultimate goal in many people's lives. We long for Summer break so we can hang out with our friends. We go to the beach, we go camping, we have Summer flings, but then every September/August you had to go back to school. Now, we don't even have Summer breaks. You have to beg and plead just to use the minuscule amount of vacation time you're alloted. Sucky.

This is a rant. One that has no answer. So if you are waiting for some profound fix for this problem ... well ... call Karl Marx.

Creativity is Life.

Blogs You Should Read: The Sartorialist

One of the many things I will be posting about on NorthOfLife.com will be blogs that I read. There are many and they take up a lot of my time. But, I love them and would be lost without them. TheSartorialist.com is an amazing site dedicated to (mostly) men's fashion. It is GQ, Esquire, Details, Men's Vogue all rolled into one. Don't want to spend $20/month at the news stands trying to determine your wardrobe for the next year, come here. Then again, if you're worried about $20/month on magazines, you're probably not the customer Scott Schuman is catering to. Well, screw that - I can't afford $20/month on magazines but I can still enjoy a well-tailored suit.

This blog is kind of that area where you say to yourself, if I was big-shit in NYC then this is the way I would dress. Really though, the site is not about how rich or well-dressed you are. It's about appreciating fashion as an art form. When you consider the way you look as a personal statement to the outside world, as we all do, what message are you sending? Are you balking the system, falling in line with it or are you bending the rules to create a look that is both professional and unique?

TheSartorialist.com is a viewing gallery, there is almost no text. Stop by and check out the stylish from around the world.

Creativity is Life.

The Ex-Patriot

I've been wanting to start a personal blog for years now. It's been a very busy and fun last decade, but now I feel as though I finally have a chance to sit down and write the things I want to write.

As many of you know, and many of you don't know, about a year and a half ago I moved away from my home, my love, my city - Los Angeles. I chose to leave the hustle and bustle of the world's greatest city to live a quieter, calmer life with my now wife in San Luis Obispo, California. You may be familiar with it, it's the setting of the 2004 film Sideways. If you haven't seen it, Netflix it my friends.

I never thought I could love it here. I moved away from all of my friends, all of my connections, an amazing job with Red Bull and just about everything that seemed "normal" in my life. But just about the time you're feeling as though you hate something, God damnit if it doesn't suddenly grow all over you. That's what this place has done to me, it's made me fall in love with its purity, it's simplicity, it's easy-SLO living.

I miss Los Angeles, I miss her all the time. The odometer on my car will tell you just how often I feel the need to drive down to her and bask in her sunny skies, but it is no longer my home. Shell Beach (a suburban beach community in San Luis Obispo), where I now live with my wife is my home. I live about 200 yards from the Pacific, far closer than I was able to afford during my stint in Santa Monica. I work a job that pays the bills (although with considerably less ease than what was offered at Red Bull), I eat amazing food, meet really interesting people and I go about life in a different way. I still run a business that is very much focused on Los Angeles and other major-city culture, which, for now, is enough.

So now you know what's up with me, here's what's up with this blog. It will be 100% me, what I'm interested in, what I'm doing, how I run my business, trips that I take, etc. It will cater to no particular audience, but that for whom I wish to speak. Many of you will find posts absurd, boring, useless and others may find them interesting, sentimental or entertaining. I don't care too particularly much which camp you fall into, this is my place to post what I want to say and wish to share.

Creativity is Life.

Matt Amundson