NikeTalk: WDYWT #1

Air Max 1
Grey/Volt-White

J2: Throwback - JordanEG6


The second car I built (but never fully completed) was my 1992 Civic. One the very few EGs, if not the only EG in Western Canada at the time, with a K20A2 motor swap. Spending countless hours in my dad's garage and literally fishing for online help on "How-to's" and DIYs on a consistent basis, I finally got it to crank early 2006.

What happened to it? I joined the "Busted Oil Pan Club" twice in the same month, LOL. I fixed what I could and sold it to a happier owner hoping to finish the work I helped start. As long as it's currently in good hands and is running like a dream, I'm proud to say I was part of it. Here were the specs when I had it:

1992 Honda Civic Si HB (EH3/EG6)

Engine/Drivetrain
RSX Type-S K20A2 engine swap
RSX Type-S 6-speed transmission
RSX Type-S axles
RSX Type-S shift cables
Hasport engine mounts
Karcepts cold air intake
Karcepts shifter box
Karcepts radiator stay
Fluidyne radiator
Spoon radiator cap
FAL slim fan 
Mugen fan switch
Mugen thermostat
Blox temperature hose adapter
R-Crew 4-1 exhaust header
R-Crew B-pipe
HKS Drager exhaust
Hybrid Racing wiring harness
Hybrid Racing charging system
Hybrid Racing fuel lines
Golden Eagle fuel rail
AEM fuel pressure regulator
B&M fuel pressure indicator
JDM Type-R fuel pump
Hondata K-Pro engine management

Suspension
OEM DC2 Integra suspension set up
Ground Control coilover sleeves
Tokico Blue shocks
JDM DC2 Type-R front strut brace
Tanabe Sus-Tec rear strut brace
J's Racing C-pillar brace
Spoon lower tie brace

Wheels/Brakes
JDM DC2 Type-R 5-lug conversion
JDM DC2 Type-R 4-disc brakes
JDM DC2 Type-R master cylinder
JDM DC2 Type-R proportioning valve
Goodridge stainless steel brake lines
15" Rota Slipstreams
Nexen rubber
Spoon lugs

Interior
JDM EG6 Si-R gauge cluster
JDM EG6 clock assembly
JDM EG6 folding-mirror control
JDM EG6 power door lock/window control
JDM EG6 power sunroof control
JDM DC2 Type-R steering wheel
JDM DC5 Type-R shift knob
Mugen race pedals
OEM USDM rear panels
Infinity speaker components

Exterior
AP1 S2000 Berlina Black Pearl
JDM EG6 power folding mirrors
JDM EG6 foglamps
JDM EG6 amber sidemarkers
JDM EG6 front lip
Type-R style rear lip
Vision Technika amber corner lenses
VIS carbon fiber hood
Seibon carbon fiber duck bill spoiler
Benen tow hook set

Pictures courtesy of Arif and another Beyond.ca member.


Props to Shoaib at JDM Source, Will at Hybrid Racing, K20.org, Rage2 at Beyond.ca, Screamin' Paintworks, King Motor Sports and everyone else who helped along the way.

One.

Calgary gets a Lego Store!

Pictures courtesy of Lego.com

The first ever Lego Store in Canada will be nestled ever so nicely at Chinook Center this Summer!

As a grown-ass man, I really shouldn't be too excited about this, but I loved Lego as a kid and still love Lego. And if you're as nostalgic as I am, you'd be stoked about this store too. You're never too old to build shit.

I've been meaning to start a Lego City in my cousins basement. I never got around to it, but now, in light of Canada's first all-Lego establishment, I might be inclined to start it now. So much for saving money.

I'll keep you posted on grand opening dates and specific Chinook Center location.

J2: My car and my city.

We've been playing around with a buddies camera, so I gave photography a shot (no pun intended). I suck, but I guess if I get around to buying my own and read a little, I'll eventually become decent at it. Here are some warm up pics with the help from a buddy.

While most of my friends' whips are their wives (haha :P), mine happens to be my 335i. So I cleaned it up a bit and took her out before it started to rain.






I hit up Crescent Heights and parts of Downtown to take a few pictures. It got kinda dark, so I don't have very many, but I have the whole summer to improve my skills and time management.








One.

J2: Becoming JordanEG6...again.


During these past couple months, people have been trying to convince me to build a new car. And lately, I've been itching to do so. Unfortunately, it won't be for awhile, I have a few other priorities I have to take care of. For one, I need to travel, and second, I need a house.

It was cool playing around with something nice and fast like BMW. Although I loved the torque it produces (something Honda does not provide lol), I miss the satisfaction of driving something I built. I miss driving my Hondas. I love Hondas.

So I have been considering heavily downgrading to something I can build from the ground up. But what? I'm hearing EK, another EG from others, maybe a DC2-R? The S2000 has also crossed my mind. I guess I hadn't really gotten rid of the car modding bug that took up so much of my time and money years ago. I guess we'll see. More on this later.
One.

When Legends Become Legendary



Courtesy of Premier and Shoe Gallery

The Neon Air Max 95 is and was a legendary shoe no doubt. It was one of the staples of what Nike Running was known for. What made it what it is, aesthetically, was the combination and contrast of grey gradiant and neon yellow. Nothing caught the eye more than neon colors that were carefully placed on a sneaker.

Yesterday we had Air Max 95s, today we have the Retro AM95s, and tomorrow (or precisely a 18 days from now, for me) we will have the Air Max 24/7. This is a hybrid shoe that doesn't look so hybrid yet has the subtle features of our favorite Air Max's growing up.

The Air Max 24/7 houses the Air Max 95 and 97 uppers layed overtop the full Max Air Unit of the modern Air Max 2009 with performance in mind. Although, I probably wouldn't choose this for running, the AM95 Neon colorway looks absolutely dope, and is worth the cop. It will be available at select online or local retailers VERY soon. And if sneakerheads everywhere are as nostalgic as I am, you better get 'em quick.

I'll post my own pictures when I get them in.

MINDstyle x Manny Pacquiao


"Vinyl toy creators MINDstyle preview a new design under its P.O.P. Collection for Summer 2010. Familiar in appearance, this first development comes in the form of world-renowned boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. The toy features playfully exaggerated details of the superstar brawler, with his native Philippines recognized via vibrant boxing trunks and the “Pacquiao” name placed on the belt line. A release can be expected come this Summer season."
- Hypebeast


Me want.

J2 gets a ticket.

GRRRRR!
I don't know of any other city
that's as notorious as Calgary for handing
out traffic violation tickets.
This was on 10th and 16th by SAIT.
It's my first one in a long while. Oh well.


At least now, I can pay these online instead of driving to the registry. Haha.

Drive Safely.
One.

Terry Crews: Old Spice Commercials

I hate commercials when I'm watching TV. Actually, I hate commercials, period. But I was watching TV a couple weeks ago and ran into Old Spice's hilarious new body wash commercials. And they are brilliant!



"Building kick!"

J2 Archives: Stride VS Excel

Documented in 2007

This is how busy I am today. Aside from our broken printers, holds on projects and the general early week laziness, I sit here at my desk admiring the clock, in doing so I decide to do something semi-productive - other than calculating cable tray sizes - and see how much time it takes for my Stride gum to lose its flavor.

Since I first saw the Stride commercials, I've always wondered "How long IS ridiculously long lasting?" Because we all know Stride Gum is the "ridiculously long lasting gum" that is "good for us, and bad for them". "Them" being the company that makes the product. So I decided to put that claim to a simple test and analysis.

Let's start off with visual appeal. Like any new product, it's CREWCIAL (YEEEAAAH *holds up middle finger sideways and sticks tongue out) to attract new customers and provide the adequate first impression to convince the customer to reach his or her hand out and grab your product over any other product on the shelf. For me, it was the commercial that got me to choose this gum over my usual Excel. However, from a visual stand point it IS quite attractive with its metallic green style box with a giant silver "S" on the package. Also equipped with an Orbit-like opening - much like a cigarette package - to enhance the attractiveness. Nice touch.

Secondly, the message. Stride's sole purpose for releasing such a product is to convince the paying customer that this particular gum lasts 'ridiculously long' as per their advertisements. In further doing so - in addition to TV advertising - they've printed a message on the opening flap of the box stating how long it lasts. Which needs no further convincing because by opening the flap, which was initially wrapped in plastic, you've already bought it. But seeing this message seals the deal for the consumer and convinces the individual that he or she is in for a long lasting gum chewing experience.

Lastly, the trial. Besides my clock on the corner of my computer screen, I needed another medium for comparison. Luckily, I had a pack of Excel in the very same flavor - Spearmint. I was now ready for the ultimate chewing test. So without further ado, the Stride Gum Review.

1:41pm - Opened package and started chewing. So far great flavor, no signs of sweetness rush (where ALL the flavor comes at you at once and leaves you with a bland taste after a few minutes of chewing).

1:58 pm - Still had it's full flavor. No signs of slowing down or the gum hardening up from lack of 'juice'.

2:16 pm - STILL has the flavor. I'm beginning to like this brand.

2:21 pm - losing a little bit of flavor, it's not a rapid change but it is noticeable, but still alive and still chewing.

2:31 pm - beginning to lose the flavor, however I can still taste allot of spearmint, which is a healthy sign.

2:41 pm - 1 hour in, the flavor is weak, but I can STILL taste it and the gum isn't hard, because the gum is still 'gummy' enough to blow bubbles.

2:51 pm - 1 hour and 10 minutes, I can still taste it a little, there's enough juice to keep going. But it hasn't gotten to a point where I need to spit it out. This gum is f*cking impressive.

2:55 pm - I think I'm going to spit it out. It's lost most if not all it's flavor. VERY weak flavor, but the gum is still good enough to chew for a good 40 minutes more (hasn't lost elasticity yet), but for testing purposes, I think we've reached THAT point where we need to spit it out.

2:59 pm - I spit it out. This gum is promising. Let's see how it's competition, Excel, holds up...

So far I am quite impressed with the flavor endurance of this brand of gum. It's excellent. But how will it compare to it's competition? A brand that Excel-erates your breath and has been in the Gum-chewing game for quite some time. Will Excel hold up the same way as Stride? Only one test to go to determine who is king sh*t of the chewing gum world. I'm going to try Excel - the gum chewing veteran and the favorite of many regular gum chewers nationwide - and see if this gum lasts longer or even comes close to the new-comer, the "ridiculously long lasting gum", Stride.

3:08 - After chewing Stride, I get a weird aftertaste after sticking another brand of gum in my mouth.

3:09 - HOLY flavor rush! I get that flavor rush that I didn't get with the Stride. It isn't all bad though, I still have alot of flavor, but I noticed I've lost some flavor already with that rush of flavor fromt he hard shell of the gum.

3:13 - I noticed a significant decrease in flavor. I still have the flavor, but I feel I am losing it as I type this message. Stay tuned.

3:17 - I am losing faith in this gum, it's flavor was the same as Stride at the 40-45 minute mark. Sad. The flavor is still there though, but it's dying quickly.

3:22 - The flavor is almost nearly gone, but still present, it's still good enough to chew. The gum isn't getting hard. Similar to the first test at the 1 hour interval.

3:28 - Not even half an hour. I gotta spit it out. The gum is still alright to chew, but why? Unless you want to taste your own spearmint accented saliva, by all means. Almost no flavor. This competition is done, son.

3:29 - I spit it out into the garbage. No other comments.

RESULTS

Stride
1 Hour, 18 minutes

Excel
21 minutes

So, the verdict. Well, the answer is clear. Stride, as expected from it's impressive trial, takes the win. The flavor was good on both ends, however, the endurance of the flavor was unmatched. It was like Optimus Prime VS Furby in a wheel chair. It wasn't an unprecedented win, however the comparison was mind blowing. A full 57 minute difference.

So now let's analyze these results. Will - as per the advertising - the gum last the consumer so long that the Stride manufacturing plant shuts down and the company goes bankrupt? Now, let's take a look at the comparison based on the time trial results. Both Excel and Stride retail at $1.06 per package and $1.12 tax included. Chewing time for Stride was 1 Hour and 18 minutes, while Excel only lasted a mere 21 minutes. That means one can chew 4 pieces of Excel in the time it takes another to chew one piece of Stride until it loses flavor. So depending on how many times a person chews gum per day, Stride is literally lasting 4 times longer than the Excel.

Excel holds 12 pieces per package at 4 pieces per 1 Stride piece. Stride's standard package holds 14 pieces for the same price and longer duration (4:1). Which means, by the time the Stride package is finished, the average gum chewer will have to go through roughly 4 and a half packages of Excel in the same amount of time.

At $1.06 a pop for both, Excel is making $4.95 more than Stride for that amount of time it takes to finish a Stride package. Extrapolate that amount to yearly sales from the average consumer, that's quite a bit of money lost from longer lasting gum to support a $50 Billion integrated marketing campaign to support their claim that is in fact "ridiculously long lasting". Although, that is allot of money lost on the duration of the gum's flavor, it is virtually impossible for Stride to lose business on a very successful product and marketing campaign. Although the advertisement is convincing to the consumer and despite the 57 minute difference on my comparison test, the commercial is misleading.

Random NYC post: Pitstop


I went to New York in 2008 with a buddy of mine to get a taste of what the Big Apple was really like. Literally. I searched Google, a couple weeks before arriving, for food I'd like to try. But I missed this one.

We were in the burrows of Martin Luther King Street in Harlem in the midst of conducting my travel ritual - finding and buying exclusive shoes at different stores - when Kirk spots a White Castle. A White Castle! If Harold and Kumar didn't get your mouth watering eating 35 White Castle sliders, there is something wrong with you. We don't have White Castle in Calgary, and even though I felt VERY uncomfortable being in a place where I potentially could get robbed, I decide "When in Rome...".

Walking into the restaurant was alot like walking into a train station to validate your tickets. The walls were bare white, other than the plexi-glass protected White Castle adverts on the walls. A cluster of Plain white and blue tables with stools bolted to the floor. And the best part - the counter was sealed in bullet-proof glass with a small speaker and "doggy-door" looking opening to slide in your money and recieve your order. That alone was a valid reason why I should be worried walking around with 3 bags of shoes in Harlem.

If that weren't enough, an old guy colorfully deck out in Enyce gear, with either his daughter or jailbait girlfriend, stormed to the counter, banging on the window yelling "YO! WHERE YA NAPKINS AT?!"

We place our orders through the window and sat down on our carefully picked, cold, hard seats. Sack Meal 4 - 20 sliders with 4 large fries. Needless to say, I won't be coming back to this location. The burgers were too greasy and ill prepared, the buns were soggy, the fries were both greasy AND soggy. And my coke tasted like I filled it up half way with coke, then filled it to the top with water and ice.

Here are some tesimonials from Yelp on my iTouch:

"Okay, I had to try a White Castle in Harlem. It was everything I expected, customers cursing at the staff, people getting frustrated by the wait and of course the bullet proof windows between the staff and customers kept me giddy for my little burgers. The burgers were greasy and the fries were salty. What else do you want me to write?"

"I was in Harlem yesterday, and I thought, I ain't never had a White Castle Burger before, I guess I'll go and try one (or four). I got in there and the experience was totally complete. The registers were covered in glass to prevent robberies, the soda machine was shut off ("so the crazies don't come in here with a plastic bag and fill it up" according to the register) and the really friendly lady at the next table chatted with us about the neighborhood (while dealing drugs) Can't say I didn't experience the real Harlem.

As for the food, exactly what I expected: greasy, tasty, and just a tiny bit questionable. The sliders were greasy heaven in a box (though any more than four would probably make me throw up) and the fries with honey mustard was a good flavor combination. As was expected, one of my friends found a hair in one of her sliders, and I bit into something slightly fishy from my fry box when I wasn't paying attention. All in all, it was a trip I will not soon forget, a true Harlem experience."

"Seriously, the only way I can get those burgers are the frozen family packs I get at the supermarket. But it just taste so much greasier and better when you get them from here, even though I feel like I'm going to get shanked here. I will never come here at night, no matter how hungry I am."


One.

Just for Kicks

Courtesy of The Shoe Game


I've been collecting sneakers for about 10 years. But I've been wearing them since I could remember. Everyone has a passion - restoring classic cars, painting, writing, travelling, photography etc. Sneaker collecting just happens to be mine. I do it because I love it. It's not just the sneakers that I love, its the entire culture surrounding footwear and it's association with streetwear and lifestyle, basketball and hip-hop.

Sneaker collecting only scratches the surface on what the footwear culture is like and my interest in it. Yes, I said it, it IS a culture. If you don't believe a written word I type, go read a book, watch a documentary or go visit a Sneaker Show. If you go past the Air Jordans, the limited releases, the camp-outs, the line-ups and the footwear collaborations, the sneaker "fetish" goes way back to the early 1900s where waffle runners and rubber shoes were first introduced. I'd elaborate on it more but that's not why I wrote this post.

I'm finally selling my giant hoard of kicks that's been filling up my storage rooms and closets for so many years. Not the entire collection, but most. With that money I hope to earn from it all, I could use it to travel and visit new and unique places and maybe put a down payment on a home afterwards.

Don't get it twisted, the passion hasn't died. I'm simply trimming the stacks to give my shoes happy homes and to move on to bigger issues on my 'bucket list' that are starting to surface now that I'm getting older.

So support my travel/home funding and buy my footwear.

One.

Hi, my name is...

For my inaugural post on this blog, I'd just like to introduce myself - I'm Jordan. I don't like writing, nor am I good at it, but I just feel the need to document certain aspects of my life through little entries and anecdotes. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe for nostalgic purposes a few years from now. Kind of like looking at old family albums.

I also like rambling about random shit and interesting things I find in our ever so diverse and growing environment. I've done a number of blog entries in the past, from Calgary Planet to Friendster to Facebook. All are pretty much non-existant now, but I'll try and update this one often, which is the hardest and most daunting task at times, but I will try.

I'm also using this blog as my 'online store'. I've recently come to terms with the fact that one day I would have to part with something that I've been clinging onto for 10 or so years - my sneaker collection. It, as of right now I guess, is for sale. Check the 'Consignment' section of this blog for inventory and price updates. I'll also set up a Paypal account for online payments. I assure you everything J-PHKR sells is authentic. I have plenty of references to back it up.

Enjoy.