Aldous Revolver Black Matte

If your from the Philly area and you are not familiar with Warby Parker yet then shame on you.   They literally have the best online eye wear purchase and return system ever.  They send you up to 5 pairs, let you try them on to see what you like, and return the pairs with no obligation.  I tried it last year they showed up quick and actually getting to try them on gives you a much better idea of what you are getting into.  Aside from revolutionizing online eye wear purchasing, the company is part of a growing group of businesses that give back.  In the case of Warby Parker, they give a pair to someone in need for every pair they sell.  So rad.  From Warby Parker;

We believe that everyone has the right to see. Unfortunately, millions of people around the world today don’t have access to proper vision care. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with renowned non-profits, such as VisionSpring.org, to deliver one pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that we sell. In doing so, we enable you to share the gift of vision with someone who can’t see today and give them the opportunity to read, to work and to live a fuller life.

Spring 2012 has ushered in the release of a new colorway, cedar tortoise, below;

Aldous Cedar Tortoise

Begley Cedar Tortoise

Thatcher Cedar Tortoise

Roosevelt Cedar Tortoise

Nedwin Cedar Tortoise

Cedar tortoise is an addition to an already stellar line of philanthropic shades and specs.  And for those of you that missed it here is thier story;

Check them out at Warby Parker Spring 2012.

The 6.3-million-square-foot smoke-free resort will have 1,898 rooms, all of which will somehow have some sort of ocean views (not exactly sure how this is going to work as not every room can face the water and there are some large buildings in the area that have to at least block a few views).  In addition, guests will have a choice of 14 restaurants, two nightclubs, two theaters, and ten pools. Other amenities include a 31,000-square-foot spa, a casino, 160,000 square feet of meeting space, and 55,000 square feet of retail space.  My sources from the inside say the casino is on the sixth floor and there are several “adult” options near or on the casino floor providing the true Vegas style gambling experience.

Anyone who has surfed in Atlantic City knows that this place is a sight to see.  It is disturbingly large and it almost looks as if it is about to fall over on you while you surf.  That being said, this casino is likely going to spoil the parking situation at all of our local breaks and put a damper on surfing in the North End of Atlantic City.  In fact the North end is almost unrecognizable with the recent improvements made.  Garden Pier is gone.  The board walk is much improved.  Dredging has increase the size of the beaches dramatically.  And I image soon the entire area will be filled with shops and other amenities.  While it will be nice to not get splinters every time I walk out over the syringes, condoms, and other materials littering the north ends streets, I am going to miss the utter grimeyness of these surf spots.  I think most would be hard pressed to find a spot so urban and overwhelmingly ghetto.  The mystery Sill remains as to what the gigantic ball on the top of the building is for, does it light up?  Rotate?  Just sit there?  I guess we are going to have to wait to find out.

Empty barrels from the old Garden Pier

The restaurants at Revel include Jose Garces Amada, an Adalusian tapas bar; American Cut, a steakhouse; Azur; the Mussel Bar; plus a bistro and a wine bar.

Revel will start accepting reservations March 5, for stays beginning April 2, when the resort partially opens for an eight-week preview. Revel is scheduled to be fully open May 25.

I have always loved the look of beat up old decks, on the wall, laying around, I guess its the after effect of spending a childhood in skate shops.  Deckstool is taking the use of old decks for decoration to a whole new level.  The Philadelphia based recyler turns old decks into rad little benches you wife would even approve of.  The best part is they are made right here in Philadelphia, by a real American!  The pieces of furniture run from $199-$799 on Etsy.  From Deckstool:

Broken skateboards are an unfortunate byproduct of skateboarding and are usually destined for the landfill. Deckstools product recycles this waste into a unique, high quality furniture and cool, useful gifts. The scrapes and scars on the decks create beautiful patterns over the original skateboard artwork. All products are meticulously built and finished by skilled craftsman in Pennsylvania.

Most orders (except for out of stock, or made-to-order items) ship next business day. Please contact us with any questions.

Visit and “Like” the Facebook page for up to date News, Specials, and Sales! http://www.facebook.com/deckstool

Do yourself a favor and watch this.  15 Minutes of short film Joy!  The story is based on Felix, his alcoholic father, and his imaginary friend Stuff.  Pretty Girls, rockin corvettes, some throwback tunes, and suicidal puppets, it just doesn’t get any better.

Stuff – A Short Film by the Kid America Club from Frankie’s Apartment on Vimeo.

The DSLR game is getting good.  Especially for surfers.  Canons New EOS 5D Mark III is an insane jump up from the Mark II, with up to 29minute 59 second video recording capabilities, a jump from 3 to 6 fps, and a wealth of new features that are going to be part of the new flagship, the 1DX.  To give you an idea of quality this is the first DSLR to have an entire episode of primetime tv filmed on it.  It has also been used in some feature films this past year.  The shell is more weather resistant and tough than its predecessor.  I think this is gonna replace the 7D as many photog’s favorite.  From Canon:

Canon is proud to present the highly anticipated EOS 5D Mark III. With supercharged EOS performance and stunning full frame, high-resolution image capture, the EOS 5D Mark III is designed to perform. Special optical technologies like the 61-Point High Density Reticular AF and an extended ISO range of 100-25600 (expandable to 50 (L), 51200 (H1) and 102400 (H2) make the EOS 5D Mark III ideal for shooting weddings in the studio or out in the field, and great for still photography. Advanced professional-level high definition video capabilities (that includes a host of industry-standard recording protocols and enhanced performance) make it possible to capture beautiful cinematic movies in EOS HD quality. A newly designed 22.3 Megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, Canon DIGIC 5+ Image Processor, and shooting performance up to 6.0 fps provide exceptional clarity and sharpness, even when capturing rapidly-unfolding scenes. Additional technological advancements include an Intelligent Viewfinder, Canon’s advanced iFCL metering system, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Multiple Exposure mode — all of which that help make the EOS 5D Mark III the perfect multimedia tool.

The Canon EOS 5d Mark III ($3,800, body only) is available late March.  Get on it!

April 3, 2012 –  So it begins.  Rematch of the 2009, and 1950 World Series, albeit slightly less consequential.  1:05 pm.  Maybe Shane Victorino’s Final season.  The Return of J-Roll, Big Jim Thome, a Full season with Pence, Cliff’s Redemption, RoyBoy, Vanimal, etc…  Enjoy it kids, Baseball is back and life is about to get a little better.  It may just be Spring Training, but it feels so good.  Televised on CSN.

So soon.  Chuck Ragan, of Hot Water Music fame is bringing The Revival Tour  to Philadelphia, March 28th, 2012 at the Trocadero.  Tickets are dirt cheap ($15) for what is probably the best collection of modern songwriters and musicians.  The tour includes Ragan, Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio, The Emergency Room),  longtime Lucero collaborator Cory Branan, Tommy Gabel (Against Me!), and renowned singer/songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff.  Somehow I am stuck working for this but from what I have seen on the web, this years tour is gonna be amazing.  If your not familiar, the tour takes a collaborative folk approach and often you get a once in a lifetime chance to enjoy musical genius.  Get on it.  Tickets available through The Revival Tour Tix.  Enjoy these little gems while you wait!

New Vans California Pack.  ”Brushed Twill,”  Four new colorways to make your feet look like little Easter eggs.  Not a big pastels fan but I must say these whites beat docksiders any day.  Respect the peck!  Perfect Camo for the Easter egg hunt or a preppy photo shoot.

Listen, While I tend to despise the Occupy movement because of its general lack of overall organization as well as the dirt that blindly follow, I have to support their attempt at a general strike on May Day. Lets face it people, we are in a class war. They kept the masses happy for years and used 9/11 to unify the country but at this point, the brink of total collapse, gas prices rising, imperialism in tact in the middle east, etc. We really have to stop being blind to the corporate/wealthy control of this country. Anyone who doesn’t realize this country has become a farce, BOTH parties are the SAME, they just play you out through their corporately controlled media. This country has moved in a direction in which we need a third party and some serious changes in the size of the government. So, Labor, proletariat, 99%, whatever you want to call it, MAY DAY!