The Burning Orb and The Leafless Trees

It has been very warm lately, a little too warm. Is it not January? Where is the sleet and snow typically associated with the winter months of San Jose? Ok, so I guess we never actually get any real snow in the bay area, or sleet for that matter, but I could sure use a few stormy days so I can partake in one of my favorite activities.



A cup of warm coffee, scones fresh from the oven, and a thin layer of glass separating me and the howling wind.

While Peter's days riding for Powell consisted mostly of death defying trick requests and trips to the costume store, they also brought with them an opportunity for me to fulfill my deep desire of filming and editing a trick tip video. One of young Raffin's responsibilities as a Powell Am was to star in a number of these instructional web videos.



Peter was hardly enthusiastic about the idea, but I have always held a squishy spot in my heart for the cheesy verbal instructions uttered by skaters as they try and describe the inner workings of kickflips and nollie crooked grinds. As a youth I dreamed of one day being able to coach fellow rippers by way of the trick tip video. So when Peter informed me that he hated explaining how tricks were done, I leaped at the opportunity to do a little voice over work.



His loss was my gain!

The Clog, a Nutrition Blog?

While barreling down the freeway from Davis to San Jose at midnight, and with a tired Frenchman snuggly nestled amongst the sweatshirts and brick-a-brack often found throughout my whip, mine and Jesse's conversation flowed through many topic but finally rested itself on that of human dietary requirements. As is customary during such delirious hours of the night, our ideas were based more on lofty gastronomic principles than concrete scientific fact. Either way, Jesse proposed a very simple and tasty diet.



Jesse and I present to you, The Cow Diet. The guidelines associated with this diet are quite strict but the results speak for themselves.



situated at the top of The Cow Diet food pyramid is beef. The reason for this Jesse summed up eloquently in a few simple words, "Beef, come I mean, it's what's for dinner." How true a statement this is.



Ah cheese, beautiful creamy cheese. Cheese fills in the gaps of The Cow Diet that beef leaves empty (even though it is hard to imagine anything beef cannot do). Cheese can be eaten plain by the slice or spread across the beef. If the cow diet has yet to entice you, then you probably need to seriously reevaluate your existence.



With all of this glorious food being consumed you begin to wonder, what about something crisp and refreshing to wash it all down? This is where milk comes into play. Nothing sounds better after scarfing down a huge chunk of beef slathered in cheese than a tall glass of cow juice.

So loyal Cloggers, if your are interested in getting into shape or obliterating the bovine population, please give The Cow Diet serious consideration.