In certain US cities, I’ve read about fashion and modeling students who secretly live an underground lifestyle with other students who can no longer pay their rents due to high costs of living and even higher tuitions.  These students are forced to live in abandoned buildings.  I bet the smell is wretched.  In other parts of urban American, I’ve read about trannies (transvestites) taking over abandoned business parks for their own drug den and whorehouse usage.  I bet it smells extra nasty in there.  And finally, just the other day, I saw an episode of MAN VS. WILD, where the host Bear Grylls desperately squeezes out fluid from a pile of elephant dung and into his mouth in order to re-hydrate himself.  I’m willing to bet his mouth stunk extra-extra nasty! 

We’re all feeling the effects from the current recession.  Students, trannies and Bear Grylls according to my examples above are all obviously suffering from this astronomical crisis.  But not skateboarders!  I’m talking about skateboarders and not so much the skate shops and skate companies.  They’re suffering (don’t buy blanks!).  Skaters have cleverly discovered ways to enjoy local unoccupied foreclosed homes that include empty swimming pools.  Not only are they doing a service to themselves, but they’re also helping out the community by emptying out and drying up the left over stagnant water that can potentially harm the neighboring homes. 

I think it’s safe to say that these skateboarders are modern day heroes.  Check out the article over at the NY TIMES. 

It’s true; I think you can tell a lot about a person based on their footwear.  I consider myself a good, no great judge of people especially from their shoes even without looking at who they are above the ankle.  For instance, I was at the beach the other day and while staring at the ground because of my depression, I saw a pair of Birkenstocks walk past my frame of vision.  Without even looking up, I figured because we’re by the beach, Hermosa Beach specifically, the dude must have been a 205 lb body builder from Austria.  When I did look up, the guy must have weighed at least 255 lbs with a blond flat top and a muscle t-shirt.  I knew it!  Well I come across these situations all the time and I’m never surprised how correct I am 80% of the time.

Well it looks like I’m not the only shoe expert here.  After reading this amazing article in the New York Times about skaters and their sneakers, it looks like I might have some competition.  The article features the relationship between skaters and their sneakers and how unlike most sport related footwear; skaters seem to prefer style before function.  I myself would have to agree.  Although unrelated to skating, I prefer the color of my Soaps before I check the detail of the shoe’s buttery sole.

Anyway, check out the article in the New York Times.  You might find out like I did from reading it that I may be a little shallower than I thought.  I mean, I would never use a gray colored Soap.  Are you kidding me!?