the new Reebok ATV19+ shoes are sick! http://lnkd.in/8JfBTH

I don’t care if they re actually appropriate for running, anywhere.

I’ve already ordered two pair! the blue and the red (ish).

they have got to be awesome with Lacrosse shorts.

Reebok reveals an ambitious new shoe with the help of UFC star Rampage Jackson.

he’s funny.

this shoe evidently derives its name and inspiration from an All Terrain Vehicle. …duh.

the ATV 19+ features 19 irregular lugs, rugged overlays, a padded tongue, and supportive collar. these elements are designed to enable unhindered training in mud, snow, grass and sand. I absolutely plan to test them out realtime. oddly, I’m curious to see how their unique characteristics play-out on the Lacrosse field. probably badly. while the runner certainly takes its name and its function very seriously, Reebok will certainly have its work cut out for itself in order to sway athletes who are increasingly indecisive about whether less is more or more is more in terms of their runners.

but, I DONT CARE. they are wicked-cool, especially if you like crazy shit; and, I do.

I’m already in hot-water with Nike for sporting Montrails and Warrior kicks. for perspective consider:

Brian Cork Injures Achilles Tendon, Extreme Sporting World Draws Collective Breath

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Related posts:

1. 4:15 Mile
2. usefulness
3. Lacrosse dna
4. ultimately age will come before beauty
5. Lacrosse Cleats
6. epic Lacrosse update
7. Beware the Dog House
8. running in that Zone
9. What is behind the "Human Bean" story?
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I think it’s fair to say, possibly just admit, that I have lost my zeal for blogging.

it’s not that I no longer have opinions, or have discovered apathy, mind you.

however, I awoke this morning with the thought, which is worse apathy or death? or, are they the same?

…seriously…

so… here I am foisting a blog post upon the lot of you.

this is more about me finding other things beyond my own imagination, view, or standpoint to champion. I have been very much involved with Emma Jo and our soccer. despite me as their coach, Emma Jo and her U12 Shockers Nation found themselves 11-0 on the regular season, and finalists in their first bonafide tournament at the prestigious KOHLS Cup. I’ve also been coaching everyone else’s son in Lacrosse these past eighteen months. and, as evidence of my lack of desire to pontificate, I’ll not trouble you with any of those details. …well, at least for the moment.

meanwhile…

I have made a very conscious decision to stop being so hard on Barack Obama. for bad or worse, he is our Commander-in-Chief. we may not know if he is an anti-Christ until it’s to late. my own sixteen-year-old daughter Haley Anne pointed-out that if most Americans voted for the man, they must see something the minority does not.

she’s pretty bright.

so, we are mostly stupid or mostly right.  only time will tell for the rest of us.

on the other hand, maybe this is Gods own way of forcing the laws of natural selection down our collective throats. the European nations favor Obama. but then they are all sliding towards Socialism, and “misery loves company”, as they say, whomever they are. I suspect they conceived of Socialism as they follow apathy as a form of religion.

reference (I dare you): the secret series: in pursuit of They

in any event, with all of it weighing heavily on my mind, I have recalled a poignant, if not foreboding quote from the formidable Alexander Fraser Tyler, from his indomitable (and, certainly foresightful) work, Cycle of Democracy (1770):

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world’s great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to Complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage.”

okay… so, now what next, neighbor? could we hear the words, “give me liberty or give me death”, again? what might only 300 of us do?

we saw Emma Jo off on her first school away trip early this morning. as I brushed touseled hair from her eyes this morning to wake her as gently as I could, my eyes did tear-up somewhat as my mind ran rampant with memories of high intensity and drama from the weekend, natural apprehension around the pending trip, and a earthly fathers keen desire to protect his child from the rigors of an uncertain future. or, would that be opportunity?

God knows, right? I just want to be part of the solution, and not the problem. so, that is my prayer, today.

peace be to our Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

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2. my daughters name is not Charity
3. honoring the Squirrel
4. converging paths
5. October sixth
6. the Eyes have it
7. Rowdy is alive and well
8. …the point being everything
9. our carver motor yacht story: July 4th, High Adventure, and Great Memories
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so…

background…

being married to an (awesome) British woman, it’s long been my want to refer to athletic shoes of any description as, “boots”.

the young Lacrosse and “proper football” (Soccer) players that I coach are first amused by this, but more often than not adopt the expression themselves – my female football players, in particular.

going forward…

I’ve had a crazy but inspirational day. but, most of it has me feeling grateful. so, I’m in the mood to share a short story that offers both insight and perspective into my life that creates the light that I try to share outwardly with all of you.

NOTE: I’ve just learned that Colin, one of my assistant Lacrosse coaches, had his car broken into. some scoundrel made-off with his Lacrosse equipment – including his old High School bag, with it’s sentiments and fond memories of glory. Colin is on one of my mens Lacrosse teams. so, I’m more than interested, and concerned by it all.

what some of you know is that I sponsor A LOT of kids in Lacrosse and Soccer. I also make sure many more have equipment, eye glasses and books. but, I work especially hard to get them “boots”.

much of this comes from my own life experience. this includes being part of a military family rich with love and support, but not much money. Dad was a hero and patriot. but, the United States Air Force has never compensated it’s warriors commensurately with their executive prowess.

so, I learned to value things, and more so, hold them dear. and, make them matter.

this included shoes.

while I only lost a handful of races in High School, most that I won were in the same pair of running shoes – a pair of Adidas SL76′s (lime green with yellow stripes). those were ultimately replaced in my senior year with a pair of New Balance that I won in an open road race.

while at Radford University, I was astound when my partial scholarship for Cross Country included a pair of racing and also training flats. my coach never knew it, but I never took the racing flats out of the box (and, he never noticed) because, “you never know if someone might need them”.

after I was thrown off the Cross Country team for insubordination and prima donna-like attitude (it was true; so, I could not even deny any of it), and I walked-on the Lacrosse team, I wore my younger brothers cast-off (American) Football cleats for three years. I was just so grateful to be in school and to be on the team that I did not want to draw any attention to myself and ask for new cleats. and, I thought I could some how demonstrate my thankfulness to the school (and my parents) by saving everyone money.

now you know.

today I’m listening to, Courage to Grow by, Rebelution (so should you).

pace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Related posts:

1. epic Lacrosse update
2. usefulness
3. Lacrosse
4. Lacrosse dna
5. banks, lacrosse, and beers
6. Beware the Dog House
7. anniversaries are milestones
8. Life and Stuff
9. hardly a proverbial Son
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so…

I’m by no means bored today. not in the very least.

and, with my hair actually a bit on-fire this morning I found myself looking at a pop-up message on my iMac dutifully (although the word, “grimly” might offer some much needed drama) advising me that the batteries on my mouse were low.

I immediately swung into action, rummaged through my astonishingly useful clutter drawer, found two AA batteries, and deftly acted as my own “IT Guy”. this involved lobbing the older batters into the trash basket – one underhanded, and the other with an elegant sky-hook that offered a rewarding and resounding “THUNK” to the experience when the woeful battery found “the hole”.

however, while I was performing at such optimal levels my mind wandered, ever so briefly, to the pair of NIKE running shoes I had some what more carelessly (I’m pondering the word, “nonchalantly” as well) tossed into the trash only last night. they easily had over four hundred miles on them, but I really liked them, and they had carried me through some reasonable adventures, so I was loathe to give them up. but, experienced and savvy runners know to be disciplined around cycling their boots.

…in any event, the thought struck me that those batteries and shoes had served me well, but it was easy to throw them away; toss them aside.

we certainly need to be grateful for the little things. but, we probably should not take anything for granted.

thusly, this post is setting the stage for the next post, with a date, as yet uncertain. but, hints include: Where The Wild Things Are, Milestones, Death, Reunions and Lacrosse.

also… I think I did very well by my Boys Select lacrosse team this season (we went 19-6 as we head into the Playoffs). but, I anticipate being tossed aside.

I am very needy, in that I like to be useful.

more later.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Related posts:

1. showing Up
2. Beware the Dog House
3. trees and other enduring Examples
4. What is behind the "Human Bean" story?
5. another Mary's call to Action
6. epic Lacrosse update
7. grateful I Can be thankful
8. honoring the Squirrel
9. word and world – its the difference in the spelling, or doing
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