Oliver Munday. Baltimore.

...keep re-visiting this... brilliant.

Viggo.

All About The Blowtorch

About the Site
The Blowtorch, in its first incarnation, was founded nearly four years ago. Like most randomly started blogs it was personal, silly, and pretty bad. Random stories, things about music (I was writing a music column for the school paper at the time), and other generally unfocused ramblings. There’s not a ton of stuff from back then that I’m particularly proud of, but I was twenty. Whatever.

This period lasted for about a year before tapering off to The Blowtorch’s Dead Period. For roughly a year and a half, posting was scarce. Occasionally I’d imagine something that was post-worthy, but for the most part I was creatively drained. However, it was during the Dead Period that sports blogs really started happening. I started commenting here and there. I started reading this and that. Slowly, I started contemplating creative opportunities.

‘Twas a conversation with FreeDarko’s Brown Recluse, Esq. that finally got me to do something with what was in my brain. A soon to follow post, inspired by a Shoals piece, were my first real successes. Linked by Kelly Dwyer at TrueHoop, The Blowtorch was born again as you see it today.

About the Name
The name The Blowtorch (alternately Ze Blowtorch or The Torch) was born from a conversation that I had about five years ago. Whilst watching some episode of I Love the 90s featuring the Spice Girls I boldly declared that if I were to be a Spice Girl, I’d want a tough name like “Blowtorch Spice.” Thus a nickname was birthed.

About Me
This isn’t some overblown outing of myself. I’m small-time and not deluded enough to think that any mainstream media types are clamoring for my real name (even though Rashard Lewis’ agent constantly Googles himself – seriously). That being said, my real name is out there and easily found.

I play basketball, get injured, make music, hang out with humans, grow facial hair, and obsess about culture. I think robots are fascinating and terrifying. Major influences are Chuck Klosterman, The Beatles, Tom Green, Skeets, Kelly Dwyer, Wes Anderson movies, Dr. LawyerIndianChief, the mafia, John Hodgman, Tarantino, David Byrne, and a bunch of other music.

If you have a question, email me at theblowtorch[at]gmail[dot]com.

Great Successes
I Interview Chuck Klosterman

I Essentially Predict the Outcome of the 2008 NBA Finals Months in Advance

I Introduce Math to the NBA

I Unearth a Bunch of Great NBA Mustaches. And Beards.

I Nickname Kevin Durant

Recurring Themes
Tonay Parcare

Joakim Noah

MATHEMATICSIZED

Occasional Observations on Several Subjects

Additional Goathair Writing
Twitter

Born and Raised

Sports by Brooks

DeadOn

Ball Don’t Lie

Blog Critics

My Utah Jazz on 1320 KFAN - Locked on Sports with David Locke**Today 4pm MST**

What up My Utah Jazz fans.

My Utah Jazz was asked to participate in a new weekly segment with David Locke of 1320 KFAN. The first segment took place on Monday at 4:00 pm MST. Feel free to listen to the replay here. Click on the highlighted Jazz Bloggers Rountable link (Thanks Mom for listening, are those instructions easy enough for you?)

Thanks to David and Kevin for making it happen.

Please let us know what you agree and don't agree with. We want to represent Jazz nation and can only do that with your help. Of course, if your opinion isn't the same as ours, we probably won't address it. But aside from that, let the feedback begin!

http://www.thefansports.com/

True Old-School Watches.

WWI Half Hunter telephone dial. By Buren.



Flip-up griller black dial. By Rands.



Unicorn silver 1917 Half Hunter flip-front. By Rolex.

Romain Erkiletlian. Parisian in NYC.

Digital prints/paint pen/markers/color pencils.


Acrylic/oil/ markers/color pencils on canvas.

Japanese urban landscape. Matrix style.

Christian Marclay. DJ/sculptor/painter/videographer/ill artist.

Born in Cali, raised in Switzerland, lives and works in NYC. Marclay creates sound and image collages using vintage video clips/visuals and unique sounds. I've been drawn to Christians art throughout the years without realizing they were all his... like the record-cover series Body Mix (1991) a well-known fave:
...after seeing his 'Telephones' video piece at the Musée D'art Contemporain de Montréal earlier this year I looked him up and connected the dots...

Steven A. Smith Interviews Joe Alexander

(click for video)

Steven A. Smith: Joe, you were drafted by THE Milwaukee Bucks. Congratulations!

Joe Alexander: THANK YOU, STEVEN A.! ... STEVEN A., AS YOU KNOW, THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS ARE A GOOD BASKETBALL TEAM! I THINK WE WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS NEXT YEAR!

Steven A. Smith: Easy, bro.

Joe Alexander: "EASY, BRO" IS RIGHT, STEVEN A.! THE BUCKS ARE BACK!

Steven A. Smith: No! I mean, don’t SHOUT like that, my man. That’s my thing.

Joe Alexander: LISTEN, STEVEN A., I HAVE A DISEASE! ... I SUFFER FROM VOICE IMMODULATION! ... I'M UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VOLUME OR INFLECTION OF MY VOICE! ... THIS IS NOT "SHOUTING" -- IT IS TALKING!

Steven A. Smith: It's just-- couldn't you take a deep breath, lower your voice, or whateva?

Joe Alexander: HOW DARE YOU?! I CANNOT DO THAT! I HAVE AN AFFLICTION THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND ITS BRITISH COUNTERPART! EVERY YEAR, AS MANY AS SIX PEOPLE ARE STRICKEN BY THIS HORRIBLE ... HORRIBLE DISEASE! IT COULD STRIKE ANYONE AT ANY TIME -- PROVIDED THEY WERE BORN AT LEAST TWO MONTHS LATE AND HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO GOLD DUST!

Steven A. Smith: Gold dust, Joe?

Joe Alexander: OH, IT'S FUNNY TO YOU! IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, STEVEN A., A LIFE IN WHICH YOU HOLD YOUR BABY DAUGHTER IN YOUR ARMS AND TRY TO EASE HER BACK TO SLEEP! HUSH HUSH! GO TO SLEEP! DADDY LOVES YOU! ... OR IMAGINE YOU'RE AT CHURCH WHISPERING A SECRET AND SILENT PRAYER TO GOD! "OH, PLEASE, DEAR GOD! WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO ME?! I HATE YOU, GOD! PLEASE TAKE AWAY THIS TERRIBLE AFFLICTION! AND ALSO LET ME FIND A BAG OF MONEY!" THAT IS MY HELL, STEVEN A.! ... I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON ANYONE!

MAYBE ON YOU, STEVEN A., BUT NO ONE ELSE!

Steven A. Smith: Hey! Hey, that's mean!

Joe Alexander: I APOLOGIZE! THAT LAST PART WAS ACTUALLY MUTTERED UNDER MY BREATH! ... BUT I CAN'T MUTTER UNDER MY BREATH, CAN I?! ... YOU JERK! THAT WAS UNDER MY BREATH ALSO! YOU IDIOT!

Steven A. Smith: Just stop--

Joe Alexander: UNDER MY BREATH AGAIN!

Steven A. Smith: Will you stop, Joe?

Joe Alexander: I THINK I WILL, STEVEN A.! I THINK I WILL!

Slow Food.

Wartime civilian participation program initiated after Pearl Harbor. Americans were encouraged to keep gardens/grow their own (food Labor+ transport shortages and good boost in morale).


Barney Bear's Victory Garden cartoon. 1942. YES!

All you need to know about Kosta Koufos

Do I get 1/2 a block for this?

(FYI - He's the white guy getting ready to flop)

I cant wait to hear how Hot Rod handles the first time this kid check into a game next season. This is what you can expect to hear:

Hot Rod: Entering the game for the first time this season, number 31 from Ohio State, wait I thought he was from Greece, mmmmmm Greek food, I like Baklava.

Producer yelling at Hot Rod in his ear: The game hot rod, the effing game!! How many martinis has this guy had already?

Hot Rod: Oh yeah, the basketball game, what was this kids name again? Kos, Kuse, Kusta, Kutsa, Costco....screw it I will just call him by his last name....damn that one is harder to pronounce....Kofo, Kufu, Kudos, Cujos....Can I just call him Baklava? Mmmmm, I like Greek food.

Back to the draft - One word sticks out about this pick: Whatever. For his upside he has been compared to Memo Okur (I thought we already had a guy like that) and for another comparison he has been compared to Darko Milicic. Great, that is all we need, another crappy big man on the roster. I guess we do need someone to replace Jarron Collins when he retires in 15 years.

From ESPN.com they list his strengths with stuff like this - He's tall, strong, can pass out of double teams ok and has good timing for blocking shots, but is not explosive enough to be a real good shot blocker. - Keep in mind these are the kids positive attributes. When the best part of your game is your size, well, at least you got that going for you.

Lets move onto the negatives from ESPN.com - Can be a disinterested defender at times. Lacks aggressiveness at times. Lacks lateral quickness. Can sometimes lose his confidence and then his game falls apart. Needs to be able to handle contact in the paint better. - This sounds an awful lot like our current big men, good job guys he should fit in nicely. Maybe he will turn out to be a lot like Memo. You know that he got super excited knowing that you don't have to play defense for the Jazz if you play Center of Power Forward.

The good news is that our D-League team is going to have two 7-footers to dominate the league next year, maybe I will get some season tickets to the Flash.

Kirsty McLaren. Australia. Photographer.

Eef Ees In Ze Game, Ees In Ze Game

Ah, yes, Ahmerrykahns! Tonay Parcare ees coming to a store near you. Das right, I, Tonay Parcare, veel be gracing de covare of ze best bassetball game in ze worlds, NBAs LIFES Two Sousand and Nine.

So yes, Ahmerrykahns, you can have ze Tonay Parcare een your own house. Een your own vroom. Eef you like, een your bed. But not zee vreal Tonay Parcare, unfortunately for you.

But, you know, eef you ask Tonay nicely, he join you in bed too.

Brandon Bird. California.

oil on canvas.


pencil drawings.

The characters chosen as subjects are perfection, especially Christopher Walken (of course) the star of Brandon's project titled Letters to Christopher Walken- where young art students wrote their annual Christmas letter to Walken:

Christopher Campbell. England.

Oil on linen.

The Blowtorch 2008 NBA Draft Manual

I put together a little document for tonight's draft. It's got the NBADraft.net Top 100. It's got the latest Draft Express mock draft. It's got a bunch of lists of players I like and don't like. It's even got a listing of the full order of the draft so you can follow along at home, adding in the draft picks as they are announced. Needless to say, this thing will be handy tonight. Download it, print it, study it.

Download The Blowtorch's 2008 NBA Draft Manual

UPDATE: Thanks to Todd, here's a mirror to the manual.

1000 Words: David Stern Through the Years

Ben Pobjoy. Land of America.

Check out Ben Pobjoys photo show at the grittiest gallery in Montreal, The Emporium.

I Have Pop. Concrete.

"I have Pop is an ongoing investigation into the dynamics and mechanics of popular culture through a series of autonomous projects and assignments. The idea is to create a different perspective on various elements of pop culture". ihavepop.com






(Fitness weights created for WeSC's flagship NYC+LA stores to support their continuing effort to promote healthy active living)