California here I come and Nike sucks

Tomorrow I leave for Dana Point Harbor, California for a week to surf, relax, and go to some surf music shows. I need the vacation, I need to get out of this state and everything that reminds me of Melissa. Camping on the beach will be nice, to listen to the waves crash on the shore as I fall alseep still feeling the motion of the waves from spending the entire day in the water. Who knows, maybe I'll find a beach romance... probably not. Anyway I should be back by July 4. Bobby will be arriving by July 6 with Monica. I just hope he knows he is not arriving to the same people. We've all changed, Scott, Rob, and I are all different from the kids who graduated McClintock High a year ago. I guess now we will see if he and Monica are really meant to be, this is his turf now, his home, I wish he could see from the outside what she is, what she is doing. Driving a wedge between his family, and his friends. Something will happen, there will be an answer, let it be. See you in a week.

Black Flag -Nervous Breakdown
I'm about To have a nervous breakdown
My head really hurts
If I don't find a way out of here
I'm gonna go berserk 'cause

I'm crazy and I'm hurt
Head on my shoulders
It's going... berserk

I hear the same old talk talk talk
The same old lines
Don't do me that today, yeah
If you know what's good for you you'll get out of my way 'cause

I'm crazy and I'm hurt
Head on my shoulders
Going... berserk

I won't apologize
For acting outta line
You see the way I am
You leave any time you can 'cause

I'm crazy and I'm hurt
Head on my shoulders,
Going... berserk

Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
I don't care what you fuckin' do
I don't care what you fuckin' say
I'm so sick of everything
I just want to... die!

Oh yeah, and Nike can suck it!


Rob Kleckner reports:
Exhibit A: Classic cover art of Minor Threat's self-titled 1984 compilation.
Exhibit B: Nike Skateboarding's poster image for its "Major Threat" 2005 East Coast Tour.

You don't need a degree in graphic design to notice the similarities here. They're the fucking same. Oh, wait-- one is blue, not red, one says Major, not Minor, and, uh, okay, there are some Nike logos tossed in there. It sort of brings to mind that old interview in which Vanilla Ice attempted to defend the difference between "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure" ("dun dun dun duh-duh-duh dun" vs. "DUN dun dun dun duh-duh-duh dun").
Come on, Nike, your Swoosh is one of the most iconic brand images in the world-- perhaps a tiny notch below the Golden Arches and maybe Coca-Cola. We understand that trading on the image of a legitimately punk rock, anti-corporate institution will lend some desperately needed credibility to your marketing campaign for the hearts of adolescent skate kids. But doesn't knowing full well that that institution-- in this case the venerable Dischord Records-- would never grant you permission for the use of that image, and just steamrolling the fuck over them anyway because your lawyers can beat up their lawyers negate the very ideals with which you're attempting to equate yourselves? I mean, there's unethical and then there's just flat-out mercenary.
Just to make sure Dischord hadn't truly gone back on everything they've ever stood for, we asked a representative from the label if Nike had asked to borrow the image. They said the following: "No, they stole it and we're not happy about it. Nike is a giant corporation which is attempting to manipulate the alternative skate culture to create an even wider demand for their already ubiquitous brand. Nike represents just about the antithesis of what Dischord stands for and it makes me sick to my stomach to think they are using this explicit imagery to fool kids into thinking that the general ethos of this label, and Minor Threat in particular, can somehow be linked to Nike's mission. It's disgusting."
Though the label is not sure as to what action they're planning to take, they are definitely not happy with Nike's choice. We'll keep you updated as we learn more about the situation.
* Nike Skateboarding: http://www.nike.com/nikeskateboarding/
* Dischord Records: http://www.dischord.com/