Podnah's Pit BBQ

Sunday new restaurant night is back.

I heard from some Texans that this new place Podnah's Pit BBQ was authentic and I have to say I agree. I had the brisket with potato salad and creamy slaw as my sides and left full and satisfied. They also have pulled pork, pork ribs, lamb ribs, chicken and on Friday and Saturday nights they do prime rib. The pinto beans and collard greens are great too. But we all know anyone can smoke up some meat, so the question is how is the sauce? The answer is tangy and tasty. It is so good, you'll want to get some bread to sop up the extra.

They would do well to get some more mainstream beer's or better yet, some Shiner Bock. But that is not too big a deal. There was also not much choice when it came to desert, but when you have good pecan pie, you really don't need much else.

1469 NE Prescott St

Portland, OR 97211
(503) 281-3700

Open for lunch and dinner

http://podnahspit.com/

Lyle Lovett - Step Inside This House

I feel strange picking Step Inside This House as the Lyle Lovett record I want to feature. He is my favorite singer/songwriter, but he didn't write any of these songs. This is an ode to Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Martin Murphy, Walter Hyatt and Townes Van Zandt. They are all Lyle's favorite songwriters and if your grew up in Texas you grew up listening to their songs.

It seems like you would have to have a strong sense of self and a lot of confidence to cover these songwriters. You also have to have some humility to put the pencil down and do a record of all covers. My impression is that Lyle Lovett has these attributes in spades, which help him pull off this amazing double record of songs.

One of the best parts of this 100 best records thing is actually listening to the record while I type. Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance actually makes me well up every time I hear it.

New Tiger Spot

I am excited that they have added a new feature to my blog software and I can now upload videos.

This is the latest Tiger spot that ran on the US Open. The US Open also coincides with Father's Day and once you watch the spot I think you'll see how we took advantage of this. The commercial was a lot of fun to make. We actually shot Tiger and the Ft. Worth facility where they design Nike Golf equipment separately. We didn't want to interrupt the work day, so we shot the commercial from 3:00 p.m. until about 2:00 a.m.

One of the highlights of making this spot was when we heard they were debating whether or not it was a good idea on PTI (Pardon the Interruption), one of my favorite shows on ESPN. The decision was, if Tiger is OK with it, then we are OK with it. Words to live by.

Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

It's strange to think that a southern white woman made my all time favorite soul record, but here it is, the most soulful record I have in my collection. Dusty sounds like a woman who has felt real pain and is not afraid to share it with you.

I have to admit I did not really know Dusty until I heard her sing on a Pet Shop Boys record. I had heard a couple of her songs, but many of them were covered by other people and I did not realize she was the original singer. I also did not realize that many of her best songs are Randy Newman compositions (it is hard to say enough about him as a song writer).

In it's day I think "Son of Preacher Man" was the only hit off this record and it's probably the reason I originally bought the record, but I was richly rewarded with several amazing songs, my favorite: Breakfast in Bed. So take a trip back to Memphis in 1969 and you'll meet a woman whose lived more than most of us.

Demons vs. Issues

Most people have issues, but when do issues become demons? Drink too much, miss a little work and you have issues. A rock and roll star with a heroin habit, he's got demons. When Bobby Knight threw a chair across a basketball court in the middle of a game because he didn't like a call, we say he has anger issues. When Robert Downey Jr. is found naked on his neighbors lawn, we say he is battling demons. You battle demons, you address issues.

You battle demons until you succumb to your demons. John Daley is battling demons. Ernest Hemingway succumbed to his demons. If you are a writer, artist or musician you often have demons. If Jackson Pollack came to your office drunk everyday yelling about how bad the job sucked, you would think he's a asshole. But he was a famous artist so we gave him a demon pass.

If you ever read the obituaries, 999 out of 1000 in your newspaper will not mention demons. If you read an obituary in Rolling Stone magazine there is a 90% chance that the word demon will be mentioned.

It would be interesting if the common man's obituaries were as honest as celebrity obituaries. Bill Wilson, father, husband and faithful employee at Pacific Power passed away last night. While he was a good guy, and a decent golfer, he had some pretty major anger issues. And truth be told, he was also a racist. But he was working on his issues and was making progress when he was taken from us by a freak accident. He will be missed, by some.

Some people overcome their demons. Some might say George Bush overcame his drinking, partying, cocaine snorting demons. Others say you only trade in one set of demons for others, which might explain why we are stuck in a war we can't get out of while the President says he has not made any mistakes.

Finally there are those amongst us who are controlled by (or even communing with) their demons. David Berkowitz says a neighborhood dog told told him to kill people. Charles Manson thought he was Jesus. Jim Jones convinced 100's of people to drink kool aide. And the Bawgwan Rasnish had people bow down as his car passed and kill his opponents.

So work on your issues, because chances are if your reading this you are a regular person and won't be able to play the demon card. Or if you don't think you can change your ways, maybe try to get famous.

Golf Speak

Golfers have a lot of strange sayings that you don't hear in the real world. Some are a universal part of the game and some are unique. Easy ones: birdy (one under par), par (the score a scratch golfer should make on the hole), bogey (one over par), eagle (two under par) and albatross the most rare of birds (three under par, sometimes called a double eagle in the US).

Some are more colorful. To shank the ball is to hit it off the hozzel often resulting in a low flyer heading way right into oblivion. Many people won't say the word shank, we have a client at Nike Golf named Dan Shenck, but we call him Dan Lateral. Substitutes include "hozzel rocket" and "exaggerated fade." To fade a shot is to bend it right, to draw a ball is to bend it left. To hook a ball is to hit it way left, to slice the ball is to hit it way right. A "duck hook" is a ball the starts off OK then ducks towards the woods on the left.


A "worm burner" is a shot that never gets off the ground. To hit the ball straight up is to "balloon it," "knock it up" or "sky it." A "Texas wedge" is another name for your putter. On short wedge shots we often putt them in Texas due to the wind and hard ground. The "big stick" is the driver. When someone says, "let the big dog hunt" they are pulling out driver. The "flat stick" is your putter. A layup is a safe shot short of the hole as opposed to going for it. A lag is a good put from long distance that leaves you close. When you hear "nice lag," it is often facetious.

"Skulled it" or "thined it" means you hit too much ball and not enough ground. To hit it fat means the opposite, too much ground not enough ball. If you are "on the beach," your are in a sand bunker. When hitting out of a bunker you want to "hit the big ball first," i.e. hit the sand before the ball.

"Drive for show, putt for dough." People look good when they drive the ball 300 yards, but if you can't putt you won't make any money. To "grind it out" is to play hard and stay focused even though you are not having your best day.

"Never up, never in," you left the put short. "All lip, no hole," you rolled a put around the hole, but it didn't drop. A "sister in law," means you're up there but shouldn't be - you hit a bad shot close.

One thing you never want to hear on the putting green is "you are still away." This means your putt is still further away from the hole than your opponents even though you just putted. Other things you will often hear from caddies on the green, "firm, but not too firm," "downhill about 60%," "a ball inside," "don't give the hole away," and "it breaks both ways." We don't really know what any of these mean. The one thing you do love to hear is, "that's good." This means your playing partner has conceded the putt, which is always nice when you have a four footer for par.

My last note is a joke I heard from Franklin Langham, although I am sure it's an old one. We were on a commercial shoot in Las Vegas and during some down time we started hitting drives into an open fairway. When we walked out to pick up our balls Franklin (a Nike pro) says, "hey did you see that new Walmart they're building?" I say, "no where?" He says, "between my ball and yours." I fell for it hook line and sinker.

OK, that's all I have for now. Please add any you can think of.

Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks

We are going old school here, back to 1976. I was blown away when this record came out. The idea that you didn't have to be able to play instruments, just be able to shout and have a lot of energy was very inspiring. Sure it was a huge hoax, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted. And last it didn't. This is the only studio album the Pistols ever made. Everything else is a repackage, etc.

I remember being one of the only kids on the block who had this record. Needless to say, punk rock was not big in Houston in the late-70's. It wasn't really until new wave music took off that early punk caught on. Luckily I spent my summers in Scotland and punk was in full effect. The Pistols and the Damned were playing a double bill at the Edinburgh Playhouse. I have never seen so much spit in my entire life. In fact I feared for my young life most of the show.

I am not going to get into the argument over who started punk, American vs. UK punk, etc. All I have to say is, if one record has to define the genre this is it.

Bandon Dunes

Just got back from playing 108 holes of golf in four days and my feet are a little sore. But no amount of pain can diminish the great experience that is Bandon Golf Resort. If you don't believe me, both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine have rated it ahead of Pebble Beach as the number one golf resort in the US. And since I have been to Pebble I can say I agree, in fact, outside of St. Andrews there is not a better golf experience in the world that I can think of

This was not my first trip to Bandon, but they have added a golf course since the last time I was down there and I think it is the hardest course yet. I have heard anything over a 130 slope rating is hard and Bandon Trails is rated at 135. It is a Ben Crenshaw design and the greens are very tricky. I have to add that there was 2-3 very questionable pin placements the two rounds I played, that added to the pain.

The great thing about Bandon is that you go there to play golf. You play two rounds a day, you eat and you sleep. There is not much else to do and we like it that way. You should not get the image that it is two bunks, a mess hall and some golf. The rooms are great. You can get them in many different configurations. If you have a big group you a can get up to four bedrooms in one lodge. Also, the food is top notch. They have steaks, seafood and my personal favorite meatloaf in the main grill as well as a pub that serves burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc. The wine list is extensive with good Oregon and California selections, but it is a little pricey.

Overall the facility is excellent. There is a 24 hour shuttle that gets you to your room or out to the practice facility and the courses. There is a workout room you will never see. There is a masseuse for those tired feet, as well as a spa and sauna. And there are pro shops and restaurants at each of the three courses.

If you are a serious golfer you will love all three courses at Bandon, but the traditionalist will love the original 18, Bandon Dunes. It reminds me the most of the links courses in Scotland. The gorse is deep and plentiful, but the course is pretty wide open. It's main protection is the elements. If it is windy (and it almost always is) and rainy this is a tough loop.

Pacific Dunes is more "designed" than Bandon Dunes and a tougher course. The wind adds to the damage here as well. The greens are trickier and the fairways are a lot tighter. Straight drives and a smart short game is what you need to get around this course in one piece. Some good reads from one of the great caddies will help too (yes you should get a caddy if you have never played this course before).

My feet are sore, I can't lift my arms above my head and my face still stings from the wind burn, but I would play another 36 tomorrow if I could.