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So, the first time I saw it, I thought, "Wow, what a considerate friend that other guy was, worrying about Kobe's sanity and trying to avert any potential problems." And also, "Hyperdunks???!!!"

Then I visited kb24.com (site looks incredible), where you can watch the same video in much higher quality.

I wondered if Kobe really was just messing around, or if maybe he'd told Nike he'd come up with some publicity stunt.

But watching the video again, it almost seems like a cross between an unscripted "casual" video, and a totally scripted professional one.

I think it was a super scripted professional one, crafted to look and feel casual. I've seen a couple of ads on TV that try to imitate casual videos, but reall end up looking stupid.

I think this video is awesome, no matter what motivated Kobe to make it.

Remember when Arnold Schwarzenegger said “I need a vacation,” in “Terminator 2?” Well, so do we all! And whenever we go on one, we learn a lot about how to make it just a tad better. Like, “Next time we’ll stay at the other place,” and “I wish we would have [blank].” Those tidbits of information are highly valuable to prospective vacationers that haven’t cleared their schedules yet, which is why WeNeedaVacation.com exists!

WeNeedaVacation.com is a site that provides a group of online tools that facilitate social networking with a focus on vacations. Travel enthusiasts can design and save their vacation plans online and share them with others. If you register, you can invite anyone you want to join your vacation, and can rank the top properties you discover while away. Sharing comments and insights about those rental properties is an added online bonus.

WeNeedaVacation.com has just been updated to provide video features. This new functionality allows someone renting their property out to add a video to their rental listing and give prospective vacationers a more thorough idea of what they’ll experience when they rent there.

WeNeedaVacation.com focuses on Cape Cod and Florida as two top vacation spots. Destin, Florida is a pretty good location, so if you wanted to reserve Destin vacation rentals, or even just check out the social networking tools, visit WeNeedaVacation.com today!

I've ridden a stationary bike before, and I think it's a great tool to help someone get some exercise. I noticed that when watching a movie with a lot of heart-pumping action in it, it's easier to stop thinking about the pedaling, even while working harder and burning more energy. So a few weeks ago, I thought back to an episode of a cartoon I had seen, (maybe "Doug?") in which someone visited a modern gym with a stationary bike in front of a screen. The screen could display a scenic route, or a tougher course. I believe the video images reflected the actual progress the rider was making on the bike.

I thought, "Cool!" If only there were a bike like that where you could hook it up to your TV and ride through a well-made movie! There'd be ups and downs in the plot, emotional peaks and valleys, and all the while all it takes is your pedaling to save the day. The emotional involvement in the action on-screen can make it a lot easier to enjoy riding a stationary bike. I wondered, "When will they come out with the home kit?"

They already have! Today, I saw a commercial for the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle. For $90, you can get your little tyke his or her very own stationary bike that comes complete with a video game system built in. You just hook it up to your TV, insert one of the game cartridges, and BLAMMO! As you kid pedals and steers through the on-screen courses (yes, the bike can be steered!) he's exercising, learning, and having fun all at the same time. Not only are the games interesting, they also contain simple educational lessons. This product is incredible. I never could have guessed that somebody already thought it up.

When I was searching for it on Amazon.com so I could get the name right, I came across another version of this idea for grownups and kids alike. It's called Qmotions Funfitness for Xbox. This system is different from the Smart Cycle in that it is designed for people who already have their own stationary bike. You attach sensors to your bike's pedals, hook the system up to your X-Box, and then play whatever racing game you already own. I guess the Funfitness system basically turns the pedals of any stationary bike into alternate X-Box controller. I'm not quite clear on how you steer, but I'm sure there's a way.

This is great! Maybe someday they'll make Qmotions a little more like the Smart Cycle and come up with their own games, specifically geared toward bike riding. It just makes me wonder… "What will they think of next?"