Post Tagged with: "Lifestyle"

Pack Your Bags

Whether you’re going by plane, train, or automobile, we’ve got the right stuff to help you gear up.
By Deirdre Goldbeck

Pack Your Bags
Orvis luggage tags
Orvis.com • Brass: Set of three $39; Leather: $49 each
Bags need tags if you ever want to see them again. If you go for hardware, Orvis’s set of three brass identification tags are just the ticket. There’s a limit of four lines per tag and 25 characters per line. Each tag measures 2.5 by 1.25 inches, and attaches easily with a spring-operated brass clip. If leather is more your thing, go for a single tag with up to three initials embossed on the outside. Your personal information is inside, revealed only when the tag is unbuckled. They measure 6.5 by 2.5 inches and come in black or orange.
Pack Your Bags
Samsonite Travel Sentry luggage strap
Samsonite.com • $18
There may not be a gorilla manhandling your bags behind the scenes, but why take chances? Zippers can break and seams can bust under stress, but this TSA-approved strap is tough enough to hold everything together, and to keep it locked down with a three-dial combination. The strap is made of sturdy polypropylene and adjusts to fit a bag up to 72 inches. It comes in a variety of colors, from discreet black to several easy-to-ID brights, like neon green.
Pack Your Bags
L.L. Bean travel scale and alarm
LLBean.com • $35
Anything that serves multiple purposes when you travel is a must. This digital scale will let you know if you’re over the airline’s weight limit, so you’ll avoid unpleasant surprises and extra fees at check-in. It displays poundage six seconds after lifting, and registers bag weight up to 88 pounds. Need a wake-up call? It also serves as a travel clock with both an alarm and a snooze option. What makes this item a triple threat is the built-in flashlight. It weighs just under nine ounces, and batteries are included.
Pack Your Bags
AViiQ slim travel adapter
AViiQ.com • $20
If you’re planning a trip across the pond, you won’t want to leave home with one of those bulky, space hogging adapters. AViiQ’s travel adapter is designed to fold flat when not in use, for easy packing. When you’re ready to charge or power up your devices, just flip the ends to release the prongs. It measures roughly 3.5 by 2 by .5 inches and has a 250-volt electrical rating. Everything you pack should be this compact and practical.
Pack Your Bags
VinniBag wine travel bag
VinniBag.com • $28
No matter how much newspaper you’ve used for padding, or how well you think you’ve nestled that bottle of bourbon between your dirty socks, accidents happen. But clumsy bag-handlers and pothole-riddled roads have nothing on this specially designed carrier. It inflates to cushion your hooch or other breakables against impact, and seals to prevent leaks during transit. Best of all, it’s TSA-friendly and reusable.
Pack Your Bags
Clever Travel Companion underwear
CleverTravelCompanion.com
Boxers: $30; T-shirts: $40 Would you hand over your cash and credit cards to a perfect stranger? Probably not. Keep your valuables safe with 100 percent pick pocket proof underwear. Briefs and boxers have two zippered pockets, are made of rayon and spandex, and come in sizes extra small to extra large. Choose black, navy, or dark gray. Cotton T-shirts have a single front pocket, are sized from small to extra large, and come in white or gray. Keep your friends close, and your valuables closer.
Pack Your Bags
Max Mirani MOVE Mobile Closet
MaxMirani.com • $450
If you hate unpacking and repacking for short overnight trips, this bag’s for you. Polycarbonate material makes the carry-on lightweight and durable, and four swivel wheels and a telescoping handle provide easy maneuvering through narrow aisles and crowded airports. Inside, suits fit flat behind the zip-out lining. The lining itself acts as your organizer and wardrobe, with cantilevered shelves for clothing, pockets for toiletries, and removable sections for shoes and laundry. Unpacking can’t get any easier.
Pack Your Bags
Eagle Creek Flashpoint luggage
EagleCreek.com • Conor backpack: $160; ORV Trunk 22 rolling duffle: $325
Let it rain, let it pour—you’ve got luggage that can take it. Durable Bi-Tech material and zippers make these travel pieces tough and weather resistant. The backpack, measuring 14 by 19.5 by 9.5 inches, has a check point friendly butter fly opening that can accommodate a 17-inch laptop, and secure interior pockets with two-way lockable zippers for small electronic devices. The shoulder straps are ergonomically contoured, and the rear slip panel is perfect for stacking the backpack on the Flashpoint ORV Trunk 22’s telescopic handle. This rolling duffle measures 14 by 22 by 9 inches, has an oversize front panel, and additional carry handles on the end, side, and center. Both pieces have reflective accents for visibility, and are backed by Eagle Creek’s “No Matter What” warranty. You just can’t beat that.

Spyware

Seven sexy gadgets that provide a secret service.
By Crispin Boyer

Spyware
Omni 27
HP • $1,200
The Windows-based alternative to Apple’s 27-inch iMac, HP’s Omni 27, is a multimedia PC disguised as a 27-inch HDTV. The baseline model comes with respectable specifications, including the latest Core i5 processor, eight gigabytes of RAM, a DVD/Blu-ray combo drive, and a massive one-terabyte hard drive for media storage. Although it’s powerful enough for productivity and light gaming, it’s really designed as an all-in-one entertainment center for small apartments, dens, or dorms. The 27-inch edge-to-edge display, despite being a smidge less sharp than Apple’s iMac, is more than adequate for streaming flicks or plugging in your Xbox 360.
Spyware
PenCam 4GB
Swann • $50
You could concoct all sorts of legit-sounding excuses to own a video-camera pen (record the boss’s Power-Point presentations, snap photos of your receipts for accurate expense reports). Whatever your real reason for office surveillance, the PenCam will do the job with out raising suspicions. The camera surreptitiously captures 640 by 480 AVI video and photos at 1,280 by 1,024 resolution. The four gigabytes of internal memory hold two hours of video and 18,000 photos, which you transfer to your computer via USB. Just be careful what you upload to YouTube—unless you want to explain yourself to HR.
Spyware
USB cuff links
Ravi Ratan • $250
James Bond might have a car that turns into a submarine and a watch that deflects bullets, but so far he’s been shit out of luck when it comes to ferrying gigabytes of data or shar ing Wi-Fi between gad gets. That’s where this practical gizmo for the black-tie IT guy comes in. The polished-silver set offers a double whammy of data-sharing, with one serving as a two-gigabyte USB drive and the other interfacing with your Windows laptop to create a Wi-Fi hot spot. This high-tech executive bling is avail able from CuffLinks.com, which also offers USB-only versions in a variety of finishes.
Spyware
Coolpix P510
Nikon • $430
This is essential equipment for outdoor surveillance missions, aka ogling babes at the beach. Its wide-angle lens is capable of an astounding 42x optical zoom, while image-stabilization technology locks down every intimate detail on faraway subjects. Lightning-quick autofocus lets you get fast on the trigger, snapping up to five full-resolution shots per second. The P510’s 16.1-megapixel CMOS sensor allows for detailed pics in any lighting condition, and the same goes for recording 1080p movies (complete with stereo sound). A host of automatic features helps newbies make the most of this serious shooter.
Spyware
Freedom Bluetooth wireless headphones
JayBird • $99
Jogging while wearing traditional earbuds is doable but difficult: The wires snag on clothing and slap at your chest, while all that salty sweat eats away at audio components. These sweat-proof headphones are designed specifically for music-motivated fitness freaks. They sync to your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth. Multiple earbuds and adjustable cushions ensure a snug fit, keeping the earphones locked to your noggin during mad dashes or bumpy bike rides. The right earpiece has a built-in mike—plus volume and playback controls—so you won’t need to fumble for your device to change tracks or take calls.
Spyware
Sportiiiis heads-up display
4iiii • $199
If you can look past its cheesy name (pronounced “sport eyes”), this is actually a handy training tool that just might save cyclists from becoming roadkill. Using a universal mount, the device connects to a pair of sunglasses and links wirelessly to any ANT+ sensors for monitoring heart rate, bike speed, etc. (Eyewear and sensors are sold separately.) A series of lights projected beneath your right eye—along with optional audio cues—help you stay in your target training zone without taking your eyes off the road. You can even program custom training routines with the included smartphone app and PC/Mac software.
Spyware
Smuggler golfbag beer cooler
Bracketron • $25
Despite Rodney Danger field’s beer on-tap example in Caddy shack more than 30 years ago, country clubs still haven’t wised up to the fact that golf is better with a PBR. Fairway lushes will have to rely on the Smuggler, a soft-sided beverage cooler that tucks into a golf bag without leaving telltale beer-can bumps. It’s equipped with a reusable freezable gel pack, and will keep a six-pack of your favorite suds frosty from tee to sweltering tee on hot afternoons. Of course, the Smuggler also chills nonalcoholic canned beverages if you’re not the type to break the rules—or throw off your handicap with beer goggles.

Rebel Yell

Rebel YellErotic model/entrepreneur Ariel Rebel is doing all she can to make her presence known on the web, including providing us with sexy photos of herself wearing—and, even better, not wearing—Penthouse panties.
By Jennifer Peters

There are some who say the internet was invented for one reason and one reason only: to propagate pornography. We’re not sure if that’s really why it exists, but it’s certainly our favorite thing about it.

At 26 years old, Canadian model Ariel Rebel has already built an online empire, running not only her own web sites—her paid site, her free blog, and a web comic—but a network of sites starring other models, as well as her own affiliate program. That might sound like a lot, but to a technophile like Ariel, it’s barely enough to keep her from getting bored. “Some people would call me a workaholic,” she says, “but I don’t think of it as work. I’ve always been very creative, and I’m super active online, so it never seems like a chore to work on my sites.”

Ariel started her own website in 2005, but it wasn’t until 2008 that she took the reins. Wanting to better reflect her personality, she started
shooting more and more of her own content and adding features—including a collection of her favorite recipes—that she felt her fans would enjoy. She wanted there to be something for everyone.

“What I’m doing online,” she tells us, “no one else is doing right now. I like glamour and beauty, so even if I’m fucking myself with a dildo, it’s going to be very cinematic.”

The unique aesthetic of Ariel’s sites—which combines ideas from classic glamour shoots, Japanese anime, and rock ’n’ roll—has lured in women and couples, in addition to the scores of men who follow her online exploits. “There are fans who really interact with me online, and those people are awesome,” she says. “But some just want to get in, jerk off, and get out, and that’s okay, too.”

Pleasing horny men and running a porn empire wasn’t always the plan. Her first love, Ariel admits, is the theater. When she realized acting wasn’t going to be the most profitable career, she headed to college, majoring in fashion design. When she needed cash, she started working in a local sex shop, and one thing led to another. “An amateur photographer approached me at work one day and asked if I’d do a shoot with him,” she tells us. “After that I did some webcamming, but that didn’t last long. It did, however, allow me to meet a ton of girls and photographers, and I started modeling a lot more. I realized I liked doing it. It’s fun to see my inner femme fatale come out during a shoot, and I like showing off for the camera. Most of all, I love seeing the results, especially when I get to see my photos online or in magazines. It’s a rush.”

Ariel often finds herself doing quick 30-minute shoots of an idea that’s popped into her head. She admits that the photos that appear here came about in much the same way. “A fan had sent me these adorable panties from Penthouse, and I decided I needed to shoot in
them,” she explains. “I had so much fun shooting that set. Afterward, I decided to send the photos to Penthouse. It’s always been a dream of mine to shoot for the magazine, and I figured, What the hell? Then I got the call that my photos were going to run. I couldn’t believe it.”

When Ariel isn’t starring in her fans’ fantasies, she’s working with other gorgeous girls. “Honestly, one of the best parts of my job is looking at all the hot naked girls,” she says. “It’s definitely a pleasure.”

She’s not kidding, folks. Ariel doesn’t simply like looking at girls for work; she’s attracted to them in her everyday life as well. “Sometimes I like butchy girls, sometimes more girlie girls,” she says. “I like a girl with a nice butt. That’s definitely a turn-on. Too hairy a pussy is a breaking point, though.” Even her favorite fantasy involves other women: having a ladies-only orgy. “I’ve never done it, but I want to,” she admits. “It’s on my list.”

Also on Ariel’s list is internet domination. In addition to updating her comic with new stories and redesigning her website, Ariel wants to start a video series where she teaches men how to woo women, with life tips and cooking lessons. “I want to show men how to be sexy,” she tells us. “And men who can cook—that’s sexy.”

The panties Ariel is modeling are no longer available, but check out other sexy options at PenthouseStore.com.

How Do You Like Him Now?

How Do You Like Him Now?
Sure, Toby Keith has had a string of No. 1 hits, but what we—and he—want to talk about this Memorial Day is his work with U.S. troops and returning vets.
By Alanna Nash

Toby Keith’s current album, Clancy’s Tavern, inspired by his frequent childhood visits to his grandmother’s club, debuted at No. 1 last October. He was named Artist of the Decade at the 2011 American Country Awards. His hit single “Red Solo Cup,” the second off Clancy’s Tavern, was also the No. 1 country download on iTunes. Plus, Beverage Media magazine called his Wild Shot Mezcal “the number-one premium mezcal in the U.S. market.” He’s even been named the nation’s top-earning country performer by Forbes.

Yet Oklahoma’s favorite son likes nothing so much as to talk about his trips overseas to entertain U.S. troops, and about his work with returning veterans. Keith, 50, stepped into that work after his ubiquitous anthem, “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”—a virulent response to the September 11 terrorist attacks—proved a rallying cry for belligerent compatriots. Never mind that critics denounced it as “knee-jerk jingoism.”

Keith put his money where his mouth was, and after a 2003 trip to Baghdad, he began trying to improve conditions for Americans fighting abroad. On a trip to Afghanistan in 2007, he saw how troops in remote outposts lived between literal walls of sand, without creature comforts. That moved him to sponsor the USO2GO program, which distributes care packages to overseas U.S. bases. Keith is also a cofounder—with NFL players Tommie Harris, Roy Williams, and Mark Clayton—of Pros 4 Vets, which offers legal assistance and advice to Oklahomans who return from active duty.

As in his songs, in interviews Keith is forceful, outspoken, and passionate.

How did you get so involved with the USO?
Well, the first time I went over there was about ten years ago. I was just going to go for two weeks the year after my dad died, to honor him, and then I said, “Man, we’ve got to do this again.” I went the next year, and the USO said, “You could be a big force in the USO.” And so my agent, Curt Motley, became a board member, and he works tirelessly trying to get other entertainers to go over.

You made the news recently with your USO2GO program. How did that come about?
We were over there, and we saw that some of those FOBs [forward operating bases, or secured forward positions used to support tactical operations] had shitty conditions for R&R. Those boys take wire baskets and put cardboard in them, fill them with sand, stack ’em, and that’s their wall. And they put cardboard huts up to eat in, and put some tents up, and then they have a little room, maybe 20 by 30 feet, with some air piped into it, and they sit there trying to run a DVD. So we put these care packages together that include things like DVD players and flat-screens and games and PS3s. The USO is a morale-lifter, and it brings a piece of home over.

Why do you keep going back? What does it satisfy in you personally?
There’s a big void there that needs to be filled. I’ve done 180 shows, and it takes that many to get the word out. And there’s such a big need for it. I go two weeks every year, and the USO board can use that as a tool to get other people to go. But you’ve got two strikes against you when you go. One’s political. A lot of people don’t want to associate themselves with it because of the political brush they’ll be painted with. And there’s a distinct fear factor for a lot of people. That’s a big issue. We’ll land at a big base in Afghanistan, and then we’ll go to the small bases, little FOBs up on the front, and play as many forward bases as we can. I figure if I made it through 180 shows, you can at least go to Walter Reed hospital in D.C. and shake hands. But if you can get anybody to go once, they find out how great it is. It’s a wonderful geography lesson, a wonderful history lesson that you can’t get anywhere else. To talk with those guys who put their lives on the line every day, and to eat lunch, shake hands, and spend time with ’em, is just a wonderful experience.

You’ve had some scary experiences. Four mortars hit close to you and you had to hunker down in a bunker, for example.
Yeah, but that happens all the time. The people you’re surrounded by live under that duress every minute, so they’re prepared for it, and fortunately the enemy is terrible strategists, terrible warriors. So it would be like getting hit by a stray bullet in a major city in the U.S. The second that a launch is detected, they sound a siren, you get in a bunker, and the missiles hit, and then when it’s over, you go on with your day.

Was it easy for you to figure out what the soldiers wanted to hear?
The biggest reality check came the first year I was there. We’d been on a C-17 to Kuwait from Germany, and then we were on a C-130 from Kuwait into Baghdad. When we landed, it was dark and it was still 122 degrees. They took us to Camp Cook, which had just lost four guys a couple of hours before we arrived. And we played a very somber show. I didn’t know what to expect, so I had a bunch of comical stuff. I wanted to make ’em laugh. My dad used to sing a song called “Army Life” that was real popular back 50 years ago. So I wanted to write a bunch of stuff like that, play ’em four or five hits, play “Weed With Willie” and make ’em smile, especially since they’d just lost four guys. But it was still so somber that you just had to suck it up and get it done.

What’s your objective when you go over there? Just to entertain the men and women, or something else?
Just campaigning for the USO. Plus, it’s an extreme honor. I’ve made more relationships in the past ten years playing for the military over there than I ever made in my own industry. I’ve got thousands of people I call close friends who I can email and text message who are dependable people of solid character. But I don’t have five people who do what I do in my business that I can just pick the phone up and call and say, “How’s it going?”

Do you have a story of one of those relationships?
That first trip they took us to Fallujah, and six days later, after we’d played 12 or 13 shows, we were back in Baghdad, ready to leave, and they said, “Would you guys please step off the plane?” We all got in for mation with ’em, and they brought a flag-draped casket onto our cargo plane. It was First Lieutenant Erik McCrae. When you sit in those cargo planes, the seats fold down from the side and you face sideways, and you look across to your buddies on the other side. The cargo’s buckled in the middle. And there the casket sat, right between us. That was just the most somber flight back to Kuwait. Everybody’s hands were folded in their laps, and they had their heads down. I have become very close to First Lieutenant McCrae’s family, because they came to one of my shows in Oregon. His dad was an ex-soldier, officer, and he was strong as ever, but his mom was crying, and the whole family—the sister and the grandmas—were like, “You rode out of the battlefield with my son. He was just on his way home.” And I was like, “I didn’t do anything. I was just lucky enough to ride with him.” Here we are, eight years later, and his family still comes to the shows. We’ve got a special bond.

Forbes magazine recently named you the top-earning country artist.
Got a lot of shit goin’ on [laughs].

Does it mean something to you to make that list?
Well, my entire operation is set up by about 20 people, who dedicate their lives to this brand. That’s their livelihood, and they work really hard. We get a thousand offers a year to endorse something. Like my Wild Shot Mezcal. You go to Mexico, and the nationals all drink mescal and don’t care for the tequila. I grew up drinking with the locals down there, and I said, “This makes sense for me to bring this authentic Mexican stuff up here,” so I do. We’d only been up and running four months and we were already No. 1 in the States. It’s really smooth, and it’s got a smoky taste because they smoke the cactus. I’ll pass on 999 business deals like that, and then I’ll see one that seems right. My Ford deal has been running for eight or nine years, and they’re just great to me. They sponsor my tours and let me be a spokesperson. So that marriage has just been awesome. And then I have my bar and grills [I Love This Bar & Grill restaurants].

Have you figured out what percentage of your fan base is military?
It’s hard to say. After “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” came out, the political extremists and activists and the media talking heads—right wing or left wing—were never going to accept that I just supported the troops. They made millions of headlines and billions of dollars off it, probably, selling what they sell. But I never felt a sag, and I never felt the burst. My career kept ascending and never did quit. I’m an Independent. Have been for three years. Was a Democrat before. But you can never convince people that it’s okay to be a conservative Democrat and more of a moderate and support the troops. They’re like, “If you support the troops, you’re a right-wing idiot, and I ain’t listening to anything else you’ve got to say.” I quit trying to fight that back in ’03. I said, “I am what I am. I don’t care if my career goes down the tank. I don’t need the money.” I mean, I can always write songs for somebody else to sing. I’ve done that for 17 years. I know my songs would find a home. And I’d be satisfied with that.

Were you immediately accepted overseas?
They know when you meet ’em if you’re there for the right reasons. They sat back and watched me for about three years, as if to say, “Yeah, you’ve come, but a lot of people come over and do shows.” And then the stories got out. They told their buddies, “Yeah, I smoked a cigar with him one night. He’s just a regular ol’ dude.” Those stories take time to build, and after a while, everybody starts hearing consistencies. I tell ’em over there, “We can’t have a beer here, but we can have one at the show.” And we get back there and have a beer, and they’re like, “Holy shit, I never thought this could really happen!” Pretty soon they say, “He really is dedicating his time to be with us. That’s awesome.”

Major League Import

Major League Import
While New York City basks in the glow of a Super Bowl title and renewed fervor for the Knicks and Rangers, international superstar Thierry Henry quietly goes about his business: scoring goals for Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.
By John Bolster

It’s been an exciting year to be a sports fan in New York City. The Giants are the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Rangers are bona fide Stanley Cup contenders, and the Knicks’ season has pivoted around one of the more compelling sports stories in recent memory: the spectacular emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin.

Yet there’s an interesting irony folded in with all the excitement in the Big Apple—one not lost on the city’s knowledgeable soccer community: The most accomplished sports star in town, by a comfortable margin, is also the least well-known, locally. He toils in comparative anonymity at Red Bull Arena, just a few miles north of the Giants’ and Jets’ stadium. His name is Thierry Henry, and he’s one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of the world’s game.

Henry turned pro at age 17, and after stints with French side Monaco and Juventus of the Italian Serie A, he transferred to English powerhouse Arsenal in 1999. That’s where Henry blossomed into a world-class player, racing to the top of the club’s all-time scoring list with a Gretzky-esque strike rate of 174 goals in 254 appearances. He led Arsenal to two league championships, three FA Cup titles, and one UEFA Champions League Final, getting nominated for FIFA World Player of the Year twice along the way.

He was also a mainstay on the French national team during this stretch, and won the 1998 World Cup, the 2000 European Championship, and the 2003 Confederations Cup with Les Blues. He became France’s all-time leading scorer in 2007, surpassing the legendary Michel Platini.

In 2007, Henry was transferred to Barcelona (for $31 million), and after three years—and six more trophies—there, the then-32-year-old forward signed with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He has continued to find the back of the net in the United States, with 16 goals in 37 appearances for New York, and this past winter he defied any critics who claimed
he’d come to MLS to retire by returning on loan to Arsenal (where there is a statue in his likeness outside the stadium), and scoring three goals in seven appearances for the Gunners.

As he begins his third season in the United States, we spoke to Henry about the Red Bulls’ prospects, the image of MLS abroad, and the Jeremy Lin Experience.

What is something that the European fan should know about Major League Soccer that they might not already know?
Well, the thing is, they don’t show a lot of the MLS games, so it’s difficult for them to have an idea of the league. They simply don’t see it. It did help that Becks [David Beckham] came along, and [Mexico legend and former Barcelona star] Rafael Márquez. But I think the only thing that can help [get MLS noticed in Europe] is if they show more games in Europe. Then people can make up their own minds. I always talk about the league in a positive way. Becks does also, and Rafa, and Landon Donovan. Whenever a guy that plays in MLS talks about the league, it will always be portrayed in a positive way. But at the end of the day, the way you can get fans on board, especially in Europe, is if they see the games.

How much does it help the reputation of MLS to have someone like Donovan go over there on loan and perform very well, as he did this past winter?
I don’t know, to be honest. It does mean that Landon is a good player. But when Landon goes back to Los Angeles, I don’t know if all those Everton fans see the games of the L.A. Galaxy. Not because they don’t want to, but because they’re not on TV in England.

How do you think Tim Ream, your former teammate on the Red Bulls, will do at Bolton in the Premier League?
I think he will do well. I think it was time for him to try to improve his game and go and compete in a different league. And the type of league that he went to, he is going to definitely compete. The strikers are pretty much in your face. Not an easy thing to deal with. But I think it was time for him to go, and I’m happy that he got the chance.

Who are some other young players in the league who have impressed you?
[He’s] not young, but Dwayne De Rosario is a great player. To go back to your first question, that’s the type of player that maybe people in Europe don’t know about. I played with him, and I saw him play with Toronto before, and Houston, and with D.C. He’s a great player, he has a great touch, and he knows where the net is. He understands the game well. But I can talk about De Ro as much as I want right now, about how good he is, but again, because they don’t see the games, fans in Europe don’t see De Ro. It’s just talk for them.

A picture’s worth a thousand words, as they say.
It’s true! You see the guy scoring goals week in and week out, then I don’t have to talk. You understand what I mean? It’s … a done deal. I use De Rosario as an example among a lot of examples that I can take. If I go through the whole league, I can name a lot of good players. You have some great players playing for Seattle, for Salt Lake, for Dallas, for D.C.

Major League Import What’s the best venue in MLS?
It’s been great everywhere. But when you go and play against Seattle, I mean, I know it’s tough and everything, but the atmosphere there is amazing. I didn’t play there last year because I got suspended [for a red card], but I gotta say, the atmosphere is brilliant. I played there with Barcelona [in a 2009 exhibition], and they were all wear ing the Seattle jersey and being loud. So that was just amazing. But you have a lot of good stadiums now in MLS. That’s the way the league is going forward. That’s an improvement.

Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach of the U.S. national team, said that the off-season for American players is too long. He thinks they need to play 11 months a year. Do you agree? How much recovery time does the body need after a season?
Listen, everything is doable. I used to recover only two weeks. I did ten-years-plus, having only two weeks’ holiday.

My legs are sore just thinking about that.
That was the rhythm of playing. Because if you play at a big club in Europe, [you also play in the] Champions League every time. And every time you have some days off with your club, it’s international duty. End of the season: international duty. So two weeks off, that’s all you have.

How do you take care of your body, to make sure that you bounce back?
Well, when you don’t stop you just don’t stop—your body gets used to it in a way. But as you said, you have to take care of your body, and also be lucky enough to not get injured. I’ve been lucky. That will always stop a player—the progression of a player, trying to be consistent. I was fortunate enough to not get injured, but also I wasn’t the type of guy to go out and party a lot. So maybe that saved me, I don’t know. But that wasn’t me. I was always going back home after a game, thinking about what I didn’t do well, and trying to make sure I was going to perform better in the next game.

Did you have a moment, growing up, when you realized that you could be a professional player?
No, it’s kind of weird—I always say it, and people don’t believe me, but it’s the truth: I didn’t have an agenda when I was young. Obviously you dream as a kid, like any kid, right? When you’re going down playing with your friends, having some fun, you always think that you’re going to be a hell of a player. But everybody does that, you know? Everybody goes like, “Oh, last minute, there I go, scoring the most important goal of my life.” It’s always a dream, but you don’t think it’s going to happen, right?

And for most, it doesn’t happen.
My dad wanted me to be a professional player, and I just wanted him to be happy, and to make him happy. That was it. I didn’t think about it too much. There wasn’t one moment when I said, “Oh, wow, I think I can make it.” I think it was just long, hard work, and commitment and dedication to the game. It wasn’t one day. It was an every-day thing, and that’s why I think I arrived where I am right now.

Are you looking forward to partnering with Kenny Cooper up top this year? Do you know much about Kenny as a player?
Oh, yes, of course I do. He was a pain in the neck when we played against him last year. I remember playing against Portland and I was like, Oh, he’s annoying, you know? He can help us, and that’s the thing you want. You want some depth in your team. And having him around is going to be a massive plus.

With you, Luke Rodgers, Cooper, Juan Agudelo, and Corey Hertzog, you will have more depth at the forward position this year than last.
Yeah, but you want depth everywhere—not only up-front. You want to have a deep, competitive
squad. Because last year we had to deal with the guys going away at the Gold Cup, and we had some injuries and we didn’t deal with it. So I think that’s hopefully going to be different this year.

You’re a fan of the NBA. Now that you’ve been in New York a while, are you a Knicks guy?
Ah, I won’t change. I’m a Spurs guy. My friend plays there—Tony Parker. So I cannot change. But if the Spurs don’t do too well, and they’re out of the competition, then I will support New York, because that’s where I live. But I’m a Spurs fan in the first place. You know, you gotta stay true to your friend, and who you started with.

You can’t jump ship.
No, you can’t jump. Even though what’s happening with the Knicks, it’s amazing right now.

The Jeremy Lin story broke when you were in England. Did you follow it from there?
Oh, well, how could you not? How can you not follow that? Although, if you’re in Europe you don’t see it [as much]. But since I do follow the game, I knew. As a basketball fan, you can’t not know who Jeremy Lin is and what he did this year.

So what do you do in your downtime to relax?
Well, as we’ve been saying, I will watch a basketball game, go to the cinema, go to a restaurant with my friends. Chill out. Just normal stuff, basically. When I’m in town, I take my bicycle and ride around town. Just normal stuff. Nothing too fancy [chuckles].

How often are you recognized in New York City?
Well, a bit, a bit. New York is kind of different, because it’s a very cosmopolitan town. You have a lot of Europeans and Latinos, and people do love their soccer in New York. Even though you have the Yankees and the Knicks and the Giants and the Jets and the Rangers—you have a lot of teams in New York—but people do love their soccer. So yeah, I do get recognized, but not like if I was in Europe.

That must be a relief for you, to some degree.
Oh, yes. It is. Trust me. It is.

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