Now I Can Die Happy

Those who know me best know the Laird's Number One Rule of Consumerism: Never skimp on shoes.

Now, I've learned that all of the shoes I have ever owned, or indeed anyone has ever owned, are deficient in one aspect: they have absolutely no capability to interoperate with an iPod.

Until now.

Unlike my father and his father before him, I won't have to wonder what it's like to live in where my shoes can talk to my iPod. Say what you want about capitalism, you must admit that no cetralized economy would produce this stunning innovation, let alone bring together Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe to shill for it.

And investors who drove up Nike's stock price 4 percent today deserve a lot of credit, too, for recognizing 'the next big thing.'