I’ve positioned myself as a blogging referee before, calling people out when their blogs are whack in substance and style. Maybe I’ve been wrong, but probably not. The time has come for me to blow the whistle again.

My blog reading list is vastly diminishing as more blogs are adopting the “365 project” – a series in which bloggers reflect on themselves or 365 people that have impacted their personal lives in a year (ideally).

I’ve seen the concept done right on Flickr, where people take creative self-portraits each day, and I’ve seen the project done boring, where bloggers name such a wide range of people they’ve known that they disconnect with their readerships. Don’t get me started on the sappy blogs that come out of this project.

I’m all for the blog series – travel, food, wedding, dating – but the “365 project" has moved beyond the blog series and become “blog cliché.” Bloggers looking to install new, creative content on their blogs are doing just the opposite by jumping on the “365 project” bandwagon – they’re showing no creativity at all.

365ers: Quit the project, buy a diary to vent the past and get to brainstorming ways to keep your blogs fresh and compelling, without copping a template.

Setting: Paolo and Moos sit and chat over coffee at Cafe Fiore in Ballard early in the morning before work. Paolo's having a rough start after sleeping through his alarm and rushing to get ready for the day.

Paolo: "I think my problem with waking up is my lighting situation. The light bulbs in the touch-lamp next to my bed are out. Usually I wake up to my alarm and tap it three times --"

Moos: "-- That's what she said."

Breaking news: The legendary Crocodile Cafe has closed after more than 15 years.

According to the Seattle Times, owner Stephanie Dorgan called employees yesterday, letting them know she had changed the locks and they could pick up their personal belongings today. After learning they had lost their jobs, Croc employees maintained the spirit and allegedly got together to party all night.

Name a major Seattle band -- Nirvana, Sunny Day Real Estate, Band of Horses, Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie -- They all played the Croc. No doubt, the Croc was a staple venue for the local music scene.

Some key quotes:

"I think it's a blow to the scene. Part of the side effect of the mayor's downtown development plan, which seems to have no room for live music in it. The Croc is an institution. At the same time, things change, and keeping a venue open as long as the Croc has been, through all the changes the music scene has been through, is a very difficult job. I feel for any club owner trying to make it in Seattle." -Dave Meinert, music promoter for Blue Scholars and Common Market

"It's one of the landmarks of music in this city... That place is Seattle music." -KEXP DJ John Richards

Today I went skiing for the first time. Basically, I killed it.

Courtney told me, "Paolo, I can't wait to take you skiing because it's the one thing I know I can beat you at." Well, sorry Courtney. Try again.

I took a run at the Bunny Hill (red line on the map) and had no problems. Scott thought I was ready to ski the "real" slopes, so we took the chairlifts up and I learned the ropes on Queen's Run (yellow line on the map). Scott's mom, Cassandra, is a long-time ski instructor and she gave me some pointers. I felt good. I fell only occasionally and demonstrated that natural athleticism is the gift that keeps on giving.

My legs did get REALLY sore midday. Learning to carve combined with the shape of those unfamiliar ski boots took its toll. I let Scott know that I was going to take my last run all the way to the bottom of the mountain. Halfway through Queen's Run, Scott guided us across to Quiksilver, which was only partially open and extremely narrow. We instead took a closed route parallel to Quiksilver(blue line on the map), and that sucked. It was deep, uneven, and I could hardly get through it. I fell often, and by this time my legs were giving out and my upper body was wearing from having to lift myself up from falls. I got to the bottom of the hill eventually, but got one hell of a workout.

Now I can hardly walk, am extremly sore everywhere and look forward to skiing next weekend!

GRE test today. 5 p.m.

Update: I did well. I can live with the scores, but also have time to take the test again, so I'm registering for February.