Trailer Trash Thursday 2: They Live

Up today is the John Carpenter classic, They Live. Not only is this one of the coolest Sci-Fi action flicks of the 1980's, it also happens to be the film that inspired none other than the world famous artist Shepard Fairey and his OBEY campaign. Oh yeah, it also stars one of my favorite WWF Wrestlers of all time too, Rowdy Roddy Piper! The movie's plot is as follows...

Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with messages like "Stay Asleep", "No Imagination", "Submit to Authority". Even scarier is that he is able to see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued.

Trust me. If you are a fan of 1980's movies, or John Carpenter films at all, THIS IS A MUST WATCH.

On To Round 2

Despite blowing another huge lead for the 5th game in a row, the Lakers still held on for the win and sent the Utah Jazz packing last night. See ya next year Utah! Now bring on Houston (or Portland should they make pull off a nearly impossible comeback).
See You Chumps Next Season!

Happy Monday From Da Pea

I thought this picture of our dog Wembley was funny so I decided to post it. Also, Wembley is doing great and healing much faster than we had expected from his accident less than a month ago. Atta Boy Pea!
Don't You Stick Your Tongue Out At Me Boy! That's Rude!

40 Miles Later

Blowtar and I rode 40 miles today for the City Of Angels Fun Ride. He rode a mountain bike and I was on my fixed gear. We both really should have been on road bikes though. Surprisingly I feel much better than I did after riding the Pasadena Marathon route, which was 14 miles less than I rode today. Go figure! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this ride yet, but i saw a ton of people snapping photos along the route, so once I snag some from the internet I will post them.
PICS COMING SOON!

Swine Flu Outbreak!

Is this the beginning of a global Pandemic that will wipe out the human race? We shall see... but I doubt it. Seems to me like the media is blowing things out of proportion as usual, but who knows. Maybe it really is serious.
Disinfecting Some Swine

Trailer Trash Thursday 1: - Fantastic Planet

Since I work in "Hollywood", but don't really enjoy 95% of the new movies that come out these days, I am going to start posting trailers for some of my favorite films of all time. To kick this off, I am posting the trailer for the 1973 French Animation classic, Fantastic Planet. Not only is the animation super tripped out, but it has probably my favorite film soundtrack (composed by Alain Goraguer) of all time backing the visuals. If this trailer sparks your interest definitely check the film out in its entirety. They sure don't make 'em like they used to... ENJOY!

LA Brakeless

There is a pretty cool bike shop on Venice Blvd. called LA Brakeless. You should definitely check it out if you like fixed gears or just biking in general.

VIMBY - LA Brakeless

Lakers Win Game 2... Barely

Damn the Lakers blew another 20 point lead tonight. It seems like they blow people out and then just take the rest of the game off. That definitely needs to stop if they want to win it all. Let's see how they do in game 3. Im thinking its going to be either a total lockdown blowout by the Lakers, or else a squandered lead that shoots them in the foot. My prediction... Lakers win game 3 in blowout fashion.
Pau Being Aggressive

Happy Monday From Chicken Man

The Best Statue In All Of Highland Park

Laker's Playoffs 2009 - The Home Opener

Just got back from the first Lakers game of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, and as was expected the Lakers schooled the Jazz. To be honest, it was never much of a ballgame as the Lakers pretty much led from start to finish and had a 22 point lead at halftime. Im sure if you're a Lakers fan you know all the details, so to make a long story short, we drank some extremely overpriced beers ate some McDonalds,watched the Lakers dominate, and then called it an afternoon. Needless to say we had a blast!
We Love Each Other... Oh Yeah And The Lakers Too!
Warm Ups
Ohhhh Saaaayyyyy Caaaannn Youuuuu Seeeeee....

Lakers Home Playoff Opener 2009 from brandN on Vimeo.
My Artistic Interpretation of A Drunken Fans View Of The Game
Birds Eye View Of Ariza's Awesome Dunk
Game Over Man
And They All Lived Happily Ever After

Henninger Flats Hike

Since the weather was absolutely perfect today, hiking was a must. We decided to to an oldie but goodie that used to be our "Go To" hike whenever we felt like going up the side of a mountain. However, with all the other hikes in the area, not to mention mountain bike trails, we hadn't done the trek to Henninger Flats in almost 3 years! We decided that today was the day and off we went...
See Those Trees Up There? That's Where We Are Headed!
BEWARE! Hike At Your Own Risk.
Never Cross The Streams, Well Ok, Maybe This Once...
Be On The Lookout For This Sign
It May Not Look Like It But The First Mile Of This Trail Is Hell
Yet Another Steep Switchback
The Main Rest Stop Along The Way
Snack Break At The Rest Stop
For All You People Who Like Photos Of Tree Sap, This Is For You!
Come On Up!
Hold Yer Horses! I'ma Coming...
Washed Out Fire Road = Singletrack
The End Is Near!
At Last... Henninger Flats!
The Campgounds
It Was So Tranquil Up There At The Flats
The Outhouse Bandit Strikes Again!
Taking In The View
There's No Place Like The Smoggy Crime Infested City We Call Home

City Of Angels Fun Ride

Blowtar the Biker and I just registered for this 34 mile ride through the greater Los Angeles area. Its called the City Of Angels Fun Ride and it helps to raise money for a good cause. Should be a blast!
We Go All Over The Place!

Santa Muerte

I've been hearing more and more about Santa Muerte, the Patron Saint of Death lately. Pretty freaky stuff if you ask me...
For Only $9.95 You Can Take Santa Muerte Home With You
One Eyed Willie's Sister Perhaps?
Special Thanks To The People On FLICKR for these cool shots!

Flowtopia???

Too bad this event wasn't around when we went to UCSB... Behold FLOWTOPIA 2009! Artice Compliments of the Santa Barbara Independent...

Isla Vista’s Floatopia Fiasco

UCSB’s Annual Spring Kick-Off Party Attracts 12,000 Drunken, Littering Beach-Goers

By Sara Tan

Thursday, April 9, 2009

For the unsuspecting UCSB student, there are certain telltale signs that spring has arrived. Bodies, pale from winter, finally exchange their sweatpants for a coat of Banana Boat. The nearly palpable summer sun inspires long days of laying out that turn into even longer nights of partying. And if all other indicators are not so obvious, one event is guaranteed to show that spring quarter has commenced: Floatopia.

On Saturday afternoon, April 4, nearly 12,000 partygoers convened on Isla Vista’s narrow coastline to partake in this quintessential beach bash. From Devereux Beach to Campus Point, masses of college students swarmed for a spot on the half-mile stretch of sand to drink, dance, and float among the waves. Homemade rafts and store-bought inner tubes, filled to the brim with beer-toting celebrants, spilled across the sea side-by-side like bowls of cereal floating in a milky ocean. Hundreds watched from their balconies on Del Playa’s cliffs as deejays set up camp every quarter-mile, setting the tone for the thousands of beachgoers.

This year’s number of drunken and debauched attendees trumped those of years past and even rivaled Isla Vista’s traditional Halloween gathering. The unexpected turnout — which tripled last year’s count of 4,000 and blew 2007’s estimate of 300 people out of the water — may have spelled success for those participating, but created a nightmare for the county.

According to Lieutenant Brian Olmstead, head of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol, Floatopia will end up costing the county tens of thousands of dollars. “It’s an unsponsored event so no one can take responsibility,” said Olmstead. “The county has to pay for the [medical response, police presence, and cleanup]. They don’t get reimbursed because there isn’t [anyone who] promoted [the event] that can be billed. It all comes from taxpayers.”

Even since its first event — which some say dates back to 1982, but seems more likely to be rooted in a 2006 raft-with-keg launched by graduating engineering students — no one organization has been responsible for establishing the annual beach bash. According to UCSB Excursion Club’s director Joshua Taylor, the traditional practice of organizing the event is “like Halloween,” meaning that people come no matter by whom or how it’s promoted. However, the UCSB Excursion Club was responsible for creating this year’s event invitation on Facebook, the social networking Web site that, as in years past, proved responsible for such an explosive turnout.

“We’re an outdoors organization,” said Taylor. “We just want to get people out and moving and we had so much fun last year that we thought we’d create more press for our club and create the invitation this year.” The Facebook invite generated a final tally of 9,675 confirmed guests, a few thousand shy of the actual gathering. But unlike Halloween, a majority of the guests were actual Isla Vista residents.

“I could honestly say that Floatopia was the best day of my I.V. partying career,” said UCSB senior Mia Di Julio. She and her roommates barreled through Isla Vista with 30-packs under one arm and rafts held overhead by the other. Traffic jams across Sabado Tarde and Del Playa continued throughout the day as students attempted to squeeze inflatable pools, rafts, chairs, and pretty much anything that could float down the stairs to the beach.

Police enforcement and ambulances did the only thing they could: Watch as the unpredictable chaos ensued. Lt. Olmstead said he and his staff were aware of Floatopia, but did not anticipate 12,000 participants. With 12 deputies working (more than the normal number), Olmstead was forced to increase the count to 20 and also had to redistribute both campus and Goleta police because they needed more assistance. The county and UCSB fire departments redeployed resources to assist and rescue teams on jet skis; and helicopters were also deployed for medical evacuations. “We had to use units and ambulances that are usually needed elsewhere in the county … because we really did not know it was going to be this big,” said Olmstead.

In Olmstead’s opinion, Floatopia is less safe than Halloween in Isla Vista. “It’s more dangerous because of the number of people concentrated in one area with alcohol, plus the ocean and the kelp beds.” As feared, injuries did occur: Twelve were transported to the hospital by ambulance, and two people fell off the cliffs, one of whom was able to walk away while the other sustained a head injury. Several others cut their feet on broken bottles and at least one was hit in the head by a bottle thrown from balconies, injuries that led to numerous walk-ins at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital’s emergency room, which reported a raucous “Halloween-like atmosphere.” And there was the expected crime, too: Sixty-nine people were issued citations for various crimes (a majority for minor in possession) and 13 were booked into County Jail (mainly for being drunk in public).

All this had no effect on the crowd, as students continued to line the cliffs, throwing bottles and other objects down onto the masses. “I just got back up and started dancing,” said UCSB senior Ashley Moore, who was knocked unconscious by a football flung from the sky.

Though the celebration ended Saturday night, remnants were still visible from the I.V. cliffs as of press deadline, with abandoned rafts and crushed beer cans scattered across the sand. To some, this was the most heinous crime of all, especially for a student body that’s long prided itself on environmentalism. Bradley Cardinale, an assistant professor of ecology at UCSB, described Floatopia as “the most egregious events of dumping I have ever seen in this state.”

“I think we need to convey what kind of environmental impact this event has to the students and the out-of-towners, because most people don’t see the aftermath. Just like Halloween, most people enjoy themselves, and by the time they wake up the next morning, everything has been taken care of or cleaned up,” said Zekee Silos

Both the Associated Students Environmental Affairs Board and Coastal Fund organized beach cleanups for the day of the event, but those efforts were thwarted because the party lasted much longer than expected. By the time of the second scheduled cleanup, most of the debris had already been carried out on the high tide. Many can collectors picked up after partyers as they left their trash behind, and the Excursion Club hosted an impromptu beach cleanup on Monday. But the beaches remain in a trashed state of disarray.

Amidst the spectacle caused by the dangerous and environmental concerns of Saturday’s events is the bottom line: Students had fun and a “Floatopia 2” invitation is already making the rounds on Facebook for next month. But while the students believe in the future of Floatopia, it remains to be seen how much the county will continue to put up with the environmental and public safety impacts and associated costs. The county's 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr, who represents Isla Vista, understands that "everyone wants to have a good time" but echoed concerns about safety, and is also worried about its expansion. "I saw Floatopia last year and it seemed like a locals only event," said Farr. "But, if this begins to attract people from all over, it [will create] a larger situation and dynamic that concerns us....I want to emphasize that those who participate need to be careful and aware of the dangers when combining alcohol consumption with cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. People can get killed and that's why I'm so concerned."

“I think we need to convey what kind of environmental impact this event has to the students and the out-of-towners, because most people don’t see the aftermath. Just like Halloween, most people enjoy themselves, and by the time they wake up the next morning, everything has been taken care of or cleaned up,” said Zekee Silos, the vice president of UCSB Associated Students.

“I really think the county and UCSB should capitalize on events [like this and Halloween] to make money for the county and the university, but I realize that they may not want to incur the liability that comes with that, or the association,” said Silos. “But I feel like if we can get these events to be more like Fiesta downtown, where culture is celebrated and people take more responsibility for what goes on, we can maybe please both sides.”

Approximately 12,000 Drunks
Watch Out For Those Cliffs Y'all!

65-17

Lakers finished the season tonight with an outstanding record. However, I think they should have had 70 wins this year. If only they didn't have some idiotic meltdowns and a few losses at the buzzer... Oh well... 65 wins is still awesome. Now we need to get ready for Sunday when we will play the Jazz. See you at the game! My prediction is Lakers in 4.
You Can't Stop Kobe, You Can Only Hope To Contain Him!

Happy Easter!!!

Silly Easter Bunny, Trix Are For Kids

I Hate Gambling

Well I don't know why I even bother wasting my time and money at Casinos, since I NEVER have a good time gambling even if I win. Usually I lose 100 bucks and that winds up royally pissing me off, so today when I managed to lose 200 I almost blew my stack (not to mention I felt like a total degenerate loser). At least it will serve as a good reminder to me why I don't gamble...
This Seriously Would Have Been More Enjoyable To Me

Crazy Coyote Tacos

There is no way in a million years we would have ever stopped at Crazy Coyote Tacos just from the looks of the place. It's located right outside of the Cabazon Outlets in Banning Califonia, right next to a place that specializes in thugged out fleece blankets. So why you ask did we stop there? Well the answer is simple. We had heard about this place on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Southwestern Roadtrip Episode. And since we were going to be out near Palm Springs for Easter, you know we HAD TO try the place. As expected, Mr Bourdain led us to a wonderful eating experience..
Say Cheese... and Beans and Rice!!!
Step Up And Order
Only The Most Authentic Nachos Use Real Nacho Cheese
2 Taco Combo Plate... BOMB!!!
We Killed It!
2 More Satisfied Customers

Sin Nombre

Last night I saw one of the best movies I've ever seen, Sin Nombre. It's a really depressing tale of Mexican immigrants who travel by train across Mexico, in hopes of crossing the border and finding a better life in America. Along the way they get mixed up with a young man who is trying to escape from Mara Salvatrucha and then things really start to get crazy. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil anything, so click on the link above and check out the trailer and all that. You won't be disappointed. Trust me, it was a GREAT movie.
The Poster

Marin Bike Demo @ JPL Trail Head

As we ususaly do on Saturdays, Blowtar and I went on our weekly mountain bike ride. We decided to hit up one of our favorite local trails, the Brown Mountain/ El Prieto Trail Loop, which starts off with a great climb up a steep fire road, and ends with some super fun single track through lots of different terrain. Anyways, when we got to the parking lot there just happened to be a Marin Bikes Demo going on!!! Since I'm never one to pass up the chance to test ride a freshly tuned and high priced bike I immediately jumped at the offer! (The clincher on this was that if I crashed and smashed the bike up I held no liability for any damage whatsoever! SWEET!) So with the chance to push a $4000 bike to the limits for free, on one of my favorite rides, away I rode... First of all I noticed that this bike climbed like a champ. It didn't have a rear shock lock out mechanism (as far as I know) but the Fox Float RP23 had the "Pro Pedal" mechanism (please forgive my lack of technical description ability) on it that made the shock basically find a point at which it stayed put all while i was pedaling. I felt no dipping and wasting of energy on the climb, just a rock hard feel on the bike's tail which made me feel like I was climbing at an incredibly fast (for myself anyways) rate. Also the tires on the bike were super grippy, and grabbed the sandy parts of the trail with ease. I don't think the tire slipped once as we climbed the fire road, which is pretty rare when you have gravel, loose sand, and a bunch of rocks in addition to the hard packed dirt. In record time we reached the summit, took a quick breather, and began the descent. Since the bike had to be back to the van at 3:00 I decided to ride as hard and as fast as possible. I bombed the fire road at top speed, and this bike rode over all the divots and ruts with ease. I didn't even bother to adjust the fork before the descent and it still powered through everything. Finally we reached the single track, where the real testing would begin. And wouldn't you know... the bike passed with flying colors. The disc breaks were solid and I rode through every switchback with ease. The tires rode through water stream crossings, dirt and rock gardens and always felt extremely grippy. But, most importantly, the shifting on this bike was off the hook. Maybe my bike just needs a tune, but this bike went from one extreme to the other when i cycled through the gears going from a fast flat part to a super steep uphill section of the single track. I never once had to step off the bike due to the gear being to low for me to climb on, and when this bike switched gears it locked on and held like no other. It was ridiculous. Basically this was as rock solid of a bike as I have ever ridden. Although I've only really ridden a handful of nice Mountain Bikes. Either way, when I get a new bike, a Marin Wolf Ridge will definitely be at the top of my list. Oh yeah the guys running the demo were super cool. Not only did they hook it up bigtime with the awesome bike to ride, but I forgot my drivers license with them and they tracked me down and got it back to me before they left town for the next demo. THANKS!
This Bike Was Insane

Sick

Well its official, I caught my very first cold/ flu of 2009! Hooray!
Computer Image Of The Flu Virus Attacking The Body

I Found Your Frogskins

I found these in Downtown this weekend! SCORE!
Limited Edition Oakley Frogskins, Circa 1980s