Who is You? #3

I enjoy the fact that you own only 1 pair of shoes. Commitment of sorts. But you're also trouble.

You = Barney Rubble

Are spectator sports the only HONEST form of DRAMA we have?

Drama is most often thought of as fiction or a re-telling, or an adaptation, of real life emotion. As people, we enjoy sharing stories and repeating feelings for the purpose of feeling alive. But what about the emotion evoked when we watch something " real" happening?

The kind of drama that needs no storyteller because they don't know the outcome either. Sure we all experience situations in our lives that require considerable thought and the expected blood, sweat and tears, but those span a longer length of time and usually doesn't permit a public view. After all the Greeks had their theater, but also enjoyed gladiator matches. Which brings me to the notion that spectator sports, no matter what the sport, may just be the most unbiased form of dramatic entertainment. No perspective or agenda. Limited predictability. Plenty of emotion. 

Weather Report for Today, 8/22/08

For breakfast, I am having chocolate chip cookies.

Outside, it's partially cloudy. Cool. 

Electronic Bubble Wrap Key Chain

Anyone that's visited my apartment has been curious and played with my bubble wrap keychain. It was a present from my Uncle Les and he'd found it on a Japanese website. Despite the fact that people have made fun of it, the bubble wrap curio has provided hours of snapping entertainment if not some stress relief. To some, however, it's plain garbage.

Well guess what, no fun garbage hater, it's not! New York Magazine has declared it stress-relieving, idiotic, BUT irresistable and its new BEST BET! Take that to the trash, haters.

Check out the article here: NY Mag - Puchi Puchi Bubble Wrap Keychain

2008 Beijing Games: Race Walking

During the late night non-HD NBC coverage of the Olympics, Mike and I stumbled upon RACEWALKING

Our only reaction: WHY???

Miguel Torres, fashion designer

This afternoon I walked around Hollywood just to enjoy some sunshine. I visited a store called Antenna and came out with a lot of cool stuff by LA based designer, Miguel Torres. (Sometimes I have a problem with spontaneity)

His costumy fashions evoke a creative boho style that the Burners crave. It lit my lightbulb.

Love it yourself at Miguel Torres Designs

Lorenzo Style Lab: A Lost Fedora

A recent staple of Lorenzo's fashion was a choice grey fedora. The fedora had met an untimely death due to the incompetent employees of his local drycleaners.

Let's take a moment to enjoy the hat.


OK, so now, we can all join together and find him a new one. Suggestions?

Movie Review: Encounters at the End of the World dir. Werner Herzog

Encounters at the End of the World
Dir. Werner Herzog
99 mins, documentary

After a hike in 90 plus degree weather along the Salmon River in Oregon, it was funny that my friend, Gavin (another Herzog fan) and I decided to watch a documentary entirely about Antartica.

The film chronicles Werner Herzog's journey with the National Science Foundation to an American society of travelers who have come to find home on the most southern tip of the Earth. Gifted with curiosity, Herzog explores the landscape and characters only to present the audience with a graceful and admiring look into a world that would be most likely seen as desolate and miserable. The photography of the glaciers is breathtaking. The colorful cast of characters have inspiring and captivating stories. And lastly, Herzog's heartwarming and very humorous narration was so perfect that it often led to Gavin's uncontrollable elbowing with laughter combo.

Who knew you could feel so warmblooded after watching a movie set on ice?

Weather Report for Today

For breakfast, I am having coffee, strawberry yogurt with a nectarine.

Comfortably warm and sunny.

Someone's got a case of the PDX

You would think that with the use of the worldwide web and mobile technology, that I would update this blog while I travel. SURPRISE I DIDN'T!

I traveled to Portland, OR: a smaller town with bigger town ideals. It's almost aggravating how much cooler Portland is in comparison to Los Angeles. With its ecofriendly lifestyle, efficient layout, overwhelming amounts of food and culture, Portland is a hipster force not to be reckoned with. Resistance is futile.

The latest from the geniuses at AB5TRAX...

My friends Ryan and Seaton are up to it again by creating yet another amazing spot. This two man powerhouse (that's right, I said 2!) collectively create some intricate and ridiculously "how did they do that?" impressive ads. Their super 3D graphics skills have even earned them some attention today at NOTCOT. 

Check out this George Jetson inspired spot here:  AB5TRAX - "Hello George"

Kanye West - Champion Music Vid

Puppets aren't really that funny, but I somehow like Kanye's music videos. Here is a classic example of a guy who's too busy shopping to make a video for a day.

Kanye West - Champion

Who is You? #2

Where did you go?

You = My riches.

Booty Sweat and Lorenzo

Lorenzo's been holding out on me. See his latest at Booty Sweat feat. Lorenzo Deguia

CEO's HO's and a BonADVENTURE

Still recovering from my tour de pillow with the Midnight Ridazz, I spent most of Saturday reading in my underwear. Delightful I know. I did, however, have an excuse to get dressed in my business attire: Ray and Emmy's Birthday party with the theme, "CEO's and SECRETARY HO's". I picked up Mike (in a suit!) and his briefcase of Tecate, and off to Highland Park we went. To our amazement, everyone was appropriately-inappropriately dressed with undergarments peeking and the occasional combo of slacks and Chucks. Emmy and Ray knew how to throw a house party: dj constantly playing, stripper pole constantly being rubbed on, and many of their dearest friends. The hills of Highland Park echoed with laughter until the early morning.

Sunday came around and Eva was back in LA. After a quick phone call, I grabbed my bathing suit and my bike and we were off to do one of our favorite activities: breaking into a hotel swimming pool. So I pedal over to the Standard Downtown as fast as I can. I snake through the LA fakely bronzed and acrylic-heel lifted crowd (were these the same people at the Affliction party from Thursday?) in sweaty shirt and cutoffs. I finally meet Eva, Tim, and her friend, Ryan (visiting all the way from South Africa) who decide that $20 is far too demanding for a pool. We then go to the Bonaventure. This hotel serves to mostly visiting business people who think there is actually something to do in Downtown LA. We go through their mall-like building to the pool. With a quick reach-over and open, we were in. No key card required. There we were lounging in the pool during a hot LA summer day looking up at skyscrapers. Nice.

I was not going to leave the hotel without riding one of its exterior glass elevators that gave you a view of LA and a little bit of a thrill. So we climbed to the 32nd floor with our toes to the glass and looked all the way down, with the exception of Tim who's terrified of heights. We untangle our bikes to head back to the ArtShare. As we bomb through the 2nd street tunnel, I hear a crash. It's Eva! She flipped over her bike. Goes to show, you should not be on conference calls while on your bicycle. She's OK. Tough bird. That's my BFF..

Pillow Warfare with the Midnight Ridazz

Around 8:30pm, Mike and I bike about 7 miles into Echo Park in well, Echo Park. There are signs of fellow riders with overstuffed messenger bags and blinking red lights along Sunset Blvd. We circle the lake to find hundreds of other blinking lights and bicycles resting on a grassy knoll just east of the lake. Resting for the battle...the Midnight Ridazz pillow fight!

We were greeted with the familiar faces of Jason and Meespace, first time Midnight Ridazz riders. After an hour of sipping on Tecate and building excitement, the sprinklers went off. Might as well start riding to the first battle: Sears Tower. (An old Sears building in downtown LA) 

11:30pm: A few miles in, we arrive at the abandoned parking lot. Bikes are abandoned and people just began to charge the group swinging in any which direction possible. After being bludgeoned several times, I take a time out to check out the action: Mike is charging the crowd (his height was an advantage), Jason's pillow had evolved into a "ball and chain" sort of weapon swinging one handed into the mass, and Meespace hit me. The "music bike" played great songs for us to get excited.  

Next stop: LA Memorial Stadium. At 12:30am, there under the Olympic logo we then again began violently swinging our bedding with laughs and smiles. An appropriate way to celebrate the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing games because this was where the 1984 games' opening ceremony was held. Filled with Olympic spirit, I think people were hitting harder this time. "What is that?! A sack of flour?!" I yell as I get beaned right in the face.

We then take our bicycle group of at least 600 - 700 riders to the streets of downtown LA. We take a detour to an empty parking lot. Destroying any sort of caution tape barriers for our bicycles to get a clear view of the Gehry Disney Music Hall. It was graceful with clear skies behind it.

Last stop: Los Angeles' most architecturally advanced building: the CalTrans building. 1:45am: Bikers climbed on walls, took water breaks, and we watched as the flatland bikers began to do tricks under the red and blue flourescent lights of the building. Kids did all the bike tricks that made your jaw drop. 

Mike and I decided to head back to Echo Park around 2:30am. We had just rode about 20 miles and weren't quite ready to return to Hollywood to meet with the drunk drivers that just left Cahuenga Blvd. Soup at the Brite Spot. 

Near 4am, we ride back. Running red lights all the way home. No cars. We enjoyed the silence and calmness of a perfect climate that we never experience in Hollywood. Sleep happily at 4:30am. 

Errol Morris: commercial director?

I've always been a fan of Errol Morris' documentaries. He has a knack for captivating the audience enough to let us empathize with the most seemingly immoral characters. For instance, in his film, Mr. Death he had the audience relating with his subject, electric-chair expert, Fred Leuchter Jr. in his belief that the Holocaust had not happened. He's a very powerful and objective filmmaker.

To my surprise he also directs commercials (probably to fund his documentaries very much like my friend, Doug Pray ) which were quite entertaining. See them at his commercial website: www.errolmorris.com

Melrose Avenue on Thursday nights are for the sexy consumer

After an extremely relaxing Thursday, Lorenzo and Nathan ( my two most hip hop fashion conscious friends) heard word of a party at the G-Star store on Melrose to launch their new underwear line. OK, it took a little bit of coaxing, but I decided to go out with them because pizza was involved in the plan of events.

We found out that Thursday night was the night to celebrate LA's appreciation for consumption and ultimate good looking-ness. Nathan had once again flirted with his "mall girlfriend" who worked there. While Lorenzo, Jason and I gawked at the fashionistas in denim and undies at G-Star, we heard word that there were "hot chicks in underwear" down the street at Affliction. (A line of clothes by Ultimate fighting champ, Tito Ortiz. Ultimate testosterone charged apparel) The guys were really excited about this idea. I was really not into that, but at least it was closer to the pizza joint. 

And of course it was everything I'd imagined: scantily clad busty blondes on a red carpet. Paparazzi rushing. Fancy Ferraris and Jenna Jameson's fancy white car. Gag me! It had to be the biggest concentration of hot chicks with douche bags in this hemisphere.

After some nagging, I finally got to the Tomato Pie for my pizza. HOWEVER, after having to get through the lines of a shoe party for ASICS, we then had to cross the Affliction red carpet or somehow get by. Nathan and Lorenzo snaked through the sea of people with Jason and I trailing behind...only to get cut off by a gaudy limousine. Hugh Hefner's limo. Arm in arm, Hugh Hefner and girlfriend no.1, Holly Madison, road blocked us in. Jason started to throw a fit (maybe because there were so many fighters around) about how they're blocking a public sidewalk. I was distracted. It was actually quite amazing to see how young Hef looked. Perhaps his blonde colored fountain of youth works...

Who is You? #1

When it comes to you, I can always expect  to lean in and be surprised by silence. 

You = My Iphone. The contours of my face are not compatible with the positioning of the mute button.

Real Men Can Tie Bow Ties

My father once said this to me after one of our formal occasions. And therefore, Lorenzo must be a "real man." 

One of Lorenzo's latest fashion conquests: the non-clip on, traditional gentleman's bow tie. After trying to learn how to tie one for about 8 hours, he finally did it. I believe the success photo was taken around 4:33am. (Note: Cher got it in a few minutes, and Michelle had known all along thanks to her work at Ralph Lauren)

**This will the be the first of many fashion adventures I will chronicle. From his fedora, to his dashiki ("hey man, nice dasheeeki...") Lorenzo has courageously walked down LA streets like they were his movie set. While some may consider some of his choices failures, it's always good to know someone's taking the risk. See his work at www.savelorenzo.com