August 9, 2005

• Had a very cool past week or so to report on.  Last Friday Moglandor arrived from Paducah Kentucky via Las Vegas to spend some time in LA before he starts law school in 3 wks!!! On Friday, we started out by checking out the Barrington Dog park's Lemonade Fridays with Mixygirl and Kapono as well.  It was really fun, and then lemonade was actually really good. 

  
  

  

  
  

  After the fun dog action, we headed to 3rd street in Santa Monica and had a good meal at the Border Grill.

  
  

  

  
  

  We chilled out later that night.  On Saturday, we headed out to the Arclight theatres in Hollywood to check out a movie called the Aristocrats, per Moglandor's recommendation.The movie was produced by Penn from Penn and Teller

  
  

  

  
  

  The movie had a very interesting premise, and turned out to be hilarious!!!  The aristocrats is a joke that comedians tell each other after the curtains go down.  The joke is about a guy who goes to a talent agency, and shows the agent an act involving his family in lude acts.  When the agent asks what the name of the act is, the punchline is "We call ourselves the Aristocrats".  Pretty dumb joke, as everyone agreed, but the fun is in the different comedians coming up with the most disgusting, pornographic and just plain sick scenarios that the lude act involves.  (Bob Saget probably told the sickest rendition of the joke).  You guys should check it out, I totally recommend it.

  
  

  

  
  

  After the movie, we headed across the street to Amoeba Music.  Moglandor hasn't bought much music in the past three years, so he told me to pick 5 CD's that were must buys.  I ended up picking a lot more, but I hope they are to his satisfaction, cause my musical reputation is at stake. 

  
  

  

  
  

  Later that evening, (after a brief encounter with Juddy, Jober, and Turtle), Mixy, Moglandor and I drove down to Whittier for a Gravely Disabled gig.  This time we played Lovato's son's baptism party.  I was really psyched because I had never been to a real live chicano fiesta before.  We arrived right after the Mariachi band left (damn!!!).  There were colorful streamers all over the spacious backyard, and plenty of sexy latinas hanging around (don't worry Mixygirl, I take my marriage vows seriously).  The show sounded good, but I don't think a mediocre punk rock cover band, was what they were expecting.  Most of the crowd filtered away during our set.  The sole holdouts were the rhythm guitarist's kids, Mixy, and Moglandor (thanks for the support).  It was really fun though, and I enjoyed myself.  We even got to boogie a little bit afterwards to cheesy disco songs.

  
  

  

  
  

  On Sunday, I thought it would be cool to show Moglandor around up in Malibu.  Little did I guess that the summer weekend PCH traffic was going to be insane.  It was fun however seeing all sorts of fancy cars, and being able to study all the Malibu beach houses will driving by at extremely low speeds.  After a slight detour at Dementia (ROOR icemaster is awesome), we arrived at Malibu Country Mart, which is a little shopping center with a playground for rich little kids hang out at.  We had a great lunch at John's Garden, which is a health food/sandwich shop adjacent.

  
  

  

  
  

  After lunch we headed over to the Malibu Art Fair.  It was pretty lame actually.  Most of the stuff was really cheesy typical California Beach style art.  We headed back after that to meet up with Mixygirl because we had tickets for King Tut at the LACMA.  Before LACMA, we hit up Taylor's steakhouse in K-town for an old school steak experience.  Sinatra used to frequent this place a lot back in the day.  The food was pretty good there, but Mixygirl got screwed again.  This is the second time in a month that she has ordered a ribeye steak, and she has gotten prime rib instead!!!

  
  

  

  
  

  Well King Tut was pretty cool, but slightly disappointing at the same time.  We were packed in like sardines to view the luxurious items from Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.  I enjoyed seeing all the stuff.  The last time I saw this stuff was in 1993, when I visited Cairo after spending a month on an archaeological dig in Israel.  (I realize now, that deciding to go on that trip was one of the best decisions I ever made in undergrad).  A major bummer however was that all the large burial masks, like the one you see above, were left in Cairo and not at the LACMA exhibit.  All of their advertising was misleading because they show what looks like a large burial mask, but is really a blown up photograph of the head of a small coffinette used to bury Tut's organs in. 

  
  

  

  
  

  Next morning, Moglandor and I visited Venice Beach.  As usual the regular collection of bong vendors, cheap t-shirt stores, freaks, and homeless people were in abundance.  The coolest freak exhibit of the day was a collection of dry erase boards dedicated to free speech, featuring multiple controversial essays, such as the one regarding the existential question of "Did Jesus Masturbate?".  Check it out the next time you're in Venice.  Lots of Kapono fans also, in Venice.  We got stopped every 10 seconds with fans that wanted to pet and play with Kapono. 

  
  

  

  
  

  We spent the afternoon chilling at home, and watched a DVD about a south african cop who turns into a mastermind bank robber.  Pretty good.

  
  

  

  
  

  After Stander, we met up with Mixygirl at the Farmer's Market to satisfy Moglandor's insatiable taqueria appetite, at Lotteria.  They have the best burritos there, made with Albodingas.

  
  

  

  
  

  After Lotteria, we walked to the Grove and saw the new Willy Wonka movie.  We all enjoyed it, but it wasn't perfect.  I didn't really care for the aloof, prissy boy take on Willy Wonka that Depp provided.  It was visually really well done though, and the plot flowed well.  The next morning I bid Moglandor a fond farewell at LAX, but accidentally shut the trunk door on his head, when he was taking out his luggage. (Not that kind of luggage).

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  After a very cool day of work, I headed out to the Echo, in echo park to check out the Muffs.  I haven't been to that club before, but I will probably go a lot more now.  Very cool crowd.  Not the jaded scenesters like at Spaceland, but more like the freak scenesters that used to be everyhwere in the punk rock era.  You would think that having been to so many Muffs shows in the past months, that it would get tireseome.  Even I would've predicted so, especially since the last one at the Spaceland left me underwhelmed.  But I gotta tell ya, they just keep getting better and better.  The audience was the key.  There is nothing like working a hard shift in the ER, and then slam dancing at a Muffs show with a guy wearing a Mexican wrestling mask in the pit with you.  The set was just great, and the Muffs had the most fun I've seen them have in a long time. 

  
  

  

  
  

  This past Saturday, Mixygirl had the great idea of checking out the X games at the Staples Center.  Pictured above is the insane "Big Air" ramp, where skaters have to take an elevator to the top before they ride down a ramp that launches them ski jump style.  It was pretty cool, but we only saw a couple of skaters do it, cause of the long line to get in.  After Big Air, and checking out some skater vending booths, I saw a stage where a band was set up to play.  I asked the soundman who was playing, and he told me it was the Dead Kennedys.  Holy Shit, I thought to myself (actually I think I said it out loud).  I know that seeing the Dead Kennedys without infamous lead singer Jello Biafra, is like seeing the Doors without Jim Morrison, but I was still intrigued. 

  
  

   

  
  

  They came out and actually rocked pretty hard.  I enjoyed myself at the show.  There were a lot of crusty punks doing their mosh pit thing.  The lead singer now isn't even Brandon Cruz who replaced Jello in a later incarnation.  Its some young 20-something kid named Jeff from Philadelphia.  It was really trippy to see the infamous DK logo, sitting next to a logo for Saturn, ESPN, and X Games.  Who would've thunk it. After the DK's, we headed into Staples for the regular vert ramp stuff.  First we saw the women's finals which were kind of boring.  Only women's gymnastics, and tennis, are interesting in my opinion. 

  
  

  

  
  

  The next thing up was the in-line vert demo.  The highlight was definitley seeing child prodigy Takeshi Yasutoko, and his brother land some crazy tricks.

  
  

  

  
  

  After the in-line demo, was the best trick competition in men's vert ramp skating.  Pictured above is Shaun White (Mixygirl says he looks like carrot top).  He kept trying to land a 1080 degree flip, but couldn't do it (must've tried like 20 times or more).  It's never been done before, so I'm bummed he didn't land it.  Lots of other cool and crazy tricks though.  Bonus for X games, was that we got to see Jeff Garlin hand out the awards for best women's vert skater.  Later that night, we met up with Greyhound and Juddy for some Karaoke action at the Gaslight in Santa Monica.  Juddy sang "We're not Gonna Take it",, by Twisted Sister.  I sang Sedated by the Ramones, and Baby one more Time by Britney.  It was a very fun week, and I am looking forward to the upcoming Vegas trip and lots more fun to come. 

  • 12:25 pm
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