Running: Cheviot Hills Loop...Again!

I lied.

No break tonight.

Needed it.

'Nough said...

LOST: The Constant Recaps

Best episode ever!  And not just because I'm crazy about Des, brotha!

Very important recap links:

About the Calendar from Wired.com

Underwire recap from Wired.com

Jay Glatfelter's recap from HuffingtonPost.com

Doc Jensen's recap from EW.com

LOST webisodes from ABC.com

(If you haven't already seen it be sure to watch Webisode #13 "So It Begins"...whoa!!!)

Okay, last night was awesome right down to the Dharma vittels the Colonel provided!  The Early Compound was in full effect...I thought our little brains were going to explode (a la Eloise) with all of that information.  New theories were flying!  Great episode.  Too much fun...

Friends: Leap Year Baby!

Happy B-day Morgan!  

My how far we've come!

DHS 1994:

Viper Room 2007:

Love you like crazy...

Life: What's Yer Time Worth?!

I ran into the Village today to see my Tailor (who is THE BEST, btw) and I encountered a mob of what appeared to be mostly UCLA students in line for (what I assume was) free food being given away at the Grand Opening of the new Chipotle restaurant on Broxton.  While I'm sure I did similar things for free food (a couple of years ago *ahem*) when I was an u-grad at UCLA...the whole scene left me thinking how my time is worth so much more these days.  I mean, it's not like it's the American Apparel Warehouse sale or anything!  Seriously, what could a burrito at that place cost?  

Actually now that I think about it I undoubtedly spent many waking (yet, less valuable) minutes of my life in a line for Diddy Reise cookies (just up the street) which were indeed NOT FREE, but practically.  Yum...worth every minute!  Oh and I feel it's worth mentioning that the end of this line wrapped around the corner and came within a few feet of Bel Air Camera.

So the moral of this story is if you want to get a college student's undivided attention offer them free food....the end.

Running: Back To Back

Ran 4 miles last night and got in another 4 mile run first thing this morning...was feeling quite motivated until about a quarter of the way into the Cheviot Hills Loop. A good reminder (once again) that my body isn't quite ready for back to back workouts like this. Should have cut back on the distance or at least taken a less strenuous route but I've still got it in my head that I need to make up for being such a slacker lately. Plus I knew I wouldn't be able to squeeze a run in tonight since I've got a LOST date with the Colonel at his compound. I will be taking tomorrow off...maybe.

Tech: The BIG Word Project

"The Big Word Project is redefining words. You pick a word and link it to your website. Your website is then the new definition. Simple."

My words:

Luna & Thirteen

Some loser already beat me to 'See'...Lame-O!

Oooh!  'Lame' that's another good one!

Running: Cheviot Hills III

Haven't been running as much as I'd like because of my crazy social calendar. As 'punishment' for getting off track I ran the Cheviot Hills Loop again tonight...that'll teach me to not be such a slacker! 

I was much more outwardly competitive when I was younger...these days I'm more competitive with myself. This is a good thing in the sense that I push myself to improve and it leaves me feeling guilty when I slack off. So while tonight was supposed to be a tough make-up workout for getting off track it was actually a really good run...much needed physically and mentally. I have a lot of catching up and improvement to do but I'll get there. No doubt about it...

Oh and the warm weather continues to bring a lot of people outdoors...which I love. Makes every run more interesting with each encounter.  I caught up to and passed another runner this evening and (accidently) startled him as I did so...I smiled and waved as I shot by.  *Grin* it made me feel fast!  

Photos: Great Wall Of China & Happy Meal Toy Factory

During the summer of 2002 I flew to Beijing to meet up with Michael, Angie and G who were flying in from Singapore.

These particular photos highlight a ~7 mile trek along the Great Wall of China between Simatai and Jinshanling. Simatai is a 3 hour drive outside of Beijing so we hired a driver for the day (for only about $100USD) to drop us at this site. He then met us at the end of the day in Jinshanling. Thank goodness for cell phones and broken English!

The hike on the Great Wall still remains a life-highlight for me...totally AMAZING!

Because of the distance from major tourist attractions this section of the Wall isn't very popular. Aside from a couple of guards and a few locals from a small Mongolian Village (trying to sell us souvenirs) the only other tourists we encountered were a couple from Canada. We pretty much had the Wall to ourselves that entire day.

The last few photos in this set are some of the shots I took at one of the factories we toured (in Mainland China North of Hong Kong) where McDonald's Happy Meal Toys are made.  I had no idea those little pieces of plastic were hand painted to the extent shown in my photos!  

Note the oxygen masks worn by the workers...this factory was rated as an 'A' , top ranked facility, because they offered luxuries like oxygen and ventilation to their workers. In other words jobs at this facility are highly sought after.

Click here to see the rest of my Great Wall and Happy Meal Toy Factory photos.

Burning Man: How To Make A Glowstick

Ingredients: 2 liters distilled water, 50 milliliters hydrogen peroxide (3 percent concentration), 0.2 gram luminol, 4 grams sodium carbonate, 0.4 gram copper sulfate pentahydrate, 0.5 gram ammonium carbonate. You can order the chemicals online at Science Stuff. 

In a medium-size mixing bowl(fig. 1), add the hydrogen peroxide to 1 liter of water. 

In another bowl, dissolve the luminol, sodium carbonate, copper sulfate, and ammonium carbonate in the second liter of water. 

Lay out a few sealable, clear containers — test tubes with stoppers or Nalgene bottles are good. 

Pour in equal measures of each solution (fig. 2) — and watch with glee as it lights up (fig. 3). The hydrogen peroxide solution oxidizes the luminol, producing 3-amino phthalic acid. As its electrons settle to a more sedate quantum state, they emit photons at wavelengths between 430 and 470 nanometers — purplish blue.

Photography: New Glass

The Monster-

I finally broke down and bought myself a lens I've debating about for a few years now...totally in love!  It's the Nikkor 50mm f1.4 prime which has SUPER bang for the buck.  More pics to come!

Music: *NEW* Moby - Last Night (Album Mash-Up Mix)

You can download your very own copy of Last Night for FREE here.  

(No gimmicks, promise!  KCRW.com endorsed.)

***NOTE:  I just scanned all of the featured artists on the RcrdLbl.com site and scored a bunch of other free tunes from:

Cold War Kids

Gui Boratto

Junip featuring Jose Gonzalez

Readymade featuring Feist

Simian Mobile Disco

Spoon

The Arcade Fire

UNKLE

If I missed anything else worth checking out...lemme know!

Photos: Angles Two, Moment One

A very busy Jeremy finally found some time to get his photos posted from our adventure in Devil's Punchbowl a couple of weekends ago.

Tech: For Jer...

"Welcome, brothers and sisters in Apple. Blessings upon you and upon all of your Macs! The mission of The Church of Mac is to spread the good news that salvation is available to all who accept Apple as their personal computing platform."

Be sure not to miss Dr. Bobby's iPodcasts!

Right Click:

Life: Must Have More...

Totally addicting!

Quote Of The Day: Bill Maher On The Oscars

"My favorite movie of the year was the one about the heartless con man who's obsessed with finding oil. Its called No End In Sight."

Art: Some Of My Current Favorites On Etsy.com

Etsy Buy Handmade

Running: The Hills (Part 2)

It's been about a week since my last run.  I ran 4.5 miles on the 15th, went rock climbing on the 16th and went for a hike on the 17th.  The rest of this past week I had super low motivation and low energy...I just couldn't get myself out the door for a run.  The rain didn't help.  I think the ongoing mild vertigo that I've been experiencing has had something to do with my lack of motivation.  While I haven't felt particularly sick I just haven't felt 100%.  Fortunately I'm pretty sure that I found the cause of the vertigo and have taken steps to eliminate it from my life...I should start feeling a noticeable difference in the coming days. 

Out of complete guilt I forced myself to get up and run this morning.  I decided to do the 4.5 mile loop again but in the opposite direction as last time.  TOTALLY KICKED MY ASS!  Taking a week off plus just not feeling that great made it a tough and slow run this morning.

Art : Apology Accepted!

From ObeyGiant.com...

Apologizes...

First of all we would like to apologize for the delayed release of the Obama Offset last week. Due to the EXTREME amount of volume to our website and webstore our hosting server crashed. We thought we were sufficiently prepared for the release, with upgrades and release times, but to our surprise an exponential amount of buyers came and continued to stay and attempt to access our site which denied even our web administrators access to the site to upload the print. Essentially, we (just as you) waited until traffic died down enough for us to upload the artwork and release the print. The Obama offset was released and SOLD OUT on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, we do not have anymore to sell and are not taking any special requests for the prints. We are receiving 100’s of emails regarding the print, its release, and availability, so please do not email us unless your inquiry is unrelated. Once again we apologize for the delay and thanks to all that supported our efforts.

Fashion: DIY Playa Accessories

I'm so making 1 or 2 or 10 of these for the Playa this year!  It reminds me of something a Princess Circus Clown would wear...think bright colors! 

From Threadbanger.com

Super easy instructions start about 4 minutes in...

LOST: Eggtown Recaps

I'm still tripping out over the end of last night's show.  And I assumed the 'Egg' in Eggtown had something to do with Easter Eggs but was disappointed when my favorite LOST re-capper, Jeff Jensen over at EW.com, didn't offer up much more than a general review of this episode.  Fortunately the Underwire dug a little deeper...

Wired: Underwire

EW.com

HuffingtonPost.com

Tech: Patrick The Dog

A Modman, Ink original courtesy of Mogreet.com (G's latest venture).

Art: This Time In London...

Click here to play along!

Photos: In Case You Missed It...

A few shots I snapped (between clouds) of the Lunar Eclipse on February 20, 2008:

Tech: Science Fair - The Winners!

This blog showcases 41 photos of the all-time Science Fair WINNERS...at least in my book!

My personal favorite... 

Crystal Meth: Friend or Foe?

Their parents must be so proud!

Photos: Devil's Punchbowl

Last Sunday, Jeremy and I ventured off to the Northern side of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains.  After about an hour (or so) drive from the Westside we ultimately wound up at Devil's Punchbowl way out Pearblossom Highway.

We prepared ourselves for cool snowy conditions but were quite surprised to find the climate to be perfect for an afternoon of trekking!  J and I strolled along the very easy one mile loop down into the Punchbowl while taking some detours along the way.  There were tons of impressive rock formations and on some North facing slopes we even ran across the occasional (albeit dirty) snow patch.

On the way home we encountered this 'little' gem:

Follow this link to see a few more shots from Devil's Punchbowl and to peep some of the craziness that can be found inside the Village of Gnomes (aka Charlie Brown Farms).  Trust me...it's like nothing you've ever seen before!

Music: Hot Chip :: We're Looking For A Lot Of Love

"I try my best to keep up with the beat..."

Travel: Another Virtual Trip

Charles Phoenix’s Disneyland Tour of Downtown Los Angeles:

Click the title link above for ticketing and tour info.

Photo: Court Signs

Court C Street Sign 2.17.08

photo by Ilya

Venice Canals

Venice Beach, CA

I've started a new Set in my Flickr account which will be dedicated to Court/Courtney/C/See signs. I see them fairly often...for instance, there's a Court Street in Echo Park and Court Street in Hoboken, NJ. So if you run across a sign with any of the above noted variations of my name be sure to pull out your cell and snap a pic. Then send it to me so we can watch the collection grow! All I ask is that you note where the photo was taken! I'll gleefully post all new submissions in their very own blog!

Politics: Yes We Can! (The McCain mix)

Tech: Rock iBand

"There has to be an iPhone band!" said Sebastian Wöber, who submitted a clip of iBand in action to gadget blog Gizmodo. "It's the next step."

Well, duh! ;-)

Photos: Rock Climbing In Joshua Tree

Very early Saturday morning Erin and I shot out to Joshua Tree for an afternoon of Rock Climbing with E's friends, Michael, Monique & little Logan.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Such an amazing day!

Unfortunately due to a recent onset of vertigo (which Michael has seemingly cured) I limited myself to one climb.  That climb was way more (physically AND mentally) challenging than I ever could have imagined!  Wow!  

HUGE thanks to Monique and Michael for sharing their many years of climbing knowledge & experience.  You guys make it look so effortless...seriously amazing!

To view some more pics from our adventure click here.

Life: Yes I'm Alive and Well!

Sheesh, you take a couple of days off of blogging and all of a sudden all hell breaks loose!  Yes, my ever-adoring friends and family I'm FINE!!!  My weekend was filled lots of LIVING...far, far away from the security blanket of my life otherwise known as my Macbook Pro.  Well, for the sake of full disclosure J did bring the newest edition of his Apple arsenal along for the ride on Sunday (but more about that adventure later).  

Hold tight...lots of (as in, way too many) photos to follow!

Art: Das Rad

Art: Got it!!!

Attempting to purchase a Shepard Fairey print these days is like going to battle. It's become next-to-impossible for legit collectors, such as myself, to buy his prints due to a combination of the crappy Obey Giant purchasing system/website and the influx of all of those capitalizing lame asses who purchase his work only to turn around and sell it to OTHER lame asses through eBay at super inflated prices.  

Shepard please take note from the Burning Man Org who (dare I say) perfected the ordering process a couple of years ago when they started using a system which put ticket buyers in queue like a lottery system.  There is no more having to refresh pages because the server has timed out and MOST IMPORTANTLY there are no pages timing out during the final confirmation stage of the purchasing process!  Yes, which happened to me this evening during my FIRST attempt at buying the Obama Hope print.  Fortunately I got through on my second attempt...double w00t!

Seriously stoked!

Oh and if you're interested in purchasing this Barack offset you better hurry...no doubt it'll sell out very shortly.  The print can be found here. 

Running: The Hills

I've been experimenting with different routes lately so yesterday I mapped out a new route around Rancho Park Golf Course and through Cheviot Hills. Here's the thing...the map doesn't tell you about THE HILLS along the route! I ran 4.5 miles and I swear it was ALL UP HILL which made 4.5 miles feel more like, oh I don't know, 30 miles!? My calves are screaming which is no good considering the adventure that awaits me tomorrow but more about that later. On a brighter note today's run was my farthest of 2008! w00t!

Travel: NYC Baby!

A few years back while in NYC I was fortunate enough to catch this De La Guarda show:

DLG was nothing short of stellar. It totally resonated with the Burner in me. As you can see from this video clip audience participation is highly encouraged. The performers fed off of the crowd members who exhibited the most openness to the show. Those hiding in the corner of the hall were left alone while those of us *hand raised* constantly jostling for a better vantage point were singled out and encouraged to play along. During different points throughout the evening I found myself dancing with multiple performers. I had a very yummy DLG'er (who apparently thought I was yummy too) literally suctioned to my neck. And yet the best part was when one of the cast members came up behind me, pulled the rubber band right out of my hair and started smelling and twirling my curly locks before dancing with me through the crowd. Seriously too much fun! It was so exciting to be a part of all of that creative energy! Wow!

Flash forward to a few months ago when I ran across a review of a new show opening in NYC called Fuerzabruta. The style of this performance sounded remarkably familiar and after a little research I found out that this show is also from the creators of De La Guarda!



Yep, I'm thinking a trip to NYC this Spring is in order!

Tech: How Many Carats Are You?

Vanity Ring

A project by Markus Kison. 

"Update of the ring as a status symbol. It shows the number of Google hits you get, when you search for the name of the person who wears it."

Life: Happy Valentines Day!

Love Love Love,
Me!

Music: Datarock - Computer Camp Love

Yep, he said 'booger'.

Hardcore!

UPDATE: Chai Guy's Favorite Version...

"Yeah, she's a nice girl....."

(Note to self: Red jumpsuits are HOT!)

LOST: UPDATE!

Now that the strike is over...word on the street is:

LOST (ABC) 

CURRENTLY AIRING For 10 episodes 

INSIDE SCOOP:

Lost will take a break in mid-March before resuming the next month; the 16-episode season arc will be told in 13 episodes.

Music: I know...

...what's in the box!?

Why Radiohead, of course!

Photography: Ciao, Polaroid

Thanks, Chai Guy, for the heads-up...

"Polaroid is closing factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and the Netherlands and cutting 450 jobs as the brand synonymous with instant images focuses on ventures such as a portable printer for images from cell phones and Polaroid-branded digital cameras, televisions and DVD players. [This] will leave Polaroid with 150 employees at its Concord headquarters and a site in the nearby Boston suburb of Waltham, down from peak global employment of nearly 21,000 in 1978." [more here]

Polaroid transfers and emulsion lifts may soon will be a thing of the past! [sniff, sniff]