Malolo

If it just had sweet Thomas Campbell art, I could have held out. If it were a nice ride, I could have held out. But the combination of both plus my old board being destroyed made the purchase inevitible. I got a new snowboard.



So here's the kind of funny part. I was feeling hesitant about dropping that kind of loot right after the holidays, especially since Wendy has been riding the same board for almost five years. But when I was trying to tune/salvage my old board and moved on to wax hers, I discovered that her rail was damaged beyond repair! So we both needed new gear.

Ah, screw it. We went to ZJ in Santa Monica and have almost entirely new kits now. Hope they don't get too thrashed at Mammoth this weekend. Thanks to our Hungarian helper, Greg, for the assistance.

Freshies

When we were planning our Tahoe snowboarding trip and it became clear that Harrah's would become our destination, Dan said, "Buffets!" It turns out hitting the food lines for breakfast was good enough, and we wound up going elsewhere for dinner. Heeding the advice of a waiter at Friday's (the casino's top-floor posh steak and seafood joint), we checked out Freshies.


Located in a mini-mall minutes away from the strip on the Nevada side, Freshies has a laid-back Hawaiian vibe and tons of vegetarian and vegan options. You can substitute any meat with tempeh or tofu. Yes, there is a little bit of a hippie vibe, but you can tell the proprietors' emphasis is on flavor and variety, not bland roughage. Everyone liked their dishes (fish tacos, fake jerk chicken, ahi salad, etc.), even Lisa--who wasn't feeling well and is not afraid to say when she doesn't like something. The dessert was killer, too.

Mammoth Lakes could use something like this.

JB RIP

I think I've mentioned this before, but ever since Johnny Cash died, I've been going to shows with my dad because he was so bummed that he never got a chance to see the Man in Black. (Me, too.) So we've attended concerts by the likes of David Bowie, The Who, and The Stones. One of the best was James Brown at the Hollywood Bowl a couple years ago. I'm not going to say that makes it okay that JB passed away this Christmas, but I'm glad we got to see the Godfather of Soul do his thing in person.


If you can rank an individual by the number of his or her nicknames (The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, The Funky President, Soul Brother Number One, Mr. Dynamite...) he is truly without peer. I'm not qualified to describe his artistic, cultural, or social impact on the world, but maybe Chuck D is.

From the land of cool spring waters

Last week I got a phone call from my friend Kento, who had finally moved from Seattle to L.A. He's been threatening to do that since I met him about 10 years ago when I happened to catch one of his band IQU's earliest shows in the Emerald City. I was blown away by the trio's combination of indie rock and electronic music, and made Kento's acquaintance in Olympia the next day (introduced by our mutual friend Tae Won Yu) and the group crashed at my place when they made their first tours of California. After that, we'd see each other pretty much every tour.


So when Kento mentioned that keyboard player/sometimes singer Michiko was going to be in town with her mom and that they wanted to eat Chinese vegetarian food, I was all over it. I gathered up nearly a dozen people, told everyone to meet at Vegetarian Wok at 7:30, and we had an impromptu banquet!


Usually we order mock shrimp with snow pea leaves and the fake beef, but this time we went with a set menu of 13 dishes. Every dish was a suprise, since the menu was written in Chinese and none of us could read it. It was amazing, tasty, and deluxe--as you can gather by the flowers carved out of vegetables held by Michiko and her mom. We hung out in the hallway outside the restaurant forever and then hung out some more in the parking lot, kind of like an Asian-American version of the You're Gonna Get Yours 12" single cover.

You've got to love the week between Christmas and New Year's in L.A., when people are in town and in a festive mood, and traffic is practically nonexistant. Even the rain cooperated by falling late into the evening... The scoop on IQU? The new album is almost done, and will be released by a Japanese label. Kento says it will be more electronic, but I expect healthy doses of rock.

Rock Bottom

This is what happened to the base of my ride after the first day of snowboarding this season. I must have uncovered a rock while coming off a bank or drop off. It's right in front of my rear foot. (I'm goofy like that.)




I'm going to try filling it with P-tex, but I seriously doubt that will work. Too deep and the edges are too jagged to fill smoothly.


That Thomas Campbell design for Burton is looking better and better... Any sales or deals out there? Suggestions or hookups would be appreciated. I'm driving to Mammoth for New Year's.

Winter solstice

No snow here in San Diego where my family has gathered, but there's a ton of holiday spirit anyway. Here are some shots from one neighborhood in Clairemont (near Sipz).

Happy Birthday Saoirse

Time for cake!

Battles

Lady Snow Ninjas vs. Two Dorks in Lake Tahoe!

In this corner, Nevada homegirl Lisa S. and Wendy from the Giant Robot Fighting Society show off their chops. Everyone knows that the cutest kittens have the sharpest claws, and these two are devastating.

In response, Dan W. shows his Buddha's Palm while I expand my chin the manner of toad-style kung fu. We'd look even tougher if we used dandruff shampoo.

The winner? No one. The elements pound on mere mortals as hidden rocks under Heavenly's shallow base widen multiple sphincters and rip a crater out of my snowboard's base.

Stay tuned for a rematch in Mammoth...

The Gong Show

Now showing in New York City and Los Angeles is Curse of the Golden Flower. We don't always get to see movies from Asia on the big screen, so when a good one gets major distro, you have to jump on it. (People in other cities get their chance on January 12.)


Helmed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat, it's the equivalent of Monsters of Rock in Chinese cinema. The Shakespearean-style story unfolds in a gripping manner, the costumes and sets are shockingly great, and the acting is world class. Chow is badass with his beard and Li is stunning. Trust me, it won't be the same on DVD.


We don't like to divulge too much about upcoming magazine articles here on the GR blog, but I think it's okay to say that we were very amped when the publicists made time for us to meet one of the movie's principals--someone we've never interviewed before. I think the Q&A turned out to be a good read: equally comprehensive and candid.


Something that won't come through in the mag is how we dislodged part of the hotel's fancy chandelier with a backdrop after taking portraits! Eric's resourcefulness saved the day, and probably saved Sony some bucks, too.

Do you know where you are?

Saw Guns 'n' Roses last night at Universal City. Holy crap, they are still awesome. How could anyone not get chills from the opening notes of "Welcome to the Jungle"? Four guitarists and two keyboardists could be seen as excessive and yes there were actually pyrotechnics onstage, but damn, the band sounds tight as hell. All the hits were there: "Mr. Brownstone," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "It's So Easy," "Nightrain," "Think About You," "Patience," "I Used To Love Her (So I Had To Kill Her)," "November Rain," "Don't Cry," and covers like "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and "Live and Let Die." (What, no "Mama Kin"?) The new songs weren't bad, either. All those guitars turned into a huge, electronic but warm sound, kind of like The Clash's "This Is England" with howling vocals from Axl, perhaps. There's a lot of shit talk about his facial work and braids, but in the end his voice and stage presence remains untouchable.



Purists would have been pleased by the appearance of Izzy who played on four or five songs. Nice. Late-era and current GR keyboarist Dizzy played a nice medley with Beatles and Stones.It was cool to see Tommy Stinson rocking out in a non-drunken, hard-rocking, nonstop set for once. Opener Sebastian Bach from Skid Row came out to turn "My Michelle" into a screeching duet.

Somehow the band pulled off going onstage at 11:45 and ending at almost 2:00. Only a rock god can show that sort of pull at a corporate venue like the old Univeral Amphitheater. But the band--and it is a group, not a solo show--has the goods and even had the sense to have Helmet open up. An unpopular but amazing choice further demonstrating their bridging of everything rock from metal to glam to goth to blues to garage to infinity.

The Boz

Saturday's Bazaar Bizarre at the Shrine in L.A. was a little different than last years. There were fewer venders (notably, fewer indie artists/comics/printmakers) and perhaps a little less traffic (due to rainy weather and the previous week's Felt Club). But it was still fun. If you've never been to one of the shows, the types of crafts could perhaps be extrapolated by some of the prizes given away from at the cakewalk: cute, nerdy, or goth.




Wendy's Girlyfries is probably closer to cute than the others. Maybe the red flowers could be goth, but so far, she hasn't gone for any vinyl or rubber accessories.


There were tons of friends around who were selling their awesome handmade things. Here are a few of them...


Okay, this wasn't a fair picture since Susie was still setting up and not ready to pose. Nonetheless, you can tell that she has tons of stuff, including T-shirts, wallets, notecards, buttons, and more.


Crooked Teeth. Rats, I don't know the site because I usually bump into her at shoes! She seems to have expanded from nice T-shirts to scarves, convertible mittens, and other knit goods including cool mascots. Look her up and don't get too distracted by the Death Cab sites!


Feisty Elle is operated by Leslie from San Francisco. She uses cool old textiles like kimono fabric or origami paper to make pins, buttons, and other accessories. It's super well done.



GR friends from Poketo were there, too. I also saw our pal Jeremy from Chimni, but didn't have my camera... Purchases? I didn't buy anything because I'm on a budget and my X-mas shopping is pretty much done. But it looked like there were tons of happy people who scored handmade product.



p.s. Thanks Jenny (not pictured above) for delivering cookies and and a soy peppermint latte, even though it would have been nice if they came at the same time.

The Bazaar

When I was in college, I worked on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. We skippers shared a breakroom with other Adventureland folks who worked at attractions like the Mark Twain steamboat and the Tiki-Tiki-Tiki-Tiki Room. There were just a few tables and candy machines in a tiny patio over the Bazaar. Most workers were students, and you can imagine that it was kind of like 90210 with lots of inter-attraction dating, drama, and gossip about Peter Pan dating Snow White, etc. But that's another story.


Tomorrow (Saturday, December 16) I'll be at Bazaar Bizarre at the Shriine in L.A. helping Wendy at the Girlyfries booth. This is her non-day job, non-GR, solo project where she makes handbags, coin purses, hair clips, pins, and the like. For the last few weeks, I've been helping out by gluing, packaging, and finding scissors and now she gets to show it off. If you're around the University of South Central and are jonesing for some crafty, cute, and handmade things, this will be the place to be.

Not Santa Monica Airlines

J Robbins (of Channels, Burning Airlines, Jawbox, and DeSoto Records fame) could use some help. He and his wife Janet are raising a son with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). Sounds tough, and it is. Little Cal will never be able to walk and chances are that he won't make it to his second birthday. Check Cal's benefit site and see what you can do.


Another way to go is buy a bunch a records that J has recorded or produced. Check out some great MP3s here, and then spend some money. A lot of friends, family, and I really dig music that J is responsible for (when my sister and Carlos got married, their first song was "Savory" by Jawbox) and here's a chance for folks like us to give back a little more...

Linda Linda Linda

Went to Barefoot Cafe on Third Street last night to celebrate Linda's birthday. I liked the olive bread and pesto dipping sauce a lot.


She walked away with two iPods, one for each ear. A lot of us gave her some music to go with it, too. Here's what Wendy and I came up with:

Wendy's Disc

TENDER FOREVER - THE SOFT AND THE HARDCORE
Every Monday
Take It Off
The Feelings of Love
This Is Hardcore
Make Out
Then If I'm Weird I Want to Share
Hot
Rad
Happy Birthday
Marry Me
Tender Forever
The Magic of Crashing Stars

EXTRAS
Internal/External - Various Transmission
Internal/External - Anchordown
IQU - Teenage Dream (Original Version)
Dub Narcotic Sound System - Ship To Shore (Boot Party Mix)
Lavender Diamond - You Broke My Heart
Lavender Diamond - Please
Beat Happening - Foggy Eyes
Beat Happening - Sea Hunt

Martin's Disc

ROMANES - ROMANES
Romanes
Blitzkrieg Bop
Rockaway Beach
Beat on the Brat
Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
Chinese Rocks
I Wanna Be Sedated
California Sun
I Just Wanna Have Something To Do
Pinhead
Psycho Therapy
Rock 'n' Roll High School

J CHURCH - ELO EP
Telephone Line
Turn To Stone
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Don't Bring Me Down
Tightrope

J CHURCH - TIDE OF FATE - EP
Tide of Fate
Panama
No Doves Fly Here
Sleep
Cool Guitar Girl

I can see clearly now

The rain is gone, it left my car looking like crap, and I was forced to do something about it...

Friends with Choe

Dave Choe rolls beyond the Valley of the Jeep Beats and into Miami...

Boxboy

Today is the final day to order stuff from the GR online shop and have guaranteed delivery by Winter Solstice or Xmas. (Not sure when Hannukah and Kwanzaa are.) I've been helping M and K collect orders, restock shelves, and make them and C and sometimes Eric listen to Chinese Jamaicans and The Romanes when I hijack the speakers with my iPod.


This is nothing. You should see the vanloads Eric drives to the post office.

I'm usually holed up at the mag office while Eric is often running around tending/putting out fires at the shops, restaurants, and everything else, so I enjoy hanging out with the dudes and seeing people on Sawtelle.


Today's playlist has included Alice Cooper and The Fall.

Orders are easing up, but maybe some of you are just waiting until the last minute to see if friends or family members are naughty and get themselves tossed off present island.

Bonus cup

Helping out at the the GR store mailroom means time for coffee. My Descendents cup has been retired, so I brought my ALL version.

KIDS ON COFFEE

Doug is bouncing off the walls
Ray is drooling big spit balls
Bill is breaking large objects

Kids on coffee

Where's my Bonus Cup?
Come on man, fill me up
I need some Krappers to wash it down
Bonus Bonus Bonus!!!

Went driving down to San Diego
Passing by the nuclear tits
Go away off my earth!!!

Gocco party!

Twin power? My brother and I and our spouses Kelly and Wendy gave children's books with ex libris as a gift at our sister Angelyn's baby shower. The interesting thing is that our designs were super alike, even though we doodled our ideas in different cities. Note the cat heads and handwriting. Would our brother-in-law Carlos have drawn a simlar concept?

Wendy pulls off registering three colors with no problem.

Wendy's dad feeds us/holds down the fort.

Drawing by Greg, art direction by Kelly.

Drawing by me, art direction by Wendy.

HK update

The new Ivana Wong CD/DVD with art by Jeana Sohn on the cover is out now! A lot of Canto-pop is sappy karaoke, but Ivana writes her own stuff and it's quite good.


Design is by our friend Prodip, who used to be in LMF and currently works with Michael Lau. More on Prodip's latest toy and movie projects later...

U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi

More pics from the costume contest at Uglycon, held at GR2 this weekend... David and Sun-Min had their work cut out for them.

Bandwagonesque Ox attracts the ladies with bling.

Wedgehead had the concept of using her face as an eyehole. She had her handmade Uglydolls, too.

Sailer Babo came just missed third place. Check out the craftsmanship of the boat. He couldn't see out of the mask, though, and had to be guided around.

Bob and Beep (right) were cool because they captured the Siamese twins vibe just right. I wonder if they could smell each other's farts in there?

What Secret Mission Babo lacked in costume technology was made up for in soul and cookies.

The eventual winner? On the left with the rare one-eyed wonder hat and embroidered scarf. Wow.

The measuring stick. Official Uglies staying out of the rain.

Li hing gang

One of the cooler articles in GR45 went behind the scenes of the Jade Food company in Hawaii. It's the only crack seed business that makes its own li hing goodies, and doesn't just boat them in from Asia. Jade's leader Deanne mentioned that one of the things they've done is alter the flavor from the harsher, medicinal Chinese flavor of mui into something sweeter and more Island friendly.



Here's the jar that we gave to Wendy's parents. The dried plums, peaches, and other fruit are long gone and in their place is all sorts of dried stuff that I can't identify. Lik Bono proclaiming that he reclaimed "Helter Skelter" from Charles Manson who stole the song from The Beatles. Wendy's parents took back the sticky-sweet flavor, and made it Chinese again.

Flying the flag

In the new GR, there's an interview with Nick from Death Cab, where we talk about the group's T-shirt designs by our mutual friend Jeana Sohn. I asked him if it's ever okay for someone to wear his or her own band's T-shirt and he came up with a list of rock 'n' roll rules. The first? "Thou shalt not wear thine own band's shirts or merchandise."

On Death Cab's latest tour, the band played a lot of minor-league hockey arenas that gave them custom sweaters! I left my camera in the car and had to use my phone...

And there I was on the bus this morning, wearing a GR sweatshirt. I realize helping to make a magazine isn't the same as being in a band, but there is crossover and I don't want to be lame. Maybe it's okay because we have stores that sell GR gear? It's like a brand, right? If we have a softball team and wear T-shirts when we play, is that okay? There's a Ted Leo + Pharmacists album cover where they're all wearing soccer jerseys, right?

Do I look doughy? This was taken from my lap on the bus, so it's from a low angle. I couldn't really take another one or pose because that would be silly.

Maybe we're less like a band and more like a gang. That's how Suicidal Tendencies gets away with it. (They also break Nick's rule of not wearing shorts.) In the end, rules are meant to be broken, and GR does that a lot in terms of typical publishing guidelines.

What, no flipped-up cap?

Pryorvision

Following the GR softball team's devastating loss last night, a bunch of us went to Busaba for supper and support. Included in the mix was GR softball historian, GR mag minister of color, and awesome friend Pryor. He could replace heads in government photos after coups, etc., if he wanted to. Instead, he takes crummy press images or hack snapshots that we get and makes them look good. He also takes art photos and makes film shorts. He has a great sense of style. Whenever Paul Weller comes through town, I call him first.


Since I had just taken mediocre shots of an excellent Monsters Are Waiting show the night before, I hit him up on how to shoot better photos next time. He tooled around with the Ricoh GR's menu for a couple seconds and showed us where you can switch the settings to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600... Duh, just like choosing film.


Using this newfound knowledge, I snapped the above portrait of the remaining dinner party using available light. Left to right: Carlos, standing on the curb as if he isn't tall enough compared to the ladies anyway; Wendy, warm in her new vintage coat; Happy, wearing glasses because she has the equivalent of chapped corneas; and Angelyn, who has mastered the art of taking photos with her arms crossed to hide her expectant status. Pryor parked on the other side of Melrose. Still sore over throwing the losing pitch, I chose not to be in the photo.

Some kind of monsters

I'm not going to pull some "I knew them way back when" since I don't really know the members of Monsters Are Waiting, but I have bought and reviewed all three releases they've put out (despite the fact that the core songs are identical) since happening to catch them opening for Ben Lee way down in Capistrano last year. I've even squeezed in a Top 5 from the singer, Annalee. Most bands--especially ones with huge publicists, goodie bags, and stuff--don't command that sort of attention. I'm smitten.


So when the Echo Park band returned from a tour opening for She Wants Revenge and Pretty Girls Make Graves to play a headlining gig at Safari Sam's, I had to go. The group has gone through a lot in the last few months, and evolved a little as a result. Annalee has some new moves, probably developed to fill the larger stages they've been frequenting. The guys are playing with a lot of understated confidence. More guitar effects, synth, and a dreamy light show, too--although the latter might be courtesy of Safari Sam's. There are also some new songs. One is Doors-like, with bass and keyboard providing a dark counterpoint to the ethereal vocals. The core is the same: dark, brooding, beautiful rock with new wave undertones. Besides odd animal sounds, the stage is thick with mood and intensity. Goths, shoegazers, and girl-band geeks can all get behind the sound and style. Who can't root for a band that sings "happy birthday" from onstage for a friend? One that powers through an hourlong set in a smaller club after headling big shows, even though members are sick?


Show-goers don't really go apeshit in L.A., and the one who did at last night's show got plenty of stares. But maybe they should have joined him. The next scheduled gig isn't until February in San Francisco. In the meantime, check out their songs you-know-where.

Bren again

When I was at the Death Cab show last night, I was reminded of the last time I was at the Bren Events Center. It was for the Vision Pro Skate Escape, an '80s vert contest that began with a 3-D movie and ended with a showdown between Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi. I think the Chili Peppers played, too. It was awesome.


Hosoi won, but it turned out to be a crossroads, with the Birdman's career taking off and Holmes going in the other direction. These days, you can see Hawk on late-night TV shows promoting his latest (and still great) video game. Meanwhile, there's a documentary on Hosoi. I missed it at HIFF, but it is probably doing the rounds...

Six Million Dollar Man

This morning I twisted my key in half while trying to open the GR mag office door.


Maybe I'll hit a hit a home run at tomorow's GR softball game at Poinsettia?

Going back to Cali again

Last time I saw Nick play, it was at the Greek Theater. The band had massive production and a fancy food-and-booze spread backstage. It made for a beautiful summer evening under the stars. This time, he was at UC Irvine's basketball gym. What was lost in fanciness was made up for in atmosphere, with lots of screaming students crammed up against the stage. We sat in the bleachers and watched from afar. The sound was actually pretty good, and the band was actually more rocking in the OC suburb than it was in the Hollywood Hills. It was a great set, and they had the sense not to play that song about L.A. beyond the Orange Curtain.

Afterward, we talked to the rock star/closet indie-comics nerd in the hall outside the women's locker room, where the band was camped out. You'd think it would smell like Pledge, but Nick said that it actually reeked. He always has good tour stories and recalls the most minute details about GR back issues, too. One of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet.

Chris said hi. He was wearing a huge backpack, and I thought it might be for indie rock street cred, but Nick said that it was because he stuck around Long Beach the night before to tend to some business in L.A. Music production, I'd guess. He's an awesome knob turner. We also met DCFC's production dude, who has been reading GR since the first issue. I knew he was all right as soon as I saw his Dodgers cap.

After pushing hard for Plans and Directions, the band is going to take a break from touring. So if you live around Santa Barbara, Oakland or Seattle, try to catch them tonight or tomorrow. That'll be it for a while. The only show coming up will be with the Philharmonic in NYC. Sounds like a great way to use some Southwest miles, doesn't it?


On the way home, we dropped by our favorite 24-hour, dirt-cheap, super-good Vietnamese sandwich place that serves faux ham. A perfect night, even if it was a Tuesday. Hey Martin C. (center), what are you doing out on a weeknight? Get back to making work for the January show at GR2!

DK

Remember the Talladega and Chinese orphanage articles in GR? Maybe you have some Kumquat catalogs or the Born Yogis book? Here's the dude behind all that, drinking a caffeinated beverage in Beverly Hills and getting ready for another day of lens pointing and finger pushing.



He appears mild mannered and photographs babies like no one else, but you should have seen him in the pit when Venom came through town...

Going back to Cali

This weekend I returned to OCMA to check out the California Biennial without the opening-night crowds. Word is that it's the best collection in quite a while, and as a bonus, it was free because there was a multicultural kids' day going on. I also got to meet an artist who was in town and told me a little bit about his work. More on that later, but you should see the show yourself because it's up for one more month. The museum is tucked into a business park right across from Fascist Island, so you can also do some holiday shopping if you've got the guts and money.


On the way back to L.A., we had lunch at Au Lac, one of my favorite vegetarian Vietnamese places. When we pulled up, I was worried because the front door was boarded up. Whenever I haven't been to a restaurant in a while, I always feel like it's my fault if it goes under. Not this time. It was packed!

Aftger that--even though we were stuffed--we dropped by Banh Mi Che Cali for some veggie ham sandwiches (and an iced coffee) to go. It was different to be there on an afternoon on the way back fron Newport Beach, and not in the middle of the night on the way back from San Diego this time. Much more leisurely yet just as crowded. No worries about this joint going under.

Art and food are worth driving around for.

Bear down bruins

UCLA beats USC!


Thanks to Doug for the pic.

Alive not dead not dead

Holy crap, our favorite man/boy band is playing one more show. ALIVE plays Taiwan on December 9. Someone go and take pictures for us!

Anze Kopitar has a posse

Nice. Someone in L.A. has been putting up stencils of the L.A. King's high-flying rookie skater Anze Kopitar.

Pic taken from the letsgokings site.

cuteoverload.com

Holidays are coming, and that means buying gifts for kids, nephews, nieces, and other little ones.

My sister makes awesome baby clothes, and is having a sample sale in Eagle Rock this weekend. I'll be there early...

Downtown dogs

Last night I witnessed Kobe Bryant drop 52 points on the conference-leading Utah Jazz. Following a couple off-nights, Number 24 was due for a scoring outburst. The bulk of his buckets came in the third quarter, when he shot a flawless 9 for 9 (including a few treys). When Jerry Sloan's team started fouling his every shot, and the guard went 10 for 10 at the charity stripe. Third quarter totals: Jazz 32, Kobe 30. Sick. Lakers won by 30.


At first I was hoping that the scoring would spread out a bit, but Kobe was hot and the ball could not be denied. Still, Lamar nearly got a triple-double, Evans got his season-best 17, and a couple other players dipped into double digits as well.


Perhaps the unsung hero was Turiaf, whose scrappy play inspired the Lakers and elicited cheers when the score was close in the second period. Farmar was a fan favorite, too. Ex-Laker Derek Fisher took the rookie point guard to school a few times but didn't ruin his 20th birthday. Farmar is a Bruin who doesn't have to worry about USC alumni hassling him this week, since Trojan ballers are scarce in the Association.


Next to the Yankees, there's probably no professional sports team as polarizing as the Lakers. People hate the Purple and Gold, and the "Beat L.A." chant has spread from Boston to Portland, Sacto, and just about everywhere. But even Jazz fans were happy when they exited the arena and got a whiff of Staples' version of the Dodger Dog: street vendors selling sausages wrapped in bacon and topped with onions on a roll.


I'm going to make a veggie version sometime soon...

Candy

From Staples, I could peek into the L.A. Auto Show's preview night across the way. The pretty, shiny cars looked like Hot Wheels or Skittles.


Although our friend Chi drives a fairly new and very cool Audi--and says that there's not much in the area of concept cars--he's going anyway for drooling purposes. For car people, it's kind of like going to a strip joint to get lap dances from objects of desire, except that you give them instead.