Category: California


California – Japanese Earthquake Relief Benifit Concert

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The Japanese band the B’z and Linkin Park had a benefit concert for Japanese earthquake relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The concert raised $330,000.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

The Mayan Theater in Downtown Los Angeles

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Japanese Band the B'z

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Chester from Linkin Park

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Really Big-Ass Disco Ball

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Chester thanks the crowd after the show.

B'z and Linkin Park Benefit Concert for Japanese Earthquake Relief at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

It's me!


California – Summer X-Games 17

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The Summer X-Games is annual competition put on by ESPN of the best action sports athletes competing in a bunch of different events, sort of a mini Olympics for action and extreme sports.

For the last 8 years the Summer X-Games has been held here in Los Angeles, which is great for me, because I enjoy going to see some of the events live. The last two years I wasn’t able to go to any events because I was traveling, but I was in town this year, so was able to attend several of the events.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Moto X Step Up.

Moto X Step Up. Basicly the high-jump, but on a motocross bike.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Best Wipe.

Moto X Best Wipe. Who can do the coolest whip on their motocross bike.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Moto X Best Trick.

Travis Pastrana goes for a crazy twisting double back flip in the Moto X Best Trick competition. Unfortunately he crashed and broke his ankle.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. BMX Big Air.

BMX Big Air.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Rallycross.

The streets around the Staples Center are turned into a racecourse for the Rallycross.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.

Cool trashcan.

A new event for this year’s Summer X-Games and the last event of the games was Endurocross. Endurocross is a mash-up of supercross and enduro. Rides race each other around a custom track build inside an arena. The track is a bit similar to a supercross track, but with added rocks, logs, waterholes and other obstacles that might been seen in an enduro race.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

Panorama of the Endurocross track inside the Staples Center.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

The tight start resulted in many pile-ups.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

Log Obstacle.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

Struggling to get over a large log.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

Tire Jump.

X-Games 17 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Endurocross.

The waterhole.


California – Soapbox Races

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The 2011 Red Bull Soapbox race downtown Los Angeles.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

Arnold in his Hummer

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles

Angery Birds

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

The Agony of Defeat. There was a large banked corner half way through the racecourse that caused problems for many of the soap boxes.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

Little Green Army Men

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

Members of a soapbox car's crew had to run down the racecourse after their car went down to meet the driver at the finish.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

Member of the crew for the Naked team.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

Rolling Sushi Bar. I like how casual the driver (sushi chef) looks.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

I Dream of Jeannie. Not every soapbox made it to the finish in one piece.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

The banked corner clams another soapbox racer.

2011 Red Bull soapbox races in downtown Los Angeles.

One of the fanciest soapboxes.


California – Linkin Park

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Linkin Park concert at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Linkin Park concert at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.


California – Halloween Pumpkin

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Normally I carve two pumpkins every Halloween, but because of my trips to Germany and Argentina, I only had a chance to carve one this year.

Pumpkin, Carver, Halloween, Scary, Extreme, Jack-o-Lantern


California – Halloween Pumpkins

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Since it’s almost Halloween, I thought I would upload some photos of my past Halloween pumpkins.

ALt

2008

ALt

2008

ALT

2007

ALT

2007

ALT

2005

ALT

2005


California – LA County Fair – Food

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County and State Fairs are known for livestock, farm equipment, carnival games, rides and booths selling ShamWows. They are also known for lots of booths selling interesting and sometimes strange foods.

I’ve survived eating raw horse and fugu in Japan, stinky tofu and a thousand-year-old egg in Taiwan, poutine in Canada. So now it’s time to try some of America’s strange fair foods.

Deep Fried Twinkie, Food, Los Angeles, Fair, LA County Fair

I'm a believer that deep frying anything can make it taste better. And many of the food booths at the LA county fair seem to believe that also. Deep Fried Twinkie covered in chocolate syrup. Actually pretty good.

Chocolate Covered Bacon, Food, Los Angeles, Fair, LA County Fair

Chocolate Covered Bacon?

Chocolate Covered Bacon, Food, Los Angeles, Fair, LA County Fair

Yup, it really is chocolate covered bacon. Not as bad as it sounds, it has a strange salty, meaty taste under the initial chocolate taste. The salty chocolate taste is a bit like chocolate covered pretzels, but then you get the bacon taste that comes on strong as you chew. My biggest negative was that the chocolate used was dark chocolate and I'm a much bigger fan of milk chocolate.

Deep fried White Castle Hamburger, Food, Los Angeles, Fair, LA County Fair

The main course, a deep fried White Castle Hamburger.

ALT

The White Castle is battered and deep fried, which gives it a crispy outside over the standard mushy White Castle. Not something I would want to eat everyday, but not too bad.


California – I’m back in LA

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I’m back in Los Angeles after spending a little over a month in Japan. Japan was an amazing time, but it’s nice to be home.

Panorama of downtown Los Angeles, Downtown, Twilight, Skyline, Cityscape, City, Buildings

Panorama of downtown Los Angeles


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