Lorange Blog

I didn't even know Detroit had a baseball team.

Found free wifi next to my gate thanks to Seattle Best coffee and I don't get to blog from the road all too much in the past, so hey, this is what it's like. wow. It's 3am in LA but since it's 6 over here I'm hating it right now. one hour sleep or the catherine zeta jones in flight movie. which is worse? Oh took the tram between terminals. that was fast. 2.5 more hours until I land in Detroit Rock City. And snow.

All I wanted was a burrito. After the last Kiss or Kill, a bunch if us decided to hit El Grande Burrito or whatever that place is called on Santa Monica and Vermont. Well we went to the burrito place and ran into a crowd about a hundred or so made up of folks looking thuggy, most not or less so, and trannies...who were fighting. Poor security guard was trying to break up a brawl when another would start a few feet away. Most customers played the part of not concerned, just hungry customer with a careful eye on the action. Those tipsy late night burrito cravings can be that overwhelming and a salsa cup side of punches makes it that more interesting. When we drove into the parking lot there was one real cop in the street who was waiting for back up until one fight got pretty big. He pulled the cruiser up to verbally assist the security guard; people throwing fists at each other is fairly low in danger, and if you think about it, will continues until a referee breaks it up, friends grab a...

Just a test of utterz. Some of you might remember my drunk audio blogs, well I don't drink much (well not too much in one night much) but I have utterz on speed dial just in case! Now I'm itching to go on a bender.

[A few days after Thanksgiving or Yes, I'm a little behind in posting things] Finally pull onto my street Monday evening from my Bay Area trip and noticed the sprayed tags were different this time. White spray paint on the sidewalks, walls and more prominently the 10x 10 tag on the black pavement. RIP 11-21-07 and the nickname of a young man shot on the other side of the lake roughly a hour into my drive up North. More backstory from a blogger up the street from me. 24 years of life gone like that. Now my brother (a cop up in the Bay Area) would say let them kill themselves off but it's a lot more fierce up there with kids stopping in a intersection pulling ak47s out and running towards another car shooting. Sad to summarize it as just one part of a back and forth turf battle which is what it boils down to; A person, someone's son, a neighbor down the street. That's how I see it. Might be why my brother teasingly calls me a stupid liberal.

The lovable Rob Z is having his annual FREE Xmas event tonight at El Cid with his brand of tongue in cheek amusement. I can and will vouch for good times this evening. Not sure of the order at the moment, but expect: Chissum Worthington - love love him, check his myspace for videos Lockjaw Boy - another quality nugget from over the years Rob Z crooning with his voice from God and a very talented back up band featuring Brandon Meyer, Jon Ryggy (from Underwater City People), and Rik Baron . (@9.30) Plus the rocking of New Maximum Donkey !!! (@10.30) Come on in for a drink, laughs, music, and fun all wrapped together - the night will be soaking in it. Rob Z's Holiday Hullabaloo @ El Cid, Silver Lake FREE - Starts at 9pm sharp! Nothing says the holidays like beef jerky!

Little update/upcoming posts: a new job a NYE trip that will be icy/hot a brother in LA (a fish out of water story) a friend in WIRED magazine a quest for a burrito (a tale of food and trannies) a sister in the Boston Ballet a haircut (not really a post; more of a reminder) a new echo park log a bay area log a critique on Kenny Loggins' videos

The Kiss or Kill Documentary trailer. Try to spot my fat head.

One word: Midway It was towards the end of 2003 and Corey, Cortney and myself were stalking this band Midway all summer and they were booked at some place called Kiss or Kill at the Garage. The line up: She, Midway, Ballentine, Bang Sugar Bang and the Dollyrots - I'd checked online and listened to some mp3s and liked what I heard. The door chick asked for the two bucks and which band we were here to see. Midway...oh and Bang Sugar Bang. Oh I kind of want to see the Dollyrots too. Over the years my answer was usually "Um, all of them." In this way Kiss or Kill co-existed with the much hipsterized Silver Lake-centric music scene but without regard to what was hip, to what might be Pitchforked so you could say you were there first. We didn't give too much of a shit about that. It was about a great set. It was about great conversations and if you didn't know the band being discussed no one looked down at you for that. That first night people smiled at you, the barte...

I sort of sent something from this email account to a place by accident so to be safe this blog will be private for a week or so.

Band: The Ackleys Song: China Man Why: I'm out of ketchup too This album came out almost a year ago and as usual I'm a little late discovering this band from Alabama. Take a wander and stream the song Blank Mind at the Traffic Light on myspace - my favorite. Something about her voice just kind of does it for me...mixed with that early 90s buzzpop sound...and those subtle, but what would I do with out them keys. Oh yes. buy @ house of love records Also I love the gum chewing.

Oh yes I did. Illustration 1: I'm in Checkout Line 3. Products have started to be scanned and one additional cart with @35 items stands between me and my turn. I have 7 items. Express Line 2 is closed. Express Lane 1 is open with at least 10 customers. Illustration 2: My eyes follow a new checker weave through the checkout stands to pull the next customer in the Express Lane 2. He walks around to his station as the chosen one moves her cart over to Express Lane 2 (A). No one follows. I have time to follow the previous rearrangement, look at the items on the belt, items waiting to leave the cart in front of me, and still have a moment to calculate what, if any, time to be saved. No bodies follow the first to the new line. I make my move (B) and only then does the third person in Express Lane 1 locks eyes with me in a challenge of iron wagons (C). Three steps ahead and she didn't stand a chance; I was visualizing my placement before her wheels even started to creak over. My defe...

The third weekend in May: Mike the Headless Chicken Festival

Somehow things just work out. I have come to accomplish the goals in my life simply by the natural course of how things played out. Now I've come to realized that one cannot participate in life with out putting a little effort into it. Often I think that fate and dumb luck has play a bigger role in the past for me as I merrily merrily floated down the stream. Now as I transition into the second and final part of life (avg life expectancy + turning 35 = the slow end) I've decided that I need to grab life's little neck and wring it for all it's worth before it's all too late. You see I have now created a to do list to realize my goals: 1) find out what shit I need to get together 2) get a hair cut 3) get my shit together 4) keep my shit together 5) kiss my (yes, younger) girlfriend on new year's evemy 6) Go to Naples, Italy in the next three years now that little sister will be transferring for the navy band next June. Or just go anywhere in Europe. 7) eat m...

I tried sleeping in this morning past the alarm, blankets weaved between my legs like blankets should be. I'd rather have my girlfriend's legs to wrap around mine and maybe this is why I'm up at one a.m. grilling chicken. Avoiding sleep again; listening to Jdob's voice sing those songs I love and missed this weekend. Instead of being at her show Saturday I was on Hollywood Blvd at Tiny's k.o. having drinks and eating birthday cake of a friend barely an hour after completing the long drive from the Bay Area. Well worth the fun trip though: Rolled into the Bay Area around 4 A.M. Thursday morning to a fog topped Altamont Pass along with other early morning commuters from the central valley. Crashed on my mom's couch (I let S+J take the spare bedroom) for just enough sleep to drive safely into Oakland (on the Berkeley border) the next day to a little vegan pizza place on Shattuck called Pizza Plaza . Pretty tasty and, this is random, the owner looks a lot like Jes...

oh wonderful technology - you keep me up! oh wonderful technology - you can't help me! oh no! oh wonderful technology - why can't you tell me this post isn't as amusing to read as it is to write at 2.36 AM? oh wonderful technology - I think I'm loopy for you! oh wonderful technology - I think I'm going to bug my girlfriend thousands of miles away when she wakes up in a few minutes. oh wonderful technology - thank you for putting her on the same wireless network! oh wonderful technology - you make me all jittery. oh maybe that's the caffeine.

I've fallen in love with music again and this week's timing couldn't have been better. It's possible I've missed a few shows that where set in stone, encased in concrete, carved into flesh that I was to attend. Monday night wasn't any different - a headache - a worry - an early bed time for my old self. Though this blog was somewhat neglected it didn't mean I wasn't doing my regular Kiss or Kill on Wednesdays or checking out the previous Monday line ups. Just enough show smiles to get me through the week: Hearts of Palm UK a few weeks back at the Echo with Castledoor, the Go Team! at Amoeba. Just enough. I've been distracted the last month or two: B has been a positive change and her recent visit a major highlight. A close friend inserted a big negative for a short period but that was dealt with offline mostly save for the colorful blog comments here. T threw in a little, but far ominous dig one night. And $ is always an issue. These are deeper d...

So Jim Carrey's new film is closing down Sunset Blvd completely Thursday and Friday night between the hours of 9 P.M. and 6 A.M. Good luck getting to the Echo or Masa or returning movies at 50/50. I'm going out of town so thankfully I won't have to spend a hour to find parking a half mile from my apartment. I made a google map of the areas here - It should work (crosses fingers) **Filming in EP is welcomed - Not respecting the neighborhood isn't** Read the messages in the Echo Park/Elysian Park Neighborhood Council Discussion Forum for more info. ~~~~~ Production company: Hearthlight Pictures, INC Filming: Yes Man .... Permit: F-209578 Location: Sunset Bl from Park Ave - Echo Park Ave Dates: 11/08/07 - 11/09/07 HOURS: 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 A.M. [Um, rush hour traffic anyone?] Description of Scene: Exterior dialogue. Stunt driving with cars and scooters [So so typical]. Near misses. [Like Number 23?] Camera and equipment on the sidewalk and in ...

but it does hurt when a close friend deletes you. but I wasn't top 8 worthy to her so should I care?

Halloween @ Kiss or Kill with photos. I didn't dress up this year citing funds allocated for Becky's visit mixed with plain old laziness. My friend Kevin managed to slap to get a convincing Starbucks barista outfit for less than five bucks in five minutes that placed me at five times as lazy. My cheap ass suckage indeed. What I wore didn't matter to the dressed crowd that had started drinking early and focused on ways to receive attention from the other disguised patrons on the patio. I easily slipped unnoticed through the crowd like wait staff until on group of non-regulars sarcastically heckled "Nice costume!" onto me. Stupid fuckers. Sometimes I have nothing to show in defense when it come to clothing as it is a bit of luxury beyond simple jeans and interchangeable t shirts except tonight I possessed the color matching drink ticket of weeks past so I raised my free bottle to their mirthful, self congratulatory wit and went inside. The Invisible Humans had al...

'cause of too many free choices in LA. I'm half surprise as you are that I am writing again. Often I have some drama related cause to my little blogging breaks, yet I can't really pinpoint the cause for this last one. Ok I have some ideas that I'll talk about later. Just saying I'm back if that matters. So saddle up and sidle on down to today's late edition of TUS. Kiss or Kill presents The Randies / Porterville @ The Key Club It's Metal Skool so rsvp at the usual places to get in for free. I'm torn between that and The Softlightes @ Spaceland - Free every Monday in November Waste time at the Viper for IO Perry and The Pity Party, free with rsvp Casxio @ Silverlake Lounge every monday in November tonight with Voxhaul Broadcast who I have yet to see but ooh I liked what I heard on myspace, also King Elementary Anarchy in Hollywood night is now over at the Scene in Glendale (sure, why not?) with Beatmo at 9.30ish, Phantom .357, My Attitude, and Mar...

I took a little trip 400+ feet into the air this morning. As part of the redevelopment of the former El Toro Airport and Marine base into Orange County Great Park , this wonderful orange sphere (Get it? Being in Orange County known at one time for large orange orchards) will take you up 250-500 feet into the air for FREE in 2007 2008 and beyond. At over 1,300 acres, this will be one of the largest parks in Southern California with lakes, man made canyons, trails, sport fields and a museum district all within. Sadly it will still be located in Orange County. The coastal haze sat around the region like thinned out cotton balls this morning so I would pegged visibility at just under a mile. Though floating in a stationary position just tethered to the ground, a sub standard view is plenty to keep you (actually me) distracted from that thing called a slight fear of heights. After 15 minutes** up in the completely enclosed 30 person ring shaped cage, the cable gently pulled us down to...

I miss her terribly.

Photos by fabalv and CruachanX . Share/remix/share alike of photos under creative commons license. Commentary solely by robert dean (lorangeblog.com)

[dear live journal] RE: Becky In nine hours or so I'll be at LAX, terminal 3 trying to look cool. I will fail of course; I will stumble trip and stammer. I will swoon. What words will be spoken first? All I know is that it will be long walk to the car. A kiss for every ten steps. [/dear live journal]

[dear live journal] RE: The Ex god you suck. you proved again that if given the chance you will blame me for making you look like the bitch. no you see, you are a bitch. you suck for putting me in a position that you know was not completely easy to pull off and now I feel like shit for failing - for not trying hard enough. I wasn't even five miles away from your new marble floors, dual stainless steel oven ranges, and the pure bred labs running around your pool when you called to yell and threaten to deny what means the most to me... again . "You do realize I live in an apartment?" (I was asked to create an unreasonable amount of noise for my little place. vague on purpose. One noise complaint was enough) "Maybe with a little warning and I could've arranged something. Maybe." "Warning?!? You don't deserve a warning. If you can't make sure something is supposed to happen...(blah blah) make a lot of noise (blah blah). (blah blah = me thinking: r...

Words are hard to find this week: I'm getting older in two days. The rare one arrives in seven. The Ex acted up a few days ago... and is also pregnant which I would just laugh about except it affects people I care for deeply. I take it back. There are words. I just don't know where to start.

I've been walking down a lot of closed streets lately. Saturday was Detour Fest, my second weekend walking along the avenues in downtown Los Angeles. The week before was the Grand Avenue Fest which had free performances at the Walt Disney Concert Hall by the Los Angeles Philharmonic , free admission at MOCA, and various events at the Colburn School of ballet, music, and mime! oh my! - where I wasn't the only one who thought their cafe rocked (see blogdowntown's post ) especially price wise in comparison to the food booths that day. Now MOCA had some fun stuff going on there: One side was mostly set up for the Gordon Matta-Clark exhibit (see lightning history's post ) but we walked in towards the latter part of the day so we had to rush through this a bit fast. The other side was dedicated to the Cosima Von Bonin: Roger and Out exhibit that was neat*. I would've spent more time looking if it wasn't for the frazzled guards yelling at everyone to stand two feet ...

Band: The Moonbabies Song: Take Me to the Ballroom ( vid link ) Why: I've watched this video a thousands times and I still don't get it. hmm old lady kissing young lady. band plays blind folded. girl talking to boy toy. woman sends man to tell girl something. girl drops glass. girl walks onto dance floor. the crowd stops dancing woman takes off ring. man cuts off a strand of hair from the girl. strand placed in liquid which turns black. I think about how tasha yar dies on STNG by armus. tasha comes back as a half romulan - long story - has nothing to do with this video. woman drinks hair oil. woman sensually touches girls face and goes in for a kiss. woman passes out. girl is happy. boy toy puts ring on girl's hand. fade to black. WTF.

The only thing that will get me to attend any kind of large music festival is the phrase: free VIP passes. Saturday I made this exception to attend the LA Weekly's Detour Festival that surrounded City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles despite dreading the traffic/parking hassle and mental shudders of too many retarded people squished together inside my personal bubble. My blah attitude intact I drove into the valley of buildings with the goal of having fun and not paying for one damn thing. Fortunately this festival adventure didn't disappoint. Corey and I rolled in about 4.30 and progressively moved closer in circles to landed a free spot on the street a block away from the entrance. I should take this moment to thank Jeff at Passion of the Weiss for hooking me up with VIP passes through his blog. Then I would like to tell Boost Mobile to fuck off for not putting me on the will call list. I was actually alright with not getting in as this happens when dealing with guest lists so...

From an email this morning: After 7 years of making music as Los Abandoned , we have made the collective decision to go our separate ways. We would like to thank our families, friends and fans as well as everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this band a success. Thank you for the memories, for believing in us, and for helping to make our dreams come true. It really has been a dream-come-true. We will be playing our last show at the La Brea Tarpits on Sunday, October 7th at 4:30pm as part of Tarfest. It's a free show. We hope you can make it. Love Always, Los Abandoned Oh this sucks. One of my favorite bands to watch live has decided to call it a day. Without a doubt I'll be at Tarfest this Sunday.

Back in March 2006 I posted a little query about a group that manufactured pot based candies and edibles for caregiver clinics. That group was busted and at the time I'd originally thought it was the friends of friends of friends I knew, none of them Kevin Bacon. Well last week the group I was thinking of, Tainted Inc, were raided and it looked like the owner was on the lam from the feds until he turned himself in this morning. Feds crack down on pot candy firm - 4 tied to business are charged (sfgate 9/28) Pot-candy maker surrenders to feds (sfgate 10/04) I knew business was good but I didn't realize how big of an operation it had become since its boutique size days: "Over the past two years, Tainted bought nearly 4 tons of chocolate from Guittard Chocolate Co. in Burlingame for more than $14,000, Armstrong wrote. Tainted's candies and other food items sold for $2.50 to $20 apiece, depending on the strength of the product, authorities said." While I haven...