Funky Fridays #179.

Way early release on this one but this vid/ mix is too good to hold back. Plus the WHTCN fam will be heading to the hills with suspect cell service. Gotta get one of those wi-fi pagers.




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Weekly R&B #84.

HNIC 3.

It ain't The Infamous Part 2 but still worth a DL.



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Click Clack.

Happens every year. I forget how fun riding is, procrastinate, finally get on the hill late in the season, then get pissed I didn't get out earlier. Big thanks to Dan lighting a fire under my ass and getting me out.

Looking for some internet inspiration stumbled on this. It's always good to catch a crew clip from these guys to remember how good of a time riding can be.

5BORO.

Congrats to Conan and Nardonkey on a great video. So sick to see a full clip of raw street skating. Glad to see they are keeping up the tradition of NYC skating, Iron Ass and Tooks are still repping, and they are inspiring a new generation of flow trash. I remember the days of meeting up at the Birdshit Banks, skating all the way to Midtown then all the way back down to the West Village near Rod's crib and learning how to order off-menu Rice Bowls at Dojo. I still get the same order wherever I go. Oh, the good old days.

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The closing 8mm credit section is so amazing. Makes me miss NYC in the worst way. Living there was such a struggle, but it always felt that everyone was kind of on the same level. You walk onto the Subway, and everyone on understands that it takes the same amount of compromise to live in such a great city. There's a certain amount of community respect there. Everyone works pretty hard to maintain their standard of living at every level; so everyone appreciates a nice day. I admit, I lived a pretty rough life there, but it's where I have roots. After 15 years of being a resident I could get a good meal in any neighborhood in any borough, I could drive from Coney Island to Yankee Stadium without looking at a map, and I could take a nap on the train and always wake up right when I had to get off. From my family, friends, to the NYC life I miss every bit of it, the good and the bad. LA is great, every day feels like a vacation, but NYC will always be my home. Thanks Steve.



"Soulful, heartfelt, honest. “New York City, I don’t know why I love you. Could be you remind me of myself … I’ve always felt inside like New York City.” Not only that, this song celebrates “the sounds of city … music from every nation help make the island one. Home to both tramp and artist and dreamers everywhere and most of all kind hearted people whose stories ain’t on the air.” That’s NYC, baby."

Funky Fridays #178.

Rip Grip.

Went to Stoner Plaza the past two days with a new set-up to try and get mine. My ledge legs didn't really work so I just mainly got my kicks on the manny pads & quarter set up. Can't beat that cement noping. Wish my I had my Twinkle Toes, but not walking as much as back in NY is killing me.



Good sessions though. Locs are always super friendly. Sammy B. intro'd himself to me. Prob thought I was some other famous Asian like Ant Claravall. He tried to get me hyped but I could barely manage to scratch an inch long bsts. Dude was killing it. Gotta do some jump training or realize that I'm built for curb life. Hey, I have the perfect set-up right across the street from my house. Red baby ledges and blue parking blocks. Ain't so bad.




Wish the homies were around for the group sesh, but it'll just have to be me and the dude chillin' by the freeway exit begging for scraps. I wonder how much he actually makes. I know the M&M dudes pull about $200 a day on the subway, but no one is trying to stop and talk to a dude sitting on a shopping cart with a cardboard sign with a sob story you can't read.

Stoops.

Random Stoops clip. It was crazy to see the line forming yesterday to launch the Spring line. I don't really get the whole camp out thing especially with the internet. I suppose if you are one of the first few on line and you go straight home to list the items for double on eBay, that's some sort of accomplishment. I'm just glad they stopped making XXLs so I have no reason to go there. The NY store was fun to drop by for some free grip and Thrashers. I guess I have to actually subscribe now.



As an MLB fan, this baseball is set is pretty epic but it's not like I play on a pick up league or anything. It will sit in the closet until I get tired of it then sell it.



I just hope I have enough will power to not buy another man purse. The "no-discount" factor is pretty huge. I'd rather use my bro pass to get a run in on the bowl.

Funky Fridays #177.

Weekly R&B #83.

LA, LA.

Funky Fridays #176.

Damn.

I sure do miss wildin' out on the streets on NY. Enjoy the parade, fans.

HonDude.

Although I've always clowned on Honda Dudes esp when nerds in Civics used to try and race me (NA vs Turbo= no chance) I've tossed around the idea of picking up a Fit. A new STi would be ideal, but I'm not ready to take a 40K car payment and the temptation to go nuts modding it. I would prob get a few things for the Fit. But you can't really do much aside from making it pretty.


I've always liked this one seen here and there on the various blogs. Super clean.


"Sweet little ride with 17x7.5 Volk CE28N wheels, Killer Bee coilovers with Swift springs, Mugen body kit, Mugen visors, Kenstyle carbon fiber rear spoiler, J's Racing front grill and 50rs exhaust. Love it!"





Unless I can find a built Forester STi. 400HP Grocery Getter. No problem.

Go Giants!

Amazing weekend. Giants won & got to skate one of my favorite parks. Big thanks to the DMC family for hosting a Super Bowl Party with killer homestyle wings and snacks galore. Holla!

Funky Fridays #175.

I was afraid that after finally moving to California after all these years of dreaming about it, In N Out would lose it's value like when Jamba came to New York. Happily, it's not the case at all and I've been experimenting with the secret menu to create my perfect version: Double Double, Animal Style, Extra Toasted Mustard Bun, Diced Raw Onions & Chiles, Double Lettuce, No Tomatoes. Fries Well Done, Arnold Palmer and a Vanilla/ Strawberry Shake. One thing I found out is that it's best to go off hours so you are guaranteed a hot meal. My last serving was not as hot as I prefer, but still very enjoyable.



Although I've been enjoying my fair share of In N Out Burger, a big highlight was finally eating at the infamous UMAMI burger with the newest location opening up right in my neighborhood. I ordered the classic Umami Burger on my first visit and it didn't disappoint. The burger was ultra tender, incredibly savory, and the parmesean crisp & home made ketchup was fucked up good. Can't really explain the flavor experence. However, my cheezy tots paled in comparison. I should have also kept it classic and ordered the skinny fries. All in all, Umami was true to the reviews Truly Amazing. Best meal in LA so far.


"Umami, heralded by Japanese scientists as the fifth taste (after the basics of sweet, sour, bitter, salty)...I tasted it the Asian way, served with toppings, rubs, and sauces, and a different sort of brilliance emerged. It was deeper, more sensuous, both head-spinning and mind-expanding."


"Salty, sweet, sour, bitter—these four are the flavors we grew up playing with in science class, but umami is not basic to most people's academic understanding of taste. The description of what has been dubbed "the fifth taste" is not so easy. Savory? Meaty? Yes and yes. It has been localized to the reception of glutamate, hence the MSG-dousing so many restaurants employ. The thing is, that road to umami is not only low, it's also (with some attention to detail) unnecessary."

"Adam wanted to recreate that craving he gets for his two favorite burgers: the In-N-Out Double Double, and The Father's Office burger. He began researching all of the foods that have high umami ratings and decided to see what would happen if he started combining them. What he came up with is both delicious and certainly no facsimile of either of his inspirations."



"Adam shows me the meat grinding process. I'm not allowed to know everything, but I do know that flap meat plays a role. His grind is coarse and he hand packs the meat loosely in a form. From there it gets a hearty helping of salt and pepper and then finds a home on an equally seasoned cast iron griddle. While I think it's fair to say that the burger is gourmet, the process falls somewhere between chef and fast food. It lacks flourish, but is executed meticulously."



"All of the condiments are made in house, but the one I am most intrigued by is the Umami processed cheese used on the So Cal Burger (a take on In-N-Out). Gruyere (in this case, Comté) is shredded and mixed with Sherry and some heat. Then it gets a little hit of sodium citrate. The mixture is poured into a sheet pan to stabilize and voilà—homemade American cheese. You'll also find homemade ketchup, relish, chili, and host of others. To be honest, while they are all good, they don't compromise my love the cloying sweetness of a commercial ketchup."



"When I dig into the Umami burger the force of all of the tastes hit me. The meat is well-seasoned and beautifully cooked and packed. The Parmesan is baked into a tuile and the tomato gets a roasting (upping the umami rating apparently). The onions are caramelized, but Umami resists the browning impulse that foils so many grilled onions. The flavors come together as something entirely "burger" and yet something else. There is a complexity to the flavor that makes this burger eat like an original dish. The commercial, mass produced burger legacy of Post-WWII America is absent, yet it's still definitively a burger."



"One of the big reasons Umami maintains a hold on the burgerness of its creation lies in its bun. It's attractive, but not the perfect round like those for-looks-only brioche buns. This one is a Portuguese-style roll so it has a nontraditional sweetness, but the texture is soft, sturdy and satisfying. In fact, the texture is a key component as it's what keeps the burger together. I am able to use my hands all the way through despite the loosely packed meat and multiple condiments."



"Speaking of the meat, it comes from Rocker Brothers Meat & Provision in Inglewood. Adam estimates the fat content at 24 percent, but this isn't the sole explanation for the meat's tastiness. The mixture makes for a bigger flavor and, as we've discussed before, seasoning and proper cooking (high heat) make all the difference."



"When I ask Adam what he is trying to do at Umami his answer comes fast, furious, and audacious: "We're trying to improve upon nature. That's what a burger is doing. It's taking the good things about nature and fitting them in your hand." While Umami's iteration is certainly a reworking of the tastes of a traditional burger, Adam is insistent that he remain loyal to the form. "We're trying to focus on what appeals about burgers in the first place. We're trying to make something you crave." He sounds like someone who is both passionate and committed to food. He sounds like an eater who is, well, serious. No wonder I like his burger."

Yeah, sooooo someone come visit so I can go eat at Umami again.

Weekly R&B #82.