Being a kid who grew up mostly in Southern California, I’ve got plenty of memories running around, skateboarding, BMXing, getting in trouble, bailing more than landing, and then getting up….. all with my Vans. They’ve been good base rubber for my clumsy twinkle toes and Steve Caballero (who’s been sponsored by them for years,) has been a good friend to me as well. Being that Vans and Cab go together, wanted to give them a shout…
Vans has a new book out, that goes into it’s great history– and thus great history of the company and California culture of skateboarding, surfing, BMX, etc. You know– all the stuff you do in Vans. I know you wanna check it out….
Here’s a book promo billboard currently in NYC (I betcha those two girls in the pic would be buying the book, if they weren’t distracted by the photographer, huh?):
Also, some new half cabs are coming out too…..
If i’m walking, i prefer half cab or old school Vans. If i’m driving, i prefer Econoline Vans….
One thing i don’t like is child molester Vans….
No matter your taste, looks like there’s Vans for you.
I’m headed down south this coming weekend– we’re taking my daughter to Disneyland for her 13th b-day.
Sure wish I had time to break away, swing by our old hometown of Hollywood to: 1) have some quick Italian w/ the cops and queers that always seem to hang out at Palermo (right around the corner from our old bungalow,) 2) watch some girlie pirates catfight at the El Rey and then maybe 3) grab a couple Uga Booga’s at the Tiki-Ti.
Have been pretty diligent for a bit in keeping in the gym, but without fighting and through years of learning, it’s been tough to stay motivated and advance my boxing and Muay Thai lately. The world is different when you have a fight deadline and have to prepare so somebody doesnt beat you up in front of a crowd– that’s motivation that i don’t have anymore…
Having trained with MMA guys for a while, i’ve always wanted to learn ground skills. Up until now, when i’ve been taken down, i generally am pretty helpless– like a turtle on his back waiting to be uprighted so i could return to my strength in striking.
No more. I’ve lept in and have started jiu jitsu lessons w/ a twist of judo hopefully. At AKA, not only do we have world class strikers– but we’re well rounded and have world class ground fighters.
Here’s a commercial from Dave Camarillo, the grand wizard (is that what they call the top guy?) of the Guerilla Jiu Jitsu program at AKA:
What better to do at midnight on Friday the 13th than to walk around Sara Winchester’s (1839-1922) old mansion, Llanada Villa, in the dark and spook yourself out?
wish i had a tripod, as these slow exposure shots without flash produced the look i wanted but was hard to keep steady by hand.
Sara’s bedroom. Get got depressed when her first born and only child died two weeks after birth in 1866. Went a little further crazy when her husband died in 1881 and soon believed she was being haunted by the ghosts of people killed by Winchester Rifles. When the 1906 SF Quake trapped her for hours, she went mad, kept building until her death and held midnight seances every night. Tonight, we stood in her seance room at midnight.
Wonder what happened to the 1917 Pierce Arrow Limousine and 1916 Buick truck that were left at the house when she died?
Door knobs and misc details:
Some wood laying around the only shop. All this old growth quality woods still looks like new.
I could have swore that from the corner of my eye i saw somebody walking around the back of the place in the garden area that was dressed and looked like one of these guys…
and, of coure, yep– when i turned to check him out there was nothing….
To continue the tradition of Sara’s obsession– there are 13 photographs in this posting…
found this on shorpy– the site that rules for old pics.
i’d love to go back in time and talk a walk through……. maybe pick up one, or a couple.
along these lines—- i used to love to go to Pick a Part and junkyards as a youngster in SoCal– back when they still had cool shit. Nowadays, it’s all 80′s and 90′s… no fun (well, if they had some Grand Nationals though….)
Since you’re home is either getting foreclosed, was foreclosed, or isn’t worth shit anymore, I figured i’d throw out a couple homage tunes for all us homeowners (aka “Home-o’s”) that are getting fucked by well lubed corporate cocks…..
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there’s doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.
And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There’s a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
In about 1960 one of San Francisco’s O.G. hippies, Malvina Reynolds, wrote this song (“Little Boxes”) during a drive through Daly City– about the time most of the houses in the picture above were being built. I dig it, so i’ll spare my comments on her feelings for socialism, my opinion of her being a commie bastard, and the too kinky way she eats ice cream for an old Jewish lady…
Perhaps Milo Aukerman was influenced by Malvina a bit when in the 80′s he wrote one of my “favorite tunes as a teen”– Suburban Home.
I want to be stereotyped
I want to be classified
I want to be a clone
I want a suburban home
Having you’re own closet to get out of and being a Home-o was so, like, 2000….. Now it’s damn tough. The Man must think we’re all slutty bitches because they’re giving it to us deep. Will Obama’s rescue vasoline help us take it– because i want my own rainbow instead of pain, bro.
