Archive for December, 2008
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and you already know that foundation of any good party rests with the people you roll with so we’re definitely going to kick it off big.
2009 is gonna be a rough but in the end we’ll all be good. It’s also going to be a good time to change the way we live and hustle and as with every new year the perfect time to start fresh. So whether it’s alleviating bad habits, changing the way you eat or simply hustling harder I wish everyone a prosperous New Year. On another note, you already know that the cops will be out in full force (and pissed that they have to work while we all party) so don’t do nothing stupid and stay safe. Till next year.
Here’s a few of the shots from last nights load up. You can’t go wrong with a white Bentley GT Coupe on HRE’s and a black Audi R8 on Fogriatos. More cars are on their way right now so I’ll have more photos up later.
AC’s infamous orange widebody Dodge Challenger on Air Runner suspension.
Speaking of Dodge…check this one out. Pretty weird.
If you’ve follow my blog you’re probably sick and tired of seeing this car but it’s still a crowd favorite and the baddest Dodge Charger out there. So here it is again! LOL.
The BMW/ Oracle trimaran was sitting out back of the convention center. This thing is a fuckin’ monster!!
Here’s a better picture of it during the sea trials in San Diego.
It’s a quarter to 5 and my ass is still up because I slept in the car on the way back from SD and even worse is the fact that I have to be back up there in a few hours to drop off the cars that didn’t make the time cut off. Now if there’s one thing that I truly can’t stand it’s lagging – and today was a true test of my patience. Two of the cars were supposed to leave on trailers at 11 a.m., and by 6 pm they were still there! WTF? By now, it’s sad to say that I’m getting used to this and as much as I’d like to get angry we already know that it won’t help so why bother?
To top it off, the Charger and the Bentley GT Coupe had too much gas in the tank and as most of you already know, any indoor car show will only allow you to have up to a quarter tank of gas (according to the Fire Marshall) but at the L.A. Convention Center we’ve become so accustomed to “tipping” the attendant that we forgot about the law. So there we are mashing through the City in the Bentley and the Charger and 15 minutes later the Bentley is back and good to go, but Topo’s Charger still has a third of a tank so he ended up having to take it back home since they were closing up for the night!
Either way I know that the cars’ll get there safe and sound by tomorrow….but as far as today goes it was really a cluster fuck of problems! Oh yeah…did I forget to mention that the freight elevator to bring the cars up to the second floor broke down as well?
Check this out. I’ve seen a lot of attempts to do a widebody 2009 Dodge Challenger and no one has come close to the one’s that Topo has created till now. The Swedish design firm Vizualtech put together a portfolio of their working utilizing their 3D rendering capabilities and here’s a few samples of what they’ve created.
OK wait….these are only renderings so I guess that keeps Topo on top of the charts for now.
Topo…you know what to do. Cop yourself a Challenger and get to cuttin’ man!
Yesterday I went down to my sister’s new office and all I can say is that I’m pretty jazzed about the new facility. Just walking through the place creates a certain energy that’s more powerful and invigorating than the new car smell and for me a new building, a new issue or the start of anything fresh represents something special. Call it the birth of a new chapter, the evolution into a bigger and better species or simply the expansion of opportunity but either way it’s exciting.
Feng Shui. Lucky cat in my sisters office facing NE.
Their whole office is full of interesting angles and great photo opps.
Inside, the decor of the office works well with the design and colors while an exposed ventilation system offers an industrial appeal that provides energy and movement…if you didn’t know any better you’d think that this was either a design house or marketing agency – not an accounting office.
Stacey’s office still getting unpacked!
Office work stations down below.
My mom snagging an office and deciding to have a meeting of her own. LOL.
The craziest thing about the whole move is the fact that one of the partners that started this used to live in a trailer park in Lomita. Again….just another great example of what focus, dedication, and a dream can attain. Nothing is impossible in this lifetime.
Look at those cubes! Damn…they should call them ice boxes because it looks like a cool place to chill. LOL…so there you have it. If you need good accountants then look no further than RKLLP.
I know Cali isn’t nearly as cold as it is in the East Coast but I’ve been freezing my ass off. With that said, I don’ t give a fuck if I go out looking like a ninja. I’m not getting sick again and I wear jackets that “protect”. LOL. Recognize the logo on the hoodie? If you do…then you already know.
On Friday night we were all bored so we ripped on over to Alhambra for a Club Lexus meet….here’s a few shots from the high-speed trip there.
Thermal imaging is always a trip. Check out the horizon of the mountain. In plain view you can’t see nothing but black.
Jerry’s Turbo SC.
John’s ride – Mr. 20′s or 22′s? LOL. Make up your mind already fucker!
The Dropout mashing in the CLS63.
And you already know we gets hungry! While the rest of the fellas were freezing their asses off in the parking lot we went inside and ordered hot tea and toast over at Tea Station. If you haven’t tried it then get up on game for the thickest slices of bread in town.
A few days I passed by Hugh’s pad to shoot the shit. He’s in from Florida and further proof that you don’t necessarily need a college education to do big things. Let’s see….In the past year he’s picked up a Porsche Turbo, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lexus IS-F, CL63, and now it’s time to get rid of the CLS63 to make room for yet another car which is coming very, very soon.
Kieth on the other hand is proof that you don’t even need a job to drive dope cars. Ha ha ha…he’s the only guy I know that can knock a guy out at work, get fired, and then rehired the very next day by the same company.
OK…so what else is new? We got hungry so we drove down to Ojiya to grab some food for our mouths. Seriously…Ojiya just might serve the best sushi I’ve had.
Round 1 of 3
Part of Round 2. You get the picture.
The aftermarth. Kieth was all proud to have found a salt shaker in his pocket. LOL.
That time of the year has come again so get your food on, be jolly, give gifts, unwrap presents and be sure not to invite the relatives that you don’ t like over. LOL…I’m serious! Life’s already way too short to bullshit – and Christmas is only one day – so I’ll be dammed if I have to spend it with someone I don’t like. Ha ha ha.
OK..so now on to the good stuff. I spent the morning tightening up some copy, going over layouts as well as a last-minute “pbk” with a friend who just came in from Dubai. After that it was off to Eagle Rock to pick up some Filipino food, then to Glendale for Portos and on the way back I took care of some last minute shopping – yeah I know I lag.
This is going to be a good Christmas and I wish everyone that passes through here the same for them and their loved ones. As far as gifts go, I’ve got everything I need. I’ve got a good family (that means my mom and sister), a small but extra solid team of friends, a great mentor and bro (P), a kick ass staff and bosses that are way cooler than yours. LOL. Have a good one.
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I probably shouldn’t post this but screw it…this is how I feel right now. I’m exhausted and my eyes are beginning to close not because I’m tired, but because I’m looking for crack rocks in my eye lids. J/K. But seriously….Two mags were due (yesterday) and I’m short a few (I mean a lot of pages) but I’m good because I’ll have it by the morning. It’s true that the good times come with the bad and even though a slew of problems have dragged me down (including canceled interviews, crashed computers, lost memory sticks, a few morons, etc…) I’ll be cool by morning. Seriously…I have a solid ass team of troopers – I know I always say this but it’s true. These guys’ll grind at any given hour and roll through in beat up in PJ’s, while others roll through smelling like two day old pizza but in the end we gets the job done.
Edgar’s got a flight out to Texas at noon but at 2 am I realized that help was essential so he rolled through to edit and upload photos. But once he walked in, I didnt know what was more fucked up? Me calling him in? Or his busted ass LA Dodger’s PJ’s with built in socks.
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Twin-supercharged Dodge Challenger? Yup…saw this over on Jon Sibal’s blog and had to repost. On another note…check his site for the killer artwork he creates. This dude is definitely off the chain and on a whole other level.
I just got the first bound copy of Heavy Hitters Magazine (Issue eight) and it should be hitting newsstands soon – probably next week. Inside you’ll find exclusive automotive lifestyle coverage from Japan as well as some really mind blowing content from motivational speaker Joe Vitale – from the hit, “The Secret.” Don’t miss out.
Launching from Long Beach, CA.
If you’ve heard the story about me running the Poker Run (Long Beach, CA) and nearly shitting myself then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the pics from the event. I ran across these photos while rummaging through the data recovery files I just got back in and while there were some key photos that I was looking for (like the one my cheeks peeling back, or the one with my chin almost swallowing my face) it came with no avail. At this point I don’t know if I’m mad I can’t find ‘em or glad that they’re gone. LOL.
Gary and I catching air in the 38′ Cigarette boat. In smooth water carving graceful corners and hitting over 100 is great but try doing it in choppy water and it’s a whole different story.
If you ever get a chance to just check out a Poker Run then be sure to go. There’s no shortage of top-dollar boats at the event that range from the low-six figures all the way to million-dollar rigs running the full 9.
Another 38′ Cigartette boat.
It looks like the rain is gone for now but it’s supposed to come back next week right in time for Christmas. Here’s a shot from the parking lot at the studio, it was flooded with rain water and minutes after we left we turned the traction control off and we were drifting down Crenshaw (by accident) but it looked good so we just rolled with it. LOL.
(Above) Ever wonder how big a 32-inch rim really is? Well here’s a 32-inch tire from Yokohama sitting besides a 20-inch wheel on a BMW M3. This thing is huge and I can actually fit inside curled up. Right now we’re ramping up to finish off another issue of Heavy Hitters as well as the 2009 Ultimate Wheel Guide for 2009 so we hit a double at the studio yesterday.
I’m 5’11″ and can literally curl up in the tire and roll around. LOL.
Someone at the studio told me that I shouldn’t post this picture up on my blog because it might give away ideas. I asked why and he said that someone might copy it and I said, “What do you mean? We make the only Wheel and Tire guide out there?” LOL.
Hungry and wanting to eat: We headed over to Ramonas. Got there. Got out. Saw a syringe on the floor….and said, “Uhh…let’s pass.”
Katia Sverdlova – our graphic designer – was featured in a Russian magazine called Design Inform. In the article they talk to her about Heavy Hitters, while also discussing her perspective on the creative process, the corporate structure as well as life in the United States as a graphic designer. Aside from her telling them that I was a nightmare to work with (I can read Russian Katia! LOL ) she said that everything was great! Congrats on the coverage Katia…you deserve it!
This cover along with Issue 1 (with the green Bentley) and Issue 2 are my favorite so far.
John’s cover with his Mercedes Benz CLS.
