Duke Football vs Texas A&M: 48-52

I like Johnny Football, but not for this night.

The refs must have missed a pass interference on Duke's first offense play, but it didn't matter.  Duke scored the first points of the game.

Duke's defense gave up yards on their first two times on the field, but held strong and allowed Texas A&M only three points. 

On Duke's second offensive series, Johnny Football didn't look too happy about his defense.  Connette came in near the goal line and scored the second touchdown.

A blocked punt almost led to another touchdown if a Duke player could have caught the blocked ball.  Duke offense took the field and Boone ran for a touchdown.  If Connette did it, why not Boone -- though I'm not sure he should have stretched like he did with the ball in the open. 

That blocked punt inspired Manziel.  He tore up Duke's defense when Texas A&M got the ball back.

Boone goes long again for Crowder and this time they connected perfectly.

In Duke's final offensive series of the 1st half, they went for it twice on 4th down.  I loved the communication between Sneed and Crowder.  As Sneed was running, I saw Crowder pointing for Sneed to come round him as Crowder blocker the nearest Texas A&M guy.

Actually, it wasn't the final series.  Duke did an onside kick and recovered the ball.  They got 3 on it.

First half ended 38-17.

Duke got the ball first in the 2nd half and tried to go for first again on the forth, but luck ran out.

Manziel then just took Texas A&M down the field with his arm and legs.  Manziel threw a touchdown after bouncing off one of his front line guys.  Ouch.

Duke had a long run, but had to settle for a field goal that went wide left.  Ouch.

Texas A&M's offense was just too much for Duke.  38-31.

Duke drove down the field, converting an important 3rd down in Texas A&M territory, but then had to settle for a field goal near the goal line.  This, after a spectacular catch in the red zone. 

The 4th quarter started with two off-setting scores.  Texas A&M scored quick, 3 minutes.  Duke's Reeves tip tapped his way to a touchdown.  Duke also ate up 6 minutes of clock time.

Texas A&M struck quick and then Duke's Boone threw an interception returned for a TD. Ouch.

In Duke's final drive, Boone threw another interception under pressure.  After being burned in the first half, the Texas A&M defense held strong in the second half.

You know you've worked too long . . .

. . . when the main gate you exit is closed and you can't figure out how to exit the corporate compound.

New Glasses: Part II

So I previously mentioned that my new eye glasses had a problem:  the lenses were cracking.  Well, I picked up my new lenses this weekend.  I was told that the reason the lenses were cracking was likely due to the wrong temperature being used while the lenses were being made.  Interesting.

Duke Basketball vs. Eastern Michigan University: 82-59

Sometimes a game just makes you smile.  Why?  After playing such horrid defense during the start of the season, Duke fans got to see continued improvement on that end.  In fact, it appeared to me that Duke played great defense.

What were some of the highlights on the defensive end:

1.  Rasheed Sulaimon playing full court defense, forcing a turnover and then running down the sideline to continue the play.

2.  Andre Dawkins soon after also playing solid one-on-one defense and getting a steal.

3.  Amile Jefferson getting 14 rebounds.

And best moment of the game:  just seeing the big smile on Andre Dawkins' face.

One Final Christmas Photo

A Very Special X-Mas Special

It was off to Molly Malone's for some Christmas cheer last week.  Do you like yule logs?  Some sexy sirens?  A jolly Santa?  A lock jaw elf?  Well, you'll have to check out this event in 2014.

 

Merry Christmas 2013

Froth at Bootleg Bar

Froth will have you remembering all the good times from the 60s -- even if you weren't around at the time.

Tropical Popsicle at Bootleg Bar

Tropical Popsicle is so good, you'll be very upset when the Popsicle melts at the end of the 30 minute set.

Dante Elephante at Bootleg Bar

Dante Elephante is like listening to surfers hitting the waves.

New Glasses

So I got knew glasses.  It appears that the right lens is in total collapse.  Every time I look at it, there appears to be more and more small cracks at the upper edge of the lens.  I don't think I've ever experienced anything like this.  Luckily, the shop is ordering new lenses for me.  I'm betting that if I kept the lens for another three months, the whole lens would be one big mess.

Duke Basketball vs. UCLA: 80-63

Duke's defense is finally looking more solid -- at least for the games I've seen.  UCLA didn't have a straight shot to the basket every single play.

Rasheed Sulaimon played some solid minutes.  Finally.

The offense looked smooth.

Jabari Parker looked amazing.

My only issue:  I really wonder if Quinn Cook can play 40 minutes a game for a whole season.

After Reptiles at Silverlake Lounge

After Reptiles was one nice surprise at Silverlake Lounge.  They just garage rocked out the venue.  I wish I could find a website for those guys.  I wouldn't mind catching them again.

Grit at Silverlakge Lounge

Grit took to the stage at Silverlake Lounge and I couldn't help but think: Audra Mae.

Johnathan Knight at the Silverlake Lounge

The night at Silverlake Lounge started off a little later than normal.  I think Johnathan Knight was delayed.  But when he did arrive, he jumped on stage and started off his short set.  His rap was smooth as silk.

Essentially forced into Google+

And it is such a pain in the butt, trying to re-figure everything out.

The Wild Reeds at The Satellite

The Wild Reeds. First thought, wow. Second thought, they're too cool.

Leftover Cuties at The Satellite

Leftover Cuties. Well over a year has passed since I last saw Leftover Cuties.  I still love this band.

Comment of the set:  Yeah, I'm Jewish and I'm singing a Christmas song.

Willie Watson at The Satellite

Willie Watson opened the night up at The Satellite.  A set filled with blue grass beauty.

Lovelife at the Bootleg

Lovelife was the residency band at the Bootleg in November.  There are some nice beats with this band.

Wunder Wunder at The Bootleg

Wunder Wunder played at the Bootleg a couple weeks back. Dance. Oh, you'll dance.

Misun at Bootleg

Misun hit the stage at the Bootleg a couple weeks back. They call their music style aquawave. I say it has a nice touch of jazz.

So cold in Los Angeles

It is so cold in Los Angeles that I'm rather sure I was this close to freezing to death at work on Friday.

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Sebastian)

I'm up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Sebastian).

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Alexander Vinash)

I'm up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Alexander Vinash).

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Vitamin A)

I'm up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Vitamin A).

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Krammer and Stoudt)

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Krammer and Stoudt).

Up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Glaudi)

I'm up on Intraffik: Project Ethos (Glaudi).

Up on Intraffik: Yatch at Project Ethos

I'm up on Intraffik with some photos of Yacht's set.

Duke basketball vs Alabama/Arizona

I only saw portions of the 2nd half for these games -- holiday season and such.

I have to say:  the defense looks better, the offense looks worse.

Get it together, Duke!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Week of Wonders at The Smell

Weeks of Wonders.  A bit of Caribbean.  A bit of pop.  Put it all together and the result is some catchy tunes.

Comment of the set:  I'm so sorry for being difficult.

A family and Sundays

Every Sunday that I go out walking, I walk by this one house.  Every Sunday there are around 20 people out on the driveway.  A long table is set out and they're having dinner together.  Laughter.  Conversation.

I may have written about this before.  I don't recall.  Even if I did, I think it is such a cool moment of my walk that it deserves an encore blog post.

 

Duke Basketball vs. Vermont: 91-90

Duke better learn how to play some defense or they won't remain a top 10 team for much longer.  Their defense got shredded.  And even though it looked like they put more effort in the 2nd half, it didn't do much good as Vermont scored more points in the second half versus the first half.

The best moment of this game:  Dawkins' look on the sidelines after a put back slam by Parker.

Random Car Sighting

I was driving on Los Feliz when I noticed a car in front of me.  It had a sticker that said:  drive less.  I looked at the license plate:  Washington state with a 2014 sticker.  Drive less?  You could have taken the train . . .

Okay, I don't know the story.  The driver could have recently moved here, Los Angeles.  I just found it amusing.

Duke Football vs. Wake Forest: 28-21

The game didn't start out very well for Duke.  A fumble returned for a Wake Forest TD.  A bad punt that resulted in a short field for Wake Forest, which led to another TD.  But Duke came back and tied the score 14-14 at the half.  Wake Forest scored on their first possession of the 3rd, but Duke scored twice thereafter to take a 28-21 lead at the end of the 3rd.  The fourth quarter saw two Wake Forest turnovers.

Duke QB Boone played a solid game.  Hopefully, this indicates he's fully back from his injury as his games against Virginia Tech and NC State were marred by interceptions.

Time to take down North Carolina.

Maybe an inspiration for Duke would be for AP/USA voters to remove Duke from the top 25 rankings?  -- Not that I'd want that to happen.

Body Parts at The Satellite

Body Parts. Synchronized hand motions with some catchy tunes had the audience enjoying the final minutes of a Monday night.

Comment of the set:  Did you guys work?  Boo!!!

James Supercave at The Satellite

James Supercave.  Smooth, somewhat psychedelic sounds hit the stage of The Satellite -- along with some hipster gentlemen.

Air Life at The Satellite

Air Life.  This was Air Life's first show ever.  Yeah right.  No way.  This band was way too solid for a first show.  The band's sound has a jazz feel to it, which lit up the early Satellite night.  The band asked for folks to come up close to the stage.  The audience responded and stayed close throughout the set due to this band's extraordinary 30 minute set.  

The random complaint post

A victim of credit card fraud again.  What a pain.

Hey, why can't I get 50 mpg on my Prius?

Duke Basketball:  seriously, you only have 3 players that can score on that team?

What's up with my kitchen sink?!?

I think I'm getting old.  My exercise routine left me drained tonight.

Up on Intraffik: White Lung at The Echo

I'm up on Intraffik with a blog post on White Lung, NASA Space Universe, and Antwon.

Duke Football vs. Miami: 48-20

Last week, the quarterbacks stunk it up for Duke.  This week, the quarterbacks played solid.

In my opinion, after watching the first few Miami series, I felt for sure Miami would win this game.  The Duke defense was playing solid, but Miami's front line was just too strong.  Did Miami's quarterback ever get sacked?

It also seemed that Miami's running game just couldn't be stopped, which sort of makes me wonder why they ran only 29 times versus throwing 49 times.

I don't want to be too down on Duke's defense as they did have some great stops.

As for Duke's offense:  that team can rush down the throat of a defense.

A Movie Review: 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave. In some ways, I found this 12 years of squirming discomfort.  The movie is so graphic I felt the urge to walk out at times.

This movie does grab your attention and is a solid movie.  The imagery of slavery just drives home the point of how evil this was.

I did have a couple problems with the movie.  I wish the movie delved more into the reasoning behind why Solomon was sold into slavery.  Why would his two captors set up such a scheme involving music?  I have a hard time believing that they went around trying to find individuals who played music and then sell them off as slaves.  Were the two hard-up for money?  Were they given an offer they found hard to refuse?  Also, as the boat filled with prisoners was heading south, there was a scene where one slave was given back to his master.  The slave ran as if he was so grateful that he was returning to his master.  Didn't he run away in the first place?  I'd think he'd be scared to death.

  

A Movie Review: Gravity

Gravity. I didn't see this movie in 3D, but I have to believe the opening minutes of this film are just awesome in 3D. Seeing it in simple 2D had me feeling like I was going to fall out of my seat and nosedive right into earth.  This movie deals with how an astronaut attempts to find her way back to earth after a space disaster.  Is this movie Oscar worthy?  My only reason to not put this movie on my list of best movies of the year is the ending.  I swear I expected to hear the theme song from 2001:  A Space Odyssey blast through the auditorium.  That was disappointing.

Duke Basketball vs. Kansas: 83 - 94

Duke needs to learn how to play some defense and free throws.

Kansas appeared to drive to the basket at will.  Duke also hit only 16-28 free throws.  This game could have had a different tone at the end if Duke hit their free throws at the same percentage as Kansas.

Jabari Parker played a solid game though he got out of control during parts of the 2nd half.  Rodney Hood wasn't as impressive as he was in the first game.  Rasheed Sulaimon played well, but I wish he had been given a bigger role in the offense.  Amile Jefferson showed he can drive it to the basket.

For this game, Duke basically went back to a 7 man rotation of prior years. 

A Movie Review: Rush

Rush. This movie tells the story of two Formula 1 drivers: James Hunt (an English playboy) and Niki Lauda (an Austrian statistics guy: almost like the modern day Oakland A's management) from the 1970s. The movie delves into their rivalry. Their early individual careers are highlighted, but the movie focuses in on one season when the two are battling for the Formula 1 racing crown.

I am not a race care fan.  I've never watched more than 5 minutes of any car race.  That being said, I did enjoy this movie.  It is a rush.  I loved the interaction between these two individuals.  The very diverse personalities still eventually lead to mutual respect.

Now I did do a Wikipedia search on these two drivers.  They actually lived together when they started out. The movie initially portrays them as bitter rivals who eventually find common interest.  Instead, it was probably more of a Magic Johnson/Isiah Thomas type of situation.  Of course, making them bitter rivals provides a better storyline.

Duke Football vs. NC State: 38-20

It was a Duke sports for two days.  Basketball on Friday and football on Saturday.

How did the football team look?  I think the score doesn't indicate much in regards to the offense as special teams and the defense scored 21 of those points.  This, of course, means the defense was spectacular.  As for the offense:  QB Anthony Boone looked pretty bad throwing multiple interceptions.  QB Brandon Connette looked better, but still wasn't looking awesome.

Anyways, hopefully the offense figures out what is going on or the Miami game isn't going to be pretty.

Duke Basketball vs. Davidson: 111 - 77

If you took last year's team and put them up against this year's team, I think at this point in the season last year's team would win.  But come the middle of the season, I think this year's team would destroy.

The game was close for perhaps 5 minutes and then Duke just pulled away.  For awhile, it seemed like this was a Jabari Parker/Rodney Hood show.  I actually found this concerning.  You can't just rely on two players to lead your scoring.  I didn't have to worry too much.  Rasheed Sulaimon came in became a scoring machine.  And Quinn Cook -- at least to my eyes -- just picked his moments and came away with 21 points.

It appears that Duke will at least have an 8 man rotation.  This is far better than the 7 man rotations that they usually seem to have.  I have a feeling that folks like Alex Murphy, Semi Ojeleye, Marshall Plumlee and Andre Dawkins will combine for minutes that might equate to a 9 or 10 man rotation.

As mentioned on the broadcast, once Duke gets their defense down this team will be scary.  Yeah, if there is one thing to focus on would be defense.  Davidson did score 77 points.  Looking at the top 25 scores of the day, that was at the high end though other top teams also allowed teams to score in the 70s and Maryland did score 77 in their game against #18 Connecticut.

Duke vs. Kansas on Tuesday will be a very interesting game.

Mars and the Massacre at Silverlake Lounge

Mars and the Massacre started off their night with a bang.  Dressed in white with some fake blood on their faces, these vampire zombies shook the Lounge with their music.

Note:  prior to their set, they set up a television and a video game console.  Folks lined up to play.

Wasi at Silverlake Lounge

Wasi. I wish the lights were a bit more consistent at the Silverlake Lounge.  The guitarist of this band is sure fun to photograph as she is a ball of energy.

This band will have you dancing.

Santa Anita Park -- Sunday, November 3rd

So maybe I have a gambling problem, going to the track on both Saturday/Sunday for two weekends straight.

At least for this day, I came up big -- making up for my losses at the Breeders' Cup.

I hit two exactas.  How about that!

I could have even made more money if I'd gone aggressive and added some additional bets.  I could have hit a daily double, trifecta and that ever so rare superfecta.

Was luck on my side?  Well, I did do a lot of homework, but I have to admit some of it was luck.

Perfect example was the 10th Race.  I did my handicapping and came up with Trando's Tremor as my lead horse.  The odds on the horse were around 26-1 at one point.  I couldn't figure it out.  This horse looked good to me, but I decided to go with a show bet.  I figured why go for the win.  If the horse came in show, I'd still do well.  After making my bet, I read the notes in the Daily Racing Form:  The extended layoff is a valid concern; he has some work to do to match top kin and over $120K earner Itssultryinthecape; legged up at Los Al, would need to see a race.

I was like:  oops.  One of my things is that I don't like to bet on horses that have had long layoffs.  I had totally over-looked this fact while putting together my handicapping.  Well, the horse did show and I won money.  Sometimes betting is all luck and zero talent.

Breeders' Cup: Saturday -- Nov 2, 2013

I love horse racing, but I've never gone to the Breeders' Cup.  I decided to head off to the Breeders' Cup on Saturday.  The $40 entrance fee was unexpectedly high, but the whole experience was great.  The crowds were excited.  Folks were dressed as if they were at the Kentucky Derby -- not me.  I DVRd the event and caught myself on television.  YES!!!

As for betting:  lost money.  My system didn't work all that well, but then it is hard to distinguish between horses when most of the horses are top notch.  I was also shocked at how much money folks were putting down.  As mentioned here, I only place small bets.  In fact, I was at the window and one conversation went something like this:  I'd like to put an $1 exacta bet on 7-2 (made up numbers).  Window guy:  Just $1?  Me:  I'm a small time better.  Meanwhile, I saw one guy pull out $100 from his wallet.  I couldn't help but notice his wallet was filled with $100 bills.

The most exciting moment:  the last race --  Breeders' Cup Classic.   Everyone was cheering the horses as soon as they hit the track.  When the race started and the horses were racing past the stands, the crowd was roaring.  The favorite of the crowd appeared to be Mucho Macho Man.  I think part of the reason was that they loved the name, but I think the other reason was that they were all cheering for Gary Stevens.  

Conway at It's a School Night

Conway. It was my first time at It's a School Night in a very long time.  What got me out there?  A fellow music blogger sent me a text saying I needed to check out Conway.  So off I went.  She commands that stage and her vocals drill you with motion.

And for one of the worse photos -- I need to upgrade my point and shoot.

Santa Anita Park: Oct 27

One of my better betting days at Santa Anita.  Once again, I skipped the daily doubles.  No more doing that.  I also started to do my own handicapping and kept a very close eye on the horses beforehand.  For some reason I'm starting to feel like I can tell if a horse is nervous -- probably isn't true.  As for handicapping, I'd try to cut the field down to 3 or 4 horses.  And then I'd go for the remaining horse with the worst odds to come in place or show -- yep, gone conservative.  My best bet was in the 6th race when I went with #8 who had odds of around 21:1.  The horse just sneaked in to get show.

We'll see if I can keep winning using this method of self-handicapping and watching the horses closely before the race.  

Santa Anita Park: Saturday Oct 26

It was a break even day at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.  The first two races started out okay and then I went on a four race losing streak before turning it around towards the end of the day.

I've switched my betting habits to make it more conservative.  For a couple days at Santa Anita earlier this year, I started doing bets on daily doubles, which was an unmitigated failure.  Of course, I'm still betting the exactas and didn't win any of them.  If I dropped the exactas, I would have ended up pretty well on this day at the track.  

The six race was a crazy one.  The horses immediately banged into each other at the start.  Within a short distance, #1 veered into #2 who then veered into #3.  And #5 took the blunt of it and the jockey, Valdivia, was tossed.  Since Valdivia raced the next day, he survived just fine, which makes this race somewhat amusing.  Horse #5 (Oh Brother Go) kept on racing.  None of the jockeys wanted to pass the horse.  As they came down the final stretch, folks either started to cheer or laugh as #5 continued to take the lead and eventually "won" the race.  I'm sure this is one race where handicappers need to just toss out of the books. 

Max and the Moon at The Bootleg

Max and the Moon. A band with dual vocals that grab your attention.

Harper Blynn at The Bootleg

Harper Blynn at the Bootleg was an experience. They don't let you rest on your feet as the beats keep on coming.

The Tragic Thrills at The Bootleg

I walked into The Bootleg and The Tragic Thrills were kicking off their soaring vocal set.

Project Ethos: Glaudi

Project Ethos: Krammer and Stoudt

Project Ethos: Vitamin A

Project Ethos: Alexander Vinash

Project Ethos: Professional Sebastian

Project Ethos: Tumbler and Tipsy

Project Ethos: Marialia Collection

Project Ethos: Ermelinda Manos

Up on Intraffik: Culture Collide 2013 Day 3

Click on the link for my day 3 take of Culture Collide.

Up on Intraffik: Culture Collide 2013 Day 2

Click on the link for Culture Collide day 2 observations.

Up on Intraffik: Culture Collide 2013 Day 1

Click on the link for Culture Collide day 1 observations.

Raw Geronimo at The Satellite

Raw Geronimo closed out the night at The Satellite.  The avant-garde wildness of this band was on full display on this night.  The crowd was pressed close to the stage to enjoy it all.  And why not press close to the stage?

Spirit Vine at The Satellite

Spirit Vine is doing the October residency at The Satellite.  Some witchcraft arising through the fog.

The Reflections at The Satellite

The Reflections.  The first band I've seen at The Satellite in a very long time due to my time away in San Francisco.  It was a great way to get re-acquainted with The Satellite.  Some smooth rock sounds.  

Bombay Show Pig at Harvard and Stone

Bombay Show Pig. I have to say that Bombay Show Pig is my favorite find at Culture Collide.  And so I knew I just had to catch them again.  It was off to Harvard and Stone on Sunday night, the very next day after seeing them at Culture Collide.

Loud.  Energetic.  Beautifully crafted rock music.  What else can a person want from a band?

I need to see them again someday.  Maybe I'll hit it big someday and take some random flight off to The Netherlands to catch one of their sets :-).

Culture Collide Day 3: Bombay Show Pig

Bombay Show Pig

Culture Collide Day 2: Adi Ulmansky

Adi Ulmansky

Culture Collide Day 1: The Novocaines

The Novocaines

Plus at the Silverlake Lougne

Plus is the residency band at Silverlake Lounge.  They're the Silverlake Lounge version of Youngblood Hawke.  I suspect by the end of the month, the place will be packed to the maximum.

Good Thunder at the Silverlake Lounge

Good Thunder hit the stage at Silverlake Lounge with a bit of electronic funk and a dose of Mazzy Star.

Queen Kwong at The Bootleg

Queen Kwong finished up her North America tour Saturday night at The Bootleg. I got to see the band in both SF and LA. I wonder if that makes me a super fan or a stalker.  I was told that after a month of touring many of them were ill.  It really didn't seem like it when they hit the stage.  I'd venture to say that their Bootleg set was better than their SF set at the Rickshaw Stop.

Dear Boy at The Bootleg

Dear Boy is the first Los Angeles residency band I've seen in awhile.  It was nice to get back out there.  This band has the look down.

Warship at The Bootleg

Warship was the middle band at The Bootleg.  They're relaxed as they play their set.

Love the Ghost at The Bootleg

Love the Ghost was the first band up at The Bootleg. I caught the last half of the set. Their music just pulsates through your body.

The Little Ones in Chinatown

The Little Ones hit the stage in Chinatown on a recent Saturday night.

They represented the first band I saw after spending a few weeks in San Francisco.

It was a joy.