NEW SITE FINISHED!!!!

Thank all of you have been following our blogs these past couple of months. Please join us at our new site as we continue to grow and inspire:

http://www.myproductme.com/

New Site Under Construction

Our Trend Tuesdays posts as well as all other posts will be postponed this week while we work on building and launching our new site: Myproductme.com  We thank you in advance for your patience and we look forward to launching the new and improved site to you all sometime in the next week or so!

Transparentsea

Transparentsea is coming our way.  Sunday evening at the Ocean Institute in the Dana Point Harbor, Transparentsea will be hosting one of its major events. Transparentsea is Dave Rastovich and crew making their journey by sail, following the migration of the grey whales along the Southern California coastline. On the way the crew will come to port for four major regional events. Each night hosting Minds in The Water movie screening, followed by live in concert Band of Frequencies, art show & auction and in support Surfer’s for Cetaceans (S4C) and other ocean minded charities.  Tickets for the Orange County event are on sale now for $15 and all of the proceeds are donated to charity.  Get them here.

Go to Transparentsea to check out the map and find out more information about what Dave and crew are doing.

 Skate decks by Andy Davis, one of the presenting artists.

Hope you all can make it and support a great cause.

THE MOROSE PROJECT, ART, AND A MOVIE

Once again the weekend is here and if you are anything like us, you're sure glad it is.  Well here is a short list of some events going on around town for your weekend enjoyment.  Our good friends THE MOROSE PROJECT will be throwing down a DJ set at The Avalon Hollywood this Saturday night along with Brando Commando, Loose Village, Steve Ryback, and aDJnamedCK.  Catch their set from 1:30-2:45 am.  You don't want to miss these guys!!!

And for all you art buffs out there head to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena to check out their new exhibit called Proof: The History of Printmaking in Southern California.  Proof will explore the significance of printmaking and its new possibilities as first re-envisioned in post-war Southern California.

The exhibition will include works by the local founders of this movement such as John Altoon, Garo Antreasian, Sam Francis, Ed Moses, Ken Price, Ed Ruscha and June Wayne, as well as those who made their way to print specifically in Los Angeles, such as Joseph Albers, Bruce Conner, Lee Mullican, Louise Nevelson, Claes Oldenburg, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Stop by on your way up to see THE MOROSE PROJECT in Hollywood on Saturday or check out the Norton Simon Museum website for hours and more details about the exhibit.  Norton Simon Museum

And lastly if you're looking for something to do tonight, head out to the Vestal headquarters in Costa Mesa for the world premiere of Peter Line and Eddie Wall's new film The Peddie Files.

We hope some of you can make it out to one of these events.  Have a great weekend and check back with us next week to find out more happenings around town.

Thirsty Thursday: Guide to Whiskey

So for many of us whiskey is the key to happiness...when things are great, I love whiskey, when things are good, I love whiskey, and when things just flat out suck ass, there's nothing more than my pure love for whiskey. But when things suck ass, let's make sure we are putting down the right whiskey's. Here is a quick guide to the drink we love most...WHISKEY!


Scotch whisky (notice there’s no “e”) is, by law, distilled and aged a minimum of four years in Scotland, although most Scotch is aged at least 10 years. Flavor-wise, Scotch is lighter than Irish whiskey and has a signature smokiness, which comes from drying wet, germinated barley over a fire fueled by peat moss -- a process that releases malt sugars in the barley. Single-malt Scotches are made exclusively from malted barley by a single distillery. [Glenfiddich, Macallen, Glenlivet] Blended Scotch whiskys are made from a blend of malted whiskey and another grain whiskey, usually corn or wheat. [Johnny Walker Black, Dewars, Chivas Regal].
Serve it: Neat, on the rocks, or with a twist.

Irish whiskey (note the “e”) is produced very much like Scotch, but the barley doesn’t come into contact with peat smoke during the drying process, which means it doesn’t have the telltale smokiness. It is also sweeter and fuller-bodied. Most Irish whiskey is blended [Jameson, Bushmills], but there are some high-dollar single malts [Laphroaig].
Serve it: Neat or on the rocks.

Bourbon is American whiskey. Corn is the dominant grain used to make bourbon (instead of barley), which gives it a notably sweet taste, often with hints of vanilla picked up from the oak barrels. Bourbon has a long history in Kentucky, but it can be made anywhere, if it meets certain federal guidelines. The blend of grain must be at least 51 percent (but not more than 80 percent) corn, and it must be aged in charred new oak containers. [Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, Pappy Van Winkle, Jim Beam].
Serve it: Neat, on the rocks, or as the base liquor in a classic American cocktail, such as a Manhattan or mint julep.

Tennessee whiskey is made like bourbon, but there are no guidelines that require using corn as the dominant grain (although it usually is). It is also filtered through charcoal to remove any leftover impurities -- a process that makes for a mild and smooth whiskey. [Jack Daniels, George Dickel].
Serve it: Neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of cola.

Rye is also whiskey made like bourbon, but rye is the primary grain used, instead of corn. Rye has a more aggressive, peppery flavor, and it’s a dry (not sweet) spirit, unlike fuller, sweeter bourbon. [Old Portrero, Jim Beam Rye, Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey].
Serve it: In a Manhattan or Sazerac cocktail.

 BOTTOMS UP!!!

Free Music and a Movie Premiere

Everybody loves free music and one of our favorite bands just released a free recording on Daytrotter.  We Barbarians just wrapped up a West Coast tour and while touring, they stopped by Daytrotter and recorded a few songs.  They are available for free download at DAYTROTTER.  If you like what you hear check them out at their website We Barbarians and buy their new album Headspace.

WE BARBARIANS

The next best thing to free music is a movie premiere.  This Friday, October 14, at the VESTAL headquarters in Costa Mesa will be the premiere of THE PEDDIE FILES.  This is the new film by Peter Line and Eddie Wall.  Cruise by at 8 p.m. and enjoy the new film and a DJ set by Jared Swilley of The Black Lips.

We hope you all enjoy!

TREND TUESDAYS!!

A Brief History of Khaki

Khaki, a staple in menswear for many years, found its origins in the mid 1800's in India.  There are a couple of stories as to how it originated.  One version is that soldiers deliberately discolored their uniforms with mud, dust, coffee, and even curry powder in what might be considered a go at camouflaging.  The second version is that British Army officer Sir Harry Lumsden was looking for an alternative to his regulation trousers in order to deal with the heat.  He turned to lighter and looser fitting bottoms that resembled pajamas and had them dyed with tea leaves, later realizing their camouflaging benefits.  However it was not until the 1850's that the weaving of khaki fabric within the British Empire was established.  A man by the name of John Haller introduced the first hand-looms to the region of Mangalore and it is to him that the invention of khaki dye is usually attributed.

Khaki did not make its move to the United States until 1898 during the Spanish-American war.  Khakis were first adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1912 for the naval aviators uniform and later by submarine crews.  They slowly made their way through the ranks until khakis became standard military issue.

Although khakis had their military origins, after the war there was a surplus of this fabric, and the cheap and plentiful stocks found a home with the everyday citizen.  By the 1950's khakis were being worn by everyone.  They have a blank canvas characteristic to them and can be worn to tinker with engines or smartened up to meet the needs of many more formal affairs.