What Rex is: Eating

There's this shaved ice place called "Shave It".  I'm having my "usual" at every shaved ice place: my self-proclaimed "Chango" (cherry/mango for those of you not indoctrinated in Rex-speak).

Location : 11 E Hillcrest Dr, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360,
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What Rex is: Eating

Pioneer Chicken!

Location : 6317 Florence Ave, Bell Gardens, CA 90201,

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What Rex is: Doing

I'm at the LA App Show surrounded by Apple developers.  I'm here in support of Navigon.  Their navigation app is by far the best paid app I've seen.  Remember: you get what you pay for.  Important update (as of two weeks ago): find parking!!!  :)

(Photo has Johan giving the demo)

Location : 3321 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404,

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What Doug is: Shooting with

I just picked up some new glass! This is a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX for Nikon AF. I got this lens because I am missing a very wide lens in my arsenal and this one is the best bang for the buck. Here’s a little preview of the lens.

When I’m lucky enough to get photo pit access to a show I’m shooting, it’s obviously great to be so close to the artist, but it is also difficult to grab a shot of the entire stage in one frame. I decided I should get myself a wider lens just for these scenarios. I was tempted to get a fisheye, which I’ve played with a bit and had a lot of fun with, but I felt that such a lens is just a bit impractical for me right now. That’s where the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX comes in. It is the best bang-for-the-buck wide angle lens available for cropped sensors. Though it is only a third of the list price of its Nikon counterpart (the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8G ED AF-S), it is much wider and a bit sharper (according to Ken Rockwell).

Since I just got the lens, I still need to shoot around with it a bit before I can give a good review of it. From a few test shots that I’ve taken with it, this is definitely something completely different for me as I’ve never had such a wide lens.

What Rex is: Eating

Mochilato in Fullerton is a nice fusion of Japanese & Italian desserts; thus the mixture of mochi & gelato in their company name.

The item on the left side of the platter is a pack of 6 gelato mochi's.

- green tea:

- peaches & cream:

- toasted almond:

- creme brulee:

- hazelnut:

- choco peanut:

The massive mound on the right is Japanese-style shaved ice.  It's contains shaved ice, red bean, condensed milk, bits of mochi (the white stuff- not the ice), and a huge scoop of green tea gelatin to top it off!

Location : 1993 W Malvern Ave, Fullerton, CA 92833,

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What Doug is: Reading

I'm using the term "reading" a bit loosely here. I'll be honest, I haven't read a book since my last English Lit class at UCLA many years ago and it's been even longer since I last bought a book. Last week, I finally ordered and bought a book, though it's not really a book.

This Is Why You're Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks is not so much a book or a recipe guide, but more a food blog published for the (obese) masses. Why would I buy such a book? Over a year ago, one of my photos on Flickr caught the eye of one of the writers of the now defunct food blog known as "This Is Why You're Fat." They asked me if I wanted to include this photo in their upcoming book of the same name. Although they couldn't (wouldn't?) pay for this photo, they promised me a copy of this book, so I obliged. Many months later, the book finally came out and there was my photo on page 18. Great story, right? But I didn't answer the question... why would I buy this book? I asked them a couple times for my free copy, but they never even asked me for a mailing address and I soon discovered that their site is now dead. Since they can't even pay the bills to keep the site afloat, I figured I would never own this book unless I actually go out and get it myself.

The book itself is pretty interesting. You'll be surprised (and appalled) by some of the creations captured in this collection of artery-clogging treats. There's quite a range of delicacies here. Some of these dishes, such as the Snack Stadium, are homemade and include a recipe. Others, such as the Krispy Kreme Milkshake, use existing junk food as ingredients for a grander meal. There is an entire section devoted to bacon and its important role in making any and all foods better.

All in all, this book is a pretty interesting read and I definitely recommend looking through it at some point. The food will disgust you and inspire you at the same time.

What Rex is: Buying

Audi, Peugeot, Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Spyker, Saleen, & Mazda.  What makes these great marques get together once a year in a small city in France?  No, not an auto show, but what could possibly be one of the greatest spectacles (if not THE greatest) in all of auto racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Here's a basic breakdown of what this race is: it's a 24-hour endurance race with multiple classes all vying for their rightful #1 position.  You have LMP's (limited-production race car prototypes) & GT's (production cars).  There's more to it, but that's just the very basic theme.  If you'd like to know more, I suggest visiting these great sites: the Official Site for 24 Hours of Le Mans (english) and American Le Mans Series (ALMS).  In celebration of this storied race, I ended up buying the recaps of the last 4 years: from 2006-2009.

If you loved the Audi documentary, "Truth in 24", these recaps are for you!  If you're one of the rare few that have NEVER seen "Truth in 24", it's available either on iTunes or you can purchase the DVD for $8.00 through Audi- Trust me, it'll be one of the best $8 investments you'll make if you're into auto racing!  "Truth in 24" is seen through the eyes of the Audi team during the 2008 campaign.  The film is fantastically shot by Steve Sabol's NFL Films- so you get great camera angles, and NFL-style dramatic cinematography for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  It's really great stuff!  If you'd like to purchase the DVD, here's a link to the website: Audi official merchandise website

Once you get gripped by that, you can check out the recaps (on-sale on Amazon.com).
2006 Le Mans - the debut of the R10 diesel LMP1
2007 Le Mans - the battle between the GT1 Aston Martins vs. the Corvette Racing Team
2008 Le Mans - the overall video compliment to the "Truth in 24" documentary (see above): Audi vs. Peugeot
2009 Le Mans - Peugeot victorious along with other great battles in GT

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is this weekend, June 12-13, 2010.  Follow along!

Location : Home

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What Rex is: Eating

I know it may not look like much but, this is a "slushie" from a place called Class 302 in Rowland Heights, Calif.  I've been hearing of it quite a lot as of late from friends in the local area.  When I first heard the name, I quipped, "it sounds like my old high school homeroom class!"  I wasn't too far off.  The decor is a bit cramped but tastefully done like an old elementary school classroom.  There's a blackboard with chalk musings written upon it and the "tables" that you eat on are the very same wooden ones you sat in during grade school.  As an artsy, nostalgic person, I like it.  What I ordered was a green tea slushie with condensed milk, red bean (it's sweet), & mochi.

Flavor is good with the mix of condensed milk being just right & not overpoweringly sweet.  The mochi is very doughy & provides a nice, plain contrast to the sweetness (not to mention chewy as opposed to the smooth, wetness of the slushie).

At around $6.25, I think it's worth the experience - at least once.  My friend Anna says it's better than Guppies in Cerritos (taste-wise).  Warning: it's quite popular so, wait times could be as long as 30 min!!!  (Mine wasn't)

UPDATE (06/11/2010): After putting more thought into the matter and discussing it with friends that have gone, having TOO simplistic a menu kind of hurts.  I'm the type that likes to explore flavors.  For a slushie or shaved ice, I'll probably stick to Shakas.  :)  YUM!  I still recommend to try Class 302, just remember: beware the long lines!  Happy eating!

Location : 18900 Gale Ave, Rowland Heights, CA 91748,

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What Rex is: Eating

I'm a HUGE frozen yogurt fan.  Don't get me wrong: I still love Baskin & Robbins Jamoca flavor, but FroYo is the bomb!  There's this place in Pasadena, CA called "Cherry On Top" (http://cherryontop.net/) off of Green St. & Holliston (near Pasadena City College) that took over as my favorite place to go.  I used to love 21 Choices in Old Town Pasadena but "Cherry" allows me to make my own mad concoctions (see pic).  My "must-have" mix is usually Belgian Chocolate w/Cake Batter.  Yup folks, you read that right.  CAKE.  BATTER.  Whoever came up with it should get a medal.  Lol.  It's so darn tasty!  Anyhow, you usually get a choice of 8-10 different flavors.  After selecting your flavor(s), please keep in mind that you can also mix and match flavors, you then get to add your toppings (as you can see, I'm a big fan of toppings- not that it needs it, mind you).  They're listed on Foursquare (at least the Pasadena location.  I'll have to scout out the others and see) & they're a chain so try 'em out!  Go online to their website and join their EClub.  You get special offers, etc.  You can also find them on Facebook & Twitter!

PS: You can also follow me on Foursquare: http://foursquare.com/user/trackwrex

Location : somewhere in SoCal

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What Rex is: Thinking

Hey, what's up everyone!  Welcome to our blog!  We're gonna cover everything we eat, buy, think, etc. on this thing so get ready for a wild ride!  Here's a little something about me:
I've been in almost every major industry (Science @JPL, Entertainment @SquareSoft & E!, Tech @Broadcom & ADSTech, Food @Hain-Celestial, & Auto @Subaru sales & Edmunds.com).  Been a CADD designer, 3D modeller, animator, storyboard artist, character designer, writer, IT help desk, network admin, website designer, graphic designer, data editor, data manager, officer manager, auto sales consultant, etc.  My personal hobbies range from music, dancing, shopping, shoes, comic books, toys, anime, cartoons (yup, there's a difference), 80's nostalgia, drawing, photography, cars, football, tech/gadgets, auto racing, dining out, desserts, ice cream/frozen yogurt, etc.