Music Review: The Heavy — If You Haven't, You Need To

I got out of the music business several months ago when I decided it wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean I don't still like to go and support the bands I loved most from the company I worked at.

This past Thursday night I went and saw the neo-soul rock band, The Heavy at the Fonda theater in Hollywood. The band is made up of Kelvin (lead singer), Dan (guitar), Spencer (bass), and Chris (drums), and every now and again they add in some horns as well.

Photo Credit: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Heavy

I cannot say enough good things about this band. Not only are they great live (I've seen them three times), but their music is awesome. "How You Like Me Now," is their biggest hit and has been featured in what seems like everything, including Horrible Bosses, Superbowl XLIV, and served as the background music when Barack Obama won the 2012 presidential election. If the tune hasn't popped up in your head yet, it will shortly.

Since it was the third time seeing the band, I wasn't sure what was going to be different than the last two times but actually, I was more entertained than ever. The Fonda is a great venue for live music and The Heavy definitely delivered. They played all their hits but the encore was definitely the kicker. When the band came out to sing their famous hit, The Silent Comedy, who is the band that performed before (also great music), presented the band with their framed gold record for the song — a great moment for a group of guys who work hard and make great music.

If you haven't seen The Heavy yet, you have to check them out whether it's in person or listening to the music. They're still on their North American tour, hitting Portland, OR tomorrow night, however that show is sold out. Regardless, their music is worth a listen, but most of you have heard it already, you just might not realize it.

"How You Like Me Now"

Why California Adventure is worth the extra $45

I've always been a huge fan of Disneyland and California Adventure, but with a less-than-stable economy, I've noticed there are a lot of people who aren't as interested in visiting the parks because of the price of tickets just to enter, let alone paying the price to go to both parks.

This year, Disneyland raised their one-day, one-park pass from $87 to $92. A one day park hopper pass is $137. They also raised the price of annual passes and parking, which has a lot of people asking the question, is Disney worth it?

I say yes.

For a family of four, a one-day, one-park ticket to Disneyland costs a total of $368. This cost does not include the parking, food, souvenirs, etc. that a family will probably purchase during their day at the Happiest Place on Earth. Keep in mind this does not include California Adventure.

I get it, this is expensive, and it's not a place you're going to visit more than every few years for special vacations.

But let me say this — when you do visit, make the most of your money and do go to both parks, it's worth it, especially if you're 21 and over.

Before the renovation of California Adventure and the addition of Cars Land, there were a lot of people who were less interested in paying the extra dollars to spend time at the park. California Adventure has a totally different feel than Disneyland. It's less magical, more realistic, and it feels a lot bigger as far as walking goes. However, since the renovation, California Adventure has added Cars Land, redesigned the front entrance, and added additional rides throughout the park.

For the kids, Cars Land is a sight to see, especially at night. When you step foot into Radiator Springs, you immediately feel like you're in the movie. Where Radiator Springs dead ends, the fun begins — Radiator Springs Racers. This ride takes you through life as a car, a tune up, and finishes on a race against your fellow park-goers.

Photo credit: http://geekscorner.dapsmagic.com/2012/06/13/geeks-corner-
its-cars-land-time-episode-137/

This ride is brilliant — it's a mix of storytelling, adrenaline, and laughter all in one. In my opinion, this ride alone is worth paying to get into California Adventure, but instead of waiting in the two hour line, just do single rider and you will only wait about 30 minutes.










For the adult Disney lovers, California Adventure is worth it for two reasons — food and drink. Inside the park you have several options of places to drink beer, wine, and hard alcohol as well as sit down restaurants for a decent, relaxing meal. These options just don't exist in Disneyland. I say if you're going to spend the money on food in the park anyway, might as well eat something good. My favorite is Carthay Circle, because not only do they have a bar separate from the dining room with great Korean beef tacos, but they will fix you any kind of drink. Their specialty is a Manhattan but this isn't just any Manhattan — it has a sphere of ice in it.

Photo credit: http://www.gizmag.com/ice-ball-mold-ice-machine/14086/

That's right, leave it to Disney to take ice to the next level. They own a machine that non-electricly turns a cylinder of ice into a perfect sphere with no bubbles. It's beautiful and delicious. So when you need a break from the crowds, the kids, and your feet, crawl into Carthay Circle, because once you're in, you feel yet another world away. Also, be sure to look for the smallest hidden Mickey just outside the main door. Hint: It's under your feet.

If you're not totally sold yet on giving California Adventure another shot, I'll be writing another blog post in coming weeks about all the different places to drink in the park and probably creating some kind of drinking game for those of you who need even more entertainment.

Tesla Update: The Test Drive

If you actually take the time to read my blog (thank you if you do), you know I recently raved over newest addition to the Tesla family, the Model S. Although I don't have the money (anywhere between 70-130 grand), I couldn't help myself and decided to test drive one. 

Oh. My. God.

Inside the Tesla Model S

Not only is it a beautiful car with great incentives, it's own charging station, and a recyclable battery, but it's a great drive.

I'm in love.

For starters, there is no gear shift, so as you accelerate it's smooth...like a roller coaster, but not as fast. But don't get me wrong, the car has a lot of power, it goes 0 to 60 in 5.9 - 4.2 seconds depending on what battery you get. 

Can your hybrid do that? No. What about your Hummer?

Please.

Simply put, this car is luxury. The back seats are comfortable and roomy, the interior is simple, there is even space in the front seat to put your In-N-Out in a box. Another feature in the front is the center console where all your controls are. It's a super responsive, easy-to-use touch screen that includes full internet browsing, bluetooth, and voice control. 

Need I say more? 

Okay, I'll give you one complaint I have heard about the cars. I've heard that the mileage per charge isn't as high as they advertise. But let's be honest, that applies to every car because weather conditions aren't always perfect and people speed among other things. 

But what I do know, is that by 2015, SuperCharge stations will be nearly everywhere and Tesla will also be preparing to come out with a less expensive version of the groundbreaking technology. 

Overall, I had a great first experience with Tesla from making the appointment to getting out of the car after the test drive. The employees were knowledgable, friendly, and provided great customer service. The car speaks for itself.

My advice, even if you don't think you will ever buy a Tesla, just go drive one. At the very least it will be a conversation starter.

Stand Down Hummer-Lovers, Tesla is Changing the Way We Look at Cars

As many of you may already know, I am a big supporter of hybrid cars, so it should come as no surprise that I am here to share with you my new love, Tesla.

Photo: http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/04/01/tesla-model-s-side-small.jpg

Tesla is without a doubt the future of motor vehicles. So far, they have they created an all-electric sports car, sedan, and soon-to-be-released SUV with butterfly doors. For some reason, it still seems crazy that soon enough, the "stock" version of a car will have butterfly doors. Not many people will be able to afford it, but nonetheless it will still be there.

Just picture yourself: Business is going well so you decide it's time for a new car. You've ordered your brand new Tesla online, they deliver it right to your door, you walk outside to sign the final papers and grab the keys, turn on the engine...oh wait...I guess this time around you'll be turning on the eh...battery! How cool.

But who cares! Engine, battery, you just bought a car that is quiet, less-polluting, and beautiful. Congratulations.

Okay, back to the real world. You aren't quite at that point where you can afford the newest of luxury cars but you might as well continue to dream about it because you never know when lighting could strike.

Nevertheless, get ready everyone, this is happening, and it's awesome. If there are any of you Hummer-loving, gas-guzzling lunatics out there, you are quickly becoming an extinct breed. Nice knowing you.

I've lived in Los Angeles for almost exactly two years now, and although I drive a middle of the range Ford, I will never get over the car culture of this city, nor the insane amount of six-figure cars I drive alongside every single day. With the introduction of the luxury Tesla sedan in recent months, I've been watching them popping up just about everywhere I look. Made to compete with other luxury vehicles such as BMW and Mercedes, the Tesla cars are beautiful, smooth, and great eye candy.

Not to mention that Tesla is planning on installing enough "Superchargers" to cover 98 percent of the U.S. population and parts of Canada by 2015.  What's a Supercharger you ask? Simply put, it's the world's fastest charging station and will have the capability of charging your Tesla vehicle to 200 miles during 30 minutes of charge versus 22 miles per 30 minutes of charge at a normal outlet. The only catch is that as of right now, you will have to own a "85kWh Model S" to be able to use the Superchargers, but if you do, the charge is free. Tesla's purpose of installing the Supercharger's is to "encourage Model S owners to take road trips," thus proving that an electric car can go the distance.

If you haven't seen the cars yet, let me tell you about my favorite feature, the doorhandles. I know it sounds crazy, but when you see these cars, notice that the door handles don't stick out like normal door handles. The purpose of this feature is to help make the Tesla the most aerodynamic sedan on the road. As you approach the car with your key, it's recognized by the door handles and they will pop out so you can open your door. I still can't get over how awesome that is.

I could go on and on all day about how awesome these cars are in so many different ways. Tesla has truly outdone themselves and people are eating it up. My hope is that at some point, they will make a more affordable version of these amazing cars so that everyone can enjoy them.

Until then, or until I make my millions, I will simply be staring at the passerby...

How to Make Online Dating Your Own Version of the Bachelorette

Generally, I try to keep an open mind, so when it came to trying online dating, I tried to be as open as I could. After a lot of thought, a few bad dates, and one good date, I've decided the best way to look at online dating as your very own version of the Bachelorette. That way, it becomes much more fun and takes some of the awkward pressure off.

Initially, one of my girlfriends in L.A. told me I had to try it. She had recently moved to L.A. and was looking to meet new people so she signed up for the site and it was going well. She was really excited about it so I decided to give it a go since I knew she wasn't going to quit talking about it until I tried it. 

Online dating is much more daunting than I had initially imagined. First, you have to create a username that no one else has (which makes the whole thing seem very 2001). Second, you create a profile describing yourself and trying to make yourself sound as attractive and mysterious and awesome as possible (Okay, I didn't give it that much thought, but trust me, some do). Anyway, you finish uploading the best photos of yourself and away you go, diving off a long platform into the world of free online dating.

Yikes. 

I've had the profile for nearly two months, and it is still unbelievable to me the way people present themselves. Almost ALL guys have at least one shirtless photo of themselves, they all think they are the "athletic" body type (most are not), and the things they come up with to use to talk to girls is unbelievable. Calling someone a "racist" in the third message (because I hadn't responded to the other two), isn't going to win you any more points in the prince charming category, sorry buddy. 

During my time thus far in online dating land, I have managed to meet up with a small handful of hopeful suitors, none of which have worked out, until recently.

Bachelor #1: Nice guy, slightly older, has a good job, means well, seems happy.

Unfortuantely I was not attracted to his Kayne West look alike facial features, nor his womanly, but relatively fit figure. Because this was my first date using the site, I got stuck talking to him for nearly three hours at a lousy sports bar. I felt bad just trying to bail, but after three hours I learned my lesson. Unless you feel a spark, bail as fast as you can. 

Bachelor #2: Oh, My, God. 

And not in the good way.

I met this guy at the food court at the Beverly Center mall. He apparently owned one of the resturants in the food court (yes, where Panda Express is), and thought it would be a good idea to meet there. I had already moved the date once, and so had did he, so I wasn't super excited to meet up with him, because it seemed like a bit of a hassle. Did I mention his name was Romeo? I'm not kidding. It should have been the one and only red flag before I wasted any more of my time. But because I was attempting to keep an open mind and have a little fun, I went for it.

Not only did this guy come out of the back room wearing a less than impressive outfit, baseball hat, and glasses, but he sat down and immediately started talking about himself and his work. He didn't even bother to ask me how my day was. Really bro? Confused, I asked him if he had any interest in getting to know me and he suggested we go outside and talk so he wouldn't be so distracted by his cafe. Fair enough. However, there is nothing romantic or comfortable about going outside, on the roof of the Beverly Center at 7 p.m. on a windy day to talk to a stranger. Freezing, we sit down at a table with four chairs. I expected him to sit in the chair across from me, so we could see eachother better and maybe have a real converstaion. How wrong I was. Instead, he sat down at the chair next to me, so we are both facing East L.A. in what felt like 60 seconds of awkward silence. 

I debated getting up and leaving right there but part of me still felt like he deserved the benefit of the doubt (clearly the part of my brain that hasn't fully developed yet). So I sit, staring at the smog, and he says to me, "I read palms." Oh great, so you don't know anything about me, and don't seem to care, but you want to read my palm and tell me about how you think you know me? Sounds great. 

He's reading my palm, telling me I'm going to live to be at least 100, that my luck is improving, that I will quit working when I am 45, and that I have had bad luck in relationships. Nothing too drastic, but then he took it all one step further....he told me I probably have a lot of people tell me I look like my father. Keep in mind he doesn't know my last name, any of my social media, or seen either of my parents, so naturally my response was, "oh, so you think I look like a man?"

He babbled for awhile about how he didn't mean it like that but at this point I was trying to figure out a way to come down with the plague in a matter of minutes. Sitting in silence yet again, he says, "You know this silence that we have been having since we started talking?" I nod. He says, "Don't you think it's comforting? I find it very comforting."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?

Shocked, yet again, I respond, "To be honest, I think it's very awkward and I am very uncomfortable."

I don't think he was thrilled with that answer, and I was ready to leave.

Some small talk followed my awkward silence comment and eventually I told him that I felt like I was wasting his time and to try and give me a call in a couple of weeks if he thinks his work has slowed down. Romeo was way too involved in his own stuff to give anything to another person, he didn't look like his photo in his profile, and there was no way I was going to pick up the phone if Romeo ever tried to call me again. Unless it's the Romeo that Leo DiCaprio played. That call I'd answer.

At this point, I've met up with five guys from the dating website. After meeting the fourth guy I was pretty much ready to give up on the whole thing and go back to trying to meet someone organically. Until one day, I got the nicest message from a guy that looked halfway sane. Refreshed, we started talking and have gone out a couple of times and it's been a lot of fun. I know I haven't met up with 20-some guys like Des on the Bachelorette, but I feel her pain on trying to weed through men and finding out who was sincere and who was totally disgusting.

Overall, I have become much more accepting of online dating and I think it's only going to become more popular. If you're willing to weed through the truly crazy and take your time, it's a tool that could bring you great success. So all you lonely hearts out there, don't lose hope just yet, try it out. At the very least you will have a great story or two or find the guy or gal of your dreams! You never know when lightning could strike. 

My First Green Smoothie

Nearly a year ago I started working out with a personal trainer. It was also about a year ago I began trying to talk myself into drinking "green" smoothies. And no, I'm not talking about juicing, which is even more disgusting to me than blending a bunch of vegetables together and drinking them, but I get that a lot of you people (especially in LA) are really into that, so uhh, good job.

I've lost weight, gained muscle, taken up tennis again, quit drinking coffee, and the list goes on, but one the things I had not yet tackled was ingesting vegetables in liquid form.

With the introduction of Champ's Coconut Yogurt, I discovered a great recipe for a healthy fruit smoothie that I love to drink after a hard workout. I though this would help ease me into the green thing, but it really didn't I liked the look and taste of what was basically a virgin pina colada (without the simple syrup).

Maria's Post-Workout Smoothie:
1 cup Champ's Coconut Yogurt
4 large strawberries
1 banana
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon hemp seed
Ice

But today my life has changed forever. I finally talked myself into the GREEN SMOOTHIE.

It was amazing.

After months of buying spinach, kale, and cucumber and just watching them go bad in the fridge, I finally put some of it to use. Although I am taking it one vegetable at a time, I was more than pleased with the outcome and taste of my first green concoction.

Here's the recipe: 
Handful of Baby spinach
Handful of sliced Cucumber
Teaspoon of Hemp Seed
2 Strawberries
1 Banana
1 Sambazon Acai frozen package
2 large spoonful's of Champ's Coconut Yogurt
And a dash of fresh apple juice
(I also usually add a couple ice cubes because I like things cold, but it's up to you)

My first green smoothie! It looks like
dirt but tastes like health!

Each week I am going to try and add a veggie, and alter the recipe just a bit so I can get adjusted to the taste, but so far I enjoyed it!

Most of the time, I would rather eat the actual vegetable than put it in a blender, but recently my body has been pretty tired from the tough workouts I've been doing so I wanted to create a way to give myself more energy and faster recovery. That combined with a great hot tub session today has me feeling like a million bucks!

So forget the juicing, try something that will really make you feel good. I encourage everyone to try a veggie smoothie at least once, so at least you can say you did it!

Officially a College Basketball Fan

I've never been much of a college basketball fan — I was always more drawn to the NBA growing up, but this year I've changed — college basketball has become of interest to me thanks to the West Regional tournament I volunteered for through Pepperdine University.

At Staples Center after all the excitement ended.

With the experience I had working March 27-30 at the Staples Center, I can say with great pride that I have come to understand the hype of college basketball and will commit to fully embracing it next season — something I've never done as an Oregon State alum.

An Oregon State fan from birth and eventually attending for my undergrad, I was never impressed by the basketball team, making it hard to get into the culture of college basketball. I've never found a way to relate to the team or get into the season. It's just been hard for us Oregon State fans.

But for me, it's hard to pay attention to a sport if I don't have a grip on a team or player that I feel like I can follow. Oregon State hasn't made it to the tournament in 23 years (last appearance was in 1990 when they lost to Cal State Fullerton in the opening round, I was a year old), so they're due for a winning, nationally ranked team and rebirth of a great program, and we as fans are ready for it too. I love an underdog story, but it's hard to root for a team who has all the makings of greatness and can't seem to pull it together to produce a winning season.

That being said, I have nothing against the Oregon State men's basketball team, I'm just explaining why my allegiance to college basketball has been weak. I hope that Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson and his squad can make some magic happen next year now that they have a brand-spankin' new practice facility. I know I'm not alone when I say it'd be great to see them make a run for the tournament next year.

Watching teams like LaSalle and Wichita State come out and practice March 27 at open practice day was special in itself. I watched one of the LaSalle players line up for a three-point shot, and right before the ball left his hands he grinned and said, "Man! This is where Kobe plays!" Even though LaSalle lost to Wichita State, nothing can ever take away that experience that LaSalle player had. It was his own little moment.

Teams like LaSalle, Florida Gulf Coast University, and even Wichita State, get to experience the possibility of making it all the way and that is special all on it's own. It gives the team and the school more visibility. They're not thinking about brackets or TV time, they just want to get as far as they can.

I made a bracket for the first time this year and basically filled it out with my eyes closed. I didn't watch much of the regular season outside of Sports Center highlights and sports tweets. I favored the PAC-12 throughout my whole bracket, putting Gonzaga and UCLA in the finals with 'Zags winning (obviously my bracket went six feet under very quickly). My bracket had a short life span, but it helped me get warmed up for the four days I spend at the West Regionals — I felt a little more dialed in.

What I can say after living at Staples Center, watching the teams go through the motions of practice, press, and games, the bracket became meaningless to me. I still found myself rooting for the underdog, LaSalle. After they lost, I rooted for Wichita State even though they were not in my bracket (neither was LaSalle). These teams took each day at a time, trying to stay as focused and rested as possible. Forget percentiles, seeds, who had Kobe's locker, it was anyone's game.

Wichita State made that very clear during their Elite 8 game against Ohio State. With a 20-point lead early in the second half, it was clear they were here for a reason, and have since earned their spot in the Final Four.

All that being said, I want to throw a big shout out to all the media who attended the West Regional as well as the volunteers and Pepperdine staff that spent countless hours putting it all together. It was a great experience for me and has only broadened my knowledge and passion for my sports media career.