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Dodger game against the Padres

Dodgers VS Padres/Chavez Ravine

A week ago I had the pleasure to go to the Los Angeles Dodgers game VS the San Diego Padres. It was the Dodgers home opening series. It took me almost an hour an a half to get to Dodger Stadium because of the horrendous traffic on the freeway in downtown L.A. Fortunately I got into the stadium and to my seat before the game had begun. I sat right next to the Dodgers' dugout in a sea of blue and white. I usually sit in right field but my friend Wes had these tickets and took me. I like to sit out in right field because the seats are cheap and the cost of the ticket includes an all you can eat pass. You are allowed to eat as many Dodger dogs, peanuts, nachos, and popcorn you want. You also can refill your soda as much as you want. You have to pay for your own beers of course. The stadium has to make money off of you somehow. I could not have chosen a better game to attend. The Dodgers' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez hit three consecutive homeruns in that game in the first, third, and fifth innings. The most homeruns ever hit in a single game was Shawn Green in 2002 who was also a Dodger at the time. All of Adrian's homeruns came right into right field where I usually sat. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to capture any of the three homerun balls he smashed because I was next to the dugout. I am not complaining though because the view from these seats were amazing. The seats were so close to the field and a foul ball came right at me but the man in front of me caught it. My friend and I had a great time pigging out on Dodger dogs and peanuts as well as cheering and chanting with the other fans in attendance. Of course I cant forget about the beach balls that we hit around the stadium and the classic wave. I even got a head nod from right fielder Yasiel Puig while he was in the dugout. The Dodgers ended up winning the game 7-4 in a great home victory for the Dodgers.

Dodger Stadium is located in Chavez Ravine. Chavez Ravine was named after Julian Chavez who was a Los Angeles councilman. In the 1940's the land was originally going to be used for public housing. All the people that lived in that area were relocated. The public housing plan came to a halt because of fear of communism and people saw it as a socialist project. By the 1950's Chavez Ravine was sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers and thus the stadium was built. I thought that the Dodger game would be a perfect post because Professor Smith had just mentioned the Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium. I look forward to going to more Dodger games this season!

jsherman32-blog-blog

Blair Field

During the beginning of March in 2015, I attended a Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball game, where they were playing Wichita State on a Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful day out, making it prime baseball weather, as I filed into Blair Field, ready to watch some college baseball. I sat directly behind home plate, as all tickets are general admission and took out a bag of sunflower seeds, waiting for the Dirtbags to take the field.

Blair field was built in 1956, making it 58 years old and seats just over 3,000 people. The field is named after Frank Blair, who wrote for the Long Beach Press-Telegram newspaper and was the sports editor there for thirty-two years. Moreover, Long Beach State has produced more Major League Baseball players than any other college, which gives Dirtbag baseball a great reputation. Some major leaguers include a plethora of talent that excelled in the major leagues, such as Jason Giambi, Troy Tulowitzski, Evan Longoria, and Brian Shaw.

Just after one o’clock, the Dirtbags rushed out onto the field, as the starting pitcher was Tanner Brown, as he retired the first three batter of Wichita State. Long Beach State struck for two in the bottom half of the first, as Nolan Meadows hit a two run double to put the Dirtbags on top. After the first inning the game went very smoothly, Long Beach State struck for a few more runs and Wichita State pushed a few runs across home as well. Brown threw six innings, striking out five and giving up one earned run, before handing off the game to the bullpen, which subsequently shut the door. The final score of the game was five to two, as the Dirtbags pulled off the victory against Wichita State.

As the game concluded, I sat around for a little while and watched the Dirtbags shake hands, as well as recapping the game with a few of my friends that I met there. After a little more conversation with my friends, I decided to leave Blair Field and head back home. The game lasted for a few hours, as it was a great college baseball game to watch. Long Beach State has an excellent baseball team, as it was great to watch them win and Blair Field is an excellent stadium to watch games at.

drew-mirk-blog

Jake, Great post! I have always wanted to go to a dirtbags game but never seem to have the time. I have been to a couple of basketball and volleyball games here on campus but never baseball. I really like the details you put in your post and I loved the commentating. I felt as if I was watching the game live! -Andrew Mirkovich

On Friday April 3rd, 2015 I went and saw the movie Furious 7. The Fast and The Furious franchise is based in Los Angeles. The main characters Dominic Toretto and Brian O'Connor live in Los Angeles which I thought was something that I could talk about since it is a literary representation of this great city. Furious 7 was supposed to come out last year but a fatal car accident involving Paul Walker who plays Brian O'Connor delayed the film. Paul Walker's two brothers filled in for the late actor in the movie because they had already filmed half of it. This franchise is primarily about driving fast cars in street races in the city of Los Angeles. The last few films however have drifted away from this idea and the group has started to take on big heists and stop bad guys in different countries all over the world. This last movie that was made was for the late Paul Walker. It was a very moving tribute to say the least. The last movie was brought back home to Los Angeles where the group had to stop a military man from killing them after the group killed his brother in the sixth film. It was hard to watch the film knowing that Paul Walker was not able to finish the movie. I was really curious though on what would happen to Paul Walker in the movie and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised on how they chose to edge him out of the film. Like I said earlier, Paul Walker was not able to complete the movie so his brothers stood in and completed it for him. They used the brothers bodies and used CGI to put Paul Walker's face on the brother's bodies. The ending was my favorite part. That is why I put this song on my blog. It was played at the very end in memoriam to Paul Walker. The lyrics are great and very moving and is one of my favorite songs now. It has a good message like "How can we not talk about family when family is all we got." Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were like brothers so the ending really got to me. I will be perfectly honest, the last fifteen minutes of the movie had me crying my eyes out. Rest in Peace Paul Walker. Until we "See You Again."

Big Bear Lake

As my final class finished on Thursday I let out a sigh of relief, ready for Spring Break. I hopped in my car and drove home ready to kick Spring Break into gear. As I got home my family was already loading up the truck to go to Big Bear. At 12:30 we are all ready to make our way up to the mountains. The trip took a solid two and a half hours but it went by fairly quickly. After we got up there we went to our house, put all our crap inside, and then went to the market to buy some food for the weekend. We took it easy on the first day and just relaxed and watched a couple of movies, one being the classic Bullitt. On Thursday my cousin and I rode our bikes through town and went fishing on the lake. I must say though that the lake has dried up significantly since the last time I have been here. Many people's boat docks are on dry land because the lake has receded so far. Friday night my mom, my cousin, my aunt, and I went to bingo night at the Elk's lodge up in Big Bear. I am proud to say that I won eighty dollars that night. On Saturday we all went on the lake. We have two jet skis and a boat up there so we went cruising on the lake that whole day. It was great because nobody else was on the water that day because it wasn't a holiday weekend and the lake just opened. After a long day riding the waves we went home and deep fried a turkey. It took about an hour and a half to cook the whole thing. Man was that turkey good and moist. We really spent our time well by watching a Ridiculousness marathon on MTV after dinner. On Sunday we took it easy and took many walks around the neighborhood and breathed in the unpolluted mountain air. Finally on Monday we packed up everything and cleaned the house in preparation to leave. We left Big Bear at 11:30 and got home at 2:30 with stopping for lunch so we made great time. I was glad to be back home and sleep in my own bed. I look forward to what the rest of my Spring Break has to offer.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

On Thursday March 12, 2015 I had the opportunity to go to The Ellen DeGeneres show. This was my first time going to a talk show and I was pretty excited. I got out of school around 12:00 and made my way down to Burbank with my friends. The filming of the show was at the Warner Brothers studio located right behind Universal Studios. We arrived on the lot at about 1:30 and were given seat numbers 100, 101, 102, and 103 respectively. After sitting in a waiting area for about an hour, the workers finally started to bring us into the studio. We had to go through a lot of security because The First Lady of the United States of America was one of the guests on the show that day. After going through metal detectors and being wanded by the secret service, we were allowed to take our seats. There was a warm-up guy who got the crowd dancing and singing before the show to bring our energy levels up. The show finally started and Ellen DeGeneres came out and talked with the crowd and danced with them like she always does. She started telling jokes and showing funny videos to the audience. She then brought out her first guest Michelle Obama and talked with her for a good chunk of the show. Ellen and Mrs. Obama even did a dance with some "So You Think You Can Dance" dancers. After Mrs. Obama we listened to a song from an upcoming Australian artist. After the song the First Lady of the United States on the hit T.V. show "Scandal" came out and talked with Ellen. That day was a very patriotic day and was really cool. I never thought in a million years that I would meet the First Lady but I did. We were not allowed to take pictures with her though and we couldn't even use our phones. The whole experience was great. I really got a good glimpse into the world of Hollywood (the reason most people come to LA). I have to say our time was well spent and we drove back home in the infamous Los Angeles traffic. It took us almost two hours to get back home. For reference it should take only 45 minutes without traffic. Overall I had a great day but do not know if I will go back to another Ellen DeGeneres show.

A great Saturday!! philips-la-encounters willmetscherlastory

LA/Hollywood/Beverly Hills

On Saturday March 14th, 2015, also known as Pi day, my friends from UHP and I went to LA, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. My friends Phil and Will and I were ready to go on the field trip with Professor Smith but unfortunately not many people wanted to go so he cancelled the trip. My friends and I still wanted to do something so we took our own little field trip. The three of us and another friend met up in Long Beach at 10 a.m. ready for a long day ahead. Phil drove us out to the Griffith observatory where we just drove by on our way to the Hollywood sign. We parked on the street and started our journey to the Hollywood sign. At the beginning we took an unorthodox way to get to the marked trail. Then my friends wanted to just climb through the bushes to get a closer view. I tried to climb but wearing vans was not the greatest idea. I walked the normal path while they went on their own. It was definitely not the best day for a hike. The temperature was almost in double digits, topping off at 97 degrees in the middle of March. According to McWilliams this weather was suppose to keep me healthy and feeling great but that was far from the truth. I was hot, sweaty, tired, and my knee was hurting from hiking and getting my foot caught in a ditch. After about two hours at the famous Hollywood sign we decided to get some delicious food at the Saddleback Ranch restaurant in West Hollywood. On our way there we drove past Grauman's Chinese Theatre and saw Olaf from Frozen who was probably melting in that costume. We finally made it to Saddleback and I had a great BBQ bacon burger. Our waitress was going to buy the four of us shots until she found out we were only 19 and 20 years old. She bought us 3 feet tall cotton candy instead and it was amazing. After a spectacular lunch/dinner we made our way to the Beverly Hills Mall. This mall was massive and had all the stores that a college student like myself could not afford. My friends and I went into Diesel and I saw a nice cotton jacket with leather sleeves that I liked but sadly I did not have 350 dollars to drop on a jacket when I live in California. We also went into Bloomingdales and got free ice cream sandwiches. Again we could not afford anything in here. We looked at a couple more stores and then left back home to Long Beach. We got back at 6:00 p.m. after a long day of adventuring. I'm really glad we got to do this and I am looking forward to Professor Smith's field trip of downtown LA.

#not my photos

The U.S.S. Iowa

The U.S.S. Iowa was a military vessel during World War II. This vessel carried President Franklin Delano Roosevelt across the Atlantic Ocean into Europe so that he could meet with the other leaders of the allied powers. This ship was the fourth vessel in the United States Navy. It was one of the few ships that was not bombed during the attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This ship is now in retirement and is based in the Port of Los Angeles right in the heart of the city San Pedro. The ship came here in 2012 and was opened as a museum for the public. Since the two years that it has been docked here I never went and I live literally three minutes from it. With a rainy weekend in the forecast I decided it was a good way to spend the weekend. I picked up my two little cousins and took them to the U.S.S. Iowa. They absolutely loved it. They thought it was so cool and were fascinated by the size of the ship. This was my first time on the U.S.S. Iowa but not my first time on a military vessel. I boarded the U.S.S. Missouri in Hawaii when I was ten years old. I have to say that the ships were very similar in layout and design. The U.S.S. Iowa had an elevator inside of it so that President Roosevelt could navigate the ship easily which I don't think the U.S.S. Missouri had. The tour that we took was very informative and was able to keep my cousins and my attention throughout the entire tour. The size of the cannons on this ship was uncanny,the sleeping areas were very cramped, and ship itself was huge. I am glad we had a tour guide with us because otherwise I am not sure that we would have found our way out of that place. The inside is like a maze with many different rooms and compartments that can turn you around quickly. Overall the three of us had a great time. I recommend coming to check out he U.S.S. Iowa to get a sense of how these Navy personal lived and function during times of war. It gives me a greater appreciation for the men and woman that serve this great country I call home. If this sparks even a little interest of you, I urge you to come check this massive ship out. I doubt you will leave here unimpressed.

"I Love L.A."

One of my favorite songs to listen to is "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman. This song embodies exactly what we have been talking about in our discussions. This whole song is a promotion of California and primarily the city of Los Angeles. The very first verse of Mr. Newman's song is all about leaving your old town and coming to Los Angeles, California. The verse goes like this "Hate New York City It's cold and it's damp and all the people dressed like monkeys. Let's leave Chicago to the Eskimos. That town's a little too rugged for you and me, you bad girl." The music video starts off al dark and grey because they are in New York, but as soon as they arrive in California the whole mood changes and the song speeds up. In the video it also shows everything California is thought of as being. You have flashes of palm trees, the beach, staples center, beautiful women and to top it off he is driving all throughout Los Angeles with his top down and the wind in his hair. Everything about this city is perfect, " From the South Bay to the Valley. From the west side to the East side. Everybody's very happy 'cause the sun is shinning all the time. Looks like another perfect day. I Love L.A." At one point in the video you even see city hall with its white washed walls over looking the rest of L.A. This ties into that Spanish fantasy past. In Los Angeles after every Lakers, Dodgers, and Kings victory this song plays to remind everyone that they are living in paradise and that these teams are the best in the world. No matter what race, ethnicity, or gender you are, you love L.A. according to this song. In the video they flash to different people all over Los Angeles and when Randy Newman sings I Love L.A. they chant back We love it. I highly suggest that you watch the video to see what exactly I am talking about. I bet you will agree with me that this song is nothing more than an advertisement of Los Angeles. It is a very catchy song and it will always be one of my favorites. The fact of the matter is I would have never looked at this song in this light if I had never taken this Los Angeles history course. On my way to school tomorrow I will roll down my windows and blast this song through my speakers because I truly believe this is the best city in the world. The Spanish of the 1880's have really done a great job of promoting this city I call home.

Disneyland and California Adventures

Disneyland

Two weeks ago I went to the classic Disneyland. I would have wrote about it two weeks ago but I did not know we could write about anywhere in Southern California. With that being said I went to Disneyland on Friday January 30th for my little cousins eighth birthday. Disneyland for those who are unaware (which should not be many, especially if you live in California or are American) is amusement parked built by Walt Disney in the 1950's and opened on July 17th 1955. Disneyland is "the happiest place on earth" and I would agree with that statement as long as you are privileged enough to afford the insane ticket prices, food ,souvenirs, as well as liking to stand in extremely long line in hot weather. I find if you like to go to Disneyland often as I, you should by an annual pass and make payments because it will end up paying for itself. To get into Disneyland alone is $96 and if you want to go to Dland and California Adventure which is another amusement park across from Dland then it will cost you $150. The lowest pass will be paid of in two trips and by the third time you will be going for free. Disneyland is really designed for smaller children but I still love it. The thing about Disneyland that I love the most is how all the rides are constructed and how all the robotics in the ride go off without a hitch. My favorite ride here would have to be Splash Mountain. Everything is so perfect there and well kept that it is no surprise that Disneyland has lasted and thrived for so long.

Across the way is California Adventure. As I have grown older I have started to prefer spending most of my time here than Disneyland because I feel that it is more suited for teenagers and adults such as I. The rides are bigger, faster, and more intense I feel. It is also less crowded here than at Disneyland. It also sells alcohol for all those adults out there which Disneyland does not sell. My favorite ride here would have to be the Toy Story ride because it is a 3-D ride that takes you to different arcade games that you play. At the end of the ride you get to see who has the highest score in your cart of eight. Also if you ever go to California Adventure I highly recommend the Aladdin show here. It is excellent. Finally I honestly feel that Disneyland and California Adventure has something for all ages as long as you have the money to pay to get in. I will certainly be going to Disneyland many more times this year and really get the maximum use out of my annual pass. I also realize this has nothing to do with what we have discussed in class but who doesn't want to write about Disneyland.

The first picture is of Seal Beach pier and the other three were taken at Heron Pointe where the Native Americans once resided.

Seal Beach/ Gum Grove

Last weekend I had lunch with my buddy Phil in Seal Beach. We ate at this restaurant called Beachwood BBQ. Now my post is about Seal Beach and Gum Grove and not this restaurant but I have to say that the food here was amazing. I highly recommend. In other news, after lunch my friend and I walked around Main Street in Seal Beach which is home to many different shops, most of which are not brand name stores. Seal Beach used to be called Anaheim Landing because all the boats and Navy Ships would come and dock here in the early 1900's. The views from the pier here were amazing and I captured a beautiful picture on this cloudy day. You can see all the ships in the distance waiting to be unloaded/loaded at the ports.

After we were done walking around Seal Beach my friend took me to this place called Gum Grove. It is this little park a minute away from Seal Beach. My friend and I decided to take a little hike through this different kind of park. This park has beautiful dense trees and it was so peaceful to walk through. If you walk far enough you will reach Heron Pointe. Heron Pointe was home to many Indians until the Spanish kicked them out. On a plaque I read it said " The dense urban landscape that now surrounds Seal Beach holds a rich and ancient history. This low hill, Landing Hill, was once grazed by cattle of the Spanish and Mexican ranchos. Before the Spanish arrived, the area was home to native people." As you go further along this path it takes you deeper and deeper into the past. One plaque even talked about Cal State Long Beach and how it was the meeting place for a lot of Indian tribes. I thought it was very fascinating that it tied in with what I was learning in class. At the end of the path you come to this big circle that looks like a giant fire pit. This "giant fire pit" is made of artifacts of native Americans that once lived there. I saw a bowl and a couple of bones built into this circle. After this my friend and I walked back to our cars realizing that we had something we could write about for our blogs. I drove home through downtown Long Beach on 2nd Street where the wealthy had resided and made it home to Palos Verdes where the even wealthier reside. I never thought that having lunch with my bud would be so educational and relate to my Los Angeles history class. I look forward to exploring more places like this and learning more about the city I call home.

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