While Muttpop Bob isn't doing anything else than being cooked by the beautiful Peruvian sun, some people at MUTTPOP are working. Well... Who am I kidding? While Muttpop Bob is out of the office, we're not doing anything than playing with toys. Finally, here's a complete shot of Frank Kozik's RED DEMON.

Part of my family's culture is food. There's not too much to do in Lima, but there's plenty of good food to eat! We had our first home cooked almuerzo (lunch) since our arrival. It was a 3 course meal of causa rellena, aji de gallina, and fruit.Causa rellena is made of mashed potatoes, canned tuna, mayonnaise, eggs, and avocado. It's usually an appetizer that's served cold.Aji de gallina literally translates to "Chili Peppers of Hen". It uses a special type of chili pepper that is hard to find outside of Peru. The dish is an interesting mix of shredded hen (this one was actually made of chicken), ground walnuts, the famous peppers, mixed in a tomato (I think they use tomatoes...) based stew.The fruit in Peru is amazing. Mangoes are sweet and creamy. Oranges are juicy. About the only thing I didn't LOVE (but still liked) are the bananas which were a bit too starchy for my tastes (but looked super neat with it's pink pigment).Two of the fruits that I've never come across in the United States are: granadilla and tuna. Granadilla literally translates to "little grenade". It has a hard orange shell exterior which you crack open like an egg to reveal a mucus like center. It has a very sweet, smooth, and slightly citrus flavor. Tuna is very sweet and refreshing...kind of like a large kiwi without the tart.I've got to watch out. All this yummy food's going to make me gain weight!Bye Los Angeles.Causa Rellena & Aji De GallinaFrutas!Tuna & GranadillaEating Granadilla...

I'm leaving for Peru. I'll be there for the next week to celebrate my cousin's wedding and spend a little time traveling with my girlfriend. It's been 8 years since I was last there, so there'll be plenty of catching up to do with the family!If I have readily available internet access, I'll do my best to keep the blog updated. If not, Jerry will do his best to take the reigns of both blogs.Wish me a safe plane flight! :-)

Off of the strength of the initial 2 singles, I picked up Jay-Z's "American Gangster" Album and love it. The initial buzz on this Album was really strong...but then when everyone got a hold of the pirated copies it seemed like everyone was disappointed. With Puff Daddy/P.Diddy producing or executive producing the majority of the tracks on the Album I can see people's initial concern. But the production is very strong as it stays true to the soulful melodies that Jay-Z promised.The song that seems to be getting the most buzz is "Success" featuring Nas. At first, I didn't understand the hype. It's a fairly simple composition by Producer No ID. But with relistens of the Album it's definitely becoming one of my favorite tracks on the album. There's a nakedness to "Success" whose subtlety and complexity becomes far more appreciated with repeat listens.The track that immediately grabbed me is "Hello Brooklyn" featuring Lil' Wayne. It stands out as the most audibly different track on the Album but I LOVE the harshness of the beat (which borrows from the Beastie Boys and adds a very Southern feel).Success featuring NasHello Brooklyn featuring Lil' Wayne

Mista Hippo of the Get Down Crew hooked me and Bruce Banner up with some Press Box tickets at the UCLA Vs. ASU Football game. Great game, even if UCLA lost. It was super nice watching the game amongst the UCLA Elite (Mista Hippo). The best part of the Press Box was the free food. Next time I'll be sure to not put so many onions in the chili!

We're doing a nice contest collaboration with Vinyl Pulse. Jerry's been messing around with doing short comic strips using photos of the Muttpop figures. We thought it'd be extra cool to bring you guys into the fun of it all by having an ongoing contest.Instead of having a "Fan Mail" section in upcoming issues of the Lucha Libre comic, we're going to give our fans an opportunity to do their own Photo Comics starring their favorite Muttpop figures.The best contributions will get printed in the next issue of the Lucha Libre Comic (#3). And the winner will get a FREE Dr. Destruction Wild Edition!To participate you need to joing the Vinyl Pulse Community and upload your entry to the Muttpop Photo Comic Gallery. A winner will be chosen in about a week and a half...so if you have a cool idea you'd like to share, get to work! :-)More info can be found ON VINYL PULSE: HERE.