a rhino walks

RSS feed address updated

2011-08-02T17:19:04Z

Hey everyone...I'm doing some backend changes to my blog and the RSS feed address has changed. For those of you reading this in an RSS reader please update your feed to the following address:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/arhinowalks

Books I've Read in 2011

2011-07-30T21:20:05Z

Total pages read: 12,105
Shortest book: 90 pages
Longest book: 985 pages
Fiction: 19
Non-fiction: 15
Cookbook: 6
Poetry: 1

Last book read:
42. The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood, and Vegetables by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat. Latest KCRW Cookbook Club selection. I think I'm most interested in the marinades (cuz really that's the important parts of the recipes in this book). 184 pages. (Finished 30 Jul 11).

Full list below the cut:

Past Lists:
2010 List
2009 List
2008 List
2007 List

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Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by John Krakauer. The story of what lead Pat Tillman to leave the NFL and join the Army after September 11, 2001 and the the administration and military leadership that exploited and failed him and his family after his death. 416 pages. (Finished 3 Jan 11).

Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, With Recipies by Mark Bitterman. A whole lot of info and history about salt. A KCRW cookbook club selection. 304 pages. (Finished 4 Jan 11).

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. The first volume of a new trilogy following the lives of a few families from different countries and and backgrounds. This first volume takes place before and during World War 1. 985 pages. (Finished 12 Jan 11).

Hector and the Search for Happiness by François Lelord. The story of a psychiatrist who travels the world searching for the meaning of happiness. Written in a child-like verse in third-person. The English translation of the French bestseller. Read for the 10:15 book club at church. 192 pages. (Finished 13 Jan 11).

Grape vs. Grain: A Historical, Technological, and Social Comparison of Wine and Beer by Charles Bamforth. Noted brewing professor/expert from UC Davis discusses the process of making and the status of wine and beer in society. 224 pages. (Finished 18 Jan 11).

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie. A followup to the adventures in Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Haroun's little brother goes on his own adventures in the World of Magic. 223 pages. (Finished 20 Jan 11).

The Street of Crocodiles and Other Stories by Bruno Schulz. The known published works of a Polish Jewish writer/artist that was killed during World War II by a Gestapo officer. I got this collection of stories because The Street of Crocodiles serves as the base of the new Jonathan Safron Foer project Tree of Codes. 335 pages. (Finished 31 Jan 11).

Swan: Poems and Prose Poems by Mary Oliver. The latest collection from the wonderful Mary Oliver. 96 pages. (Finished 31 Jan 11).

Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation by Chris White & Jamil Zainasheff. A whole lot about brewing yeast. 300 pages. (Finished 7 Feb 11).

Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson. How to make the bread from San Francisco's famous Tartine Bakery at home and other ways to use the bread you've made. 304 pages. (Finished 9 Feb 11).

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. The story of a family in a mythical city and its rise and fall. 417 pages. (Finished 23 Feb 11).

Tales from the Medicine Trail: Tracking down the health secrets of shamans, herbalists, mystics, yogis, and other healers by Chris Kilham. The "Medicine Hunter" travels to the Amazon, Peru, India, Hawaii and Vanuatu to learn about the sacred and medicinal plants of the area. 292 pages. (Finished 3 Mar 11).

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. Set in an America that is failing to the pressure of its financial pressures, two immigrants find each other. 331 pages. (Finished 9 Mar 11).

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet. A memoir from a high functioning austistic savant that experiences numbers as colors (synestehsia). 240 pages. (Finished 12 Mar 11).

Wild Child: and Other Stories by T. C. Boyle. A collection of short stories by T. C. Boyle. 304 pages. (Finished 21 Mar 11).

Drop City by T. C. Boyle. A commune of hippies move up to rural Alaska after the local authorities tear down the buildings on their commune in California. 444 pages. (Finished 31 Mar 11).

13, rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro. An American professor visiting Paris finds a box of memories in his office. This novel is his attempts of putting together the story from those mementos. 278 pages. (Finished 4 Apr 11).

Super Natural Everyday: Well-Loved Recipies from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson. Follow up to 101 Cookbooks blogger's first book Super Natural Cooking, this time with a focus on easy everyday recipies. 256 pages. (Finished 5 Apr 11).

Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. A look at Harlem and what its role in African-American culture is. 288 pages. (Finished 11 Apr 11).

Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer. JSF takes Bruno Schulz's story The Street of Crocodiles and literally cuts out a new story from the text. 139 pages. (Finished 11 Apr 11).

My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South by Rosetta Costantino. A KCRW Cookbook club selection. Nice recipes from a lesser known region of Italy...though I'm not sure how much I'll actually cook from this book. 416 pages. (Finished 13 Apr 11).

The Jokers by Albert Cossery. The story of how some pranksters almost bring down the oppressive governor of their Egyptian city. 232 pages. (Finished 14 Apr 11).

Angels by Denis Johnson. Two people meet on a Greyhound bus and begin a dark ride cross country. 224 pages. (Finished 18 Apr 11).

A Life on Paper: Stories by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud. A collection of stories translated and published into English for the first time (as a collection). Châteaureynaud's stories are of the modern world with a hint of fantasy (ala Kafka). 256 pages. (Finished 25 Apr 11).

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander. A man sets out to bake the "perfect" loaf of bread by baking a loaf of bread every week for a year. 352 pages. (Finished 6 May 11).

Making It: Radical Home-Ec for a Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen. A book full of projects on home sustainability in urban environments. Coyne & Knutzen practice sustainable practices in urban Los Angeles. 256 pages. (Finished 8 May 11).

The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander. A man (and his wife) build a garden...and learns many lessons in the process. 304 pages. (Finished 21 May 11).

In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time by Peter Lovenheim. A tragic event down the street from his house inspires a man to get to know his neighbors. A story about the nature of community in our modern society. 256 pages. (Finished 24 May 11).

The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen. A couple living in the heart of LA strives to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle...and explains how you can do it as well. 360 pages. (Finished 26 May 11).

House of Prayer No. 2 by Mark Richard. A "special child" in the south grows up and overcomes both physical and mental difficulties to experience life to the fullest and become a successful writer. A memoir from the award winning author. 208 pages. (Finished 2 Jun 11).

Hocus Bogus by Romain Gary writing as Émile Ajar. A French writer who has one France's top literary award tires of the box he's in and creates a new persona. When his new books gain the attention of the critics and awards, he quickly writes this book to throw them off the trail even further. 224 pages. (Finished 7 Jun 11).

Hector and the Secrets of Love by François Lelord. Hector's journeys continue when he is sent by a pharmaceutical company to track down a professor friend of his that is developing a drug to help people fall in love. 176 pages. (Finished 9 Jun 11).

When the Killing's Done by T. C. Boyle. A novel based in the Northern Channel Islands. A park service employee trying to restore native populations and an animal activist square off over many years. 384 pages. (Finished 14 Jun 11).

Trask by Don Berry. Set in Oregon just after the boundary dispute between the US and Britain was resolved, a man goes on a journey to a part of coastal Oregon yet to be settled (or even largely exploited) by white men. 348 pages. (Finished 22 Jun 11).

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky. Two parts of what was envisioned to a 5 part novel telling the story of what was going on in France during World War II. Already a well know novelist, Irène Némirovsky was arrested in 1942 and sent to Auschwitz where she was killed. These stories were recently discovered and published for France and the rest of the world. 367 pages. (Finished 29 Jun 11).

The Literary Conference by César Aira. A translator who falls on hard times due to the global economic downturn also happens to be a mad scientist trying to build a clone army from a famous Mexican author. What could possibly go wrong? 90 pages. (Finished 30 Jun 11).

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton. The story of how the chef of NYC's Prune restaurant came of age and found herself owning a restaurant (and married). 304 pages. (Finished 12 Jul 11).

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. The story of an aging punk rock music executive, his assistant and the lives of the people that intersect theirs. 352 pages. (Finished 15 Jul 11).

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. A boy's story from Sierra Leone, who loses his family after rebels attack his village, is recruited to join the army fighting the rebels, and ends up getting rehabilitated to become a spokesperson for child soldiers. 240 pages. (Finished 17 Jul 11).

The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean. The story of orchid sellers/growers in South Florida. The basis for the movie Adaptation. 284 pages. (Finished 26 Jul 11).

Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It by Gary Taubes. A look at the problem of obesity, the research done about it, where it got derailed (according to his perspective), and what we can do to combat it (a paleo viewpoint of diet). 272 pages. (Finished 28 Jul 11).

The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood, and Vegetables by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat. Latest KCRW Cookbook Club selection. I think I'm most interested in the marinades (cuz really that's the important parts of the recipes in this book). 184 pages. (Finished 30 Jul 11).

Summertime...

2011-07-27T01:50:07Z

Well summer is in full force in Los Angeles. So far it hasn't been too hot...at least for too long (there have been a few days). After last year's relatively mild summer, I've been expecting a super warm summer.

I have nonetheless still been in a bit of a funk lately. LA is a big place, but I feel quite alone here (while at the same time feeling like I'm never alone). My friends here don't live within an easy walk/bike/bus/train ride. I can't drive (at least for a few more weeks). One of my friends is moving away (back to the NW...which makes me a little jealous). One is going to be gone most of Aug...and then Sep and Oct as well.

It hasn't been all bad though. A couple months ago a new craft beer bar opened up a few blocks from the apartment. Beer Belly. I've enjoyed getting to know the owners and staff there...perhaps a little too much last month. ;)

I started a Food Preservation Externship a few weeks ago at the Hollywood Farmer's Kitchen. So far we've done three different types of jam (1975 Strawberry - a varietal that is supposed to taste like strawberries did before they became an industrialized product, Peach, & Plum Ginger), Pickled Leeks, & Dehydrated Leeks (to later grind into leek powder). I'll have a little break for the next couple weeks due to an event next week and my trip to San Fran (more on that later) the week after that. By that time, we should be in full force of tomato season and canning sauces and making ketchups. I'm excited to be able to gain some knowledge and practice in food preservation (something I wish I would have learned more of from my grandpa when I was living his house).

I've got a couple of small vacations coming up. I'm going up to the Bay Area for a long weekend in early August. I'm taking the train up there instead of flying. Its more relaxing and I don't have to worry about bringing anything back I can't get through airport security. I'm going to the Timber's match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Other than that, I plan on just walking around San Fran (and Berkeley) a whole bunch.

I also have a trip to NYC coming up in early September for my friend Mike's wedding. It'll be my second trip to NYC and it'll be a short trip, but I'm looking forward to seeing a little more of NYC as well.

The David Mayfield Parade

2011-07-26T02:07:12Z

One of my favorite bands (The Avett Brothers) had a show in Temecula last Saturday. We made a bit of an adventure of the trip, heading down from LA in time to get some wine tasting in (+1 brewery). One of the big surprises was the opening act for The Avett's, The David Mayfield Parade.

The official video gives you a little idea of his showmanship...live...he was a blast. For some of my friends, imagine me on stage dancing (say from 80s night heyday or the Goodfoot) playing and singing bluegrass. Or for those that don't know me well, just imagine Zach Galifianakis playing and singing bluegrass.

(Oh and yes, he's Jessica Lea Mayfield's older brother)

Breath of Love

2011-07-26T02:02:57Z

David Mayfield and Seth Avett perform David's song Breath of Love backstage before a show.

No good?

2011-07-03T04:05:38Z

a peak at lyrics from upcoming new music from Tom Waits.

Everything In Its Right Place

2011-07-01T05:04:26Z

DJ Spooky + Joshua Roman » Radiohead from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

An iPad (well and a macbook), a cello, a song interpreted.

don't you cherish me to sleep

2011-06-25T18:59:49Z

PDX Revisited

2011-06-25T17:40:53Z

Last weekend was my first trip back to Portland since the craziness of last November. It was a quick weekend trip, mainly to go to the Portland Timbers vs. NY Red Bulls match Sunday evening (with my friends Elizabeth and Austin). There was however the potential for sad memories, so I was a little anxious heading up to the trip. I didn't really expect to run into her per say, just memories of her.

Its weird to think back to six months ago now though. Up until my post earlier this month, I hadn't heard anything from her since she started cutting off all contact with me (and I asked her to just go ahead and stop talking to me at all). After that post, she sent me a short email basically saying she was glad I was doing well, and wishing me well from my medical event. I responded with an equally short email thanking her and wishing her well as well. I have a lot of mixed feelings about that exchange though. On one hand, I'm glad she still thinks about me and takes the time to read this blog. On the other, I'm a little sad that its only a one way thing. While our brief relationship burned quickly together (and then quickly out), there was a connection (at least for me) that went beyond just physical attraction. Something that resided deeper inside. Even if I never end up seeing her or speaking to her again, I don't expect that to go away.

That's not to say I won't find anything like that again. Well "like that" isn't the right thing to say. I wouldn't want the same thing to happen (I also don't believe you can "find that"). Plus I think each love is by nature different. I am quite happy with where Alicia and I are. We have our own deep connection that draws us to each other. It's different, but not in a better or worse way...just different. Alicia does make me happy (at least most of the time) and that is what's important.

The trip was good though. Alicia came along with me, and had a good time (despite accidentally leaving her regular glasses in the car at the airport..leaving her with just her sunglasses...not much help on a rainy Saturday in Portland...or at night). We hung out with my old housemate George after arriving Friday night. On Saturday, we hung out with her best friend, who drove up from Corvallis, and later had dinner with my parents. Sunday had brunch (on the breakfast side of timing) with each other, then pretty much had our own things going on the rest of the day. Alicia met up with a couple more friends and I spent the afternoon and evening watching soccer with my friends.

Tree of Life

2011-06-25T16:50:53Z

"Many films diminish us. They cheapen us, masturbate our senses, hammer us with shabby thrills, diminish the value of life."
- Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert calls the film Tree of Life a prayer...not asking for something, not to someone or something, but a prayer for everyone and everything. It most definitely is not your typical Hollywood fare. It is a film that is beautifully shot and for the most part edited (I did think one sequence was a little long). It is a film the plays with the idea of what the beginning and end actually are.

This isn't a film for everyone though. Which in some ways can lead to that "I'm a genius film maker and smarter than you" vibe. The way it plays with time can make it difficult to follow. In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure how I felt about it. I mentioned above one sequence I thought could have been edited a little differently (I think it could have been a little shorter without affecting the impact of the sequence). I do think that one of the ideas was to keep you questioning, both when and where you are, but how we are connected with each other and our world.

James Vincent McMorrow

2011-06-14T18:43:30Z

A lovely song recorded in a house by the sea (in Ireland)

01 If I Had a Boat by jamesvmcmorrow

Hector and the Secrets of Love

2011-06-14T02:28:50Z

Back in January, I read a book Hector and the Search for Happiness. Not long after, I saw the film Blue Valentine (Trailer). I had grand plans to write about both the book and film at the time. Certain events were a little too fresh in my head at the time, time passed, and I never wrote about the book or the film.

Hector and the Search for Happiness is part of a now series of books by the French author François Lelord. Lelord is psychiatrist who did post doctorate work at UCLA and now lives in SE Asia. In the book, Hector is a psychiatrist who is burnt out and decides to go on a global journey to discover secrets of happiness. But that's all I'm going to say about that book for now.

The translation of the second book in the series, Hector and the Secrets of Love came out at the end of May. The book begins not long after the first one ended. Hector is happy with his work, his relationships, his love. He's even considering getting married. Then his girlfriend's boss invites him (and a few other leading psychiatrists) to a resort to ask them about love. For Hector, there is another task...his girlfriend's boss wants him to find a friend and colleague that has disappeared while researching love for the pharmaceutical company Hector's girlfriend works for.

This journey is going to be a lot more complicated than Hector's first journey, because love, as Hector often says, is complicated.

In the spirit of the first book, over the course of the book, Hector makes numerous observations about Love. These "seedlings" are the building blocks to the five components of love (and their corresponding five components of heartache). Below the cut, I've put each of the 27 seedlings of love (at least until someone tells me I have to take it down). I don't really think I disagree with any of these observations. As for the components of love and heartache...for that you'll have to read the book yourself.

Love being such a complicated thing, this book often made me sad while reading it. But I suppose a journey to discover the secrets of love is also more prone to heartache than a journey to find the secrets of happiness.

So how is my own journey to discover the secrets of love? Well that's its own journey...one I'm still on...I've been in love and lost love...and I'm still discovering how to love (both myself and someone else)...so instead of answering that question in this public space, I'll leave you with the words of Hector at the end of his journey:

"Love is indeed complicated, difficult, sometimes painful, but it is also the only time that our dream becomes reality..."

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Seedling #1: Perfect love would be never having arguments

Seedling #2: Sometimes we argue most with the people we love the most.

Seedling #3: You cannot win someone's love without a fight

Seedling #4: True love is not wanting to be unfaithful.

Seedling #5: True love is not being unfaithful (even when you want to be).

Seedling #6: True love is always sensing what the other wants.

Seedling #7: Love can be wonderful when the other senses what we want, but we must also be able to help them by expressing our desires.

Seedling #8: Sexual desire is essential to love. (but not always)

Seedling #9: Needing the other is a sign of love.

Seedling #10: Men's sexual desire can create many hells.

Seedling #11: Love and jealousy go hand in hand.

Seedling #12: Passion fades after two or three years of living together.

Seedling #13: Passion in love can be terribly unfair.

Seedling #14; Women always like to dream of love even when they are already in love with someone.

Seedling #15: In love, if we really knew what the other person was saying maybe we wouldn't understand them at all.

Seedling #16: Jealousy is inseparable from desire.

Seedling #17: Jealousy is a sign of attachment.

Seedling #18: Love means sensing immediately when the other is unhappy.

Seedling #19: Could love be a combination of self-interest and emotions?

Seedling #20: Love means still seeing the others beauty when nobody else does anymore.

Seedling #21: Love proves itself when put to the test.

Seedling #22: Love is, smiling the moment you see one another.

Seedling #23: Love is like a revolving door; you go round and round, but you never manage to catch up with one another.

Seedling #24: Nothing eases the pain of love better than focusing on a task.

Seedling #25: Love is the ability to dream and to know when to stop dreaming.

Seedling #26: Love is resisting temptation.

Seedling #27: You can only have one love at a time.

Obama's Leadership

2011-06-09T16:29:56Z

An interesting reflection on President Obama's leadership during his first term from a friend's husband and the Christian Science Monitor...read it here: Obama and leadership

has it already been almost half a year?

2011-06-04T15:50:01Z

Outside of a few posts about bread (and even those have dropped off) and the normal list of books for the year, I haven't been writing much here this year. Well to be honest, I haven't been writing much anywhere this year. I've been full of a lot of ideas but not a whole lot of action...or at least not sustained action.

So what's been going on this year? Well, Alicia and I are dating again and as of May we're living together, so that's one big change. Alicia's best friend (and her boyfriend) came down over Easter weekend to visit (and see this show). We went up to visit my sister in Berkeley (and I finally got to meet her boyfriend after two years of Christmas travel headaches) at the end of April. I've been continuing progress towards building my moving fund (current progress is in the sidebar). I'm still pretty much on track for my book goal for the year (greater than or equal to last years 80 books).

There has been some surprises though as well. The biggest so far came on the morning of May 9th. I went to work like any other day even though I was feeling a little off. I continued to feel a little off and even told Alicia that my right arm was feeling a little twitchy. The next thing I remember, I woke up in the hospital to see my sister's boyfriend (who lives in Berkeley, but happened to be on So. Cal. that day). I had a seizure and had been taken to the hospital via ambulance. I was kept overnight for observation and released the next day with a prescription and instructions for follow up appointments with my regular doctor. So far, the medications are working without any noticeable side effects and my tests are coming back normal. So it seems to be one of those fluke things that just happened. Something the doctors won't be able to fully explain.

Before releasing me, the doctor's at the hospital advised me that I shouldn't drive and that they were required to notify the DMV. The letter of re-examination from the DMV came a few days later. For that, I would need to have a form filled out by my doctor by June 4th or my license would be suspended on June 5th. This being LA, most people I tell this story to think this is the worst part. But for me, its just a minor inconvenience. I was already commuting to work via the subway and vanpool. My work provided bus pass allows me to get around other places, and I can always let Alicia drive my car for the trips public transit doesn't work as well for. The specialist I saw told me as long as there are no more seizures in the next three months, he'll fill out and sign the form. A much nicer time frame than the six months to a year the hospital doctors told me.

I think that brings things pretty up to date. The summer is starting to fill up though...going to see the Timbers play ChivasUSA at the Home Depot Center tonight. Next weekend, we're going to spend a night at a bed and breakfast in the San Jacinto Mountains. The weekend after, we're going to Portland (where I'll be going to watch the Timbers vs. NY Red Bulls match with Elizabeth and Austin as part of the Timbers Army!). In July, we're going to Temecula to see the Avett Brothers perform. The "big" trip this summer is in early September though. We're going to Brooklyn for my buddy Mike's wedding!

Tree of Codes

2011-04-12T01:22:08Z

I've had this on order at Amazon for months, but finally noticed in the reviews that Barnes & Noble had it in stock on their website. In his latest work of fiction, Jonathan Safron Foer has literally cut out a new story from Bruno Schulz's classic story The Street of Crocodiles (also known as The Cinnamon Shops).

The result is something beautiful...words from pages below peeking up into the current page...giving so many different ways to read each page. Reading through front to back is quick, as there aren't many words on each page...and each page is only one-sided. But this is something I imagine you'd want to read over...seeing the different ways the words come together.

About the book (from Jonathan Safron Foer):

The making of the book (from the publisher):

Tree of Codes (Publisher's Microsite)