More photos from Coachella.
Week 2: PUNISHING HEAT.
My dude Aaron Stern, ace photographer, is in town capturing the wilderness and weirdness of Downtown LA. Check out all of his photos over at his site, A Medium Format.
Photos from week 1 of Coachella. No band pics. Not my thing.
Best of week 1: Snoop, Dre and Hologram Tupac (duh), Rihanna’s surprise appearance with Calvin Harris, Pulp
Must-see bands I missed this week (and will definitely see next week): M83, Refused, Jeff Mangum
Biggest yawns: The Shins, Radiohead, Justice
What 75% of the people on the VIP lounge couches were doing during Bon Iver’s set: Sleeping or reading Kindles. (I actually liked it!)
Reunion that reminded me that some things are best left in the past and sometimes the music you thought was vital and life-affirming when you were 14 actually kinda sucks: At The Drive-In
Where I spent most of my time: HOT TUB
This is the sound…
…of raw talent and impeccable taste joining forces, coming to your house and kicking you in the brain.
(Source: redbullmusicacademyradio.com)
Travel: Mexico City
Got inspired by this:
To do this:
So I bought a ticket to spend a week in June seeing this:
And while I was at it, I signed up to take a bus up to San Luis Potosi for a couple days
and run this.
Hasta pronto, Mexico DF.
DUDE FOOD: Poached Eggs with Charred Kale and Chives
Welcome to the first installment of DUDE FOOD. Here’s a very easy, healthy dish for breakfast or lunch that any dude can make in less than 10 minutes.
1. Crack 3 eggs into a bowl and poach them in the microwave with milk, salt and pepper. Seriously, it works. 3 minutes on high. They might explode a little…deal.
2. Grill up a fat grip of kale in a grill pan with olive oil, s&p, and the juice of half a lemon. I like mine extra charred.
3. Chop up some fresh chives. Throw it on top of the eggs with your kale. Top with sriracha.
4. Sit back and eat it on your couch while working from home, still in your gym clothes. Contemplate taking a photography class to improve your food photo skills. Realize it’s not worth it.
DUDE FOOD!!!!!
Initial tracking sessions for the album at Bright Street, North Hollywood.
Running Eldred Street
Eldred Street, straddling Mount Washington on LA’s east side, is awfully steep.
How steep?
Steeper than any street in San Francisco. Steeper than any other urban street in the continental US, save for a tiny stretch of pavement in Pittsburgh.
Elevation-wise, Mount Washington is nothing special, topping out at just under 1,000 feet, but Eldred Street climbs to the top of the hill at a 33.3% grade, which is a higher incline than the highest setting on the treadmill at your gym. It’s so steep that the concrete on the street hasn’t been replaced in decades and is pocked and torn to hell, because any attempt at getting a steamroller up there to replace the asphalt would no doubt end with the machine rolling backward and a traumatic Roger Rabbit-style flattening of anything in its path.
(that white house way up there is the top.)
The other day I shook off a post-poker night hangover and kicked off a beautiful sunny Friday with a run up to the top of Eldred. From my house in adjacent Glassell Park, it’s about 2 miles around the hill to the base of the street, the perfect distance for a warm-up.
From there, it’s straight up, several hundred long and slow yards to the end of the paved road. The word ‘running’ can only apply loosely on a hill like this, because what you’re really doing, at best, is hopping forward on your tiptoes while grunting like a hog and trying not to tumble backward.
There’s the view looking down and east. The Santa Monica mountains and snow-capped San Gabriels are visible in the distance.
Just when you think it’s over, the paved road ends and continues to the top as another 200 yards of wooden stairs. I paused just long enough to snap these 2 photos and keep my lungs from popping before continuing up. Ouch.
I ran 2 repetitions, which took about 15 minutes. In all, it wasn’t that bad. I see myself mixing something like this this into my training once every week or two, as a good way to condition my legs and lungs and switch things up from my regular distance runs.
REAL TALK: In reality, this post was just an excuse to engage in my true passion in life: INFOGRAPHICS. Here’s a cool one showing the 10 steepest streets in the US. Interestingly, despite what one would presume, LA kicks San Francisco’s butt in the tilty-street department.
Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles
Courtesy of my smarty-pants friend Anna Kryczka - Ph.D candidate, Blackhawks superfan, Polski extraordinaire - here’s a highly entertaining, charmingly dated documentary look at the architectural mish-mash that is the Southland. Enjoy!
Nike Flyknit
I’m not usually one of those people who gets all amped up about sleek design, especially with something as utilitarian (to me, at least) as running shoes, but…holy crap, take a look at these. They will be mine. Oh yes, they will be mine.
