LA Radio is shit

I have lived in Los Angeles for over 8 years and the city has really grown on me. It lacks the verdant greenery I grew up with, has crippling traffic, and a brown miasma from the cars blanketing the streets. It does bring diversity, many amazing neighborhoods, great restaurants, the ocean, the weather, and nature that IS accessible. But for some unknown reason, this metropolis can't seem to get its radio airwaves in line.
I am at a point in my life where I feel that basically all mainstream music sucks. This rules out stations like K-Rock (106.7) and all of the other pop stations whose callsigns I don't know. I am sick of the "classic rock" stations which never seem to have any songs added into their libraries (so 95.5 is out). And JACK, whch plays "what they want" certainly does not play what I want (93.1 is crap).
So what is left? Two stations stand out as being head and shoulders above the rest: KCRW (89.9) and KXLU (88.9). KCRW plays all of the NPR news for the day, has many of its own programs, and has a plethora of skilled, interesting and diverse DJs. Morning Becomes Eclectic (from 9 to 12 on weekdays) is particularly good at finding up-and-coming acts. KXLU plays all of the music you will never find at a record store but may find on iTunes. Their DJs have zero on air charisma but bang out sets that will blow your mind. Almost every morning I found myself listening to something new and interesting that I will most likely never hear again. The only problem with KXLU is trying to compare the setlists on the website with the vague recollection you have of the DJ mumbling title and then trying to find the music online.
Honorable Mention:
KJAZZ (88.1) When you are in a blues or jazz mood
KPCC (89.3) More NPR for when you have heard the KCRW news already

Staying Warm in the Wild and in the Apartment

I am not sure when I became infatuated with Pendleton but there is something about these rugged wool shirts that calls to me. I think the appeal is one part history, one part form, and one part function.

History: Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded over 100 years ago and started churning out Indian Blankets in 1909. The town of Pendleton, Oregon was home to the mill and as many as 20 brothels as recently as 1947 (although you never know how trustworthy wikis can be). The personal history for me doesn't go that far back (I tried to buy one off ebay in February of '09 that was lost in transit) but my dad recently gave me one of his and one of my grandfather's original Pendletons. Since my dad's is about 40 years old that probably places my grandfather's at about 60 years old. It is really interesting to see how the cuts have changed over the years from boxy (my grandfather's), to tails and more slim (my father's), to a modern overshirt (the western style Pendleton my fiance just got me).

Form: Aside from the recent plaid rage these shirts have had a handsome, masculine vibe since they were introduced in 1924. The evolution of the shirt's shape shows how they have evolved with fashion over the last 60 years. The overshirt Ariel recently bought me works in any casual environment with its more slim tailored cut, two breast pockets, and polished snaps.

Function: Other than my newfound family history with these shirts I love the warmth and usefullness these provide. These shirts are the original techincal outdoor gear. Before sweat was "wicked" with "breathable" materials you had to stay warm while wet. Wool was the ideal material for this, far surpassing down for its performance in moist environments. (Sheep get wet, but stay warm. Down is actually the insulation geese have underneath their feathers. Feathers keep the down dry.) I can envision the previous two generations of Maffei's going camping or fishing wearing the Pendletons I now have in my closet.

To buy or not to buy? That is the question...

The snowshoe rental bust (see below) has made me reconsider my gear rental policy. I have always been a firm believer that you should rent anything that costs a fortune to buy that you will hardly use. For that reason I bought an expensive mountain bike that I rode daily but have held off on buying SCUBA gear that I would use a handful of times a year. I used to rent wetsuits when SCUBA diving but this season I was lobster diving so often I found that I was at Sport Chalet 3 times a month picking up the same Bodyglove suit. Even though the $20 to rent was much less than the $200 to buy the cost-benefit of driving to West LA over and over convinced me I would be better off owning a wetsuit. So far I have used it three times but the comfort of knowing no one else's naked body has been in my wetsuit, and not having to drive to pick it up, has been worth the cost.
The snowshoe question is a little more complicated. Renting the shoes is about $20 a trip. Buying the pair shown above, the MSR Denali Evo Ascents, will cost $140 with the 30% discount Sport Chalet has offered as compensation. That means 7 trips to the snow to pay them off. To use my wetsuit I hop in my car and drive a few miles. To use my snowshoes I will have to plan for weeks, watch the weather, and drive 200 miles. My logical side is telling me to hold off. My gear junkie side is telling me it can't hurt to own another good piece of gear.
Somehow I have a feeling I will end up with a pair of snowshoes in my closet in a few weeks. Oh well, I guess I will just have to plan more snowshoeing trips.

What I am reading...

I love to read. Everyday when I get home from my workout routine I have to make a decision: Read, play video games, or watch TV. Depending on my mood and my conscience I always try to bury myself in a book. I am about three-quarters through the Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons. I have been reading BS since the early aughts when I was still in college and he wasn't prominently featured on the front page of ESPN. His writing is witty, sometimes intelligent and insightful, and always riddled with pop references. We agree on two things (which is why I still read his articles and bought this book):
1. The NBA is awesome and a collection of the most amazing athletes on the planet and
2. Shows like the Jersey Shore and Road Rules vs. Real World are incredibly and unendingly entertaining. Every year I think it will be my last season watching these shows and every year they pull me back in with their mix of ridiculous binge drinking and physical challenges. Anyways, the BOB has proven to be very interesting even if there is a limited amount of new information in it. Simmons discusses many players I have heard of but know little about (Gervin, Frazier, Cousy, pretty much anyone pre 1989) and never misses an opportunity to plug his Celtics. The writing is not at a very high level and there are more typos than a book of this magnitude should have (on the NY Times bestseller list for months) but it is still a compelling read.
I think the thing that I most enjoy is getting into the history of a sport that is not as well known as the other major American sports. Due to a number of issues (many detailed in David Halberstam's excellent The Breaks of the Game, which happens to be the basis for everything Simmons believes regarding the NBA) the NBA was not a popular league until the early 80s. This means there are few tapes of classic players (there is no video of Wilt's 100 point game and very little tape of a young Russell) and old school games are never televised; not to mention that the tapes that do exist are never on ESPN classic. Compare this to baseball and football's well publicized and recorded histories as America's pastimes and you can understand why a basketball fan would enjoy Simmon's tome.
If you enjoy the history of basketball, reading about its players, and you do not feel the need to be challenged by a book, The Book of Basketball is right for you.

T's Thai

T's Thai is my go to spot in West LA for Thai food. Aside from being located within ten blocks of my apartment (and about 3 from my old digs) they have some of the most delicious noodles and a la carte items I have ever had.
Now, typically I trust yelpers and their reviews, but I feel like people have completely missed on T's. The departure may be due to my disaffection for all things spicy but if you ever go here is what to order:
Starters - Steamed Dumplings, Egg Rolls, or Spicy Beef Sald
Soup - Wonton Soup
Entrees - Pad See-ew with pork, Green Bean with Chicken, Brown Rice
Drink - Thai Iced Tea
I really can't say enough about how delicious the two entrees above are. The Pad See-ew, which I had never eaten before T's, is the perfect balance of hearty and sweet. The meat is clean and lean. The green beans are always cooked perfectly and the chicken is always white meat. But really, get the Pad See-ew. You can thank me later.

DO NOT RENT SNOWSHOES FROM SPORT CHALET!

Last weekend, after months of planning, I went on a snowshoeing trip with my buddies Dane and Tyler. We planned our route, purchase some new gear, and drove the 5 and a half hours (good ole LA traffic, should have been a 4 hour drive) up to the Sequoia National Forest. We arrived to a 25 degree evening with a 6 foot base of snow. Perfect conditions for snowshoeing.
After hitting the trailhead we strapped on our snowshoes (one pair rented from Valencia Sport Chalet, two pair from the Beverly Hills shop) and began our 4 mile hike. With about 2000 feet of elevation gain ahead of us and a late-ish start we needed to keep a good pace. After about ten steps Tyler noticed that his snowshoes were not behaving like Dane's. As you can see from the picture the metal failed and the nylon base pulled out of its rivet. Needless to say that Tyler could not go on with these shoes.

Sport Chalet has attempted to make it right by giving us the rental free (a no brainer) and offering 30% off of a future snowshoe purchase. So now the three of us might end up owning the same pair of shoes (MSR Denalis or MSR Denali Ascents) that failed on us. We haven't made a decision yet but it looks like I will soon own a pair of snowshoes. At least then I can guarantee that they will be kept in good condition.

Garmin Forerunner 205

My fiance Ariel bought me this GPS watch for my birthday last year and it has become my number one training tool. Other than shoes and shorts I can't imagine going for a run without this wristop.
The watch features time and distance functions as well as pace, best lap, average lap, and all the other basics. I typically just look at the total time, lap time, and pace. You can configure the face to have whatever data you want and the watch is light enough that you don't even notice it.
The only problems I have encountered are that the GPS can take a few minutes to acquire a signal and the battery meter is not as accurate as I would like. I have left for a run with 2 of 3 battery bars and had the watch die after 40 minutes when the first battery bar lasted 7 hours.
All in all this watch is a must for anyone who is trying to keep track of their miles on the trail or streets or just trying to get in shape.