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Authors and Books to be read Now

  • Paul Bowles: The Sheltering Sky
    Paul Bowles and his wife Jane were perhaps one of the of the most interesting couples of their generation. They were some of the first people who went back into North Africa after WWII. This book is set in Morrocco and is about a husband and wife's travel through Morocco with a friend in 1947. Jane wrote wonderful short stories and is worth checking out in her own right. Bowles was also a translator and worked with Mohammad Mrabet who told amazing folk stories and modern day tales of Morocco, check him out too! (*****)
  • Ikku Jippensha: Shank's Mare
    A great old novel, it was first published in serial form in 1802. It's about Kita and Yaji dumping their wives and traveling the stations of the Hokkaido Road. The road that connected the city of Edo with the city of Tokyo. These two friends love to play jokes on each other almost as much as they like others to pay for their meals and lodging. (*****)
  • Ryu Murakami: Coin Locker Babies
    Are you getting the idea that I like japanese literature? Cause your right. And no this is not a mistake. This man has the same name as Haruki. I love this author's books and his work in the movies, he is a director too. His book "Almost Transparent Blue" is my favorite. (*****)
  • Haruki Murakami: All of it
    It's not the title, its my sentiment about the author. I first saw his books in the late 80's. I have read each as they have come out and they only get better. At a dinner party someone once described his books as "crack." While I can't quite commit to that "The Wind Up Brid Chronicles" is truly amazing. (*****)
  • Balzac's Droll Stories: That would be Balzac
    Umm, yeah its really old, its also really nasty! I bought this book at Smith Family Bookstore in Eugene, Or. It was privately printed a long time ago in London but I am sure his short stories are easy to get. Also cool its a book that was made so long ago the pages are not pre-cut. I have to cut the pages open as I read. I read "Old Girot" last year and liked it but these stories are great! They are all about sex and I got used to the flowerly language used by Balzac pretty fast. I liked it so much I rented a documentary from netflix about Balzac. It was the worst thing ever! (*****)
  • Sommerset Maugham: Of Human Bondage
    Must be read, in fact all of Maugham's fiction and short stories should be read. Sometimes he is so witty and acerbic I laugh out loud and can't beleive I am reading something from the 30's. Christmas Holiday, Catalina and of course the Razor's Edge are great too. Just finished Cakes and Ale, really liked it a lot. Wonder if a movie was made of this to? Almost all of Maughm's novels and some of his short stories have been made into films from the 40's through the 60's. (*****)
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September 04, 2008

A friend I made on my way to work...

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I live and work in Oakland CA. Can you believe this is the wildlife I ran into today on the walk from the parking lot to the building where I work. Yes that is a ray down in the water. I took the picture with my cel and was shocked that you can actually see it.

Lake Merritt here in town is a salt water lake and is fed from the Estuary which is part of the Bay. Lake Merritt and the feeder canals have sharks and rays and lots of different kinds of ocean creatures.

This guy was big. I am about 20 feet above it on a bridge. It had to be 5 feet across and it was beautiful to watch it glide around below me. The water was shallow and clear. I could see it's eyes and hoped it could see the smile on my face.

It has been so hot here for a few weeks. I work, like a lot of bay area people, in a non air conditioned building. It has been 100 degrees in one of the rooms where I regularly work. We have all been valiant in not abandoning our posts but it has been too much. On my drive to work this morning I was wrestling with myself about if I could tough it out one more day.

I parked my car and was grumpily trudging toward work when something made me stop and look down over the railing. Watching him swim made me happy and peaceful which led to a great, if hot, day.

Posted at 06:51 PM in Oakland Stories |

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Comments

Kira

Wow, I've never been able to see through the water of Lake Merrit. Where was this?

Posted by: Kira | September 08, 2008 at 08:24 AM

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PlayStation 3

  • The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
    This is the reason I no longer blog. Sadly my dark elf is now ruling the kingdom because he has finished all the quests that didn't bug(it is a buggy game) on me. This game is so huge that even people with no social life will feel over committed. I kinda hope they don't make a new one, if they do I will have to break it gently to The Wife.

Play Station 2 Games that I Love!

  • The Sims 2-Castaway
    Picture this-beaches, warm tropical water, lots of food and drinkable water, your own hut and fire pit , beautiful sunsets and you are all alone! It is like someone crawled into my head and made the perfect game just for me! Eventually my Sim will make his way back to civilization(he is good at making catamaran's) but it will be sometime before he is so inclined. Its a big game and there are 3 islands to explore and many monkies(no joking) to make friends with and chat. I like it much more than the other Sim games because you do not need to work to earn cash or have Sim babies(usually Sim CPS comes over and picks mine up). Instead of buying things for you house now you make things for your hut!
  • Dynasty Warriors 1-5
    A fun fun war game that allows you to unite midevil China. Once I was with my Mom in chinatown here in Oakland. We walked into one of the shops. There were all kinds of statues and there was Guan Du, the god of War. My favorite character from this series! No, I didn't buy one but it cracked me up.
  • Okami
    You are a white wolf who happens to be the japanese sun god amaterasu. This game is made to look like it is animated on rice paper. It has an ukiyo-e style(which i love) and to save the world you have to use caligraphy to draw it back. You can draw a tree or flowers where ever you want and beautiful pine trees or cherry trees spring up. It was challenging and unique. 5 stars for sure!

Categories

Favorite Posts

Friends of the Monkey

Prius owners who don't get it.

  • On Broadway yesterday
    The Wife and I had an errand heavy day yesterday. We drove all over town and as we were coming up Broadway we noticed a man in a Prius running each and every red light. Broadway is all traffic lights, every block. He was not speeding, just approaching a red light, stopping and then proceeding when safe. Wow I knew you got to use the HOV lane and all but damn!
  • old prius lesbian
    Okay so I am driving down 40th St. and in front of me is a brand new fancy Prius. Apparently this lady was only interested in one aspect of saving the earth. As we drove she threw out the wrapping of her fast food lunch one at a time. A cellophane wrapper to new cigarettes(I didn't know you could smoke in a Prius, I thought it would take evasive action!) Then throw out the lighter.

notes for future posts

  • Posts to look forward too.
    the wake, hooker's i have known, one more hooker story, Van-o-rama, the BMW, leaf blower of yore, rheindeer man, 5 wig lady, bicycle cowboy