Most Gemini creatures are pretty extreme in their astrological qualities. And if you don't fall in line with the zodiac sign, then I feel sorry for you. What makes the Gemini sign so cool is that it's the sign of the Twin, which means we have an astrological excuse to switch into bitch-mode whenever we want to.
I'm a super Gemini. So much so, that I tattooed this symbol on my the back of my left shoulder right around my 21st Birthday when I was studying in Brighton, England. Just to name a few positive qualities; popularity, wit, sharp humor, great thinkers, playfulness, determination, sincerity. Gemini's also pick up on other people's qualities very easily, and can quickly wrap our head around an idea that others may find perplexing.
However, with these excellent attributes come several pitfalls. We're easily distracted, and can get bored quickly with an idea after it is no longer new. We are also competitive with the same sex, and can be manipulative when it comes to maneuvering relationships with the opposite sex. But really, who doesn't play games?
With my birthday coming up next week, I find that this is my peak Gemini time. All of my qualities come through in even stronger ways than usual, and all the signs are aligned for good things to happen.
If you're a fellow Gemini, than you know what I'm talking about. And if you're of a different zodiac sign, than you're probably just insanely jealous right now. Did I mention that Gemini's also have a problem with being modest? ;-)
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Detox 101
This week I am doing some detox for the sake of my liver. I'm pretty sure I have been doing some non-stop partying since Cinco de Mayo (though my college friend insists it's been since September 2003), and it's time I gave myself a little break.
I've done the lemon cleanse a couple of times - you know, the one where you drink nothing but three 32 ounce bottles of water mixed with lemons, grade B Maple syrup, and cayenne pepper all day long. Well if you don't know, let me tell you it's simply delicious and so much fun (heavy sarcasm). Actually, it does kind of taste like Gatorade after a while, but I don't know if that's a good thing. Anyway, you're supposed to drink this stuff for 10 days, but I've only ever made it to four and then the desire to chew something really kicks in and I have to quit. It does make you feel great though, so I would recommend trying it if you feel the need to cleanse yourself. It works especially well if you're starting a new diet.
If you don't feel like starving yourself, you can do a fruit and veggies fast for a couple of days. This works especially well if you have a juicer or blender so that you can make some tasty beverages. Just leave out the booze because unfortunately liquor is not included in any sort of detoxification process. Same goes for nicotine, marijuana, sleeping pills, and any other thing you have stashed in your special drawer.
It's also good to throw in some exercise to keep your energy levels up. I would recommend working out in the morning before work, so your energy lasts throughout the day and you have the rest of the afternoon to relax and get to bed early. Lots of sleep is really important when you're detoxing, and probably just in life in general. And drinking lots and lots and lots of water is good because it makes you pee a lot which flushes out all the toxins.
Most of you probably know all of this already because a lot of it is common sense. And if this is the first time you've even thought about the idea of detoxing, well you probably need more professional help than anything you're going to get from me...
I've done the lemon cleanse a couple of times - you know, the one where you drink nothing but three 32 ounce bottles of water mixed with lemons, grade B Maple syrup, and cayenne pepper all day long. Well if you don't know, let me tell you it's simply delicious and so much fun (heavy sarcasm). Actually, it does kind of taste like Gatorade after a while, but I don't know if that's a good thing. Anyway, you're supposed to drink this stuff for 10 days, but I've only ever made it to four and then the desire to chew something really kicks in and I have to quit. It does make you feel great though, so I would recommend trying it if you feel the need to cleanse yourself. It works especially well if you're starting a new diet.
If you don't feel like starving yourself, you can do a fruit and veggies fast for a couple of days. This works especially well if you have a juicer or blender so that you can make some tasty beverages. Just leave out the booze because unfortunately liquor is not included in any sort of detoxification process. Same goes for nicotine, marijuana, sleeping pills, and any other thing you have stashed in your special drawer.
It's also good to throw in some exercise to keep your energy levels up. I would recommend working out in the morning before work, so your energy lasts throughout the day and you have the rest of the afternoon to relax and get to bed early. Lots of sleep is really important when you're detoxing, and probably just in life in general. And drinking lots and lots and lots of water is good because it makes you pee a lot which flushes out all the toxins.
Most of you probably know all of this already because a lot of it is common sense. And if this is the first time you've even thought about the idea of detoxing, well you probably need more professional help than anything you're going to get from me...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Our Nation's Capital
I spent Memorial Day weekend visiting some college friends in Washington, D.C. It was only the second time I have visited the city as a young adult, but the first time was short and I spent most of it hanging out at my friends house. Of course, I did the whole tourist thing with my family when I was about ten, but that trip didn't turn out so well. In fact, I think we had an early departure after some tramp in the hotel gym accused my dad of sexually assaulting her when he was checking out the gym equipment and unconsciously scratched his balls (which as we all know, men do without thinking the same way women drop "like" in the middle of every sentence). Needless to say, my dad didn't take it so well and I'm pretty sure there were a few F-bombs dropped to the hotel manager after he found out that this woman wasn't even an actual hotel guest, OR member of the gym.
In any case, this weekend was a much more pleasant experience, filled with my favorite glorious B's: boozing, basking, and brunching. The weather was in the high 80's and sunny (with some scattered thunderstorm showers), and since it was a long holiday weekend there were plenty of celebratory BBQ's and pool parties. I saw lots of friends from college, some I didn't even know they lived in DC. I also managed to see some people that were also visiting for the weekend, including my favorite pair of twins who were celebrating their 24th birthday with a pool party and a keg.
I drank only beer all day on Sunday, played about 7 games of beirut, and probably could have been cajoled to do a keg stand. It was definitely a college flash back. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I spent a day drinking only beer. Probably because I don't actually like beer all that much, and drinking it all day can give you the worst beer belly hangover for about two days straight. Fortunately we were able to temporarily cure our hangovers with some make-your-own-mimosas at Memorial Day brunch, and I found out I like mango juice mimosas much more than orange juice.
Apparently, Memorial Day weekend is also the weekend that motorcycling vets ride through the Mall (the one with the important buildings, not a shopping mall) with American flags attached to their bikes. Speaking of which, D.C. is so freakin' AMERICAN! Everywhere you look, there is red, white and blue; images of Obama plastered on the sides of buildings, t-shirts, pins, storefronts, sidewalks... I thought I was going to open my burger to put ketchup on it and there would be some Obama-shaped head inside it. It's nice to see that the city has so much pride for our country's president, but I have to admit I was a littler overwhelmed by all the overt patriotism.
It was so much fun spending the weekend with my friends in an unfamiliar city, but it's nice to get back to my mosquito-less, organic, hipster-ridden San Francisco.
In any case, this weekend was a much more pleasant experience, filled with my favorite glorious B's: boozing, basking, and brunching. The weather was in the high 80's and sunny (with some scattered thunderstorm showers), and since it was a long holiday weekend there were plenty of celebratory BBQ's and pool parties. I saw lots of friends from college, some I didn't even know they lived in DC. I also managed to see some people that were also visiting for the weekend, including my favorite pair of twins who were celebrating their 24th birthday with a pool party and a keg.
I drank only beer all day on Sunday, played about 7 games of beirut, and probably could have been cajoled to do a keg stand. It was definitely a college flash back. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I spent a day drinking only beer. Probably because I don't actually like beer all that much, and drinking it all day can give you the worst beer belly hangover for about two days straight. Fortunately we were able to temporarily cure our hangovers with some make-your-own-mimosas at Memorial Day brunch, and I found out I like mango juice mimosas much more than orange juice.
Apparently, Memorial Day weekend is also the weekend that motorcycling vets ride through the Mall (the one with the important buildings, not a shopping mall) with American flags attached to their bikes. Speaking of which, D.C. is so freakin' AMERICAN! Everywhere you look, there is red, white and blue; images of Obama plastered on the sides of buildings, t-shirts, pins, storefronts, sidewalks... I thought I was going to open my burger to put ketchup on it and there would be some Obama-shaped head inside it. It's nice to see that the city has so much pride for our country's president, but I have to admit I was a littler overwhelmed by all the overt patriotism.
It was so much fun spending the weekend with my friends in an unfamiliar city, but it's nice to get back to my mosquito-less, organic, hipster-ridden San Francisco.
Monday, May 18, 2009
B2B: San Francisco's favorite city-wide holiday!
The third Sunday in May marks a glorious occasion for all San Franciscans: the annual foot race from the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, also known as "Bay to Breakers" or the biggest shit show of the year.
Though it is often compared to New Orleans' Mardi Gras, B2B is something entirely unique and incomparable to any other city event. The actual racers take off on their 7-mile jaunt to the beach at about 8am, some in costumes that are just doing it for fun, and others in runners gear who are actually competing to make it to the shore. But for the most part, it's the band of thousands and thousands of people that follow the runners that make the day famously known for nude runners, floats adorned with kegs and women in bikinis, absurd costumes, and of course public intoxication.
This year marked the 98th Annual Bay to Breakers, and it almost didn't happen. Well, it wouldn't have been canceled per se, but there was a threat to ban alcohol and nudity, which would have taken away everything that defines Bay to Breakers. Fortunately, some city officials stepped up to support the tradition of B2B and our precious event was saved.
This was only my second Bay to Breakers, and I must admit that last year seemed a little more crazy than this year. Maybe because last year I started downtown with the rest of the drunken buffoons, or maybe because we had a bigger group and a more organized theme (Mario Kart), or maybe just because I was more drunk last year and I couldn't even make it past the half-way mark, the Panhandle. (For those of you who have never been to SF, the Panhandle is the little green strip of park that leads to Golden Gate park.) The Panhandle is really the make-or-break point of Bay to Breakers; it separates the binge drinkers from the black outers. If you can make it past the ridiculousness that is the Panhandle, than your chances of making it to the beach increase by 50%.
This year I dressed as "pink slips" with some friends of mine - we wore pink nightgowns and pinned post-its on us with messages like "downsizing" and "we're going to have to let you go." As we walked through the Panhandle this year, I was stopped by a group of cops standing around a huge pile of empty beer cans. One cop pulled on my arm and asked me to finish by beer or throw it out. I had quite a lot left, so I tried to chug it, and another cop grabbed my arm, turning the can upside down and causing the beer to spill on my toes. Annoyed, I huffed and puffed and moved along down the street, determined to make it out of the booze-trap that the Panhandle had turned into.
Before I knew it we had made it to the deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, only mere miles from our final destination, Ocean Beach, where we planned to run into the ocean and cool off from the 4 mile walk (we started at Alamo Square) in the unusually hot 85 degree weather. By the time we got to the beach, I was sunburned on my chest, and limping from a blister on the bottom of my foot that was the size of a quarter. But that didn't stop me from dashing to the water and falling asleep for about an hour on the hot sand.
This year did seem more tame than the last, and maybe it was because of the regulations the cops tried to enforce. Either way, I hope that it has shown the city that they can (try to) take our beer, but they can't take our freedom!
Though it is often compared to New Orleans' Mardi Gras, B2B is something entirely unique and incomparable to any other city event. The actual racers take off on their 7-mile jaunt to the beach at about 8am, some in costumes that are just doing it for fun, and others in runners gear who are actually competing to make it to the shore. But for the most part, it's the band of thousands and thousands of people that follow the runners that make the day famously known for nude runners, floats adorned with kegs and women in bikinis, absurd costumes, and of course public intoxication.
This year marked the 98th Annual Bay to Breakers, and it almost didn't happen. Well, it wouldn't have been canceled per se, but there was a threat to ban alcohol and nudity, which would have taken away everything that defines Bay to Breakers. Fortunately, some city officials stepped up to support the tradition of B2B and our precious event was saved.
This was only my second Bay to Breakers, and I must admit that last year seemed a little more crazy than this year. Maybe because last year I started downtown with the rest of the drunken buffoons, or maybe because we had a bigger group and a more organized theme (Mario Kart), or maybe just because I was more drunk last year and I couldn't even make it past the half-way mark, the Panhandle. (For those of you who have never been to SF, the Panhandle is the little green strip of park that leads to Golden Gate park.) The Panhandle is really the make-or-break point of Bay to Breakers; it separates the binge drinkers from the black outers. If you can make it past the ridiculousness that is the Panhandle, than your chances of making it to the beach increase by 50%.
This year I dressed as "pink slips" with some friends of mine - we wore pink nightgowns and pinned post-its on us with messages like "downsizing" and "we're going to have to let you go." As we walked through the Panhandle this year, I was stopped by a group of cops standing around a huge pile of empty beer cans. One cop pulled on my arm and asked me to finish by beer or throw it out. I had quite a lot left, so I tried to chug it, and another cop grabbed my arm, turning the can upside down and causing the beer to spill on my toes. Annoyed, I huffed and puffed and moved along down the street, determined to make it out of the booze-trap that the Panhandle had turned into.
Before I knew it we had made it to the deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, only mere miles from our final destination, Ocean Beach, where we planned to run into the ocean and cool off from the 4 mile walk (we started at Alamo Square) in the unusually hot 85 degree weather. By the time we got to the beach, I was sunburned on my chest, and limping from a blister on the bottom of my foot that was the size of a quarter. But that didn't stop me from dashing to the water and falling asleep for about an hour on the hot sand.
This year did seem more tame than the last, and maybe it was because of the regulations the cops tried to enforce. Either way, I hope that it has shown the city that they can (try to) take our beer, but they can't take our freedom!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
"Sexy" French Films
So, I love French culture. I love the language, the food, the art, the wine, the country of course, and the films. Between taking French in middle school and high school, and a French film course in college and just a general interest in French cinema, I've probably seen about 50+ French films in my life. It has only recently occurred to me that most or all of these films have sexual undertones, mostly related to incestuous relationships, molestation, familial nudity, and just a lot of boning.
I was recently lucky enough to see two French films at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The first film I saw is called Home. It's about a carefree family whose lives are disrupted when a four-lane highway opens up in their front yard. There is familial nudity in about every 4 scenes, and some inappropriate "scratching" between mother and sun. That being said, I fucking loved the movie and everyone should see it. (I didn't love it because of the nudity, but it was certainly a plus).
The second film I saw is called 35 Shots of Rum. I'm not really sure what it's about. A segmented family that lives in the same apartment building in three separate apartments? Maybe. I guess it's not really about anything. But I do know that the scenes where the mother and father were inappropriately hugging and touching each other, and saying things like "I love being here with you" - that stuff made me feel really awkward. My friend who I saw it with said, "I think that's just how French people are; really close to their family." Maybe so, but does that mean you have to dance closely with your dad while groping his back? I think not.
When I think about all the French films I saw in school, I realize this is a common theme. La Boum is about this girl who is in love with her best friends father, and she even tries to lose her virginity to him at one point (whilst she has a boyfriend of her own age). Another film I saw is called Baise-Moi which roughly translates to a) "Love Me," b) "Fuck Me," and c) "Eat Me. The film is about this cannibalistic guy who literally eats women... down there. You get it.
I could go on and on with examples, but the truth is you have to give major props to the French for being so sexy and getting away with such provocative themes. If an American film maker made a film about a guy eating womens' private parts for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I don't think it would go over very well with the critics. Maybe in Cannes, but certainly not at Sundance.
I was recently lucky enough to see two French films at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The first film I saw is called Home. It's about a carefree family whose lives are disrupted when a four-lane highway opens up in their front yard. There is familial nudity in about every 4 scenes, and some inappropriate "scratching" between mother and sun. That being said, I fucking loved the movie and everyone should see it. (I didn't love it because of the nudity, but it was certainly a plus).
The second film I saw is called 35 Shots of Rum. I'm not really sure what it's about. A segmented family that lives in the same apartment building in three separate apartments? Maybe. I guess it's not really about anything. But I do know that the scenes where the mother and father were inappropriately hugging and touching each other, and saying things like "I love being here with you" - that stuff made me feel really awkward. My friend who I saw it with said, "I think that's just how French people are; really close to their family." Maybe so, but does that mean you have to dance closely with your dad while groping his back? I think not.
When I think about all the French films I saw in school, I realize this is a common theme. La Boum is about this girl who is in love with her best friends father, and she even tries to lose her virginity to him at one point (whilst she has a boyfriend of her own age). Another film I saw is called Baise-Moi which roughly translates to a) "Love Me," b) "Fuck Me," and c) "Eat Me. The film is about this cannibalistic guy who literally eats women... down there. You get it.
I could go on and on with examples, but the truth is you have to give major props to the French for being so sexy and getting away with such provocative themes. If an American film maker made a film about a guy eating womens' private parts for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I don't think it would go over very well with the critics. Maybe in Cannes, but certainly not at Sundance.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Yummies: Volume 2
Last night my friend and I spontaneously decided to make some artichoke dip. We decided to wing it with the recipe and it actually came out pretty tasty, and was easy to make.
The key is to have fresh artichokes, not the canned or jarred kind (even though most recipes call for that). California has great artichokes this time of year, and my friend hand-picked these from Alameny Farm in the Outer Mission area of San Francisco.
Start off by boiling 2-3 artichokes for about 30 minutes to soften them up. Once boiled, cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for another 30 minutes. Take them out to see if they're cooked (heart should be soft) then let them cool for a bit.
In the mean time, mix:
-1/2 cup room temperature non-flavored soy milk
-1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
-one small tub container of cream cheese, softened
-two chopped scallions, or green onion (does anybody know the real difference?)
-10 garlic cloves - chop 3 or 4 of them and leave the rest whole
-2 or 3 Tablespoons of butter (creamy butter, like Smart Butter is recommended)
-1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper or Paprika
Once the artichokes are done, chop up the heart and add it to the mixture. Mix well, and transfer to an oven safe container. Then place into the oven (uncovered) and heat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.
Serve with sourdough bread or crackers and enjoy!
The key is to have fresh artichokes, not the canned or jarred kind (even though most recipes call for that). California has great artichokes this time of year, and my friend hand-picked these from Alameny Farm in the Outer Mission area of San Francisco.
Start off by boiling 2-3 artichokes for about 30 minutes to soften them up. Once boiled, cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for another 30 minutes. Take them out to see if they're cooked (heart should be soft) then let them cool for a bit.
In the mean time, mix:
-1/2 cup room temperature non-flavored soy milk
-1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
-one small tub container of cream cheese, softened
-two chopped scallions, or green onion (does anybody know the real difference?)
-10 garlic cloves - chop 3 or 4 of them and leave the rest whole
-2 or 3 Tablespoons of butter (creamy butter, like Smart Butter is recommended)
-1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper or Paprika
Once the artichokes are done, chop up the heart and add it to the mixture. Mix well, and transfer to an oven safe container. Then place into the oven (uncovered) and heat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.
Serve with sourdough bread or crackers and enjoy!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Spare some change?
My motto has always been, never give spare change to homeless people. Because if you give it to one, you have to give it to another, and by the time you know it you have no change for yourself. And god damnit, I earned that change more than someone on the street holding up a sign that says "I bet you a dollar you read this sign," or "why lie, I need a beer," or "spare some money for an 8-ball, a hooker and a motel room?" Okay that last one is kind of clever, but in any case I'd like to keep my money to myself.
This all changed last weekend when I was struck by a terribly distraught and starving old woman sitting at the bus stop. Not only did she look like she was about to keel over and die from lack of nutrition, but she was weeping and wimpering - such a sad, sad sight. So I reached into my wallet and gave her a WHOLE DOLLAR BILL. She was so incredibly grateful that she tried to get up and hug me, but I told her to sit down and go get herself something to eat. She cried because she was so happy. I was touched.
A couple of days later I was waiting in the BART station with my friend and this man came up to us and asked us for some money so he could get home. Actually, he told us some long drawn out story about how many people he had asked that day. I didn't feel like getting my wallet out and I knew I had some change in my coat pocket, so I reached in and pulled out two pennies, which the man was happy to take. But then he dropped one, and when he bent down to pick it up, he physically couldn't get it off the marble floor because he had no finger nails! I pushed my friend to help him, but we both just stood there watching this poor man try to pick up a penny. Finally he picked it up by using the other penny, to which he said to us "you've got to use your brain." I couldn't help but think, for someone who cares about using their brain I'm surprised you've stooped so low as to take two pennies from a well-dressed girl in the BART station. Poor shmuck.
This all changed last weekend when I was struck by a terribly distraught and starving old woman sitting at the bus stop. Not only did she look like she was about to keel over and die from lack of nutrition, but she was weeping and wimpering - such a sad, sad sight. So I reached into my wallet and gave her a WHOLE DOLLAR BILL. She was so incredibly grateful that she tried to get up and hug me, but I told her to sit down and go get herself something to eat. She cried because she was so happy. I was touched.
A couple of days later I was waiting in the BART station with my friend and this man came up to us and asked us for some money so he could get home. Actually, he told us some long drawn out story about how many people he had asked that day. I didn't feel like getting my wallet out and I knew I had some change in my coat pocket, so I reached in and pulled out two pennies, which the man was happy to take. But then he dropped one, and when he bent down to pick it up, he physically couldn't get it off the marble floor because he had no finger nails! I pushed my friend to help him, but we both just stood there watching this poor man try to pick up a penny. Finally he picked it up by using the other penny, to which he said to us "you've got to use your brain." I couldn't help but think, for someone who cares about using their brain I'm surprised you've stooped so low as to take two pennies from a well-dressed girl in the BART station. Poor shmuck.
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