Marke B. Archives — Page 29 of 55 — San Francisco Bay Guardian Archive 1966

Alt.sex.column: A pox

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February 3, 2009

By Andrea Nemerson. View more Alt.sex.columns here.

Dear Andrea:

I went for a test and the nurse found a genital wart. I have had more than 20 sexual partners and enjoy casual sex occasionally, but I always use condoms (plus the pill, just in case). I feel embarrassed, like I’ve been irresponsible, but I thought I was protecting myself thoroughly. How can I get over this and feel OK about sex again? And are there ways to keep from getting another wart?

Love,

Dirtied

Dear Andrea:

I just found out I have a genital wart. It’s a really small bump that could have been there awhile without me noticing. I’ve had it treated with freezing and have cream to apply to it; but I’ve been doing research and I keep getting conflicting information about how long it will last, whether any kind of sex is safe while it’s still there, how infectious it is, and what to do if it doesn’t go away.

I feel gross and dirty about it. I always use condoms and I don’t know where I could have gotten it. To make matters worse, I have a new boyfriend who doesn’t seem to have noticed anything wrong. Now that I’ve found out about this, I am dreading telling him. Help!

Love,

Sullied

Dear Andrea:

I found out I have HPV and I don’t even know how I …

Dear Warty Readers:

OK! We have found some warts. Until someone claims to have acquired them on purpose, or to have been accidentally exposed but really stoked about it, I will assume that everyone is feeling kind of miserable and a little soiled and having a hard time coming to terms with it. This is completely understandable. Indeed, it is expected. Having an infectious disease which may affect your ability to find happiness with other human beings would certainly be harsh enough; the whole STD thing adds insult to injury.

Personally, I think STDs need an image makeover. Syphilis never seemed to shock anyone in Elizabethan literature, but everyone was poxy then anyway, not to mention smelly. We’ve had centuries of crass jokes and shame campaigns since, though: a kind of cumulative shaming which no public health department’s "it could happen to anyone" message is going to be able to alleviate. Of course you feel bad.

Cruising Craigslist: This week’s best personals

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February 3, 2009

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Each week, Justin Juul combs the SF Craigslist Personals and Missed Connections for true gems that prove there’s enough love for everyone.

Doesn’t it suck when you see a little or morbidly obese person at the mall and, before you even have a second to feel extra confident at their expense, you get blindsided by a wave of guilt? I mean, you may be a little chubby or short, but at least you can get laid sometimes, right? At least you have friends! These folks must live in a private and sexless hell with nothing but their love-smothered pets to keep them from pulling the plug. And the worst part is, there’s nothing they can do about it. What a cruel, cruel world! Well, you can stop with the mind fuck. If anything, you should be jealous.

After all, you and I have to go to ridiculous lengths just to get noticed. Buying cool clothes, getting tattoos, and pretending to like Animal Collective are only the beginning. Sometimes we even have to become artists or writers or musicians … anything just to stand out a little. [Ed Note: good luck with that.] But not fabulous human anomalies. All they have to do is turn on a computer and start scrolling through ads, because for every midget with a pee fetish, and for every fat lady with a mustache, there are at least 50 people in San Francisco who are down for showering them with love.

And they’re all on Craigslist.

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Midget Fetish – m4w – 21 (Your Place)
Reply to: [redacted]
Date: 2009-01-23, 2:13AM PST

Ok, plain out and simple: I wanna fuck a midget. I gotta know what it’s like. If you’re a lil’ person, or if you know a lil’ person who wants to hook up, let me know ASAP.

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Only Anorexic Chicks Need Apply – 27 (Ingleside / SFSU / CCSF)
Reply to: [redacted]
Date: 2009-01-31, 12:02PM PST

This is what I want: an anorexic chick. Hell, I won’t discriminate, bulimic chicks are pretty hot too. If you want to split hairs, sure, chicks on diets or just with creative eating habits, you’re cool people to me too. If you have an A cup, legs almost as thin as your arms and wear a size 0, you’re my kind of girl. If Lindsay Lohan is fat compared to you, that’s a plus. If you wear kids clothes because adult clothes don’t fit you, even better. As far as I’m concerned, the skinnier, the better. And this isn’t a snub against meatier girls either. I just don’t find you attractive. Please don’t take it personal and/or send me hate emails about how my request is inherently sexist or perpetuating some sort of hegemonic power structure against women. Seriously, I don’t care. I like what I like. Simple as that.

Hot sex events this week: 2/4-2/11

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February 3, 2009

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Compiled each Wednesday by Breena Kerr.

Dr. Carol Queen talks multiple orgasms on Fri/6

>> Live Action Sex Education! With Tracy Bartlett
Pre-register by going to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54759
Hands-on workshop covering hand and oral techniques, anatomy, and communication skills. Bring a partner, blanket and pillow. Tracy Bartlett has a master’s degree in counseling, and has taught numerous classes and workshops at universities, events and sex shops around the country.
Wed/4, 6:30pm-9:30pm, $50-$60 per couple
The Center for Sex and Culture
1519 Mission, SF.
415-255-1155
www.centerforsexandculture.com

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>> Red Hot Romance 101 (After Hours Workshop)
This interactive workshop is for anyone who wants to rev it up and create a night to remember. Promises to teach the art of hot romance and make sex way, way better.
Wed/4, 8pm-10pm, $25 if pre-registered, $30 for drop-ins
Good Vibrations (Valencia)
603 Valencia, SF.
415-522-5460
www.goodvibes.com

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>> Sex Workers Writing Workshop with Gina de Vries
Experienced and beginning writers welcomed: an experience for those who have worked in any area of the sex industry to respond to a prompt, write, and receive non-judgmental feedback.
Wed/4, 7pm
$10-$20 sliding scale
The Center for Sex and Culture
1519 Mission, SF.
415-255-1155
www.centerforsexandculture.com

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>> Dr Carol Queen on Multi-Orgasmic Sex
Sexpert, educator, author, and activist Dr Queen leads a discussion on sexual practices and how to achieve multiple orgasms.
Fri/6, 5:30pm, free
Good Vibrations (Berkeley)
2504 San Pablo Ave., Berk.
1-800-289-8423
www.goodvibes.com

At last, the Christian Bale freakout remix

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February 3, 2009

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By Marke B.

Cynical publicity stunt or typical Bale-storm? Whatever it is, the latest explosion to come to light from our favorite (British) American Psycho certainly lends itself to a wickedly nifty (if somewhat stereotypical) dance music remix — by the producer of RuPaul’s next album, no less. (Anybody catch her new Drag Races show? Woo, that Victoria girl’s a hot truck.)

Bale Out – RevoLucian’s Christian Bale Remix!

Watch for the special guest at 1:38. I’m eagerly awaiting this to be placed in heavy rotation on Energy 92.7 — and for ravers to adopt “I was looking at the light” as their new catchphrase …

Valerie’s live end: Love’s Baby Soft breezes of imagined youth

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February 3, 2009

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By Juliette Tang

Listening to College and Anoraak, two talented DJs involved with the French collective Valerie, is like driving back to the balmy summer of 1981 in a white Camaro convertible with the top down, a cold Tab in your hand, and a tiny silver disco ball hanging from your rearview mirror. Valerie, a group of musicians from Nantes whose dramatis personae includes acts like Russ Chimes, Minitel Rose, and The Outrunners, among others, uses retrofuturistic synthpop to evoke the magical ’80s teenage years they were too young to experience.

Valerie has a very specific fantasy of the ’80s, informed vaguely by John Hughes movies and V. C. Andrews novels, by images of roller rinks, drive-thru diners, Orange Juliuses, and Love’s Baby Soft perfume. But rest assured that their sound isn’t trying to enshrine those bygone days. Rather, by traveling back in time to the ’80s [Ed Note: Or rather, back to ’80s nostalgia for ’70s nostalgia for the ’50s], Valerie reinvents a future that was dreamed back then but which never happened, a past-modern interpretation of utopia that creates an alternative to the present — with dancing.

In conjunction with making me want to dance like a teenager, College and Anoraak made me want to drink Malibu and pineapple like a teenager, which was the only lamentable incident that occurred last Friday at Mezzanine, where Valerie ended their US tour. The show itself was exactly what I thought it would be: lively but controlled, suffused with an easy, dance-y energy that never quite reached the point of unbridled release.

College at Mezzanine. Image credit: Franklin Wong, www.wherewolves.net

College played a wonderfully non-trancey, entirely instrumental synth set that left me wishing I was Sarah Jessica Parker in Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

Super Ego: Hearts for queer Arab dancers

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February 2, 2009

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By Marke B.

I just got word about another installment of the fantastic BiBi party, happening this Saturday night at Club Six. BiBi’s the number one top happening for queer folks of SWANA (Southwest Asian–Northern African) descent — ladies, the ladies who go are fucking gorgeous — and their admirers. DJs Emancipacion, Josh Cheon of Honey Soundsystem, and Massood wil bring their exhilarating blend of traditional and contemporary Arab, Persian, Indian, and Latin hits, because basically if it’s brown, they’re down. Palestinian hip-hop duo NaR will be performing, as will fave-rave dancer Cherry Gallette. Part of the proceeds will benefit Middle-East Children’s alliance.

Lucky for club kids like me (who also happens to be a big queer Arab!) the party will take place at the same time as dread bass monthly Surya Dub’s huge 2-year anniversary bash that I wrote about in my last Super Ego clubs column, also at Club Six in the basement and main room for a separate fee. All-night belly dancing, Palestinian hip-hop, and bowel-shaking dubstep beats? I’m all over it.

BiBi
Sat/7, 9pm-afterhours, $10/$15
Club Six
60 Sixth St., SF.
www.clubsix1.com
www.myspace.com/bibisf

Read more SFBG Noise blog clubs coverage here and more Super Ego clubs columns here.

Super Ego: Let’s pARTy

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February 1, 2009

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By Marke B.

2k9’s gallery party season is heating up — last Saturday, I jetted from the art-fag-elite-packed Jonathan Solo opening at Catherine Clark Gallery to the huge “What’s the Big Idea?” shindig at YBCA, just in time to see thousands of expressive-oriented types raise their hands and clap along with the NonStop Bhangra troupe as they showed them how to punch the the air, Punjabi-style.

Next up on the big calendar is this Friday eve’s “Parlor Games” at the de Young, celebrating that museum’s ongoing Yves St. Laurent exhibit, hosted by one of the SF underground’s most scintillating performers/choreographers, Fauxnique.

Fauxnique and friend — arty, non?

Fauxnique was one of Trannyshack’s darlings (her revival of her Elton John “Butterfly” tribute number, complete with full ballet corps and huge outspread wings, brought the house down at last year’s Trannyshack Kiss-Off party. She’s the top female drag queen in town — not drag king, but drag queen, as in faux queen. Yes, it’s confusing.) From 7:15-7:45 in the Piazzoni Murals Room, there’ll be charades, musical chairs and a “Proust Questionnaire,” and Fauxnique and some ultra-chic friends will perform numbers meant to invoke both the asthmatic Parisian author/drama queen’s social demimonde and Laurent’s delicate and lovely designs.

Welcome to SEX SF!

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January 31, 2009

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Hey there, horny toad. It’s Marke B. from SFBG beckoning you hither into the Guardian‘s new SEX SF blog — our local-focussed, sex-positive, Internetical adventure into the land of wanton lust (and education!). Feel the luxurious sheen of its fishnets on your eyeballs.

We felt there was a mighty big gap in the SF blogosphere, and wanted to fill it with something intelligent, playful, Bay-minded, omnisexual, curious, scandalous, irreverent, and respectful of the extreme diversity of the local sex scene. Oh, and lots of fun. This is our “soft launch,” our birds and bees beta, our test-icle if you will. (Look, it’s late and I’m short on comic material. Throw a hot tomato at me.) Join us each day as our sensual endeavor grows and grows — but don’t forget your safety gear, you little devil.

If you have any suggestions or tips, email here. Now, let’s get it on, and pardon our excited glitches.

Photo of monthly wet jock contest at The Rod by Darwin Bell

The Larder: Summer in a jar

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January 30, 2009

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SFBG’s Diana Dunkelberger gets the scoop on yummy local edibles

With whimsical, childlike labels, and playful names like “ridiculously raspberry jam,” “a smokin’ hot apricot jam,” and “grrr! wild olallieberry jam,” each jar of cmbsweets jam is a small-scale expression of happiness.

Carolina Braunschweig, the “cmb” of cmbsweets, made her first batch of jam just a few years ago, when she discovered she had more farmers’ market strawberries than she knew what to do with. After experimenting with varying amounts of sugar, she eventually settled on adding just a third the amount of sugar as most jams. The result is an intensely vivid fruit flavor that has half the calories of other jams.

All of Carolina’s jams work extremely well with toast or scones, of course, but they can also be used to sweeten yogurt or enliven a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Style on a Dime: Rent a dress at the “socialist boutique”

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January 30, 2009

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SFBG’s Laura Peach checks out local fashion you can afford.

Ever wake up, open your closet and just hate everything in it? You try on a dozen different outfits, but nothing seems to work. As your desperation grows with the pile of discards, you finally pick up the phone and call your best friend to see if you can borrow her emerald green dress. That is, assuming your best friend is your size and also lives down the street. And if she doesn’t….

Shaye La McKenney is your new best friend. She wants you to look fabulous. And she will let you borrow her clothes.

Her brilliant Guerrero Street venture La Library is a boutique that you can rent clothes from. That’s right, rent. So a gorgeous drapey German couture knit gown can be yours for that grand gala you’ve got coming up. You can slip into a sweet jersey knit dress for that hot date tomorrow night. Or you can swipe a simple black silk blouse to wear to lunch with that friend who you’re sure has already seen most of your clothes at least twice.

Photo by Anastasia Kuba. From the La Library MySpace: “All the jewelry is from sasha’s collection of designer 60’s bling. All being sold at La Library.”

Here’s how it works: clothes can be rented for 10% of their retail price per night. Meaning that a lovely $150 crepe dress will cost you $15 to wear out. Just take care, if something tragic happens, you’ll either be charged the full price of the item or a $25 cleaning fee if the red wine stain can be removed.

Hopping onto the Marina’s yoga Pad

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January 30, 2009

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By Juliette Tang

Getting into the opening of the The Pad, a new yoga studio in the Marina, felt more like trying to get into a club than a wellness center. First of all, there was a doorman. Second of all, he almost didn’t let me in. “Who here do you know?” he asked me, scanning his clipboard. I stood on the green carpet (hah) haggling with him for a minute, before finally dropping “San Francisco Bay Guardian,” at which point I was quickly ushered inside. Let me note, at this point, that I attended this function for work-related purposes, as the SFBG was cordially invited to attend by Maven PR. Fancy, huh?

Doorman, green carpet

Once I was inside, I was quickly shocked to see that everyone was in cocktail attire. My boyfriend and I glanced at one another in alarm. He was wearing a flannel jacket and jeans with a giant hole in the crotch. I was wearing leggings and a ratty dress. We were lost in a sea of Brooks Brothers jackets, Thomas Pink button-downs, Diane von Furstenburg wrap dresses, Stuart Weitzman heels. Was I in some sort of alternate universe? I mean, it was the Marina. I wasn’t on Kansas Street anymore. Luckily there was plenty of food and an open bar sponsored by Lotus Vodka.

After a complementary glass of champagne, I quickly found Angela, my PR connection, and asked if I could have a tour of the facilities. She introduced me to Leila Burrows, co-owner of The Pad.

Leila Burrows and Lily Horowitz, owners

Local Artist of the Week

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January 28, 2009

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LOCAL ARTIST Brian Wasson

TITLE Honey (digital c-print, 30 by 24 inches, edition of five)

STORY "Start every day with a mile and get it over with." — W.C. Fields

BIO Brian Wasson became an Eagle Scout in 1992. He received his MA from Arkansas State University in 2002 and his MFA at San Francisco Art Institute in 2004. He has shown solo at Little Tree Gallery and Ping Pong Gallery.

SHOW "Last Wash." Through Feb. 20. Ping Pong Gallery, 1240 22nd St., SF. (415) 550-7483, www.pingponggallery.com

WEB www.bwasson.com

Sales Alert: Free treats and top threads

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January 28, 2009

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By Juliette Tang

What: One of our favorite fashion co-op boutiques, The Mission Statement, will be slashing 20-40% off all merchandise.

When: This Friday only, January 30, from 6PM to 10PM.

Where: 3458 18th Street, between Mission and Valencia.

Perks: The designers will be there on Friday to chat with shoppers, and complementary homemade treats and hot mulled wine will be offered to add some spice to your shopping experience.

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What: Carrots, the uber, uber-upscale boutique that sells labels like Stella McCartney, Narcisco Rodriguez, Rag and Bone, and Peter Som, is selling everything at 75% off. That means a Peter Som dress at a price point of $1,300 will be $325 this week.

When: Until Sunday, February 1.

Where: 843 Montgomery St, between Pacific and Jackson.

Perks: The Grimm sisters, who own and run Carrots, are known for giving customers free beer. Check out this SFBG interview with Melissa and Catie Grimm if you don’t believe me.

Punch drunkle

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January 28, 2009

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› superego@sfbg.com

SUPER EGO Hola, age of change. My 2K9 nightlife motto: less musing, more cruising — just watch out for the bruising, child. A few blurry dawns ago, out of nowhere, I got bopped full-on in the kisser by some drunk fool outside the club. Tragedy struck.

Luckily, my impeccable cheekbones are fashioned from silky Teflon and my major Ukrainian modeling contract survived intact. But it was a good reminder, a "slap in the face," if you will — and you will: always be aware of your surroundings and don’t drink yourself too unfunctional. Hear me alike, dear macho bar queens, PBR fixie pixies, Bebe-clad bachelorettes, darling dragzillas, electro-spandex starlets, popped-collar wannabros, and pretend hip-hop producers. Let’s be careful out there. For more tips on surviving your midnights out, San Francisco’s guardian angels of the dark, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, are, as usual, eager to provide at their Web site under “features.” Now, let’s get it on.

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THE ID LIST

TINGEL TANGEL

This glorious cabaret monthly brings a touch of Weimar Berlin to San Francisco by way of NYC nightlife impresario Earl Dax. This time around, wacky Seattlean hostess Dina Martina wilkommens tunesmith Spencer Day, space-gother Kiddie, harpist Deirdre Egan, and more, ol’ chum. Wed/28, 9:30 p.m., $16. Café Du Nord, 2174 Market, SF. www.tingeltangelclub.com, www.cafedunord.com

SPECIAL DISCO VERSION

Part of LCD Soundsystem never dies? Not if the indie dance juggernaut’s members stay true to their retro-underground roots. LCD drummer Pat Mahoney keeps it fresh by pumping up the past as he DJs the West Coast debut of this roving club classic. Cheekbone bonus: a special Hercules and Love Affair DJ set. Thurs/29, 9 p.m., $10-$15. Mighty, 119 Utah, SF. www.mighty119.com

EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SHOWCASE

Don’t let the serious name put you off — that UK queen of intel freak-uencies, BBC Radio’s Mary Ann Hobbs, is flying in to curate a dance explosion of razor-sharp local talent, including Ghosts on Tape, Lazer Sword, Kid Kameleon, Disco Shawn, Shane King, and more. Now, if only the BBC would archive her streaming weekly broadcasts for more than a month. Thurs/29, 9:30 p.m., $5. 103 Harriet, SF. www.1015.com

HOTTUB

The electro-rap trio of trouble destroyed the Guardian‘s Best of the Bay 2008 party and sent Jello Biafra to the hospital. Now they’re inaugurating a new monthly by two solid party producers, Popscene vs. Loaded, at the Rickshaw — and celebrating their latest record release. Watch out for blood puddles. Fri/30, 10 p.m., $10. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. www.rickshawstop.com

AMON TOBIN

Proto-dubstepper? Future-glitch engineer? Global grooves genius? Let’s just say all three, then drool all over this singular Brazilian legend’s laptop. Stunned noggin-nodders at last year Treasure Island fest know he’s made a seamless live transition from vinyl to electronics — and teases serious dance breaks from the wizardly ambience. Fri/30 and Sat/31, 9 p.m., $23. Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. www.independentsf.com, www.hacksawent.com

SUPPERVISION

Burning Man meets alternaqueer for a multimedia pajama party, with trippy visuals and outré drag performances. Wait! Don’t stop reading! Video artist III is truly talented, and his projections, combined with edgy queen antics, add up to more than the sum of my whole first sentence. Honey Soundsystem brings the noise. And, yes, wear pajamas. Sat/31, 9 p.m., $12 in pajamas, $20 without. Supperclub, 657 Harrison, SF. www.supperclub.com

HERR-A-CHICK

Too many puns to count in the name, too many too-hot queer rock bigwigs involved to miss this new live showcase and dragstravaganza monthly at DNA. Charlie Horse’s Anna Conda teams up with the Trans Am boys and Revolver’s Lucy Borden for alterna-excess, with the Ex-Boyfriends and Ethel Merman Experience all plugged in. Feb. 4, 10 p.m., $5. DNA Lounge, 375 11th St., SF. www.dnalounge.com

JUICY LUCY

Swank Brazilian resto Bossa Nova, in the old CoCo Club space, just opened its lusciously remodeled basement up for late-night affairs — and is going big from the get-go with this kaleidoscopic affair. Detroit techno slayer Mike "Agent X" Clark headlines, with soulful spinner David Harness, funky househed Greg Eversoul, and live jazziness from Lovelight Liberation. Feb. 6, 9 p.m., $10. Bossa Nova, 139 Eighth St., SF. (415) 558-8004.

2562 AND THE GASLAMP KILLER

Those ambassadors of dread bass, Surya Dub, are bashing for their monthly club’s second anniversary, with Dutch dubstep (Dutchstep?) heavyweight 2562, who couches his rumble in deep techno soundscapes. Also reverbin’: Los Angeles low-low lover the Gaslamp Killer, who can rip a slice of perilous psy-hop quite rightly. Local boy Lud Dub leads the congratulatory proceedings. Feb. 7, 9 p.m., $15. Club Six, 60 Sixth St., SF. www.clubsix1.com

SF Ballet goes, er, gay

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January 27, 2009

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By Marke B.

Throw them poak chops, girl!

Yes, I am a fan of the dance. I’m even a fan of the 75-year-old SF Ballet when I can afford to go — and this Friday, January 30, may be the time to hit the Coinstar and buckle up my toe shoes, because it’s the ballet’s special “Nite Out!” program for the LGBTs. Those twirlers are “a ballet company as diverse as our community” according to the promo flyer (which also explains what “LGBT” means in tiny print at the bottom, heh) — and they’re not only gonna put on a kicky show at 8pm. There’ll also be “Meet the Artist” interviews with some of the company at 7pm and, from 10:30-midnight, there will be an “exclusive cocktail reception” with free wine, vodka cocktails, and snacks.

Raw latex and monkey cats: Thailand island pics

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January 27, 2009

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This is part three of SFBG photog Ariel Soto’s travel pic essay of her trip to Thailand and Laos. View her Bangkok pics here, and her Laos pics here.

The monkey cat, Ko Libong

Ko Libong

We ended our trip in Southern Thailand, on a small, relaxed island called Ko Libong. The majority of the population is Muslim, so as the sun set over the blue sea, we got to listen to angelic voices as they called the faithful to prayer.

Market soup chefs in Trang

Dried squid at a night market in Trang

Fish bowls in Trang

Art: There’s a little homo cholo in all of us

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January 27, 2009

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By Justin Juul

Art Exhibition: Dino Dinco at Project One

Who Dino Dinco is a Los Angeles-raised photographer/filmmaker/writer/designer who takes pictures of gangsters engaged in intimate behavior (brews in the bathtub, hairy balls in bed, etc), factory workers engaged in life, people wearing fancy clothes, and graffiti (among other things). His images have appeared in Vogue Brazil, Surface, Tokion, and BUTT and his films have been screened all over the world in fancy galleries and art museums like The Louvre and Tate Modern. Dinco also does television, film, and advertising work.

Bar Hop: Kick-ass sazeracs at 83 Proof

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January 26, 2009

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By Marke B.

The view from 83 Proof

I highly recommend you fly by the snazzy 83 Proof downtown for some classic cocktails soon — yes, even in these recession-minded times. Hunky Beau and I popped in to check it out last Saturday, and it was quite fab and reasonable.

Both the economy and the inauguration hangover seemed to be taking their toll: 83 Proof is pretty big, with an upstairs lounge area and plenty of airy space around the downstairs table and massive bar stocked with an amazing amount of liquor I’d never seen before. There were maybe 10 others cozied up — and this was just before primetime on a Saturday! But we all got to talking and ordering, and it was an evening well-spent.

I went for the Proof’s storied basil gimlet (which the friendly, craft-minded bartender mixed with a little ginger Cello for spark) after diving into a cucumber gimlet. What can I say? I’m a total girl drink drunk.

Hunky Beau, however, likes the harder, classier stuff. The gimlets were a tad too sweet for his macho, macho buds. He started out with a Manhattan on the rocks and then moved smothly on to a sazerac, one of the oldest cocktails (it’s debated whether it was indeed the very first) — and this proved the highlight of the night.

A typical sazerac, although ours was on the rocks and much heftier – and our lemon twist twistier.

Blog Love: Peeping locals between the covers

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January 26, 2009

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By Juliette Tang

Have you ever wondered what your fellow San Franciscans are reading? One might find such information by asking random strangers on the streets of SF about their reading habits — but that may make everyon involved a little uncomfortable. A better method is to let People Reading do it for you. Blogger Sonya Worthy has been chronicling San Franciscan readers for the past two and a half years, and thus far, she has photographed over 1,200 readers. (And they said blogs would kill print! – Ed.)

Says Sonya, “The beauty and rarity of a given book being read at a given time, instead of, say, packed away in a box somewhere is what initiated the blog. But, throughout the past two and a half years, I’ve discovered that I’ve not only been chronicling the popularity of books, but also the diversity of individuals.” San Francisco is, indeed, a diverse city of readers. Look at the assorted variety of books on the blog. From the William Faulker: Novels 1930-1935 to Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Harmonica, our fellow citizens show an interesting and assorted variety of tastes when it comes to their tomes.

Sit-Down Specials: Lovin’ the Loving Cup

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January 26, 2009

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SFBG’s Diana Dunkelberger digs her fork into a deliciously local low-price menu every week …..

On this chic stretch of Polk Street, the ladies who lunch may prefer a smoked trout salad at La Boulange, but for those facing hard times there’s The Loving Cup, a newly opened, six-stool shop that offers, among other goodies, homemade rice pudding. Here, for just $2.75, you can buy a little cup of cool, creamy goodness. It’s true there’s something grandmotherly about food you can gum down without chewing. From what I hear, though, this tastes nothing like the jam-slathered rice pudding my grandma used to eat in old-time Vienna. With flavors like pistachio, Madagascar vanilla bean, cinnamon rum raisin, and chai, this is as cutting edge as pudding is going to get.

If rice-as-dessert isn’t your bag, this shop also offers first-class fro-yo, priced from $3.00 for a kid-size cup to $7.25 for a giraffe-size one. And for those who don’t suffer from primitive dental work or mislaid dentures, and have at long last graduated to solid foods, congratulations! You’ll probably want to celebrate by sampling their tender snickerdoodles ($1.25), organic blueberry breakfast bars ($2.50), and chocolate date bread pudding ($2.50), all made by Jessica Stokes, one of the Loving Cup baristas and a graduate of the California Culinary Academy to boot.

Ballin’ – Edwardian style

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January 26, 2009

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Text by Nicole Gluckstern, photos by Morlock E.

It’s a good thing so many of the gents are equipped with vintage aviator goggles this year, since otherwise it would seem they’d run the risk of getting their eyes poked out—whether by parasol, peacock feather, or plunging décolletage. It’s the ninth annual Edwardian Ball — a two-day affair that took place this past weekend — and like most excuses to get all gussied up in San Francisco, the masses have appointed themselves with gusto. Though most of the costumes here are decidedly more Deadwood than dead and gone, more sumptuous than spooky, the spirit of patron saint Edward Gorey still wafts faintly through the proceedings like a clammy graveyard breeze. Black-and-white cutouts of Gashlycrumb Tinies adorn the walls along with cunning Paxton Gate-style dioramas of dressed-up rodent skeletons, while the Jules Verne-like “Goreyscope” offers microscopic evidence of the haunting qualities of Gorey’s curious bibliography.

A Jill Tracy accompanist

Friday Night at the Edwardian World Faire, headlining act geek-girl cello combo Rasputina sets toes to tapping with such “classics” as “Hunter’s Kiss”, “Watch TV”, and “Saline the Salt Lake Queen”, while upstairs in the fine arts gallery, fairies are being robotically squeezed to make libations (at least that’s what the sign says. Too bad January is my libation-free month, no freshly-squeezed fairy for me).

Jill Tracy (at keyboard)

Downstairs at the “fair”, much steam engine activity is on display thanks to the Kinetic Steam Works, and fabulous trinkets are for sale, mainly in the “jewelry made from sprung watch cogs, and studded leather utility belts” five-and-diamond vein.

Street Threads: What the heck are you wearing?

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January 25, 2009

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Guardian photog Ariel Soto is back on the streets after her trip to Asia, scoping out people’s togs in this bipolar hot/cold season.

Anya, Mission and 30th

Barbara de Chile, Mission and Valencia

For this installment of Street Threads, I decided to make my way to Bernal Heights via the Mission to see what kind of street friendly fashion I could find. As I sweated my way up the hill (75 degrees and it’s January … what is going on!?), I found a delightful mix of fashionistas, many wearing the cutest little dresses, and then, also, the world’s most stylish baby, Cassady.

Cassady, Cortland and Andover

Bram from the Netherlands

The Mission vs. American Apparel?

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January 23, 2009

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By Juliette Tang

The Mission District is gathering its forces in a fight against American Apparel. Yes, native Missionites are rebelling against skinny jeans, hoodies with white zippers, and colorful tights. (Irony! — Ed.).

American Apparel is trying to build a store at 988 Valencia Street, right next to the Artist Television Access, an artist-run, non-profit experimental media arts gallery that has been around since 1984, on an extremely vibrant corner of the Mission that includes independent, locally-owned gems like Dosa, the Sidewalk Juice Cafe, Herbivore, and Minnie Wilde.

“Oh, hell no!” says local writer Stephen Elliott of the Progressive Reading Series and other actively opposed Mission denizens. .

Live from DC: E Pluribus Unum

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January 20, 2009

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The Guardian’s Paula Connelly and Becca Frank report from the inauguration. View our list of tonight’s inauguration parties here.

WASHINGTON DC — This inauguration is about being a witness. We’re here with millions of people, from average citizens to movie stars and politicians, a fraction of which have limited access to all the restricted seating.

It’s easy to feel unimportant. Much like the disenchanted voter who feels that his or her singular vote is worthless in relation to the masses, so too does standing in a sea of millions of onlookers. After all, we’re just two tourists from San Francisco here to witness history.

But when Anderson Cooper walked past us in a crowd and only a few people noticed and cheered, we got the feeling that we’re all equally unimportant and therefore we all can claim a certain amount of celebrity.
Earlier that afternoon, two middle-aged women from Houston stopped us to pose for a picture with them. We’re all special because we’re here to witness something much larger than ourselves.

All the locals who have friends in town are planning to attend the inaugural events. They admit it with a level of aloof interest, as though they need an excuse to find the gravity of it all enticing. There are also the locals who had long ago decided that the inaugural festivities were only for tourists and die-hards; complete with overwhelming crowds and extremely cold weather.

But the mood is infectious as momentum fills the streets. Everywhere you look there are giant scaffolding, fences and bleachers being erected. We can’t walk five feet without seeing police officers and Obama swag vendors and the roofs near the mall are all lined with snipers.