5 minute read

Savage Love: Quickies

Q: Gay dude here. What the fuck is up with monkeypox? Do I need to be worried?

A: Yes, you do. I tried to raise the alarm about monkeypox on the May 24, 2022, episode of the Savage Lovecast, back when there were 100 cases in 15 countries, all of them among gay and bi men. Now there are more than 5,000 cases all over the world, and almost all of them—more than 99% of cases—are among gay and bi men. “Right now, it’s behaving very much like an STI—and almost all of the cases have been among men who have sex with men,” said Dr. Ina Park, a professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and Medical Consultant at the Centers for Disease Control Division of STD Prevention. Monkeypox, Dr. Park explains, is the milder, gentler cousin to smallpox, and is spread by skin-to-skin contact or through respiratory droplets. “But anyone who comes into close contact with someone who has monkeypox could catch it,” said Dr. Park. “And unlike other STIs which don’t live for very long outside the body, monkeypox can live for weeks on infected clothing, bedding, and other surfaces—think dildoes, slings, fetish gear—and barriers such as condoms worn over the penis or inside the rectum will protect those areas, but they don’t prevent transmission to other exposed parts of the body. If you notice red painful bumps anywhere on you or your partner’s body— especially the genital/anal area—or if you are exposed to monkeypox, get checked out right away. The sooner you get vaccinated, the better. Check out some resources for monkeypox here.” (And follow Dr. Park on Twitter @InaParkMd.) OK, that was a quickie question but a long answer. Now onto quickier-quickies.

Q: How soon is too soon to say “I love

A: stranger from an app shows up at your that hot couple you just met at a bar—too soon. Even if you’re already feeling it, even if you’re crazy enough to think they might be feeling it already too, you should wait at least six months to say it. But you know what? Once you’ve said it—once feel free to backdate that shit. Go ahead and say, “I wanted to say it before the “I wanted to say it when you showed up looking better than your pics,” or, “I wanted to say it when you both came inside me simultaneously.”

Q: Is it an overreaction for me, a cis woman who lives in Wisconsin and doesn’t want kids, to not want to have abortion? I’ve tried to explain to him that it’s a lot to come to terms with.

A: Each of us grieves in our own way, and at our own pace. If you’re not feeling sexy right now because of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—if the chance of an unplanned pregnancy in Wisconsin, where a law from 1849 banning abortion can now be enforced, dries you up—that’s totally understandable. And if trative sex, well, pegging counts.

Q: wants to send me money and wants noth

A: In this economy?

Q: New to weed. Best edible for sex?

A: Ass.

Q: off into his own mouth while he’s upside down? Is there are term for that?

A: I don’t think that has a name. Any suggestions, class?

Q: worked for me and my boyfriend of two

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Learning to chill

A Boulder tea master reveals the path to perfect summer iced tea by John Lehndorff

COURTESY KU CHA HOUSE OF TEA

Iinvolve throwing pitchers of iced tea overboard. According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., we drink 85% of our tea iced, a glaring anomaly in a hot-tea world. Most iced tea fans end up sipping a chilled beverage made from ready-to-use concentrates or are brewed from tea bags whose powdered contents have sat on the shelf for eons. A few years back my taste buds were employed for a tea industry project. I sampled dozens of canned and bottled iced teas. It turned out to be a pretty revolting experience. Many of these bottles and cans were loaded with addi The alternative is brewing iced tea from scratch, a process that can take as little as 10 minutes, saves money, and crafts a glass that tastes the way you like it. I sought counsel from Boulder-born Ku Cha House of Tea, which offers more than 170 loose teas and blends, served hot or iced. Owners Rong Pan quiet, glass-ceilinged tea room at Ku Cha’s Pearl Street Mall location. “It can be 20 degrees outside and people in Boulder will still drink tea iced,” says Pan, smiling in amazement. When she was growing up in China, she says she never saw anyone drink tea iced. Pan showed me critical steps in doing iced tea right as she brewed a pot. First, use high quality green, white, black or other tea leaves—not tea bags. Technically, any beverage that doesn’t contain tea leaves—like Celestial Seasoning’s Red Zinger or Sleepytime—is a “tisane,” but the technique is identical. Pan talks tea as she brews a pot of Ku Cha’s caffeine-free Capetown rooibos “tea” and fruit blend.

GOOD CUPPA:

Brewing tea from scratch takes as little as 10 minutes, saves money, and crafts a glass that suits your tastes.

She knows cold brewing is popular but doesn’t recommend it. “You need hot water uses a timer. chill drinks faster. “Good tea doesn’t need it. We don’t put sweeteners in

Dining Out July 7 Aids Ukraine

LOCAL FOOD NEWS

5280

Words to Chew On

—Nora Ephron

John Lehndorff hosts an hour-long live edition of Radio Nibbles 8:30 a.m. July 7 on KGNU (88.5 FM, streaming at kgnu.org) with guests: chef Dan Asher, farmer Andrew Nowak and restaurateur Dave Query.

GROW YOUR FUTURE WITH ESCOFFIER

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