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A Good Day-Day
Comic and actor Mike Epps opens up about why cannabis is an alternative medicine.
features 14 Godfather of Compassion The man, the myth, the legend from The Castro—Dennis Peron tells us the future looks bright. 16 Cancer Answers? A talk with cancer/ MMJ pioneer Dr. Donald Abrams regarding the cannabis-curescancer narrative. 18 Divine Music Zola Jesus is Sacred Bone’s latest success story
departments 8 Letter from the Editor Some people just don’t understand the real meaning of pain and suffering. 10 News Nuggets Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers. 20 Destination Unknown Visit Luang Prabang, Laos, for a glimpse of laidback locals and rice-hungry monks. 22 Strain & Edible Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains and edibles currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary. 30 Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you. 32 Cool Stuff From the PUFFit Vaporizer to the GravityLight, if it’s a cuttingedge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it. 32 Shooting Gallery Here are the green-friendly things we saw you doing. 38 Recipes Feeling presidential? You will be after sampling this inaugurationinspired menu. Happy Presidents Day! 40 Entertainment Reviews The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture. 42 Let’s Do This Our wrap-up of some of NorCal’s coolest events.
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letter from the editor GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
Vol 4 IssUE 8
Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Omar Aziz, Sarah Bennett, Jacob Browne, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Rev. Dr. Kymron de Cesare, Alex Distefano, David Downs, James P. Gray, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Meital Manzuri, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Keller O’Malley, Paul Rogers, Jeff Schwartz, Lanny Swerdlow, Arrissia Owen
Photographers
Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Amanda Holguin, Khai Le, David Elliot Lewis, Mark Malijan Patrick Roddie, Michael Seto, Kim Sidwell
Understanding
Pain If you’re human, you’ve experienced pain. Everyone does. Chances are, you might be in pain right now—which is likely the reason why you turned to God’s green plant for relief. And pain can take many forms. It can range from the soul-killing pain you undergo battling cancer, chemo and radiation treatments. There’s the excruciating, down-to-the-last-white-hot-nerve pain of a broken back or a cluster headache. There’s the profound pain and discomfort of diabetes, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms. And there’s the crippling psychological pain of stress and anxiety. To paraphrase country music and cannabis icon Willie Nelson, stress “is the biggest killer on the planet, and the best medicine for stress is marijuana.” So, there are all types of pain, and, thank goodness, we can use cannabis to tackle it. Unfortunately, the fact that we experience pain and some of us opt to legally use a plant instead of an opioid to treat it doesn’t sit well with some people. Exhibit A: Arizona lawmaker John Kavanagh. The state legislator recently proposed a measure for the 2014 ballot that would rescind that state’s Medical Marijuana Act, which passed in 2010. What’s Kavanagh’s problem? Well, several things, but he’s upset over the fact that MMJ cardholders in Arizona say they use cannabis for, among other things (and those “other things” include cancer, hepatitis, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease and nausea)—
Interns
pain! Yes, pain. More than 30,000 patients list cannabis as their med of choice for chronic pain. Ah-ha, Kavanagh (a former cop) must have thought, since, in his mind, “vague, ill-defined, impossible-to-disprove” pain complaints suggest abuse. “This is what critics feared: that [Arizona’s MMJ program] would be abused by people saying they had a bad back, and that’s apparently what we’ve gotten,” he told media outlets. So—let me follow the argument here—because lots of people decide to treat their pain with a plant instead of a pill, that’s bad and grounds for potentially shutting down an entire state’s voter-approved MMJ system?!?!?! Kavanagh’s so wrongheaded he won’t even allow an exception for cancer patients to use cannabis if his measure was successful. Wow. What do the “real” experts say about chronic pain? According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Such pain affects more people than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Pain costs our country anywhere from $560 billion to $635 billion in health care costs each year, according to 2010 data. Besides the terminal conditions, lower back pain, headaches/migraines and neck pain are the most commonly reported types of pain. Pain is real. Your pain is your own. Only you and your doctor can make a decision about how to treat it. And if you’re lucky to live in an MMJ state, you have the right to use cannabis for the health benefits it provides—don’t let others take that choice away. Never mind what John Kavanagh—and other wrongheaded prohibitionists—say. He’s just being a pain. c
Joe Martone, Derek Obregon
Art Director
Steven Myrdahl
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Director of Sales & Marketing Jim Saunders
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Account Executives
Jon Bookatz, Gene Gorelik, John Parker, Dave Ruiz, Kim Slocum, April Tygart
IT Manager
Serg Muratov
Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
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THE STATE
according to the San Jose Mercury News. The bans prohibit storefront dispensaries, mobile delivery service and cultivation. Qualified patients, however, are allowed to grow cannabis at their homes for personal use. Oakley and Brentwood have also banned dispensaries. At press time, Antioch’s ban was set to take effect later this month. The Pittsburg ban will be finalized at the City Council’s Feb. 19 meeting and, if passed, kick in a month later.
U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske still doesn’t get it Stockton caregiver Despite the fact that voters indicted by feds, refuses a passed a medical cannabis law plea deal in California nearly 20 years ago, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske is not a fan of the plant as medicine, according to The San Francisco Examiner. While speaking to a group of law enforcement officials at the University of San Francisco last month, the drug warrior emphasized that medical cannabis “sends a terrible message” to American teens. He also stated that high school students are more likely to smoke cannabis than tobacco due to the growing “perception” that it is less harmful. In related news, teen usage of cannabis has decreased in both Colorado and Arizona, according to respective reports from The Huffington Post and The Phoenix New Times. Coincidentally or not, these are states in which MMJ legalization measures were passed.
Matthew R. Davies—indicted last year by the federal government on cannabis cultivation charges— said he “refuses to be a martyr,” according to The New York Times. Two of Davies dispensaries and a warehouse with nearly 2,000 plants were raided. Davies opened a dispensary in Stockton with the intent of creating a standard aboveground business model, complete with lawyers, accountants, managers and a payroll firm. Despite paying state taxes and filing for state and local business permits, the U.S. Justice Department nevertheless indicted Davies last year. He’s being pressured, according to the Times, to agree to a plea deal that involves serving a five-year prison term. His lawyers have appealed. Davies has opted to fight the charge, set up a website devoted
to his case and hired some heavyhitter help, such as Chris Lehane, a former senior aid to Bill Clinton’s White House. “This is not a case of an illicit drug ring under the guise of medical marijuana,” according to Davies lawyer Elliot R. Peters wrote. “Here, marijuana was provided to qualified adult patients with a medical recommendation from a licensed physician. Records were kept, proceeds were tracked, payroll and sales taxes were duly paid.”
THE NATION Arizona lawmaker trying to repeal state’s MMJ program in 2014
State Rep. John Kavanagh is proposing a ballot measure for 2014 that could end Arizona’s medical cannabis program, radio station KTAR-FM reports. The lawmaker alleges there is evidence that suggests provisions of Proposition 203 are being subverted by recreational users. But patients and activists slammed Kavanagh’s proposal. “We see a lot of patients, people who really use it as a medicine, people who are tired of taking painkillers and other pills that just do more damage to the body,” weGrow owner Sunny Singh told KTAR-FM.
Kavanagh says the state Department of Health Services’ breakdown of MMJ applicants shows 90 percent of patients cited using cannabis for severe and chronic pain as opposed to terminal illnesses or cancer, for instance. Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act passed in 2010.
Cannabis Unity Conference scheduled for the nation’s capital
In an effort to continue pushing the cannabis cause and fighting for patients’ rights, Americans for Safe Access, (ASA), has announced a “Unity Conference” aimed at bringing together activists and experts. The “Bridging the Gap Between Public & Policy – Americans for Safe Access National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference is scheduled for Feb. 22-25 in Washington, D.C. The event is also geared as a networking opportunity that will include exhibitors, scholarships
Contra Costa County cities seeking to ban dispensaries
The eastern Contra Costa County cities of Pittsburg and Antioch each enacted bans to outlaw dispensaries last month, 10 CULTURE • FEBRUARY 2013
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and other events. Some of the discussions and presentations include “The Science of Medical Cannabis” and “Lobby Day,” in which ASA supporters will get an opportunity to advocate to members of Congress via face-to-face meetings.
THE WORLD
Swedish House Mafia
More Mexican leaders leaning on the side of legalization
From a country long decried as the source of black-market cannabis, Mexico’s own political leaders—prompted by developments in Colorado and Washington—appear to be leaning towards a more commonsense approach to regulating the controversial plant. The country’s new president, Enrique Peña Nieto, recently told CNN that legalization measures in the United States might
prompt his administration into “rethinking the strategy.” The governor of the Mexican state of Colima has proposed a legalization referendum. A left-wing lawmaker, Fernando Belaunzaran, has introduced a national legalization bill. Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera called for a national legalization forum right before voters in Washington and Colorado approved measures allowing minor cannabis possession for adults 21 and over.
by the numbers
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The number of cannabisrelated measures that failed to get on the California ballot last year: 5 (Source: San Francisco Chronicle). The number of medical conditions that qualify MMJ patients in Connecticut: 11 (Source: Hartford Courant).
The number of MMJ cardholder in Montana who rely on cannabis providers: 5,211 (Source: Department of Public Health and Human Services).
The total number of plants that cultivation centers in Washington, D.C., can grow: 95 (Source: The Washington Post).
11
The number of regulations (in pages) governing Washington D.C.’s, MMJ program: 96 (Source: The Washington Post).
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The estimated number of Israelis who were licensed to use medical cannabis in 2009: 400 (Source: The New York Times).
1
The estimated donation (in dollars) for an eighth of an ounce of medical cannabis in San Francisco: 35 to 65 (Source: SF Weekly).
2
The estimated donation (in dollars) for an ounce of medical cannabis in San Francisco: 300 (Source: SF Weekly).
3
The estimated cost (in millions of dollars) to legalize cannabis in California in 2016: 14 (Source: Marijuana Policy Project).
4
The number of votes that Prop. 19 lost by: 400,000 (Source: San Francisco Chronicle).
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The percentage of Iowa residents who support the medical use of cannabis: 64 (Source: Des Moines Register Iowa Poll).
8
The number of MMJ cardholders in Montana as of November 2012: 8,404 (Source: Department of Public Health and Human Services).
The estimated number of Israelis who are currently licensed: 11,000 (Source: The New York Times).
House music got a new name and a new face once the mafia got involved—the Swedish House Mafia that is. The DJ triumvirate (made up of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso) has achieved a huge amount of success and come far, from DJing at a Stockholm pizza parlor during the early 2000s to wowing the Coachella and Ibiza crowds with equal aplomb. The Mafia even headlined the 65,000-seat National Bowl in England at one point. (Oh, before I forget—Paul McCartney, these guys want to collab with you! Don’t disappoint.) Speaking of disappointment, this will be the end of SHM. The trio is performing its final tour and calling it quits. The One Last Tour will be the most extensive, extravagant and emotional tour ever. Indeed did Swedish House Mafia come, rave and love. And for those haters, these guys aren’t mere button-pushers. Deadmau5, we’re talking about you.
IF YOU GO
What: Swedish House Mafia. When/Where: Feb. 1317 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St., San Francisco. Info: Tickets $65. Go to www.onelasttour.com.
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FLASH
“This is a Civil Rights Issue.” Dennis Peron, the father of California’s MMJ movement, assures us that the times they are a-changin‘ {By Jesse B. Gill} In the world of medical cannabis activism, Dennis Peron’s name looms large. For decades, he’s been a tireless force for patient’s rights, never wavering in his quest to see cannabis decriminalized. He’s been arrested 22 times, he’s been subjected to police raids and he’s been shot, all in the name of his cause. Today, this activist moves a little more gingerly and speaks a little softer. He’s 66 and he says he suffered a stroke two years ago. “I’m a little older and a little slower and not quite as clever as I used to be,” he told CULTURE, shortly before he took part in a “Medical Marijuana Icons” seminar and honorary dinner last month. A lot has changed since 1996, when Peron co-authored Proposition 215, now a law regulating the use, possession, sale and distribution of medical cannabis in California. One thing that hasn’t changed is the federal criminalization of medical cannabis. For California’s (and later, the entire country’s) medical cannabis patient community to really see real change and freedom, Peron says the country’s policymakers have to change the way federal
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law enforcement views cannabis users. So far, that change hasn’t come. “It will change,” he says. “I hope it happens in my lifetime.” Even with such federal obstacles, things are changing in other parts of the country. At the start of the new year, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize limited recreational cannabis use by adults 21+.
The Struggle Continues Just like other civil rights struggles, there have been casualties in the fight to legalize medical cannabis. The federal stance was brought into sharp focus Jan. 7, when Aaron Sandusky, owner of an Inland Empire-based dispensary chain, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute. Sandusky’s attorney maintained that his client operated within the provisions of Prop. 215. That didn’t matter to the U.S. District Court judge, who only observed federal law . . . rendering Prop. 215 null and void in that courtroom. Peron says Sandusky’s conviction is the feds’ vindictive reaction to Prop. 215. “They use intimidation, fear and the power of the state to stop us,” he says. “I’ve never seen such a show of force.” Peron doesn’t believe in recreational use—rather he believes all use stems from a medical need, regardless of what the user hopes to accomplish. “Even for people who say they use [cannabis] recreationally, they are treating issues in their own minds,” he says. And while the new laws in Washington and Colorado may suggest a change in attitude,
Someday, my people will be free. I may not be alive to see it. But someday, it might happen in my name.
Photo by Kristopher Christensen
Peron says they don’t help in efforts to legalize medical cannabis as it acknowledges the federal definition of the plant as a recreational drug. Peron likened the stigma and persecution faced by medical cannabis patients to the unbelievable hardships faced by America’s black and LGBT communities (Peron is openly gay). “This is a civil rights issue,” he says. “It’s always been a civil rights issue. This country has a history of fighting [for] civil rights.” But also like other civil rights fights, Peron says the country is making progress toward change, mainly in terms of its attitude. He says if he wrote Prop. 215 today, it would pass with 80 percent of the vote. Peron speaks of America in glowing terms. He says he loves this country, despite its resistance to social change. He loves the idea of a mix of people, races and cultures. He likes to speak of a day when everyone would be free to use cannabis as they see fit and that freedom would lead to a “reign of peace.” “Someday, my people will be free,” he says. “I may not be alive to see it. But someday, it might happen in my name.” c
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BUZZ
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byuAmanda V I S I T U S AT i R ePhoto adC l t u r e Holguin .com
Chief of Oncology and Hematology for San Francisco General Hospital Dr. Donald Abrams has emerged as a leading advocate for medical marijuana in mainstream health circles. A cancer and integrative medicine specialist, Dr. Abrams regularly treats chemotherapy patients’ symptoms with the drug. He also performs revolutionary research on cannabis, leading to a number of landmark papers on the safety and efficacy of the ancient herbal remedy. In an exclusive CULTURE interview, the expert in alternative medicine and cancer discusses some of the thorniest issues in medical cannabis and offers some prescriptions. Many members of the media are wondering if cannabis cures cancer. Is it that simple? The key word is “cure,” and as an oncologist, “cure” means five years of disease-free survival, so I don’t think we’ve come to five years beyond when people started first claiming this. I think “cure” is not a good word and I think it’s irresponsible and unfortunate that people are doing that. It does a disservice to the potential benefit of cannabis to claim that it’s a cure like shark’s fin or laetrile [Editor’s note: laetrile, or amygdalin, is a toxic extract from almonds or apricots kernel that was believed to be a cancer cure, but has since been determined to be an ineffectual—even dangerous— treatment], all of those things in the past that have been bogus. I spend half of my days advising patients who come to me with this list of bogus interventions. Cannabis, I think, is very, very useful for cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. They have nausea, loss of appetite, often they have pain from their cancer. They have insomnia and they have depression. I can sit there and write them a prescription to cover each one of those symptoms, or I can recommend they try one medicine, and that’s cannabis. Do these people that have used cannabis—inhaled or ingested—get cured of cancer? Not in my experience over 30 years treating patients with cancer and cannabis. Not everybody gets cured. Some people get cured, but I would tend to think it’s the
It needs to be studied.
—on whether “Rick Simpson Oil” or “Phoenix Tears” cure cancer
chemotherapy, the radiation and the surgery. But those patients have not been using these highly concentrated forms of cannabis that are being touted now as being the cure: so-called “hemp oil,” “cannabis oil,” “Phoenix Tears,” “Rick Simpson Oil.” So is that different? Does that have different potential? I don’t know. It needs to be studied. There are eight studies in the National Cancer Institute database on the anti-tumor effect of cannabinoids but they’re at the cellular level, right? So CBD in a test tube causes this gene expression related to some cancer. Can we then translate that to, “CBD is going to cure these cancers?” As an AIDS doctor for many years, I knew that in the test tube gasoline and soap suds worked against the virus, but I wouldn’t say that they were effective treatments in people. We need to translate this into people. We’re working on trying to develop some clinical trials.
our ability to answer questions . . . In California, [to conduct human trials with cannabis] I need to get eight different approvals from eight different bodies ranging from our clinical research center, to the medical advisory board, to the DEA; probably ONDCP [Office of National Drug Control Policy] is somehow involved . . . There aren’t that many people that are motivated into becoming involved in doing research on the plant. Is Western medicine fundamentally incompatible with whole plant botanical therapies? Sure . . . People say to me, “Donald, this plant has 400 different chemical compounds in it. We’re in the age of nanotechnology and gene therapy. What are you doing?” Well, I did a two-year fellowship in integrative medicine with [holistic health and alternative medicine expert] Andrew Weil’s program and University of Arizona, and I became very much a believer in plants as medicine. A great fraction of my chemotherapy drugs are derived from plants. Plants are potent. What needs to happen nationally? Rescheduling? De-scheduling? I think that more states need to follow the lead of Colorado and
Washington. I mean, we incarcerate too many people. It’s racism, it’s all that all over again. But I’m just a single oncologist, so I try to stay out of politics. Are general practitioners experts on cannabinoid therapies? Absolutely not . . . I think that’s really sad. Is “Big Pharma” conspiring, as some say, to keep marijuana prohibited? What about tobacco and alcohol? I don’t know that it’s just pharmaceuticals. My understanding is Big Pharma has [its] own preparations or brands—but maybe that’s the tobacco industry. When you debated Drug Czar employee and Harvard Medical School professor Bertha Madras, she said medical marijuana is “sending the wrong message to kids.” You didn’t get to respond. There’s not a lot that she said that I agree with. If a kid’s parents are sick and using something as a medicine, I don’t know how that sends the wrong message, especially if they see benefits in their parent’s use of the medicine. I deal with it all the time. I have cancer patients who have young children who say. “This is what we’re going to do.” One guy sent me an email thanking me for, you know, writing him a letter so he could access cannabis. It took him five cycles of chemo to first use cannabis, because of the stigma, but he wrote that after using it he was then for the first time able to be relieved of nausea and to play with his kids and go to their sporting events and become part of his family again. So what message is that? That “your daddy is getting better?” No. I don’t agree [with Dr. Madras].” c
We’ve heard there might be institutional barriers to doing so. Unfortunately, we live in this society where prohibition impacts
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TUNES
A Sacred Celebration Photo by Anglel Ceballo
Zola Jesus and record label Sacred Bones offer something for everyone {By Lillian Isley} label’s biggest success stories. She dropped her full-length debut, The Spoils, in 2008 via Sacred Bones, after mutual friends tipped off Braaten to her siren-like vocals, joined by instrumentation that incorporates dark layers of industrial, electronic, goth and pop. “The Spoils was an incredibly conceptual record,” says Danilova, who was interviewed right before the Dec. 21 show. “I planned it all out and it felt very methodical, but at the same time felt very instinctive. I knew exactly what I was trying to communicate.” And all the while, she had the support she needed from her label. “Something that’s very unique with Sacred Bones is their entire appreciation and presentation of music,” she says. “They don’t arbitrarily put anything out; they’ve got to believe in it. Our relationship is so strong, and I feel such trust with them.” The trust goes both ways, but it’s not difficult to trust in Danilova once you get a sense of her passion for music, and for her favorite instrument: her voice, powerful, mysterious and the focal point of Zola Jesus’ music. “Ever since I was very young, I loved making music, but I didn’t
really have any instruments,” she explains. “So I’d just sing, because that was an inborn instrument. When I realized it was something you could actually master, like guitar and piano, I started taking voice lessons.” She was around 8 or 9 years old at the time, and she continues regular training with a vocal coach even now, continually awed by this instrument most of us carry around daily. “You’re born with this ability to make music and to express and internalize and externalize everything,” says Danilova. “It just seems so powerful.” She’s released several more albums, EPs, and collaborations since her debut and is working on
Say What?
They thought the Mayans were right—so they threw a party. That was the logic behind record label Sacred Bones’ fifth-anniversary concert last month at a roadhouse-type venue in the middle of the Mojave Desert, thousands of miles away from Brooklyn, where the label calls home. “We were thinking about all the different ‘exotic’ places [the show] could be at, and the desert seemed like the perfect spot,” explains Sacred Bones founder Caleb Braaten, just prior to the Dec. 21 show. “It being the end of the world, we may as well be in the middle of nowhere.” With the apocalypse overarching everything, the tunes ended up being truly special—which worked out great considering the bill was a sampling of Sacred Bones’ lauded roster and offered something for pretty much everybody: experimental goth pop, Swedish electronica, moody ’80stinged rock—the list goes on. Headlining that night was Zola Jesus, a 22-year-old Wisconsinite (real name Nika Roza Danilova) who is one of the
her next full-length record now. With any luck, Sacred Bones will be around for her and the rest of its roster for a long time. For now, Braaten is just stoked he’s made it this far. “I had no idea how labels worked, or even what a label really was,” he says. “I didn’t even know how distribution worked. It’s all been a real learning experience.” So was she shocked to be celebrating Sacred Bones’ fifth birthday? “Oh, hell yeah!” he laughs. “Are you kidding me? It’s really a feat.” c www.sacredbonesrecords.com
“The so-called War on Drugs has not succeeded in making significant reductions in drug use, drug arrests or violence.” —Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey
Hometown Pride
Sacred Bones founder—and former Denver resident—Caleb Braaten is proud of his home state and its voters, following last year’s landmark marijuana legislation in Colorado, as well as Washington. “It’s wonderful,” he says of the growing national conversation over legalization. “It’s definitely the future. I’m not a marijuana user myself, but I still think it’s ridiculous to criminalize it.”
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destination unknown
Story and photos by Dennis Argenzia and Grace Cayosa
Lush Landscape Travel through Luang Prabang for eco-minded tourism and religious traditions
5:31 a.m.
Through barely open eyes, we spy a silent, steady march of orange figures just below our window. An army of not-dead Kennys have come to visit us in our fuzzy dream state. But they’re not Kenny, and we’re not in South Park.
One Day Earlier
We find ourselves standing on a peninsula where the Khan and Mekong rivers meet, and thinking, “Weird, this kind of looks like Los Angeles.” Or at least, like a French-inspired outdoor mall somewhere in the county. But we remind ourselves that we’re in Southeast Asia, and this place—Luang Prabang—predates any tweener hangout by at least a hundred years. Once the political capital of Laos, Luang Prabang now holds the more relaxed title of cultural capital. It is home to gold-leafed Buddhist wats (temples), traditional Lao stilt houses, teak-trimmed French colonial architecture, lush green landscape and some of the most laidback locals you will ever meet. We start our day with an elephant ride just outside Luang Prabang. As a rule, elephants pressed into the service of man usually get a bum deal. But at the Elephant Village Sanctuary, abused pachyderms get a second life. As a bonus, local employees learn trade skills, and eco-minded tourists get a short ride atop nature’s Monster Truck of mammals. After a 60-minute jungle stroll, during which our beloved elephant decided to tear her own route back to the village, we were transported by boat to the nearby Tad Sae waterfall. Now, we love water20 CULTURE • FEBRUARY 2013
falls, but Tad Sae appeared strangely fake. It is a stepped limestone waterfall, but looks suspiciously like a theme park contractor decided to build foam pools for blue dye water. We were assured they were real, and then were promptly whisked back to Luang Prabang. We dawdled the rest of the day away in prime tourist manner—wandering the quaint streets, practicing English with young Laos at Big Brother Mouse, getting wicked foot massages from steel-armed local women—until the night market finally opened. The night market is the place to get all sorts of goodies: wax-lined paper parasols, Buddhist prints, “I Heart Beer Lao” T-shirts, whole fried fish on a stick and, of course, green stuff. Cannabis is readily available from tuk tuk and mototaxi drivers, and is clearly wild grown. Quality is generally good, but seeds can be a problem. On paper, Laotian law treats drug possession very seriously: possession of up to 22 pounds of marijuana is legally punishable by a maximum fine of US$2,500 and 10 years imprisonment. For quantities over 22 pounds, punishment is death. In reality, practicing discretion should keep you safe, and if not, a steep bribe should set you free. Early the next morning, we witness
an endless column of orange-clad monks shuffling quietly by our balcony. This is tak bat, or the Theravada Buddhist tradition of silent alms giving. Every morning, the monks leave their monastery, lined up with the most senior person in front, and travel along a set route through Luang Prabang, silently receiving small offerings of food—usually sticky rice—in their bowls. Through tak bat, the monks get their daily meal rations, and the givers earn merit (the religious karma kind, not the Boy Scout kind). There are definitely rules: men can stand, but women must kneel or sit, and both must be respectfully lower than the monks; don’t wear shoes, shorts or tank tops; don’t touch the monks; and, for heaven’s sake, shut up. This is a silent tradition. Rejuvenated by alms giving, awesome French baguettes and Laotian coffee, we rent a motorbike for the day. Our first stop is the Pak Ou caves, about an hour’s ride north and full of Buddha statues, followed by the Kuang Si waterfalls. These are the impressive big brother of the Tad Sae: larger pools, taller falls. You can even climb 200 feet to the top of the main cascade, stand in the rushing water and look over the edge. Yeah, we thought of death too. Our day ended with a minor crash and a rushed repair job. We were certain our passports would be withheld . . . until we heard the singing. It was our motorbike vendor, happily buzzed on Beer Lao. Motorbike and passport were exchanged with a smile, and we watched him ride off, steady and loud, into the beautiful Lao night. c
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strain & edible reviews
Moon Whoopie Pie Only America could “invent” something as decadent as a cake sandwich. Here, Palliative Health Center in San Jose squishes an insanely tasty filling of mascarpone sweet cream cheese, heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar between two absurdly moist, delicious cakes. The cakes come in either white raspberry or a ginger-yellowcarrot cake that was really, sinfully good. The spices in the cake hide about 200 milligrams of cannabinoids derived from hybrid flowers. Patients take these heavy-duty edibles to treat chemotherapy-related pain and get rest, but it doesn’t hurt that they’re orgasmictasting. Start off with a quarter pie, and wait 90 minutes to titrate the effect of these very potent desserts. God bless America.
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Miami White We’re ready to get tropical when we pop the top on this fruity hybrid from Buddy’s in San Jose. A reported cross of Florida White Widow and Northern California OG Kush, Miami White is a strong hybrid highly sought after by patients suffering from depression, stress and anxiety. Unlike other, less savory, powdery white products from Miami, this Miami White shouldn’t keep you up late. Parent White Widow is a ’90s hit hybrid known for its sweetness and THC production while contemporary classic OG Kush tends to lean indica. Miami White smells sharp, tart, tropical and sweet with classic Kush and licorice undernotes. Lime green with orange pistils, these rocks are caked with THC, and break apart like a Chem 4. Miami White smokes sweet and piney like a Jack Herer with that satisfying Chemdog/OG Kush lemon-solvent finish. Finally, some good news from Florida.
Black Frost Winter is upon us, but fear not, we have some enchanting Black Frost to keep us company during the long nights ahead. Suitable for pain, stress, low appetite and insomnia sufferers, Black Frost—available at Magic Health Inc. in San Jose—is a potent, mostly indica hybrid that also happens to be one of the prettier flowers out there. You can see Black Frost’s parents Blackberry Kush and Purple Odyssey in these big, thick, purple and dark green-leafed, trichome-flocked flower tops. Blackberry Kush has already made quite a name for itself as a reported mix of Afghani and DJ Short’s Blueberry, and these nugs have that indica’s heft, color and density. Black Frost smells like hash plant, loam and spicy-sweet fruit, even more so when ground. It smokes light, sweet and strong, making it a connoisseur’s evening indica. Just stock up your refrigerator.
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Lion OG Green Acres in Santa Cruz has a rangy, wild Lion from Zion on its hands, and for you size queens, these are easily the most voluminous buds of the monthly batch. Reportedly a mix of Jamaican OG and OG Kush, Lion OG spreads out like its Jamaican ancestor, yet it’s also dense like an OG thanks to the SFV OG genetics in the Jamaican OG, as well as the downline OG re-cross. These nugs smell like a grassy, sandalwood-esque sativa (see Lamb’s Bread), but get minty and piney when ground. This strain smokes light, with an OG finish, and reportedly increases feelings of well-being without causing drowsiness or the elevated pulse associated with other strains. Snoop Lion (née Dogg) would certainly appreciate the name, and patients certainly appreciate its middle of the road, nicely even, 50-50 hybrid effects, which can lessen pain, lift mood and encourage appetite.
Aunties Edibles Root Beer Drops Next time someone says smoked marijuana isn’t medicine, politely show them of these. Aunties Edibles continues to lap the pack with these exceptional Root Beer Drops, a medicated hard candy perfect for the plant-averse, over-60 set. Aunties Edibles’ makes her root beer drops from boiled syrup that is flavored and medicated with hybrid cannabis tincture. Each root beer drop contains 120-150 milligrams of cannabinoids. Patients suck on the drops like a lozenge, and the hybrid cannabis treats arthritis pain, back pain, Alzheimer’s-related dementia insomnia and chemotherapy pain and many other symptoms. The taste of root beer is spot-on, and medicinal notes of sassafras/sarsaparilla/root beer mask the tincture’s undernote. Since the liver makes ingested THC more potent, suck on perhaps half a drop and wait 90 minutes to judge effects, which can include drowsiness.
Green Crack It’s only a matter of time before Pfizer patents and rebrands this natural “mother’s little helper.” Rapper Calvin Broadus Jr. accurately nick-named this hit strain Green Crack, though its roots reach back to ’70s Athens, Georgia and the name “Original Kush.” Either way, Amsterdam’s Garden in San Jose is packing perfect cuts of this essential, potent sativa. Green Crack smells like syrupy, sweet fruit cocktail juice and hay, and looks vivid lime green with red pistils. This well-cured, very dense indoor flower ground up to smell even more tropical and mango, then smoked sweet, tropical and grassy. Depression, anxiety and ADD patients report using strong sativas such as these during the day, as Green Crack can provide energy, lift mood and facilitate serial, task-oriented thinking, like chores. However, those with a low THC tolerance may find this strain causes confusion and racing pulse. FEBRUARY 2013 • CULTURE 23
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Comedy may have saved Mike Epps’ life. Sure, many performers believe comedy rescued them from the wrong path, but Epps’ tale is not about some abstract future danger. A group of armed men robbed him and ordered him into the trunk of their car. With the stereo cranked to drown out any calls for help, they started to drive around town, possibly looking for a place to shoot him and dump the body. Epps had to think fast. “They were blasting the music the whole time, but the moment they cut the music, I started kicking on the seat,” Epps recalls. “They asked what my problem was, and I said I wanted them to play that song again. They started laughing and let me go. Without my sense of humor, there is no way to know which way this would have went. When it looks like your ass is not going to make it, you better use everything you got.” The Hoosier State native first made a name for himself with the Def Comedy Jam tour and broadcast, but he caught a huge break when Ice Cube cast him as Day-Day Jones in the two Friday sequels. As happened with Chris Tucker after appearing in the original Friday, Epps quickly became a hot commodity, and he racked up several big screen credits with major releases like The Hangover, Hancock, The Fighting Temptations, Soul Men, The Honeymooners and a pair of Resident Evil films. The self-professed “hip-hop comic” also hosted the last four BET Hip-Hop Awards and appeared in movies alongside rap royalty like Cee Lo Green, Method Man, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Fittingly, one of Epps’ routines is even sampled in the Eminem and Royce da 5’9” track “I’m on Everything.” Epps, who reprised his Black Doug character for this summer’s The Hangover Part III, is currently on a stand-up comedy tour entitled Mike Epps Live. As befits a hip-hop comic, Epps recruited iconic rapper and beat boxer Doug E. Fresh to join him on select dates. Comedians like Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy were far edgier in their stand-up routines than they were on the screen. How are your shows different? I am one of those spontaneous comedians who works off emotional content. Whatever my day was like, whatever I’ve seen, you might 26 CULTURE • FEBRUARY february 2013
get 30 minutes of that first. For example, I saw a pimp with a few of his hos, and they all had Christmas spirit, and I told him, “Merry Christmas to you and your hos.” I talked about that at the show. Wow, I never saw that watching Happy Days. As a performer,
you have a lot of crossover with hip-hop. How does hip-hop music and Mike Epps’ comedy fit together? The era that I grew up in is hiphop. Back in the day, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor were doing comedy in a funk era. People were playing funky music and
wearing bell-bottoms and afros. That is [why] Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy were compared to comedians like Dave Chappelle and myself. We are products of hip-hop as the music influences our comedy and our comedy influences the music. On my way to a comedy show, I’m listening V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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to 2Pac or 2 Chainz. You could call me a hip-hop comic. That is why Richard Pryor was saying, “jive turkey” and “you dig” while the comics now are saying “Word up” and all kinds of slang like that. Everything that we do outside comedy influences our art. There are all kinds of rumors that the N.W.A. movie might soon be underway. Ice Cube was a controversial figure when the group came out in the ’80s, and a lot of people probably forgot that. Do you think an N.W.A. biopic would help or hurt Ice Cube in trying to get Last Friday made? I don’t know anything about the politics right there, sir. I cannot answer them questions right there. I just play my part in the movie and keep it pushing. I am not married to none of that shit. It’s a role that I played in a movie. If people like to see me play in Friday movies, I just come and do my job. Last Friday would be the final movie in the Friday series. Do you have any new information on the status of the movie or on what Day-Day Jones might be doing? I don’t know if they are going to do the movie. I don’t want to lie to my fans or hype them up to think they’re going to do another Friday. That Friday series, I keep saying it, but it’s like Dr. Dre putting out his [Detox] album. You have become a mainstay with the BET Hip-Hop Awards. How is it hosting an awards show compared to a regular stand-up performance? That goes back to your question about hip-hop. That is a perfect example of why they both benefit and service each other. There is nothing in the world like someone cracking a good joke in between songs. It is a perfect segue and hook. That is why they keep using me for the awards show. You opened the 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards in character as President Obama. What is it like to portray the President knowing that he might actually see it? It was really fun. To play Obama is fun because you get the chance to say some shit that you would like 28 CULTURE • FEBRUARY 2013
to hear him say. You know what I mean? I know he’s not going to say this, but let me say it for him. Speaking of Obama, after the results came in on election night showing that Washington and Colorado legalized cannabis, you tweeted, “It feel like I can sell [cannabis] in the middle of the street!” Can I assume you were in favor of these propositions? Yes, you can assume. It is real. Do you believe in the medical use of cannabis? I do believe in medical use because so many of us Americans have a lot of mind-altering problems, and we all know that the pill world is really big and makes a whole lot of money. Not everybody can take pills. Some people’s stomachs cannot handle the pills or they cannot handle them mentally. Marijuana is an alternative. If you do not want to take pills, you
Shining
Star If you think you’ve seen all Mike Epps has to offer, you haven’t seen him shine in his most recently released movie, 2012’s Sparkle, a remake (the original was released in 1976) starring Whitney Houston that told the story of The Supremes during the Motown era. For the role, the comedian adopted a new persona that’s crude, lewd and abusive. The role was also noteworthy as it happened to be the last film with the legendary Houston before her passing.
You could call me a hip-hop comic.
can smoke something and calm down or dig deep into something. When it comes to comedy, do you think there is something inherently funny about smoking cannabis? Yes, it is very funny. When I smoke [cannabis], I get a chance to have some options on my thoughts. When you smoke, you sometimes makes decisions that are not exactly the ones you really wanted to make, but they can be the best decisions. It ends up being the best move for you versus the move you wanted to make. It just turned out all good. You portray Richard Pryor in the upcoming Nina biopic about soul legend and activist Nina Simone. Is it difficult to play such a comedic legend? It was definitely not easy to capture a guy like that because he was so complex and a crazy motherf@#ker. For a minute, I thought I had to be crazy to play him. Then I thought about it and realized if I go crazy to play Richard Pryor, it defeats the art. I really don’t do that kind of acting where I become something for weeks at a time before it’s time to shoot some shit. I like to challenge my art by not becoming that until it is time. That’s what I think. You tackled a dramatic role in The Supremes-inspired remake of Sparkle, which came out last August. Do you see yourself pursing more dramas? I have many shades of myself, and
ON STAGE
Appearing Feb. 8 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
I really love doing drama. I think comedians can make some of the best dramatic actors. I do want to do more dramatic parts, but I want to be selective and do the right dramatic parts. I don’t want to do them just because they are in my face and I want to prove myself. It just has to be something that I love. Anything you can tell us about Black Doug’s role in the new Hangover movie? Yeah, I’m playing another black guy in the movie again. I’m playing Black Doug. I think the third installment is really going to be good. To be brought back into a large comedy, the biggest comedy movie ever, is impossible for me to top. That is the biggest shit I might ever do unless they want to cast me in the next Avengers movie. It was an honor to come back and work with those guys. Do you have anything else coming up? At the end of the year, I plan to put out Still Can’t Catch Me. It is a documentary of my journey to become a comedian. I’m going to show Hollywood who I really am because they don’t know who the f@#k I am. They just cast me and deal with me face front. I have been keeping it a secret as to who I really am, but I am getting to that point where I want to show them where I come from and how I did it. I think it will be out in winter 2013. c
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profiles in courage Patient: Jon Otto
AGE: 47
Condition/ Illness:
Anxiety, agoraphobia, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, aortic aneurysm, enlarged left ventricle
Using medical cannabis since: April 2012
Are you an MMJ patient from NorCal with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
Why did you start using medical cannabis?
I knew from past experience that cannabis may not kill the pain, but knew it would at least make me forget about it. I also knew cannabis would turn a raging fight-or-flight anxiety attack into a sit-back-and-relax Big Mac attack in about 90 seconds . . . MMJ has, without a doubt, saved me from many more ugly situations and places.
Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?
Yes indeed. I have been fighting this spine of mine for a quarter-century and have run the gamut medically from every nerve block shot known to mankind, manipulations [and] many prescription narcotics which I’m happy to report that, due to MMJ, I am down to one pain medication. For me [and] my friends, that is fantastic! I am down to one anxiety med as well. Again, unheard of for me.
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients?
The biggest issue facing MMJ patients is really two-fold. First is general lack of acceptance of the American people that marijuana is, in fact, medicine and may very well have saved or prolonged one of their loved one’s lives, or at least made their final months bearable if given the opportunity, which brings my second point: uniform laws nationwide. I pray those that have a need for MMJ and cannot legally get it are able to do so soon. I started signing petitions back in the ’70s and will stop when my heart does.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?
To the skeptical one: Reefer Madness was propaganda! If you or someone you love is wasting away to nothingness due to no appetite—step out of the box [and] give MMJ a chance. c
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cool stuff PUFFiT Vaporizer It may look like an asthma inhaler, but the PUFFiT is actually the next generation of portable, discreet vaporizers offering patients another level of personal medicating. Made to vaporize dry, finely ground flowers and herbs, the PUFFiT offers up to eight temperature settings, up to 30 uses per charge and a 90-second automatic shut-off feature . . . in case you get forgetful. Discretion just got redesigned. ($139.99) www.discreetvape.com
GravityLight Designed as an alternative to kerosene lamps in Third World countries, the bleeding-edge GravityLight utilizes the universal power of attraction between objects to illuminate the future. A bag filled with rocks and dirt and suspended by a cord below the light provides weight that is then converted into energy—about 30 minutes worth. Truly “green” technology. (MSRP: $5) www.gravitylight.org
Sumo Lounge Time to ditch that ‘ol bean bag. Sumo Lounge has mastered the science and art of comfort to provide weary bones the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long day. To say this is a super-comfy bean bag—made of rip-proof nylon—is a total understatement. This might just be the best bean bag chair (or piece of furniture!) you’ve ever sat on. Chairs, you’ve been warned. ($229, Sumo Couple Microsuede) www.sumolounge.com
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Shooting Gallery iREADCULTURE.com GET YOUR HITS HERE
“Cannabis in California: Ending the 100-Year War” California NORML Conference (Photos by Amanda Holguin)
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Sandy Moriarty is the author of Aunt’ Sandy’s Medical Marijuana Cookbook: Comfort Food for Body & Mind and a Professor of Culinary Arts at Oaksterdam University. She is also the co-founder of Oaksterdam’s Bakery.
Menu: Just a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated President Obama and the 57th Presidential Inauguration. With this timely event in mind—plus the fact that Steven Spielberg’s historical drama Lincoln made it on quite a few bestmovies-of-the-year lists, we bring you a dinner menu drawn from The Great Emancipator’s 1865 inauguration.
Oyster Stew Pot Roast Charlotte Russe Cake
By Aunt Sandy
Oyster Stew 2 quarts of oysters Hot water (about 1/2 cup) Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons Canna Butter 1 pint of milk Oyster crackers
Drain the liquid from the oysters. In a saucepan, add the hot water and salt and pepper. Once it comes to a boil, add the oysters. Let it come to a boil again, add the Canna Butter. Once the butter melts, stir in the milk. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Serve hot with oyster crackers. Hint: If you need to thicken up the stew, add more crackers.
Charlotte Russe Cake Pot Roast
1 beef roast (about 6 lbs.) Water 1 onion, chopped 2 tablespoons Canna Butter 1/4 cup flour for dredging
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1/2 tablespoon Canna Butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Lady fingers or sponge cake 4 eggs 4 tablespoons sugar Lemon or vanilla flavoring
Whip the cream until stiff in a large bowl or dish and set on ice. Soak the gelatin in a little cold milk for two hours. Boil the milk and pour it gradually over the gelatin until it is dissolved and strain. Once the cream is cold, add the whipped cream one spoonful at a time. Sweeten the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract and add the Canna Butter. Line a dish with lady fingers or sponge cake. Pour in the cream and set it in a cool place to harden. To make the meringue for the top, beat egg whites with sugar and lemon or vanilla flavoring. Spread mixture over the top and brown slightly in the oven. Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.
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For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
Place beef roast in a pot with just enough water to cover it. Set the roast over a slow fire and allow it to stew for an hour. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to stew it slowly until the meat becomes tender. Add onions. Do not replenish the water as it boils away. Once the meat reaches desired tenderness, remove the meat from the pot and pour the remaining gravy into a bowl. Add the Canna Butter to the empty pot and dredge your meat with flour. Return the meat to the pot to brown, turning it often to prevent it from burning. Take the gravy in the bowl and skim off the fat. Then pour the gravy in with the meat and stir in a spoonful of flour that’s been moistened with a little water. Let the gravy boil with the meat for 15 minutes and then pour the gravy into a gravy dish. Serve the meat hot on a platter.
2 tablespoons gelatin Cold milk 2 cups rich cream 1 cup milk Whipped cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
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entertainment reviews La Costa Perdida Camper Van Beethoven 429 Records In the recent movie This Is 40, actor Paul Rudd rocks a vintage Camper Van Beethoven shirt he dug up from his own collection. For CVB, this is actually 30, and Rudd is one of many Generation Xers giving the indie rockers their due on their 30th anniversary. The pioneering Northern California group recently released its first new album in nine years, La Costa Perdida, and the name certainly fits. The album conjures up images of a hippie Brian Wilson trying to make a Pet Sounds-sized leap with Hunter S. Thompson producing. The harmony-packed “Northern California Girls” is the lead single, but “Too High For the Love-In” is arguably the best song with a psychedelia-teased riff and crazy-ass lyrics, including a “make me a sandwich” chant. The title track also stands out with a quirky, upbeat folk narrative that epitomizes CBV’s trademark depth and diversity. (David Jenison)
Hempology 101: The History and Uses of Cannabis Sativa 4th Edition By Ted Smith The International Hempology 101 Society To bring us up to date on the history of cannabis, author Ted Smith takes us waaaaay back in time when ancient civilizations (not surprisingly) revered the plant’s psychological, physiological and spiritual properties just as much as we do today. And while Smith does a great job detailing how cannabis figured prominently in Vedic, Mesopotamian and Hellenistic traditions, Hempology 101 is no dry, imposing academic tome suited for clinical scholarship. Rather, it’s a coherent plainspeak examination of virtually every facet of the plant’s existence: from the “Hemp For Victory” era, the many uses, products and materials (“hempcrete?”) that can be derived from the plant, its links to counterculture and—surprise, surprise—its medical benefits. Well-researched and with informative flair, Hempology 101 does an intensely readable job of boiling down the ins and outs of cannabis sativa clearly and intelligently. (Matt Tapia)
Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? Clear Compass Media Dir. By Foster Gamble Ever wondered what it would be like to be part of a movement that aims to improve humanity’s lot in life? Then feel free to look into what the Thrive Movement has to say about human history, forgotten secrets and ways to liberate ourselves through knowledge. In the documentary, director Foster Gamble narrates about how we humans are destroying our own world before leaping headlong into a voyage of discovery that is familiar to those steeped in The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Raiders of the Lost Ark and “ancient astronauts” theories. While the computer graphics could use an uptick in production values, Gamble charges ahead and makes connections between something called the “Vector Equilibrium”—a pattern showing the primal structure of space—and the I Ching, the Hebrew alphabet, Kabbalistic thought and the Cheops Pyramid, among others. It is the secret of the “Vector” that can help us access the “life force” and transform our society . . . and our minds. (Matt Tapia)
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Jim Belushi & Chicago Board of Improv
We’re hoping that Jim Belushi has wised up to the ways of MMJ laws. Ardent fans will recall how last year the actor/ comedian apparently thought his California medical cannabis recommendation meant he could possess cannabis in Massachusetts. Wrong! Good news is Belushi only got his herb confiscated—cannabis was decriminalized in Massachusetts, and has since been legalized for medical use— and he remains as talented as ever. Post-According to Jim finds the yuckster hitting the stand-up circuit with full force. This improv show will be even better than television because it has no director to yell, “Cut!” if something goes terribly wrong (like bringing your California-legal pot into Massachusetts). Actually, the more that goes wrong in this show the better it will become. But with professionals like Jim Belushi, Robert Belushi, Megan Grano, Jon Barinholtz and Brad Morris fracking for laughs on the fly on stage, you might not even recognize that you’re watching an improv show. Oh, and Jim, ever think about a rec in The Bay State? Just sayin‘ . . .
IF YOU GO
What: Jim Belushi & Chicago Board of Improv. When/Where: Feb. 8-9 at the Improv, 62 S. Second St., San Jose. Info: Tickets $25. Go to sanjose. improv.com or call (408) 2807475.
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let’s do this Our picks for the coolest things to do around town Zombie Bar’s Sideshow, Feb. 2
Looking for something with a little more bite than your everyday freak show? How about throwing in some zombies? Your bearded lady and strong man will be paired with zombie burlesque, zombie clowns, games, oddities and photo booths to leave you with memories of the undead. Sub/Mission Gallery, San Francisco www.sf-submission.com
Winter Wildlands Backcountry Film Festival, Feb. 7
The Clif Bar is feeding our appetites with more than food with its eighth annual film festival. The films show the human side of winter with the higher goal of helping to preserve nature. Clif Bar, Berkeley www.backcountryfilmfestival.org
Fun., Feb. 7
When one of the most popular bands comes to town you know what to do, have some Fun.. The band is coming to show you how to loosen up and have a good time. Armed with “We Are Young” and “Carry On” in its musical arsenal, prepare to have a little . . . oh, what’s this band’s name again? Fox Theater, Oakland www.thefoxoakland.com
Stella Classic Nightclub Show, Feb. 10
I love the . . . comedians that will be out tonight. VH1 can keep its pop culture shows because the San Francisco Sketchfest has a weekend full of better comedy. Join Michael Ian Black, David Wain and Michael Showalter as they re-live the Comedy Central TV show days of Stella. Mezzanine, San Francisco www.sfsketchfest.com
Pin-up Party, Feb. 5, Feb. 12
Lets face it, nothing is better than pin-up girls, drinks and music. Whoever thought of combining them all is a pure genius. The Playhouse deserves some kind of medal for bringing all kinds of awesomeness together! Playhouse Nightclub, San Jose www.playhousesj.com
San Francisco Days, Thru Feb. 24
Ever been curious to know what that street you pass by looked like 30 years ago? Well a team of eight great San Francisco documentary photographers have the answer. Their enticing images are on display for you to marvel at a little bit of the City by the Bay’s past. RayKo Photo Center, San Francisco www.raykophoto.com
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Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird LEAD STORY— THREE-STAR ROOM THAT’S A DUMP
; The usual 20,000 or so visitors every year to Belgium’s Verbeke Foundation art park have the option (365 of them, anyway) to spend the night inside the feature attraction: a 20-foot-long, 6-foothigh polyester replica of a human colon created by Dutch designer Joep Van Lieshout. At one end, of course, another body part is replicated (and gives the installation its formal name, the Hotel CasAnus). The facility, though “cramped,” according to one
prominent review, features heating, shower and double bed, and rents for the equivalent of about $150 a night. The 30-acre art park is regarded as one of Europe’s “edgiest” art destinations.
FRAGRANCE OF WAR
; Updating “The Smell of Napalm in the Morning”: A cosmetics company in Gaza recently began selling a fragrance dedicated to victory over Israel and named after the signature M-75 missile that Hamas has been firing across the border. “The fragrance is pleasant and attractive,” said the company owner, “like the missiles
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of the Palestinian resistance,” and comes in masculine and feminine varieties, at premium prices (over, presumably, the prices of ordinary Gazan fragrances). Sympathizers can splash on victory, he said, from anywhere in the world.
COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS
; Giuseppe Tedesco took the witness stand in Newton, N.J., in December and swore that all six shots that hit his girlfriend, Alyssa Ruggieri (one of them fatal), were “self-defense” “accidents.” After she discovered his .25-caliber handgun in sofa cushions, he said he reached for it and in the struggle was shot in the hand, but he still managed to grip the gun tightly, and the pair tumbled down some stairs. During the struggle, “both” hands shot Ruggieri twice. Despite their injuries, they both maintained their vice-like grips on the gun, he said, and “they” shot Ruggieri twice more. The final shot, he said, came with Ruggieri holding the gun point-blank at his face, and when he pushed it away, “they” fired another shot that hit
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Ruggieri in the temple. (At press time, the trial was continuing.)
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
; Former undercover cop Mark Kennedy filed for damages in October against the London Metropolitan police, claiming post-traumatic stress syndrome based on the department’s “negligence” in allowing him to have such a robust sex life on the job that he fell in love with a woman whose organization he had infiltrated. Kennedy’s wife has filed for divorce and is also suing the department, and 10 other women (including three of Kennedy’s former lovers) have also filed claims. ; Sarah Childs won a restraining order in Denham Springs, La., in December, forbidding the town from shutting down her “Christmas” lights decoration. The large outdoor display (in a neighborhood with traditional Christmas displays) was the image of two hands with middle fingers extended.
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