Pacific Sun 12.25.2009 - Section 1

DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31, 2009

MARiN’S BEST EVERY WEEK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

There before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind…

[SEE PAGE 9]

Behind the Sun

Best of Marin 2010

Music

Marin singles’ date with the apocalypse!

Down the hole to Marinland. Voting starts now!

Greg Cahill picks the albums of the decade

9

18

25

› › pacificsun.com

Health + Well-Being Publishing Jan 19, 2010

January is “Get Fit” Month!

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e The weighting gamt as much fun

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be abou diet plateau can Getting off that watching soy milk curdle... of high-fat Having a plethora as your weight loss. can experience the differcalories and boost so you total

eating

eat can lower yourfrom encourages you to keep old adage, less is more! r the where weight options to choose of each food. Remembe to reach a phase for ent sensory qualities and you’re bound on the same three digits days is stuck iet long enough, ng and sore for University in and the scale three, you huffing, puffi loss levels off In fact, researchers from Drexel Fitness Fatigue workout that used to leave plateaus at week less energy weeks or more.nd that dieters tend to reach physical—they can be Symptom: The just a sweat. efficient and requires Philadelphia fi plateaus aren’t of plateau you’ve barely makes you breakYour body has become more to your exercise program, it d body, six months. Butto identifying which type Underlying Cause: “When you get accustomewhen you stop stressing your guide week 10 and after a trend: d Here’s downwar too. activity.

Bell-Wilson. And to do the same psychological, nudge the scale back to its your body,” says spokesperson stops stressing hit and how to R.D., national

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Gerbstadt, M.D., twice a week increases Holding... you’ve stopped you stop seeing a Day and weights, says Christine. Strength training at least fact, a study published of calories, but The Fix: Add In 1,500 Calories eating the same number Dietetics Associationand fat-burning potential. who trained with during workouts Symptom: You’re rate for the American fewer calories that women and tissue, metabolic leaner, you burn ve function that Association found than 2.5 percent your lean body weight. darn reproducti As you become the American Dieteticreduced their body fat by more restricting calories.

Bell-Wilson, Ph.D., then there’s that Underlying Cause: in the Journal of without resting, too). “And reproweight,” says Jenna a week for 12 weeks pounds)—even a good idea. So instead weights twice (and when you’re talented at maintaining our in Columbus, Ohio. Why the kilograms (4.4 is also try the muscle mass 2 of your workouts 4.5 mph pace, Sports Dietetics increased lean makes us extremely fertilized. ed specialist in g on your duration and intensity on the treadmill at a steady road and take advantage an egg become Increasing the R.D., board certifi To safeguard a baby should minutes hit the 30 four hours, dependin or to spread regular three program, your training hills and use landmarks of logging in ductive hoarding?five to six small meals every eating, but rather, treadmill’s intervalterrain. Run in the sand or up extra calorie burning calories you’re strong. “If you’re losing in The Fix: Eat the number of of changes in the or a slow-down. And squeeze Don’t reduce metabolism running the television your you change keep calorie needs. to where sprint to a up t the day to signify . Getting reach a point phone; and n. advises Gerbstadt pacing while you’re on the calories throughou calories, you’re going to ” says Bell-Wilso get the chance, whenever you weight by decreasingwithout sabotaging nutrients, the remote control; ense fruits and more into starva- channel, instead of relying on your food to be nuked. can’t cut back important to eat low-cal, nutrient-d of energy it can go cult. you wait for body is deprived loss even more diffi doing squats while (That’s why it’s more, when your weight ‘Opie, you haven’t vegetables.) What’s your metabolism and making tics finished your milk. in (gasp!) start to Mental Gymnaswant to throw in the towel. tion mode, slowing going down or can’t put it back yet you Wefavorites— on the scale stop weight.

Symptom: You up old you know.’

The numbers goal cow,standstill. the at for you to pass a Underlying Cause: as if you’ll never reach yourd that plateaus are a natural phenomGoodie Gridlock cravings make it hard why you’re arm --Aunt Bee you feel to understan a pit of despair, Symptom: Constant of foods you love may explain creep up and , try of wallowing in d impleimportant for people diet. nibbles The Fix: “It’s Gerbstadt. Insteadthrough it. Experts recommen or bored with your on different fruits and vegetables. Look know those little says You’re 18 occur,” will Underlying Cause:your food choices. Load up t with seasonings Vietto help you break around the block after dinner enon and they up and experimen or list of strategies SUN 17 taking a walk The Fix: Shake whole grains or lean protein raw vegetables, for example, yourself with a 13, 2008 PACIFIC with behavioral changes— your sweet tooth, hummus with MARCH 7 - MARCH menting small some new ways for inspiration—try it comes to satisfying foods you to other cultures with rice paper. And when the variety of high-fat rolls namese spring two staples. Studies show decreasing or stick with one

focusing A quarterly guide ties on energizing activi and balanced living

From fat-free to

el

By Amy Patur

truth on cow’s juice...

The uddtheer‘low’ down

full-fat, here’s

to at tion milk is heated cooled) to kill During pasteuriza PASTEURIZED than 15 seconds (then rapidlycampylobacter. more and RAW VERSUS Fahrenheit for amino 0157:H7, listeria results in an ultraall 12 essential least 161 degrees including salmonella, E.coli calcium, be stored food, containing a couple of seconds flavor, but can is a near perfect well as critical nutrients like g the body harmful bacteria,200 degrees Fahrenheit for slightly cooked as to xperts claim milk The caveat: Once everythin Heating milk pasteurized milk that has a needs to function, three months. and handled D. “Milk contains ,” says Robert acids the body d refrigeration for s and vitamin new mammals on shelves without urized milk must be refrigerate magnesium, phosphoru ’s how mammals makeUniversity in tissue—it milk opened, ultra-paste d milk. at Creighton needs to make s claim heating of branched chain professor of medicine care as fresh pasteurizeurized, raw milk enthusiast s of the all-natural same the Heaney, M.D., . “It’s the richest food source respond with consumer ultra-paste d or robbing muscle tissue, heat options Whether pasteurize and beneficial bacteria, straight from the cow. The But Omaha, Nebraska help the body maintain consumers have more milk s. free and enzymes in a glass And now amino acids, which kills its natural to organic, hormonemetabolism.” rich flavor found and causes sugar-protein interaction whole, regulate milk are creamy, and and raw and d and 2 percent in milk to insulin goodness From nonfat, white stuff. of the B vitaminsl differences between pasteurize of food science and at all…’ than ever before. your go-to-guide to all the destroys some you don’t do anything aPh.D., professor the nutritiona ones mother gives amounts of saturated ‘And the dairy-free, here’s studies show that according to Ron Schmidt,and the Food and Drug Administr ‘White Rabbit.’ add milk contains large Centers more, the cow, milk –Jefferson Airplane, slight. What’s at the University of Florida— Russian roulette. In fact, the varieties, producers“EvT Straight from for 1,007 illplaying reduced and low-fat FAT CONTEN of the milk. human nutrition raw milk is like raw milk accounted removed to makey, taste and nutrient content roughly the same that is rinking fat reported Once (FDA)—d n has fat. tion and 2005. , and Preventio the consistenc fat or fat-free between 1998 Mary Martin Nordness solids to improve whether it’s whole, reduced for Disease Control ations and two deaths calcium,” says difference between organic— ery glass of milk, and minerals—including nesses, 104 hospitaliz The only increasingly going According fat consumers are in at 8 grams of milk). amount of vitamins for the National Dairy Council. it comes to milk, as much as conventional Whole milk logs fat (3 son 2003 to twice calorie content. 120 calories and 5 grams of ORGANIC When R.D., spokesper $550 million in with price tag (up to jumped from cholesterol and under milk milk contains higher babies of the organic organic percent) of them is the fat, (2 despite 18 Company, sales the hike? Consumers associate planet. But while reduced a low-fat food. With the exception experts recom(5 saturated), is to The Nielsen year. Why g brain, nutrition since saturated and a healthier such, neither $900 million last SUN 17 saturated)—as the extra fat to support a developin treatment of animals (skim or 1 percent) including heart almost 9, 2008 PACIFIC more humane – OCTOBER dairy products diseases age 2 who need better nutrition, OCTOBER 3 risk of chronic drink mostly low-fat with a higher mend people ly been linked fat has consistent and stroke. disease, diabetes

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By Amy Patur

focusing A quarterly guide living ties and balanced on energizing activi

? dia make youit sick t...

Does the me utical ads, migh the pharmace

©2009 Howard Kornfeld, MD & Assoc. All Rights Reserved.

If you believe

sumer marketing that allow direct-to-con

middleman. government-oversight

n

By Terry Alle

18 PACIFIC SUN

JANUARY 18

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2 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 31, 2009

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J

Dr. Howard Kornfeld, Medical Director Dr. Janis Phelps, Director of Clinical Psychology

3 Madrona Street, Mill Valley, CA 94941

all

of pharmaceut ry and that lead to unnecessa effective. perceived needs expectations and of the products are only minimallyadverse effects The U.S. and New or other Some couples can create Her blood pressure consumption. side efe proportions. expensive drug liver or kidney damage, high drugs—each with its own menstrual more plagues of biblical-lit suffering from distracted. Her daughter has fitfully and Many can cause to be countered with still ane’s family is ts for drug manuthat would have unruly and easily t and shy. Her husband sleeps his libido sales and profi 2000 interactions. teenage son is advertising in overweigh fects and risky e side effect of DTCs is increased to mention that spent on DTC cramps, is 12 pounds irregularity—not her menopause generates utical industry One undeniabl Foundation recently of heartburn and the Kaiser Family has occasional cholesterol rising. As for Jane, are less perky and her jaw facturers. “Every $1 the pharmace le for 12 percent in drug sales,” his responsib breasts $4.20 and “was less her g are falling is knees twinge, All of them yielded an additional onsumer advertisin $2.6 billion.” a blowtorch. Her y is flat and her legs restless. caused Indeed, direct-to-cdrugs sales, or an additional more heat than that DTC ads n Her personalit the fam- reported. them reported or to beA majority of each of their ills, a fan- the increase in prescriptio line more blurred.think they should be. and benefits” treatment for act as enablers. to “confuse relative risks they do,” according to that sells Many doctors happy than they is a diagnosis, pill or surgical than to advertising patients “worked better patients were Although there simply be suffering from exposure extended youth and perpetual lieve the drugs three out of four docs said ns bowels, could skin, clockwork ily members the FDA. Almost to ask for unnecessary prescriptio aging, money health, perfect Nonetheads tasy of flawless the face of disappointment, spurred by the for every condition. in fact, be a prescription t about efficacy, safety and Bush. They may, industry, cheerfulness in and to expect only 2 utical reign of George sometimes ambivalen e prescription the pharmace woes and the pressured and ordinary frailfor a brand-nam snookered by believing that down requests healthy people less, despite feeling be cured. doctors turned their doctors into of complaints n drugs is Amerthe media and that the human condition can found. appropriateness, medicalization on prescriptio prescription time, the FDA reinforces this ties are diseases; percent of the swallowing a lot of pills. Spending outpatient industry incessantly . utis are 20 percent of cost and, in 2004, advertising to allow pharmace A $4.2 billion annual nearly American healthcare (DTC) decided onstituted and onsumer (FDA) increasing us take at through direct-to-c and Drug Administration public, with limited oversight ility ica’s most rapidlybillion scripts worth $200 billion—c Almost half of ns, acgovernment survey.

In 1998, the Food prescription drugs to the 2006 Government Accountab g” or more medicatio medications—3 according to a to hawk six downs three report. misleadin side effects. A cal companies healthcare spending,n medicine, and one in efforts “false and to maintain fix, n of safety and Human Services technological of these marketing minimal explanatio for failing least one prescriptio nt of Health and loves a quick iion found some for oversight— character that and New Zealand cording to a 2004 Departme and psycholog is responsible Office investigat United States in the American drugs can cure our physical FDA—which the public. The that personality traits.

There is something and faulted the and to protect . g convinces us and obnoxious about what standards of accuracy that allow DTC marketing existential crises and DTC advertisin educate the publicpeople caressed pains—even our of DTC ads is to are the only countries cal aches and that the goal of no denying that the images sexually fulfilled by Big Pharma says there is bees and enticed available. But treatments are charmed by Latino moths, 24, 2008 by soporific green only countries Zealand are the

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›› ON THE COVER Photo of Matthew Stafford and Samantha Campos at Farley Bar

by James Hall Design Beth Allen Embarcadero Publishing Company. (USPS 454-630) Published weekly on Fridays. Distributed free at more than 400 locations throughout Marin County. Adjudicated a newspaper of General Circulation. Home delivery in Marin available by subscription: $5/month on your credit card or $60 for one year, cash or check. No person may, without the permission of the Pacific Sun, take more than one copy of each Pacific Sun weekly issue. Entire contents of this publication Copyright Š2009 Embarcadero Publishing Company ISSN; 0048-2641.

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EDITORIAL Editor: Jason Walsh (x316); Reporter: Samantha Campos (x319); Movie Page Editor: Matt Stafford (x320); Copy Editor: Carol Inkellis (x317); Calendar Editor: Anne Schrager (x330) CONTRIBUTORS Lee Brady, Greg Cahill, Pat Fusco, Richard Gould, Marc Hershon, Richard P. Hinkle, Brooke Jackson, Brenda K. Kinsel, Jill Kramer (x322), Lois MacLean, Joel Orff, Rick Polito, Renata Polt, Peter Seidman, Nikki Silverstein, Annie Spiegelman, David Templeton, Barry Willis.

Books Editor: Elizabeth Stewart (x326) ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Linda Black (x306) Senior Display Representative: Dianna Stone (x307) Display Sales: Ethan Simon (x311), Linda Curry (x309); Inside Sales: Helen Hammond (x303); Courier: Gillian Coder; Traffic Coordinator: Amanda Deely (x302) DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Art Director/Production Manager: Beth Allen (x335); Graphic Designers: Gwen Aguilar (x336), Michelle Palmer (x321); Missy Reynolds, Gabe Lieb, Brindl Markle (x308) ADMINISTRATION Business Administrator: Cynthia Nguyen (x331) Administrative Assistant: Elisa Keiper (x301) Circulation Manager: Bob Lampkin (x340) PRINTING: Paradise Post, Paradise, CA Member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies

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The PaciďŹ c Sun’s annual Freeway Fiction contest— short, pithy stories composed while commuting—is revving up again. In honor of Highway 101, these ďŹ ctional nuggets must be exactly 101 words long.

Although the story length is constrained, the subject matter is not—let your imagination soar as you conjure up situations, characters, action.

Once you arrive at your home or ofďŹ ce, put your road words down on paper (or Word doc as the case may be), slap on an appropriate title (titles don’t count as part of the 101 words) and send us your story.

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All entries must be typed and include your name, address and phone number.

E-mail entries to letters@paciďŹ csun.com

# $ %&' () *(&+ $+ &)() () ,-+ -+ &, %' !($$ $$+.

Or Mail to: Freeway Fiction c/o PaciďŹ c Sun 835 Fourth St. Suite B San Rafael, CA 94901

Deadline for entries Thursday, December 31

n u S c ďŹ Paci m

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DECEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 31, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 5

›› LETTERS High ho the derry-o While we ought to be grateful the discussion has finally reached the “How can marijuana be legalized?” stage, it concerns me that no one appears to be addressing the reality that the law enforcement emphasis will shift from cops and narcs to an agency akin to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Who will determine who shall grow the marijuana the government will now be selling with an excise tax affixed to each lot? And there’d be the cost of guarding those fields, which certainly would become a lucrative target for ne’er-do-wells.

Even given that, why wouldn’t every farmer want to shift over to such an easy cash crop?

Yet the truth is the plant is a weed, and any dunderhead could grow a crop. Why would someone fuss with government stores and taxed-up prices when they can grow their own, and not be illegal.

Brewing beer and distilling spirits and fermenting wine are far more complicated processes and easily monitored and regulated. What to do with the “weed” is far more problematic. Which is why it’s always been the people’s high. What a dilemma.

Hobart Bartshire, Fairfax

Tamper tantrum As Peter Seidman’s excellent story [“Runaway Grand Jury,” Dec. 18] illustrates, Marin’s civil grand jury tribunals have proven themselves a poor vehicle for rationally analyzing controversial public-policy concerns. The pool of prospective jurors is limited to those who can afford to spend numerous months away from their jobs

or other responsibilities; and they are not screened for preexisting biases. The secret process of taking testimony, which excludes witness cross-examination, makes the wellintentioned jurors too subject to manipulation by powerful commercial and political interests.

As Seidman mentions, for decades PG&E has successfully utilized every dirty trick, and spent untold millions, to prevent any breach in its monopoly as our only electricity provider. PG&E’s latest scare tactic—leaking the grand jury report bearing the corporation’s fingerprints—is aimed at preventing Marin Clean Energy from providing Marin with substantial quantities of affordable, renewable electric power.

As recently as May, an equally-flawed grand jury “hatchet job” cast doubt on Marin General Hospital’s ability to operate as an independent public facility rather than being run by money-hungry Sutter Corporation.

Clearly, regarding matters of public policy, Marin’s secret grand jury process is out-ofcontrol and lacks credibility. Our democracy would benefit instead by our relying on open public discussion and debate.

Alexander Binik, Fairfax

No choice is not an option To the honorable Mayor Jeanne MacLeamy and the Novato City Council members: We are longtime residents and registered voters in Novato and are writing to you today With Novato’s best to ask you to change interests at heart. course and vote to join the Marin Energy Authority!

›› TOWNSQUARE

Let’s hear from the Grinches I for one am not much of a holiday reveler and the closer we get to Christmas the more annoyed I become at all this holiday hypocrisy. So, I’d like to hear from everyone else...

Holidays: Give for the greater good How deep is need for some Marin families and individuals, old and young alike, in this holiday season—a season mired in a deep recession?

Read the full story here...

Upfront: Runaway grand jury? The title of the recent grand jury report about Marin Clean Energy leaves little doubt as to the intentions of the grand jurors. The title: “Pull the Plug.” Read the full sto...

Your soapbox is waiting at ›› pacificsun.com If you vote to allow Novato to join, each resident will still have the ability to opt out if that is their choice. By voting not to join, you take away our freedom to even consider the matter of whether we stay with PG&E or opt to join the MEA. That is very upsetting.

Currently, with PG&E as our lone provider, we have no choice but to accept electricity that is 85 percent “brown.” We also are subject to the costs of a monopoly where energy rates are set at the state level and fees are added to cover private-sector salaries, expensive overhead and shareholder returns.

While PG&E is moving in the right direction with renewables, it won’t meet the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standards. The MEA, on the other hand, will exceed the RPS on day one, and expects to deliver 100 percent renewable energy by 2016.

PG&E will stop at nothing to persuade you that joining the MEA is not the right choice, but they are only worried about their bottom line and their stockholders, not the citizens of Novato.

Yes, you have the responsibility for being “fiscally prudent.” But you also have a larger responsibility—to look at ways we can all help address global warming for our citizens, their children and our planet’s future.

Please look toward our future and give each resident of Novato the choice to be part of the MEA. Please vote to join the MEA! Ralph, Patrice and Daniel Stancato, Novato

Marin youth suckered by peace and forgiveness propaganda I’m writing in regard to your recent feature on Hiroshima ground-zero survivor Takashi Tanemori’s visit to Marin Academy [“How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” Dec. 11]. Tanemori immigrated to the United States in 1956 to annihilate Aerial view of Hiroshima, Americans? I never population 381,000, Aug. 6, 1945.

6 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31

TOP POSTINGS THIS WEEK

realized that our immigration laws were so broken for so long.

Zero in the story about Tojo and the raging killing machine of Japanese society. What does he say about the Rape of Nanking?

Brainwashing the little teenagers at marvy Marin Academy.

John L. Fallat, San Rafael

Stepford lives Nine out of 10 smiling depressive, super-busy soccer moms on Prozac know without question that Salvia divinorum causes suicide in National Honor Society members.

Imagine that...a Central American native sage species used for thousands of years by indigenous shamans for its healing properties—causing suicide.

These Stepford experts also know with absolute certainty that a shotgun caused the suicide of my friend in high school—coincidentally upset because she couldn’t please her parents by being a top-performing Stanford scholarship winner, like her valedictorian brother.

We might also consider their absolute certainty that mere access to the Golden Gate Bridge and “inexplicable psychological circumstances” caused the suicides of Marin honor students over the last three decades.

Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. PTA—hyperbusy “victims” of high places and the inexplicable—you might consider that the depressions of your daughters and sons may be caused by the education system and Prozaced life it produces— the one that you shove down their throats as a tacit requirement for your love and approval.

Why not read a little “red pill” tonight and feel the discomfort.

From John Taylor Gatto, New York City Teacher of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1991 http://johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/ index.htm.

Stephen Brooks , Mill Valley

Put your stamp on the letters to the editor at ›› pacificsun.com

›› THAT TV GUY

by Rick Polito

mutant deformity and then being asked to save the New Year’s baby, the ostracized reindeer begins to suspect he is being exploited. ABC. 8pm.

Dirty Jobs We don’t even know what a “worm grunter” is, but there has to be a better way to phrase that on your resume. Discovery SATURDAY, DEC. 26 Channel. 8pm.

Shrek 2 In the sequel, 28 Weeks Later In the Shrek discovers a spell sequel to 28 Days Later, that turns him into a the zombies have been handsome hunk. Of starved out and the course, the spell wears off. In real life that hap- Rudolph’s crew gets even weirder, Tuesday at 8. government prepares to resettle England, pens during the third erecting “Zombie-Free Zone” signs and year of marriage. (2004) ABC. 8pm.

My Nanny’s Secret A nanny suspects her mounting a public health campaign to brother murdered a member of her employ- discourage the consumption of brains.

(2007) FX. 8pm. er’s family. Not only does she have to solve the WEDNESDAY, crime, but she has to figure out if it’s OK to ask for DEC. 30 Happy New a reference. (2009) LifeYear, Charlie Brown time. 9pm.

At this point in the Hudson Plane Crash: holiday cycle, we’re What Really Happened ready for “Give it a rest, We just want to know if Charlie Brown.” ABC. anybody actually used 8pm. the seat cushion as a floCSI: NY When one tation device. The Learnof a pair of shoppers Definitely one of the more questionable images ing Channel. 9pm. who fought over a in the Peanuts canon. Wednesday, 8pm. wedding dress ends up dead, investigators SUNDAY, DEC. 27 Witness: The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst The must determine if it was a murder and also, term “newspaper heiress” always makes us whether the dress made her butt look big.

CBS. 10pm. nostalgic. MSNBC. 7pm.

The Real World The The Sound of Music new season is set in An authoritarian nanny Washington, D.C.They’ll takes charge of an Aushave the usual selection trian baron’s children, of the black roommate, indoctrinating them the gay guy, the shy with a series of cult-like bible student and the character-building exerone-legged, transgencises. (1965) ABC. 7pm. der orphan. But this year they are throwing MONDAY, DEC. 28 in a special prosecutor.

Pirates of the CaribVillage of the Damned—Austria style... Sunday MTV. 10pm. bean: At World’s End at 7.

They’re pirates. You’d think one of them would have found time THURSDAY, DEC. 31 Dick Clark’s Primeto steal a script that made sense. (2007) ABC. time Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest The aging pop icon offers Seacrest 8pm.

Lie to Me Loker and Foster investigate a troubling glimpse of his future. ABC. 10pm. whether a religious compound is actually Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live Carmen a cult. We’d check the Kool-Aid first. Fox. Electra is hosting the show from Las Vegas where her breasts are the least artificial thing 9pm.

Little Chocolatiers A new reality show you’ll see. Fox. 11pm. about two dwarfs who run a chocolate shop. New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly Where Tune in to see if they live in a hollow tree. The do they keep him the rest of the year? NBC. 11:30pm. < Learning Channel. 10pm.

FRIDAY, DEC. 25 Disney Holiday Parade There’s nothing quite like squinting through a hangover while hundreds of perky stuffed animal characters march through the haphap-happiest place on Earth! ABC. 9am.

Oakland Holiday Parade Like the Disney parade, but the guy with the long white beard is panhandling. Fox. Noon.

Bad Santa Really the only Christmas movie you can pair with cigarettes and cheap Scotch. (2003) Spike TV. 7pm.

Critique That TV Guy at letters@pacificsun.com

TUESDAY, DEC. 29 Rudolph’s Shiny New Year After saving Christmas with his

Turn on more TV Guy at ›› pacificsun.com

›› SiNGLE iN THE SUBURBS

Change I can believe in One small step for men would be one giant leap for womankind

by N ik k i Silver s t e i n

I

’m making one New Year’s resolution for 2010. It’s not that I don’t need more. Actually, I started with 10, but one of them is hard, so I scrapped the other nine.

Before I share this lone goal, I’d like to explain. I spent four decades trying to understand men. Countless books, therapists and conversations with insightful males have brought me no closer to the enlightenment I seek. If I could figure out why men behave strangely, then I could figure out a way to accept them—or better yet—change them.

In 2010 and for the rest of my years, I resolve to stop trying to understand and change men. Think of the time I’ll reclaim and the frustration that will dissolve. My mind will be at peace, no longer filled with the antics of men and questions about their motivations. I’ll become more productive and energized. I’ll volunteer at the food bank, write a detective novel, plant a vegetable garden. Zen. Since we still have a week to go before my resolution goes into effect, it seems fitting to finish the year with some observations about men and their inane conduct.

Let’s consider barnyard epithets.

My friend Melissa, a former model, reported for Marin jury duty. Clad appropriately in a knee-length skirt and long-sleeved knit top, she walked into the chilly courtroom, causing her body to react to the temperature. Another potential juror, a man, gawked at her and yelled out, “Nice headlights.”

What chromosome is Mr. Sophisticate missing? That comment would be crude in a bar or at a construction site, let alone in the hallowed halls of justice. Jeez.

Last Saturday morning, I was coming off the Headlands trail with my dog and saw two men starting their hike. I stopped to pat the heads of their two Dalmatians as my dog ran up to the taller man. “Is your dog OK?” he asked.

I was about to answer that my dog is friendly, when the diminutive man said, “No, he wants to bite your di-- off.”

The tall one grabbed his genital area and said, “I’m protecting my jewels.”

Even my dog seemed disgusted as he trotted away. I hope the two guys amused each other, because I sure wasn’t impressed.

Emma is another friend on the hill. She was standing in our driveway digging in her purse for her keys when she heard a conversation between two men from a nearby balcony.

“How are you doing?” asked Man #1.

“Well, I’m 72 and I’m still f--king my wife, so I guess I’m doing pretty good,” responded Man #2.

Silence followed. Emma looked up and Man #1 looked down, shaking his head. At least one of those guys had some sense.

Beyond crude words and silly gestures, there’s some truly worrisome behavior. My friend Rachel had electrical problems in her place and stayed a few days with her 41-year-old friend Tom, an attorney with a large Tiburon home.

While Tom is nice looking and buff from compulsive exercise, he also has an ego to match. “I’m in the top 90 percent of men,” he boasts.

He came to this conclusion because he has all his hair, drives an Aston Martin and has a few bucks in the bank. Apparently this gives him license to date women in their 20s and act like a buffoon.

Tom claims he’s juggling eight women, ranking them from “classy to booty-call girls.” The women ranked highest are the ones who haven’t slept with him—yet.

One evening, Tom had a male friend over for dinner. While Rachel was cooking, she listened to them talk. The friend was going on a third date with a woman and was trying to get her in bed.

“She’s just pretending she doesn’t want it so you won’t think she’s easy,” Tom coached. “Don’t let her get away with that. You have to nail her.”

When Rachel nailed Tom on that bit of piggish advice, he wasn’t fazed. “If you’re spending money on them, they need to give it up,” he answered.

“It made me nervous and scared at the same time,” Rachel told me. “I’m wondering if all men are the same.”

I’m concerned too; however, I have a plan. Until we ring in 2010 and my resolution takes effect, I’m going to do my best to change every man I know into a sensitive, respectful human being.

I think I’ll begin by interrogating my 80ish father, who’s coming to visit this week. If he’s a current member of the Vulgarity Club, he’ll be resigning when we finish our discussion. Changing the men of the world starts with baby steps. First, my defenseless senior citizen dad, next my almost innocent 6-year-old neighbor Tony.

It’s going to be a busy week. < Email: nikki_silverstein@yahoo.com

Offer Nikki some helpful advice on TownSquare at ›› pacificsun.com DECEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 31, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 7

›› UPFRONT

Neither paper nor plastic?

Single-use bag ban being shopped around by county

by Pe te r Se i d m an

I

n the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a circulating clump of garbage twice the size of Texas portends slow death for marine animals and the ocean environment.

The garbage patch, which scientists believe is doubling every decade, comprises all manner of material, but plastic is a principal component. The garbage circulates in what’s called a gyre. Recent research confirms that gyres like the one in the Pacific now inhabit all the world’s oceans.

And while some contend there’s nothing an individual can do to alter the death spiral of the ocean environment, others say there is action that can help prevent further degradation.

A coalition of groups, with the support of Marin County supervisors, is supporting a proposed ban on single-use bags (plastic and paper) in county jurisdiction. And the coalition is looking for support among the cities in Marin to push similar bans.

The kick-off for this grassroots effort took place Dec. 19, when members participated in an event at the Marin County Farmers Market to launch a Bring Your Own Bag community education program.

The ultimate goal is a ban on single-use bags; proponents hope the county Board of Supervisors will pass the proposed ordinance by Earth Day in April. It would take effect in 2011.

The coalition behind the effort includes Green Sangha, EcoMom Alliance, IReuse. com and Teens Turning Green; it has

gathered support from other sustainability groups and environmental organizations.

County Supervisors Charles McGlashan and Susan Adams were on hand at the farmers market in a show of support. (McGlashan is the spark igniting the bag-ban ordinance.)

Green Sangha first talked to McGlashan roughly four years ago about a single-use bag ban, according to Stuart Moody, who has been working with his organization on an educational project called Rethinking Plastics. Moody and Green Sangha found an ally in McGlashan, a prime mover behind the county’s ordinance that prohibits restaurants and retail food vendors from using polystyrene foam disposable food packaging. During the effort to pass that prohibition, supporters said they favored a wider ban on single-use containers. (Cities have been following the county’s lead on the polystyrene prohibition.)

“It’s taken this long to get a critical mass of cultural support,” says Moody, whose organization has been giving talks around the county since early 2006 as part of the Rethinking Plastics campaign. “We’ve been speaking to people at grocery stores and at farmers markets and sometimes to our elected officials. More and more you see people starting to carry reusable bags.

There seems to be a real readiness to make what looks like a sacrifice but actually is an easy step—to leave single-use bags behind.”

While that readiness is evident in the growing number of grocery shoppers 10 >

›› NEWSGRAMS Highway connector project postponed until spring Work that was to begin last month on the San Rafael connector between westbound I-580 and northbound Highway 101 has now been delayed until spring. Transportation officials decided to put off work on the highway project in anticipation of heavy rainfall this season. The plan is intended to widen the connecting road between I-580 and Hwy. 101, creating a supplemental westbound lane that alleviates traffic flow at the Bellam Boulevard exit, in addition to improving the sidewalks, streets and bicycle lanes on Bellam and East Francisco boulevards. A $9.3 million contract for the project was granted to Ghilotti Construction Co. of Santa Rosa.

Red-light cameras net 500 tickets first month On Nov. 1, the city of San Rafael implemented its Red-Light Photo Enforcement program at Third and Irwin streets. In the first month after the allotted 30-day grace period, more than 500 violations were issued from a total of over 750 red-light activations. Before the traffic cameras were installed, San Rafael police issued more than 5,000 tickets citywide in a six-month period ending in May 2008; close to 3,000 citations were issued in the same six-month period the previous year. Fees for the red-light infraction start at $446 and increase according to the driver’s record and court costs; the city receives approximately 3 percent of the total. The San Rafael Police Department plans to add two more camera systems at intersections—northbound Irwin Street at Third Street and westbound Third Street at Irwin Street—next year. For more info, call 415/458-2395.

Marin Sanitary center expands This week, the Marin Sanitary Service began work on its project to double the size of its Household Hazardous Waste Center. The project is aided by a $300,000 matching grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Last year the center was responsible for diverting more than 1.7 million pounds of hazardous waste from the landfill. The expansion will cause the center to be closed for the last two weeks of the renovation; residents are encouraged to bring their hazardous waste to the center before Jan. 4 or after Jan. 18.

Shorts... James Gurley, guitarist for Big Brother and the Holding Company—and onetime resident of Lagunitas and San Anselmo—died of a heart attack Dec. 20 at his home in Palm Desert. Mr. Gurley was 69.—Samantha Campos

James Gurley, top right, with the rest of Big Brother, 1968.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Post your Marin news at ›› pacificsun.com

8 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31, 2009

From the Sun vaults, December 29 - January 4, 1999

End of the century It was the end of the world as we knew it, and Marin was ‘fabulously charming’

by Jason Wals h

10

The fourth horseman, as depicted in the 11th century manuscript ‘Bamberg Apocalypse,’ was in for more than he’d bargained for with Y2K Marinites.

finding a paramour—and was willing to place a personals ad in the paper to prove it. Meanwhile, Sex Now Friends Later preferred a more direct approach, knowing that even though he’d probably lose many prospective future friends with such a nom de perv, those who did ring would know pretty well what to expect from the get-go. And Not Married was obviously playing upon the fact that many womenseeking-men had reprioritized their soul-mate requirements after having been burned before by the cunning conflagrations of the personals page.

But time was running out. Y2K was upon us and our post-apocalyptic survivors were staring down an I Am Legendlike society of looters and subsistence farmers, where toilet paper holds more value than money and blacksmiths are revered as gods.

For as is foretold in Revelation 6:7-8: “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.

They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

With an outlook like that on the horizon, it was no wonder Lover & Leather felt he could get away with a personal ad that began, “You’d be surprised how many women want to be spanked.” After all, with the fourth horseman of the apocalypse on his way, Leather was looking far less creepy than ever before.

And so concluded Leather (and the 20th century): “pine paddle, supple switch, plain ol’ hairbrush, firm hand provided.”

Happy New Year. < Share your Y2K adventures with Jason at jwalsh@pacificsun.com

Blast into Marin’s past with more Behind the Sun at ›› pacificsun.com

by Howard Rachelson

1. That famous“Hollywood”sign on a hill above Los Angeles is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks, but when built in 1923, it had four additional letters.

What was originally written there?

2. Translate the Japanese phrase, Meri Kurisumasu, into English. #1 3. The“East Side”of New York City generally refers to those Manhattan streets lying to the east of what numbered avenue?

4. The exuberant decade of the 1920s is often described by what rather “loud” adjective?

5a. Which pop music group recorded the campy 1978 hit song,“YMCA”?

5b. This group featured singers dressed as unusual characters, three of whom were a soldier, a construction worker and a biker.

Name three others.

6. The poem that begins“Twas the night before Christmas...”was written in the 1820s by who? What was the original title?

7. Which planet was named after the #6 Roman god of war?

8. According to the 19th-century story,“Rip Van Winkle”goes to sleep after bowling and drinking with a band of dwarfs.

8a. Rip awakens as an old man after sleeping how many years?

8b. Who wrote this story?

9. What 11-year-old boy played the title role in the 2000 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? #9 10. The easternmost, westernmost, southernmost and largest countries of Africa all begin with the same letter.

Name these countries.

BONUS QUESTION: The slowest-moving fish has such an interesting appearance that it was represented in Greek mythology, ridden by Neptune and other sea gods.

What is it?

Howard Rachelson, Marin’s Master of Trivia, invites you to a live team trivia contest at 7:30pm every Wednesday at the Broken Drum on Fourth Street in San Rafael.

Join the quiz—send your Marin factoids to howard1@triviacafe.com.

Answers on page 32

▲ Earlier this month, Miwa ▼ On a recent Saturday morning,

French, a 19-year-old nursing student at Santa Rosa Junior College and a San Marin High graduate, donated almost half her liver to her 5-year-old sister, Miya, of Novato. When it was discovered that Miya had a congenital abnormality of the bile ducts, her parents—both nurses—knew she would eventually need a transplant. And this past summer, as Miya’s health weakened, Miwa didn’t hesitate to offer part of her healthy organ. Two weeks after the seven-hour surgery at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, both sisters are recovering nicely. And as everybody notes, there could be no better gift for the French family this holiday season. Merry Christmas, Miwa and Miya!

ZERO

Marin lonely hearts were facing the new millennium with equal parts fear, hope and a wildly years ago delusional assessment of their own endowments 10 years ago this week.

As the 20th century gasped its last breath in December of 1999, and smug intellectuals reminded everybody that centennials only end on a year one, local singles took to desperate extremes to ensure they wouldn’t perish alone in the Y2K Armageddon—lost souls facing the blistering infernos of civic cataclysm as solitary riders upon the wrathful saddle of Revelation’s beast.

And there was no better way to find your soul mate on the brink of End Times than through the legendary Pacific Sun personals.

For instance, what man could possibly resist the siren-like beckoning of Mill Valley’s Adventurous Beauty With Brains, who promised respondents “untold pleasures” and “the time of [his] life” or Your Lucky Day, from Tiburon, who was not only “very attractive,” “slim” and “extremely smart,” but a 45-year-old doctor looking to be some guy’s sugar mama?

With that sort of competition to deal with as the end of the world neared, it’s no wonder Throw Me A Frikkin’ Bone Here! sounded somewhat desperate in her “not too picky” plea for an “honest man” with “some hair.”

But if the women of Marin were prone to a touch of exaggeration in their ads, it was the men who’d have the most bearingof-false-witness answering to do after the Lamb unfurled the seventh seal.

Extremely Handsome, for instance, got to the point in no short order by using the first three words of his ad to introduce himself as a “fabulously charming stud.”

And few could blame him for a little resume padding with Tall Dark And Handsome and Tall Handsome Not Dark vying for the same lovelies only a column away.

Still, with the world’s information systems certain to collapse on Jan. 1 at the stroke of midnight—due to the inability of computers to recognize the year 00, if you recall—merely claiming to be astonishingly good looking wasn’t going to do the trick this New Year’s Day/Judgment Day; those fellas lucky enough to brave the impending nihilism with someone special were going to have to be crafty about it.

Please Don’t Call went with the old hardto-get strategy, hoping to reel his mermaid in by pretending he wasn’t interested in

›› TRiViA CAFÉ

HERO

›› BEHiND THE SUN

“DC” witnessed the following: a couple with their young son at a Mill Valley coffee shop; son proceeds to run amok in the store, while parents ignore the commotion; son pulls down a box of candy from a shelf, which then spills all over the floor; son delights in stomping on the candies, while mother stands 3 feet away and does nothing. Mother finally stops son, sees the cost of the candy and says, “$16! We’re not paying for that.” Little boy then heads over to the shelves of coffee tins, and starts playing with them like they are building blocks. Mother again ignores son, and leaves tins scattered about. Meanwhile, the dad has been watching everything, waiting for his coffee—saying and doing squat. Ah, the fresh scent of roasted apathy.—Samantha Campos

Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to scampos@pacificsun.com.

Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 9

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş UPFRONT < 8 Neither paper or plastic? who bring their own bags, the proposed bag-ban ordinance stretches beyond the grocery storeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and plastic bags. It could end up as the most stringent in the country.

Many countries, states, counties and cities have placed prohibitions on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. But sometimes it is more cajoling than anything else. Almost everyone agrees single-use bags are a scourge on the environmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;except the plastics industry and packaging manufacturers.

In May, Fairfax became the ďŹ rst entity in Marin to ban the use of plastic bags in restaurants and retail stores. Voters approved the ban in the November 2008 election. But this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Fairfaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst attempt to ban plastic bags. The Town Council ďŹ rst proposed a ban in 2007. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before two heavyweight bag manufacturers threatened to sue the town, saying Fairfax had violated environmental review procedure when it aimed the ban solely at plastic bags, without taking into account the environmental consequences, if any, of banning paper bags versus plastic bags. The measure garnered a 79 percent vote from residents, and the new effort avoided legal consequences.

Pressure from the plastics industry also has played a role in the long trip toward a bag ban in San Jose. In September, the City Council passed one of the strictest bag bans in the country: It prohibits retailers from

offering most plastic and paper bags. But the ordinance allows retailers to give out paper bags made with at least 40 percent recycled material if retailers charge a fee for them. Newspaper reports said the ban must undergo legal and environmental review before it takes effect in 2011. The situation in Fairfax may help explain that gambit.

The Marin proposal is even stricter than San Joseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Originally, supporters wanted to charge a fee for plastic bags as a way to limit their use. A similar program in Ireland cut the use of plastic bags by 94 percent shortly after a bag tax was enacted.

But in California, the plastics industry and packaging manufacturers made it impossible to impose a fee on plastic bagsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; they managed to get the Legislature to preempt the right of local governments to do so. Just plastic bags. Local governments still can, as in San Jose, impose fees on paper bags. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was ďŹ ghting hard to defeat that legislation back in 2006,â&#x20AC;? says McGlashan.

He was working with San Francisco toward programs that would charge fees on plastic bags. The action in the Legislature â&#x20AC;&#x153;basically sold us down the river in a compromise move,â&#x20AC;? says McGlashan. The Legislature did approve what is now a familiar sight: the plastic-bag recycling bins that grocers have in the front of their stores.

But, say plastic bag-ban advocates, the recycling effort isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working given the magnitude of the problem and the growing size of the ocean gyres; landďŹ lls are becoming

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING & PLANNING

plastic-bag wastelands. Only a tiny percentage of plastic bags actually get recycled.

Critics of blanket bans on plastic and paper single-use bags say the bans impose an undue hardship on retailers and consumers and cause ďŹ nancial stress to cities, an important consideration in tough economic times. But, notes McGlashan, critics â&#x20AC;&#x153;usually fail to realize how much money it costs local government to deal with these bags blowing around and clogging drains and landďŹ lls.â&#x20AC;?

When McGlashan was working with San Francisco to develop a fee for plastic bags, he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were zeroing in on 17 cents a bag.â&#x20AC;? In a resolution supporting the proposed bag ban, the Board of Supervisors notes that every year, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;public agencies spend $375 million on litter cleanup activities, and approximately $25 million to dispose of discarded plastic bags in landďŹ lls.â&#x20AC;?

Under the ban proposal, the county could use its weights and measures authority for enforcement, thus creating no new bureaucracy. Enforcement and ďŹ nes could be similar to those in the polystyrene container ban: a warning letter to ďŹ rst-time violators and ďŹ nes of about $150 to $500 for subsequent violations. Adams assures residents that the Board of Supervisors will hold hearings in April. Between now and then, ban proponents will be trying to get as many cities as they can to join the effort with similar bans.

C O M I N G

Criticism of bag bans also targets the â&#x20AC;&#x153;think globally, act locallyâ&#x20AC;? slogan. Small actions, like a bag ban in Marin, can have little impact on a problem of global proportions, critics say. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an inefďŹ cient use of time and energy. And, they add, local residents shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be asked to commit to sustainability programs when the rest of the world ignores them. But the rest of the world isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ignoring them. A growing realization of the environmental consequences associated with single-use bags is sweeping the globe. Bans on single-use plastic bags already have been enacted in China, in India, in Australia and, of course, in European countries. The effectiveness of the individual bans is a matter of debate, but the environmental consciousness is not. The state of Florida has proposed a single-use bag ban that would go into effect by 2015.

In Marin alone, say bag-ban proponents, residents dispose of 138 million bags annually. And the state recycling program is not coping with the amount of plastic used and discarded. Serious questions abound about the actual amount of plastic California consumers recycle that actually gets recycled. And even if plastic bags get recycled into, say, car bumpers, that recycling effort still eventually results in plastics that cannot be recycled further, say proponents of the ďŹ rst â&#x20AC;&#x153;Râ&#x20AC;? in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Three Rsâ&#x20AC;?: reduce, reuse, recycle. Reducing consumption unquestionably is the cleanest alternative.

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Marin’s proposal includes paper because the bags are responsible for deforestation and use serious amounts of energy to produce (and to recycle). Paper is no better than plastic when it comes to environmental footprint.

And the proposed ban prohibits single-use bags in all retail stores, not just grocery stores.

Going to a department store, for instance, will be a slightly different experience when shoppers purchase an item, and the sales clerk has no paper bag in which to deposit it.

This necessitates a distinct new mindset for consumers as well as retailers.

Nordstrom, as an example, is taking a proactive approach and developing its own reusable bag, which the company undoubtedly will tout in a marketing campaign.

“Companies are well aware of these bans coming down,” says Chrise de Tournay Birkhahn, executive director of EcoMom Alliance. The forward-thinking companies, like Nordstrom, will use the bans to their advertising advantage. Moody says J.Crew and GAP also have indicated a favorable response and are working on how they will meet the challenge.

“An army of teens” in Marin will be ambassadors of the Bring Your Own Bag days, says Judy Shils, executive director of Teens Turning Green. The teens have chapters in about 17 Marin schools. The organization grew out of Search for the Cause, which formed in 2002 to investigate the high percentage of cancer cases in Marin. Since then, the teen army has worked on other

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issues, including an effort to promote safe cosmetics. The teens have been gathering information on the street to gauge the reaction to a bag ban. They also have played a key role in disseminating information about the ban, and will participate in Bring Your Own Bag days every Saturday of the month leading up to Earth Day. Although the bag ban in Marin will be one of the toughest, if not the toughest, in the country, it will not prohibit the plastic produce bags in grocery stores, dry-cleaning bags or the bags used in pharmacies.

Banning bags in pharmacies would violate a federal mandate that ensures health information privacy, including the right to keep those prescription bottles confidential. “It’s amazing the arcane information you learn when you start working on something like this,” says McGlashan.

Easy to understand is the kick Marin teens are getting from participating in the Bring Your Own Bag effort. “They worked on a couple of state bills that got passed, and a couple of federal bills, but nothing in their own backyard,” says Shils. “They get to go around and talk with residents and retailers. I think we’ve had more excitement from the kids here than on anything we’ve ever done.” < Contact the writer at peter@pseidman.com

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tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the time of year when various state orO O O O ganizations issue their scorecards rating You may recall my writing about utility state legislators. Two of the most widely regulation, or lack thereof, by the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pubcited environmental ratings were released lic Utilities Commission back in 2007 and recently. In his cover letter for the California 2008. I and other Marin residents experiLeague of Conservation Voters scorecard, enced Comcast telephone service problems, League chief Warner Chabot notes that envilasting in some cases many days, without ronmentalists played defense more than ofresponse. When I contacted the PUC to see fense in 2009, mostly due to budget-related what they might be able to pressures. One of three bills do to assist consumers in he highlights as a success ...there was one fact such circumstances, I was story is AB 920 by Marinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that they, and much of informed that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Comstate Assemblyman Jared mission does not have Huffman, which allows the media coverage, speciďŹ c customer service owners of net-metered didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mention readily. standards for the majorwind and solar systems to ity of service providers Peeveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife is their sell their excess electricity in the telecommunicato utilities. Huffman was Senate colleague tions industry. Instead the also one of 12 assembly Carol Liu. Commission relies upon members to receive a perthe competitive market fect 100 percent rating. On the Senate side, forces between wireline and wireless carrithe League handed out seven 100 percent ers to address matters of customer service.â&#x20AC;? ratings, one of which went to Marinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sen. They also said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Commission does not Mark Leno. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger regulate the prices of the competitive televetoed 10 of the 15 bills the League of Concommunications industry. Rather, carriers servation identiďŹ ed as pro-environmental have the ďŹ&#x201A;exibility to structure their service priorities and signed three more opposed by offerings to take advantage of new services environmentalists, to make 2009 his lowest and technologies.â&#x20AC;? scoring year ever at 28 percent.

The overseers of this non-regulatory The Sierra Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scorecard apparently policy that allows mega-telecommunicahas a tougher rating system because the tions companies such as AT&T, Verizon and governor signed Comcast to â&#x20AC;&#x153;take only two of 13 bills advantageâ&#x20AC;? of new considered by the technologies, as club to be the most well as of their cusimportant environtomers, are the apmental legislation pointed PUC comto reach his desk. missioners. Two of Only three senators the anti-consumer voted correctly on commissioners were all 15 bills identiďŹ ed reappointed by the as priorities for the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Chair Sierra Club. Leno Michael Peevey and was credited with Commissioner Ravoting correctly on chelle Chongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and 13 of the 15. Huffare awaiting conďŹ rman voted with mation by the state club preferences on Senate. Utilities ag12 of 15. Only two gressively lobbied assembly members for Chongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conďŹ rhad perfect scores. mation, which was Another intereststrongly opposed by ing scorecard is the consumer groups State Senator Mark Leno got an A from the League of one produced by such as TURN. This Conservation Voters; a B+ from the Sierra Club. the Capitol Weekly time, to its credit, the newspaper, which Senate did not play rates legislators on a liberal-conservative matador and wave her through. In fact, it did scale. One hundred is most liberal, and zero not even grant her a Rules Committee hearis most conservative. Leno was one of eight ing. Some of Chongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters pointed to receive a score of 100 in the Senate, while out that her voting record was almost idenHuffman was one of nine to receive a 100 tical to Peeveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he the former president of score in the Assembly.

Southern California Edisonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and protested

Assemblyman Jared Huffman earned League of Conservation accolades for his bill that said utilities would pay solar users for their excess electricity.

that it was unfair for him to receive a hearing (at which he was approved 5-0) and for her to be denied a hearing. While senators worked to explain the differences between the two that justiďŹ ed the disparity in treatment, there was one fact that they, and much of the media coverage, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mention readily. Peeveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife is their Senate colleague Carol Liu. While Peevey beneďŹ ts from his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job, it may work the other way as well. The Los Angeles Times disclosed in an August 2007 story that more than a quarter of Liuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Senate campaign donations to that point had come from companies regulated by the PUC. < Deregulate Sam at schapman@paciďŹ csun.com.

Speak up at â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş paciďŹ csun.com

Check out the complete scorecards CLCV: www.ecovote.org/ scorecards/2009/scorecard2009.pdf Sierra Club: http://www.sierraclubcalifornia.org/politicalreportcards.html Capitol Weekly: www.capitolweekly. net/article.php?xid=yhnf7ylhyptpvq

JAMES HALL

›› FEATURE

MANHATTANS!

WE’LL TAKE

T

Our guide to

the tinkle of Marin’s ice at twilight

he restaurant bar is a unique subgenre of watering hole in that it exists not merely to pacify, invigorate or arouse its clientele but to offer a bit of roughage and protein into the bargain. Here one is eased into the prospect of a full-on meal through the age-old opiate of liquor, ice and friendship, professionally concocted. And with the good smells wafting over from the dining room and the tumbler of crushed ice and single barrel bourbon before you, the mood can’t help being anything but bright, hopeful, hungry and festive. A year ago we stirred up a shot-by-shot guide to Marin’s 17 stand-alone bars; just in time for New Year’s we present an appreciative compendium of a dozen or so unique or quintessential establishments where the questing imbiber can enjoy a bit of sustenance as well. Each is ideal for reveling in what E.B. White called the most beautiful sound in the world: the tinkle of ice at twilight.

by Samantha Campos and Mat thew Staf ford

Buckeye Roadhouse

Deer Park Villa

Farley Bar

15 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley, 415/331-2600

367 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax, 415/456-8084

601 Murray Cir., Sausalito, 415/339-4750

The Buckeye is famous for its outdoor smoker and rustic hunting lodge ambiance, but the cozy, crowded bar off the entrance is one of the most urbane places in Marin to enjoy a perfectly crafted cocktail.

Owned by the Ghiringhelli family since the 1930s, Deer Park Villa’s lush 4-acre property amid towering redwoods is an idyllic place for a quiet dinner, holiday brunch or wedding celebration.

Located just this side of the Golden Gate Bridge at the end of a long and romantic drive through the Marin Headlands, Farley Bar (named after the character created by late cartoonist and naturalist Phil Frank) is a marvelously sophisticated tippler’s oasis within Cavallo Point Lodge.

Mood: Midtown Manhattan, 6pm Decor: clubby little nook in brass and mahogany with leather banquettes, flat-screen TV, beautifully backlit bottle-laden bar and vintage saloon paraphernalia Most distinguishing feature: miniature horse-drawn brewery wagon Clientele: pumped movers and shakers plus thirsty tourists from the beach and the wine country Soundtrack: the clink of the glassware, the call of the cell phone, Frank, Ella, Nat and Tony Wine list: exemplary; 22 by the glass Liquor selection: worthy of Marin’s upscale imbibers House drink: Roadhouse Rum Sidecar Food options: oysters Bingo, pulled brisket and coconut cream pie are all you’ll ever need

Mood: your grandma’s enormous—and comfy—sitting room Decor: beautiful outside grounds, dark wood paneling, expansive and comfortable dining room with standing-only bar Most distinguishing feature (besides the tranquil setting): wall of family photos Clientele: old school Soundtrack: ditto Wine list: perfunctory Cal-Ital Liquor selection: serviceable House drink: whiskey sour Food options: classic Italian—cannelloni, penne tuttomare, beef ravioli Bolognese, veal scaloppini, fresh linguini and Italian sausage—Carol Inkellis

Samantha and Matthew indulging in cocktails at the Spinnaker and Farley Bar, and other photos, by James Hall

Thanks to Fantasy Clothing in San Rafael

Mood: elegant yet familial Decor: redwood burl bar with plushly upholstered stools and blown-glass lighting, cozy hearth and windowside seating, round brass tables, standup piano, framed Farley comic strips, veranda with sofas and blankets Most distinguishing feature: positively gleaming pressedtin ceiling Clientele: Marin professionals on an after-work splurge Soundtrack: unexpectedly cheesy elevator music Wine list: limited yet intriguing Liquor selection: standards with some interesting high points (e.g., Johnnie Walker Blue, 150-year-old Grand Marnier, Kelt Petra cognac) House drink: Picos cocktail (Hangar One Chipotle, Distillery 209, ginger, cilantro) Food options: chili-lime popcorn, Dungeness croquettes, suckling pig sliders, wood-grilled quail, chestnut pot de creme 14 > DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 13

hamburgers, summertime parties and rockin’, bluesy, footstomping live music.

‘Everybody should believe in something; I believe I’ll have another drink’—W.C. Fields

Mood: family-friendly, sh-t-kickin’ Old West saloon Decor: moodily lit old barn with lots of dark worn wood, elaborately engraved back bar, fireplace, upright piano, animal heads and antlers, wagon-wheel chandelier, Indian blankets, framed Old West saloon art, a saddle or two Most distinguishing feature: enormous bison head over fireplace Clientele: unaffected locals looking for fun Soundtrack: twang (plus live rock, jazz, blues and zydeco on occasion) Wine list: run-of-the-mill—half-a-dozen popular domestics Liquor selection: standard full bar plus wine and beer (four drafts and 10 bottles) House drink: Bloody Mary with horseradish and Clamato Food options: chilled or grilled artichokes, potato skins, Buffalo wings, raw oysters, burgers, meatloaf, chicken-fried steak

revelers Soundtrack: light yacht rock Wine list: pedestrian Liquor selection: standard (plus Hendrick’s gin) House drink: martini, up; glass of chardonnay (tie) Food options: shrimp cocktail, club sandwich, cheesecake

The Tavern at Lark Creek 234 Magnolia, Larkspur, 415/924-7766 After decades of serving Marin’s toniest vittles, the redwoodshaded, vintage-1888 Lark Creek Inn has morphed into a more casual, recession-friendly venue, but you can still sip an aperitif, single malt or fine wine in the attractive (if perpetually packed) pocket-sized lounge.

Mood: It’s ’tini time!

Decor: lots of carved dark wood and gleaming libations Most distinguishing feature: friendly little creekside patio Clientele: divorcees, dry-throated foodies, bereft Noonan’s Sam’s Anchor Cafe regulars 27 Main St., Tiburon, 415/435-4527 Soundtrack: braying, cackling Marinites on the third Nothing could be finer than sitting out on Sam’s pocket-sized pinot grigio < 13 We’ll take Manhattans patio bar on a sunny day, San Wine list: wide array of Francisco beckoning across thoughtfully selected vintages, Pelican Inn the water, tanned flesh and including eight on tap 10 Pacific Way, Muir Beach, vertiginous cocktail at hand.

Liquor selection: wine, beer 415/383-6000 (three drafts, seven bottles, all Mood: The good life snazzy), impressive full bar Out in the mists and moors of West Marin stands a Decor: gleaming dark-wood House drink: Judge Murhomey Tudoresque pub where the thirsty wanderer can indoor bar with grandfather phy’s Ghost (Bols genever, enjoy a beaker of stout, a game of darts, a slab of beef and clock and brass ship’s bell; creme de peche, Vya dry a night’s lodgings. sunny patio bar perched over vermouth) bay, city and islands in the Food options: free serveMood: cozy, convivial country getaway distance yourself popcorn with Decor: low-slung cottage with small stand-up bar in rough ladle-it-yourself melted and polished wood, weathered plank floor, half-a-dozen squat Most distinguishing feature: dock where you can butter; cranberry-arugula tables with low stools, framed prints of English hunting scenes, You’ll find it ‘elegant yet familial’ at Farley’s berth your windjammer salad, wood-fired mousmalt vinegar at every table, foreign currency tacked to ceiling, saka, seared rainbow trout scattered kegs, dartboard in Clientele: sailors, socialites and butterscotch pudding from the menu corner and other beautiful people in Most distinguishing feasunglasses and tennis togs ture: yard-long brass hunting Soundtrack: seagulls, drunk- WildFox horn en toasts, wanton chitchat 225 Alameda del Prado, Novato, Clientele: young urbanites Wine list: utilitarian 415/883-9125 enjoying the weekend Liquor selection: marSoundtrack: loud chatter, Though it’s only been around for about a dozen years, the garita-, daiquiri- and mai toasts, folksy something or WildFox has carved out its niche as northern Marin’s retro tai-friendly other in background, poshot spot, offering denizens of Marinwood, Hamilton and House drink: Ramos fi zz sibly Celtic Food options: eggs Benedict, Ignacio a little comfort after work, and a pair of olives at Wine list: well-rounded and oysters on the half shell, ciop- the bottom of the glass. thought-out, categorized pino, calamari, crab Louis, by “domestic,” “old world” Martinis and free popcorn pretty much says it all for Tavern at Lark Creek.

Mood: Tahoe ski lodge peanut butter pie and “Southern hemisphere,” Decor: westerny, with various images of foxes scattered and including 20 wines by throughout—most notably a wood statue above the bar surthe glass rounded by wood-carved chickens, all ill-fated we presume Liquor selection: wine and beer plus shandy, black and tan, The Spinnaker Most distinguishing feature: either the 3-by-8 American snakebite, ginger beer, hard cider, Madeira, port, sherry, mead, flag above the entrance or the large wall painting of a reindeer 100 Spinnaker Dr., Sausalito, 415/332-1500 ginger wine by artist “Cornbread” House drink: hand-pulled Smithwick’s in a stout glass mug Several restaurant bars line Sausalito’s million-dollar seaClientele: ambiance-starved Novatans, business trippers from Food options: Ye Olde English pub grub—Guinness beef wall, but the venerable Spinnaker juts out into the bay the nearby Best Western stew, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, plough- length of a good city block, offering imbibers a panorama Soundtrack: hot jazz man’s lunch, freshly baked organic Zen Center bread as potent as its cocktails.

Wine list: 27 by the glass; something for everybody, but definitely favoring the cab/chard set Mood: country club dining room’s underutilized bar Liquor selection: the usual suspects Rancho Nicasio Decor: low-slung expanse with pleather banquettes, little House drink: WildFox Manhattan, lemon woo woo One Old Rancheria Rd., Nicasio, round tables with wicker-backed chairs, bayside wall of winFood options: mudbug fritter, Asian ahi tuna slider, sake415/662-2219 dows steamed mussels, WildFox nachos—Jason Walsh Most distinguishing feature: vista of Bay Bridge, SausaliMarinites have been heading out to the wilds of West to hills, sparkling lights of San Francisco Comment on this story in TownSquare, at Marin for generations in search of the Rancho’s stellar ›› pacificsun.com Clientele: upscale tourists plus 75th wedding anniversary 14 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 31, 2009

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Marin’s restaurant bar scene extends far beyond the representative examples mentioned above. Here are just a few more venues that know exactly how to juice up the dining-out experience.

Check out this week’s SunDial for New Year’s Eve events at some of the establishments mentioned in this article.

Boca (340 Ignacio Blvd., Novato, 415/8830901) Every gaucho needs her pisco sour.

Bungalow 44 (44 East Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley, 415/381-2500) One of Marin’s flirtiest bar scenes.

Finnegan’s (877 Grant Ave., Novato, 415/899-1516) The Paul Hewson of Marin Irish pubs

Providing safety information and assisting families in bringing kids home safely

2EDWOOD (WY s -ILL 6ALLEY s

Mayflower Inn (1533 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/456-1011) Care for a pint, luv?

Nick’s Cove (23240 Highway One, Marshall, 415/663-1033) What’s a dozen freshly shucked oysters without a beaker of Anchor Steam?

Olema Inn (10000 Sir Francs Drake Blvd., Olema, 415/663-9559) Civilized sipping at the edge of the continent.

Flatiron Sports Bar & Grill (724 B St., San Rafael, 415/453-4318) When only a pitcher and a dozen satellite TVs will do.

Pancho Villa’s (1625 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, 415/459-0975) Up, salt, no fruit.

La Ginestra’s Sorrento Lounge (127

Poggio (777 Bridgeway, Sausalito,

Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, 415/3880224) Rococo Italianate dolce far niente at its finest.

415/332-7771) Swanky sidewalk trattoria that takes its ingredients seriously, down to the house-infused Meyer limoncello.

Left Bank (507 Magnolia, Larkspur,

Sand Dollar (3458 Shoreline Hwy.,

415/927-3331) Nothing like a glass of vin rouge after a matinee at the Lark.

Stinson Beach, 415/868-0434) Weathered seaside shack with lots of briny character.

jewelry. Marking Cartier’s 100 years

Marinitas (218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, 415/454-8900) Margaritas and a merry melange of Marin’s beautiful people amid magnificent rustic Latin decor.

Station House Cafe (11180 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, 415/663-1515) Loveliest garden dining in the county, and one helluva live music booker. <

over 200 objects concentrates on pieces

D E C 19, 2 00 9—A PR 1 8 , 2 010 Cartier came to fame as the “king of jewelers” during the Belle Époque for his beautifully made diamond and platinum in the U.S., this spectacular array of owned by Americans including jewelry JAMES HALL

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Cartier and America is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in partnership with Cartier. Major Patron: Lonna Wais. Patron: Diane B. Wilsey. Lead Sponsor support is provided by BNP Paribas and Dr. Alan R. Malouf. Cartier Circle support is provided by Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus Andrews, Jr., Mitchell Benjamin and Ricky Serbin, Jamie and Philip Bowles, Mrs. Newton A. Cope, Troy and Angelique Griepp, Ms. Patricia Mozart, Yurie and Carl Pascarella, Arlene and Harold Schnitzer, Georges C. and Eleanor C. St. Laurent, Ms. Christine Suppes, and SUSAN/The Grocery Store. Generous support is also provided by the Dorothy and Thelma Carson Trust. British Motor Cars of San Francisco presents the Jaguar XJ as the official vehicle of Cartier and America. Emirates is the official airline, and Taj Campton Place is the official hotel partner of the exhibition.

Image: Cartier, New York, Pendant Brooch, 1928. Emeralds, diamonds, platinum and enamel. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973. Photo by Edward Owen.

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Where IQs and the fashion industry merge once and for all...

by B r e n d a K i ns e l

A

h, what a fashion year itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been. We have a ďŹ rst lady who is showing her arms in great outďŹ ts, a couple of great fashion documentaries were released (Valentino: The Last Emperor and The September Issue), and even America Ferrera as Betty Suarez got a makeover on ABCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ugly Betty, a TV show about a ďŹ ctional fashion magazine and the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes. Hopefully youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found a minute to pay attention to fashion so you can score big on this, the 14th annual Fashion Quiz.

As usual, score two points for each correct answer. If your score is 18 - 24 points, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been following Perez Hiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new blog devoted to fashion, www.cocoperez.com. If your score is 10 - 16 points, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve managed to keep up with fashion while standing at the checkout line ďŹ&#x201A;ipping through US Weekly; score 2 - 8 points and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re relying on the cast of MTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jersey Shores for your fashion advice. Stop that! Score 0 points and the only way to redeem yourself is to go out and purchase a scarf, men included. This is the best accessory to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;inâ&#x20AC;? for both genders.

Besides, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep you warm during the holiday season. Now answer these questions before you pick up that next sugar cookie.

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O

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1. This new pop princess has taken the music scene by storm with her eccentric fashions from pant-less outďŹ ts, ornate headpieces and shocking makeup a. Rihanna b. Lady Gaga c. Katy Perry d. Taylor Swift

s Special Occasion Make-Up

2. The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;dressing high-lowâ&#x20AC;? means

a. High waist pants paired with low cut top b. Wearing high-priced items with lowpriced items c. Wearing high-end designers bought at a low price d. Wearing high tops with low socks 3. Michelle Obama is sophisticatedly dressed in fashions that mix high-end designers with everyday retailers. She has been known to favor retailer______ a. Banana Republic b. Martin and Osa c. J.Crew d. Forever 21 4. The New York Times characterized this fashion duo from the movie The September Issue as the Mick and Keith of fashion. They are: a. Madonna and Britney b. Kate Moss and Iman c. Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington d. Oprah and Gayle King 5. The Snuggie phenomenon spread like wildďŹ re this year. The Snuggie was most popular as: a. Bar crawl attire b. Cozy wraps for your small, mid- or large-sized dog c. A blanket worn while at home d. All of the above 6. Which Hollywood starlet was hired as artistic adviser for Ungaro? a. Blake Lively b. Lindsay Lohan c. Lauren Conrad d. Dakota Fanning

7. Which fashion designer was quoted as saying, “Fashion can add to your life. But you should never become trapped by it or believe material things are the key to happiness.” a. Tom Ford b. John Galliano c. Betsey Johnson d. Stella McCartney 8. Which magazine will be devoting its January issue to plus-sized models? a. Vogue b. Elle c. V Magazine d. InStyle 9. Who said, “I always felt like a very ordinary looking girl, and I found that dressing in a unique way made me feel less ordinary and more glamorous.” a. Madonna b. Dita Von Teese c. Lady Gaga d. Sarah Palin 10. Which fashion label appears to have been laid to rest this year? a. Christian Lacroix b. Kate Spade c. Diane von Furstenberg d. Dior 11. Who has been hired as the latest fashion designer for Target? a. Zac Posen

b. Lilly Pulitzer c. Eileen Fisher d. Christopher Blue 12. Which singer/fashion designer joined forces with HSN (Home Shopping Network) and sold out his/her perfume line in 16 minutes? a. P. Diddy b. Jessica Simpson c. will.i.am d. Usher

Answers: 1. b. Lady Gaga. Did you catch her at any awards shows this year? She’ll inspire your disco wear, but don’t be looking like this while you’re shopping at Whole Foods! There will be a crash of shopping carts like you’ve never seen before.

2. b. If you’re thinking that following a big name designer and wearing head-to-toe outfits in that designer’s line is going to make you look instantly fabulous, you’re wrong! Do what everyone from Queen Latifah to Michelle Obama do and mix it up with low-end labels like H&M or Target with high-end labels like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana or knock-offs of Gucci and D&G! 3. c. J.Crew couldn’t be happier that Michelle is photographed wearing their products.

4. c. Anna Wintour is the editor of Vogue magazine and Grace Coddington is Vogue’s creative director. This is a must-see movie for control freaks and the creative types who barely tolerate them. Oh, and for fashionistas as well. It follows the making of the famously heavy September issue of Vogue and will make you wish you’d been collecting that issue for the last two decades

instead of recycling them.

5. d. All of the above. Are you wearing your Snuggie as you’re taking this quiz? You should be! It’s nippy out there!

6. b. Lindsay Lohan. Just how well is that working out for you, Ungaro?

7. a. Tom Ford. He’s bringing his aesthetic to the silver screen and getting good reviews for A Single Man starring Colin Firth, who is getting best-actor Oscar buzz.

8. c. V Magazine. Must magazine covers focus on scary thin models in order to sell? I guess we’ll find out! Stephan Gan, editor-in-chief says, “Everybody’s beautiful and this issue is out to prove it.” Good to know!

9. b. Dita Von Teese. She’s a famous burlesque dancer and spokesperson for MAC’s Viva Glam lipsticks. Oh, and she’s dated Marilyn Manson. She could be an icon for vintage clothing, which she wears really well...when she’s not working.

10. a. Christian Lacroix has accepted a freelance gig designing uniforms for 20,000 employees for French railway operator SNCF, after 22 years of designing beautiful couture. At least it’s a job!

11. a. Zac Posen is the latest designer to get a coveted gig at Target. It is all the rage to get these lower-end designing gigs. He joins other top designers who have done it including Vera Wang, Thakoon, Norma Kamali, Alexander McQueen and others.

12. a. P Diddy. What has he touched that hasn’t turned to gold? If you figure it out, let me know. His perfume line, I Am King, selling for $60 a pop, sold all 5,600 units in 16 minutes. I bet he gets asked back.

Happy Holidays to you fashionistas, one and all! < Brenda Kinsel is a fashion and image consultant based in Marin.

Check out her website at www.brendakinsel.com.

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www.jennielow.com DECEMBER 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DECEMBER 31, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 19

M A R i N

R E A L

E S TAT E

PACIFIC SUN OPEN HOMES

Attention realtors: To submit your free open home listing for this page and for our online listing map go to ›› pacificsun.com, click on Real Estate on the left navigation bar, then scroll to the bottom of our new Real Estate page and click on the open home submission link.

Please note that times and dates often change for listed Open Homes. Call the phone number shown on the properties you wish to visit to check for changes prior to visiting the home.

GREENBRAE

2 BEDROOMS - CONDOMINIUM

655 Eliseo Sun 1-4

NOVATO

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›› HOME SALES

DOM* = Days on Market

Recent sales in Marin County include:

Address

MILL VALLEY 98 MILLAND 277 SYCAMORE 77 HILARITA 259 FLAMINGO 37 SOMERSET

NOVATO

1 ANDREAS 12 HAWK RIDGE 1132 FERRIS 505 ARTHUR 1427 DAWES 340 GRANDVIEW 110 ARNOLD

Br/Ba

Asking $

Selling $

2/3 3/2 2/1 2/1 3/1

$769,000 $720,225 $719,950 $675,000 $650,000

$749,000 $735,000 $701,000 $648,000 $625,000

3/2 4/3 3/2 3/2 4/3 2/2 2/3

$499,000 $599,000 $539,000 $500,000 $515,000 $550,000 $524,900

$540,000 $530,000 $525,000 $505,000 $500,000 $498,000 $490,000

DOM* List/Sell% Address 36 40 10 1 19 94 113 55 184 40 261 246

97.4% 102.1% 97.4% 96.0% 96.2% 108.2% 88.5% 97.4% 101.0% 97.1% 90.5% 93.4%

26 PINHEIRO 205 GRANDE 48 SAN MARIN 2027 FELIZ

SAN ANSELMO 193 OAK SPRINGS 80 FOREST 84 MADRONE

SAN RAFAEL 600 DEER VALLEY 227 KNOLLWOOD 250 EMERYSTONE 396 MILLER CREEK

Br/Ba

Asking $

Selling $

DOM* List/Sell%

3/3 3/2 3/2 3/2

$569,000 $599,500 $422,900 $430,000

$485,000 $470,000 $452,000 $435,000

277 142 30 84

85.2% 78.4% 106.9% 101.2%

3/2 3/2 1/0

$698,900 $595,000 $379,000

$685,000 $478,000 $260,000

77 292 268

98.0% 80.3% 68.6%

2/3 3/3 4/3 4/2

$895,000 $630,000 $729,000 $675,000

$625,000 $620,000 $600,000 $595,000

140 40 316 140

69.8% 98.4% 82.3% 88.1%

›› pacificsun.com 20 PACIFIC SUN DECEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 31, 2009

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