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departments 8 Letter from the Editor
38
Skinny
Bitch Lisa Lampanelli is hot and bothered!
ON THE COVER: Photo by Anthony Coppa
features 16 Is Your Medicine Clean? You may be surprised to find out what’s on your green.
18 Globally Grown Cannabis acceptance is gaining international speed.
Progress is on the horizon; look up.
12 News Nuggets Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere— and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers.
26 Strain Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains . . . you’re welcome.
42 Destination Unknown Vietnam’s Central Highlands—the anti-tourist dream vacay.
44 Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient.
46 Green Scene Ready for Oktoberfest? We’ve got you covered.
48 Cool Stuff From Custom Label NonStick to the Pax Vaporizer, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.
52 Recipes
20 High and Mighty
It’s time to snuggle up with some hearty autumn eats and some warm tasty treats.
CULTURE sits down with the four most influential cannabis-growers.
56 Entertainment Reviews
22 The Regal Reign Jinkx Monsoon is takin’ the country by storm.
24 Dead Like Me Misfits’ legendary rocker Doyle opens up to CULTURE. 6 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture.
64 News of the Weird Yeah, these news tidbits are weird as hell—and absolutely true.
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GET YOUR CLICK HERE
letter from the editor
www.iReadCulture.com
Vol 5 IssUE 4
CULTURE Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
Editor-In-Chief
Look Up Finding peace in the harvest season “I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream…” –Vincent Van Gogh Looking up at the Harvest Moon, we are reminded of our delicate humanity and natural lives on this planet. It is the season for harvesting, and for reaping the rewards of a fruitful summer. Let this month inspire you to revel in all you’ve done since the last Harvest Moon. Take in all the accomplishments you’ve done, all the growth you have had. Now, take a deep breath and feel satisfied by all this. You deserve it. As a community, we deserve to feel pride—just look at the headway we’ve made over this last summer season. The federal government is growing, getting smarter and more considerate, in regards to our rights for natural relief with cannabis. Larger groups of conservatives are joining the—once thought of as edgy—fight for our freedoms, and the world as a whole is starting to see the cannabis reforms as a beneficial and stimulating action for our society and economy. In the days of alcohol prohibition, back in the early 1900s, the issue was a hotly debated topic, and went back and forth with the government and the citizens for over ten years. The lack of a solid popular consensus for the alcohol ban resulted in the growth of many criminal organizations, including mobs, gangs and mafias. Because of the disapproval by many, of this prohibition, disregard for laws went widespread, and created a chasm between the government, law officials and the citizens. Alcohol prohibition didn’t last long. We are at a crossroads now, with cannabis prohibition, and the solutions are naturally taking shape right before our eyes. In the depth of this recession, republicans, democrats and independents are all starting to come forward in seeing cannabis legalization as a saving grace for our economy, our health and our national community. There will be setbacks and injustices, but they are making us stronger as a community. With everyone’s efforts together, we’ll be all the better for them. Take a moment to look up at that harvest moon, and feel the progress we’ve made. It is nearly time to bask in its glow and be thankful, as we see the fruits of our labor taking shape. c
Sincerely, Evan A. Senn
Editor-In-Chief
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Evan Senn
Arts & Entertainment Editor Ashley Bennett
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Omar Aziz, Sarah Bennett, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Rev. Dr. Kymron de Cesare, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Carolina Duque, James P. Gray, S.A. Hawkins, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Dan MacIntosh, Meital Manzuri, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Keller O’Malley, Arrissia Owen, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Jeff Schwartz, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn
Photographers
Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Amanda Holguin, Khai Le, David Elliot Lewis, Mark Malijan, Patrick Roddie, Michael Seto, Kim Sidwell
Interns
Dulce Balandran, Kim Johnson, Derek Obregon
Art Director
Steven Myrdahl
Graphic Designers
Vidal Diaz, Tommy LaFleur
Director of Sales & Marketing Jim Saunders
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Jon Bookatz, Kim Cook, Beau Odom, John Parker, Dave Ruiz, Paulina Poter-Tapia, April Tygart
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Star-studded Cannabis Expo at SF Civic Center
THE STATE Berkeley voting to increase number of medical cannabis dispensaries
The Berkeley City Council is voting on increasing the number of medical cannabis dispensaries from four to six, amidst issues regarding reduced tax revenues. The City of Berkeley will be receiving an estimated million plus dollars in tax revenue in 2014, twice the amount from last year. However with federal action taking place against Berkeley Patients Group, the largest medical cannabis dispensary in the city, that anticipated tax revenue may be reduced to as low as $570,000. There will be a meeting to discuss the issue, including two proposals on how to amend the Medical Cannabis Ordinance. The City Manager’s office and the Medical Cannabis Commission are presenting the two different proposals, however they can agree on increasing the number of dispensaries to six. Both proposals similarly aim to develop a ranking system for future dispensaries built in the city. However, differences include whether or not customers can consume medical cannabis at the sites. Another key difference is deciding how the dispensaries should be guarded during closing hours. While one proposal suggests security guards, the other says bars and gates over doors and windows would be sufficient. The City Manager’s office will also present statistics on the number of customers using dispensaries during a seventh-month period. 12 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
September 7 marked the date for the International Cannabis and Hemp Expo held at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza. Thousands of medical cannabis users and distributors attended the exposition, featuring over 100 vendors as well as a “Prop 215” section where attendees could enjoy edibles and vaporizers. Notable speakers included former Mexico President Vicente Fox, Rep. Tom Ammiano, freedom fighter Dennis Peron, as well as BReal of the hip-hop group Cypress Hill. As most cannabis-related events are held on private property, it is a huge step for a public building to serve as the host to the exposition. It took almost two years of negotiations to attain the permit, according to organizing officials. San Francisco has been a leading force in the legalization of medical cannabis, however in the last couple of years several dispensaries have been shut down in the city while new permits are being approved. The exposition is aimed to show the medical benefits and treatments that cannabis can provide, with groups such as Americans for Safe Access and California NORML showcasing at the expo. Doctors were even available at the expo to write on-the-spot recommendations for those interested in using cannabis for medical uses.
THE NATION Utah mom seeks cannabis for her son
Jennifer May is making headlines in Utah as she fights for the health and well-being of her 11-year-old son, who has a form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. She is to be prescribed medical cannabis to help in the reduction of seizures. After attempting over 25 different treatments for her child, May is now fighting for legislation to allow cannabis to be made available for medical use, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Medical cannabis is illegal in Utah, however May’s efforts have organized other like-minded parents to begin advocating for children suffering from epilepsy. May states that after years of being prescribed a number of prescription drugs, there are few options left for her child. She stumbled upon the cannabis trail through reading an article about Colorado’s famous child advocate, Charlotte, whose amazing progress after using cannabis has reduced her seizures from 300 a week to just one. The Epilepsy
Association of Utah supports May’s push and notes the medical value of extracting cannabidiol from the cannabis plant for people with epilepsy. In the past, Utah’s legislative heads have consistently turned down any measure to legalize medical cannabis, saying that a lack of credible research being a main reason. Currently, possession of less than an ounce of cannabis can incriminate a six month jail time and $1,000 fine. However pharmaceutical company GW is running tests on a cannabis strain that is high in cannabidiol (CBD) that can significantly help patients suffering from epilepsy.
New Jersey State Senate amends aspects of medical cannabis law
The New Jersey State Senate amended New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s recently vetoed medical cannabis law, according to The Tampa Tribune. The amended law now allows medical cannabis to be given to sick children as well as allowing farmers to grow more than three strains of medical cannabis. In the case of children, a pediatrician and psychiatrist must sign to give medical cannabis to patients. Governor Christie released a statement saying he supports the medical cannabis measure to include children with serious illnesses. The current
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measure requires a child to see a minimum of three doctors before being prescribed medical cannabis. However once the measure is passed, a child must only see one doctor to get the prescription. Governor Christie also realized the importance that certain strains of medical cannabis can be more or less effective in treating symptoms for patients. Unfortunately, New Jersey still does not allow strains high in non-psychoactive cannabinoid (CBD) and low THC to be sold or purchased.
THE WORLD Mexico City looking to end violence with cannabis legalization
presented several proposals at the meeting, including an increase in the number of cannabis plants per person to three and the possibility of non-profit cannabis clubs. Even former President Vicente Fox cited the legalization of cannabis as a possible solution to end the violence. Councilman Vidal Llerenas, who is a participant in drafting the medical cannabis bill, also weighed in on the issue, praising Washington’s law that allows anyone 21 and over to own and use, as well as the recent progress in Uruguay. However, he feels that realistically, the bill “would be something like in the Netherlands where consumption and possession are not penalized.” It’s no secret that the Mexican government has faced harsh violence over recent years due to drug cartels. Councilwoman Damian however is arguing that with the proper registration and organization, private cannabis clubs are a feasible idea for the future of Mexico City.
Mexico City is currently debating legalizing medical cannabis through the creation of private clubs, according to The Huffington Post. A three-day forum was held in the capital to discuss possible solutions to the region’s drug trafficking problem. Councilwoman Esthela Damian of the Democratic Revolution Party
by the numbers Fremont: 2.48 (Source: The Pueblo Chieftain)
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The cost in dollars, for a tour through Jamaican cannabis farms, including samples: 50 (Source: The Associated Press)
1
The estimated number of patients and non-patients that attended San Fransisco’s first International Cannabis and Hemp Expo: 10,000 (Source: Digital Journal)
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The age, in years, of a Utah youth, whose mother is helping to launch a legislative initiative to legalize a liquid form of medical cannabis in Utah: 11 (Source: Standard-Examiner)
2
Current number of active medical cannabis storefronts in San Francisco County: 26 (Source: SF Examiner) Number of patients shared between the cities of San Jose and Oakland: 128,000 (Source: Bloomberg Business Week)
4
8
5
9
The difference, in percent, between those who voted no as opposed to yes for allowance of retail cannabis locations in
The number of signatures required to get the Sensible BC Marijuana Decriminalization Referendum onto the ballot in September 2014: 400,000 (Source: cannabisculture.com)
11
The cost, in dollars, that Uruguay plans to sell legal cannabis—per gram—to compete with black market: 2.5 (Source: The Huffington Post)
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The percent of Americans that had tried cannabis in 1985 vs. the percent of Americans have tried cannabis today: 33 vs. 38 (Source: The Huffington Post)
13
3
The percentage that a major collective contributes to the San Jose and Oakland economy after netting a gross $30 million a year: 15 (Source: Bloomberg Business Week)
10
The amount of CBD vs THC, in parts, that the liquid form of medical cannabis used for Dravet patients has: 15 to 1 (Source: Standard-Examiner) The number of states that hope to have cannabis regulations to treat cannabis like alcohol by 2017: 10 (Source: Bangor Daily News)
The number, in years, it took for American attitudes about cannabis to zigzag from the paranoia of “Reefer Madness” to the excesses of Woodstock back to the hard line of “Just Say No:” 50 (Source: The Associated Press)
Cannafest Prague 2013 We Americans are proud to see the vast improvement that our cannabis communities have experienced over the past year—and we like to show our strides to the world with annual conventions like Kush Expo and Hempfest. However nothing compares to the world’s largest, renowned, international cannabis trade show—Cannafest. In its 4th year, Cannafest takes place in beautiful Prague, in the Czech Republic. The event invites both cannabis fans as well as industry professionals to gather in support of the latest innovations and trends in the industry. A whopping 150 exhibitors hailing from 17 different countries will populate the Prague Exhibition Grounds, from the newest in fertilizing and cultivation to your favorite cannabis publications. Cannafest will also bring together leading cannabis celebrities such as Howard Marks (aka Mr. Nice) with a book signing, as well as lectures by Professor Lumír Hanuš and a medical cannabis expert Liana Held. Such a diverse event will be the perfect opportunity for industry’s leading media educators and legalization supporters (including CULTURE) to continue doing what they do best—spreading the word about cannabis, cannabis lifestyle and its many beneficial properties.
IF YOU GO
What: Cannafest Prague. When/Where: November 8-10. Incheba Expo Prague Holesovice, Areál Výstaviště 67, 170 00 Prague, Czech Republic. Info: Check out www. facebook.com/Cannafest or en.cannafest.cz for more info. OCTOBER 2013 • CULTURE 15
FLASH
Safety in Numbers Getting smart on clean By Jeff Raber
T
green
here are many different aspects of medical cannabis which touch both users and non-users in a variety of ways. From which product forms are available and utilized in which areas to which variety is going to be most helpful for a particular ailment. An issue that impacts both medical cannabis consumers and non-consumers is the legal structure and laws around the regulation of the production and distribution of these medications. Recently the Federal Department of Justice released a memo describing how it shall be a low priority to pursue marijuana cultivators and providers who are operating pursuant to state laws and are operating within a set of comprehensive regulations that both prevents problems and meets federal standards for the protection of public health. Unfortunately, California has not formally established a well-defined, clear and easily interpretable set of laws and regulations that will provide a bright line of understanding to both law 16 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
enforcement and the cannabis community. Many different individuals would like to help provide medications to ailing patients. Combined these operators, their patients, law enforcement and the general community need to all clearly be able to understand the methods and procedures by which the cannabis supply chain is allowed to operate. California dispensaries will finally stop getting raided by the federal authorities only once the state implements and enforces a strong and robust regulatory scheme for the distribution of medical cannabis. Unfortunately, our law makers are failing us again, in that regard. As we have written previously about the potential for considerable exposure of pesticides via inhalation, where almost 70 percent of the pesticide present on the plant material could be exposed to a user’s lungs, the cannabis community has become quite concerned about pesticides being present in our medicine. Our lab currently has observed that more than 10
percent of the samples tested have failed our pesticide screen. We’ve sampled in some smaller areas that have resulted in almost 30 percent of the samples being contaminated with a pesticide in our screen. To better understand what a patient might access throughout California 15 different flower samples were collected anonymously from a large variety of sources. These samples ranged in THC content from 10-23 percent, with many of them reaching 19 percent or over. Of these particular samples six percent failed our pesticide screen. This corroborates an existing hypothesis that 10 percent of the overall samples being contaminated with pesticides as concentrates and waxes are observed at a higher rate of failure than flowers. With some areas’ current position of “no pesticides being currently allowed for use on cannabis,” we have adopted a sensitive and broad-based screening methodology. We look for 30 different pesticides and chemical residues at levels that have been calculated based on current EPA allowable daily intake limits for use on other ingestible products. The two most prevalent chemicals we find are the plant growth regulator paclobutrazol and the pyrethoid insecticide bifenthrin. It is important to note that a pesticide pass or failure is only indicative of the pesticides looked for by the laboratory using that particular methodology. Considering one in 10 products a patient acquires from a dispensary will contain a pesticide or plant growth regulator, it is imperative that patients start seeking safety tested medications. Producers and providers need to remember they have a responsibility to everyone who may potentially consume their medicine. It is only right to ensure all of our medicine is clean and free of contaminants, and as a community we can demand that it is done properly. c
You are what you eat The July deaths of 23 Indian children from what authorities are calling pesticide-tainted school lunches have raised questions about insectkilling chemicals used overseas and at home. The children died after eating a free meal of rice, potatoes and soy. It was thought to contain an organophosphate insecticide, according to an official involved with the ongoing investigation. Investigators found a container of pesticide in the school’s cooking area, according to The Associated Press, and said the rice might have been tainted and improperly washed. A cook said oil used to prepare the meal looked unusual, but that she was told by the principal to use it anyway. Organophosphates are used widely around the world and are the most common pesticide in the U.S., with an estimated 73 million pounds of the chemical sprayed on American crops in 2001, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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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FLASH
The Growing
Epidemic International Embrace By Stephanie Bishop
T
he 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs created a prohibitive zero tolerance policy with goals to eliminate and limit the cultivation, distribution and possession of illicit drugs. At the time, 185 states signed on effectively bringing United States drug policy to lawmakers in most of the world. Very few countries opted for exclusion. Afghanistan is one such country. For perspective, there are 195 nation states recognized in the world today. In the United States, the Controlled Substances Act of 1971 set legislature to comply with the United Nations (UN) Convention. This act replaced and unified previous agreements and created the DEA’s Drug Diversion Program where narcotic drugs, including cannabis are scheduled according to their medicinal value and potential for abuse. Much has happened all over the world since the UN Convention in the war on drugs. Each country has had to define laws to comply as well as find ways to work outside of these laws to continue business as usual. Many countries who have embraced cannabis as medicine since the beginning of time never stopped producing the 18 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
plant and risk everything to use cannabis as a livelihood strategy continuing traditions stretching back in some cases to the beginning of human history. Morocco has been the leading producer of hash enjoyed in European markets for a very long time, 2010 produced 760 tons of cannabis resin according to a UN report published last
year. Farmers here have grown cannabis and used the plant in everyday life for centuries. Most countries changed policy to comply with the UN convention on narcotic drugs and carried on with eradication efforts, however, Morocco simply initiated an undocumented system of bribery where farmers paid local law enforcement officials not to conduct raids on their farms. Today, Moroccan officials are considering draft legislation allowing for the licensing of cannabis farmers. The countries intentions are to make cannabis products avail-
able on global markets as more medicinal uses for the plant are discovered and consumer trends develop. Modern day Afghanistan is now considered the leading producer of cannabis after farmers in 2012 produced an estimated 1,400 tons of cannabis. The area is well known by cannabis enthusiasts for Afghan strains found in American and European markets. Most of these strains are sativas brought to global markets by hippies who traveled there in the mid ‘70s and returned home with seeds. Today, Soldiers deployed in the country bring seeds back and become growers once they have completed their service. There is no way to calculate the economic impact of a mass system of distribution and production where seeds have traveled with thousands of individuals over decades of time. Cannabis production dwarfs opium production in Afghanistan, the leading producer of black market opium. Attempts made by local officials to curb opium production are met with a measurable increase in cannabis production. Uruguay has seen a tremendous amount of violence throughout the decades since participating in the UN Convention battling drug cartels. The losses are immeasurable leaving officials looking for bold and creative ways to take power from drug lords and restore a peaceable, safe environment. Recent changes in the laws removing criminal penalties for the personal use and possession of all drugs, initiating a medical cannabis program in which government agencies would produce and distribute to qualified patients and initiating legislation for the regulation for recreational use are all efforts to curb drug violence in the country. It was U.S. anti-drug policy that shaped the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Ironically, it appears as countries follow U.S. lead with regards to cannabis policy, it will be U.S. policy ending prohibition on a global level. c 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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BUZZ
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Over the last few decades, growing cannabis as well as publishing cannabis books was more than illegal, it was a borderline revolutionary act—tantamount to creating the Anarchist Cookbook. But over the last 15 years, mainstream America has veered toward embracing cannabis cultivation’s visionaries. Below, CULTURE chats with some of the growing industry’s biggest names and revels in their innovation and determination.
DJ SHORT Celebrity grower DJ Short has made himself a household name with Blueberry and Flo, two iconic strains that have led to endless crosses including industry blockbuster Blue Dream. What was the first cannabis plant you grew? DJ Short: Seeded Hawaiian. I put a whole bud with probably 10 or 15 seeds in it in a little sprout dome that came in a box of breakfast cereal. They all just sort of sprouted and off they went. Didn’t know about budding, didn’t know about flowering, just grew these bigass plants. You said you gave away your trade secret Blueberry? DJ Short: Ya, and Flo. I open sourced it . . . In 1982, I knew the value of my seed collection. And I told my mother in the mid ‘80s, ‘Mom, I’m gonna be famous from this.’ Do people recognize you in the grocery store? DJ Short: Sometimes . . . I don’t promote me. I love being able to walk into a dispensary and have nobody know who I am.
DANNY DANKO Russia-born senior cultivation editor of High Times Danny Danko is the author of numerous bestselling books and host of the Free Cannabis podcast. Tell me about growing ganja in New York City for the last 18 years. Danko: Growing in a city like New York is not easy. You don’t want anyone to know what you’re doing because you’re basically prey to people who want to rob you. I mean you can have all the odor control in the world, but when it’s harvest time and you’re trimming five pounds of cannabis, it’s gonna smell, people are going to notice. So it’s difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. A lot of growers are worried about what legalization is going to do to the price of cannabis. Danko: I do think prohibition is doomed and I think the price of cannabis is going to plummet. It’s gonna cost pennies on the dollar, comparatively. We’ve already seen it in Colorado. And pretty soon it’ll be between $50 and $100 per ounce tops. How did you get the High Times gig? Danko: I started out just trying to get my foot in the door any way possible. I answered telephones and broke down boxes . . . When the cultivation reporter position opened up; it was a pretty natural fit.
The Blueberry strain is without a doubt one of the most popular cannabis hybrids available in seed form today. The history of the strain takes us back to the West Coast in the 1970s, where DJ Short was working on a multitude of exotic hybrids and growing experiments from places like Colombia, Panama, Mexico and Thailand. Short applied his talented green thumb to breeding and created new floral lines using three exotic plants he had discovered. Soon enough he established his two best known strains; namely Blueberry and Flo. Short created the Blueberry by crossing the earlier lines to Juicy Fruit/ Afghani plant hybrids. This means that there is a little of two sativa mothers in the Blueberry. Short, himself, explained that some traits were more accessible through the Purple Thai, while others could be found by further crossing the plant to the Juicy Fruit Thai hybrid. The Original Blueberry was bred towards an indica expression although a more sativa dominant plant was also worked on and later refined into what we today know as the Blueberry Sativa.
ED ROSENTHAL Ed Rosenthal was born in the Bronx, New York in 1944, and after starting High Times magazine with Tom Forcade in ‘74, became a household name as a cannabis cultivator/educator, releasing what many have called the cannabis growing bible, Ed Rosenthal’s Cannabis Growing Handbook. Looking back on your career, what do you attribute your success to? Rosenthal: There are several things. I like telling people what to do. I have a lot of tenacity. I was also too dumb to realize what dangerous situations I’ve put myself in all my life by being open and available. Other people might have thought about the riskreward ratio in a different way, and I don’t scare easily. And I think I just give good advice because people keep buying my books. Also, there hasn’t been a lot of real meaningful competition. All these other writers who wrote for High Times went on to bigger and better writing careers. I guess I was too dumb to get out of it. It seems like a real revolutionary act to author these books back then. Rosenthal: I was in the Yippies and we moved from the Vietnam War to drug laws. When did you first cultivate cannabis? Rosenthal: ‘66, something like that. I lived in a big old apartment in New York that was limited to 320 watts. We were actually smoking leaves all the time. How does it feel to have been right all these years? Rosenthal: It’s not just me and it’s not just this issue. Everything the hippies stood for—issues of war and peace, the environment, food, civil rights—is coming to pass whether people like it or not. That’s the way it is.
JORGE CERVANTES George Van Patten “Jorge Cervantes” was born in Ontario, Oregon in 1953. His early love of plants led to a career as a cannabis grower and writer wherein he covered cultivation for High Times for 10 years and wrote what many consider the growing bible, Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible, which has been translated into six languages. You were a newspaper boy, and then a photographer and press operator, how did exposure to the media world affect your life? Cervantes: It helped immensely in my career because I understood how everything worked. I started self-publishing right at the beginning of the desktop publishing revolution. What was your first exposure to cannabis? Cervantes: Probably the movie Easy Rider when they all got stoned one night. My friend and I bought an ounce of Mexican dirt cannabis and four of us went in my car and we smoked it in my dad’s tobacco pipe. When did you first plant cannabis? Cervantes: In Mexico in ‘76. I just grew a little bit outdoors. It was no big deal then. Nobody cared so much. How does it feel to have been right about legalization? Cervantes: Vindicating. 100 percent. I had family members feel sorry for me and call me a criminal, that was the worst feeling. Now it’s much better and I’ve seen people back up and pretend they didn’t think that. What three traits were essential to your success? Cervantes: Always be true to yourself. Always. Trust yourself. Don’t give up. No matter what anybody says, they’re not talking about you, they’re talking about themselves. And work hard, because that’s the way it is. You get very little in the world because of luck. c
OCTOBER 2013 • CULTURE 21
BUZZ
You are a beautiful woman and man. What is your earliest memory of identifying as feminine? When I was a kid, as early as five years old, I used to wrap myself in a knitted afghan whenever I was at home, to look like Morticia Addams. There are actually numerous family photos with me in my DIY gown. Growing up and pursuing your career in theatre, was there a moment when you could have given up and gone a different path? If so, what made you stay on the path you are on now? When I was deciding on a college, I had to answer this question: Do I go to theater school and concentrate on spending my life as a performer/ actor; or, do I go to a liberal arts college to have a more reliable career focused on stability rather than passion? There wasn’t much money for me to go to college, so there was a touch of pressure on me to make the “responsible, right” choice . . . Ultimately, I decided to go for what I was passionate about, but my Plan B was to study English and become a teacher. Honors English was one of my favorite subjects in school, especially when we were studying Shakespeare. So, that’s where I’d be today if I weren’t doing this.
It’s
Monsoon Season! Jinkx Monsoon Queen
Rules Right
By Joy Shannon Who would have guessed that the narcoleptic, underdog, dark horse of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5—Jinkx Monsoon—would have won the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar!” Currently performing on Broadway in The Vaudevillians to excellent reviews, Jinkx has already used her drag superstardom to keep moving forward in the direction of her dreams. The Huffington Post recently reviewed Jinkx as a “real star” who is “show[ing] off talent that was only glimpsed at on Drag Race.” Jinkx first stole fans’ hearts early on during RuPaul’s Drag Race when she impeccably and hilariously portrayed the cult classic character Little Edie from the documentary Grey Gardens. During the show’s season, Jinkx weathered criticisms from the judges and her fellow drag queens—especially the pageant-oriented queens—for her quirky take on fashion. Jinkx’s memorable looks have always leaned toward vintage-inspired and character-driven, rather than high-fashion runway. When Jinkx accepted her crown as “America’s New Drag Superstar,” she declared that she would be an activist for marriage equality, which has proven to be an eventful fight across the country this past year. Jinkx recently spoke to CULTURE about everything about her childhood, the choices that led her to theatre and her medical cannabis use.
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Your mantra of “water off a ducks back” has become a charming catch phrase, yet it is also a meaningful mantra. When did you first start using this mantra? My drag sister Robbie said it to me when I first started working a lot in Seattle, and I faced a lot of criticism from other queens in the area who, for whatever reason, were extremely competitive and critical of me. Robbie said, “Whatever, it’s just water off a duck’s back.” That mantra (which helped me through the rougher parts of RuPaul’s Drag Race) means that I take in notes and critiques, learn what I can from them by separating my emotion from the notes, and let go of any negativity I sense and take the good from all of what I get. I always try to remember, it’s not about me, it’s about the work. At the end of your career, what would you like to have accomplished? I hope I will be recognized as a true artist in my field, and I hope I will leave a positive and substantial impact on my community. What are your thoughts about medicinal cannabis legalization in the US? I honestly think it’s silly that alcohol is legal and cannabis isn’t. As one who uses medicinal cannabis for my narcolepsy, I can tell you that, when I’m drunk, I act coo-coo banana crackers. But when I’ve smoked, I’m still me . . . just relaxed. Alcohol is, to me, much more destructive, and cannabis is much more therapeutic. And that’s what I think about that. c
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tu n es
www.officialdoyle.com
Misfit Adventures Infamous
Doyle gets down and dirty with CULTURE
By Alex Distefano
T
he Misfits are a world renowned punk rock band with a cult like following, that was formed in 1977 by bass player Jerry Only and singer Glenn Danzig. At the forefront of the horror punk movement and even foreshadowing a dark, monster-obsessed form of rock which would inspire many metal musicians, guitarist and brother of Jerry Only, Doyle joined the band at age 15 in the early ‘80s and has since been responsible for some of the most iconic guitar playing, on some of the Misfits classic material. With his signature corpse paint, Devils-lock and an arsenal of guitar riffs, Doyle is respected for his innovative, explosive mix of death punk rock-n-roll with the Misfits and his solo music, with the initial band Gorgeous Frankenstein and currently with his new musical project, simply titled Doyle. Doyle took time to speak with Culture recently, just
before his performance with Danzig as part of the special Danzig 25th Anniversary tour last month. This particular show was extra special; it was the very last concert to ever occured at the legendary Gibson Amphitheater in Southern California. The venue will be converted to a new Harry Potter attraction in the near future. In terms of his newly anticipated solo album, entitled Abominator, Doyle said that he is on fire and very eager to share his music and tour to support the record. “The new album’s ready. It was out digitally, but comes out physically at the end of October,” Doyle said. “We’re all ready to go. I can’t wait.” Doyle said this project, which is a slab of punk and metal fury for fans of Misfits and Danzig, has been in the works for several years and aside from the album, Abominator, even more music is on the way. “We started writing in 2008, we had enough for two and
a half records,” he told Culture. “We recorded it all ourselves. The second one is almost finished, it will be out in the near future.” Although one might imagine that every day is Halloween for Doyle, he admits that he doesn’t always get the chance to celebrate it with his family. “Usually, on Halloween we’re on tour and I’m at a show working,” he said. “I wish I could at least take my kids trick or treating, that would be fun.” Among Doyle’s other ventures
include a non musical endeavor that is like a fiery assault on your taste buds. Doyle has his own brand of bottled hot sauce, known as Made In Hell. He told Culture that his secret is in adding nonconventional ingredients. “I tasted the [original recipe] and decided to add some spices I like,” he said. “I like spicy food and think it’s good, I hope people like it, I have a new one coming out soon as well, and that will be even hotter.” c
Health and Wellness Although Misfits is not known for being lumped in with the “stoner crowd,” Doyle said that he ultimately supports the freedom of people to use cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes. The band was formed in the late ‘70s, in New Jersey, a state that now joins many other states in the country with similar laws regarding cannabis, with laws being passed in 2010. Doyle focuses his lifestyle on music, family and keeping physically fit. Doyle said that keeping in shape is the only way to live a lifestyle of live shows and constant touring. With his amazing physique, he insists he could do better. “I have been working out for 38 years man I should be looking a lot better than I do,” he said.
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strain, edible & concentrate reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Fire Cookies Silicon Valley Arc in San Jose is carrying some exemplary Fire Cookies shatter, a type of concentrated cannabis made by the awardwinning folks at First Class Concentrates. Fire Cookies starts with a cross of Fire OG—the strongest, best OG Kush around—and Girl Scout Cookies, the four-time Cup-winning strain of the year. First Class concentrates has stripped and concentrated the essential oils of Fire Cookies down to their essence with this shatter; a clean-smelling and amazingly translucent product with zero bubbles. At room temperature the hyper-tacky substance will snap like brittle sap, and it vaporizes on a hot nail in a smooth even boil. The trademark Cookies aroma remains, but the medicine is powerful nonetheless. Patients are using these indica-dominant concentrates to treat severe muscle spasms associated with paralysis and multiple sclerosis.
Fortune Spicy Disco Reportedly a mix of Afghani Hash Plant and Lavender, the heavy indica Spicy Disco is all the rage in San Jose, where it can be found at Fortune Wellness Center, they report. This ain’t exactly party cannabis, more like, “Goodnight, Bay Area”. The indica Afghani Hash Plant is legendary for its copious resin production, and is usually cultivated for use in making concentrated cannabis or hash, which has been going on in Afghanistan for eons. Lavender is more complex, but equally exotic—a mix of Super Skunk (Skunk #1 X Afghanistan), Big Skunk Korean and an Afghani X Hawaiian. We see the Afghan roots all over these gorgeous nugs—which are light and dark blond with brown pistils and a funky-skunk. Resin production is off the charts, and patients report using these heavy indicas to treat severe pain and muscle spasms.
Pink Candy HHCC’s been around since 2009, and has a reputation for knowing what they are carrying, as evinced by this Pink Candy concentrate. The solvent hash’s source material is thought to be a cross of Pink Panther and Candy Kush, and this concentrate is said to have been made with the actual flower buds of the plant, as opposed to the usual trim. The best thing about budders as opposed to other forms of solvent hash is the residual smell. Pink Candy smells like the ghost of the strain it came from: fruity, light and delicious. Our sample had a bit of a gooey texture for a budder, and was a sort of jellied light-brown color. It performed perfectly on a hit nail and the fruity smoke was very potent. Patients are using hybrid concentrates to treat severe nausea, vomiting and anorexia.
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Sugar Kush Now this is something we’ve never seen before. Sugar Kush from Medi+Marts is sporting what they report to be amber balls of resin, as though some cannabis oil fairy stopped by and dolloped some psychoactive goodness hither and thither on this cannabis. Sugar Kush is reportedly mixes Kandy Kush—which is OG Kush and Trainwreck—made of a California Hash Plant crossed with a Northern Lights #1. These girls had stretch. The buds were long and airy, yet tough and brittle. Gorgeously pale green with fiery orange pistils they earned their name by looking sugar-coated. Of course, that’s THC, not glucose, though the jar gives a lovely light, sweet, fruity aroma. Patients are using these solid indica strains to treat anxiety, glaucoma and stimulate appetite during chemotherapy.
Red Velvet Cupcakes Mmmm! These Red Velvet Cupcakes from Green Ticket Bakery smell so sweet, buttery and delicious, it’s hard not to scarf a whole one down. The bakery takes an all-natural approach and makes their cupcakes without the use of alcohol, butane or cannabutter—instead going with a water-derived cannabis hash. You can’t taste the hash at all in the buttery, sweet frosting or delicious red velvet cake, which are made with flour, sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, cocoa, vanilla and vegetable glycerin. The cupcake has no preservatives, so keep it cool or freeze it by its sell-by date. Infused with the indica strain G-13, patients are reportedly using these 6-dose, 108mg THC edibles to treat stress, anxiety and pain. Eat one third of the cupcake and wait one hour.
Triple 7 Mango Kush Eating a mango an hour before smoking cannabis will increase the plant’s effects by altering the body’s chemistry to better actuate the cannabinoids—not to mention, mango is delicious. Whether or not you have tropical fruit lying around, you’re bound to enjoy this Triple 7 Mango Kush from Highway 29 Healthcare. These growers are the same people who brought us the High Times Cannabis Cup-winning Cordero Kush, and they’ve taken just as much care with this strain. The strain crosses Mango (Thailand X Brazil plus Afghani) with the near-pure indica Hindu Kush straight from the foothills of the Himalayas. These gorgeous multi-colored, dark nugs were amazingly dank, and fruity-smelling, with powerful indica effects patients report using to treat inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
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William CO2 Wonder Serenity Collective in San Jose is offering this blend of strains known as William CO2 Wonder, a product that takes its name from the concentration process, which reportedly involves the use of carbon dioxide to strip and concentrate the essential oils of the cannabis plant. The cannabis world is going ga-ga for techniques like these, though most often their makers employ solvents like N-Butane or isopropyl alcohol. The problem there is residual solvent in the final oils, hash, budder or wax. CO2 theoretically nips that problem in the bud by using a liquid version of the ever-present gas to do the stripping and concentrating. Afterwards it then evaporates back into the air or is recaptured for future use. Patients are using such high-THC concentrates to treat chronic neuropathic pain from severe injuries and disease.
The White La Vie MMX faces some stiff competition in San Jose, yet has really outdone themselves with this massive sample of The White, which must clock in well above five grams for the nug. Given to us in a special, oversized jar, The White presents itself in the form of these big, bulbous nug-heads that are just a riot of orange pistils and shimmering, light-green leaf. It was really easy to take photos the plant’s microscopic trichomes. Our sample was completely covered in full, mature, well-developed little glands that were clearly packed with THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis. The White is a legendary, elite, clone-only strain considered one of the frostiest on the planet. A super-potent hybrid, patients report using indica hybrids for pain relief, muscle spasms and migraines.
Platinum Girl Scout Cookies The reported creators of the hit strain Girl Scout Cookies have never released official seeds, but chance encounters with seeds from large batches of cookies have been enough to spread the strain far and wide. Bay Leaf of San Jose has a sterling cut of Platinum Girl Scout Cookies on their hands—dense, dark and resinous. These buds glistened under direct light as though they were wet. That’s not moisture, though, but rather trichomes, which are abundant on this sample. Dark green and purple leaf cradled clusters of rusty pistils. Another grinder-locker, Girl Scout Cookies’ fragrance hinted at mint and vanilla. Allegedly a cross of a kush from Jacksonville, Florida, and a Northern California Durban Poison crossed to a secret “F1”, Girl Scout Cookies leans indica. Patients are using this strain to treat stress, and symptoms from Hepatitis C.
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Animal Cookies Crumble The folks over at A2C2 in San Jose don’t just distribute concentrates; they use a lot of them, which always bodes well when taking home a product. A2C2’s continues to set the bar with this Animal Cookies Crumble, another type of solvent-based concentrate with all the traits we’re looking for. A2C2 Animal Cookies crumble is light colored like pure THC, with a little bit of green pigment, probably from the plant matter. It’s very, very dry and crumbly, indicating no residual solvent or water or anything else troublesome and it has the pleasant smell of residual terpenes from the Cookies plant—always good signs. This crumble vaporized without sparking or crackling, and its vapor was sweet, light and smooth on the throat. Patients report using this indica-dominant hybrid concentrate to treat asthma, migraines and fibromyalgia.
Sour Diesel The East Coast legend Sour Diesel is no stranger to the West Coast, just ask Cal+Med in San Jose, who are carrying some quite large phenotypes of this hit strain. Sour Diesel is a descendant of Chemdawg from Colorado. On the East Coast, breeders crossed it with Skunk #1 and Northern Lights #1,2 and 5 to get Original Diesel. Add in some more Skunk and Hawaiian and Sour Diesel was born. Cal+Med’s buds are quite large for Sour Diesel with a medium density and more leaf than usual. Even more unique, sandy-brown pistils flow long all over this girl. The trademark Sour Diesel smell is there, but subdued, however what is not subdued is the effect. Cal+Med’s Sour Diesel packs a potent, hybrid kick that provides energy and anxiety relief, patients report.
The Fruit of the Gods (F.O.G.) Santa Cruz’s very own Green Acres has a gift from Mount Olympus destined to make us mortals’ time on Earth a little bit more pleasant—The Fruit of the Gods, or F.O.G. for short. Fruit of the Gods is a very unique cross of two of my favorite sativas: Haze and Skunk #1. Haze is a pan-global sativa mutt that can be found in hit strains like Blue Dream and Super Silver Haze. Skunk #1 is another legendary, elemental strain that lies at the heart of many other hybrids. Together, these nugs smell grassy, fruity and potent. Our samples were medium sized, quite dense, and spiny like an OG. The buds were mostly light green, with copious levels of trichomes and only a smidge of pistils. F.O.G. Smelled spicy and OG Kush-esque when ground, and patients report the strong sativa can treat depression and ADD in some cases.
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Animal Cookies The East Bay is mostly ban country when it comes to medical cannabis dispensaries. But patients outside of Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond can still get coveted, top-shelf strains from the myriad delivery services serving the region. For example, Animal Cookies from A Cut Above Deliveries—serving the East Bay. A great cut of a massively popular strain, A Cut Above really delivers with this strain. We get that complex Cookies funk off this container and inside, these flower buds look spot-on. Cookies is dark, dense, lumpy and resinous, and this cut looks the part. These nugs will lock up a grinder and fill a room with their scent, and the powerful poly-hybrid Cookies effect causes feelings of well-being, followed by relaxation. Patients are using these strong indica dominant hybrids to treat symptoms of PMS and insomnia.
Sensi Chew Cannabis edibles continue their exciting march forward with these Sensi Chews, a type of medicated chocolate caramel. Sensi Chews are expertly packaged in clear plastic pouches with a peel-back and reseal lid. On the package we see that our edibles are of the sativa variety and there are four 25mg doses of SensiChews in each package, for a total of 100mg of cannabinoids. We also get vital nutrition information. Made with sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream, cocoa, vanilla and cannabis extract, the gluten free Chews are 40 calories each. They come apart with a gentle pull and have the consistency of hardened dough. You can really taste the cannabis in each bite, but it’s not totally overwhelming, and it’s to be expected with such a strong edible. Patients are eating cannabinoids to avoid the side effects of smoking while treating pain, depression and anxiety. Legal Disclaimer
The publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical cannabis concentrates. The reviews listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only when medical cannabis is not a violation of state law. Please consume responsibly. Concentrates are legal and covered under Washington’s State Medical Use of Cannabis Act (Measure 692), SB 6032 and SB 5798, and are considered a form of medical cannabis (WRC 69.50.101). Without a medical professional’s recommendation, possession of concentrates can be a felony (WRC 69.50.204).
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After toiling in obscurity on the stand-up circuit for a while, Lisa Lampanelli got her big break as a complete unknown (and the only female on the stage) at a Comedy Central roast of Chevy Chase and went on to make a name for herself as an insult comic at many a roast since. But now—after weathering a bumpy ride on the Celebrity Apprentice—the self-described “Queen of Mean” is ready to leave her comfort zone and is developing a one-woman show for Broadway. On her way to NYC she’ll be bringing her act all across the country, but this time she promises a whole new experience. “I’m doing standup, but it’s a 100 percent new show from the last time I was there,” Lampanelli says. “Since then I did Celebrity Apprentice. I also did weight loss surgery and I lost 107 pounds. I got married. So a lot’s happened since the last time I was there so it’s a brand new hour and change of material. 38 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
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The first time I really saw you, was on Celebrity Apprentice where—I have to say—you did not appear to be having a good time. It’s harder than you’d ever think. I mean you work 20 hours a day, six days a week. You pretty much have to contend with people who are just fucking stupid and I have no patience for anything like that. It’s a really tough show. It’s really hard. I mean if you take it seriously and want to win actual money for your charity—which I did. And after putting up with all that crap, how much did you end up winning for your charity? $120,000. After I took my 15 percent cut those fags got cured of AIDS! Would you do it over again? Oh God, no. It’s too hard. I’d rather just cut a check for the $130 grand myself. Do you think it was a positive thing for your career at least, if not your sanity? Oh no, it was positive, because I just got more well-known and the whole thing in this business is to reach more and more people. So that when you do something like this Broadway show that I’m going to do next year that people go “Oh I’ve heard of her and I want to go see her!” So yeah, overall it was definitely worth it. Your upcoming Broadway show is called Skinny Bitch? That’s the working title. When does it start? We’re work-shopping it around the country now and it’s tentatively scheduled for October 2014. What are you trying to achieve with the show and where are you at right now with it? Well, about three years ago, I got really bored with stand-up and I was like, wow, I can either do something new or I could just retire. So I got this idea that I wanted to do a show about my work with myself on co-dependency and food and weight trouble and decided to develop this show with Alan Zweibel, who wrote Billy Crystal’s one-person show for Broadway, so that kind of took off and producers liked the idea. And it’s great. It’s hilarious but it’s also about very real points so it’s really worth doing. And you are working with director John Rando who has done a lot of stuff both off and on Broadway. Yeah he’s ridiculous. It’s hard for me to believe that I’m working with him. He gets it. All it requires is for somebody to get you. So how long is this show exactly? And it’s all you, right? 90 minutes. Nobody wants to see somebody standing up and just talking for more than 90 minutes. I’m sorry. I don’t care how famous you are, nobody cares. 90 minutes is the limit for anybody. How close are you to being finished? Well it’s never really finished until it hits Broadway and you do previews but it’s pretty much in the order its gonna be in. Let’s put it that way. It’s almost a ticket-ready show. And you are doing your first scripted show—for the very first time— on Broadway. You’re not starting small here. It’s going to start on Broadway first and then I’m going to tour it around the country after that. That’s pretty huge. I assume this is your first time performing on the Great White Way? Oh yeah. Definitely. I mean after that I would love to do other stuff. Like I want to do every corny old-lady part that exists. [She laughs.] But I’ll wait for that. This first. OCTOBER 2013 • CULTURE 39
I gotta give you credit here for thinking big because this seems to me like a huge project to take on. You know what . . . [The new tour will be] exciting and different. It’s really bad to do something for 20-something years and then be bored and say “I don’t know what to do” so I’m really grateful that I even thought of it.
then do it. If you are doing it for the right reasons then go ahead.
Most creative people get bored, and that isn’t such a bad thing. It forces you to get off your ass and try something you probably wouldn’t have had the guts to try when you were humming along. Yeah. Enough is enough! You need a challenge.
Do you actively participate in social media? Oh sure, sure. To promote and put jokes out there but I don’t let what anybody says on Twitter bother me anymore because if you water yourself down to try and be liked by everybody nobody is going to like you.
How did you prepare for this show? I did a summer conservatory at Yale, for drama. It was great. Seriously I didn’t know it was going to be as much work as it was because it was about 14 hours of classes a day, five days a week. It was as much work as Celebrity Apprentice was but there was a bigger payoff because I actually learned something and didn’t have to work with anybody stupid. Did you see the James Franco Roast? I loved it! As someone who got famous for doing roasts you’re the perfect judge I think. What did you think was so good about it? I don’t know. Me and Jimmy [Cannizzaro, her husband] watched it and we were like “why do we like this so much better?” It all harkened back to the Dean Martin roast where everybody was friends. That was how a roast should feel. So I thought it was ridiculously fun to watch. You kind of had a breakout moment at a roast. Oh yeah, the roasts were definitely the thing that put me on the map. And those are great but I don’t know if I really want to do them anymore but it doesn’t really matter. You did the Trump roast and you really let the bastard have it. 40 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
Do you partake of the medicine yourself? I was never a big drug or alcohol person—it probably would have been a lot less fattening if I was— but unfortunately I always partook of the food and the men instead.
Yeah I did Trump before Celebrity Apprentice so whether you like him or you don’t like him I think he showed a lot of balls by putting me on the show after I made fun of him. What was the first roast you did when you were the totally unknown person on the lineup? Chevy Chase was the first one. And that’s the best part of it. When nobody knows who you are nobody makes fun of you. I wasn’t even on the internet. That was my one free pass. As an unknown talent how did you even get on the bill at the Chevy Chase roast? I was a member of the Friar’s Club and they really pushed it. The Friar’s Club was the producer of the roasts back then. And they pushed Comedy Central to have me do it. And if it wasn’t for the Friar’s Club, trust me, I wouldn’t have been on that roast because Comedy Central was like “who is this?” and the Friar’s Club said “you have to do us one favor.” So luckily it went really well
and I’ve been on most of them since then. So the Friar’s Club believed in you. Yes, and they still do because they ask me to do enough free shit for them now. I’m paying for it for the rest of my life. Let’s talk about your recent controversies. You get yourself in trouble sometimes, don’t you? I wouldn’t say I’m in trouble, because I’m self-employed. I can do whatever the fuck I want. Who do I answer to? What is your position on medical cannabis? Well, since it has nothing to do with me, I really don’t care that much, because I have only been addicted to food and men. But here’s my feeling: if it helps you with something medical, then go ahead and use the fucking thing. If you have any symptoms that can be helped by medical cannabis,
When you do your stand-up, how much of your show is scripted in advance and how much of it is just made up stuff up on the spot? Well most of it starts onstage. I’ll record the show and listen to it after and punch it up if I hear a bit I like—but I would say about 90 percent of it starts on stage. 90 percent? That’s a lot! Yup. I know, but it’s more fun for me. That sounds a little scary to a guy like me who has never tried stand-up comedy before. I guess, but I think if you’re confident and funny and they’re your fans they let you kind of develop stuff. It’s always going to end up funny. I mean, funny people hardly ever say anything and don’t know how to close it so I don’t really feel like it’s that much of a risk because those people are there to see you. So after all you’ve accomplished in the last few years, what does Lisa Lampanelli still want to do? Well this whole thing at Yale this summer inspired me to do some real acting so I talked to my director and after Broadway and the tour I’m doing to do some plays—some straight up drama— some Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller—something like that. Do you ever see yourself directing something? You never know! I love bossing people around! c 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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destination unknown Tantalizing
By Dennis Argenzia and Edengrace Cayosa
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Tay Nguyen
Vietnam’s South Central is rich with greenery, life and unspoiled eccentricites
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e are in a decrepit van, hurtling down open road. There are too many benches, several women vomiting into dangerously thin green plastic bags, a single aimless cockroach and a man dangling out of the open side door. Frequently, Dangly Man grabs someone outside the van, throws them inside, and vice versa, all with barely any deceleration in the van’s speed. However, the people are not angry; in fact, they pay him, as we have. We are on our way to Vietnam’s Central Highlands. This is our third trip to Vietnam, and we’ve already hit the big targets: Hanoi in the north, Ho Chi Minh in the south, Mui Ne and Nha Trang in the central coast, etc. Now, it’s time for traveler recommendations, and one traveler has said the golden words, “I heard the Central Highlands doesn’t get many foreign tourists.” Our adventure doesn’t cover all of the Central Highlands (which butts up against the borders of Laos and Cambodia), just the big three cities: Kontum, Buon Ma Thuot and Dalat. We arrive in Kontum covered in road dust and remarkably bruise-free. We are greeted by more road dust and virtually no tout. That traveler wasn’t joking: this place doesn’t get a lot of foreign tourists, probably
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because it isn’t obvious what you’re supposed to be doing here. Ah, but if you match curiosity with a hardy little motorcycle rental . . . oh the things you’ll see! Kontum is home to the Montagnards, a name that reflects Vietnam’s French Colonial past and a pretty moniker for the Degar indigenous minority group that often gets the crap end of any interaction with predominantly ethnic Vietnamese government. The Degar build distinct stilted structures called “rong” long houses, which are awesome for four reasons: 1) you have to climb up a notched tree trunk to get inside; 2) they have huge vaulted roofs; 3) they are still actively used for communal purposes; and 4) they are often locked because of too much “one-onone” use. And because the Degar are mostly Christian, you’re likely to see a cross marking the path to a “rong” long house. After a few indulgent days of off-road riding through orchards and stunning sunsets, it was time to move on, so we braved yet another exhilarating van ride to get to Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of the Central Highlands. While bigger than Kontum, Buon Ma Thuot was even less touristy, as this city gets its revenue from its famous coffee plantations, not tourism. There are package trips to Lak Lake and the Ede hill tribes outside the city, but we decided to keep it simple
and drop by the Dray Sap and Gia Long waterfalls instead. We definitely couldn’t leave Buon Ma Thuot without trying their legendary “ca phe sua da” or iced Vietnamese coffee with milk. If you like your coffee alpha strong with a diabetes-inducing amount of sugar, this stuff is instant addiction: a thick slurry of rich coffee drips into a glass cup containing ice and at least half an inch of sweetened condensed milk. Stir, sip and buzz for hours! Amped up on caffeine, we were ready for the final stop of our Central Highland trip: Dalat. Formerly a cool mountain retreat for wealthy French colonists escaping the heat and misery of Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat is still extremely popular with domestic tourists, especially couples. Here we witnessed the ultimate expression of kitschy Indochine love: plastic swan paddle boats in a man-made lake; re-imagined French gardens with topiaries shaped like teapots; a “Valley of Love” featuring giant elves-on-mushrooms. c
The Balanced Experience
The path to romance goes completely awry at the Hang Nga Crazy House. Do not visit this place if you have taken mind-altering substances. The Crazy House is what happens when an architect uses paintings instead of floor plans. It’s organic, filled with nooks, passageways and concrete animals, and a functioning guesthouse. Yet there is balance to all the bizarre—mellow cafes, fresh fruit and flower markets, scenic forest roads, Buddhist temples and serene Christian cemeteries—and balance is the secret to Dalat’s widespread appeal. We stayed for weeks. We end with a quick, disappointing green report. While marijuana is often craftily grown amidst legitimate Central Highland crops like coffee and corn, quality is generally poor. Better to spend your Vietnamese dong (ha ha) on potent coffee or a nice flavored shisha.
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profiles in courage
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 had just suffered a seizure (that caused me to fall and fracture my pelvis in three places), I was supposed to take something like . . . 6-10 different medications! It just seemed to be so much! But it was all the possible side effects from chemicals I had never even heard of that I could no longer subject my body to, and medical cannabis was the perfect solution!
DID YOU TRY OTHER METHODS OR TREATMENTS BEFORE CANNABIS?
Patient: Tonya Green
AGE: Condition/ Illness: 51 years young.
Severe nerve damage to my back L-1 to L-6, also severe anxiety and severe depression due to PTSD.
Using medical cannabis since: 2010
Yes, of course I did . . . isn’t that normal? I was prescribed this, that and every other pharmaceutical for my various aches and pains. But personally, when the prescription states that it “MAY CAUSE CANCER?” Enough was enough. Yes, I tried the “other methods” prescribed and I was highly disappointed. I’ve always preferred the natural approach, chemicals are scary . . . and the “possible side effects” totally freak me out.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OR PROBLEM FACING MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENTS?
I think it is obvious to anyone concerned that the whole legality of our precious medical cannabis and our dispensaries are constantly in jeopardy. And it is upsetting in many ways. But I believe that knowledge is the key. I really believe in the many benefits of this herb which nature has given us.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO FOLKS WHO ARE SKEPTICAL ABOUT CANNABIS AS MEDICINE? I simply say, to each his own. c
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GreenScene Cultivating the
OktoberfestGarden Plant for the next Oktoberfest or use your excess for homemade wine By Nancy Powell
W
hen Oktoberfest ends in a few weeks, what better thing to do than turn your attention to the autumn harvest, but don’t just make it any harvest—make it one to impress, sowing for next year’s celebration of revelry and brew. All it involves are a few select herbs, vegetables and fruit to make the home-grown cocktail happen. For herbs, consider planting thyme and mint, the go-to garnishes in mojitos, juleps, gin and tonics and other mixed drinks. Mint adds refreshing pungency to drinks, and its medicinal properties can keep an upset stomach at bay. Both can be planted indoors, and once seeds germinate (10 to 15 days for mint and 21 to 30 days for thyme), you can transplant the herbs outdoors, giving each plant one square foot of soil for optimal growth. The two most commonly used vegetables in cocktails are cucumbers and celery. Late spring or early summer is the optimal time to plant cucumbers, and celery requires a steady supply of rich soil mixed with organic compost and direct sun in order to thrive, spaced six to eight inches apart. Expect initial harvests in late spring. Lemons and limes are standard ingredients in many drinks and a must for home-grown wines. Your best bet for cultivating fruit is by buying a tree from the nursery. When temperatures dip below 30 degrees, cover the plant with a blanket or bring it inside until the weather warms. If you have excess fruit hanging around the garden post-harvest and preserving, you can bottle it and create your own green brew. Homegrown country wines cut down on the energy required to bottle and transport each bottle, plus you control what ingredients goes into this steady supply of cheap, chemical-free, organic wines. Andy Hamilton of the Ecologist offers two great recipes for marrow and pear wines on the magazine’s website. Creating your own wine requires just water, yeast, yeast nutrients, citric acids, grape juice concentrate, and tannin powder, a couple of fermentation buckets, and a siphon to transfer the wine to other vessels. The wines need four to six months to develop, but once the whole process completes, you have a product that’s good for up to a year. What are you waiting for? Get your garden game on. c 46 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
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cool stuff Custom Label Non-Sticks The Norcal Connection specializes in custom dispensary supplies. Their custom printing on all products including non sticks containers, concentrate containers, smell proof bags and glass jars is beautiful and reliable. They’re perfect non-stick containers if you are tired of losing that last little bit of dab from your old plastic containers. Re-usable, durable, smell proof and screw top. ($1.10 each for a case of 500) www.thenorcalconnection.com
Sensi Sudz Medicated Foot Scrub Stomp skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema with Sensi Suds’ one of a kind medicated foot scrub—a combination of rock salt and medicated coconut oil that exfoliates, moisturizes and rejuvenates sore doggies. ($5-$35)
Available at 101 North; 600 Marin St., Vallejo. (707) 980-7937
Pax Vaporizer by Ploom Paramount Imports in San Jose is one of few to offer the newest and sleekest of vaporizers yet, the Pax Vaporizer by Ploom. With its intelligent design and its convenient, pocket-size, the Pax loose leaf vaporizer is a great addition to anyone’s medication routine. Pax heats, but never burns your tobacco or medicine, releasing a delicious, satisfying vapor. ($250) www.ploom.com/pax
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By Aunt Sandy
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 cofounder of Oaksterdam’s Bakery.
Menu:
MULLED APPLE CIDER STUFFED MUSHROOMS PUMPKIN RAVIOLI with SAGE CREAM SAUCE
The Hearty
Harvest
October is a time for warm sweaters, hearty meals and the wonderful colorful changing of leaves. Now that it’s here, it’s time to reap the flavorfilled benefits of the season. This month is a harvest month; a time to enjoy foods that are complimented by the changing season. Perfect time for a delicious, rich and hearty meal. Let the homestyle aroma of apple cider ensnare your senses while you indulge in succulent stuffed mushrooms, and pumpkin ravioli with sage cream sauce. Desserts and treats, warm drinks, delicious meals and good friends—now that’s a great October. 52 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
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. 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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PUMPKIN RAVIOLI with SAGE CREAM SAUCE Serves 4 Pumpkin Filling 10 tablespoons Cannabutter* 1 lb. fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 a bay leaf 2 tablespoons minced
fresh sage, plus 6 small leaves for a garnish 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 2 eggs, beaten Salt Freshly ground white pepper
Heat a sauté pan over low heat and add 4 tablespoons Cannabutter. When the butter is foamy, add the cubed pumpkin and cook stirring often to prevent it from sticking, until it softens and falls into puree. Turn the pumpkin into a saucepan, add 1/2 of the cream and half the herbs and cook over a low heat for an hour, until the puree is thick and the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and beat in an additional 2 tablespoons Cannabutter. Whisk in the beaten eggs, season to taste with salt and white pepper and set aside to cool.
Spinach Pasta Dough
Sage Cream Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2 tablespoons Cannabis Infused Olive Oil**
1 cup heavy cream 2 cups canned chicken stock 2 shallots chopped
Wash spinach in three changes of water. Cut off 1 inch of the stems. Chop the leaves and purée them in a towel and squeeze the juice into a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Add 2 tablespoons of the spinach purée to the juice. Discard the remaining purée. Combine flours and salt in the food processor or mixer using a dough hook. While running add the eggs, olive oil and enough of the spinach mixture so the dough forms a ball pressed together. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest at room temperature for two hours. On a floured surface roll out the pasta as thin as possible. Cut into two sheets and brush one of them with egg wash. Using a teaspoon place 24 equal mounds of the pumpkin puree on the egg washed dough, about two inches apart. Cover the mounds with the second sheet of pasta and press around the mounds of pumpkin to seal the dough. Using a ravioli cutter or a sharp knife cut the ravioli. Dust a tray with semolina and place the ravioli on it. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add raviolis to the rapidly boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Add the raviolis to the sauce and enjoy.
Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, remove the stems and set them aside. Chop the mushroom stems and put into a bowl with the garlic, onion, bacon, parsley, thyme and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into quarters and pack into mushroom caps. Grease an ovenproof dish with 1 1 1/2 tablespoon tablespoon Infused Olive finely chopped thyme Oil. Place stuffed mush1/4 cup Cannabis rooms in the dish and Infused Olive Oil sprinkle with the cheese. Salt and pepper Dribble the remaining to taste infused olive oil over the Preheat oven mushrooms. Bake for 30 to 350° minutes and serve hot.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS 4 large field mushrooms 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 red onion, finely chopped. 2 slices of bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
In a saucepan reduce the stock with the shallots to 1/2 cup. Add the one cup of cream and reduce by half. Over a low heat, whisk remaining four tablespoons of Cannabutter, a little at a time, over low heat. Strain the sauce into a clean saucepan and add remaining sage and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Divide the raviolis among preheated soup dishes and spoon sauce over them. Garnish each serving with a fresh piece of sage and lightly sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.
MULLED APPLE CIDER Serves 4 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1 teaspoon whole clove 1/4 teaspoon salt A dash of ground nutmeg 3 inch stick of cinnamon 2 quarts apple cider 1 cup Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup One orange, cut in wedges
Combine sugar, allspice, cloves, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and apple cider in a large sauce pan. Slowly bring to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove spices from pot after 20 minutes. Serve in warm mugs with a clove studded orange wedge in each. OCTOBER 2013 • CULTURE 55
For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
1/2 lb. fresh spinach (1 bunch) 1 1/2 cups semolina flour, finest ground 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
entertainment reviews Willie Nelson To All The Girls . . . Sony Music Entertainment With Willie Nelson’s constant visibility in contemporary pop culture, often for his cannabis activism, it can be easy to forget that the man’s career is now rapidly approaching its 60th year. Nelson is an institution of country music, an American National Treasure, and it’s hard to stress just how important his influence on music as a whole has been in the last half-century. And here he is at the age of 80, delivering yet another stellar set of recordings in the form of his new album, To All The Girls . . . Similar to his last record Heroes, which featured Nelson singing with guests ranging from his son Lukas to Snoop Dogg, this outing sees Nelson joined by some of his favorite female vocalists, who’s pedigrees span a wide range of genres, for a set of eighteen gorgeous duets. The guests range from more recent stars like Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood and Norah Jones, to fellow country music legends like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris and Mavis Staples. Nelson’s voice still has the strength of an old oak tree, yet still has the smooth qualities and the sharpness of a blade of grass. To All The Girls . . . is worthy addition to one of the most flawless legacies in all of music, and Nelson proves yet again, that even in his old age, he’s still an incredible artist. (Simon Weedn)
The Marijuana Chef Cookbook By S.T. Oner Green Candy Press One of the hardest things about cooking cannabis many years ago was the lack of easily accessible instructions on how to do it properly. Even after the internet came around, one could find recipes, but a lot of them were confusing, didn’t deliver on what they promised, or didn’t convey how potent the edibles would be after cooking. Luckily for all of us, the same people that brought us gems like Cannabis Indica/Sativa Guides To The World’s Finest Marijuana Strains has set about keeping his guide to proper culinary cannabis preparation, The Marijuana Chef Cookbook, up to date with a brand new third edition. This edition surpasses previous versions of the book by finally including full color photos of every dish prepared as well as containing fifteen new recipes. In addition, the book still contains all of the things that made it wonderful in the first place including: multiple methods of THC extraction, vegan and vegetarian alternates for several recipes, natural options to detoxify for a drug test, notes on the history of cannabis use in food, and information on the potency of recipes. The Marijuana Chef Cookbook is new, improved, and better than ever. Whether you’re looking for cannabis infused main courses like “Midnight Pizza” or ideas on how to incorporate marijuana into your favorite mixed drinks, this cookbook has it all. (Simon Weedn)
This Is the End Sony Pictures Dir. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Just when you thought that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express) couldn’t possibly come out with another “stoner comedy” gem, the two return with This Is The End. The two are joined by an all-star ensemble of regular collaborators Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson as well as even bigger gaggle of fellow celebrity guests to bring on an almost non-stop barrage of laughs. As one might assume from the title, the film revolves around the group facing down apocalypse while in the midst of a party at James Franco’s house. All of the main characters and guests portray fictional re-interpretations of themselves that really go wild as they encounter all of the problems of a horrible apocalypse in the world. As to be expected with such a talented group of comedic actors, the writing, timing and delivery of every joke, no matter how over the top, is absolutely masterful and will have you, at times, literally rolling on the floor with laughter. Fans of Rogen’s, Franco’s and Goldberg’s previous film together, Pineapple Express, will also enjoy hearing the actual idea for the plotline of Pineapple Express II pitched, and sloppily executed in the midst of the movie as well. (Simon Weedn) 56 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
“The Errand of the Eye:” Photographs by Rose Mandel Historic and influential photographer Rose Mandel always produced inventive and evocative artwork, though she wasn’t well-known in her lifetime. She worked closely with and among many of the Bay Area’s bestknown artists including photographers Ansel Adams and Minor White and painters Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff. She fled Europe in the ‘40s and made the Bay Area her home as she served as Senior Photographer for UC Berkeley’s art department, and in her personal time created intimate, powerful nature studies, portraits and landscapes. Her work engaged a range of art movements, including Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, the Northern California modernist tradition represented by Adams and White, as well as the broader American landscape tradition embodied in the photographs of Harry Callahan and Ralph Eugene Meatyard. “The Errand of the Eye” was first exhibited at the Legion of Honor in 1954. Sixty years later, the de Young is hosting Mandel’s first retrospective exhibition ever, illuminating her rightful place in the history of modernist photography.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “The Errand of the Eye” photographic exhibition. WHEN/WHERE: On view thru Oct. 13, at the de Young, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco. INFO: Admission is $6-$10. For more information visit deyoung.famsf.org.
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let’s do this Our picks for the coolest things to do around town Mill Valley Film Festival, Oct. 3-13
This film festival will have one thing that many won’t ever have . . . the members of Metallica. Why? Because its new 3D movie, Metallica: Through the Never will be shown for the first time to the public with an onstage interview and audience Q&A of the band. Various Theaters, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Corte Madera and Larkspur www.mvff.com
Oaktoberfest, Oct. 5
This one-of-a-kind fall festival combines the best of Oakland with Oktoberfest as craft beer, food, free live entertainment, arts and ecology are all gathered into one. Feel good about enjoying this event because all donations go towards ongoing community development efforts. The Diamond, Oakland www.oaktoberfest.org
Zedd, Oct. 8-9
Get ready to dance as Zedd plays those beats that get you moving. His music is catchy and playful despite the complex musicality that rings through each electro/house song. Fox Theater, Oakland www.thefoxoakland.com
We Came As Romans, Oct. 10
What a night of music will prevail over us all . . . in addition to the headliners: Silverstein, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, The Color Morale and Dangerkids are all set to perform. DNA Lounge, San Francisco www.dnalounge.com
Thirty Seconds to Mars with New Politics Oct. 11
This night speaks for itself with the amount of talent that will share the stage. Veterans of the theatrical combine with the new talent on the block to show you how it’s done. San Jose State University Events Center, San Jose www.union.sjsu.edu
Kiss Kill Consume: A Variety Show of Evil Portions, Oct. 11
Join your local host Jamie de Wolf as he guides you through a night full of freakish fun. There will be horror storytelling, comedy, burlesque, sideshow acts and live music to get you ready for Halloween to come. Slim’s, San Francisco www.slimspresents.com 60 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
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Margaret Cho, Oct. 12 This woman can be looked at as the “patron saint” for outsiders because that’s what she is and who she cares about. She’s funny, but still brings to light issues of anti-racism, anti-bullying, gay rights and more. Masonic Center, San Francisco www.masonicauditorium.com
Koffin Kats, Hayride to Hell and The Memphis Murder Men, Oct. 19 Forget the lame “Monster Mash” this year. It’s time to truly celebrate the reason for the season, a.k.a. rocking out with some Halloween inspired punk and psychobilly bands. Blank Club, San Jose www.theblankclub.com
Treasure Island Festival, Oct. 19-20 On a lone island that’s attached to San Francisco Bay are two stages that will loudly play the best setlist of electronica and hip-hop imaginable. Major Lazer, Animal Collective and about 20 more performers will be present. Treasure Island, San Francisco www.treasureislandfestival.com
Castro Street Fair, Oct. 25-27 Founded by Harvey Milk back in 1974, the Castro Street Fair has become one the largest annual LGBT festivals in the Bay Area.
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Get ready for a slew of entertainment, live DJs and community groups galore. Castro Street between Market and 18th, San Francisco www.castrostreetfair.org
25th Anniversary of Danzig, Oct. 31 As a metal band that had heavy influence from Black Sabbath in its early days, all eyes have been on Danzig. Twenty-five years later, it’s still goin’ strong (with original members, no less)! The Warfield, San Francisco www.thewarfieldtheatre.com
Boograss 2013, Oct. 31 Dubbed as a “Halloween Hillbilly Hoedown,” boograss is bringing bluegrass to the stage this holiday. The Pine Box Boys, The F*#king Buckaroos and Kemo Sabe will bring a much needed mellow evening of music. Slim’s, San Francisco www.slimspresents.com
Fear Overload, Thru Nov. 2 Halloween just isn’t special without a memorable haunted house or two. Skip the overpopulated theme parks and test your fear level with the truly terrifying experience at this “premier” haunted house. Bayfair Center, San Leandro www.fearoverload.com
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Chuck Shepherd's
Newsof the
Weird
ing by or sitting inches away at the next screen (although librarians politely ask porn-watchers to ; In the public libraries of Seattle consider their neighbors). Said a (as in most public libraries), patrons library spokesperson: “(P)atrons are not allowed to eat or sleep (or have a right to view constitutioneven appear to be sleeping) or be ally protected material no matter shirtless or barefoot or have bad where they are in the building, body odor or talk too loudly— and the library does not censor.” because other patrons might be disturbed. However, in Seattle, as CULTURAL DIVERSITY the Post-Intelligencer reported in ; Japan and Korea seem to be September, librarians do perthe birthplaces in the quest for mit patrons to watch hard-core pornography on public computers, youthful and beautiful skin, with the latest “elixir” (as usual, based without apparent restriction, no matter who (adult or child) is walk- on traditional, centuries-old be-
LEAD STORY—FIRST AMENDMENT BLUES
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liefs) being snail mucus—applied by specially bred live snails that slither across customers’ faces. The Clinical Salon in central Tokyo sells the 60-minute Celebrity Escargot Course session for the equivalent of about $250 and even convinced a London Daily Telegraph reporter to try one in July. (Previously, News of the Weird has informed readers of Asian nightingale-feces facials and live-fish pedicures.)
LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES
; Iran’s INSA news service reported in January that officials in Shiraz had acquired a fingeramputation machine to perhaps streamline the gruesome punishment often meted out to convicted thieves. (A masked enforcer turns a guillotine-like wheel to slice off the finger in the manner of a rotary saw.) Iran is already known for its reliance on extreme Islamic Sharia, which prescribes amputations, public lashings and death by stoning, and Middle East commentators believe the government will now step up its
amputating of fingers, even for the crime of adultery.
QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS ; Australia’s chief diplomat in Taipei, Taiwan, said in August that he was suing local veterinarian Yang Dong-sheng for fraud because Dr. Yang backed out of euthanizing the diplomat Kevin Magee’s sick, 10-year-old dog. Instead, Dr. Yang “rescued” the dog, who is now thriving after he patiently treated her. Magee’s lawsuit claims, in essence, that his family vet recommended euthanization, that he had paid for euthanization, and that “Benji” should have been put down. Dr. Yang said the fee Magee paid was for “medical care” and not necessarily euthanization. (Benji, frolicking outside when a reporter visited, was not available for comment.) ; In August, a prosecutor in Houston filed aggravated rape charges against a 10-year-old girl (“Ashley”) who had been arrested in June and held for four days
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in a juvenile detention center. A neighbor had seen Ashley touching a 4-year-old boy “in his private area,” according to a KRIV-TV report—in other words, apparently playing the time-honored, rite-of-passage game of “doctor.”
SQUIRRELS GONE WILD ; Smithsonian magazine detailed in August the exhaustive measures that military officials have taken to finally block relentless Richardson’s ground squirrels from tunneling underneath Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and interfering with the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles on 24/7 standby. For example, officials had to use trialand-error to plant underground screens deeper into the ground than the squirrels cared to dig. A day after that report was published, a bus driver in Gothenburg, Sweden, crashed into a tree (with six passengers requiring hospital treatment) after swerving to avoid a squirrel in the road. On the same day, a New York Times reporter disclosed that his own news monitoring for 2013 revealed that squirrels have caused 50 power outages in 24 states in the U.S. since Memorial Day after invading electric company substations.
THE PERVO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
; He Had a Different Dream: Barely two months before the 50-year commemoration of the March on Washington, Park Police arrested Christopher H. Cleveland and charged him with shooting “upskirt” photos of unsuspecting women lounging on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. According to the officers, Cleveland (who said he was unaware that the photos were illegal) had a computer in his car that contained at least 150 PowerPoint slide presentations of at least 30 images each of his multitude of female photo victims.
A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (JULY 2010) ; While the morbidly obese struggle with their health (and society’s scorn), those who eroticize massive weight gain are capturing increased attention, according to a July (2010) ABC News report. Com66 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2013
mercial and personal websites give full-bellied “gainers,” such as New Jerseyan Donna Simpson, and their admiring “feeders” the opportunity to express themselves. Simpson became a 602-pound media sensation in March (2010), when she began offering pay-per-view video of herself to an audience of horny feeders. Wrote another gainerblogger, “Lately, I’ve been infatuated with the physics of my belly . . . how it moves with me.” When he leans to one side, he wrote, “I feel a roll form around my love handle.” One sex researcher called it a “metaphor of arousal.” In the end, though, as a medical school professor put it, “The fetish may be in our heads, but the plaque is going to be in (their) arteries.”
HAPPINESS IS A CLEAN TOILET ; Beginning in 2011, about three dozen people in Tokyo have been meeting every Sunday morning at 6 a.m. on a mission to scrub down, one by one, the city’s grungiest public rest rooms. “By 7:30,” according to an Associated Press reporter who witnessed an outing in August, the team had left behind a “gleaming public toilet, looking as good as the day it was installed.” Explained the hygiene- intense Satoshi Oda (during the week, a computer programmer), the mission is “for our own good”—work that leader Masayuki Magome compares to the training that Buddhist monks receive to find peace. (In fact, to fulfill the group’s motto, “Clean thyself by cleaning cubicles,” the scouring must be done with bare hands.) A squad supporter spoke of a sad, growing apprehension that the younger generation no longer shares the Japanese cultural conviction that rest rooms should always be clean and safe.
MEDICAL MARVELS ; Colleagues were stunned in May when ABC News editor Don Ennis suddenly appeared at work wearing a little black dress and a red wig and declaring that he had begun hormone therapy and wanted to be called Dawn Ennis. As co-workers accommodated his wishes (which did not seem so unusual in contemporary professional society), Ennis began V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
to have second thoughts, and by July had blamed his conversion on “transient global amnesia,” brought on by marital difficulties, and had returned to work as Don. Apparently the primary lingering effect is that he must still deal with Dawn’s hormone-induced breasts.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT ; Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a mirror that makes a person appear happy even when not. A built-in camera tracks facial features in real time, then tweaks the image to turn up the corners of the mouth and to create the beginnings of a smile in the eyes. Of what practical use would such a mirror be? Other Japanese researchers, according to a Slate. com report in August, believe that happy-face mirrors in retail stores would improve shoppers’ dispositions and lead to more sales. ; A home ownership boom in China has led to heavily attended housing fairs, in which builders compete zealously to sell their homes, leading to offbeat
schemes to draw attention. Among the latest, according to China Daily, is one that dresses female models in bare-backed evening wear, with sample floor plans and other housing information painted onto their skin, and sends them wandering through the crowds.
ANIMALS GONE WILD ; SyFy Channel’s recent original movie Sharknado briefly became a media sensation in July with a storyline involving large schools of oversized sharks lifted from the ocean by waterspouts and deposited, alive (and angry!) on land to wreak havoc. But as the website Mother Nature News subsequently reported, animals actually have been lifted to land in that fashion in the past. Previous documented news reports of the phenomenon include airborne fish (mudfish in the Philippines, perch in Australia); frogs (in Odzaci, Serbia, in 2005); jellyfish (Bath, England, in 1894); worms (Jennings, La., in 2007); and, according to an 1887 New York Times story, eight alligators in Silverton Township, S.C.
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CULTURE pumpkin created by Tim Pate. Pumpkin provided by The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island, Portland, Oregon.
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