tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:36:45 +0000San FranciscoreviewBooksMusicPublic relationsRomaniaAsia SFBalkansBerlin WallCaliforniaCalifornia Central CoastFaustFox TheatherGlobal VoteHistoryItalyKabuki CinemaKivaMarilyn MonroeMontana de OroOperaSF HubSpooner's CoveTurkeyVampire Weekendactressesartbreastscampingcharitydancedrinkselectionseventfeminismfestivalfoodhikingindignitiesinjuriesinner conflictinternational affairsjournalismlistsmachismomoviesneurosciencesocialsustainablewomenhttp://xenofornia.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-4875431523827263728Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:58:00 +00002011-08-12T11:58:50.104-07:00&nbsp;<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2011/08/did-you-miss-me-i-sure-missed-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-2214250044259090006Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:01:00 +00002010-12-10T16:01:50.396-08:00Sometimes, in certain places, under certain circumstances, magic can still take place, even in this profoundly pragmatic world we’re living in. Such was the case last night. Between exactly 8:00 and 9:25 PM in Oakland, California, USA, an undeniable bit of musical magic happened on the stage of Yoshi’s (accomplished sushi restaurant and excellent jazz venue): Charlie Hunter’s 11th annual holiday http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/12/wonderful-earworm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-7333089300396211326Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:54:00 +00002010-12-08T13:54:52.515-08:00feminismItalymachismoRomaniawomenEver since my summer in Berlin four years ago, I've been a loyal reader of Der Spiegel, which I mainly read online thanks to their news alerts which remind me to return ever again to this great publication. By the way, the controversial Julian Assange agrees with me on this one, as he picked Der Spiegel (along with the New York Times, another one of my must-reads) to be one of only 5 publicationshttp://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/12/il-corpo-delle-donne-womens-bodies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-1284561586435115866Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +00002010-12-03T11:21:39.425-08:00After a two-month hiatus, mostly due to my limited ability to concentrate on things other than healing and working, I’m finally back. Well, actually, in all honesty, I’ve been back for a little while, but most of my blogging energy went into a different direction: The Wedding Blog. But, in the spirit of constructive criticism, my first “back from the dead” post will be about my frustration with http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-so-local-son.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-6573094561561830173Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:29:00 +00002010-09-16T17:29:40.927-07:00artindignitiesinjuriesI’m still new at this whole business of breaking bones, so you can’t really blame me for not having done it thoroughly: bone chips were sent flying off in all directions, and a couple of fractures, but no clear-cut break that could have been fixed with plates or screws. My bad. All I can do now is sit and wait, and sit some more, and cross the days on the calendar until my next doctor’s http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/09/foot-chronicles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-1379110815952008279Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:27:00 +00002010-08-25T11:04:01.411-07:00California Central CoastcampinghikingMontana de OroSpooner's CoveAnyone can testify: I’m addicted to my creature comforts. And yet, camping this weekend with my significant other and friends on California’s central coast was truly enjoyable, in spite of the fact that we forgot to bring: sleeping bags, flashlights, thermos, and water. I guess that’s the upside of civilization for air-heads like us – you can head out for 48 hours of off-the grid nature bliss andhttp://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/08/trip-to-golden-mountain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-5423676027806596939Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:58:00 +00002010-08-20T12:58:56.669-07:00A Return to Tradition - Room for Debate - NYTimes.comThis is another reason why I really truly love the New York Times. Although their exceptionalism is sad per se and we could all use more publications that are as accessible and savvy, I do love the fact that, like none other, the Times is able to take the time and invest the resources to inspect a dusty corner of academia like philosophy and http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/08/return-to-tradition-room-for-debate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-2962795792106639640Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:28:00 +00002010-08-03T12:28:49.852-07:00I have a confession to make: I HATE brands. There, I said it. For someone who works in public relations, this may sound disingenuous, but hear me out. First, a little background: I started off as a public affairs practitioner in Washington D.C., so my work was really very far away from any brand names. I worked for trade and industry associations, embassies and foreign education institutions and http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/08/dont-call-me-consumer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-1025229317978586903Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:32:00 +00002010-08-02T13:32:20.091-07:00Three cheers to scientific research backing the concept that humans can actually communicate without language or, rather beyond language. I've experienced this many times with the people that are closest to me, like my mother. I'm looking forward to when they prove beyond doubt that thoughts can "modify" matter. Here's the New Scientist piece: We humans can mind-meld too - life - 26 July 2010 - http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/08/we-humans-can-mind-meld-too-life-26.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-3730372379756081178Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:03:00 +00002010-07-17T20:03:26.827-07:00charityeventinner conflictKivaSF HubsocialsustainableTwo nights ago I attended a Kiva social event at the SF Hub, and rubbed shoulders with socially enlightened San Franciscans and beyond, which brought my own conflicted feelings about ideals vs. ambitions into the limelight. Generally, I try to avoid that, as it tends to make me consume industrial amounts of sugar in an an attempt to turn inner conflict into inner confit.&nbsp; A small business http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/07/ideals-vs-ambitions-lose-lose-situation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-3475309000724426503Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:55:00 +00002010-07-14T11:55:27.746-07:00Two new books explain why Americans love yoga. - By Claire Dederer - Slate Magazine: It wasn't the book reviews that caught my eye, but rather this innocuous phrase, an explanation for why Americans are so enthralled by Yoga: "Maybe it's because yoga offers a cure for American body-hating Puritanism." I never gave it much thought until now. American women at the gym, running, climbing, http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/07/slate-review-of-two-books-that-explain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-7739548437126126302Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:20:00 +00002010-07-13T15:20:20.225-07:00Case in point for my post on Marylin - Zara t-shirts with the fabulous brand in question. QED. http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/07/re-marilyn-monroe-as-brand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-6943625176414893079Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:15:00 +00002010-07-13T15:15:42.389-07:004XDUB5EXKYM3http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/07/technorati-claim-token.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-6021369675359710500Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:21:00 +00002010-07-06T21:21:33.346-07:00dancefestivalMusicSan FranciscoIt’s one of the many benefits of living in San Francisco that you get regaled with events like the Ethnic Dance Festival, four weeks of choreographic candy, with tens of troupes and individual artists performing at the Palace of Fine Arts. The palace itself is an architectural jewel, but more about that in another post, dedicated exclusively to urban planning. (I’m learning the subtle art of http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/07/ethnic-dance-festival-recap.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-8606896404246683055Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:30:00 +00002010-06-28T17:10:04.711-07:00Asia SFbreastsFaustKabuki CinemaOperaSan FranciscoIn a city like SF, where you can always count on the fog and never on the sun, on the rare occasions when the weather warms up for real, women and their faithful companions (…) sometimes are caught unprepared. The below is my humble attempt at offering SF ladies some guidelines on how to react to such unusual circumstances. Disclaimer: the b(r)e(a)st practices were gleaned from observing actual http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-breast-behavior.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-4319015666722750149Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:56:00 +00002010-06-21T11:24:48.686-07:00BalkansdrinkslistsRummaging through my bottom drawer at work, I found (among empty boxes of knee-high trouser socks, manhandled paper clips and empty Tupperware) a bottle of the famed "Ţuică"– the traditional Romanian liquor made out of plums. I proceeded to trick one of my co-workers into trying it. “It smells sweet,” he said. “It’s made out of fruit,” I said, disingenuously. “My grandma makes it.” I filled the http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/06/hard-liquors-of-balkans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-1359536268027703165Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:17:00 +00002010-06-08T12:17:02.054-07:00A few evenings ago, in conversation with a friend, I was reminded of a piece of art I’d seen on display at SF’s very own DeYoung museum. The piece in question looks like a bronze-cast miniature cathedral, very accurate and beautifully detailed. Upon closer inspection, it comes almost as a shock to the unprepared eye that the roof of the cathedral is made out of bullets, and, slowly, it dawns on http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/06/weapons-of-art-and-artifacts-of-war.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-8334446525190262778Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:05:00 +00002010-06-02T14:05:30.556-07:00There is something to be said about the virtues of life off-line. For a week in lovely La Saladita, Mexico, I experimented with the concept of being completely disconnected from the internet and phone and I immersed myself in the immediate reality. I have to say:&nbsp; for someone who works and practically lives online, there were almost no withdrawal symptoms. Of course, it helped that I was inhttp://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/06/camelia-shaped-hole-in-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-5240421073151841885Mon, 17 May 2010 18:31:00 +00002010-05-17T11:31:27.579-07:00This is not a sappy love story. &nbsp;In fact, it’s a drama triggered by the conflict between pranayama breathing and soul-crushing capitalism.&nbsp; Here’s how: A little over a year ago, inspired by one of my DC friends who practiced Bikram religiously every Saturday morning, I started frequenting my local yoga studio (which shall remain unnamed for now) and partaking in the hour and a half http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/05/confessions-of-bikram-lover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-2161913666627451783Mon, 10 May 2010 19:13:00 +00002010-05-10T12:13:42.321-07:00La Revolution Des Crabes Lavender Sea Salt Shortbread at Blue Fog Markets That rich people will outbid each other to pay $20,000 to put their names on a dam that will be demolished soon That I love eating Serrano ham standing on the Embarcadero, shooting the breeze with friends That one CAN get FREE OYSTERS if one is fearless, Israeli and a redhead That there’s no limit to how much http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/05/things-i-discovered-this-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-7684844805675427996Tue, 04 May 2010 23:20:00 +00002010-05-04T16:20:00.751-07:00actressesMarilyn MonroereviewThis weekend I ended up watching two Marilyn Monroe films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot. I’d seen both of them before, a long time ago and I’d forgotten why people love Marilyn –after all, with the wealth of pretty blondes on the large and small screens, why would she stand out – a plump blonde in Technicolor? But the truth is that she really does stand out: her studied http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/05/gentlemen-prefer-good-brand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-2189681999879504720Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:46:00 +00002010-04-27T17:46:20.002-07:00foodreviewSan FranciscoI think it would be safe to say that any respectable San Franciscan who has a simile of social life has at least &nbsp;heard of Burma Superstar and its sister, B Star Bar. Both are restaurants on Clement Street, less than a block away from each other, under the same ownership and serving a similar menu of Burmese food. On Yelp, they both average four stars and get kudos for their fare, which is http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/04/stars-of-burma-password-mango.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-2507247293375087228Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:35:00 +00002010-04-22T17:42:50.848-07:00Fox TheatherMusicreviewVampire WeekendOn a cold and gloomy week day, my better half and I drove to Oakland’s Fox Theater to watch Vampire Weekend give the last performance of their US tour, hoping (for our sake) that they would go out with a *bang*. The Fox Theater on its own deserves another review, which I will hopefully manage to write after completing the required amount of billable hours some other day … As to VW: We were not http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/04/and-merry-vampire-weekend-to-you-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-6607161793280037513Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:38:00 +00002010-04-22T17:35:13.467-07:00BooksneuroscienceThe good news first: While thinking about all the things this blog could become, and all the things I don't have time to do, I had a "Click" moment (repeatedly, of course, as it takes more than one click to make me tick) -- I'm dying to tell the world about the fantastic books that I've read and films I've watched these past few years. And so I shall.The bad news now: Well. *clearing throat* A http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/04/breaking-news-soul-searching-yields.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897643492260919980.post-7891398155913587103Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:38:00 +00002010-01-13T17:54:29.654-08:00journalismmoviesPublic relationsSo it's time for a little confession:Deadline USA, All the President's Men, The Paper, His Girl Friday, Up, Close and Personal, (State of Play definitely falls in this category but came too late) - these were dangerous movies for an impressionable young mind such as mine. For a while in my past (college years and grad school) I sincerely believed that I wanted to be a journalist.I majored in http://xenofornia.blogspot.com/2010/01/once-journalist-always-journalist.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1