Tehrene Firman is the editor in chief of the popular website Love Twenty. Here at Blast, we know a little something about 20-somethings who run websites and magazines. Get to know this editor’s hopes, dreams and goals for the future.

BLAST: Tell us about yourself.

TEHRENE FIRMAN: I’m a 22-year-old communication major and journalism minor at the University of Northern Iowa who’s pretty much a magazine fanatic. I’m the editor-in-chief of Love Twenty (www.lovetwenty.com), an online magazine for twenty-somethings, am the campus life editor of my college’s newspaper, and the president of She’s the First*{UNI}, a not-for-profit that raises money for girls’ education in the developing world.

BLAST: You have a personal blog called Crazy Stupid Love — where did that come from?

TF: Crazy Stupid Love is the place where I write about everything from style to relationships to my personal adventures. I’m also really into web design so it’s also a fun outlet to try new things and let loose some creativity throughout the week.

Having a personal blog is nice because it’s an outlet where I’m able to write about whatever topic I want to write about. If I want to write something about a certain celebrity relationship, I can do just that. Or, maybe one day I feel like posting a make-up tutorial. Having a blog allows me to take something I’m passionate about writing about and run with it.

BLAST: When you’re blogging, how do you know what will make an interesting post?

TF: If I’m interested in it, I figure there will be someone out in the blogosphere that will be interested in it as well. I enjoy writing about current trends and pop culture, so those who like to keep up on all of the latest will definitely enjoy the posts I put up.

BLAST: So you’re a blogger, you are editor-in-chief of the Gen-Y girls magazine, Love Twenty, and a student? How do you manage all of this?

TF: It’s tough! It’s hard having a full load of classes and also having the time to run Love Twenty, do everything else I’m involved with, and still be social. Although I am very busy, the experience I’ve gained from not only running an online magazine and working with people from all over the world, but also learning to manage my time, has been so beneficial. It’s taught me so much.

BLAST: How did Love Twenty come to be?

TF I was lounging around at home during Spring Break last year when the idea came to me. I had been investing a lot of my time writing for numerous other online magazines, so I figured why not start one myself? I came up with the name, what I wanted it to be, created the design of the website, and built it that weekend. The following week, Love Twenty launched and has been becoming increasingly popular since! It’s really been a dream come true. I never expected it to go as far as it has.

BLAST: What is it like to be an editor in chief?

TF: It’s amazing. It’s hard work managing all of the writers, interns, and our partnerships, but it’s so worth it. I’ve met so many wonderful people, have gotten to gain an unbelievable amount of experience, and have gotten to see just how much Love Twenty has changed twenty-something’s lives, as well as my own.

BLAST: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

TF: I see myself working as an editor at a popular women’s or teen’s magazine in the Big Apple. It’s been my dream for a very long time now and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

As the economic recovery slogs from the worst recession since the Great Depression, businesses struggle to innovate, or else risk bankruptcy. Case in point: The Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach, Fla. allowed its guests to take it all as of May 1.

After years of declining revenues, owner Paul Hodge was in a “make-or-break situation,” he told Florida Today. Rather than lose his motel, he was able to convince his wife that going nude was the best option.

Hodge hired a lawyer and consulted the American Association of Nude Recreation. He found nothing prohibitive in his state’s laws. In Texas, however, a nudist maid service had to reclassify the business as “sexually oriented,” which requires a permit.

“Nudity offers a potentially lucrative edge for several types of businesses trying to tough out the anemic market,” says historian Mike Foster, co-author with his wife, Barbara, of the biography, A Dangerous Woman: The Life, Loves, and Scandals of Adah Isaacs Menken (www.TheGreatBare.com). “Recession has people rethinking some of their long-held prejudices.”

Nudity is not the only issue being reconsidered, he says. To ease government spending and increase tax revenue, some conservative pundits, including broadcaster Pat Robinson, are reconsidering their stance on marijuana’s illegality.

Whether in recent or not-so-recent history, nudity can make people rich. Foster gives the following examples:

• Hugh Hefner: The founder and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises was worth $43 million in 2009, according to divorce papers filed that year.
• Lindsay Lohan: She earned $1 million for a nude spread in Playboy.
• Janet Jackson: Now synonymous with terms like “wardrobe malfunction” and “nipplegate,” Jackson’s flashed breast earned her an incalculable amount of free press.
• Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus: Although often valued as priceless, some estimate the most iconographic nude portrait to be worth half a billion dollars.
• Adah Menken: dubbed “The Great Bare” by writer/admirer Mark Twain, Foster says Menken single-handedly created the first celebrity bombshell in the Civil War era, earning her fame and money.

Menken was a singer and actress who became famous as “The Naked Lady” for her starring role in “Mazeppa.” In this drama she rode a stallion up a four-story stage mountain, apparently in the buff. She actually wore a flesh-colored body stocking, but audiences were shocked, horrified and intrigued by this blend of danger and sex appeal, Foster says.

“If you were a young woman and didn’t have a father or a husband to take care of your cost of living, then times were always rough back then,” Foster says. “She used her body for independence, ambition and money.”

To this day, part of the appeal of nudity is the fact that it’s still a salient taboo in our society – a relic from the Victorian era, Foster says.

“For the business owner struggling to keep his or her business afloat, going nude can be among the most cost-effective rebranding that comes to mind,” he says. “Besides a possible need for permitting, a nudist business simply needs some patrons to go semi-nude or nude, which is after all our most natural state.”

Trying to get in shape isn’t the only reason to skip dessert: consuming high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your brain, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Physiology, the AFP reports.

In the six-week study, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient found in soft drinks, candies and other processed foods.

One of the groups was also fed omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods such as salmon and walnuts and which are known to promote heart and brain health. This group of rats was fed the fatty acids via flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The other group of rats did not consume omega-3s.

For five days before the study, both groups of rats practiced running through a maze. After the six-week study, both groups were observed in the maze again.

“The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. ”Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier.”

Scientists also discovered that the brains of the omega-3-deprived rats had begun to resist insulin, a hormone critical to brain function and to blood sugar regulation.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes upwards of 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year. But a diet rich in omega-3s can help keep your brain sharp, says Gomez-Pinilla.

“Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information,” said Gomez-Pinilla. ”But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

BORDEAUX, France — In a city with a mix of students, the weekend starts on Thursday in Bordeaux. A night of drinking and dancing begins in the Place de la Victoire, where the crowd tends to be younger and livelier. Very popular with students is Le Titi Twister (76 Rue Leyteire), which as one insider described as “cozy inside with a Belgian/Dutch pub feel to it…and a good selection of world beers.” Other spots for entertainment include Place St-Pierre, Place du Parlement, and Place Gambetta.

Also in the vicinity is Café des Moines (12 Rue Menuts), a great place with a wide selection of beers and wines, and live music nearly every night. Nearby is Au Chat qui Peche (50 Cours de la Marne), something of a speakeasy where they play live music of jazz, rock and blues until midnight. However, the place is almost always packed until 4 or 5 a.m.

Bordeaux’s nightlife has a funky sophistication and its own chic that cannot be compared with Paris. Really, Bordeaux is the center of the world in wine commerce. These Frenchies know how to drink, and they know the quality of what they drink.

But don’t think you won’t be able to find a beer in this city: the Chartrons district has a rich Irish history, and there are plenty of Irish and British Pubs, such as The Cambridge Arms (27 Rue Rodé). At Connemara (14-18 Cours d’Albre), one can enjoy open-mic nights, karaoke, games and good pub food.

If gambling, drinking, dining and people-watching is more your ticket, then check out the Casino de Bordeaux, in the Hotel Sofitel Bordeaux Lac (rue Cardinal Richaud). If anything, the free admission is great if all you want to do is have a look around. To enter the formal gaming rooms, you will have to present your passport or identity card. Usually Fridays around 8 p.m. there is live entertainment. A brasserie on the street level is informal and has a fixed price menu of 25€. The restaurant above has menus beginning at 35€.

Or, if you’re the cultured type, a play or an opera at the Grand Theatre, place de la Comedie, could start your evening. Formal attire is required, and the cheapest tickets are best bought in advance. If jazz is what your soul is feeling, head over to Le Comptoir (14 Rue Temple), which is located near Gare St. Jean. For sure, this club attracts the 30-something crowd who have a taste for a little more sophistication and less wildness.

If you are looking to schmooze and network while listening to good music, Chez Pom-Pom (4 Cours Verdun ) is respectable, if not charming. The loud music and close space will lead to intimate conversations with handsome strangers (only the good looking people seem to go here).

Place Camile Julian is where the entertainment is, though. Cinema Utopia is “the best thing since sliced bread!” says an English teaching assistant living in Bordeaux.

If you are interested in salsa dancing, head to La Casa Latina Bar (59 Quai Chartrons ) in the Chartons. Another trendier bar is L’Absolute Lounge (rue de la Devise). There, you will be able to twist and shake to merengue and bachata, and occasionally enjoy live electro-jazz concerts.

Along the quai du Paludate or the old abandoned Wet Docks (Bassins-a-Flots), night owls can hibernate in bars and clubs until the early morning while listening to techno dance beats.

Iboat (Bassin à flot n°1, Quai Armand Laland) is located along Bassin-a-Flots with other major nightclub players like Pier 6 Deck (Rue Lucien Faure, Bassin à flot n°2), Dame de Shanghai (1 Quai Armand Lalande ) and Ice Room (19 Quai de Bacalan). Be prepared for a selective bouncer who will judge you on your guy-to-girl ratio and heel size. This is a crowd of 20-somethings in their first professional jobs or blowing off some end-of-the-week university steam.

As the parties end and dawn breaks across the quai, be certain to make one of your final stops at a street kebab stand, a portable late night food perfect for sharing with friends. Or if you feel like lingering, rest a little at a smaller café. If there’s anything the French know better than their food and wine, it is their coffee. And after a night of dancing, drinking, singing and dancing some more, a fresh cup of coffee and some talk will begin your Sunday morning.

(Images are original photography for Blast. Image credits: JenniferRose Photography; model, Alena Karabina; hair and makeup by Janeen Jones; styling by Nicoletta Marie Lyons; clothing provided by Conrad Lamour).

Hi Neely,

Best,
Escalating

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takeaways:

• 15 seconds: It’s important to think about your love life and what you want, but in this situation you are overthinking things!
• 1:16: When you think too much in these situations, you come off as rehearsed and awkward.
• 1:38: You don’t want to end up in the friend zone, though, so there a few simple things to consider. Tune in to find out more!
• 1:40: How can you use touch to your advantage in this type of situation? Tune in.
• 2:20: An easy NLP technique that builds rapport. Find out what it is!
• 3:04: Work on eliminating the belief that you’re just a friend zone kind of guy. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy unless you end the belief.
• 3:35: How to observe a woman’s body language and know how to proceed to build sexual energy.
• 4:05: Don’t second guess yourself.
• 4:18: Practice, practice, practice!

There’s been quite an uproar over the recent Time Magazine cover story, picturing Jamie Lynn Grumet, a 26-year-old mother, and her 3-year-old breastfeeding son. The cover photo shows Grumet standing proudly, arm on hip, while her son contentedly latches on to her nipple, gazing curiously over to the camera. The article also introduces us to three other mothers who are part of a growing group of women dedicated to a child-rearing philosophy known as “attachment parenting,” a term coined by Dr. Bill Sears. Through his work and his many books on the subject, Sears has inspired hundreds of thousands of women across the country to subscribe to this philosophy, which is characterized by extended breast-feeding, co-sleeping and wearing your baby in a sling across your body. The goal of which is to raise confident, healthy, secure kids.

After reading through the comment sections of various articles about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of the cover shot (“it’s a beautiful image”; “it’s soft core porn!”) and the actual act of extended breastfeeding (“it’s a very natural thing”; “these kids are going to grow up to be sissies.”), after listening to the talking heads on radio and television sound off, I’ve decided to throw my opinion into the din of controversy.

My first thought was gee, that length of breastfeeding does seem a bit extreme. (I had no problem with the cover image.) But as I spent some more time thinking about it, I arrived at the conclusion that there really is no right or wrong on this issue. This is a decision that is unique for every family. If a woman is not breastfeeding for her own selfish needs (so, for instance, forcing the kid against his or her will), then why the heck shouldn’t she continue to nourish her child if the child hasn’t weaned herself or himself off her breast? When children are ready, they will stop – and only the mother can know when her child no longer desires her milk.

There are, of course, noted health benefits to breastfeeding, but it doesn’t seem like there is definitive evidence to say “at X months a mother is no longer passing along any added benefits to her child through her breast milk.” What doctor decided the cut-off point, anyway? Is that number arbitrary or rooted in absolute certainty? As my mom told me once when I asked how long she breastfed me: “Back then [the late-70s], the trend was to bottle feed; women didn’t even give it a second thought.” And look at me: I turned out relatively okay, didn’t I?

Conversely, we shouldn’t be condemning (something the women in the article are accused of doing) mothers who choose to stop breastfeeding at, say, six months, as there may be a confluence of factors at play: What if the mother needs to go back to work and can’t keep up her breastfeeding schedule anymore? What if she needs to go back on a certain medication that could be harmful to the baby if delivered through the breast milk?

I’m also told breastfeeding hurts – one mother I recently heard about had to stop because her child started biting her nipple. Maybe he was ready to stop, maybe he wasn’t, but it was reason enough for her to put an end to the suckling.

My final thought, though, is that if a woman’s body is still producing breast milk, there must be good reason. Our bodies aren’t some haphazard creation (sorry to all you Creationists out there), constructed willy-nilly; they are the result of millions of years of primate evolution, millions of years of incremental changes. If a woman is still lactating, wouldn’t that mean that a nursing child might still benefit from her milk? We’ve evolved this way for a reason. This is, perhaps, no coincidence.

I liken this outcry of revulsion to the debate about older mothers. Sure, there are downsides to consider (if a 50-year-old woman has a child, that child will most likely have a different upbringing than if he or she was raised by a spritely 30-year-old; there are more chances for genetic abnormalities), but if a woman is still getting her period, it’s nature’s way of saying, you can still do this. The same logic could be applied to the presence of breast milk in a woman’s body.

Why is there such disgust and outrage over these choices then?

Let’s stop admonishing mothers for the choices they make. If these choices are rooted in instinct, love, and the care of the child, we should be applauding not castigating the women who make them.

While attending Empire Beauty School in Boston, Sasha Brown, a 30-year-old hairdresser from Watertown, spent nearly every evening after class Googling Nick Arrojo’s online hair tutorials for styling tips. Now, as a top three finalist in Arrojo’s Masters of Beauty competition, Brown can potentially put down the laptop and learn from Arrojo, the world-renowned celebrity hairstylist from “What Not to Wear,” firsthand.

“It’s a dream,” says Brown. “I always thought he was brilliant hair-wise and now I have a chance to work with him.”

The Masters of Beauty competition was open for all 150,000 students from 105 different Empire Beauty Schools in 19 states. The winner of the competition will win a 24-month apprenticeship with Arrojo at his New York City salon, Arrojo Studio, $10,000 for moving expenses, free classes taught by Arrojo and tickets to the New York International Beauty Show in April. The top two runners-up will also get tickets to the show.

“The goal is for the winner to become a really good stylist,” says Arrojo. “We’ll train them to the best of our ability.”

Brown says that winning this competition would be the best opportunity for her to grow as a hairstylist and to jumpstart her career, but she didn’t always think this window of opportunity would be possible for her.

Before the competition’s first-round deadline, her husband, Phillip Brown, had secretly entered her in the contest by submitting a picture of one of her haircuts. When Brown discovered she had made it to the second round of the competition, she was in shock.

“He mentioned the competition to me and I said, ‘No way would I have a chance with that.’ and he said, ‘Of course you will, you’re brilliant,’” says Brown, adding that her husband is her biggest fan.

The two then worked as a team to further her into the competition. As a professional videographer, her husband put together a video of Brown transforming her client, Leslie Pederson’s, look from a light brown do to a red asymmetrical bob. She was then selected to be a top 10 finalist.

“She wants to work for Nick Arrojo, she wants to go to New York City, she wants to learn as much as she can,” says Pederson, of Haverhill, who has been Brown’s client for eight years. “She listens and she knows how to cut hair. She deserves it.”

Arrojo says that the look Brown submitted stood out because her cut was up to par with his taste level. “She definitely had elements that I would consider the Arrojo style, which is contemporary and wearable,” he says. “We kind of have a more fashion-forward feel, and her cut kind of fit the brand.”

Although Brown had just started beauty school at Empire two years ago, her hairstyling practices began long before she was enrolled. While growing up in her hometown of Brighton, England, Brown would visit her mother, Lynn Rome, while she worked as a hairdresser at the Deborah Jane Salon. At the age of 5, Brown had started her beauty school education. She would observe her mother wash, cut, color and style client after client’s hair, and often helped braid some of the customers’ locks.

“I loved watching my mom do everything,” says Brown, adding that she continued to shadow her mother after they moved to a new salon in Palm Springs, Calif. when she was 13. “I loved watching her do perms, cuts, color, everything.”

Like mother like daughter, Brown dreamed of becoming a hairstylist and practiced her natural talent on My Little Pony toys, Barbie dolls and her family’s heads whenever she could run her fingers through their hair.

“I remember walking in the living room and my grandpa was on his chair and he had mini ponytails,” says Brown’s brother, Marc Rome, an attorney in Oklahoma City. “She’d use multicolored elastic bands to put his entire hair in pony tails.”

Brown and her brother grew up as polar opposites; Rome was a bookworm and Brown was a social butterfly. Where Rome was often spending hours studying for exams and quizzes, Brown spent her time singing, dancing and acting. Although she often felt the pressure to be “smart” like her brother, Rome never thought his little sister didn’t have brains.

“She was really intelligent, but she used her intelligence in different ways,” says Rome, who remembers Brown braiding her friends’ hair all the time growing up. “It’s more of a creative intelligence.”

After high school, Rome took the college route, attending Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., but Brown knew that school wasn’t for her.

“I was always interested in the creative half of things, which didn’t really require the schooling in college but required schooling,” says Brown.

Going to college was something her mother wanted both of her children to experience, so she initially did not support Brown’s decision to pursue hairstyling.

“Growing up, she wanted to be a hair dresser and I wanted her to have an education,” says Brown’s mother, Lynn Rome, who has been a hairdresser for nearly 50 years. “I just desperately wanted her to go to school.”

As a kid, Brown remembers her mother soaking her swollen feet in hot water and complaining about sore limbs, shoulder pains and pulled muscles from constantly styling hair. The hair profession was physically demanding, and that was another reason why her mother didn’t support Brown’s career path.

“She kept telling me it’s really hard on the body and it’s a lot of hard work, and I was dumb and I listened to her,” says Brown.

Following her mother’s wishes, Brown went into various jobs trying to discover her passion. She worked as a flight attendant immediately after high school, was a nanny for seven years, was a waitress at multiple restaurants and was a dental assistant for five years.

“It was good pay and my mom kind of coaxed me into the go-for-the-money kind of thing, but I was miserable doing that,” says Brown. “I worked hard at it but it didn’t fulfill me.”

It wasn’t until she was 28 years old when she realized doing hair was her true calling. Two years ago, her husband had come home with a botched haircut that  “looked like someone had their eyes shut when they were cutting his hair,” says Brown. She grabbed a pair of scissors and intuitively knew how to recover her husband’s awful new ‘do, and when she was done, Brown says her husband looked at her and said, “This is ridiculous. It’s time for you to do hair.”

“I like her cuts a lot better than other people I’ve been to, to be honest,” says Phillip Brown, her husband, who was in the Army, stationed in North Carolina at the time. “I’m really picky when it comes to who cuts my hair, and she does such a good job.”

When she moved back to Boston after living in the South with her husband for three years, Brown went straight to beauty school, where she’d have three-to-six walk-in clients a day coming in and out of the Empire salon. As a hands-on learner, Brown perfected her techniques through her experience at the school.

Emily Shuman, a career planning specialist at Empire Beauty School in Boston, says Brown was a standout student. She says that compared to other students, Brown had a large clientele and it was clear she produced quality work and that her clients were drawn to her perky, bubbly persona, which made them often come back asking if they could make an appointment with “the British girl.”

“Every single client left here with a giant smile on their face ready to book their next visit with her,” says Shuman. “She’s a very charming student here and made the clients feel very at ease. They didn’t feel like they were getting their hair done at a beauty school, she made it feel like the real deal.”

One loyal walk-in client of Brown’s at Empire was Jenna McGowan, who says that she enjoys going to Brown to get her hair done because she’s talkative, funny and a great listener.

“She’s very easy to talk to, which is great,” says McGowan, who started going to Brown a year ago. “That’s what people are looking for in a hairdresser.”

Brown’s brother agrees. “I think it’s really quite appropriate she’s a hair dresser because there’s more to being a hairdresser than just the design component,” says Rome. “There’s an entertainment component to hairdressing and she’s very good at being a hairdresser.”

In addition to studying Arrojo’s online videos and attending Empire part-time, Brown would seek inspiration by going into various hair salons throughout Boston and passively observing other stylists at work. She constantly envisioned hairdos that would look good on people everywhere she went.

“She’s always looking out for what she can do to people’s hair,” says McGowan. “She dreams about what she would do to their hair if they would let her.”

Her easygoing and welcoming personality and her commitment to improving her craft is exactly what Arrojo says he is looking for in a winner. “The salon is very friendly and I think very cool,” he says. “I’m looking for someone who’s very nice and someone who’s very committed.”

And committed, she is: Brown won first place in a competition at Empire put on by Arthur Miller, an owner of a salon on Newbury Street; volunteered to do children’s hair while teaching them about hygiene at the school; and always participated in school events, even dressing up as Betty Boop for an Empire look-a-like contest.

Currently, she is working at the Waban Salon in Newton, where both she and her more-than-proud mother work side-by-side. The competition winner will be selected on May 21, and Brown says if she wins, this will help her provide for her, her husband and their two children, Bailey, 6, and Brighton, 3, and it would create more opportunities for her in what she is most passionate about–the hair business.

“Finally my passion got the best of me and I did what I knew I should’ve done 10 years ago,” says Brown. “I love it and it’s not hard work to me at all. It’s loads of fun.”

Hi Neely,

Wondering in the Bay Area

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takwaways:

• 41 seconds: You can’t get emotionally invested in someone you meet through email on an online dating site. Why? Tune in to hear more.
• 1:07: What are women (and maybe men too) really good at doing that they shouldn’t do when it comes to online dating.
• 1:19: How many emails should be exchanged before you meet up for the first time? Remember the goal of online dating is to meet up IN PERSON!
• 1:54: Why do people do online dating? It’s not always to find a relationship. Remember that.
• 2:17: Just because someone emails you or asks for your number doesn’t mean he/she will call you. Actions speak louder than words.
• 2:44: Why does a person who you meet online ask for your number and then vanish? And what to do about it.
• 3:10: Don’t analyze, get emotionally attached to anyone you’re emailing with, and please don’t take the fact that he/she never called personally.

Fair trade is a system of exchange which ensures that farmers, artisans and other producers throughout the developing world are paid fair prices for their work and have direct involvement in the marketplace.

A project of the non-profit Green America, the “Fair Trade Your Supermarket” campaign aims to empower consumers to advocate for more “Fair Trade” products on store shelves at their local supermarkets. Fair trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities and the environment by ensuring that farmers and artisans throughout the developing world are paid fair prices for their work and have direct involvement in the marketplace. The goal of the wider Fair Trade movement, according to Green America, is to build real and lasting relationships between producers in developing countries and businesses and consumers around the world.

And that’s where your neighborhood grocer comes in. “While the Fair Trade movement is gaining steam nationwide, most of our supermarkets still carry few–if any–Fair Trade products on their shelves,” reports Green America. “Together, we can put Fair Trade products within reach for millions of Americans.”

And just how does Green America expect us to do this? “First, take stock of Fair Trade products in your supermarket—look for coffee, tea, chocolate, rice, sugar, honey, wine, fresh fruit, and olive oil.” Scan the relevant aisles for third-party certifier Fair Trade USA’s distinctive black-and-white “Fair Trade Certified” label, which is only attached to imported goods where the producers receive fair prices for their products and where strict socio-economic and environmental criteria are met during production. Alternatively, look for the logos of other third-party certifiers such as “Fair for Life” or “Fair Trade Federation” on product labels if you think fair trade versions may be available in a given product line.

“Then, you can encourage the store to stock more Fair Trade products by talking to the store manager as a loyal customer,” adds Green America. They suggest using comment cards, which can be key to getting a store with no Fair Trade items to start carrying them. “Every time you go grocery shopping, drop a comment card in the box asking your manager to stock Fair Trade items.” Of course, talking to a store manager in person may be even more effective, especially if you are armed with a pile of your receipts from the store from the previous month or two to show how much spending power you alone would be able to allocate toward Fair Trade versions of the items you are buying there.

Another creative way to spread the Fair Trade gospel would be by volunteering to hand out free samples of Fair Trade products that the store already sells in order to raise awareness and build consumer demand. “Stores sell more of a product when a sampling table is set out, and if you, your friends and family are working the table, the labor is free for the store too.”

But why stop with your local market? If there is a chain supermarket outlet in your area, take it to the top by writing an e-mail, letter or postcard to corporate headquarters informing them of your desire to buy Fair Trade items in all of their stores. Check out the Fair Trade Your Supermarket website (link below) for more tips on how to make your next shopping trip fairer to the planet and its people.

CONTACTS: Fair Trade Your Supermarket, www.fairtradeyoursupermarket.org; Green America, www.greenamerica.org; Fair Trade USA, www.fairtradeusa.com.

BORDEAUX, France — This forthcoming fall/winter season, looks will change from springy “Mad Men” inspiration to the style of British drama “Downton Abbey.” Men-inspired looks from the ’20s, a bit of Gatsby and a bit of Hemingway will accent womenswear. This isn’t to say womenswear will be masculine, but that menswear-inspired pieces, such as long angular jackets belted at the waist or tartan and plaid patterns, will define looks.

Is big always better? There are two distinct silhouettes that sauntered down Paris runways: a tailored hourglass silhouette and a voluminous silhouette. The hourglass silhouette is not the “bombshell” kind; it is tailored and turns the body into sharp contrasting triangles balanced on their apex. The aerodynamic line creates a sense of power and strength, with the crispness of the contours, and the sharp and distinct angles. Voluminous looks tended to be heavier on the top than on the bottom: bigger coats or boxy jackets paired with skinny jeans; shoulders bulked up with padding that were soft and less angular; structured yet soft peplum blouses and dresses. It seemed to be more about swaddling than swaggering–the upsizing in coats and jackets offers an idea of protection against the cold, providing refuge inside all the pomp and exaggeration.

New York City’s fashion week saw a lot of Venus in fur, with soft black leathers that resembled silk cloth and furs, fake or real. Milan, on the other hand, was more colorful and embraced patterns and color blocking. Wallpaper patterns from the 1970s were extremely popular, as were invented patterns in fuchsias in golds. When in doubt, mod black and white always suffice. London provided glimpses of “Downton Abbey”-inspired fashions, while Paris was spring-inspired in its fall/winter predictions with pastel color palettes and frills.

One style all agreed upon was pleats. Traditional three-quarter-length pleats in silk skirts, and two-toned versions played with contrasting fabrics. There were also fan shapes and sharp accordion styles, as well as origami inspirations. The swish of a pleated skirt is a perennial fashion statement that never loses its appeal.

Another popular style was a play with peek-a-boo down below: see-through pants or skirts, achieved with chiffons, revealed without giving it all away. The same see-through styles appeared in tops as well, but were more subtle.

In the accessory department, chunky, clanging bangles are on the way out; elevator grille cuffs exude greater elegance, and without the danger of slipping off. As for necklaces and the like, colored beads are favored, especially in natural themes and resin gems, embalming faux bees and other insects on chains. Not exactly your grandmother’s pearls, but expect to see a lot more Diana-inspired moonstone rings or sapphires this season.

Running in heels is always dangerous, so consider stacked platforms or stacked-high loafers. Made with cork, they are soft and springy, giving height without suffering for fashion.

While Paris saw the pastel palette of Les Paques, expect fall and winter fashion trends to embrace blacks, navies, cool gray tweeds, chocolates, camel tans and creams, especially if you are a New England or mid-Atlantic native. The styles are more mature this season ,with more class and elegance. Strong and dark, perhaps with a feminine burgundy or maroon thrown in to accentuate, fashions make a statement of power.

(Images are original photography for Blast. Image credits: Jennifer Rose Photography; model, Alena Karabina; hair and makeup by Janeen Jones; styling by Nicoletta Marie Lyons; clothing provided by Lola’s Urban Vintage & Heiress Boutique).

Tyler Balliet, co-founder of Second Glass.

Are you a would-be oenophile who sticks to beer or vodka tonics in an attempt to avoid the snobbery so often served up with sauvignon? Second Glass is here to bring you around to the bottle. Founded by former Bostonians Morgan First and Tyler Balliet, Second Glass aims to make wine accessible via Wine Riots, events that the company defines as two parts education and one part revolution.

After attending the Wine Riot at the Boston Park Plaza Castle earlier this month and speaking to Balliet, I can now answer the following questions with ease: “Can you get good wine from a box?” Yep; “Can great wine come from Massachusetts?” Surprisingly, yes; “Is there such a thing as a wine event that is devoid of old boys in tweed waxing poetic about a wine’s nose and legs?” Yes. Thank you, Second Glass. Yes.

Balliet is a former wine writer who noticed a hole in the market. While wine was alive and well with older folks, younger people just weren’t drinking it. Balliet knew that his peers were interested in learning, they just didn’t have the resources to do so. Sure, they could read about it, but who wants to read when tasting is more rewarding (not to mention more fun)? In the summer of 2008, Balliet partnered with First and turned this realization into what is now Second Glass. Their goal? To present people with the opportunity to experience wine in an educational setting while allowing them to connect with people who were just as curious as they were.

The idea that wine should be about fun and curiosity isn’t as revolutionary as the reigning wine culture makes it seem. Balliet notes that he has never encountered pretension among wine makers and others that work closely with the product. Even in France, where he lived for a few years, wine was regarded as something to be enjoyed and explored. That wine should fill the glasses of erudite socialists is a strictly American idea that can be traced back to Prohibition. Rather than making us a more upright society, the ban on booze spurred a cocktail culture. As many of us know from our wayward teenage years, a handle of vodka is easier to smuggle than a case of wine. By the time wine reappeared on the American market, it was bolstered by a group of people who appreciated the fact that it could be debated and discussed as well as imbibed. Slowly but surely, wine became one of the only products whose technical language became its marketing language.

I can’t vouch for makers themselves, but there was certainly no pretension among the  distributor representatives I encountered at Wine Riot. And while I’m sure they possessed a wealth of knowledge and technical jargon I couldn’t even begin to appreciate, they mercifully refrained from using it, and instead discussed their products with an enthusiasm and ease that was not only easy to understand, but easy to get excited about. After tasting the wines being offered at Mouton Noir, the rep asked if I was ready to try the “big boy wine.” It wasn’t the kind of language one would encounter in The Wine Advocate, but it definitely made me want to drink up.

Wonderfully, this fantastic wine fell within the price range of everything Mounton Noir was offering up that night (between $17 and $24). Balliet noted during our interview that “price and quality are not directly related.” Barring those wines he’s purchased as gifts, the co-founder of Second Glass reports that he rarely spends beyond $40 to $50 on a bottle. It seems wine and fashion have something in common: You buy a $150 bottle of wine for the same reason you buy a pair of Gucci sunglasses. True, you’re getting a superior level of craftsmanship, but ultimately, you’re paying for the label. And just as that dude in designer jeans, shades and (seriously?) t-shirt may prove to have less than a sparkling personality, you can’t judge a wine by its bottle.

Guests at the event used their smart phones to rate wines.

As it turns out, good wine can also come from a box. In fact, a box lined with medical-grade plastic prevents air from getting inside and turning your yummy red wine into vinegar. Unlike bottles, which will keep wine fresh for about 48 hours, a box can be opened and then left on your counter for a month without altering the product. The reason everyone’s not doing it lies in the price. Compared to bottling, putting wine into a box is extremely expensive for producers.

Balliet also emphasized that in the same way wine isn’t bound to a bottle, it’s also not bound to traditional wine producing regions. Though he admits that the wine that got him into wine hails from France’s Loire Valley, he admits to finding delicious offerings from all sorts of unlikely places since then. He is a huge advocate of local wine and insists great wine can be made in all 50 states. Sure, terrible wine can be made in all 50 states, but France can turn out some crappy wine, too. It’s important to remember, Balliet notes, that 25 years ago, everyone thought the guys trying to grow grapes out in California were crazy.

So what’s the image of a satisfied wine rioter? Someone who leaves knowing more about both wine and themselves. “I want people to come and leave with knowledge they can apply to wine buying. My goal is to make wine buying easier and more enjoyable,” Balliet said. Given the crowd at Wine Riot and Second Glass’ ingenious integration of technology (want to give your wine two thumbs up and take a note or two? There was an app for that) it seems more and more 20-somethings will find themselves thinking outside of the beer aisle.

Blast writer Katy Dycus at the steps of the Vivekananda Memorial.

NAGERCOIL, India — At the southern tip of peninsular India, the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. Rather than facing off at a sharp point, the meeting spot curves around a lush landscape, where slender wooden fishing boats punctuate the multihued sands texturing the shoreline. True sculptural design lies in the way wind and sand mold flexible contours of land and sea. This is India’s Kanyakumari district, the geographical end of the subcontinent. It was also the point that marked a new beginning for me.

Last summer, I spent two months living in south India. Primarily based in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, I lived among a people who valued their state’s language, Tamil, over the national one, Hindi. I worked with pharmacists in the Dr. Jeyasekharan Hospital for nearly eight weeks. I heard my co-workers speaking Tamil to one another, but the artistic gravity of written Tamil did not take hold of me until one Saturday when I ventured out to Kanyakumari with my friend Gitu, with whom I was staying in Nagercoil. It is one thing to hear a language, and it is an entirely new thing to see it.

Before boarding the boat that would take us out to an island where many make their pilgrammage every year, Gitu and I fitted each other for neon orange life jackets. Mine hung about me loosely, a physical reminder of just how much weight I had lost in the previous 10 days. The severity of my “traveler’s sickness” heralded from a combination of things—new spicy foods, jet lag, lack of sleep and the joyful yet exhausting experience of extreme excitement. But thankfully, I was living with a gastroenterologist who encouraged all of us in the house to openly discuss bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea. Frankly, or maybe ironically, I found this openness quite refreshing. Where else could I speak so honestly about the body?

That morning in Kanyakumari, I let the sultry air whip my hair into a frenzy while the boat rocked against waves tossed by the wind. It felt good to be outdoors. Heck, it felt good to be somewhere other than the bathroom. As the noisy boat carried us off shore to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, I let anticipation build up inside me. Competing with the sound of the boat’s engine, Gitu explained that the memorial commemorated the life of Swami Vivekananda, a wandering monk who practiced austerity on this island we were entering. My mind instantly conjured up an image of a barefooted man meditating in solitary confinement (cross-legged, of course), humming some dull chant over and over. I began to feel sleepy.

In my two months in India, I had seen, heard, and smelled more bare feet than ever before—enough to make feet my least favorite body part. As I stated before, the body and the way it functions or malfunctions had never presented to me a real occasion for disgust. You would know this if you were to overhear some of the comfortable conversations between the gastroenterologist and I. However, India was giving me a reason to develop a distaste for feet.

Gitu at Thiruvalluvur's feet.

I should have known that at the entrance of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, I would have to remove my sandals, or “Jesus sandals,” as my co-workers called them. This familiar ritual characterized my experience of the Mysore Palace, cathedrals in Chennai, a rustic summer palace outside Nagercoil. In India, shoes, and to a lesser degree, feet, have unclean associations. I’ve noticed Indians on the train making a simple gesture of apology if they accidentally touch someone with their feet. Shoes must be removed for places of worship or commemoration, when visiting people’s homes and sometimes even in some shops and businesses. Even though I learned about these cultural practices before coming to the subcontinent, I approached the removal act with resistance every time. I became hypersensitized to the sweat, dust and grime beneath my toenails.

At first, as I walked around the memorial barefoot, I crept along on my tip-toes. Then, when that becoming tiring, I walked gingerly on the sides of my feet. I probably looked like a lost, lame duck. As long as only a fraction of my feet were touching the ground, I decided, there was a lesser chance of contracting a deadly foot fungus. Was it an irrational fear? Everyone’s feet shuffled along silently and inobtrusively, so why did I build the fear up in my mind to be larger and louder than it was? I felt a momentary pang of guilt for elevating my fears above the virtuous ground upon which this memorial was established. It was in the waters surrounding this island, during the month of December 1892, that Swami Vivekananda swam daily. On this rock he meditated about India’s past, present and future conditions, struggling with thought as his muscles braved the strong seas. It was here that enlightenment came. Gitu pulled me aside for a photograph before I could reach temporary enlightenment.

“Stand over here, Katy. I’ll get the Thiruvalluvar Statue in the background,” said Gitu.

Gitu snapped the photo seconds after I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, useless because of the way the wind blew strands of hair into my mouth and into my line of vision.

Before boarding the next boat, which would take us from the Vivekananda Memorial to the Thiruvalluvar Statue, Gitu and I put our shoes back on. I made a silent apology to my shoes, which now had to wrap themselves around my disgustingly filthy feet. One thing was for sure: in India, people have the misfortune, or, as some would see it, the luxury, of shared experience in their ability to “trod” common ground. As we neared the next island, the Thiruvalluvar Statue grew into eminence until it pierced the sky. Moments later, the boat inched closer, farther from the Vivekananda Rock and closer to Shripada Parai—the statue’s island. It is an island where the remembered life of India’s most celebrated and recited poets shades into the poetic verse he created.

Aphorisms at the entrance to the Thiruvalluvar Statue.

The curly, eloquent script of the Tamil language adorns the walls marking the entrance to the Thiruvalluvar Statue, which stands at 133 feet, denoting the 133 chapters the Tamil poet authored in the “Thirukkural.” On Jan. 1, 2000, the monument was officially erected, bringing in the new year, a new millenium. Gitu told me that part of her school training was memorizing these classic couplets or aphorisms contained in the “Thirukkural.” These words were meant to inspire wisdom in India’s young, hoping that one day they would rise up to be a generation characterized by virtue and not corruption.

The foot of the monument literally depicts Thiruvalluvar’s larger-than-life feet, large enough for visitors to wrap their arms around a toe and still not reach all the way around. The 38-foot -tall pedestal represents the 38 chapters of “Virtue” contained in the “Thirukkural,” where the 95-foot-tall statue atop the pedestal represents “Pleasures” and “Wealth.” The construction itself contains the idea that wealth and love can only be obtained or laid upon a solid foundation of virtue. The idea was novel to me, as one who considers Biblical love and Christ-centered truth to form the foundation upon which virtue can hold any real meaning. The feet of Thiruvalluvar constructs a foundation of virtue then, while the feet of Christ-followers inspires virtue, as “beautiful feet” represent one who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings, who proclaims salvation (Isaiah 52:7).

Either way, I determined, feet don’t have to be a negative thing. Never before had I made such an honest connection between feet and beauty, or truth, or virtue. Architecturally and conceptually, the Thiruvalluvar Statue offers up ideas to visitors about not only a life, but a way of life. The “virtuous” feet at the base of the statue gave me a reason to reevaluate my fears and misgivings and to put them beside a discussion of faith. Given my disgust of feet and the conspicuousness of feet in India, I was hesitant to consider possible merits. But the Thiruvalluvar Statue demanded just that. It forced me to consider the things that we lay foundationally—to any situation, idea or life. “What foundation am I laying?” I asked myself.

***

Blast writer Katy Dycus at Thiruvalluvur's feet.

Ptolemy, an ancient Greek-Roman citizen and scholar of Egypt, designated the Kanyakumari region as a center for pearl fishery.  After visiting the Vivekananda Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar Statue, the boat returned us to the subcontinent. Gitu and I were weary from our little journey and were hungering for fresh fish and parotta, a layered flatbread. It took me a couple minutes before I realized Gitu wasn’t walking beside me; she had stopped at a small jewelry stand by the roadside, which looked so small compared to the pink Ghandi memorial behind it. I remained where I was, allowing the gentle breeze to ruffle my kurta.

When Gitu finally caught up with me, I barely noticed the tiny pearl necklace she placed in the palm of my hand. It was so delicate.

“You’re spoiling me,” I told her, pretending to return the gift.

“No, I’m not giving you enough,” she remarked, which was just so “Indian” of her.

The rope of pearls glued to my skin with the humidity, and the grimey sand felt like part of the necklace itself. When Gitu clasped the pearls at the back of my neck, it felt stickier still. Maybe this was just one more example of how something so ideally lovely and rare can also feel uncomfortable. Like feet, I thought. Formed in the dark of mollusk shells, pearls glow with an inner radiance. There is nothing radiant about feet, except when feet represent a commitment to virtue, as in Thiruvalluvar’s case, or in mine—to the proclaiming of good news as a result of an inner conviction; one so alive that it glows.

Kanyakumari is a place where one can witness the sun rise from the sea in the morning and set into the sea come evening. The movement produces a brilliance of color at this convergence. The point where three waters meet, where sun meets water, where water meets land, where Swami Vivekananda met peace, where Thiruvalluvar caused love and wealth to meet virtue. It is also the topographical end of a colorful land, a point where land is no more and where feet cannot tread. The place where waves brush up against more waves as far as the eye can see.

This week’s videos are based on a comment we received in last week’s MP4 Love #14.

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Tune in to the male perspective below – this week featuring J.T. Tran, Master Pick-up Artist at ABCs of Attraction. But first:

Takeaways

1:15: Learn about techniques from J.T. Tran and other dating coaches/PUAs and practice as much as you can – it’s a form of exposure therapy.

2:35: Tune in here for new ways of thinking about yourself and self-confidence.

2:40: Confidence is a belief you have about yourself – tune in for more on this.

3:10: When events happen, we form meanings about them and ourselves, and from these meanings we create beliefs about ourselves, which become self-fulfilling prophecies. Tune in for more on this and my example.

3:59: A possible truth isn’t necessarily THE truth.

4:11: Events don’t have meanings other than the ones YOU attach to them.

The 2010 death of a New Zealand woman may have been caused by excessive consumption of Coca-Cola, experts say.

Natasha Harris, 30, a stay-at-home mother of eight, died of a heart attack in February 2010 while helping her children get ready for school. According to Fairfax Media, pathologist Dr. Dan Mornin testified at an inquest yesterday that the cause of death was most likely hypokalemia, or low potassium, brought on by her two-gallons-of-Coca-Cola-a-day habit.

Mornin added that poor nutrition and toxic levels of caffeine, an ingredient in Coca-Cola and many other soft drinks, may also have contributed to Harris’ death.

According to the Otago Daily Times, Chris Hodgkinson, Harris’ partner, testified that Harris did not eat much and smoked about 30 cigarettes a day.

“I never thought about it,” said Hodgkinson. “It’s just a soft drink, just like drinking water. I didn’t think a soft drink was going to kill her.”

Hodgkinson also said that Harris had been ill since the year before her death, and would vomit six times a week. She also suffered from tiredness and tooth decay, and was moody when she was without Coca-Cola.

“The first thing she would do in the morning was have a drink of Coke and the last thing she would do in the day was have a drink of Coke by her bed,” he said.

Pathologist Dr. Martin Sage said in a deposition, “It is certainly well demonstrated that excessive long or short-term cola ingestion can be dramatically symptomatic, and there are strong hypothetical grounds for this becoming fatal in individual cases.”

Karen Thompson, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Oceania, argued in a statement that the ingestion of anything in excess is detrimental to one’s health.

“We concur with the information shared by the coroner’s office that the grossly excessive ingestion of any food product, including water, over a short period of time with the inadequate consumption of essential nutrients, and the failure to seek appropriate medical intervention when needed, can be dramatically symptomatic,” she said.

Gickup, a Los Angeles-based company whose goal is to connect the world through video chat games, has developed what I believe will be the hottest new facebook dating application: Blind Video Date. If co-founders Michael Mikikian and Brian Fudge can raise enough money, Blind Video Date, an amalgam of The Dating Game and Love Connection–famous dating television shows from the 1960s and 1980s, respectively–will soon be the new online craze.

Almost 20 percent of all relationships now start online through traditional dating sites like Match.com and eHarmony, but according to a recent analysis led by the social psychologist Eli Finkel of Northwestern University, these websites are doing more harm than good. Finkel’s research finds that the sites’ algorithms are not effective at finding a true match. While I am a firm believer in online dating, the truth is that in-person chemistry is something no mathematical equation will ever be able to predict. Mikikian claims that although their game’s dating participants aren’t meeting in person, the platform itself “solves these traditional online dating deficiencies by having people talk to each other.”

He has a point. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a short video chat with someone you’ve met online before deciding to meet up?

So how does the Blind Video Date game work exactly?

First, let me educate you on the premise of both The Dating Game (check out John Ritter, who appeared on an episode in 1967, pre-Three’s Company fame) and Love Connection – if you’re under 30, you may be unfamiliar with these shows. In The Dating Game, a woman sat on one side of a wall, and three bachelors, who were hidden from the woman’s view but not the audience’s, sat on the other side. The woman would ask a series of questions (“If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?”) to which the bachelors would give their best answers. At the end of the questioning period, the woman would choose her date. Occasionally, the roles would be reversed (a man choosing from three women). In Love Connection, a modernized version of The Dating Game, three potential dates were introduced via video to the show’s guest. The studio audience members then voted on which candidate they thought would be the guest’s best choice. The guest then revealed who they chose, and although the actual date was never televised, the often-hilarious recap was discussed on-air. If it was a love connection, the couple would be reunited on stage; if not, the backstage contestant would disappear. Either way, the inimitable Chuck Woolery, the show’s slick host, would then reveal how the audience voted. For more on what the audience vote meant and to see some ridiculously awesome hair, watch this clip at 8:31. Fun fact: These two eventually got married, and Chuck Woolery gave the first toast!)

Blind Video Date combines these two concepts. Fast forward to 2012, though, and instead of sitting across a wall from one another, participants are all on a computer screen together, but only the audience can see all four people. The solo dater cannot see his or her three suitors, who are covered by blinds (how cute!). Instead of in-studio audience casting their vote, a user anywhere in the world who’s logged in to the show through facebook can vote on the suitor they like the best.

The game itself is short, clocking in at only five minutes – understandable, given the short attention span of today’s average American. The solo dater asks his or her suitors questions and the suitors respond. If the solo dater feels a suitor is taking too long to answer, he or she can hit the “stop babbling” button and the game is automated to kill that suitor’s audio (the twenty-first century equivalent of the Vaudeville stage cane). At the end of the game, the audience and the solo dater must agree on a winner. If they do, the solo dater and the winner get to video chat privately to see if they want to exchange contact information, but not before the blinds are raised, revealing the losers’ faces. After the video chat, which the audience can see but not hear, the pseudo-couple announce whether they’ll be taking their newfound relationship offline or going their separate cyberspace ways.

If a person is interested in viewing and possibly participating in the vote, doing so is as simple as logging in through facebook. If a game isn’t currently airing, a clock lets the viewer know when the next game will take place. Gickup will also record games so you can watch them later.

If a person is interested in being a participant, they need to log into facebook, install the application, and fill out a short questionnaire that includes basic questions, such as sexual orientation and time preferences. The applicant must also tape a one-minute video audition. Mikikian and Fudge are then able to cast the show, organize a game night, and find the best matches for contestants. Contestants can play under aliases, but because they log in through facebook, all contestants are tied to real accounts, which, as Mikikian put it, “guards against the freaks,” or, in other words, the people who like to expose themselves on, say, unmonitored sites, like Chatroulette. They need 500 people to sign up through facebook to start their first show.

In the future, Mikikian and Fudge would like to have premium games, for which users would pay. Currently, their plan for revenue generation is to roll commercials between games.

The genius of this game is that it involves the best parts of reality TV: sex (well, not actual intercourse, but you catch my drift), a sort of PG-13 voyeurism, and the ability to vote and determine the fate of contestants. And it’s the first interactive, online video dating platform to exist, which is perhaps why notable game show and unscripted reality TV producers are backing the idea and serving as advisors.

As a dating columnist and coach for Blast Magazine, I can’t help but also think about the opportunity this game affords dating and relationship coaches and their clients. In effect, it’s a great platform for men and women to practice their conversational skills and for coaches to eavesdrop on their clients and provide feedback based on what they heard. “It’s the ultimate coach-mentor experience,” said Mikikian. David Wygant, one of the country’s top dating coaches, agrees. He has signed on to partner with Gickup, along with two other female dating coaches.

Currently, Gickup (a place to pick up games – the genesis of the company’s name) is in start-up mode, having developed various prototypes that bridge interactive media with the game experience. For instance, in Secret Celeb, audience members can team up with friends or random people across the globe and compete against other teams in a beat-the-clock trivia game. Or Ruthless, a strategy-based trivia game that’s part Trivial Pursuit, part Survivor, in which players can steal points from other competitors and drive them into bankruptcy.

As fun as these games sound, they aren’t live yet. Gickup’s main focus is on launching Blind Video Date. If Mikikian and Fudge can’t meet their $5,000 goal on their Kickstarter page, they vow to find the money from other investors, because they believe their creation has the potential to become an internet sensation.

“There’s nothing else out there like it,” said Mikikian. “This is the future of social games and social TV.”

Last Friday, I was a guest on Michael Graham’s popular talk radio show, which airs from 3-7 p.m., on 96.9 WTKK. I was participating in the final hour of his broadcast–the “That’s a Wrap” segment–during which Graham and other pundits recap some of the news stories of the week. The other guest that night was the great Charlie Hall, the brainchild of the uproarious Mass Hysteria, a “musical, satirical cabaret that pokes fun at the local goings-on, personalities, and politics of Massachusetts.” After the broadcast, Hall was kind enough to extend an invitation to my boyfriend and me to come to the next day’s show for a free viewing, which, of course, I could not resist.

Mass Hysteria isn’t new to Beantown–it debuted more than 15 years ago, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Eventually, Hall, a Rhode Island native known affectionately by many as the “Rhode Island State Jester,” put the show on hiatus, deciding to focus his attention on his other creation, Ocean State Follies, a similarly-themed musical spoof about Rhode Island. Perhaps inspired by recent absurdities here in our glorious, uber-liberal, scandal-plagued Commonwealth of Massachusetts (umm … three consecutive speakers of the house thrown in jail?), Hall, a stand-up comic by trade who has appeared on such programs as the Joan Rivers Show, Caroline’s Comedy Hour, America’s Funniest People  and Star Search ’93 (he was a semi-finalist!), felt the timing was ripe in the Bay State for a return to the roast.

“There’s something incestuous about the big cities in New England,” said Hall in an email to me. “We all seem to know each other, are related to each other–it breeds corruption. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining: Without it I’d have no show!”

I had never heard of Mass Hysteria–surprising, given my affinity for politics and the nonsensical folly it often engenders–but Graham couldn’t stop raving about how funny it was, filling me with high hopes for a night full of delicious Schadenfreude as my boyfriend and I headed over to the back room of Club Café this past Saturday night for the 7:30 p.m. performance.

It just so happened that Hall, who greeted us at the door, was starring in the show that night as one of the main performers–one of his cast members had to bow out to commemorate the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. But the show must go on! Luckily, Hall knew the material cold–after all, he scripted each of the acts and wrote the lyrics to all of the songs–and had a decent singing voice to boot.

The show kicked off with a number on the oh-so-despicable tradition of corruption in Massachusetts, setting up the tone and direction for what was to come. The regular cast members present on Saturday–Tom Berry, Danielle Hecht and Krystal Bly–performed excellently throughout. Given their acting chops, great comedic timing and superb vocal skills, one might wonder why Broadway hasn’t come calling.

Each song was set to a familiar tune, making the sentiment and lyrics even funnier. Cases in point: a Catherine Gregg-Gisele Bundchen duet, played by Hecht and Bly, respectively, made use of Tammy Wynette’s famous tune “Stand By Your Man;” and a biting spoof of Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray’s recent driving mishap, during which he says he fell asleep at the wheel, was set to The Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman.”

While the show often dealt with various incidents involving state corruption, many acts focused on more lighthearted subjects. Hall’s skits poked fun at all things Massachusetts, from notable politicians (and wannabes), such as Mitt Romney, Elizabeth Warren, Joseph Kennedy III (portrayed hilariously by Berry as an overly ebullient, dunderhead schoolboy who giggles and fumbles awkwardly), Tom “Mumbles” Menino, and Bawney Fwwank (“My Bawney Lies Over the Ocean”) to established institutions and landmarks, such as the MBTA, the completely unremarkable paint-stained gas tank on Route 93 and the Citgo sign, the four beloved Boston sports teams, and the One, the Only … Dunkin’ Donuts. Issues such as the ruckus over gay marriage and casinos (“comiiiing to town”) were also satirized.

Of all the bits during Saturday’s performance, two were, hands down, the funniest: The first was a number featuring Hall as a resurrected Ted Kennedy (a dubious halo hovering above his head, a margarita in hand), flanked by two angels, singing altered lyrics to the tune of “Jesus Christ Superstar”; the second, a pee-in-your-pants skit featuring Berry as a knucklehead professor of “Bostonics,” in which he helped the audience understand, through the use of flash cards, the often-confusing phonics of the Boston accent. My boyfriend and I were in legitimate hysterics.

I highly recommend Mass Hysteria. The acting, comedy, and singing are marvelous, and it feels great to support an unpretentious, grassroots production. There will be a few more shows in April at Club Café (check out www.masshysteriathemusical.com for the schedule), but Hall is looking for additional venues in the coming months. The cast will perform pretty much anywhere (private parties, business meetings or fundraisers) they are hired to go–except Mitt Romney’s backyard.

In honor of the 100 year anniversary of Titanic’s tragic sinking (and, of course, in celebration of the recent release of “Titanic” in 3D), Beacon Hill’s Hampshire House is hosting a first class passenger-style dinner. The six-course meal will feature cuisine inspired by the ship’s actual menu, and the era’s opulence will be recreated with impeccable service and decor, so you can pretend you are wining and dining with Jack and Rose.

The Menu

Consummé au Tapioca

Hi Neely,

Short guy, Boston

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Now tune in to the male perspective – this week featuring James Michael Sama; www.limitlesslifestyle.com.

Keeping condoms in your wallet can be tricky; sure, you’ve got protection on the go, but do you really want that telltale ring to show every time you whip out your credit card? Annex Products, the company that brought you the Opena iPhone case with a built-in bottle opener, has a solution: the Playa Case.

In addition to protecting your iPhone 4/4S, the Playa Case helps you stay protected. It has a discreet sliding storage compartment that can fit two condoms–and no one will know they’re there.

The ultra slim polycarbonate Playa Case won’t be for sale until this summer, but you can sign up here to be notified when it’s available. It will retail for $29.95 and will come in black, white and pink (ladies can be “playas,” too!).

Liza Mundy, a writer for The Washington Post, has a new book out: The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners is Transforming Sex, Love, and Family. In it she discusses the rise of women in the workplace and the inevitability of female dominance. She predicts that by 2025, more than half the primary breadwinners in America will be female. What does this mean for the country, in terms of romantic relationships? Will women be happy with this role? How will men respond? Will marriage decline if men begin to feel emasculated or unnecessary?

And, on the minds of many: Will  female hypergamy – the practice of marrying into an equal or more prestigious social group or caste – come to an end? Traditionally, women have been the ones to “marry up,” for reasons such as necessity, desire, social pressure, and self-validation.  But with the rise of women in society, namely the working world and education, less women are turning to marriage as a means of survival or for purposes of self-esteem. I happen to think this is a good thing, but surely, for every action there is a reaction.  One unintended consequence of rising females  is the decline of males, which may mean an end to hypergamy, or perhaps even a reversal – male hypergamy. Unfortunately, that possibility doesn’t sit well with many women, at least not for the time being. The fairer sex still wants to partner up with men of similar or greater financial and educational prospects. Trouble is: that pool of men is shrinking. Can women’s hypergamous instincts thus be tamed? Will women eventually embrace the concept of “dating down?” Or will they choose a life of bachelorettehood rather than feel like they’re settling for men of lower status.

As a dating and relationship pundit, I’ve started to see the very real effects of this modern-day dilemma on men and women. Take Boston, for example. A recent survey conducted by Glamour magazine and Match.com found that Boston women are the unhappiest in the country. Sure, it may have to do with the fact that 1 out of 8 Boston men expect sex on the first date – another finding of that survey –  but another guess is that it might have something to do with the growing number of accomplished, well-educated women in the city and the decreasing pool of similarly accomplished, well-educated men.

When I posted a link to Susan Walsh’s blog entry on the subject of hypergamy to my facebook page, a man by the name of Tom responded with some very thoughtful feedback. I appreciated having a male perspective, and Tom’s comments were so insightful that I asked him if I could publish our back-and-forth on Blast. Here was our conversation about hypergamy, male-female relations, Game, the future of marriage, and other such topics.

What do you have to add to the discussion?

Tom: Two quick observations:

1. Hypergamous instincts are not based exclusively on career success but more broadly on social dominance and “demonstration of higher value” (DHV). Beneath the cheesy scripts and peacock routines, this is the essential proposition that undergirds the whole “Game”/PUA mentality and how it’s supposed to work (if it does work). That sounds nebulous, but when discussing sexual attraction, nebulous factors often come into play.
2. Discussions of how mating/relationship/marriage norms are changing need to accept the possibility that, for many, “failure” is most definitely an option, meaning that there is no cosmic rule that says that everyone is eventually going to partner up happy, succeed in the mating game, whatever. The majority of adults are already unmarried and while that might change on an individual level for many, no law says it has to. We may end up moving to a new norm of what inter-gender personal relationships end up looking like. I think this was the point that Kate Bolick was trying to make several months ago, in her critique of “singlism,” and it remains valid. If the social norm doesn’t match human realities and desires, I’d expect the former to change more readily than the latter.

Neely Steinberg: You make some great points. 1) My feeling re: Game/PUA is that the techniques/mentality have become so mainstream that they are less effective. Many women can smell them from a mile away, but I do think they can come in handy, to an extent, for Beta types who have a hard time making connections with women. Also, I think younger women are more prone to falling for Game; older women don’t have the time, desire or energy to deal with feigned displays of DHV. Of course, self-confidence is sexy and we love it, but when we realize it comes from a playbook, we aren’t so interested. At this juncture, hypergamy is still instinctual for most females, but perhaps 50 years from now societal shifts will drown out that instinct. Will be interesting to watch and see. 2) I think you’re right: Moving forward, “failure” to get married or couple up is a valid option, although we probably won’t look at it as failure anymore. I do think there are dangerous implications, though, to having less married people, specifically for children. But perhaps I will be convinced otherwise if it becomes the accepted societal norm for all groups (white, black, rich, poor, etc.).

Tom: Re (1): I agree that the corpus of techniques and scripts promulgated by Game proponents has likely become somewhat stale but I always viewed that as the less-important part of that philosophy (as well as being kind of lame anyway), as compared to the overall mindset and objective of the effort, namely, to teach men with difficulty in that area to develop a better sense of self-confidence and ability to “sell” themselves, as well as to “de-pedestalize” and demystify women and the nature of female attraction in the eyes of such men. I think that the techniques were mostly there as sort of a set of “training wheels” anyway for the less secure, less naturally self-confident, and more “beta” or introverted of men to get a start on things. The ultimate goal probably is and should be for men to actually LEARN to be more self-confident and to promote themselves better, rather than to merely find a way to act as though they are, but “fake it until you make it” can perhaps be a viable means to that end. Game in any case at least always predicated itself on relying on an objective analysis of what works and how attraction is generation, so one could expect that the body of actual techniques, if one is concerned about such things, would evolve and develop to meet current social realities.

I guess whether hypergamy becomes less relevant or not depends on one’s view of its etiology. If it’s some sort of deeply-rooted evolutionary instinct (as a lot of the Game people claim), then it may prove highly-resistant to any sort of fundamental change, at least within anything less than an evolutionary timeframe (probably significantly longer than 50 years), though the means by which that instinct is expressed and manifested certainly probably will change as the social outlets by which it can express itself do (I have no idea what one might expect such social norms may look like in 50 years, given both the rapid state of flux they seem to be in, and the fact that an observer from 50 years ago probably wouldn’t have been able to predict the current situation very well).

Re (2): control over biology and child-bearing and -rearing is an important issue there. Human beings gaining control over that process over the last half-century will probably prove to be one of the most revolutionary biological and social changes in human history. The current debates and controversy over contraception are taking place with that as a backdrop. Hopefully, both the technology and the access to it will advance to the point that child-bearing will be able to take place in stable and supportive environments (which might mean in families oriented around two-person marriage, or around some other arrangements that provide similar material and social support to children, again I won’t try to predict what options people may come up with 50 years hence). We face the risk that raising well cared-for and parented children may become a preserve of the rich or others with the personal or social resources to invest in the project, something that’s maybe already becoming an issue with marriage right now becoming a preserve of the upper class, but that won’t make it any different than a lot of other class divisions we already have to deal with (and which would call for a broader battery of solutions beyond either family norms or reproductive technology).

Also re hypergamy: I think both sexes are, to an extent, hypergamous. I don’t know of many heterosexual men who would not prefer to find women who are hot, kind, smart, and accomplished, probably roughly in that order, even if they’re “marrying (or partnering) up.” Where perhaps things get complicated is in the dynamics of a relationship where one’s self-image, and probably one’s image as imputed to the eyes of their partner by comparison, are affected or potentially placed in question.

Neely Steinberg: Completely agree that Game is helpful to men in that way, 100 percent. And yes, fake it until you make it, can be a viable option until you actually start to believe it, which I suppose would be the end goal – not just getting the girl, otherwise old habits and insecurities are more likely to seep back in. I’m not sure if Game alone is enough to accomplish a total transformation, but it can help, and it’s a good start because it forces men to come out of their shells, demystifies women, and forces men to “do” and experiment; it’s not enough to just think – one has to act and through repeated action one builds self-esteem. And yes, depends on how you view hypergamy – if it’s instinctual, societal changes will probably do little, and a push for change (i.e. social engineering) may do more harm than good. If hypergamy is a societal imperative, it can be more easily manipulated. Conservatives would do well, IMO, to embrace same-sex marriage – if their goal is a return, if that’s even possible, to more stable family environments. For the benefit of our children and the betterment of civil society, they should be encouraging two-parent homes, no matter the gender of the parents. That two human beings are willing to create a stable, loving home for children is what is important. At this point, the sexual liberation movement seems to have benefitted the well-heeled more than other socioeconomic classes, simply because the rich have the resources to, as you say, invest in the project. Currently, only a small percentage of highly educated men and women choose to stay unmarried and have kids on their own. I don’t see that changing for a while but who knows what will happen. It’s sort of a separate-but-equal scenario that actually has dire consequences for the less fortunate.

Tom: Agree with all of the above. I think that the current social conservative reaction (represented by, e.g.: Rick Santorum, et al) is a case of doing the wrong thing for the right reason, or at least I’m willing to be at least that charitable with regards to some of that camp’s motivations, or at least those of its supporters. I think they’ve correctly assessed that current family and sexual norms are in a state of flux (I’d not quite use the word “crisis). Where they go wrong is in thinking that it’s either desirable, or even feasible, to somehow turn the clock back on such norms to 1958 or some other bygone era, rather than working to find more realistic and equitable modern solutions to the problem.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/the-future-of-hypergamy/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-13-dating-an-older-woman/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-13-dating-an-older-woman/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:26:02 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=74042

Hi Neely,

I’m a 25-year-old guy dating a 32-year-old woman. We met, believe it or not, in line at a CVS. She’s a lawyer and very accomplished. I work in sales but am just starting out – I graduated from college a couple years ago. Perhaps my sales schtick helped me get her attention when we were in line together. We’ve been dating for 6 months now, and I’m really starting to fall for this woman. I’ve always been intrigued by older women – I love that they’re more sophisticated and secure (financially and emotionally) than younger girls that I’ve dated in the past. And while I feel I’m falling in love, I’m also not ready for marriage and certainly not children, but from certain things my girlfriend has said in passing, I can tell she may want to move along quicker. What do you think I should do? I don’t want to lose her but I also don’t want her to feel like she’s wasting time with me when she might be able to find a man who can give her what she needs in the next year or so.

Dating older woman, Boston

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takeaways

• 30 seconds: Congrats on falling in love! It’s the best feeling in the world, but I understand why you’re conflicted.
• 48 seconds: Tip #1 – Tune in to hear what I have to say about choices and responsibility in this kind of a situation.
• 1:15: Tip #2 – Tune in to hear what I have to say about having a conversation with her about why you’re conflicted.
• 1:40: Tip #3 – My advice on how to look at your feelings and how to go from there.
• 2:25: Tip #4 – What you may (or may not) be feeling 6 months down the road and how that may change your perspective.
• 2:50: Tip #5 – Tune in to hear what I have to say about making compromises in relationships and how to decide if this is the road you want to or don’t want to take.
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-13-dating-an-older-woman/feed/ 2 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/bostons-2012-easter-events-jazz-brunch-egg-hunts-and-more/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/bostons-2012-easter-events-jazz-brunch-egg-hunts-and-more/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:51:52 +0000 Erin Kilmer http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73648

Has a hapless hunt for Easter celebration options brought back frustrated memories of fruitless childhood egg hunts? Don’t worry; we’ve searched Boston high and low and have found the city’s best Easter events. (They were tucked in-between the tree branches).

Food, drinks and jazz at The Beehive

Enjoy a jazz brunch featuring music to entertain your ears and comfort food classics to please your palette. The menu ranges from the exotic–Eggs Shakshuka, a North African specialty with sunny-side-up eggs, polenta and tomato sauce–to The Beehive’s tried-and-true Prime Cheeseburger. Choose from two prix fixe options ($25.95 or $34.95). Kids can order off the Little Bee’s Kids Menu ($12) before taking off to partake in The Beehive’s annual Easter egg hunt.

The Beehive, 542 Tremont St., Boston. Sunday, April 8. Brunch 10 a.m to 4 p.m.; Easter egg hunt 1o a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with live jazz until midnight. For reservations or more information, call 617-423-0069 or go to www.beehiveboston.com.

Easter brunch at Tryst

Take advantage of Tryst’s extended brunch hours to sample their special, two-course prix fixe menu. For just $22 per person, guests can enjoy decadent lemon and ricotta pancakes, breakfast pizza (eggs, house-made sausage, herbed goat cheese and caramelized onions), and Croque Madam.

Tryst, 689 Mass Ave., Arlington. Sunday, April 8. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to www.trystrestaurant.com.

Four-course meal at the Top of the Hub

Enjoy Easter 52 floors above the rest at the Top of the Hub! $62 gets you a four-course brunch or dinner, sweeping views of the city and the sweet sounds of the Lee Childs Group (brunch) and the Jane Potter Trio (dinner). Kids under 12 get the same deal for $27.

Top of the Hub, 800 Boylston St., Boston. Sunday, April 8. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, go to www.topofthehub.net.

Easter Egg-Stravaganza at Cambridge Common Park

Surefire fun for the whole family, the second annual Cambridge Community Easter Egg-Stravaganza features games, prizes and the biggest Easter egg hunt that side of the Charles. Best of all, it’s free.

Cambridge Common Park, Cambridge. Saturday, April 7. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Spring Fling at Unleashed by PETCO

It’s not fair to leave Fido out of the Easter festivities. Head over to Unleashed by PETCO in Allston for a doggie social, the second annual Spring Fling. Cookies will be provided, and a coupon-filled Easter egg hunt will give you the opportunity to sniff out great deals! Bonus: it’s a free event!

Unleashed by PETCO, 226 Harvard Ave., Allston. Saturday, April 21. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

Easter brunch at Olé Mexican Grill and Zócalo Cocina Mexicana

Forget that honey-glazed ham and spice up your Easter brunch with Huevos a la Mexicana with tomatoes, onions and jalapenos served on a corn tortilla, or Carnitas Verdes Enchilada, made with braised pulled pork and salsa verde. Don’t forget that refreshing Olé Margarita!

Olé Mexican Grill, 11 Springfield St., Cambridge. Sunday, April 8. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. To RSVP, call 617-492-4495; Zócalo Cocina Mexicana, 35 Stanhope St., Boston. Sunday, April 8. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To RSVP, call 617-456-7849. 

Brunch and breathtaking views at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel

Enjoy ocean scenery while savoring the cuisine of executive chef Daniel Kenney. The menu, which consists of fresh, local ingredients, will feature everything from Belgian Waffles with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup  to chef-carved Prime Rib with red wine au jus and horseradish cream sauce to a Cracker Crusted Chatham Cod Loin with a Maine lobster sauce and asparagus tips.

Sea Crest Beach Hotel, 350 Quaker Rd., North Falmouth. Sunday, April 8. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $45 per person, $19 for children 12 and under. For reservations, call 508-356-2111.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/bostons-2012-easter-events-jazz-brunch-egg-hunts-and-more/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-celebrity-adored-look-bag-filled-with-beauty-products/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-celebrity-adored-look-bag-filled-with-beauty-products/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:26:26 +0000 Shannon O'Neill http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73611

The newest buzz in beauty is The Look Bag, a customized sample kit sent right to your door–for just $10 a month! Founded by E! Entertainment creator Alan Mruvka, TheLookBag.com, which debuted in January, features product reviews, celebrity picks and videos. Best of all? The five deluxe samples delivered to members each month are hand-picked for them by celebrity makeup artist and “Eyebrow King” Damone Roberts. Just fill out a beauty profile, and the products, from such brands as Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Tom Ford, are matched to you. If you love what you get (and we’re sure you will!) you can buy full-sized versions of the products on the website at a 20 percent discount!

Roberts has earned his “King” status by working with the likes of Madonna, Rihanna, and Britney Spears, and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including “Oprah,” “The View,” “Good Morning America” and TLC’s “10 Years Younger.” He has salons in New York City and Beverly Hills, and his own line of products. Blast spoke with Roberts about his favorite looks for spring, how to get those perfect brows at home and what makes The Look Bag unique.

BLAST: How did you go from being an art student to becoming a celebrity makeup artist and “Eyebrow King?”

DAMONE ROBERTS: While I was an art student at Rutgers, I realized that painting a canvas and a face are very similar. I’ve always loved the world of beauty and glamour. I would do my mom’s makeup before she’d go out, and she would get compliments. Then I started doing her friends’ makeup, and it went from there.

BLAST: What is your favorite beauty trend right now?

DR: I’m into color for spring; I’m talking orange lips, pink lips, bright blush, blue eyeshadow, green eyeshadow. People forget that makeup is meant to be fun. People take it too seriously. You can wash it off at the end of the day!

BLAST: What is the number one beauty mistake women make?

DR: Over-tweezing their brows! Less is more. Eyebrows are the most important underestimated facial feature. Brows add lift, balance and structure to the face. If they’re over-tweezed, they don’t add lift, balance or structure. Having the perfect brow changes your life, and I mean that wholeheartedly.

BLAST: What’s the best way for women to do their brows at home?

DR: You’ve got to do one line of hair at a time. You’ve gotta work on one brow a bit, then work on the other, but step back and check while you’re tweezing. Don’t do one whole brow and then try to match the other one to it. Clear brow gel is the one thing every woman needs in her bag. It opens up the eye. If you have long eyebrow hairs, use the brow gel to brush brows up, and then use a pair of brow scissors and cut across the top. I really do believe that my brow gel is the best in the industry; it doesn’t flake.

BLAST: What’s your favorite part of being a makeup artist?

DR: I love helping people be the best versions of themselves, versions that maybe that haven’t seen before. I’m at artist at my core, and makeup is my outlet to create. What makes The Look Bag unique is that I’m picking out the products myself. I see what celebrities are using–I’ll ask Beyonce, Megan Fox–and then I introduce those products to people who might not have access to them.

To enter to win a Look Bag, comment below or email me at shannonconeill@gmail.com (with the subject “Blast’s Look Bag contest”) by Thursday, April 12, and answer this question: What beauty product(s) do you always keep in your bag? We’ll pick three lucky winners! 

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-celebrity-adored-look-bag-filled-with-beauty-products/feed/ 9 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/every-day-is-a-foodie-holiday-meet-the-blogger-behind-almanac-of-eats/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/every-day-is-a-foodie-holiday-meet-the-blogger-behind-almanac-of-eats/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:42:23 +0000 Regina Sibilia http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73308


Steff Deschenes celebrating National Drink Wine Day on February 18.

What do you get when you mix a vegan author with photography, one year, and a passion for food and food-related national holidays? Steff Deschenes and her sizzling blog, Almanac of Eats.

The idea for her website began with a just-for-fun competition with her boyfriend, a “365 Project” consisting of taking a picture of yourself every day for one year. She stuck with it for two years, taking pictures of herself at the dinner table every night, and this project catapulted Deschenes into an even bigger project. This year, she’s celebrating every national food holiday and writing about it on her blog.

“For me, it’s cool because I literally came up with this 48 hours before the New Year,” says Deschenes, author of the award-winning book “The Ice Cream Theory.”

The idea came to her when she read a tweet that said, “Happy National Enchilada Day.” She started doing research and found websites with information on food holidays. “I cross-referenced 10 to 15 different websites to compile my own food calendar,” says Deschenes.

But there’s a twist: Deschenes is a vegan, so she has to be super creative in order to celebrate each holiday animal-free. So, she began “veganizing” recepies. “For National Noodle Day I’m taking my mom’s recipe and ‘veganizing’ it,” she says. “If I don’t have a recipe, I research and think about how to make something and then make it from scratch.”

As a vegan, Deschenes says that she is more in tune with the food she eats and pays more attention to food in general. On her blog, she shares her own “veganized” recipes for each holiday as well as restaurant and product reviews.

“My overall goal is to have this site that is really fun and informative with a secret side dish of a healthy diet,” says Deschenes.

Her passion and her vibrant personality are summed up by three very telling words in her website bio: “author. foodie. smexy.” “Smexy” is a phrase Deschenes coined that combines smart and sexy. “Smart is sexy,” says Deschenes. “You don’t have to be a size zero.”

Within just two months of starting Almanac of Eats, she’s received restaurant review offers and sponsorships with major companies. “A bunch of companies send me food,” she says. “Barilla pasta sent me extra products to give away.” Some of her other sponsors have been Sophie’s Kitchen, Vermont Soy and Kettle Brand peanut butter.

When it comes to restaurant reviews, she says, “I am very harsh if they aren’t good; I don’t sugarcoat it.”

Despite the fact that Deschenes has found her passion in food, she was not always excited about cooking. In fact, she took a semester of culinary school and is not afraid to say that she hated it. The school did not encourage creativity, she says, which is something she thrives on.

“In my early twenties I refused to date a boy who couldn’t cook,” she says. “My claim to fame was that I made the best sandwiches. But as a vegan you can’t depend on anyone else if you want to eat well.”



Steff Deschenes celebrating National Cereal Day, March 7.

Deschenes’ creativity is obvious when reading her blog and her recipes. She likes to approach each holiday differently and play around with different ideas. On National Chocolate Soufflé Day, for example, she decided to take chocolate-flavored alcohol shots and make them taste like delectable chocolate soufflés.

Kicking it up another notch, Deschenes adds a dash of music for each holiday.  The next time you participate in National Blueberry Popover Day, crank up “I’m Good, I’m Gone” by Lykke Li or some coleslaw makin’ music with Florence and the Machine’s “No Light, No Light” for National Cold Cut Day.

“Entertainment is ideal,” she says. “I think it’s really cool when people celebrate with their kids, too.”  One mother told her that she saw it was National Cereal Day on Almanac of Eats and she celebrated it with her kids.

Sometimes the ideas and recipes she thinks up don’t always pan out, but she is not afraid to showcase what she came up with. National Almond Day’s recipe did not go as planned, so she decided to turn it into the Awesome Awful Almonds recipe, writing the disclaimer, “(I’M SO SORRY, ALMONDS. PLEASE DON’T HATE ME FOR WHAT I DID TO YOUR FRIENDS!) Oh well: you win some and you lose some, I guess.”

No matter how she approaches each food holiday, she sees even more success in her near future. “I think this blog will be successful because this isn’t my first rodeo with taking pictures and eating; I did it for two years,” she says. “Basically, if this was fantasy football, people would want me on their team.”

She does secretly hope that this could turn into another book, the content of which will, of course, be anything but dry.

“Am I the first person to talk about national food days? No,” she says. “Am I the first person to eat them all? Maybe not. Am I the first person to eat them all animal-free? Yes.”

Whether you are an aspiring vegan, someone looking for easy, healthy recipes or if you just have a passion for national food holidays, check out Deschenes’ entertaining twist on being a foodie in today’s world as she “eats the year” with her Almanac of Eats.


]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/every-day-is-a-foodie-holiday-meet-the-blogger-behind-almanac-of-eats/feed/ 4 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-12-his-online-dating-profile-is-still-active/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-12-his-online-dating-profile-is-still-active/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:20:08 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73513

Hi Neely,

I started Match.com about 6 months ago. For the last three months I’ve been dating a guy who I met on the site. I really like him but we haven’t had any sort of relationship talk yet. I’m not really sure where I stand. I hid my profile, because I really don’t want to see anyone else, but I’ve noticed his is still up and he checks in frequently – I can’t help but snoop to see if he’s been “active.” I want to talk to him about this but don’t want to seem pushy or freak him out. What do you think I should do?

Online dater with a dilemma, Newton

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com, and don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takeaways

• 15 seconds: This is one of the more common online dating questions. A lot of people struggle with this.
• 52 seconds: If you are seeing each other once a week or so and it’s been three months, this guy is probably not serious about you. Keep dating other guys – don’t put all your eggs in one basket with this guy.
• 1:10: A guy can like hanging out with you and dating you, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he sees a future with you. Just because you feel a certain connection doesn’t mean he feels that same connection.
• 1:23: BUT if you’ve been seeing him a few times a week for three months now and you feel as though things are progressing, you have every right to know where his head is at.
• 1:43: What to do with your profile – the HUGE MISTAKE women make…tune in to see what I’m talking about.
• 2:08: The ultimate question to ask yourself and a plan of action – tune in to see what I have to say.
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-12-his-online-dating-profile-is-still-active/feed/ 6 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-schick-hydro-power-select-razor/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-schick-hydro-power-select-razor/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:18:55 +0000 Shannon O'Neill http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73312

Does your razor stash need a little spring cleaning? Get rid of your dull disposables and enter Blast’s contest to win a Schick Hydro Power Select razor!

This newly launched razor features three vibration settings, an easy-to-read LED screen, a water-activated hydrating gel, five blades with skin guards, and a flip trimmer.

To enter, leave a comment below by Friday, April 6 and tell us what you think: Who pulled off the hairy Hollywood hobo look best: Joaquin Phoenix or Brad Pitt?
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/easy-reader-contest-win-a-schick-hydro-power-select-razor/feed/ 18 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/bald-men-rejoice-a-cure-found/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/bald-men-rejoice-a-cure-found/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:19:29 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73357

The days of ill-fitting toupees (like the one this guy is sporting) and hair transplants (“I’m not only the President, but I’m also a client”) and ordering dubious, stinky hair creams from China may soon be over. According to a study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found “an abnormal amount of a protein called Prostaglandin D2 in the bald scalp of men with male pattern baldness, a discovery that may lead directly to new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men.”

Male pattern baldness affects 8 of 10 men under 70 years old. For many men in the dating world, especially men in their twenties and thirties, baldness can be a major insecurity – it’s no secret that women like a nice head of hair. A running joke throughout the nine seasons of Seinfeld was bachelor George’s anxiety over his lack of hair and the impact that had on his dating life. The gag never ceased to be funny. But that’s neither hair not there. Sorry, I had to.

Now bald men everywhere may have new hope. Based on the findings of this study, researchers may very well be closer to developing an effective antidote that has nothing to do with a spray can and a loss of dignity.

As a dating/relationship columnist, I often tell people to throw out the superficial checklist (he has to be more than six feet tall; she needs to have C-cup breasts) of what they think they need in a long-term partner and focus on five to ten fundamental things that they know they will need to go the long haul with someone. Ladies, if thick, lustrous hair is one of those fundamental qualities you absolutely need in a mate, so be it, but given the aforementioned statistic, you’ll more than likely be looking at a bald spot eventually.

Let’s put aside, though, female preferences for the moment. I am curious to know, gentleman: If scientists, based on this recent discovery, are able to develop a pill or cream that could suppress Prostaglandin D2, would you take or use it?

For the full story, click here.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/bald-men-rejoice-a-cure-found/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-11-she-saw-her-friend-being-cheated-on/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-11-she-saw-her-friend-being-cheated-on/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:15:13 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73239

Hi Neely,

I have a really close friend whose girlfriend I have also become close with. My husband and I double-date with them and go on trips together all the time, and we all get along really well. A couple weeks ago I was out at a club with friends. It was late, like 3 a.m., and the club was pretty big and crowded. As I was making my way through the crowd I saw my friend’s girlfriend making out with some random dude and acting all lovey-dovey with him. I was so shocked. She didn’t see me, because I quickly ducked back into the crowd. But now I don’t know what to do. It feels awkward hanging around them, and I haven’t told her yet what I saw. I know my friend would be crushed if I told him – my loyalty is first to him, but I just feel I have been put in a very awkward situation. My friend has been with this girl for a year, and I know he is serious about her. What do you think I should do?

Witness to cheating, New York

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

Takeaways

• 23 seconds: It’s really difficult to know what to do in these situations. If you say something, he may get angry and think you’re meddling; if you don’t and he finds out you knew all along but didn’t tell him he may also be angry. So…you need to think through a plan of action carefully!
• 50 seconds: Here are 3 things to consider when you’ve witnessed your friend being cheated on – TUNE IN TO SEE WHAT THESE 3 THINGS ARE.
• 2:59: Also consider that you may very well lose his friendship but at least you know you thought through the situation and did what you thought was right and in his best interest.
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/mp4-love/mp4-love-11-she-saw-her-friend-being-cheated-on/feed/ 1 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/rockin-red-pants-are-in-for-spring/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/rockin-red-pants-are-in-for-spring/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:03:47 +0000 Kristin Lambert http://blastmagazine.com/?p=73073

Who said you have to live in the land of boring blue when it comes to your jeans?

The new rage is red in the name of jeans this season, especially since Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, was seen wearing a pair while playing a game of hockey at Olympic Park in London.

But this trend isn’t just across the pond! America’s own sizzling celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Khloe Kardashian-Odam, have been sporting the sultry spring jean.

Now it’s time to pack a punch in your own wardrobe. Brands such as  WetSeal, Calvin Klein and Gap all have a pair for under $100!



]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/rockin-red-pants-are-in-for-spring/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/the-in-between/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/the-in-between/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:26:21 +0000 Beth DeMilt http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72812

SELFOSS, Iceland — The two rock walls on either side of me towered up toward the sky. My Arizona roots have made me very familiar with mountains and rock walls, but these felt different. And, apparently, they were different.

“These walls are the edges of the American and the European continental plates,” Inga said, as she, her sister Bryndis and I walked between them. “It’s the only place in the world that isn’t under the ocean where you can stand between plates.”  I stopped in my tracks, feeling like someone punched me in the gut. Inga and Bryndis didn’t notice and kept walking.

Inga and I met while going to school in Scotland three years before, when we both were newly living in Glasgow and didn’t know a soul in the whole country. We were lucky enough to have been placed in the same flat, and we met my third day in the country. We have been best friends ever since.

I stared at Inga’s grey windbreaker and Bryndis’ blue one, becoming temporarily mesmerized with the colors. I lifted my arm, which was covered in a blue windbreaker matching Bryndis’, to push the hair out of my face. It was June, but it felt like an unseasonably cold winter day in Arizona.

Inga and Bryndis were way ahead of me, as I was stopping every few feet to snap another picture of the wall. I knew they thought it was cool, but they had been coming to this place since they were little. I wondered if the novelty had worn off for them.

For me, though, it felt like a magical place. To my right was the edge of the American plate; to my left, the European. I took a few deep breaths and looked to my left. Then to the right. And back to the left again. From my spot directly in between America and Europe I had a sinking realization that that spot—that exact area—was a more perfect metaphor for my life than I could ever make up on my own.

I expect to feel at home in Scotland. After the year of living there and the next two spent wishing I lived there, I know that I can always go and still feel like I belong. I never expected to feel so at home in Iceland, though. Even through the moments when I felt completely American–like having to shower in front of a locker room full of naked Icelandic women before going into the Blue Lagoon–I still felt strangely comfortable. Emphasis on strangely.



In my one week stay in the country, we traveled through some of the most amazing sights of natural beauty I have ever seen. Glacial waterfalls, leftover ash from the volcano, and hot springs are just a few of the natural wonders of this amazing country. Once, while driving up a two-lane highway (pretty much every highway in Iceland is only two lanes), we rode alongside a herd of horses running on the edge of the road. Grays blended into whites, which gave way to reds, and came back around to blacks. I made eye contact with a particularly beautiful silver-coated steed and I could have sworn he smiled at me. I had my camera in my hand, trying to capture the moment visually, while at the same time knowing that it wasn’t possible. The real beauty could only be experienced in person.

On my last night in the country, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I unknowingly exhaled loudly.

“What is it?” Inga asked.

“I just don’t want to go back,” I said.

In the past three years, we’ve had this conversation many times, but the leaving never gets any easier. That’s what happens when you meet your best friend while studying in a country that is foreign to you both. When neither one of you stays in said country, even though you both want nothing else. When the only time you get to spend together is when one, or both, of you throws down a lot of money in order to meet up in another country.

“We just have to make a plan for the next time we’ll see each other,” she said quietly. I could tell by the tone of her voice that her eyes were also open.

“Yeah,” I agreed, half-heartedly. I thought back to the day when we stood between the continental plates. America and Europe. Right or left. Either or.

I turned onto my right side, facing the wall.  I knew that the sun was still shining behind the curtains, even though it was the middle of the night.

“We’ll make a plan,” I said.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/the-in-between/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/top-o-the-morning-st-patricks-day-2012-events-in-boston/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/top-o-the-morning-st-patricks-day-2012-events-in-boston/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:10:40 +0000 Erin Kilmer http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72804
Dubbed “the capital of Irish America,” Boston is brimming with all things Irish 365 days a year. With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, however, the city is looking especially green. This year, go beyond the obligatory green t-shirt and pint of Guinness and check out the myriad of local events that will help you get your “Erin Go Bragh” on.

Listen Up

Hometown heroes the Dropkick Murphys have shipped up to Boston for a set of shows at the House of Blues. Check them out on March 16. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Standing room tickets are $32.50, and reserved seating tickets are $60. 

Eat and Drink Up

If traditional Irish fare isn’t your thing, venture to Ole Mexican Grill in Cambridge and Zocalo Cocina Mexicana in Boston on March 17 to enjoy the very best of Irish-Mexican cuisine. Pair chef Erwin Ramos’ corned beef and cabbage tacos with baby Guiness shots and Irish tea. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at both locations. RSVP to Ole at 617-492-4495 and to Zocalo at 617-456-7849.

The Black Rose Irish pub will be opening its doors at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, featuring live Celtic music all day long.

Jamaica Plain’s Doyle’s Café will be serving up corned beef and cabbage alongside the tunes of the  Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums on March 16, and the Fenian Sons on March 17. Times TBA.

Head to America’s first Irish sports bar, McGreevy’s, on St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy a traditional Irish brunch (starting at 8 a.m.) and to watch the live streaming rugby match between Ireland and England at noon.

Step Up

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration on March 17 at Faneuil Hall features performances from The Bay State Pipers (11 a.m. to noon), O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Step performers (noon to 1 p.m.), the Carlynton High School Band (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.), the Wood School Of Irish Step Dancing (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.), and the O’dwyer School of Irish Dance (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

The South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off March 18th at 1:00pm.

Available all year, three miles of the Irish Heritage Trail might prove particularly interesting after a few drinks.



Sober Up

If all that celebrating has got you feeling “down,” head over to McGreevy’s for a Feeling Green Hangover Party on March 18, starting at 10:30 a.m. Nothing says “headache cure” like an ice cold beer and the NCAA basketball Touney. Top o’ the morning, indeed!

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/top-o-the-morning-st-patricks-day-2012-events-in-boston/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/regional-stories/blast-boston/boston-life/mp4-love-10-boston-girls-suck/ http://blastmagazine.com/regional-stories/blast-boston/boston-life/mp4-love-10-boston-girls-suck/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:21:55 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72750

Hi Neely,

I’m a 30-year-old guy living in Boston who is sick of the women in this city. They are cliquey and cold. I moved here from the South a couple years ago for a job, and have found dating women here really difficult. Do you have any suggestions?

Frustrated, Boston

Submit your dating/relationship questions to neely@blastmagazine.com. And don’t forget to check out my website: neelysteinberg.com.

TAKEAWAYS:

• 40 seconds: Boston women may or may not be what you say, but the bottom line is you’re here. So you have to make the best of it!
• 58 seconds: Put your dating dilemma in perspective. Tune in to see how Boston ranks in the singles department against other cities and just how many eligible women there are for you. You will be surprised.
• 1:51: What does the Met Life Stadium (where the NY Giants and the NY Jets play) have to do with women in Boston? Tune in to see what I have to say?
• 3:04: There is one woman in that stadium (all it takes is one!) for you. So get out there and find her.
]]> http://blastmagazine.com/regional-stories/blast-boston/boston-life/mp4-love-10-boston-girls-suck/feed/ 5 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/spring-2012-fashion-trends-bright-colors-structured-silhouettes-and-50s-inspiration/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/spring-2012-fashion-trends-bright-colors-structured-silhouettes-and-50s-inspiration/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:22:14 +0000 Kristin Lambert http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72573

It may technically still be winter, but the unusually warm weather has us putting away our turtlenecks a little early this year. So, what should we break out next, you ask? How about a closet full of Life Savers candy-colored clothes blazing in hues of lemon, lime and citrus? My mouth is already watering!

Designer Narciso Rodriguez had guests attending his 2012 Women’s Resort Collection wearing their sunglasses to witness this vibrant pink sleeveless parka on the runway.



Or how about this cobalt blue London Parka by Jane Post? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s Blueberry Violet can’t touch the satiating senses you’ll get when you put this on!



One of my all time favorites this season is peplums! Total domination on the catwalk was held by skirts, shirts and dresses touting this peplum trend from designers including Vera Wang, Jason Wu, Zac Posen, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior. Which peplum do you prefer?



Also top of the crop this season are 1950s-inspired bandeaus and bras from designers such as Anna Sui. How’s that to inspire you to get your abs in shape?



Have you ever pulled out a sexy pair of fishnet stockings or tights that had your man going wild? Well, how about he tries on a pair for size? Don’t worry, they’re unisex for breathability. These “mantyhose” come in crisp designs to really set his package apart! This checkered design can really fire-up one sexy game of chess if played right!



So, what trend do you want to see worn most this season?

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/spring-2012-fashion-trends-bright-colors-structured-silhouettes-and-50s-inspiration/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/a-capital-getaway-to-d-c/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/a-capital-getaway-to-d-c/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:52:16 +0000 Dinah Alobeid http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72528


The Lincoln Memorial

WASHINGTON — A travel bug recently nestled itself into my consciousness with a specific appetite for affordable, easy-to-get-to weekend trips to destinations on the Eastern seaboard. I’d indulged that little guy a few weeks ago with a jaunt up to Boston, land of my college existence and my first “big girl” job out of school. But this is the story about one place and one place only, one of this nation’s best-kept vacation secrets, Washington, D.C.

I’d heard the perfunctory, “It’s a great city” from friends and family and wanted to see for myself what this metropolis had to offer a long-weekend visitor. And what better time to head down to the resident city of all of the country’s political leaders than President’s Day weekend?

My first step was figuring out the logistics of my transportation. I wanted to travel quickly and, I hoped, as inexpensively as possible. I’d been a sporadic Bolt Bus rider for a little less than a year and began checking the website regularly for tickets. This was no more than a month before my departure, but the following notification loaded after searching for itineraries leaving on the Thursday before President’s Day weekend: “Bolt Bus schedules for the date you have selected are not available at this time on our system. We try to keep 4 to 6 weeks of schedules available at all times.”

But that was an empty promise. So I bided my time, strived for a bit of patience, and when the dates finally were available I immediately booked for one reason and one reason only: I had managed to secure the highly coveted, ultra elusive, $1 Bolt Bus fare. All was forgiven.

We arrived no more than 10 minutes past the estimated time and I was plopped in the middle of Union Station. And then I realized I’d never traveled to this city alone and didn’t know anything about the public transportation system. Poor planning on my part. Or was it?



The Library of Congress atrium

A Metro system of a different color

At 25 years old and with fairly extensive foreign travel experience, I think I have a strong navigational grasp. But this was a true test of “am I an autonomous fly-by-the-seat of my pants gal who could wing it and stay calm and alert before broadcasting that I might be a pickpocket’s dream target?” Gumption kicked in and I wandered around the low-ceilinged but clean and friendly Union Station, D.C.’s equivalent to New York’s Penn Station, only it was a fraction of the size and no one seemed to be in that much of a rush.

After finding the Metro station and getting some cryptic instructions from the friend I’d be staying with about taking the red line toward Glenmont but getting off at Silver Spring, I faced a piece of machinery that I don’t think Steve Jobs could’ve figured out how to use. Bewildered by what seemed like an archaic piece of equipment, I stared blank-faced and completely stumped on how to obtain a ticket for the train or what the cost of a ride might be. Ha, joke was on me because as it turns out you pay by distance and not per ride. This was a bizarre system for a New Yorker who’d only ever lived in Boston, where we ride for $2.50 and $1.75 a trip, respectively.

A kind soul took pity on me, and in the gentlest way possible got me a ticket for what she believed to be the approximate amount of money for my stop. I thanked her and headed through the gate, scanning my paper ticket. Safely on the platform, I tried to decode the digital updates, which made no sense. Time of arrival I understood, but the number of cars on each train? I still can’t figure out why that’s relevant. For anyone. As I tried not to stare and advertise the fact that I was indeed a tourist, the same sweet stranger who had helped me purchase my ticket caught up with me to “make sure I got on the right train.” Hello, kindness! So good to see you crop up in the least expected of situations. This gorgeous woman must’ve taken pity on my ragged appearance (I was sporting a red Jansport that I used to rock in high school, embracing the whole “traveler” style of luggage and all). Right then and there, I dubbed this a friendly and helpful city.

But I was out of my element. The people and the whole vibe in the metro station were “off.” The metro felt futuristic but in an old school way, similar to the subterranean train systems in Brussels or Prague. There was carpeting in the train cars and the seats were made of fabric. I couldn’t help but let the thought of bed bugs and unsanitary and unsavory thingamabobs fill my mind as I counted the stations rush past as the train barreled toward Maryland.



At the Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Piece of cake, or pizza

Finally reunited with my college friend after a day of traveling, a low-key night was in order. The New Yorker in me was craving pizza for some odd reason since I’d just left the land of all that is holy when it came to the Italian street food. We ordered a delicious wonderment of woodsy goodness, appropriately called the Edge of the Woods pizza from Pete’s Apizza. While overpriced at $24.95 for a large, the combination of sauteed savoy spinach, caramelized onions, Ricotta cheese and fried Italian eggplant was divine. And lasted for at least three to four meals/snacks between the two of us that weekend. Craving = satiated.

Animals, for free!

The next day we ventured out in the early afternoon to the zoo, but this is not just any zoo. It’s the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, the official zoo of this fine country. And shock of all shocks, it’s free. That’s right, no entrance fee. No gates, even. You just walk right in and can walk right out at your leisure. It’s really a marvel coming from a six-year stint in the land of cover fees to go to even the lamest bars (I’m talking to you Boston) and the city that never sleeps, where the rents are high and the groceries even higher. The weather was mild, in the low 50s and partially sunny. It was a pleasant, short walk from the Mount Pleasant neighborhood to the zoo, and every staff member was knowledgable, answering questions even when we didn’t ask. They even let their elephant go on independent walks on a serene, enclosed path uphill through the woods, I kid you not. I don’t know who was more enthralled by this slow-moving spectacle, my friend Alyson St. Amand and I well into our 20s or the toddlers at the zoo that day.

Fairly empty for a random Friday in February, the zoo was a playground for silly picture taking and getting the best views of the pandas, monkeys, and scary creepy crawly creatures in the reptile house. Worth a visit if you’re in the D.C. area.



Labneh dip appetizer at Tryst

Heading to Tryst for a late lunch was the perfect way to end a day outdoors. Everything about this Adams Morgan neighborhood food destination was pretty amazing. It had a low-key vibe and lots of telecommuters typing away on their laptops, sipping their coffee like it was an IV filled with creativity.  Tapping in to my Arab roots, we ordered the Lebneh dip as an appetizer. The Tryst menu describes it pretty well, “A Lebanese tangy yogurt served with za’atar—a blend of oregano and thyme—olives and lavash.” This strained yogurt is thick like cream cheese, but has a more savory taste profile. It tasted truly authentic, like having Sunday morning breakfast with my parents.

I ordered the Rodney sandwich, overflowing with flavorful and tangy curried chicken salad, lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bread slices that were dotted with sunflower seeds on the edges. Toasty and comforting only begins to capture the essence of the sandwich, and the textures and flavors were all delivering the perfect lunch experience. I paired my meal with a cocktail they call a “Peach and a 1/2,” made with Tito’s organic vodka, Dolin Blanc, fresh orange and peach bitters. I was satiated and relaxed thanks to the coffeehouse-style decor of cluttered mismatched tables, chairs and couches in a long room with a pastry and coffee counter on one side of the large dining area.

Not being able to resist dessert despite my jeans trying to resist staying closed, I indulged in the strawberries with warm Nutella for dipping. I’ve been a sucker for that hazelnutty chocolate goodness since my summers living in Frankfurt, Germany. With an iced latte to go, Tryst sent me off in delicious style.



At the Hirshorn Sculpture Garden

Hike it off

In the true spirit of shaking things up, I jumped at the chance to go hiking. Not too many good trails in Manhattan. Plus, after that indulgent meal at Tryst, what better way to burn calories than in the gorgeous, albeit brisk, D.C. outdoors? We headed out in the early Saturday morning hours to Rock Creek Park, a lengthy forest-like expanse for hiking, biking, and in some parts, horseback riding. During two hours of aimless meandering up and down the trails, we barely saw any fellow mountaineers. But we did stumble upon the creek and the horse stable, where they let us pet a gorgeous brown-haired mare. Channeling my inner five-year-old I embraced the moment, jumping up and down like a pre-teen being told she was literally getting a pony for her birthday.

To the hill, Capitol Hill

Next up on the agenda was a visit to the world’s largest library with more than 151.8 million “literary items” on about 838 miles of bookshelves. Sigh. A writing and reading maven’s dream come true. The free iconic landmark I needed to visit was, of course, the Jefferson building of the Library of Congress. Ornamented with stained glass windows and gold-trimmed crown molding, the central foyer was a feast for the senses. Colors of light swam fancy-free throughout the building and the Roman-serifed typeface of infamous literary quotes dotted the walls. One of the highlights of the visit was standing in the middle of an exact recreation of Thomas Jefferson’s actual library, a circular glass encasement of leather-bound classics organized in the most intriguing way.



Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

Right across the street is The Capitol, one of many great photo opps on the National Mall. The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial stands sentient over a large pool of water, facing west toward the Washington Monument, and well past that, the Lincoln Memorial. Fun fact: it’s the second-largest equestrian statue in the United States. Who knew?

The National Mall is a veritable treasure trove for anyone seeking art and culture, flanked on either side by countless national museums and galleries. Being late in the afternoon on a Saturday, many of the museums were getting ready to close (all free with the exception of the Newseum, which I’m dying to visit). Luckily, thanks to the outdoor Hirshorn Sculpture Garden outside of the Hirshorn Museum, I got to indulge my art craving without concern for closing times.

A little Spain in my mouth

Never one to turn down an invitation for tapas, we headed to Churreria Madrid in Adams Morgan, a restaurant, bar and tapas hole-in-the-wall. It legitimately looked like a rundown building that formerly housed a mediocre deli, but like Aladdin it was a true diamond in the rough. Authentic and completely unpretentious, this Spanish restaurant was inviting and warm–literally and figuratively. Upon walking in I was greeted in Spanish, which didn’t cease the entire night. I don’t know what it is about me that makes people think I’m fluent in Spanish. Luckily, I am, so I faked it throughout the entire meal. With the TV blasting “Sabado Gigante,” the classic Saturday evening Spanish-language variety show on Univision, and only one other couple dining when we first entered, the atmosphere was classic “townie.” I felt that the waiter was my lifelong friend and the subsequent couple and small family that entered after us were members of my extended family.



Churros con chocolate from Churreria Madrid

I know, I know, what about the food you ask? We put in an order for an appetizer platter, Entremes 4×4, which included four croquetas (chicken fried croquets), four empandillas (mini meat empanadas otherwise known as meat pies), four pieces of tortilla espanola (potato and egg omelet typically served at room temperature) and marinated aceitunas (that’s olives). As if that weren’t enough, we also sprang for a starter order of the platanos fritos con crema (fried/sauteed plaintain bananas served with sour cream in the madura style and not tostones, so they were served slightly crispy on the outside and as soft as mash on the inside). And patatas bravas. What? Too much for two people you say? It wasn’t. Plus, I’m a sucker for patatas bravas.

The real standouts of the meal were the platanos, which were exquisite in their simplistic, but perfect, execution. The croquetas also satisfied, although I would’ve like a more layered flavor experience. It was too one-note for my liking, lacking seasoning and depth. I was hoping for a kick of saffron, or paprika, or a hit of garlic. Anything, really. But still, fried goodness that was creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Like Bourdain says, a sneaker would taste good deep-fried.

We split an entree of pescado frito, fried red snapper with a side of arroz amarillo  (saffron rice) and patatas guisadas (roasted potatoes sauteed in a light, lemony and garlicky oil-based sauce). The fish, fried in its entirety, head and all, was light and flaky and full of simple but classic flavors. The skin was crisped and delicious, and despite being riddled with bones, the fish meat was sumptuous. Definitely worth the extra effort of avoiding fish bones to indulge in what I like to call real food–unprocessed and free of overdone embellishments.



The tapas spread from Churreria Madrid

The sangria was weak but refreshing and chock full of diced apple and peach. For dessert, por supuesto, we ordered the churros con chocolate. They aren’t kidding around with the servings here; one order of churros includes a dozen of the doughy, lengthy, pipe dream of a donut coated in sugary sweetness and served with thick, bittersweet hot chocolate dipping sauce.

I’m already dreaming of the pescado frito and platanos, contemplating a return trip.

Brunch of champions

Sunday, in my book, is the day where I pay my respects to one thing I solidly believe in: the practice of brunch. After settling into the literary and artistic haven that is the original Busboys and Poets on 14th and U, I made a ballsy brunch move choosing to combine the Neptune and

Florentine specials (essentially a crab cake Benedict and a spinach Benedict) into what can only be described as food porn (thanks again Bourdain). For now we’ll just call it Dinah’s Benedict. It was freaking delicious; the chefs here certainly know their way around a poached egg. For an accompaniment there was a choice of home fries or grits. Being in the mid-Atlantic I felt warranted a close enough proximity to the South and I went straight for the grits. Best decision of the day. With a creamy consistency that was heavy enough to stand on its own but fluffy enough to deceive my mouth into thinking it was eating clouds, they were well prepared and cheesy (yes, I asked for cheese, give me a break I was on vacation and the calories and cholesterol don’t count).

Another upside, the Bloody Marys and mimosas are $5 with brunch on the weekends, and hell, that’s a steal in NYC. These were not your typical tomato-juice based, spicy morning beverages. They were dense, not like some watery versions that are a dime a dozen. They serve them with a celery, olives and some kind of crazy pepper that I’ve never encountered before. But the best part had to be the Old Bay seasoning enveloping the rim with a sinfully spicy kick. Good morning, Maryland!

Settling in with our laptops for some writing and reflecting downtime, I caved and ordered a Thin Mint Latte, a coffee made with organic mint syrup, chocolate, steamed milk and two shots of espresso. This place is more than just simple yet elegantly cooked food and unique twists on classic drinks, but they have a bookstore and embrace a cultural and racial openness through their artwork, poetry slams and other events for the literati.



An elephant at the zoo

Packing centuries’ worth of history into one day

On my last day, fittingly President’s Day, we took in the standard D.C. sites: the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the National Mall. All free, all doused in here-and-there slivers of February sunlight, and not at all too packed with tourists. A city intricately steeped in this baby of a country’s history, Washington, D.C. seems to have an endless array of sightseeing spots. It’s similar to New York City in that way, but this widespread urban area isn’t part of any actual state (remember that third grade geography) but touches on Virginia and Maryland in an interesting mix of cultures and neighborhoods. I don’t think you could spend a lifetime here and visit every bar, restaurant, museum and gallery or walk down every street. Exactly what I love, that je ne sais quoi that keeps you intrigued and craving more of everything, the food, the people, the sights.

My departing Bolt Bus ended up leaving a whopping 20 minutes late to my, and every other passengers’, dismay. After such a great, relaxing and exploratory weekend, I felt a little disillusioned complaining. But then again, this leg of my ride was costing me $20 and not $1.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/travel/a-capital-getaway-to-d-c/feed/ 4 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/looking-at-the-just-label-it-campaign/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/looking-at-the-just-label-it-campaign/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:59:10 +0000 E - The Environmental Magazine http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72589


At present the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't require labels for foods with genetically modified ingredients, but labeling proponents believe consumers have a right to be able to make informed choices about which foods they put into their bodies and support with their pocketbooks. (iStockPhoto)

Just Label It is an effort spearheaded by organic farmers and food producers, consumer and public health advocates and environmentalists to persuade the federal government to require that foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients be labeled accordingly. Consumers have a right, they believe, to be able to make informed choices about which foods they put into their bodies and support with their pocketbooks.

Most Americans aren’t aware that some 80 percent of processed foods at grocery stores contain GE (also known as “genetically modified,” or GM) ingredients—yet in polls 93 percent of us support the notion of mandatory labeling of such foods. At present the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require labels for foods with GE ingredients.

Proponents of Just Label It worry that genetically engineered plants (and animals) could wreak havoc on human health and natural ecosystems, given how little we know about them and their ability to proliferate beyond our control. Among the concerns: There has been no long-term health safety testing on GE ingredients because they are so new; unexpected mutations can occur which can introduce unknown toxins into the food supply; the increasing use of herbicide-resistant genes in crops is leading to the overuse of herbicides in general; and the planting of GE crops that are programmed to generate their own pesticides means that more pesticides are in our farms and fields than ever before. Perhaps most worrisome of all is that, unlike chemical pollution or even nuclear contamination, so-called “genetic pollution” (as some critics refer to GE) cannot be cleaned up after the fact once the proverbial genie is out of the bottle.

“What unifies many of us is the belief that it’s our right to know,” Just Label It organizers report. The idea for the campaign grew out of a 2011 meeting of organic stakeholders organized by Organic Voices, a project that documents the oral history of organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

The first order of business for the “Just Label It” campaign was to submit a legal petition—written by attorneys at the non-profit Center for Food Safety—to the FDA in September 2011 calling for the mandatory labeling of GE foods for sale in the United States. At this point, FDA is taking public comments on the petition and will issue a final ruling on it later in 2012.

Consumers can make their opinions on the topic heard by FDA regulators by customizing and submitting the form letter available at the JustLabelIt.org home page. To date some 600,000 people have sent along comments to the FDA due to the campaign’s outreach efforts. Just Label It aims to get that number to one million by the end of spring 2012, and is now working with 450 different partner groups to help spread the word. Campaign organizers are hoping that this outpouring of support will resonate with FDA regulators when it comes time for them to decide whether or not the U.S. should join almost 50 other countries–including South Korea, Brazil, China, and the European Union—in requiring GE labeling across the board.

CONTACTS: Just Label It, www.justlabelit.org; FDA, www.fda.gov; Center for Food Safety, www.centerforfoodsafety.org; Organic Voices, www.organicvoices.com.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/looking-at-the-just-label-it-campaign/feed/ 1 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/the-oreo-turns-100/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/the-oreo-turns-100/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:01:33 +0000 Erin Farnsworth http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72550

As of this week, the Oreo cookie is a century old.

The first batch of Oreo cookies was baked in 1912, in the Nabisco bakery in New York.

In celebration, Nabisco is releasing a limited edition Oreo birthday cake.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/the-oreo-turns-100/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/disgusting-fact-of-the-day-pink-slime-is-in-70-percent-of-grocery-store-ground-beef/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/disgusting-fact-of-the-day-pink-slime-is-in-70-percent-of-grocery-store-ground-beef/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:41:41 +0000 John M. Guilfoil http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72454

A meat scrap ingredient once only used in dog food and cooking oil has been found in 70 percent of “fresh ground beef” found on grocery store shelves across the US, according to ABC News.

“It’s not fresh ground beef, it is a substitute,” said Gerald Zimstein, a whisteblower and former USDA scientist told ABC. “It’s a cheap substitute being added in.”

“Pink slime” is basically trimmings added as filler to ground beef. It is treated with ammonia to make it safe for human consumption.

One USDA scientist called it “a salvage product” — basically trash.

Stores don’t have to include it as an ingredient on labels because the USDA still considers “pink slime” to be “meat.”

Last month, fast food chains, including McDonald’s, announced they would stop using pink slime in their food, lending massive publicity to what was essentially an unknown issue.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/food-and-drink/disgusting-fact-of-the-day-pink-slime-is-in-70-percent-of-grocery-store-ground-beef/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/giggity-family-guy-porn-parody-released/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/giggity-family-guy-porn-parody-released/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:57:51 +0000 Shannon O'Neill http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72292

Apparently, Quagmire isn’t the only randy resident of Quahog! Thanks to Full Spread Entertainment and LFP Video, you can see your favorite Rhode Island residents getting wild in the just-released “Family Guy — The XXX Parody.”

The film, brought to you by the masterminds behind “The Simpsons —The XXX Parody,” Lee Roy Myers and Dr. Philgood, features Peter choking that pesky giant chicken, an 18-year-old Meg taking it all off (except, of course, for that ugly hat), and Quagmire going, “Giggity giggity goo!”

“Every time I think that Lee Roy can’t top himself, he goes out and does it again,” says Lux Alptraum, CEO of Fleshbot.com. “‘Family Guy — The XXX Parody’ isn’t just an outrageous take on one of the country’s most popular cartoons—it also like a well done, super sexy porno movie.”

“This is definitely, by far, one of the funniest porn parodies you will ever see,” says director Lee Roy Myers. ”We wanted to spoof the show, while at the same time lampooning it…with vaginas.”

The video, featuring Anthony Rosano, James Deen, Aurora Snow, Misty Stone, Sarah Shevon and Jennifer White, can be ordered here. For downloads, photo galleries and more, go to  www.familyguyporno.org.



]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/giggity-family-guy-porn-parody-released/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/stonehill-student-driven-suicidal-by-roommates-incessant-sexcapades-really/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/kinky-stuff/stonehill-student-driven-suicidal-by-roommates-incessant-sexcapades-really/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:11:41 +0000 Neely Steinberg http://blastmagazine.com/?p=72293

(Please note: I highly recommended you listen to this music in the background while reading this article.)

Stonehill College is in the news. A young woman by the name of Lindsay Blankmeyer is suing the school claiming administrators didn’t help her find alternate housing when she complained that her roommate was having too much sex in their dorm room. Blankmeyer claims the roommate would have sex with her boyfriend while Blankmeyer, only a few feet away, was trying to sleep, and, at other times, engage in “sexually inappropriate video chatting” in front of her.

This behavior, according to the lawsuit, drove Blankmeyer to depression and caused attention deficit disorder. She also claims to have developed suicidal depression after school officials wouldn’t give her reasonable housing alternatives.

When I heard this story on the radio this morning I couldn’t help but think back to my own halcyon days as a college student. My two roommates and I lived in a two-room triple the size of a Chevy Suburban. One room was for our computers, futon (obviously), and tie-die wall tapestries; the other was for our beds (one of which was a bunk bed) and dressers. In retrospect, we really were stuffed in there like cattle, but as far as I remember we never complained – after all, we were in college and just happy to be free from our parents’ purview.

When it came to gatherings of a more intimate nature, maybe every now and then there’d be someone awkwardly hooking up on the futon, but I can’t remember one time when any of us would have considered engaging in “inappropriate behavior” in the bedroom area, at least not while others were present. Granted, if it had happened, I’m not sure I’d be driven into a major depression, but I can imagine I’d loathe my roommates for throwing it in my face, especially if it occurred on a regular basis. And the last thing I’d want to listen to is my roommate video chatting about sexual acts with her boyfriend. Barf!

What happened to freaking etiquette, anyway? In the YouPorn generation, has discreetness gone completely out the window? What about common courtesy? Whatever happened to the old “sock-on-the-doorknob” move? I understand; I get it: They’re college students practically frothing at the mouth to get some, but I still think Blankmeyer’s roommate’s actions were distasteful and rude. Then again, I’m a woman.

I can imagine that if ever there was a gender divide, Blankmeyer’s experience illustrates it perfectly. My suspicion is that men are far more forgiving with regard to same-room sex; in fact, I’ll go so far as to say guys would be rooting for this scenario. The more moaning, the more panting, the more bare skin, the more slapping sounds, the better!

Am I right or am I right?

I want to hear from both men and women. Would something like this be a problem for you, or would you actually be thanking your lucky stars to have a sexually liberated roommate who loves having sex in your dorm room and considers your presence part of the act? Leave your comments below.

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Blast Magazine, its publisher, or its editors.

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