There’s a podcast I occasionally give a listen to that is from Minnesota where the podcasters talk about sex. Sometimes it’s mildly amusing at other times they’re downright insulting sex nazis. On one of the recent podcasts one of the members said she’d like to move to San Francisco because of how open minded we are sexually. Then one of the other members made a comment that she’d have to be able to afford $7000 a month for rent and that the people here are smug.
Obviously this person has never been to San Francisco. Yes, rent is high here. Probably some of the highest in the US, but you can find deals if you look hard. The smug comment though got to me even more. I think with the economy crash all the techie yuppies that put the smug in San Francisco left to be smug somewhere else. They occupied only a small part of the city as well. If you travel out to some of the other parts of the city you find real community in the people who live there. I used to live west of Sunset Boulevard near Judah Street. Once you go west of Sunset the entire vibe changes. Everyone’s a little more laid back and relaxed. The people who run the stores and restaurants out there know your name and you know your neighbors as well. We all had something in common out there. We learned to tolerate the fog for the few days of beautiful sunshine we’d get by the beach. Over the years I’ve noticed that for some reason the Sunset is getting more sun and less fog which is a good reason for me to have stayed here.
We’re all good people here and I think it would be best to leave the smugness to the people outside San Francisco who like to look down on us even though they act like us or want to act like us. What do you think?
Being a foodie type of guy I’m not supposed to like stuff that comes out of a package because it’s not artisanal, small farm, organicaly grown eats. Well I had a surprise last night. My lovely wife had been sent free samples of Romano’s Macaroni Grill Chicken Picatta and we just happened to have our noon argument about what we would have for dinner and in the end we decided to give it a try.
Now being Italian I know Italian food. I was figuring this might be passable and most likely better than hamburger helper which I refuse to allow in my house for a second. This really surprised me though. First off they thought about the ingredients and used good ingredients that you can taste the difference in. Plus, you have to add your own chicken and actually cook it on the stove first so not being a stick in the microwave and walk away wasn’t in the picture. It’s basically the pasta and sauce and coating for the chicken. I made it in about 20 minutes which also gave me some time to steam some fresh Italian green beans from the local farmers market (small farm, organicaly grown so there’s the snooty foodie part) while my wife made a salad.
When it was ready and we plated it up I did notice there was sauce in the pan that the box didn’t say anything about pouring over the pasta, so I took it upon myself to sauce up the pasta with it. It was great and it was easy to make and I didn’t have to act like Emeril Lagasse and make all of the ingredients by hand while raising the chickens. The box also suggests that you could use shrimp instead of chicken, but this would go well with just about any kind of meat you wanted to throw at it (venison picatta anyone?) For the ease and price ($4.99) this was a dish that you could tell people was homemade and they wouldn’t know the difference. It’s nice to have on hand and the four different flavors give you good variations to riff on when you’ve got some meat, but don’t know what to make with it.
I had tried this many years ago when an old acquaintance of mine Chef Bruce Hill was the head chef at Oritalia. It’s a funny piece of meat that butchers loved, but they didn’t sell it to the general public because of a fat line of gristle that runs lengthwise through the meat.
Now apparently it’s showing up in stores at around $2.99 a pound. This is a good thing in our current economy since it makes meat more affordable than most cheeses. The trick with this meat is to tenderize it and marinade it. I sprinkle on some Adolph’s meat tenderizer and use my little meat torture implement that has several spikes in it to cut in and loosen up the meat. Then I’ll choose a good marinade from the store to let it soak in for a few hours if not over night.
Keep in mind that this is an easy, inexpensive piece of meat to work with, yet it’s showing up at some of the top restaurants in Las Vegas with top dollar prices. I suppose this might be because restaurants are finding a good piece of meat no one knows about that costs less than flank or skirt steak.
Now this meat is well marbled so the fat will melt out when you drop it on the grill, and I highly recommend you do grill it. I usually do 5 minutes per side with about a 5 minute rest period after. Slice it on an angle (you might hear some people call this a bias cut) and you can serve 4 people for 2 days on a $5-6 piece of meat. I like to use my chimichuri sauce as a final dressing (note my picture), but you can just serve it plain and be happy. It’s very tender like a filet mignon, but meaty in flavor and it works great if you’re having a big grill party since it won’t drain your pocket.
If you could, please click on my sponsors ad below. You don’t necessarily have to purchase anything unless you want to, but at least the click will add money to my daughter’s schooling fund, or if you like you can click on our donation link and donate even a dollar.
Because I’ve been on this chloramine in our water kick for sometime I’ve met lots of people who also don’t like the chloramine one of my friend sent me a link to a PDF that tells you how you can remove the chloramine from your water supply and it turns out to be an easy one. Here’s the link: Removing Chloramine
I’ll give you a brief synopsis in case you’re lazy. For drinking water slicing up a citric fruit such as lemon, lime or orange and dropping it into your water will neutralize the chloramine. I have an even better way and no, I’m not sponsored by this company, but I’d love to be. Drop one shot of Torani fruit syrup into a glass then add 16 oz or so of cold water. I prefer the pomegranate or blood orange, but experiment. Torani contains citric acid [which removes the chloramine] as well as natural flavorings and no high fructose corn syrup to get you fat. When you add club soda you get San Francisco’s famed Italian sodas like you can find in North Beach.
If you want to fix your bath water you just drop 1 gram [1000 mg] of vitamin C into the water it will also neutralize the chloramine. The PDF does mention that there are some shower head filters that contain Vitamin C and it has the links to them, but also mentions that the manufactures might be overstating how long before you need to change the cartridge.
Yep, we all know that we’re trying to pull out of a rotten economy and today I’ve been hit by it. I’ve lost my job. Luckily my former employer was nice enough to extend my benefits to the end of next month. That will give me some breathing room to find another job.
So if you happen to be someone who needs a web wizard who knows adobe creative suite backwards and forwards, someone who needs a marketing genius who knows and loves all things mac and is capable with connecting with people around the world, send me an email because I don’t want to end up like the guy in the picture. The email is eric (at) baghdadbythebaysf.com.
Well I’ve been doing some research into chloramine use in drinking water and unfortunately the SFPUC is talk out of both side of their mouth. On one hand it’s harmless, yet on the other it’s harmful. It turns out that chloramine produces trihalomethanes, this means a halogen element attaches it self to methane. One of these in particular is when a chlorine atom attaches it creates chloroform. This is one of the many bad things produced by chloramine use.
It also turns out that chloramine is highly corrosive and leaches lead and other heavy metals from pipes and breaks down rubber washers and a regular water filter will do nothing to remove it. On the harmful side you hear about DBP’s or Disinfectant By-Products. Take a look at some what those DBP’s are and you’ll be shocked.
I have to say though that the SFPUC is doing what it can to eliminate them, but there are better ways to sterilize water such as UV light, ozonization and reverse osmosis. Most of California is using chloramine in the water and there have also been studies done that there’s been a sharp jump in autism in California over the past 10 years. Drop autism and chloramine into google and see what shows up.
If you could, please click on my sponsors ad below. You don’t necessarily have to purchase anything unless you want to, but at least the click will add money to my daughter’s schooling fund, or if you like you can click on our donation link and donate even a dollar.
This weekend I read in the paper an article called, “How safe is the water in that swimming pool?” Amongst other things that can live in swimming pool water such as cryptosporidum there was also a mention 1 in 5 people admitting to peeing in a pool. Note that they used the word “admitting.” I’d say it’s more like 3 out 5 people have peed in a pool, but two of them won’t admit it. Now where it gets interesting is when you get into the chemistry of urine & chlorinated water. They mention that when the two combine they form the chemical chloramine which is a mixture of chlorine and ammonia. They mentioned that this can irritate your eyes and respiratory system. What they didn’t mention is that in San Francisco, chloramine has replaced chlorine in our water supply because it doesn’t break down easily.
A glass of chlorinated water left to sit out overnight will be chlorine free pretty much. Chloramine on the other hand doesn’t break down and is more effective in killing bacteria in drinking water. Water with Chloramine in it will still have it in for weeks. I know this because I’m what you’d call a fish geek. Tropical fish like humans, don’t like chlorine in their water and we used to use a simple cheap solution called de-chlor when we changed the water in our fish tanks. Chloramine on the other hand needs a more effective chemical combination commonly sold as Amquel. But I use a Brita Water filter or drink bottled water! So you say. What about when you turn your face into the current of that refreshing morning shower? There’s no filtration there. Now I think I have an answer that none of my doctor’s could figure out as to why I have constantly red eyes and a runny nose. It’s the chloramine in my water that could be causing the problems. Now I have to look into carbon filters for my home shower.
If you could, please click on my sponsors ad below. You don’t necessarily have to purchase anything unless you want to, but at least the click will add money to my daughter’s schooling fund, or if you like you can click on our donation link and donate even a dollar.
I like the try before you buy idea. Since you won’t be able to hear my music on any radio stations (yet). I found a widget that will let you listen to the entire song and then if you like it you can go to the iTunes store and download a song or the whole album. So check out the widget down below and see what you think. Even if you don’t want to purchase any of the music you could at least give me a 5 star review in iTunes:
Sometimes, if you’re like me coffee get make you a little jittery. I just discovered this product and after reading all about it I was very impressed. I asked them if they would like to be a sponsor of my blog and they agreed.
Now let me tell you a little something about this product and why I think it’s so cool.
1. Organic Agave nectar
Carefully harvested from the same cactus that is used for tequila, organic agave is the Lexus of all natural syrups. The only sweetener ever given the “diabetic friendly” status, agave is also the most expensive—six times the cost of organic cane sugar—which is why no one normally uses it in their drinks. But as a slow-absorbing, mineral-rich complex carbohydrate, it doesn’t “spike and crash” like corn syrup, fructose, and cane sugar, and it certainly doesn’t have the mind-numbing chemical toxicity of sucralose, Aspartame, and other fake sugars found in so many misnamed “diet” drinks. For those who want to avoid putting junk into their brain and wide fluctuations in their blood sugar, nothing beats organic agave nectar.
2. Eleuthero Root extract
Also known as Siberian Ginseng, eleuthero (eleutherococcus senticosus)is a classic adaptogen (any plant that helps normalize body functions) that has been shown to help with adrenal fatigue and improve oxygenation to the brain, with reported enhancement to vision and hearing. Soviet cosmonauts and athletes have used it to boost stamina.
3. Rhodiola root powder
Used in traditional medicine for centuries, rhodiola rosea root is one of the best herbs for enhancing mitochondrial energy production. Studied extensively by Russian researchers, rhodiola has shown to improve the capacity to perform mentally demanding tasks under conditions of extreme stress and fatigue. It is recommended as an energy booster and treatment for depression, chronic fatigue, and anxiety.
4. Choline
Choline is an organic compound classified as an essential nutrient and usually grouped with the B Vitamin complex. Choline is considered one of the true ‘smart drugs’ or nootropics, because it is a chemical precursor needed to produce the main memory neurotransmitter of our brains, called acetylcholine (ace’•ah•ti•koleen). Memory, intelligence and mood are mediated by acetylcholine metabolism. The boost of choline and release of acetylcholine as a result of Brain Toniq’s Alpha-Glyceryl Phophoryl Choline can dramatically stimulate cognitive functioning, which includes memory, learning, concentration, and focus.
5. Wild-crafted Blue Green Algae extract
Harvested from a mountain lake in Oregon, this wild algae (aphanizomenon flos-aquae) is rich in a vast array of easily assimilated essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, protein, and phytonutrients. This single-cell plant is a powerful anti-depressant, as well as a cognition booster.
6. DMAE
DMAE is a natural-occurring substance produced by the human brain through two cholesterol enzymes, and works primarily by speeding the production of acetylcholine, that crucial neurotransmitter responsible for carrying messages between brain cells. In the past few years DMAE increasingly has been favored by medical scientists for its role in boosting short-term as well as long-term memory, concentration, and reduction of anxiety. Dr. Perricone, author of many books on brain health and the diet/disease connection, shows that DMAE has significant impact on both the brain and the skin. It has also shown positive results in a variety of cognitive disorders, including improved memory, the ability to think clearer, greater problem solving ability, and issues with attention deficit (ADD and ADHD). As with all ingredients in Brain Toniq, our DMAE is from plant sources, making Brain Toniq a vegan-safe drink.
Now if you want to get some click on the picture or the link on the side and that will take you to their site and tell them that I sent you there. You can purchase it by the half case [12 cans] or larger. If you own a store and would like to sell this product you can contact me at eric@baghdadbythebaysf.com and I can sell to you directly [of course the more you buy, the less you’ll pay].
Well, today was one of those days where you think everything will go down pretty easy. Think again. I’m on the N Judah heading toward Caltrain and at the Ballpark these girls who were together in a group got on and one other girl also go on. The lone girl pulled out her iPod that one of the three other girls immediately snatched. The lone girl in her 20’s was pleading for them to give it back. Now here’s the odd part. The three girls who took the iPod were no more than 15 and maybe combined they all weighed what I do. So I stand up and walk up behind the lone girl and ask her, “Are these girls bothering you?”.
The response from the three girls was “Shut up motherf*cker or I’m going to mace you” and she pull out a can of “something”. I begin thinking of the line, “So are you feeling lucky punk?”. The lone girl says to me, “no it was my fault, don’t worry about it.” Her fault? she’s pulls out and iPod and it gets taken from her that doesn’t sound like it’s here fault.
So now my next response from the three girls is, “What are you gonna do now?”
My response? “I’m going to come over there and beat the three of you down if I have to unless you return her iPod.”
OK, what am I thinking here? That could be mace, it could be pepper spray, hell it could have just been WD-40 for all I knew, but even that would sting if it go shot in your eyes. So I’m standing there thinking what the hell am I going to do and the two of the three girls give back the iPod and headphones with a, “We was just playing with you.” I sit down and unfortunately the girl with the “Mace” walks up to me making me stand up and shoves the can up to my face with the line, “I should just mace you motherf*cker!” She puts the can down quickly and I can’t tell what the hell I’m dealing with until she starts to bring her hand up again. At that point I grabbed and twisted her wrist so that if she sprayed whatever this was she’d get it not me and kicked her leg out from under her grab the can with my free hand.
I took a step back and noticed that the streetcar driver had stopped the train at Caltrain and wanted to know what was going on. At this point the girl gets up and runs at me to attack me. I don’t want to punch a girl that might only be 15 so what did I do? Yep, I maced her. Then her two friends freak out and come at me after watching their friend get maced and what happens? I maced them as well.
So now we have three girls writhing around in pain on the ground while the train operator comes over to give me a hand. I called 911 and told them we had an attempted robbery by three girls with a can of mace and that we’ll need you and paramedics immediately because they got maced. The two others who were on the train and saw the whole thing said they were glad I did it, but what if I had gotten maced. We all waited for the police and paramedics to come. It turns out it really was mace and not pepper spray and the police took the can and depositions from everyone there. The train operator said he had noticed something was going on, but wasn’t sure what even before I got involved and was starting to call it in when it all went down and the best part was, this all happened within two city blocks.
Was this a smart thing for me to do? Probably not. I mean if I had gotten maced my eyes are bad enough already and add to that the fact that I would have been beaten down by three 15 [maybe] year olds. I guess I’m just a good guy at heart, but don’t expect me to be going out and buying a Batman outfit anytime in the near future. I’ve done my good deed for the day and I’m done.
There’s a podcast I occasionally give a listen to that is from Minnesota where the podcasters talk about sex. Sometimes it’s mildly amusing at other times they’re downright insulting sex nazis. On one of the recent podcasts one of the members said she’d like to move to San Francisco because of how open minded we are sexually. Then one of the other members made a comment that she’d have to be able to afford $7000 a month for rent and that the people here are smug.
