20 September 2004
Mighty Leaf
Tea is the best. It's natural and healthy, it's cheaper than coffee, and it comes in many varieties. Even the fanciest teas are pretty economical compared to other beverages. My staple teas come from Peet's, but once in a while I buy something else for variety. Today I received this exciting order from Mighty Leaf:
- Earl Gold
This is their special version of my favorite, Earl Grey. The twist seems to be Chinese black tea instead of Darjeeling. It's yummy and different, but I think I prefer traditional Earl Grey.
- Earl Green
Another variation on Earl Grey, this one with green tea instead of black. I bought it because I'm making an effort to drink less black tea and more green tea, since black tea has tannins whereas green tea has antioxidants. This tea doesn't taste exactly like proper Earl Grey, but as green tea goes, it's really yummy! And it provides just enough caffeine for a fix.
- African Nectar
This is a rooibos blend with fruity-tasting flowers. I first tasted this at the Clay Theater (if only every movie theater offered good tea!). It's very nice when one wants something hot and tasty without caffeine.
- Chrysanthemum
I ordered this one purely out of curiosity, as it's apparently popular in China. I was surprised to open it and find that it's literally a bag of dried flowers. No leafy stuff, just flowers (though I guess the sepals are kinda leafy). But sure enough, it makes a light and tasty brew. I'm guessing this one would make a nice iced tea, though I haven't tried it that way yet.
A bit of tea trivia: Teabags generally contain the lowest grade of tea, called "fannings". This is why teabags are usually opaque: to prevent you from inspecting the contents, thus allowing the tea company to sneak their crappiest product into your kitchen. Fannings are basically the dust of crushed tea leaves, left over after the whole leaves and the larger broken pieces have been sieved out. This is why you will notice my face contorting to reflect unmitigated loathing when I order tea and am presented with Lipton, the bastard stepchild of the tea industry.
Mighty Leaf, however, uses silky translucent mesh teabags so you can see the whole-leaf tea inside. If you must buy teabags, I recommend Mighty Leaf. (I still prefer to buy loose tea, though, instead of paying extra for lots of little bags that I'll only throw away.)
15 September 2004
Bike Lock Alert!
In case you haven't already heard: In the last few days, news has circulated that many standard U-locks can be opened with a Bic pen. Damn. Now we all have to go out and buy new locks. Please do not use this information to steal Magma Lou before I have a chance to buy my new lock! I would cry. In fact, maybe I'll go buy it right now. Meanwhile, check out the SF Bike Coalition's tips on this subject.
Locke posted some excellent instructional photos here. Yay Locke! (UPDATE: Locke has posted recommendations for Bic-proof locks here.)
7 September 2004
Weekend Down South
Two fun things I did while visiting my family during the holiday weekend:
- Dinner at Noriega's, a Basque bar, restaurant, and boarding house
I usually hit one of the several local Basque restaurants when I'm in my hometown, as it's one of the few cuisines that's actually in short supply in San Francisco. California's Central Valley has a robust Basque population, because their shepherding skilz synergize well with agriculture. Here's a review by the LA Times. Former local newscaster Karl Schweitzer happened to be there, drunk and mouthy.
- The Body Worlds exhibit at the California Science Center
Dude. Real human corpses (and a few animals), impregnated with plastic and flayed in various revealing poses. My brother and I trekked down to LA for this, first meeting up with Mark and Joanne at Canter's Deli for a quick lunch. I was actually mildly disappointed that the exhibit wasn't more shocking; the plastic gave the specimens a fake-looking texture. But overall it was a fascinating anatomy lesson—strongly recommended!