Scaling San Francisco's Universal Health Care Program

This all sounds great, but I'd like to know what the provisions are for people with preexisting medical conditions, such as Lupus. This could be a great option for those that don't already have insurance...but what about those of us who need affordable and reliable health coverage?



I'm rooting for you, though! I'd like to see this happen.
About Health
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Celeb shocked... well not really

Amber in the house--

This blog post is inspired by 5 of my best friends and my recent trip to NYC. After having visited Boston for a week, Hetty and I took the bus to New York and spent 2 days living it up in the Big Apple. As we were strolling through Soho and the East Village, we had a few celebrity run-ins. The first was Diane Kruger (of course, I didn't know it at the time). After stalking her for a few minutes and after having given up on getting a picture of her/with her...we see traffic stopping and some flashing lights. Lo and behold, we see Jessica Alba and her husband crossing the street (Ooo...forgot his name...my sources say he's not THAT important). Of course, Alba had a paparazzi with her...she is the object of most men's desires. Next was Sebastian Stan, the guy who made a few appearances on Gossip Girl. Definitely did not catch this one...but I trust Hetty's judgement. Finally, I had a sighting of my very own at a Jetblue terminal in the JFK airport. Although not as fabulous...still highly revered...GUY FIERI from "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" was standing with his son at my gate! Thank god I went to go get that last-minute chicken philly sandwich....or else I would have already boarded the plane :/

I got a really blurry pap pic of Alba but the rest are from online. This is primarily for people like me...the "unfashionably clueless" ... because in the end, we have no idea what's going on.

Let me give you a little background about my knowledge concerning those human beings us regular folk often like to call celebrities. I know who they are, although I won't remember their names. I've seen them before..........in the movies. I know what they wear, where they shop, where they travel to, who they are dating, their criminal record, etc. etc............via conversations with my friends. Other than that, I could care less about Lindsay Lohan's trashy life or Miley Cyrus's bad music (btw, who IS Miley Cyrus anyway and who gives a shit?!). Well, let me tell you something about a little something....my best friends do! 

It's strange how ALL of my closest friends care and I don't...and they not only care, they LOVE it. Although, I'd say there are different levels of this ridiculousness and this is my assessment of the 6 levels of how much you know celebrities. (5 friends + 1 me = 6 people/6 levels) 

The hierarchy starts here:

the "sophisticate"

You might live and breathe celebs but unlike the "wannabe" you actually know what you're talking about. You don't flaunt your knowledge but you will definitely share it with anyone willing to listen. You know which celebs are fashion-forward and you know the brands they wear, the makeup they use, where they dine, and the names of their kids.

the "wannabe"

You might think you know what you're talking about...and you probably do (most of the time)...but you still need to admit you're wrong every now and then...The West Village is not the ONLY fabulous place to live in downtown Manhattan and you're not going to get shot in Brooklyn. You're outrageous, out of control, and unforgiving with you're candid assessments of people and life. You're mean and you know it...but you love it and you will always try to prove the next person they are wrong and you are right! You are a wannabe Perez, but you will NEVER admit it.

the "love-hate lover"

You frequent the celeb-gossip sites on the daily but you often admit that it's a complete waste of time. You're loyal to one or two sites, but it's probably NOT perez. You're classier than that and you know it. In the end, you hate to love it....but you really do love it! What can you say? You're a lover, not a hater.

the "in the know"

You know what's up although you might not bring it up. However, you could always add some insight to the conversation if need be. You like to prove people wrong that think they know stuff but don't really know anything.... that's why you're in the know. You probably do know which restaurants the celebs love and you might even know what kind of dogs they keep, but you are often too lazy to care too much about their lives. I mean, shoot...you have your own life to deal with.

the "name dropper"

You're not obsessed with celebrities...but you think they are fun to read about. Their lives intrigue you but you don't go out of your way to "get to know them." You know who people are and you can drop a name here and there, but you definitely don't know how much the tan ostrich-skin YSL bag that Sienna Miller carries cost (wait, was that so last season?! hmm...you probably don't know either). You watch Gossip Girl but you're often too ashamed to admit it.

the "unfashionably clueless"

 You don't know much, if at all anything, about celebs. Everything you know is through your friends. You're friends get annoyed with you when you ask who that hot guy from the Twilight movie is. Yeah, it's unfortunate...but you're unfashionably clueless. You are often ashamed that you can't put a name to a face. Gosh, get with it!

To my wonderful friends that read this blog (Hetty, Alex-duh!, Rosalind, Vivian and Anna):

This quiz was made for you! For the purpose of Sexless Lovers, I'll reveal which category Alex is in...as if it's not already painstakingly obvious. Alex is the "wannabe," but we all knew that. To the rest of you, I'm sure you know which of these categories you fall under. *Hint--the "unfashionably clueless" is taken.... for obvious reasons. If you really can't figure it out, a facebook quiz in the works :)

xoxo Gossip Girl

Hotness in the Hallway

Alex here-

I thought today would be like any other day. Wake up at 9, go to lecture, eat lunch, schmooze my GSI at office hours..ect ect ect. While the weather has been fabulous these past few days, some unexpected man candy really heated things up.

At around 2pm I needed to swing by my GSI's office hours to ask her a few questions I had about an upcoming paper. She was currently with someone so I waited patiently in the hallway. After waiting a few minutes of waiting, I looked down the long Dwinelle corridor just to see who was around [actually i should clarify- any cute boys]. Just then I see a GSI walking out of an office at the end of the hallway. 5'11, short and cutely styled blonde hair, bright blue eyes, visible athletic build.. yum. As he walked in my direction our eyes suddenly meet. He walks closer and I can't help but smile. He gets within 5 feet of me, also smiles, somewhat pauses walking and simply asks, 'how's it going?' I say 'great and you', smiling the whole time. He nods good day and walks out of the building.

It may have been just because I've been going through quite the 'sugar' lull these past few days, but that man was just the sweetness I needed. If you need to find me Tuesdays at 2pm, I will be waiting outside my GSI's office hours from now on..my GSI fetish is now official.

xoxox

Springtime...Finally!

Alex here-

After months of constant rain and gloom here in Berkeley, I am absolutely ecstatic for some sun and warmth in my life. For the first time in what seems like forever, I got to read OUTSIDE yesterday..god it was fantastic. Anyways, the arrival of a new season also means a new wardrobe!

With a little inspiration from my latest trip to Europe, this Spring will be all Preppy with a little bit of European flair. I am loving Benetton's Spring/Summer ads and will definitely be paying them a visit as soon as I get paid [London wiped my wallet clean FML].





Lacoste, the quintessential staple to any preppy wardrobe, also seems to be offering some fun styles that I also will be, and recommend, sporting this spring.. Loves it!

PS- In regard to Amber's last post, I never said there was a LACK of potentials in Britain, in fact it was quite the opposite! I just pointed out how difficult it was to determine what side of the fence they were on. While Amber and I are like PB&J, our taste in men is like black and white- Amber hated New England boys, I happen to love all things clean-cut, blue blooded, and preppy. Artsy fartsy guys...not so much.

Beantown

BU, Emerson College, and the Boys
Much like Alex, I need to vent about the LACK OF POTENTIAL in this city. Well, I guess our issues are quite different. And I mean, damn....I thought Berkeley had problems. If you haven't figured it out already, I'm talking about the guys of boston. I guess I'm partially biased because white dudes just don't do it for me...but I can still appreciate an attractive white male. What I can't handle is a WASP, or "white bread" as I like to refer to them as. I don't wanna just knock these guys down....believe me, I really don't...but Boston University gave me nothing to work with. However, I must admit that I found some more attractive guys around the Emerson College area. Emerson is a theatre arts and communications school--a strange mix of "dirty" indie pot-smokers and twittering pre-professionals--a combination I would have never thought of. Nonetheless, they are all private school kids and almost certainly have their family's bank account behind their every endeavor, whether it's next startup or the next broadway play. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the feel of Emerson and loved the fact that my friend was living in the Doubletree Hotel because they couldn't offer her a dorm room--free Doubletree cookies were the best! And I can't believe I saw the set of Will & Grace at Emerson College! Apparently, the guy that wrote the show went to school there, so it's now displayed in the school's library. Loves it.



Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and ATMs
This place is on every other corner in Beantown. I wanna say it's almost glamorized here...like Starbucks (obviously another company on EVERY block in Boston) because I did see long lines in a few of the stores. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen a DD in CA in the longest time...I think the one we had in the desert was run down, and then finally closed down. There's also an incredibly high density of Bank of America ATMs in Boston--plus they are all indoor ATMs (kind of a new concept for me...).

One last note.......toilet seat covers are a luxury here.

London: Final Thoughts

Most of us can agree that you really do not fully appreciate some things until they are gone. London is no exception.

As I type this sitting on BART, I am watching people get on and off the train. Everybody looks so.. American.. so unfabulous! An obese woman with mom jeans and a tight plaid shirt.. yick! A pizza faced man in a dirty looking suit. unsightly! I can’t help but think of the hordes of gorgeous people in their fine wool coats, silk scarves and other stylish clothing sitting around me on the Tube back in Britannia (bad teeth were surprisingly absent). Not only that, hearing French, Russian, and Italian being spoken throughout the train gave you the sense that you were in a major cultural capital of the world.

I see random musicians playing on the San Francisco train platforms for money and recollect the buskers in London’s train stations. Buskers are musicians that must AUDITION to play in the London Tube and are then given a specific performance place and time.. it is very official. The professional jazz players, opera singers, cover band artists, and pop singers of the Tube put the unofficial buskers of San Francisco to shame.

If there’s one thing I won’t miss, however, it’s the British sandwich obsession..

The Brits have a newly found fetish with the fresh pre-made sandwich. These triangular boxes with two sandwich halves are found literally EVERYWHERE in the city. Starbucks, grocery stores, pharmacies, movie theaters.. there are even chain restaurants that have developed around selling these sandwiches. Of these chains, none reigns more supreme than Pret A Manger. You can walk down the street and literally see a Pret at the beginning of one block and at the end of the next...Starbucks is not even that bad. While these sandwiches are good, my inner-American hates not being able to customize my sandwich! What if I don’t want mayo? What if I want to sub regular mustard for spicy mustard? You can’t do these things at Pret and it drives me crazy!!!!!!!

While the cultural capital of London will forever hold a special luster for me, I am a San Francisco boy at heart.

London: Total Gay Confusion!!

Alex Here-

Greetings from Londontown!

Here I am in one of the world’s greatest cities, and while the shopping is fabulous and the food divine, I have two major complaints about this glorious city: why the hell has my gaydar completely shut down and where is the bloody gayborhood!!!!??

Back in America, it is very easy to spot a fellow gay. Firstly, homo-fabulous brands like Diesel, Armani, G-Star, or Energie are major indicators of which team a man plays for. Combine that with a fancy bag, shoes, or obnoxious sunglasses and you’ve probably got yourself an American Homo. If that isn’t enough just listen to his voice and you will know for sure. Conversely.. if you see a man dressed sloppy and usually wearing some form of levis, chances are he’s straight (or a D-list gay which is almost the same thing anyways). All of these indicators fly out the door once you arrive in England.

Flying over the Atlantic is like flying to another universe. London is a San Francisco turned upside down. Gorgeous men fill the crowded streets, all of which are sporting well fitted jeans and finely made coats. Men that you would normally think are absolutely gay are holding hands, or worse, kissing females right before your eyes.. it’s quite a depressing site. Their mannerisms make things even harder to decipher. Male buddies poking each other on the train, men flamboyantly moving their hands while talking yet have rings on their fingers and wives at their sides. Even when you do get a smile from a cute guy across the train he quickly stares at the attractive woman sitting near you and smiles...I have completely given up on my gaydar here and firmly believe that all Brits are a little gay, some just more than others.

Soho has to be one of my favorite parts of London. Every restaurant looks amazing, the pubs are packed, and the clubs are bumping. However, I came to Soho thinking this was the gay heart of London.. like British Gays, British gayborhoods are quite deceiving. Walking down Old Compton Street I barely get the feeling I am in a gay neighborhood at all.. in fact I see more straight couples than gay. Gay bars here don’t post rainbows outside their doors nor do many of them hang flags. These bars and clubs look like every other bar and club and are scattered throughout the area. Though I knew that the Brits were more open about homosexuality, seeing the main gay drag so well integrated both surprised me, yet made me feel proud at the same time.

While London is fantastic.. I am excited to return back to SF where my gaydar works and my gayborhood is firmly established.

boston and all things beautiful

Oakland Aiport
7:38 PM, Thursday, March 19
Terminal 1 of Oakland International Airport is officially the CREEPIEST place......ever.

This place is like a ghost-town, seriously. And the lone souls wandering the place are hanging out at Chili's Too. Eww, wtf is "chili's too"? Is that like Limited Too? gag me.
When I got to my gate, I was almost not even shocked to see a fat man lying on the floor with his feet resting on the chairs. The best part....his belly is fully exposed. double EWW.
I really thought JetBlue was going to be fun and fabulous. Oh boy was I wrong. I'm officially never flying in or out of Oakland (unless flying Southwest in TERMINAL 2). This place is dark, grim, lonely, and most importantly--CREEPY.

.......on the airplane.....
Row 6, Seat A, Window
You know how JetBlue supposedly has the perks of "more legroom" and "individual TV screens for each seat"? Yeah, well I was THAT PERSON that had a broken TV. FML. And, I was sitting next to a larger woman that was definitely encroaching on my space. Damn, I was really hoping to sit next to a hot guy. I was so relieved to see "normal" people at the Logan Airport in Mass.

BU campus and the surrounding area
it's chilly burgers here! that means cold for those of you that don't knyow me. and yeah, that's supposed to be "knyow" not "know." this is a major side-note, but check out this youtube video alex got me hooked on. you'll love it, I sware.

waiter....ewwww............................


Other than the cold weather, Boston is a pretty cute city. there are stoops (which is definitely

THE BEST!). this is me and Hetty on a stoop in the South End...I just had to. I was WAY too excited for my own good. This is pretty much what the city looks like. My next post will be all about the people here and the strange things they do on the east coast (or so it seems from a "californian's" point of view).

"You Don't Know Me!"

When it comes to the friendship of Alex & Amber, this much is true:

--we're both self-involved, self-righteous, and competitive (alex MIGHT be correct in saying that he'll admit it much faster than I will...but hey, I JUST did, so cut me some slack)

--I'm a classy bitch and Alex is trashy when it comes to STOOPING LOW (he says that I have to get a "one up" on him? I'm sorry but I don't remember saying anything about how my blog post was a "REAL...introduction" like he so eloquently did...

--thus far, we have one thing in common besides our outlandish craziness, and that = BOYS !?

--actually, two things...I'm also in love with champagne, but I actually prefer an even cheaper bottle of Andre Brut. However, if you want to impress ME, don't waste your time and money on the $45 or so bottle of Veuve Clicquot...just get me a damn bottle of Kettle One.

Just so we don't scare you off, this back and forth banter isn't the point of this blog (although I can guarantee it is extremely fun for the both of us). However, keep this in mind as you follow this blog: Alex is trying to sabotage me!

I'm gonna take a page from the Bon Qui Qui playbook and warn him, "girl, I will CUT you!"  I admit that we both put up a damn good fight. I mean, c'mon...we've been going at it for almost 5 years now. That's a lot of bickering! Our best friends can attest to that, and this blog just might be the living proof.

Now that we've got that mess settled, let's move on to bigger and better things...like MY life.

And speaking of best friends, tomorrow I'm going to Boston to visit Hetty, my BF from home. It's been rumored that Hetty will be making a special guest appearance on this blog as the infamous Karen Walker of Will & Grace! You'll understand why later.

Hetty plays a very important role in the friendship of Alex & Amber...for one, she keeps us semi-levelheaded, and two, she usually takes my side (even though she might not admit it). Regardless, we both miss her dearly. Which brings me back to my trip...Hetty, Boston, FOOD (we're fatties!), New York....this should be a spring break to remember!

Pictures and updates to come on my fabulous adventures in Boston and NY...I almost feel as if I could be on an episode of MTV's 'The City.' I do hope I run into Jay and his "downtown" crowd, as Olivia so curtly put it. Ugh, I hate that bitch.

Saying 'Hello' With A Little More Style

Well look at this.. no surprise here.. like anything that involves both Amber and I, one always has to get a one-up on the other. Homegirl will never admit that but its totally true...homegirl is out of control!

Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Alex White and this is your REAL...and ughh 2nd.. introduction to Sexless Lovers. While you could consider Amber and I to be Will and Grace-esque, I think you’d have to throw in 3 large Americanos [each] in the mix to really get the full picture.. we are CRAZY BITCHES!
If there’s one thing that you’ll pick up on quickly, its the fact that Amber and I are completely rediculous in all facets of the word. She can fill you in on herself later...I’ll talk to you about what I love best.. MYSELF!!!!!!

France is byfar my favorite country in the WORLD. The French are so cultured, so glamourous..and they just seem to do everything better and with a touch of class. French fashion, wine, cheese..even the language.. ugh I can’t get enough!!!! I’m spending my fall there to have my love affair finally realized

Boys boys boys...If there is one thing Amber can tell you about me its that i am completely BOY CRAZY. While my standards are a little too high to make out with any random Joe, a boy sure can stare.. though homegirl is just as bad so do NOT let her fool you.

No matter what the gathering may be, if champagne is present, I will be there. Champagne is my party drink of choice- I sip it, I taFrake shots of it, I’ll play drinking games with it. Need to get me a birthday gift quick- get me a bottle of Cook’s. 3 bucks at your local grocer and I will be absolutely thrilled. Trying to impress me? Buy me a bottle of Veuve and I’m pretty much a sure thing.

​

Oh what I wouldn’t do for a good dance party!! Now let me clarify.. I am not a stereotypical gay circuit party boy.. but I love my dance music and I love to dance for hours..


If I was not an aspiring lawyer, I would definitely want to be a baker or chef...cooking is totally my favorite pastime. I read food blogs daily finding new recipes.. though I probably actually cook 1/8 of them. Anything with peanut butter or lots of sugar is at the top of my cooking list... LOVE sweets big time.


While I am lucky enough not to have any real substance abuse problems.. you could make a case for coffee fitting that bill. I am literally addicted to coffee and caffeine. I start my day everyday with some sort of coffee drink- either an Iced Coffee, Americano, or Cappuccino.. nothing else..I admit to being a creature of extreme habit.


​

Above all else, I am proud to be such a naturally happy person. I’m the undying optimist, the guy always with a smile on my face. I guess I just have an extreme chemical imbalance of serotonin but I don’t mind it one bit.. maybe its all that caffeine..hmm..

An Introduction, Me vs. Grace

My name is Amber. I'm writing this blog with one of my best friends. His name is Alex. Alex is the Will to my Grace. Will Truman and Grace Adler that is. Unlike our TV counterparts, we didn't meet at a college party at Columbia University (pshh, we wish) and we definitely DID NOT date.  I must say that I have exceptional gaydar, and Alex and I have known each other since our sophomore year of high school. Since then, we've been "sexless lovers" for obvious reasons. If it isn't so obvious to you, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog anyway.

I have to say that I actually wanted to be Karen, the rich, drunk, diva-bitch of the Jack McFarland--Karen Walker duo...but my persona is actually much more comparable to that of the hilarious and neurotic ginger with an apparent food obsession. And yes, I'm definitely guilty of that--the food, NOT the red hair (thank god). And like grace, I am probably my own biggest fan.

"Hang on, I'm getting overwhelmed by my own good taste."--Grace Adler

There's plenty to talk about, but I don't want to divulge all my secrets so early in the game. This blog is like a relationship. It requires a lot of work and it takes time to build trust, and frankly, I'm not ready to go "all the way." And if it's any indication, relationships have NOT worked out so well for me...

Well, here's to the success of our blog, Alex! Cheers!