Continuing with the theme of drinks you've probably never heard of, I present to you, the Gimlet.
The Gimlet is similar to a Gin and Tonic, only less likely to be ordered by an alcoholic.
Not to be confused with the less-tasty Vodka version, the Gimlet is named after the eponymous hand tool, used for drilling small holes. Created in 1928, it was named for its penetrating effect on those who order it.
Clean and refreshing, the Gimlet is a true Gin lovers drink, strong enough for a man, but tasty enough for a woman (or gay man).
The next time someone asks you to order them a Gin and Tonic, play it cool, and see if they want to try a Gimlet instead.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Gin (I recommend Plymouth)
3/4 ounces Lime Juice
Lime Wedge
Shake Gin and Lime Juice with ice in a shaker. Strain over ice in an old-fashioned glass and garnish with lime wedge.
Today's charity organization is one that is doing some amazing work in LA County. The Alliance for Children's Rights is protecting the rights and futures of abused and impoverished children. Through direct legal services, community education, and advocacy, The Alliance's diverse programs are not only serving the immediate needs of children and families, they are also helping to create systemic change that will protect the future of children for generations to come.
Founded in 1992, The Alliance has helped more than 80,000 children throughout Los Angeles County: children who are living in foster care, children with learning disabilities, children who need medical treatment or public benefits, and children in need of legal guardianship or adoption.
The amazing thing about this organization is that the founders are primarily lawyers but, contrary to many, these lawyers saw a terrible injustice and did something about it, rather than making money off of it.
Some of the programs include:
Foster Care Adoption With the help of an army of dedicated pro bono attorneys, The Alliance completes nearly 1/3 of all foster care adoptions in L.A. The Alliance connects with the adoptive families as early as possible to identify any psychological, health, or educational needs of the child to avoid unnecessary delays in the adoption. The Adoption Day program, introduced by The Alliance and its partners in 1997, is the model for National Adoption Day, now celebrated in all 50 states.
Legal Guardianship
Throughout Los Angeles, more than 300,000 children live with a relative or friend because their parents are unable or unwilling to care for them. Without a legal relationship, caregivers who are willing to be there for these kids are limited in their ability to protect and provide for them.
The Alliance helps caregivers become legal guardians of the children in their care so that they can take them to the doctor, enroll them in school and obtain financial assistance to better provide them a secure, stable life. Health Care
Children in foster care or living in poverty face tremendous challenges and barriers accessing health care. The instability of their home lives and frequent placement changes make accessing consistent, quality medical care nearly impossible. The Alliance assists children facing Medi-CAL eligibility problems, treatment denials, and those unable to find medical or mental health providers.
Alliance staff also conduct trainings about the health care needs and rights of impoverished children for medical and social service providers as well as caregivers and group homes.
Other programs include Public Benefits, Special Education and Transitioning Youth, to name a few. If you have an interest in this organization, or others like it, go check out their website at www.kids-alliance.org
For the more politically minded among us, we are well aware of Glenn Beck's Rally to Restore (Honor? Tradition? Nazi Comparisons?) last month on the same historic day of MLK Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech, essentially a "Fuck You" to the Civil Rights movement.
Anyone who knows me, is well aware of my disdain for Glenn Beck and basically everything for which he stands. He's a mouthpiece for extremists who offers little more than fear-based nonsense.
Predictably, the 200,00 or so people who attended the rally (collective IQ of 78) were exactly the types you would expect to attend a Glenn Beck/Sarah Palin rally: Badly misinformed, afraid of everything they don't see every day and, quite frankly, stupid.
Luckily, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, two of the most intelligent men in the country, are holding ralies of their own.
Jon Stewart is holding the "Rally to Restore Sanity", urging everyone to "Take it down a notch, America". Colbert is countering with his satirical "March to keep fear alive" because, as is custom, conservatives can't seem to function without constant fear.
Leave it to these two to take something completely ridiculous and make it awesome. Beck's rally had little to no meaning behind it and was highly confusing, and more than likely, just a publicity stunt.
Stewart and Colbert are trying to reach the population who is just completely annoyed by the popularization of idiocy and extremism in this country.
Were I in DC, I would absolutely attend, but, As Stewart so eloquently put it, "I have shit to do".
