gemini is ruled by mercury, the fleet footed planet of speed. (May 21 - June 21) so, what better time to hold a race in new york’s central park than in gemini’s birth month?

YAI (YOUNG ADULT INSTITUTE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES) is holding their annual “CENTRAL PARK CHALLENGE” on sat, may 31, to raise funds (this year’s goal is 1.4 m). this amazing not-for-profit agency has been helping the mentally and physically challenged in the new york metropolitan region for over half a century! WATCH THE YOUTUBE TRAILER

so if you’re feeling mercurian (highly energetic), walk or run the race yourself… this is a fun day for all! there is even a kid’s event area (games, activities, face painting, tattoos, races) to keep the little tykes entertained.

or just MAKE A DONATION to my little sis rachael, who will be walking the race. break a leg rachael!

ironically, two different people recently brought the new fortune-telling phenonomon known as DICEOLOGY to my attention.

one is steven wagonheim who has just released a series of six books on his revolutionary new method of divination utilizing the humble dice. a former dungeons and dragons addict, steven grew to love the many sides of multiple sided dice. i had no idea that a 12-sided dice existed––did you?! he has also been blessed with a good pyschic ability and a love for–and understanding of astrology–numerology, cartouche and tarot. with 25 years of life-long research, he’s combined them all in DICEOLOGY, an innovative new brand of astrological divination. (6/$35.95) swing by david’s site for more info: DICEOLOGY.

the second person is JEAN NASOL, new york dice reader & advisor. any gambling addict will tell you, the lure of the dice is irresistable. i felt that magnetic pull of the dice as an hour and half whizzed by. as i asked each question aloud, i would pensively shake the dice and fatefully toss them for jean to analyze. her method of diceology is fascinating, and without a doubt, slightly addictive in an extremely fun way! one dice shows the planet involved, another shows the zodiac sign, and yet another shows a number. when all three are combined, including the order in which they sit, the anwer to the query is revealed. jean’s rates are very reasonable. if you’re in new york, call for an interesting and enlightening DICE READING the next time you need some celestial advice: 917.703.2911.

those of you familiar with Intoxicated Zodiac know that pretty much every day is EARTH DAY around here! so i’m going to honor this holiday by paying homage to another that was sorely overlooked. that would be WORLD WATER DAY. it passed without much fanfare about a month back.

angus winchester wisely declares in the march 2007 issue of BARTENDER MAGAZINE, that the most important cocktail ingredient is not vodka, not gin, not lemon, nor sugar… it’s water! ice, ice, baby…

he states that “the most important thing he has learned in 15 years of bartending is a pint of water and two paracetemol before bed.” ok, i have no clue what para whatever is, but angus goes on to rightly claim that “bartenders should give them tap water at every opportunity. [he] suggests after a while those who drink water will feel better the next day and make the connection, or maybe you could use the reason you are encouraging water drinking to demonstrate your knowledge and increase your connection with the customer.” in [his] fantasy bar every cocktail would come with a water back.”

i could NOT agree more. i practically have to beg the bartender to get me water when i’m out for the night. not to mention, in a crowded bar who needs dehydrated bad breath? plenty water makes for more than just long lines at the lou, it helps freshen breath.

there are several types of waters which include mineral water, artesian water, sparkling water, spring water, sterile water and well water.

of course there are a zillion enhanced waters on the market. most recently, HOLY DRINKING WATER, has become available! yes, blessed water in a bottle.

last year, THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote a pretty groundbreaking piece on cocktails. it had to do with the spiritual quality of water and it’s effect on the taste of cocktails.

EMPLOYEES ONLY in NYC did an experiment inspired by a Japanese photographer Masaru Emoto, who believes that water is positively or negatively affected by energy. “By taking photos of frozen water molecules, Emoto found there was a difference in the crystal structures of water that had been blessed with prayer and water that hadn’t.” “So [they] conducted an experiment. Five bartenders, all making the same drink. A daiquiri. Measured pours. The same ice. And the drinks were all different. [They] repeated the experiment many times, and always the same result.” it brings a whole nother meaning to the phrase “think positive,” doesn’t it?

“We cannot know why this is,” Mr. Zaric said. “We can only observe the consequences.” But Mr. Zaric has a theory, of course. “If the bartender is relaxed and confident the drink will taste one way,” he said, pausing to shake a martini. “If he’s anxious, if his buttons are being pushed, the drink will taste another. The bartender doesn’t want to make you a bad drink — it just comes out that way.”

THE CRYSTAL ON THE LEFT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED WITHOUT PRAYER. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WAS AFTER AN HOUR LONG PRAYER SESSION. a picture is worth a thousand words! (credit)

Below you’ll find some interesting water-related tidbits…

***the average amercian family consumes 300 gallons of water a day. when you count watering the lawn and washing dishes, clothes and cars. some ideas on recycling water:

1. while waiting for the tap to heat up, save the cold water in a pitcher and use it to flush the toilet. got a humidifier? empty it into the plants. and don’t let your pet’s unused water go to waste. don’t just dump it down the drain, dump it into a plant.
2. install a low flow showerhead.
3. collect rainwater. yes, you can set up a fancy gathering system. or just use a few five gallon pails to start with.

***the term WATER WAR refers not to kevin costners bombed movie, but a very possible catastrophe. corporations are buying up what was once free. forget about gold - water treatment stocks is where it’s at - but keep it diversified. not every company will make it, but the future is strong for liquid investments.

***if you’re in the big apple, catch the WATER=LIFE EXHIBIT running though may 26th, at the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

check out this cool water “bridge” recently discovered by scientists. VIA PHYSORG

celebrate this earth day by appreciating water. also, it wouldn’t hurt to check out my OFFICIAL LIST OF ECO-ALCOHOL or to peruse colleen’s EARTH DAY PIECE too.

ok, so every other cocktail blog in the ’sphere have all ready talked about New York’s new vodka, but I deem CORE VODKA cool enough to be blogged for the millionth time! as a new yorker, i’m pretty psyched to have such an innovative vodka coming from long island, an area of new york usually known for it’s wineries. the apples are grown right here in new york’s hudson valley, the epicenter of Intoxicated Zodiac : )

CORE VODKA also happens to make intoxicated zodiac’s prestigious OFFICIAL LIST OF ECO ALCOHOL. yup… here’s why:

“100% crop utilization of apples, by allowing the pressing, fermentation and distillation of all apples, regardless of quality. no waste! A byproduct of distilling is methanol, which, when mixed with old donut oil, can be made into bio diesel for eventual sale or use in farm tractors. The state-of-the-art distillery is environmentally friendly, electric, and when combined with photovoltaic solar panels, may eventually become energy generating. The byproducts of the distillery may also be combined to make 100% organic fertilizer and is easily broadcast into the orchards.”

VIA LUXIST VIA MARTINI GROOVE

don’t miss the most barked, er, talked about party of the season… join THE NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE in new york’s trendy soho, wednesday april 23rd from 6-9pm to promote TOUR FOR LIFE 2008. cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, conversation, good times, and great dogs! feel free to bring your own pooch to the event… RSVP here.

VIA SHECKYS

I’m not quite sure what’s worse - st patrick’s day, new year’s eve or mardi gras- when it comes to going out for the night. personally, i’d rather go to a nice dinner or private cocktail party any day. something about drunk slobbering men and spilled beer that doesn’t get me exited. if you feel the same way, consider rice instead of pototoes this st paddy’s day dinner. if you’re in new york this week, ride The “Chiva Bus” at La Palapa’s 77 St. Marks Place location across town to their west village location. (st marks location closed for renovations all week) enjoy antojitos, bebidas, latin tunes, margarita shots (without 28 people breathing down your neck to get to the bar) and all the way across town.

two of our most iconic addresses share an apparent love of astrology. that would be the world renowned HARRODS in london, and the famous GRAND CENTRAL STATION in new york. the constellations for each sign grace both ceilings, making an allready fascinating trip to either place that much more interesting.

HARROD’S MALL CEILING, LONDON

GRAND CENTRAL STATION CEILING, NEW YORK

photo credit FLICKR & YEAT’S VISION

Well, this is a new one… a most unusual affair presented by Hendrick’s Gin. drinking and shoe shining, to my knowledge, aren’t usually don’t in tandem. but this thursday, november 1st, all that will change. Show up with your embarrassingly scuffed shoes at Pete’s Tavern, where they’re handing out G & T’s with shoe shine chasers.

“Life is simply too glorious not to experience the odd delights of quaffing a complimentary Hendrick’s and tonic whilst our chaps shine your brogues. Admission is Free and attire is shoes to shine.”

Now who rules the feet children? that’s right, pisces!

With all the recent hype about the fabulous green gastro-pub, COUNTER, in nyc, i figured it was time to write that post i’d been sitting on for months. (My moon sign is Taurus, which tends to make me a lazy-ass procrastinator). A week or so ago the New York Times wrote them up in an article on healthy cocktails, which was quite worth musing, as noted by TLM.

WHAT SIGN IS COUNTER?
Astrologer Nadine Kennedy gave me me a few tips on how best to to discern the astrological sign of a bar or restaurant:
1) Most important, is the day of opening.
2) However, the day of breaking ground or starting renovations would also play a role in the chart.
3) And the day on which important paperwork was signed or filed (ie, liquor license, name filing, etc.) is also significant.
BUT, it’s not the in the budget here at IZ to allow for the hiring of PI’s to track down such details. Hence I’m sticking to the opening day of the joint. Here goes…

THE ASTROLOGY OF COUNTER:
Opened on March 6th, COUNTER is a PISCES, “the day of beauty lovers.”

The first thing that struck me upon entering the watery bistro was it’s sage green walls. Pisces’ color is a SOFT SEA FOAM GREEN! Woah…

Pisces element is WATER, and the large candle display on the wall was dripping like a giant frozen WATERFALL!

Bottles of LIQUID were placed prominently around the restaurant. Huge containers of spirit infusions, along with racks of decorative wines, and an impressive martini bar, were all meant to be noticed. Able to DRINK LIKE A FISH, Pisces produces more ALCOHOLICS than any other sign! (This is thanks to the dreamy and addictive influence exerted by Neptune and Jupiter, in that order).

Pisces is the sign of two fishes, struggling to swim in opposite directions. One hoping to dive to the bottom of ocean and hide from life in a seaweed forest. The other could be a flying fish, and leap right out of the ocean, it’s aim is so high. These opposite-natured fish must learn to swim in harmony with each other, but they never truly will. Theirs is the burden of knowing that both pain and pleasure exist in our world, and even more so, in their mind. COUNTER serves a bottle of wine for $10, and another for $10,000 (seriously). such extremes are life for pisces.

Even the art was matted with a light green color. Stereoscopic photographs were mounted on several walls, taken of the restarant’s own herb & edible flower rooftop garden. Upon request, stereo viewers are available to view these pictures (which makes the images so clear, it’s like looking at the actual flower itself.) My dad collects antique stereo views, so I know a thing or two about them. In the days before television, this was entertainment.

COUNTER makes a point of serving green booze. If it’s not certified organic, then it’s close. These days, the organic certification standards are so high, and so expensive, that a lot of brands have opted not to pursue it. But with a little research it is relatively easy to figure out which ones use organic grains, or renewable energy, or recycled packaging - and are hence “light” green. Dark green refers to die-hard environmentalist standards, and light to, well, lighter standards. In my book, anyone that makes some sort of a conscious effort is helping to solve our polar bear problem.

They also serve kosher spirits. Oy vey, who knew?!
A healthy selection of boidynamic wines are also on their list.

The libations are flirtatiously & creatively named, with titles such as NOT TONIGHT DEAR (above: juniper gin, sweet & dry vermouth, muddled raspberries) and THE ANGRY LESBIAN (tarragon-infused vodka with framboise, young ginger & orange nectar). I never tasted one of these, but she was rather good. Each drink has it’s own cute little tale. My fave was TIE ME TO THE BEDPOST, made with lavender & rosemary infused vodka, topped with cranberry and lime nectar. “According to local lore in Gloucestershire, England, rosemary only thrives if the mistress of the house is also the master.

COUNTER offers delicious, organic vegetarian and vegan fare, along with an admiral cocktail menu. Their wine and spirit list is equally impressive. The Atmosphere’s casual cool, and the price is right with tipples for the taking at twelve bucks a pop.

THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF BIRTHDAYS by Gary Goldschneider & Joost Eiffers lists March 6 as “The Day of the Beauty Lovers”. (this is an amazingly accurate read btw, totally worth picking up, or flipping to your page in Barnes & Noble).
***As always, go to amazon through Kittykind to give them a 15% donation.

(Photo credit Howard Berman)

OWNER ALCOHOLIC
OWNER ALLERGIC
OWNER RELOCATED
OWNER PASSED AWAY
OWNER HOMELESS
OWNER BORED

I’ve been on the pet rescue circuit for many years, and have heard them all - even from my own sister. Excuses, for unloading a pet, once considered a family member. Homeless pets are the result of unfortunate circumstance through no fault of their own. They are guilty of only one thing: wanting a place to call home. Personally, every pet i’ve ever owned has been a rescue. My supermodel cat, Holly, actually was taken from an alcoholic. Nice enough guy, but wouldn’t spay his cats. So I did it - and grabbed all the kittens. Now my sister (different one), on the other hand, insists on buying her pets from pet stores. The last three have been bow-legged, retarded and deaf, in that order. It sounds funny, but it’s not - it’s true. Meanwhile, the compliments i get on my Siberian Husky, La Femme Nikita, are uncanny. I cannot leave the house without getting some comment on her looks, manners, personality, hair cut, collar, owner (ha-ha), whatever. “Really, SHE is a rescue? No!” Insinuating that rescued pets are damaged goods, which they are so not. We need to spread the word peeps: Sheltered pets are A-OK!

Join animal rights advocate, Bernadette Peters, next Monday, August 6th in Union Square Park (NYC). Bernadette is the most compassionate of all the signs, a Pisces, FYI! A 10am Press conference will unveil the new CACC ad campaign, to be followed with adoptions and giveaways until 2pm. This is a great chance to adopt a furry love muffin, or two, or three, if you haven’t all ready.