how you can advance alzheimer's research & help doctors find a cure.

it's pretty awesome how one medical researcher is using social media and online tools to conduct major research.

a genome expert hopes to test 1 million people for a major Alzheimer's study. 

"Before we can discover new treatments for brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, we need to understand the human genetic blueprint - DNA - that determines how the brain works in healthy individuals," said said. "Then we will be better equipped to develop new medicines and therapies for individuals with brain disorders." Read more here.

anyone ages 18 to 80 can take the 10-minute online memory test. the test will be used to gather clues into cognition and find subjects for a Phase II clinical trial to determine how people's memory changes as they age and whether there are lifestyle choices that might lead to clues into Alzheimer's and other brain disorders. My results were kinda scary. 

Want to be a part of Project MindCrowd? 

Click Here To Take The Test Now.

do it. and share it with your friends and family.

documentary: 56 UP (playing at the Film Bar).

have you heard this documentary? 56 UP?

The UP Series started in 1964 when one director interviewed 14 children from all over England with diverse backgrounds, to ask them about their lives and their dreams for the future. And then, every seven years, the director went back to talk to the same 14 children and examining the progression of their lives... until they were 56 years old.


The film gets rave reviews, even Roger Ebert ranking it as one of the top 10 films of all time.

Both D and I have been looking forward to seeing it. Sounds so interesting. Makes you think about what factors really steer the course of your life.

I'm super excited to see 56 UP is playing at the beloved Film Bar in downtown Phoenix. We're going this week. Click here to check out the very limited Film Bar dates and showtimes.

flamenco night & menu favorites at downtown's gallo blanco.

danny had a craving for mexican food, so off to gallo blanco we went. when we got there, it was packed and we realized we had stumbled upon "flamenco wednesdays." we thoroughly enjoyed our unexpected cultural evening that accompanied our tasty food and my delicious peach sangria. if you're in phoenix, we highly recommend gallo blanco for both food & vibe - plus, it's super inexpensive. and as mentioned here, it's not your typical greasy mexican food, it's more "mexico city" cuisine.

some of our gallo blanco favorites are:
pork and/or chicken quesadillas: made with mini taco-sized corn tortillas so they're the perfect appetizer.
chips & guacamole: with fresh citrus like oranges, pineapple and mushed inside.
carne asada burro: do not imagine filibertos. it's "dry" in a homemade tortilla filled with fresh avocado, salsa & beans
ensalada cortada: chopped kale, egg, avocado, crunchy peas, tomato, seeds & corn nuts. great app or entree.
inca salad: quinoa, corn, dried cranberries, tomato, arugula, mint + other veggies. it's totally delicious.
fish tacos: it's tacos al a carte, so you can get a bunch to sample. the fish are the best.
posole: huge bowl of soup with chunks of pork and hominy + cilantro, cabbage & peppers to add yourself.

last week we went out with a group of friends and tried gallo blanco's new sister restaurant Otro Cafe. 

good food, but the vibe wasn't for us. ambiance was just "eh" and the service was "eh"

let's put it this way, we'll be sticking with the otro gallo balco - downtown. 

coachella 2013: the weekend's windy end.

wind is the worst element. period. end of story. no debating it. 

sunday started out just like every coachella day before it,
but ended with an insane sandstorm blowing through indio's polo grounds. 

we stuck it out at the festival for as long as we could,
but the red hot chili peppers just couldn't keep us from heading back home
for hot showers, pizza, yoga & stories in the spa. 

despite the terrible trifecta of elements (wind, cold & sand), sunday night was one of my favorites.
there's something bittersweet about the day, but you know it's all coming to an end,
so you just milk it for everything you can. and that we did... high fives at five. boom. 

hot tubbin' & festival lovin'

and then things heated up... yeah ting! 

the final walk. so bittersweet.

jenny + jake

the convertible ride that lasted er - 30 seconds. U-TURN. hahaha 

cool hitch hikers for a split second.

balloon girl is NOT pleased with the wind. 

the beginning of the sunday sandstorm. shiiiittttt.

whatchya lookin' at car? wind blown ladies waiting for the rest of the crew.

winds + orbs do not mix.

goldilocks.

my fave. colby is the mysterious balloon girl. 

sunday morning. before "blowchella" happened.

the sunday ants come marching in.

oh, the poor campers. we felt so bad for them with the wind. campsites everywhere were destroyed.

gobi at dusk. 

kory & carly. 

colbs.. chris.. klem. expanding the festival family. 

coachella, she's a natural beauty. 

because snackin' makes me feel like dancin' 

james blake.

i was and am obsessed with this look.

that'd be my fist. PUMPED.

...did NOT show up on saturday night. rude. we missed booka shade for r. kelly. wahh wahhhhh.

starting to get squinty. look at that dirt haze. eew.

i decided to be an eden garden fairy on the wrong day. stupid sand. 

boomshakalaka! this crew is on a mission and lookin' fierce.

pete & colbs = coachella canaries. gonna fly away like a birdie.

can't keep these canaries caged. dancin' birds. 

who got dog blood on earl's sweatshirt? (that's for you d, colbs & pete)

getting crazy in the hazy.

mr. paul meredith gettin' down in the yuma dome.

droppin' the bass in the yuma dome.

the ferris wheel's final sunset. i'd love to know how many photos were taken of that iconic wheel.

the sandstorm gear came out. we're crew prepared for the desert extremes. 

granola bars. leggings. bandanas. moccasins. socks. ain't gonna let a little sand ruin our sunday.

our sunday night festival family. through sun and sand.

this is what it looks like when 37+ mile-per-hour winds and a sandstorm blows through coachella.

colby still rockin' the shades to protect the contacts. no big.

oh my god. you see our faces? yeah, we weren't wearing gray face paint. that's DIRT on us when we walked in. and we actually cut our walk home down by more than a half mile when a dear couple in a mini van pulled over and offered us a ride - that's what coachella karma is all about. 

aaaannnnnd that's a wrap. 

well, for the blog at least. 

coachella '13, you'll go down in history.

until next time. 

musical recap.

some fave sets: hot chip, alt-j, yeah yeah yeahs, the xx, portugal. the man, phoenix, passion pit, the postal service

eh, just alright: of monsters & men, tegan & sara, pretty lights, band of horses 

sadly missed: tanlines, lumineers, luciano, two door cinema club, la roux, wild nothing, parov stelar (no show!) and the list goes on... 

-----

my final wish is that the Goldenvoice Gods take note of the crazy weather patterns that plague this earlier April weekend (no joke, look back in time. the evidence is there). Pretty please return Weekend #1 back to its previously perfect third weekend in April and push the new Weekend #2 slot back a measly week.

Pahleese?!  

xo, 

survivors of Coldchella & Blowchella