Butcher ‘rock star’ Jonel Picioane proudly poses in his Ridgewood European Pork Store for The Bushwick Daily. The is located in Ridgewood Queens since the 1930’s. This write up is for The Bushwick Daily.
INTRODUCTION
The Ridgewood European Pork Store transcends modern-day food. It is, in fact, an endangered species. It is located in what was originally an eastern European neighborhood. Amazingly, the store was born in the 1930s with very few changes in ownership and products.The Ridgewood European Pork Store looking similar to the way it did when it first opened in the 1930s. Photo from Yelp.
ARTISAN FOOD
Technically homemade meat products like it had in 1930s US and Europe fill much of the store today. Artisan is the new name that has been given to this type of food. This term represents foods made in small batches, made often for freshness, and traditionally-prepared to taste as it originally did. Artisan is a new word for old-time goodness. Here is a definition for artisan food from Wikipedia
FOOD THAT TAKES US BACK IN TIME
There is an entire movement of Artisan Food. We crave food the way it used to taste, free of preservative for long shelf lives. We want it homemade with a focus on quality, not quantity, wrapped in butcher paper, not vacuum sealed plastic-wrapped. There was time when speed of preparation rather than taste was the priority. But things have changed. We want slow food. We want to go back in time.
FOOD TODAY WITH A TASTE FOR YESTERDAY
Owner Jonel , the rockstar butcher, at work at his butcher shop. Photo from The Bushwick Daily.
CONCLUSIOIN
I haven’t had a chance to visit the European Pork Store yet. But it is on my list of things I want very much to do. Even though I am not much of a world traveler, I love to travel the world and its history within my own world.
Cinema sex is at an all-time high. In fact, the US has established ratings to inform film viewers of the degree of sex to expect. This post will explore four degrees of cinema sex:
1. no sex or G-rated
2. some sexuality or GP-rated
3. a lot of sex or R-rated
4. almost explicit sex or between R-rated and X-rated
SEX AT THE CINEMA IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES
Turkey
Countries review sex at the cinema differently. For example, Turkey is technically tightening its guidelines. Only kissing on the cheek is considered proper for unmarried couples. Clearly, for anyone who is a fan of Turkish dizis, this guideline is not strictly enforced. In fact, it causes much controversy on and off screen.
In Kara Para Ask, lead actors Omer and Elif do participate in some discrete but steamy sexual scenes.
Korea
I am a new viewer of Korean series. My introduction, 100 Days My Prince, is totally discreet. But I am not sure if this is because this is for G rated audiences or this is the nature of Korean cinema in general.
Won Deck and Hong Sim must marry due to a decree from the crown prince.
Israel
In its beginning, this series depicts Ultra-Orthodox Judaism at its strictest. Streaming series overflow with fascinating sagas that are obscure to many Christian and even secular Jews. In this genre, there is no touching before marriages which are usually arranged. There are many rules and restrictions. For members of the various ultra-Orthodox groups, structure, security, and a strong sense of community are integral. For others, like Esty the heroine of Unorthodox this life is unbearable. For Etsy, this streaming sage dwells on transition from observance rather that observance to the laws. The trailer is shown below.
https://youtu.be/8VQfjq9vXfo
United States
In the US, R- rated TV and movies are so commonplace that they are barely more than scenery. This is the case in the prime example of a Netflix streaming series, @Spinning Out. A short video of the skating pair, Kat and Justin is shown below.
Great Britain
As Kat and Justin skate a very fine line to ice skating victories in Spinning Out, the cast of @Bridgerton, the latest steamy drama filmed in Britain walks a shockingly fine line between R-rated and X-rated.
Out in ‘The Season’, Lord Simon Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton make an impressive couple to all in attendance.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I wish to pose these questions to my readers. Do you agree with the ratings I have given each series? Are you comfortable with the amount of sex or sexual suggestiveness in each series? If not what would you like to see done differently?
Thanks to a holiday homework assignment my great-nephew Westley got, our family has revived its memories of our favorite family traditions, decades of Thanksgiving dinners together.
HOW IT HAPPENEND
Westley, my brother’s grandson was given an assignment for his grandpa to write about his favorite childhood holiday. No hands down, it was Thanksgiving. We had the best Thanksgiving dinners ever.
Norman Rockwell Freedom From Want Traditional American Happy Family Thanksgiving Christmas Dinner Turkey Holiday
WHO CAME
Family and friends attended from across the country. This included California, Kansas, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. There were brothers and sisters. Step-brothers and sisters. Aunts and Uncles, cousins, and close family friends. That alone could total between twenty to thirty folks. of course, there were both adults and children of all ages.
THE RITUALS
First ritual:
Some of the family arrived Wednesday evening. Since the kitchen was off-limits, dinner was always at our favorite local Italian restaurant, La Serenata. This worked out perfectly because their food was great. So we stuffer ourselves. As a result, we wouldn’t need to eat again until Thanksgiving dinner. The smells throughout the house were irresistible. Because we were so full from dinner, we were able to refrain from tasting anything that night.
Second ritual:
The cooking of the turkeys was an all-night affair. This was because they were so large and because they had to be basted constantly to insure the perfect browning of the skin. I mention turkeys because there were always two turkeys. The only way to ensure there would be enough and to accommodate two types of stuffing was to have two turkeys. One turkey had sausage stuffing. The other had chestnuts.
We required two turkekys to accomodate all the guests and two types of stuffing, chestnut and sausage for taste preferences. Photo from Classy Cooking.
Third ritual:
Two tables had to be set up to accommodate everyone so One was for the adults. Another for children. In order to fit both, the former was in the dining room and the latter was in the living room.
Fourth ritual:
The adult table decor was like something out of a magazine. Every piece of fine china, glass, silver, and table linens came out for use at this yearly event. There were gold-leafed trimmed china and glassware from my grandmother’s marriage; engraved silverware from my mother’s marriage; gold woven table linen with matching napkins coordinated with my grandmother’s dishes. In addition to all of this was a set of two-tiered centerpiece plates. One had a female figure at the top. The other was male.
The holiday shopping frenzy has taken on a new start. Each year the beginning becomes earlier in the season. In fact, this year one could not distinguish the Halloween decorations from the Thanksgiving decor. In addition to that, the spirit of Christmas had started to sneak in too. I really began to wonder,’ what is going on’?
On a recent Saturday afternoon, in mid November there is not a single parking shop available in the Rockville Centre, Long Island HomeGoods parking lot.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Shop
The outcry of ‘On Your Mark, Get Set, Shop’ signaled the beginning of the earliest holiday shopping frenzy on record. Usually ‘Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is the start. That day has also crept up in the seasonal calendar. To the dismay of many employees, stores open right after Thanksgiving dinner or before daylight on Black Friday. I attributed this shift to nothing but mere consumerism. But this year is different.
There are several reasons for this change. Consumerism may be part of it. But something else plays a major part in this holiday shopping frenzy, FEAR. What exactly is the cause? Several come to mind. We are in the midst of a pandemic. Even though everyone hoped it would have subsided by now, it is only getting worse. So how does this affect holiday shopping? People are afraid that stores will run out of items. In addition, there is a fear that stores will have to close down again. Lastly, there is mistrust that things ordered online will not arrive in time.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Stop
This holiday season is going to look very different. Most likely, social distancing and sequestering are going to intensify. For safety’s sake, gatherings will be limited to immediate family. Maybe we need to rethink what this time of year is meant to be about. Thanks for Thanksgiving. Gratitude for Hannukah, the festival of lights, Christmas blessings, Kwanza cheer.
A sampling of the 2020 holiday postage stamps from the USPS
Instead of worrying about getting the last parking spot in your favorite store or mall, this may be the year to stop and think. Let’s think about the true meaning of these holidays. They all fall around a pivotal point in the year. Even before these fairly modern holidays, Mother Nature determined their meaning. The shortest day of the year, the longest night of the year was followed by the beginning of renewal, hope, and light. May the coming year bring all of those to all of us. Amen.
Crazy 2020 is not what this year was supposed to be about. But between the COVD-19 pandemic and the yet to be conceded presidential election, things are not back to normal by a long shot. The pandemic has gotten worse rather than better. The financial stimulus that was ‘promised’ to Americans in need is still elusive. In addition, the most preposterous circumstance is that the current President refuses to concede. He lost both the popular and electoral votes. But he insists that he won.
Brian Stauffer’s “Under Control”
RETURN TO BALANCE NEEDED
Despite all of this, we need to find balance and consistency. Towards that end, I hope to become more regular in contributing new posts to my blog. So in the hope of establishing a new normal, I offer my apologies for my long absence during Crazy 2020.
During the Vice Presidential debate a fly landed on VP Pence’s head and remained there for the duration. The fly became a symbol for the ‘V’ in vote.
A RACE OF MIXED EMOTIONS
The presidential race was emotional, even explosive at time. But some folks make it very clear what they felt needed to happen as illustrated by this priceless cartoon.
From ‘The Outsider’ the rapper 50 cent had his say
ELECTION RESULTS FAVOR #46 BUT NO CONCESSION FROM #45
According to the Financial Times, Trump refuses to concedeHis concession is not necessary to acknowledge the #BidenHarris2020 win. But historically it has always been a matter of diplomacy the the loser concedes. But then #45 has always played his own game rather than follow the rules. Does this latest tactic come as a surprise to anyone? I think not. Perhaps he will spend the lame duck administration on the golf course denying the true course of history.
WELCOME TO THE #46 TEAM
Despite the continue temper tantrums of POTUS #45, I look forward with delight to the next administration. It promises to be an Executive Team with strong leadership and the best minds that the US has to offer our country and the world.
Biden Victory Prompts Celebrations in Hillsborough County
Child actor, Ali Kaan Karasu emerges as the Intersection boy hero from the Karasu clan, an Istanbul, Turkish mafia family. Initially, Kaan’s father Ali Nejat Karasu appears to be headed to earn this honor. But Ali Nejat eventually fails to become the movie’s hero. The reasons appear as this story continues.
The youtube trailer for Kordugum aka Intersection
Aybbats Kartal Ozson plays Ali Kaan Karasu, Intersection boy hero. Photo source unknown.
ALI KAAN KARASU, OUR BOY HERO
Cherubic Kaan wins over everyone’s heart. In addition, he is an extraordinarily perceptive boy. He never ceases to amaze us with his uncanny insights and honesty.
Orphaned by the untimely death of his mother, Kaan needs to find his father. He goes to live with his maternal grandfather until Alli Nejat proves his paternity. He also admits to a brief affair with Kaan’s mother that resulted in a pregnancy.
But Ali Nejat also claims that the mother was well paid to either have an abortion or to live comfortably but alone raising Kaan. Actually, Ali Nejat assumes she got an abortion. Therefore he thought the case was closed. But the company CFO never paid the mother. He stole the money and kept it for himself.
Ibrahim Celikkol plays Ali Nejat Karasu. Picture from a YouTube interview.
ALI NEJAT KARASU, KAAN’S FATHER
Handsome and self-assured, Ali Nejat seems to have everything going for him. Initially, he is a logical choice as the story’s hero. He is the successful heir to his father’s shipbuilding empire. He is hardworking, a loyal son, a devoted brother, a gentleman, and very successful. But as the story progresses several things come to the forefront. His potential heroic status diminishes until it ends. These impediments include:
1. attempting to realize his financially risky dream of adding Turkish car design and production to the Karasu shipbuilding empire
2. prematurely accepting the legal role of a full-time single parent to Kaan
3. returning to former teenage girlfriend Eylul instead of moving forward with fiance Naz
KAAN’S RISE AS THE INTERSECTION BOY HERO ALONG WITH DADDY’S DEMISE
At first, Ali Nejat is intrigued and even proud to have an offspring. Unfortunately for Kaan, the novelty wears off and he becomes more like a pedigree pup than a well-supervised child. As a result, Ali Nejat constantly seeks babysitters for Kaan. In other cases, Kaan is simply left at the manor, the family home where a staff member feeds and casually looks after him.
When Ali Nejat is falsely accused of murder, it is Kaan at approximately age 7 who finds an honest lawyer to get him off. His father is too naive and blinded by family loyalty to see the con his family is playing.
Lastly, the novelty of parenthood and being a mature adult wear off. Ali Nejat chooses to rekindle his romance with former teenage lover Eylul. This is instead of going forward to marry Naz. Naz was the story’s heroine, as well as the woman Kaan had already adopted as his new mother.
Ali Nejat with his teen age lover. She returns to his life which raises doubts in his adult decision to marry his fiance Naz. Photo from IMDDb.
CONCLUSION
Time and again, the child fills the shoes of an adult. His father, who is supposed to be the adult reverts to teenage immaturity and irresponsibility. Although it is awe-inspiring to experience how special Kaan is, Ali Nejat is a huge disappointment. In addition, the series itself leaves us hanging in mid-air on a rooftop heliport in Istanbul without any real conclusion. The only thing that is conclusive is who the hero of this series is. Without a doubt, it is Ali Kaan Karasu.
Bad-boy movie heroes have been a major attraction for celluloid audiences in the US and abroad for about 100 years. In fact, I was reminded of some of my historical favorites by my latest, Turkish actor Engin Akyurek. I have chosen four other bad-boys for this writing. In addition to my total list of these five are the reasons I have given them the name, bad-boy movie heroes. As a matter of fact, I suspect that this may be the ‘Hollywood’ formula that works as well today in 2020, as it did when it was invented. The bad-boys included here range from films made in 1944 to 2015.
Engin Akyurek from the Facebook Fan Club Group
THE BAD-BOY PERSONALITY FORMULA
A. They don’t follow the rules.
B. They are handsome, sexy, and magnetic.
C. Their behavior tends to range from rage to romance.
D. For the most part, the women they attract are ‘nice-girls’
E. These bad-boy movie heroes almost always get the ‘nice-girl’
F. In spite of their unorthodox procedures, they often become heroes.
THE BAD-BOYS
Bad-boy movie heroes, images from Google. Left to right, Dana Andrews, William Holden, Paul Newman, Bradley Cooper, Engin Akyurek
Fashions may have changed. Hairstyles may have altered as well. But one thing remains the same. That is the bad-boy movie heroes formula. Each of the following trailers illustrates the constants that make each bad-boy a movie hero.
THE MOVIES AND THEIR BAD-BOY HEROES
1.The trailer for ‘Laura’ with Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney 1944
https://youtu.be/yjeRl5lhUlU
2.The trailer for ‘Picnic’ with William Holden and Kim Novak 1955
3.The trailer for ‘The Long, Hot Summer’ with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward 1958
4.The trailer for ‘Silver Lining Playbook’ with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence 2012
5.The trailer for Kara Para Ask aka BLACK MONEY Love 2014-2015 with Engin Akyuerk and Tuba Buyukustun
The existential angst of being an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish artist is one of the main themes throughout this Israeli TV drama series, Shtisel streaming on US Netflix.
The Vimeo trailer is shown below.
https://vimeo.com/105325576
PROTAGONIST
Actor Michael Aloni plays the conflicted ultra-orthodox artist, Akiva Shtisel (Kive). His portrayal is captivating although the real-life person his character is based on, Zalmen Glauber is much less dramatic. See SOURCES & RESOURCES for details about Zalmen Glauber.
Actor Michael Aloni plays Akive, the Ultra-Orthodox artist, the protagonist in the Israeli TV series, Shtisel
CONFLICT
Akiva Shtisel attempts to follow the letter of the law of ultra-orthodox Judaism. But the conflict stems from his love of painting and his love of his faith. Although he knows in his soul that this talent is a gift from God and no conflict for him personally, it is disparaging for his father and those he loves. As a result, the series follows his trials and tribulations to unite his desire to marry as an observant Jew and his passion to express his artistic soul.
Cousins, Kive and Libbi in a more serious moment from Shtisel
COUSINS
In his desire to wed, with two previously failed engagements, Akiva has become known as the family screw-up. In spite of this, his latest potential wife, his first cousin Libbi loves him and wants to marry him. Accordingly, her father agrees to the marriage under two conditions. Akiva must abandon his art. In addition, he insists that Akiva take on a real job, managing a shady travel agency the uncle has opened. Thus, the series goes on to include efforts to follow the uncle’s demands as well as the shortcomings of it.
RESOLUTION
There seem to be additional episodes if not years to this story of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism and Akiva’s existential angst as an artist. Netflix has not made all of them available yet. It is an inevitable quality of TV series drama that necessitates more emotional roller coasters. But this season ends on a note of hope. Therefore I anticipate a positive conclusion hopefully without too many bumpy rides along the way.
Shown below is one of the lighter sides of Shtistel’s Kive and Libbi on YouTube, a ‘surprise date’ to the ice skating rink.
A popular Eva Zeisel Teapot, distinguished only be the applied pattern. The photo is from the Eva Zeisel Forum Facebook group.
The Story and Work of a Useful Object Maker
Industrial design masters, like Eva Zeisel, are very special. They are people whose work has transcended the design of everyday objects to things of beauty.
They are masters. This blog post will focus primarily on her mastery of tableware designs.
Industrial Designed Objects
Before I go any further I want to make a crucial distinction. It is the way that industrial design differs from crafts artisanship.
ID objects are meant to be machine reproduced in quantity. Yet a prototype may start out as a hand made one of a kind.
Handmade Crafts
But on the other hand, crafts are hand made. This is from start to finish.
If a craft object is reproduced, it is done so by hand. In addition, it may even stay one of a kind.
About Eva Zeisel
The details of Eva Zeisel’s life fascinate me. She spent a short time in jail for political protest. This did not dampen her enthusiasm for life. She lived to be 105. Her career included teaching Industrial design at Pratt Institute in New York. As a matter of fact, I lived near Pratt and took a course there. For an in-depth biography, read below and go to the sources and resources section of this post.
A short bio of Eva Zeisel,Industrial Design Master from Google.
Design Styles
Three fish shaped bowls by Industrial designer Eva Zeisel. Photo from the Eva Zeisel Facebook forum Group.
Eva Zeisel Colorful Teapot Designs
The picture above of the nested fish bowls may be less typical of her work than her tableware designs. Here is one that I love.
An Eva Zeisel teapot set design from her Facebook Group forum.
Teardrop Collections
Eva Zeisel’s work was well known for the teardrop shape design. Below are samples.
Future posts in the Industrial Design Masters series may include RUSSELL WRIGHT, DOROTHY, MACKENZIE-CHILDS, PORTER, and the TARGET TEAPOT DESIGNER/ARCHITECT
The CVS money-saving system is my most often used and favorite 21st-century coupon cutting and digital coupon system with its variety of traditional as well as digital money-saving tools. As a matter of fact, there are times when I make substantial purchases without having to pay hardly anything. Believe it or not, one particular trip to CVS cost me around $1 for $80 worth of merchandise.
I have been within the top 3-7% of savers in New York for several years
HOW THE CVS COUPON MONEY SAVING SYSTEM WORKS
So far this is the most comprehensive 21st Century Coupon Cutting tool I have found. It works for both online and in-store purchases. Actually, I find it to be the best program around. Therefore, I buy as much as of can of household and personal needs in addition to over the counter nutritional supplements and non-prescription drugs. Here’s how the whole system works:
21st Century CVS and other coupon cutting tags on a keychain
1. I receive an email indicating a saving of between 20% and 40% for one or all my purchases with an expiration date. From the email, I am able to send the offer to the well-worn discount card I keep on my key chain. (See photo below).
CVS 40% off email is #1
2. A postcard with a 20-40% saving is mailed to me. I provide the mailer to the cashier when I check out.
A 25% coupon mailer which I present to the cashier at check out
3.Inside the mailer are additional, individual coupons that are also presentable to the cashier at checkout.
The inside of themailer contains additional, specific coupons
4. When I go to any CVS store, I go to the machine that prints out all the savings currently available to me, in addition, to the ones stored on my plastic coupon key chain tag. See the photo below.
The CVS coupon cutting system store machine printed coupons is #3
5. At check out, I present these printed coupons to the cashier.
6.Next I swipe my tag to register with the cashier all the discounts on my card.
7. Then I swipe my OTC or over-the-counter card to see what savings I can also get up to $100/month for certain non-prescription items. The OTC card is a benefit of my health insurance plan. This plastic discount card is shown below.
My OTC card which can cover up to $100 in non-prescription items is #6.
8. There is also the 10/30 program which refunds $10 for every $30 spent on this store visit.
9. In addition, there is the new CVS ‘CarePass’ program that costs $5/month then returns $10/month. It is charged at the beginning of the month and is paid out on the 18th of each month.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, the CVS money-saving system is a mix of both traditional coupon cutting and digital coupons. Even though it can become confusing, it is clearly worth the saving we get.
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