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The Art of Asbury Park

June 19, 2010 by pbenjay

A couple of weeks ago, we had several out of town guests visit us in Ocean Grove for a day.  We strolled along the Boardwalk and eventually we ended up in Asbury Park.  It’s  always fascinating to roam around the old Casino and the Carousel.  I had my camera with me and decided to try to take some arty photographs.

This time I really noticed the extensive bas relief on the exterior of the Carousel; the horses, the sun faces and even sections of the buildings took on a new look when captured in the camera’s eye.  My friend Murray also took some and you’ll know right away who the pro is!  I always give photo credit but you won’t need it to pick his out.

Asbury Park, carousel, copper horse bas relief
Bas Relief Carousel Horse – Asbury Park

Asbury Park bas relief, copper sun face, carousel
Copper Sun Face – Carousel Asbury Park

carousel horse facade, copper horse bas relief
Asbury Park Carousel Horse bas relief
boardwalk, AP, casino, Ocean Grove

Asbury Park - The Casino

Photo by Murray Head

Casino, carousel, Asbury Park boardwalk

This Mermaid Lives in Asbury Park


Photo by Murray Head

Posted in Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FAB FOTO FRIDAY

June 18, 2010 by pbenjay

THIS IS FOR THE BIRDS

A picture is worth a thousand words or so they say…. going forward I thought I would designate Friday as a day to share some fantastic photos with you-today is FAB FOTO FRIDAY!  Let me be clear about this – they will almost NEVER be my photos.  I have a dear friend, Murray who is a professional photographer and as his passion is photography he snaps interesting candid shots of kids, animals, birds and well just about anything and everything.  I have been saving (read stealing) many of his photos to my hard drive.  He has given me permission to share them with you.

sea gull ocean grove

Wingspan

ocean grove bird

Checking for Spots

bird on pine branch, pine cones and bird

Looking Over My Shoulder

black bird, grackle

Big Black Bird

Bird Feeder Fight, sparrows

Bird Feeder Fight

Photos by Murray Head

Posted in Ha-P 2 B in OG, Nick & Nora and Flora & Fauna | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Plucking the Yew!! Flipping the Bird !!

June 18, 2010 by pbenjay

File this under either “You’re kidding”? or ” Trivial Knowledge You’re Glad You Know So You Can Tell Someone Else”.

My friend Rachel sent this to me and I knew right away this would be good blog material.  It’s pretty wild and I asked her if she thought it was accurate and apparently it came from a reliable source.

The History of the Middle Finger

Well, now……here’s something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it on to my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will feel edified.  Isn’t history more fun when you know something about it?
Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible
to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as ‘plucking the yew’ (or ‘pluck yew’).
Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, See, we can still pluck yew!  Since ‘pluck yew’ is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodentals fricative F’, and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger salute!  It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as ‘giving the bird.’
IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY! **
And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing.

Giving the finger, pluking the yew

Flipping the Bird

** no malice was intended towards the French – the wording  was  that of the anecdote.


Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

Four Generations-the Glory of Girls!

June 17, 2010 by pbenjay

Recently I gave my daughter Chiara a “Mommy and Me ” coffee mug.  I got the idea one morning in Starbucks – while waiting for my usual Grande Americano I saw a row of large tumblers (the kind for taking your coffee on the road with you even if you are only walking!).  There was a template behind the lucite exterior.  It was advertised as something you could personalize yourself either using real photos or going to Snapfish where there was a template and you could digitally upload up to six photos.  Mother’s Day had just gone by and I thought this would be a great gift for her since I know she often takes Finley and her dog, Charlie for a walk in the morning and stops at Starbucks to get a Latte.   I had to get some of the older photos scanned and then save them to my hard drive.  The end result was GREAT.

This morning I came across some of the photos and thought I would like to see the girls in my blog!  We are four generations of Schmidt/Fantacone/Berti/Clark women and I think the family resemblance is there.  What do you think?

Helen Schmidt - My Mother

Lori Press, Lyndhurst NJ

Lorraine Fantacone - Me (Lori)

Kiki Berti

Chiara Berti - My Daughter

Finley Ray Clark, easter parade, easter hat

Finley Clark - My Granddaughter


Posted in Finley Ray, Friends | 8 Comments »

I Love Tom Otterness !!

June 16, 2010 by pbenjay

Or rather, I love his creations!  I don’t know where I was in the City the first time I came upon a tiny Otterness creature.  They are sculptures but I think they are way too alive to be called that.  These are tiny human-like creatures and animal-like critters (OK some are really big) playing in public places, peeking out at you in subway stations and lobbies all over Manhattan.    They are FANTASTIC, WHIMISCAL and BRILLIANT.  I can’t imagine how he does it – put such animation and personality into a solid chunk of bronze!   

tom otterness, new york city subway station, otterness,

Sneaking in and Getting Caught

 

Local artist Tom Otterness featured on Google search page – I think this link will take you to the article that recently appeared in The Daily News.
His work is all over the country.  Lucky for us he chose to come to New York right after he graduated high school in Witchita Kansas and studied at the Art Students League.  To see his work, his list of exhibitions and learn more about this brilliant artist, click on www.tomostudio.com
I don’t need to say much more, these other sites will give you the BIG PICTURE and I bet you’ll fall in love with these little creatures too.
tom otterness, otterness, subway station, new york city subway station, subway token

Lugging the Token

 

tom otterness, otterness, google otterness, bronze duck, new york city park, cat duck worm

This is The Real World

 

 And one of my personal favorites for no other reason than you know why. 

Tom Otterness, Roosevelt Island, otterness, new york city real estate East river

The Marriage of Real Estate and Money

 

Posted in New York Speaks, Only in New York | 1 Comment »

Conspiracy Theory Wednesday- Best Evidence

June 15, 2010 by pbenjay

THE AUTOPSY

At Bethesda Naval Hospital the autopsy was performed by Commander James Humes and two other naval doctors, none of them forensic pathologists.  Their findings were incompatible with the observations of the Parkland Hospital doctors.  Parkland observed a three-inch hole in the back of the head, indicating a large exit hole of a frontal shot, whereas Humes, (whose first observation according to FBI agents at the scene, was that there had been “surgery of the head area”), described the head wound as a gaping hole towards the right front as from a rear shot.  Parkland saw a back wound under the right shoulder, which Humes located in the neck.  More incredibly, Parkland observed an entrance wound in the throat – where Humes saw only a tracheotomy.  After being informed of this mistake the next day, and without having followed the path of the bullet through the neck (on orders from an unnamed general), Humes concluded that this bullet had exited from the throat.  He then burned his original autopsy notes.  Humes’ findings, coupled with a bullet found on a stretcher at Parkland, set the scene for what was to become known as The Magic Bullet Theory.

Dallas, pristine bullet, Kennedy assasination, Kennedy, magic bullet

The Magic Bullet Theory


Had the body been altered en route?  The ornate presidential casket was left unguarded on Air Force One, (delayed before take-off from Dallas, by Lyndon Johnson, on his own orders, was sworn in as president), and naval officers later said that Kennedy’s body was brought to Bethesda in a body bag inside a cheap tin casket prior to the arrival of the official entourage.  Why wasn’t the autopsy performed in Dallas?  Lyndon Johnson refused to leave without the President’s widow, who likewise refused to leave without her husband’s body.

Be sure to watch for next Wednesday’s segment.

Posted in Conspiracy Theory Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Friends with Benefits…

June 15, 2010 by pbenjay

summer fruit dessert, Trish Martin

Fabulous Fruit Tar

NO NO not that kind of benefits!!!! Really this is a G-rated blog!  When you are friends with Trish, you not only get sun block and lunch – you also may get a taste of something she has baked.  WOWIE you have NO idea just how good her apple pies are, I mean REALLY and this is coming from me, someone who is a fair cook in her own right.  Trish made this fabulous fruit tart for a cook-out we had a few weeks ago.  Our mutual friend, Susan, reminded me that Trish’s baking prowess is certainly worth noting.  So here it is…. try not to drool on your keyboard.

Posted in Everyday Food, Friends, Ha-P 2 B in OG | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

Tasty Tidbits Tuesday

June 15, 2010 by pbenjay

If you read yesterday’s blog you know we had a special tuna salad for lunch on Saturday.  I had made this tuna dish once and Trish tasted it and has made it her own now.  As the days get hotter and more humid,  this is the dish you want to serve for a summer supper.  Pair it with a loaf of crusty Italian bread and a side of some summer vegetable.  Corn on the cob is the obvious easy choice, however, a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers sprinkled with sea salt is healthier and doesn’t add more carbs.

Tuna Fennel & White Bean Salad

1 head of fennel

1 7oz can tuna in olive oil

1 16oz can Cannelini beans rinsed and drained

3 TBS of lemon juice

3 TBS olive oil

zest of one lemon

2-3 TBS lightly chopped Italian parsley

Med red onion chopped

Fennel fronds for garnish

Drain the tuna and reserve the oil, add olive oil to make 3 TBS.   Flake the tuna in a large bowl. Rinse and drain the beans and add to the tuna.  You can either dice the fennel or slice very thinly on a mandolin. Prepare the red onion in the same manner (diced or sliced) an add the fennel and onion into the tuna bean mixture.  Add the oil, lemon juice, parsley and lemon zest, toss to mix.  Garnish with fennel fronds.  Mangia e buon appetitto!

In this photo  sliced black olives were added.

Tuscan Tuna and White Bean salad, summer supper dish

Italian Tuna, Cannelini Bean and Fennel Salad

Posted in Everyday Food | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

If It Was My Home – Visualizing the BP Oil Spill

June 14, 2010 by pbenjay

If It Was My Home – Visualizing the BP Oil Spill.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Just How LONG Can I Avoid These Two Topics?

June 14, 2010 by pbenjay

Not sure how this blog is going to play out… For weeks and weeks I’ve struggled with how I wanted to write about two highly emotionally charged present day issues.  And you thought this blog was just going to be funny, right?

The first issue is a cause I have embraced for the last few years – Darfur and the daily genocide in the Sudan.  I know why I have hesitated.  This is a SERIOUS subject; fraught with religious and racial overtones, personal financial sacrifice versus business as usual, jingoism, non-interventionism, isolationism and nationalism.

They’re killing people over there! EVERY DAY! The Sudanese government is systematically eliminating an entire race of African tribes.  The trouble began in 2003 when two different armed groups, the SLA (Sudan Liberation Alliance) and JEM (Justice and Equality Movement) attacked the Sudanese government because the government was failing to protect the people from nomadic groups and economic marginalization. That was 2003 and now it’s 2010 and they’re still at it.

It all started for me innocently enough at the Tribeca Film Festival a couple of years ago.  I went to see The Devil Came on Horseback. The movie was extraordinarily powerful to say the least and afterward there was a Q & A with  Brian Steidle, whose first hand account of the genocide is the basis for the book and subsequent eponymous movie.  This is a story with many chapters, I have much more to say…but not today.

Darfur, Sudan, Brian Steidle, SLA, JEM, genocide

The Devil Came on Horseback

Closer to home, we are in the midst of an enormous ecological crisis -the BP oil well disaster!  Again, I haven’t written about it, my God, I can hardly watch it on television.  As an MSNBC groupie, I have been listening to daily reports about this egregious and irresponsible catastrophe.   I am sick to my stomach at the site of blackened oil slicked pelicans, dead carcasses washed up on the shore, globs and blogs of black oil rolling up on the beach and the horrific satellite views of the ever-widening poisonous spill.  Even with all of the evidence, I find it INCONCEIVABLE to wrap my head around the figure of 5000 barrels of oil leaking into the ocean every day.  AND THEY CAN’T SEEM TO STOP IT!!  As long as this horror story continues, I’ll bring it up in my blog.   I asked Peter the other day, “What do you think we would be doing if the oil was sloshing up on the beaches of the Jersey Shore or the Hamptons”?? In fact, here is a link to click on and you will see just how big this disaster is.  It will transpose the breadth and width of the oil spill to your state and you can see the enormity of it all. Click on the link in the blog above  this one.

BP oil disaster,gulf of Mexico, oil, pelicans

BP Oil Disaster

Think about it!!!!

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