Silly Picture to Fill Space- Brady Bunch Lunchbox

Up until Christmas Day, we will be posting images from the items that were on my Christmas Wish List (satirical edition) that we posted last week.

We start with a Brady Bunch lunchbox. The sitcom series was popular circa 1974, and it has been in rerun heaven ever since.

For those of you who still prefer to buy gifts online (like your's truly), you might be able to find this or other novelty lunch boxes at Antiques and Beyond in Atlanta. If not, you can always buy your mom a quality lamp shade to make her happy!

Quote of the Week- Norman Rockwell

In Raleigh, NC, there is currently an exhbit of Norman Rockwell paintings, including some of his most famous works like "Day in the Life of a Little Girl" (1952). The painting pictured here is actually called "The Homecoming."

Rockwell (1894-1978) was an iconic portrait and sketch artist whose most notable work came out in the World War II and post-war years; he was also known for drawing many "Saturday Evening Post" covers.

The exhibit at the North Carolina Art Museum runs through Jan. 31, 2011.

There is also an exhbiti examing Rockwell's famous Civil Rights-era painting "Looking Back" at the Normal Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., also through Jan. 31.

All of this reminds me of when I just barely missed a Rockwell exhbit at the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, DC, some ten years ago, which lead me to kick a fire hydrant in disgust (don't try that at home). The Corcoran, for their part, has an exhibit of works from photographer/sculptor Spencer Finch.

Here is our quote from the famous New England painter, and it is one I can certainly relate to!:

"I learned to draw everything except glamorous women. No matter how much I tried to make them look sexy, they always ended up looking silly...or looking like somebody's mother."

Personally, we wonder if this means that he tried to paint Rita Hayworth?!

50 Beers Around the World_ Baltika from Russia (#37 of 50)

Greetings from the Davie Street Parking Garage in downtown Greensboro, NC, where we have found a way to post an entry today on our laptop (eyes rolling!).

Our latest entry in our 50 Beers Around the World series takes up to Russia where a Canadian performing of mine is currently touring the country (must be nice, I would settle for Moscow, Idaho!); and, hopefully during her downtime she can send postcards to friends who are back home in Halifax, Nova Scotia (not actually where she is from, but we love to make fun of Nova Scotia).

Russia is also where one can take in a Baltika beer (you should drink responsibily of course even if Russians never do!). Even though beer will always be second to vodka in the good ole USSR (forgive the dated Cold War humor), Baltika somehow has the second largest brewery in Europe after the Dutch beer Heineken.

Baltika also competes for customers in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the Turkish beer Efes Pilsen, as the brand does have a brewery in the Caspian Sea nation that was also a part of the CCCP.

Founded in 1990, Baltika is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The beer is brewed in ten cities across Russia and it is available in some 60 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan.

Of course, everyone knows Russia has been in the headlines for a positive reason (for a change) as the country is now set to host the 2018 World Cup.

As Americans (well, your's truly is half-Turkish and our intern Javier who does most of our research is from Ecuador.....sorry, Honduras!*), we are bemoaning the fact that we lost our World Cup 2022 bid to the tiny Arab emirate of Qatar. (I would insert a politically incorrect right wing nationalist put down of Muslims and/or Arabs here, but with all due respect to Glenn Beck and our friends at Fox News, we lean to the center-left!).

There are apparently two places in Doha, the Qatari capital where alcohol can be purchased. But, for the masses in not only Qatar, but other Arab emirates, there is always the non-alcoholic Baltika No. 0 (the beer in the green bottle). Of course, we have no idea if this brand is found in Qatar at all. Where is Javier, when we need him?

*-Javier is a fictional person; the joke is that is there is anything factually inaccurate in my posts, I will put the blame on him!

Happy Chanukah from Karagoz and Hacivat

It is possible that some arch conservative Jews may take exception to me posting an image of the beloved Turkish shadow puppet characters Karagoz and Hacivat (Karagoz is the one with the long beard), but Bursa, Turkey, the city where the Ottoman-era plays are a major tourist attraction once had a very large Jewish community. But, in recent years, the major Jewish communities in Turkey are prodominantly in Istanbul, which is four hours north of Bursa (mainly because of traffic rather than actual mileage).

The Greek version of Karagoz and Hacivat is Karagiozis and Hadjavatis. The main nuanced difference between Karagoz and his Greek counterpart is that Karagiozis is a hunchbacked figure.

Karagoz and Hacivat remained a popular form of entertainment up until the advent of modern technology, but they remain the most popular Turkish children's entertainment figures to this day. The plays were first performed for Sultan Selim the Grim (1512-1520 was his reign) in Egypt. Karagoz represents the Turkish peasant class and Hacivat symbolizes secularism and intellectualism. It is perhaps for those why it is NOT ironic that the two characters typically never get along.

The Turkish version of the shadow puppets are often made from camel leather, which probably doesn't go over too well with the Istanbul chapter of PETA (there may actually be such an organization, perhaps!).

As for Bursa, which is Turkey's fourth largest city, it is also known for Iskender Kebap, a dish made from lamb meat covered with tomato sauce and yogurt over pide bread.

Iskender kebap can be found at several restaurants in Bursa, including Kebapci Iskender as well as Turkish restaurants here in the United States, including (we believe) Carolina Kebap in Charlotte, NC.

As for Hannukah/Chanukah, there will be a candle-ligthing locally at Chabad Greensboro starting at 4:47 p.m. today.

And, though it's not holiday-related (our presumption) Ashmatic Kitty Records artist (singer Sufjan Stevens's label) Juliana Barwick will perform at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington, DC, on Dec. 6th and 7th.

The Top 10-Christmas Wish List (Gag Gifts Edition)

I was joking with my cousin Bradley West who has just finished a year-long ice-fishing expedition in the North Pole where he developed a tragic alcholic dependency porblem, and he was wondering: "Attila, my dear cousin, blood brother and comrade, what the heck da ya want fer Christmas?" They then gave a sob story about how cold and lonely it is up there (this is a joke, of course as I don't know a single person who has been to the North Pole or North Pole, Ak., for that matter! Oh, and I don't have cousins named Bradley).

But, there are always people who want to know these things, so I have developed two separate lists: one for potential gag lists and one for actual gifts that I would love to have. There is, of course, a thin line between the two.

So, here are my top ten gag gift ideas:

1. The Bert and Ernie: Don't Ask, Don't Tell t-shirt ($18). We saw this advertised in "Rolling Stone." It's available from tshirtsthatsuck.com
Yes, I'm not sure if it will go over well in Martinsville, Va., or Kingsport, Tenn., either!

2. Marijuana Leaf Neckties- Well, we obviously could NEVER wear it to work (definitely not for a job interview) but an assortment of these 'products' are available from web sites like zazzle.com for between $5-31.

3. Brady Bunch Lunchbox- Well, we obviously could NEVER bring this to work, but that would be to save one's self from persistent ridicule throughout the work day. These were actually made in the '70s and prices on the net range from $20-45.

4. Mr. Potato Head- Yikes! The 2010 Toy Story 3 edition of Mr. Potato Head retails for $38 at places like Target. But, we did learn while researching this entry (yes, we did actually do that!) that Mr. Potato Head, which was first made in 1952, lost the pipe in 1986 as to not encourage kids to smoke.

5. Swedish Pop CDs_ Abba, Roxette, Robyn, Ace of Base and/or The Cardigans (they were on the original "Beverly Hills 90210" soundtrack) would be a great gag gift for those of who prefer the vastly superior Norwegian pop (ok, I can't think of any Norwegian bands besides A-ha either). We found out just today that Abba is performing in Istanbul, Turkey- of all places, on Dec. 13.

6. "Gulliver's Travels" (paperback edition; $5-14). Since I wrote a book report on this classic by Jonathan Swift 21 years ago, this gift would indeed be quite ironic and inexpensive. But, I probably won't get around to reading it!

7. "Chico and the Man" DVD Set- Can you imagine the look on someone's face if you actually get them all 88 episodes of the hit '70s sitcom (it ran from 1974-1978)? We were stunned to find out that the show continued after its star Freddie Prinze (father of Freddie Prinze Jr.) committed suicide by gunshot at age 22 in 1977. The things you learn from blogging are something else, aren't they!

8. Che Guevara Little Thinker Plush Toy ($15) and Jesus Christ Bobblehead ($10)_ Yes, for a mere $25, you can show a family member that you have a very surreal sense of humor. This would be perfect for an off-the-wall cousin of mine who lives somewhere in rural Missouri who has made sure that there is no possible way I can be the black sheep of the family even though I would be the black sheep of 99 percent of all American/Canadian families.

9. "Conscience of a Conservative" by Barry Goldwater (Sr.)_ If you really want me to look at you as if I was a character in a vintage Tex Avery cartoon (he was the one who came up with the idea of sockets popping out though we need to ask our Honduran intern Javier to verify that), you can get me this 1960 booklet that is 84 pages long (I am a partisan Democrat).

10. Another subscription to a 'get connected' web site_ Judging from their ads, you would think sites like E-Harmony, Ok Cupid, Match.com, Plentyoffish.com, Connectsingles.com and lavalife.com could actually connect with a woman who likes Anne Hathaway who happens to think the fact that you have every issue of "Hot Stuff" and "Daredevil" is so cool. Think again! (I speak from experience....)

Things We Learned on Twitter Today_ Rosa Parks Never Paid 'The Fine'

Of course, we know Rosa Parks was not fined for sitting on a school bus in High Point, NC, (we are rushed for time, so this is the only image we could find!), but according to a tweet from the ultra-hip magazine "Mental Floss," which I should ask my mom to get me a subscription for over the holidays, the Civil Rights activist never 'paid up' for her 'transgression' in Montgomery, Ala., 55 years ago today:

Here is the exact tweet:

"Rosa Parks was fine $14 for refusing to give up her seat on that bus ride of Dec.
1, 1955. She never paid it."

SIDEBAR: We have also learned that thankfully actor Morgan Freeman, 73, did not die today. Many were wondering why he was a hot trending topic today. It turns out he made a gaffe while on a tele-prompter in Zurich, Switzerland, while lobbying for the 2022 World Cup alongside former president Bill Clinton, who was in Greensboro last night. The jet lag must be tourturing our beloved former prez!

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Laundry Time

We dedicate this entry to our good friends at The Wishy Wash Laundromat in Silver Spring, Md., (actually we don't know a single person who works there at all!). They are open from Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. And, on weekends, they are operating from 6:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.

I got this idea while doing a ton of laundry at my mom's over Thanksgiving. Of course, Gizmo the cat made sure to sit on top of my clothes after they were all folded up!