"Mick Jagger" by Philip Norman HarperCollins Publishers 622 pages $34.99
If you're a Stones' fan, as I am, skip to the last third of the book wherein he meets and then marries Jerry Hall, the tall blonde model. Frankly I never thought she was that goodlooking, but apparently she is a sweet girl. She did manage a rapport between Jagger and his first daughter's mother as well as another between Jagger and Bianca and their daughter Jade. Hall would go on to have four children with Jagger.
In the end though, she couldn't take any more of Mick's roaring infidelity and reluctantly divorced him.
Meanwhile, the Mick had met and seduced Carla Bruni (yes, former First Lady of France) away from Eric Clapton, who pleaded with Mick not to do it.
Age differences were merely a triviality when the Mickster went courting. Of note, he got a load of the early Angela Jolie and nothing must do but she appear in his musical video as a woman who comes on to him whom he then chases -- in her underwear, no less -- through the streets of downtown Manhattan. That Jagger was five years older than Jolie's own father mattered not a whit to him. (He will be 70 in July, 2013.)
Side Note: Jolie married her first husband, a Brit, wearing black rubber pants and a white shirt with the groom's name writ large across it in blood. Whose blood was left unmentioned.
Yep, it's only rock'n roll, but I like it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Double Pez
I have a shot of what I think of as a "double" Pez. Unfortunately, my computer has turned against me (and not for the first time, by the way) and I'm unable to post it for you. This also means that I can't run today's planned column on knives. I apologize for this and hope to be up and running normally very soon.
Monday, January 7, 2013
World's Most Generous Sugar Daddy...
Pez dispensers have been putting out little candies for the last 64 years! I'd call that "generous."
Pez were first created in Vienna, the land that whipped cream built, by one Eduard Haas III. The Viennese adore their sweets from the morning's hot chocolate "mit schlagge" (whipped cream) to dessert after lunch, the mid-afternoon hot chocolate with Guess What and, of course, an array of desserts after dinner.
In fact, Pez if fully spelled out is a reference to PfEfferminZ, which is a small cookie most usually eaten around Christmas time.
They proved to be a popular little candy and by 1935, it was necessary to build a factory (Czechoslovakia) for production.
Then, 64 years later in 1948, Oscar Uxa invented the dispenser. The first dispensers didn't have a head as we're used to today; they were simply a rectangular cylinder, much like a cigarette lighter which is rather amusing when you consider the candies were originally meant to be used instead of a cigarette!
The original peppermint flavor was fine, but in the 1950s, fruity flavors were introduced. And variations have followed apace.
By the 1960s, heads had been introduced, including permission from such as Disney to reproduce cartoon characters heads on the dispensers. In 1974 the world headquarters were established in Orange, CN, as well as interchangeable rubber heads for the dispenser tops. In 1987, feet were added to the bottom of the dispensers, just in time for the first collectors convention in Mentor, Ohio.
In 1993, the Christie's auction of previous Pez made the cover of Forbes magazine!
But then came a reversal of fortune. General Mills ovvered a Pez-with-purchase offer in boxes of cereal! Ouch - what a come-down.
But, a recovery of name and prestige of sorts has been obtained. The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia has opened at 214 California Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010. You can visit from Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Make the museum a side trip from nearby San Francisco.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Bliss Is: a New Pair of Ugg Insoles
The other day Richie went out to get the newspapers on the driveway and, along with them, brought in a shoe-box-sized cardboard box. "Oh, goody! It's my new insoles!" I couldn't get through a shower and into my clothes fast enough, awaiting the wooly, sensuous delight of new sheepskin insoles!
If that sounds marginally obsessed, you'd be right. I've been wearing Uggs in cold weather for so long that I can't remember when I bought my first pair. I remembeer they lasted nearly 20 years though. That's getting your money's worth!
Let us look at the long and quite distinguished career of the Ugg boot. They are made of sheepskin, wrong side out, with a neoprene sole (which apparently never wears out. See above.) They were first created in Australia and New Zealand for use by farmers.
In the '60s, surfers discovered them. By the '70s when Californian surfers were returning from tournaments Down Under, they brought them back with them. They became quite the fad with the watery set. Uggs really came into their own in the late '90s, becoming a fashion fad that went 'round the world. Women loved them because clunky-looking Uggs automatically slimmed down the gnarliest calf.
Uggs have been worn since the 1920s. There is a school of thought that believes Uggs devolved from the fur-lined boots WW1 pilots wore!
Various people claim to have created them, but these people are numerous and no acknowledged leader has ever been definitely assigned the glory that is the Ugg boot. So the hell with them.
They are warm because socks are not worn with Uggs which may have attracted me to them in the first place. It's just your own cold, naked foot nestling into all of that toasty warm fleece. Nothing comes between you and your Uggs!
It is necessary to change out the insoles every two or three years because the fiber will mat up unless you've remembered to take out the insoles periodically and run them through the washer with the towels. Then they fluff right back up.
When Uggs took off, so did PETA with howls of outrage. Cruelty to animals! It's a pity that no one has ever been able to get it through PETA heads that lamb and mutton are a major food source in Australia and New Zealand. But then they don't get much about anything, so no loss.
If that sounds marginally obsessed, you'd be right. I've been wearing Uggs in cold weather for so long that I can't remember when I bought my first pair. I remembeer they lasted nearly 20 years though. That's getting your money's worth!
Let us look at the long and quite distinguished career of the Ugg boot. They are made of sheepskin, wrong side out, with a neoprene sole (which apparently never wears out. See above.) They were first created in Australia and New Zealand for use by farmers.
In the '60s, surfers discovered them. By the '70s when Californian surfers were returning from tournaments Down Under, they brought them back with them. They became quite the fad with the watery set. Uggs really came into their own in the late '90s, becoming a fashion fad that went 'round the world. Women loved them because clunky-looking Uggs automatically slimmed down the gnarliest calf.
Uggs have been worn since the 1920s. There is a school of thought that believes Uggs devolved from the fur-lined boots WW1 pilots wore!
Various people claim to have created them, but these people are numerous and no acknowledged leader has ever been definitely assigned the glory that is the Ugg boot. So the hell with them.
They are warm because socks are not worn with Uggs which may have attracted me to them in the first place. It's just your own cold, naked foot nestling into all of that toasty warm fleece. Nothing comes between you and your Uggs!
It is necessary to change out the insoles every two or three years because the fiber will mat up unless you've remembered to take out the insoles periodically and run them through the washer with the towels. Then they fluff right back up.
When Uggs took off, so did PETA with howls of outrage. Cruelty to animals! It's a pity that no one has ever been able to get it through PETA heads that lamb and mutton are a major food source in Australia and New Zealand. But then they don't get much about anything, so no loss.
Friday, January 4, 2013
A Cut Above
"Paris In Love, A Memoir" by Eloisa James Random House 360 pages $26
James and her husband, their 15 year old son and 10 year old daughter took a year's sabbatical to live in Paris. Both of the parents are univeristy professors and can do this sort of thing. The kids went to schools in Paris.
Each new chapter starts with a longer piece than the short communiques she issues throughout the rest of that chapter. She admits to the fact that their brevity is contained to the fact that they were originally twitters or tweets (or whatever the hell they're called.)
I like this "here's a word picture to see in your mind" take on the various sights in Paris because to a great degree that's what Paris is all about. Quick scenes, brief glimpses - a small Parisian dog contentedly lipping down a fragment of food under a cafe table.. drivers tootling the horns of their miniscule cars with Gallic vigor. She points out an oddity - Parisians stroll along the sidewalks without a care in the world, but put them in the driver's seat and all hell breaks loose.
Best of all, she is pro-Paris. I've read a great number of authors-who-went-to-Paris and then grizzled on and on about the things they didn't like about France and/or the French. There is something beautiful or at the least, interesting, to American eyes on nearly every street, but you have to have a noticing eye to see them. I've had similar experiences there -- we once landed on May 1st which is International Workers Day (or something) and everyone was carrying a small nosegay of Lily of the Valley (mougets) in honor of the day.
Parisienne women are indeed smartly dressed and well put together. From their expensive haircuts to the elaborately draped scarf around their necks, past the well-cut outfit -- until your eye falls on the shoes. They are always terrible. A French woman couldn't pick out a pair of decent-looking shoes if their hair was on fire.
Of the foods available for purchase, James nearly always swoons over the majority of them. She is even tactful about restaurant dining. The such-and-such made the trip there worthwhile, but the rest of the meal was lackluster would be a typical, kindly comment.
If you'd like to see another, positive version of Paris, this is the book for you. It certainly was for me.
James and her husband, their 15 year old son and 10 year old daughter took a year's sabbatical to live in Paris. Both of the parents are univeristy professors and can do this sort of thing. The kids went to schools in Paris.
Each new chapter starts with a longer piece than the short communiques she issues throughout the rest of that chapter. She admits to the fact that their brevity is contained to the fact that they were originally twitters or tweets (or whatever the hell they're called.)
I like this "here's a word picture to see in your mind" take on the various sights in Paris because to a great degree that's what Paris is all about. Quick scenes, brief glimpses - a small Parisian dog contentedly lipping down a fragment of food under a cafe table.. drivers tootling the horns of their miniscule cars with Gallic vigor. She points out an oddity - Parisians stroll along the sidewalks without a care in the world, but put them in the driver's seat and all hell breaks loose.
Best of all, she is pro-Paris. I've read a great number of authors-who-went-to-Paris and then grizzled on and on about the things they didn't like about France and/or the French. There is something beautiful or at the least, interesting, to American eyes on nearly every street, but you have to have a noticing eye to see them. I've had similar experiences there -- we once landed on May 1st which is International Workers Day (or something) and everyone was carrying a small nosegay of Lily of the Valley (mougets) in honor of the day.
Parisienne women are indeed smartly dressed and well put together. From their expensive haircuts to the elaborately draped scarf around their necks, past the well-cut outfit -- until your eye falls on the shoes. They are always terrible. A French woman couldn't pick out a pair of decent-looking shoes if their hair was on fire.
Of the foods available for purchase, James nearly always swoons over the majority of them. She is even tactful about restaurant dining. The such-and-such made the trip there worthwhile, but the rest of the meal was lackluster would be a typical, kindly comment.
If you'd like to see another, positive version of Paris, this is the book for you. It certainly was for me.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Back To Business
Happy new year, the best of health and happiness to you! If you have those, that money thing isn't so important. Trust me on this; I'm old.
I enjoyed the book on butler-ing (?) so much that I went back to the library to find another one. My hostessing skills can always be improved upon. For example, we always make a great fuss pouring you the first drink after your arrival. From then on, you're on your own! "Beer's on the top shelf, back!"
"Heloise, Jr." wrote the rather encompassing "Hints for All Occasions" so I got it.
It's too late now, but keep this in mind for next Christmas and buy a living tree. She thoughtfully lists where specific trees will flourish, if you do plant them after the holiday.
Douglas Fir - Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Rockies
Norway Spruce - Anywhere except the South and deserts
Scotch Pine - Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Rockies
Ours is in a big pot on the balcony and has nearly doubled in size from last year.
Even though the book was written in 1995, Heloise was well into eco-savings. To dye Easter eggs, she suggests dying with vegetables. For yellow-ish or pink-ish, boil eggs in water with either white or red onion peels. Use spinach or turnip tops for green. A fresh beet makes them red.
Some time ago, after a visit to South Texas I went on a (subdued) rampage to find the recipe for Pea Salad because it was Cousin Robert's favorite. Heloise has got it!
1 can baby peas, drained (would use frozen myself)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup grated sharp cheese
2 T onion, minced
Mayonnaise and pepper to taste.
Sling it all together using enough mayo to make it moist. It will keep for a couple of days, tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
But as much as I admire Heloise (and I do) I have to take issue with one of the recipes included in the book. That would be "Mrs. Chester Barrow's Watergate Salad."
1 9-oz. container whipped topping
1 small box pistachio-flavored instant pudding
1 1-lb. can crushed pineapple and the juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts
Fold the dry pudding into the whipped cream, add the pineapple and juice, then throw in the marshmallows and nuts. Refrigerate and serve on a bed of lettuce.
Dear Heloise, that's a dessert not a salad, no matter how many lettuce leaves you use in the presentation! And it can't possibly be as good as Pea Salad.
I enjoyed the book on butler-ing (?) so much that I went back to the library to find another one. My hostessing skills can always be improved upon. For example, we always make a great fuss pouring you the first drink after your arrival. From then on, you're on your own! "Beer's on the top shelf, back!"
"Heloise, Jr." wrote the rather encompassing "Hints for All Occasions" so I got it.
It's too late now, but keep this in mind for next Christmas and buy a living tree. She thoughtfully lists where specific trees will flourish, if you do plant them after the holiday.
Douglas Fir - Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Rockies
Norway Spruce - Anywhere except the South and deserts
Scotch Pine - Northeast, Northwest, Midwest, Rockies
Ours is in a big pot on the balcony and has nearly doubled in size from last year.
Even though the book was written in 1995, Heloise was well into eco-savings. To dye Easter eggs, she suggests dying with vegetables. For yellow-ish or pink-ish, boil eggs in water with either white or red onion peels. Use spinach or turnip tops for green. A fresh beet makes them red.
Some time ago, after a visit to South Texas I went on a (subdued) rampage to find the recipe for Pea Salad because it was Cousin Robert's favorite. Heloise has got it!
1 can baby peas, drained (would use frozen myself)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup grated sharp cheese
2 T onion, minced
Mayonnaise and pepper to taste.
Sling it all together using enough mayo to make it moist. It will keep for a couple of days, tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
But as much as I admire Heloise (and I do) I have to take issue with one of the recipes included in the book. That would be "Mrs. Chester Barrow's Watergate Salad."
1 9-oz. container whipped topping
1 small box pistachio-flavored instant pudding
1 1-lb. can crushed pineapple and the juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts
Fold the dry pudding into the whipped cream, add the pineapple and juice, then throw in the marshmallows and nuts. Refrigerate and serve on a bed of lettuce.
Dear Heloise, that's a dessert not a salad, no matter how many lettuce leaves you use in the presentation! And it can't possibly be as good as Pea Salad.
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