Ample Parking at Yang’s Strawberry and Produce Stand, Merced, CA

For a little longer than a month we’ve been treating ourselves to the freshest, largest, most delicious, and least expensive strawberries I’ve ever come across. But that’s not all! There are many other kinds of berries, tons of produce, and herbs galore…all very reasonably priced.

When it comes to strawberries, I typically whip up some maple syrup infused cream and slather away, but I think it’s time to branch out into some new directions!

There are no marketing gimmicks, no distractions whatsoever in and around this stand on McKee and E. Alexander in Merced, CA; only friendly service, locally grown and just-picked fruits and vegetables, best prices in town, and plenty of free parking!

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Between

Here’s the image that came to mind just after I started reading this interview by Amy Santee with design anthropologist, Armonia Alvarado.

Armonia invited folks in the LinkedIn group, Ethnographers to read her interview by using the following quote, which helps us understand what is meant by design anthropology: “Mediation between objects and people has always gone in both directions. Anthropology breaks the dichotomies: person – object, humans – tools, user – designer, company – consumer. Anthropology reframes these relations, bringing processual understanding of the constant moving forward of creation and human reinvention. Design anthropology has given the industry the tools to create and respond to ever-changing human ecosystems.”

It was that quote that prompted me cognitively to drag out some of my favorite images in this illustration, e.g., facing mirrors and straddling stuff, in order to go back and understand the interview better.

between

Old Ford @ K & 26th in Merced, CA

This beauty catches my eye every time I ride or drive by. I couldn’t resist the urge to photograph it last night on the way to the 17th Street Public House so that I could render it today.

Anyone know what year it might be? (thanks for the clue Jim; it’s a 1950.)

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Making Sekanjabin, Persian Mint Syrup (recipe included)

I had my first sip of an ice-cold sekanjabin just over 30 years ago, and I remember my immediate, four-word reaction, “This kicks thirst’s butt!

A dear friend, Maryam carefully taught me how make sekanjabin years ago. I’ve included the recipe below, but I should warn you: internet research will uncover many variations of this ancient drink, including some that contain cucumber.

Making sekanjebin

There are a few Youtube videos as well, see this one.

Even if you’re only partially inclined, give it a try the next time thirst messes with you!

SEKANJABIN RECIPE:
(Recipes vary. Adjust.)
Ingredients:
Sugar: 3 – 4 parts
Water: 2 parts
Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 part
Mint: 1 bunch

Preparation:
Dissolve sugar in water; when it comes to a boil add vinegar. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the mint, stir, remove from heat, and let cool over night before removing the mint and bottling (add a sprig of fresh mint in the bottle of syrup).
Serving:
Dilute the resulting syrup to taste with ice water (5 to 10 parts water to 1 part syrup). Add a sprig of mint. Sekanjabin stores without refrigeration.

Sekanjabin

Sunday AM: Time For 2 of 500 Spices

Image

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Pre-Coffee?

Have a preliminary coffee-like beverage in the hotel room? It raises other questions.

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Monumental Bloviation

I watched the United States of Secrets last night on Frontline. How upsetting!

Computer microminiaturization, new media, and the digital revolution may not be ushering us into the information age and the knowledge-based society as quickly as we would expect or hope. Maybe we’ve only just now technically entered the bloviation age?

monumental bloviation

Breaking News: Sociolinguists Found Using Fracking Techniques to Exploit Local Yinz Phenomenon in Western Pennsylvania

Investigators from portfoliolongo.com have uncovered a clandestine, sociolinguistic fracking operation in an undisclosed town in Western Pennsylvania. According to an on-site project manager who asked not to be identified, “These new mining techniques have allowed us to approach the yinz phenomenon from the bottom up!” Our informant admitted that this type of research cannot be conducted without undesirable consequences, however, “you’d have to be a total jaggoff not to recognize that the means justify the end here. There’s big money in yinz nowadays!”  The so-called yinz phenomenon is the local practice, based on Germanic influences, of adding both an /ęn/ and an /ës/ or /êz/ sound to the end of the 3rd-person-singular, nominative and objective case pronoun, you for purposes of pluralization, not unlike y’all in the South. Examples include: “Are yinz goin’ to Kennywood Park?” “Did some’a-yinz eat or all’a’yinz?” “Is that yinz’s car?” Acceptance has been growing in recent years, and consequently the market value of yinz has skyrocketed. Researchers have identified and, in some cases, tapped into abundant reserves of deep structure yinz (DSY) and structurally-related variations, like DSY-2 or yunz-2 and DSY-3 or yenz-3.  “It’s not such a big deal?” opined the project manager, “Everybody knows you make child plural by sayin’, children, there’s your plural. These folks simply add an /s/ on top of that for good measure, like icing on the cake! There’s your yinz, and hey, we’re finally tapping into that.”

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Maestro Lotfi, January 7, 1947 – May 2, 2014

Depicted here playing the kamancheh, Mohammad-Rezā Lotfi lives on in the hearts of many … singing and playing setar, ney, daf, tombak, you name it; and he lives on in my heart directly and by means of my dear friend, Sirous, whose heart is heavy ever since Lotfi died a few days ago, which breaks my heart even more.

I met Lotfi in the mid 1980s and heard him perform alone or with one or two others on several occasions in a variety of settings. Over time I came to understand better his role in the revitalization of traditional Persian music. I think I’ve already mentioned that I am, in fact, one of the luckiest guys from Murdock St., Canonsburg, PA! How blessed I was to meet Lotfi, to hear him perform, to be bathed for hours in the sacred, musical poetry of Hafiz, Rumi, and others in spite of language barriers. On one very special occasion, thanks to Sirous, while I was a monk, Lotfi and two colleagues visited and performed at the monastery in the vaulted and acoustically-accommodating basement of the basilica in what was one of the most ecumenical and beautiful events ever to take place there! Sirous often reminds me that Lotfi was pleased with the venue and found it conducive in more ways than one. I subsequently saw Lotfi perform in both small, informal gatherings and large concert settings. My heart goes out to Sirous and all who mourn the loss of Maestro Lotfi.

Maestro Lotfi’s music is all over the internet, and it is readily available for purchase. It was this YouTube video that refreshed my memory for the drawing. Please click here for another iPad painting I did of Maestro Lotfi.

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Lotfi et al. at St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA 1 Lotfi et al. at St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA 2

Chick here to see the post associated with this iPad painting that I did of Maestro Lotfi.

Mohammad-Rezā Lotfi

Invasion of Privacy AND Profiling

Years ago I saw a cartoon of a salesperson at a tobacco shop coming from the back of the store carrying a hippopotamus on his back. The person at the counter yelled, “I said Zippo, not hippo!”
When the HIPPA form came out, all I could think of was that cartoon.

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