The Three Stooges Have a Museum

by Jamie Rhein on

I like collections. I have baskets from various countries, for example. My basket collection, frankly, is piddly. Gary Lassin’s collection of Three Stooges memorabilia is enormous. He has 3,000 items on display in the museum he opened in 2004 near Ambler, Pennsylvania. The museum called Stoogeum also has a 85 seat theater where he shows Three Stooges movies.

If you go here, you can find items you probably didn’t know existed. I know that I didn’t know about them. Of course, there’s the movie posters and photos you’d expect, but there’s also cans and bottles of Three Stooges Beer and a Three Stooges Talking Bottle Opener. My husband has a Homer Simpson talking bottle opener, but the battery is dead. I bought it for him a couple years ago and I wonder if the bottle openers were made during the same time period.The museum’s front door also talks. It says “hello, hello, hello,” in the Three Stooges voices.

If you decide to go here, email Gary Lassin at the address in this article. You do have to make an appointment. One person who visited is Entertainment Tonight‘s movie critic Leonard Maltin. For movie buffs, Maltin’s blog is a fun place to hang out for awhile. Maltin gives accounts of places he’s been that are related to movies including art exhibits.

The photo is of blogger Kansas Stooge in front of the Stoogeum. He’s a Three Stooges fan as well–obviously.

A Canadian in Beijing: The Great Baozi, A Tribute

by Ember Swift on

I have put on weight in the past month, partly due to almost zero working out (too hot, too polluted, too much else to distract me) and partly due to my discovery of the amazing food known as “baozi” ????.

Yum.

Now, I’m generally not a big person and I was honestly worried about dying for hunger the first three weeks that I was here. I lost a bit too much weight, I’d say, and I really didn’t have much to lose. My body has recovered, however, and then some… which is not a bad thing in the least. I got curves now! I’m not complaining.

So this is a small tribute to the glorious “su baozi” ????? (vegetarian baozi) and how they have joined forces with my language study to help me, bit by bit, find food to eat in this city that isn’t imported from overseas or grossly overpriced in western restaurants. (See my next post for a Vegetarian Language Surivival Guide!)

What makes baozi great? Let me tell you. . .

Baozi are steamed breads with various fillings. Usually, they are filled with meats of various kinds, but “su baozi” are vegetable-filled and they are delicious. Think of a dumpling but imagine that the outside is soft bread instead of the dumpling skin which is usually boiled or fried. This steamed bread is delicious and even more delicious when the inside is all vegetarian. (Or, so I’m assuming since I have not tried the meat ones!)

In fact, I discovered these treats here at the school outdoor canteen. Many “su baozi” are filled with chopped green vegetables that are also combined with “ji dan” (eggs.) Here at the canteen they make their “su baozi” that way and so, being the vegan that I am, I developed a system of methodically picking out the bits of egg every morning before eating them. It was easy and the resulting egg-free (reasonably small) baozi were delicious. I would eat four to six of them every morning (two for 1 kuai) and sometimes pick up more for lunch. Okay, I’ll admit it: sometimes I lived on baozi all day. (I have truly been a bachelor in the food department.)

Then I discovered the baozi at the market.

The same market that I wrote about last week has the most amazing baozi vendor and the women who work there have come to recognize me. They have all different kinds of vegetarian baozi including egg-free options (mushroom and greens) and “mala dofu” (spicy tofu) options. They are incredible, not to mention the fact that they’re fresh from the steamers when you buy them (i.e. still steaming) and are twice the size of the ones at the canteen. What’s more (and there is more!), they are the same price as the ones at the school and you get twice as much for your money.

This is my kind of food.

So, of course I go there and buy them by the steaming bag full. That doesn’t sound delicious… unless you know about baozi. <wink> I even asked these women to pose for a photo with me the last time I went there, fearing it would be my last trip to this oasis. They obliged my request with a smile.

Aw, even writing this post is making me crave more, more, more! (Is that my new-found wheat addiction?)

When I came to China, I was also wheat-free. In fact, I’ve been mostly wheat-free for the past couple of years. I’m not allergic, but one of my band members is (Lyndell) and I’ve also read terrible things about how wheat is produced these days and what it does to one’s body. So, my first period of time here in China was also wheat-free.

That, however, went right about the window when I discovered baozi. Perhaps I’m now not only addicted to the taste of the baozi in general, but I’m also addicted to the gluten in the wheat? It’s possible!

Now, I know this doesn’t constitute a complete diet and so I have to admit that I have done a bit more exploring in the world of food here. Most of this exploring has come through friends’ suggestions or through my own risk-taking in restaurants. So far, just a few stomach aches later, I’m feeling great and confident about the food here.

What I’m getting at is that this post is only meant to offer a singular suggestion in a world where there are many options. My next post will offer some assistance when seeking those options. Mainly, it’s a language issue and so I’m hoping that some key phrases will keep fellow vegans from starvation in Beijing!

But, if all else fails, then there are always “su baozi” (pronounced: sue bao zeuh).

They help put meat on your bones. . .

Without eating meat!

Bangladeshi and The Bronx

by Jamie Rhein on

Back when I was in high school, I went to The Bronx Zoo as a volunteer with adults with developmental disabilities . I had a blast and planned to go there again sooner than later.

Now that it’s much later, I wonder what I’m waiting for. This summer may be the time to get on a subway and head to the zoo when we are visiting my brother who lives in Manhattan. I just read that there is a TV ad campaign touting The Bronx, New York is a place to go for a vacation destination. The zoo is one reason. When I searched for the commercials, I came across this one. The news of The Bronx as a vacation hot spot has either made it to Bangladesh or is geared for a Bangladeshi audience. You may not be able to understand all the words, but the names of the tourist destinations are clear. The last one is a bakery. This was posted on You Tube by zasarif and is titled Kabir’s Bronx. This video interests me because I wonder if part of the aim is to get Bangladeshis who live in New York City to visit The Bronx or go the bakery? Or both?

One for the Road: Down the Nile

by Kelly Amabile on

Publishers Weekly calls this one “travel writing at its most enjoyable.” Down the Nile: Along in a Fisherman’s Skiff is about a journey born from the simple love of rowing. Rosemary Mahoney decides to buy a small rowboat and make her way 120 miles along the Nile between the cities of Aswan and Qena.

What an awesome solo feat to attempt! Despite civil unrest and the fear of vexing local traditions, Mahoney sets out. She finds a seven-foot skiff with the help of a sympathetic Muslim sailor and proceeds to do what culture and history says she should not.

Egyptian women don’t row on the Nile, and tourists aren’t allowed to for safety’s sake. But Mahoney does it — she endures extreme heat, terrifying crocs and the challenging cultural encounters that confront issues of faith and sex. She also finds connections to past river travelers like Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert. The reviews agree that Mahoney’s global curiosity and creative wit will surely captivate readers of this new release.

ComFest: Where Peace, Love and Partial Nudity Survive

by Jamie Rhein on

The one event in Columbus, Ohio that lets me know that summer is here is ComFest. About the beginning of June, the city gets a ComFest buzz of anticipation. This is an art, music and crafts festival for anyone who has a hankering to be a bit alternative-even if during the week, a suit and a tie is the norm for day-job wear. The aim is to be peace-loving and inclusive. This is mellow with a capital M. Beer helps.

This is also a weekend when some people take their shirts off–literally. Actually, men tend to leave their shirts on; some women take them off–not most women, but a few. They paint designs on their breasts that don’t even come close to looking like shirts and walk around in various stages of perky and proud. As long as they stay within Goodale Park where the festival is held, the shirt optional status is allowed. But this is only a small part of what ComFest is about.

Most women do keep their shirts on, and most people relish that this is a place considered dog and kid friendly. To show just how friendly they are some vendors put out bowls with water and signs that say, “Drinking water for dogs.”

A COMFEST dog shot from last year by kjenkins. The dog’s name is Barley. People also have items just for kids. On Friday my son won a Max Escher art button by picking a plastic yellow duck out of a kiddy pool one vendor created just for fun. Here’s a COMFEST kid shot posted by Laura Lewis.

At one entrance you can check your bicycle for safe-keeping. There are also booths sporting information about various non-profit organizations like the Sierra Club and Central Ohioans for Peace. In the mix are crafts booths, food booths and more. If you’re looking for lawn art, earrings, and tie-dyed T-shirts, COMFEST delivers.

Just for the heck of it, there’s a car art show. This car was there last year. I remember seeing it and found the shot on Flickr, thanks to skippy13.

Okay, so it looks a little crowded. Possibly the beer tent was close by, but there’s plenty of room the spread out. This shot is by icadrew and was loaded on Flickr on Sunday. I have a feeling this was taken Saturday though. This looks more like the Saturday crowd.

I was at COMFEST Friday night and again tonight with my shirt most definitely on serving up watermelon as a fundraiser for CORVA (Central Ohio Returned Volunteers Association) . Although, it’s always fun to go to a festival, working at one has its own energy. I did have some time to take in the following two groups.

The above photo is of part of the group Spanda, a Kirtan chanting ensemble that puts their own special spin on Hindu inspired music. Not all of the group is in this picture. Rick Borgia, the guy with the guitar is one of the song writers and founders. He sent me the photo. Check the Spanda Web site for other performance dates.

Another group that blends cultures is the belly dance group Khalida Tribe. Matt Miller took this shot last year. I just saw this group again tonight. Always entertaining. The group often performs at the Ravari Room.

If you happen to be in Columbus next June, the weekend after summer begins, stop by COMFEST. You’ll never find Columbus looking quite the same the other 362 days of the year. Don’t be surprised if you see a woman without a top on with flowers painted on her chest. I warned you.