Eileen Goldfinger made this video at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Feb, 2020. ©
GRACIE FIELDS (1898-1979) She lived on the Isle of Capri where she died.
Delaware Avenue, south of Main. Parallel parking is an adventure. Click to Seymour. Blogfinger photo 8/19/17 ©
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor at Blogfinger.net. Articles about parking never grow old on Blogfinger. They tap into the fabric of life in the Grove, and they bring the residential community to the surface for a gasp of fresh ocean air:
Summer, 2017:
This photo is at Delaware Avenue, just south of Main Avenue. Ironically, there is a funeral home to the right. This street here is very narrow, as are many OG streets. It’s a sunny Saturday in August, and there is gridlock. About 60 seconds before this photo was taken that parking spot was vacated. The prior occupant pulled out of the space very slowly.
30 seconds after that, this vehicle showed up. There was room for parking, but parallel parking in a place like that always feels as if you would hit the car on the other side. You have to have faith in the Lord that you will not do so, and almost always you don’t. This driver must have been sweating this experience. Behind his car is another car waiting.
But why should parking be a frightening experience and why do we allow our town to overflow with cars—many more than there are spaces?
NJ.com June 2016: The Neptune mayor was interviewed about OG parking. “We have to take a look at the proposals that do what’s best for the greater good,” McMillan said. Bull!!
This is double talk for “we are not going to seriously look at the OGHOA permit parking proposal.” This also is fake news because he doesn’t tell us what “greater good” means. He certainly isn’t giving the residents any advantage.
Parking should not be an absolute democracy. Permit parking works in many other towns which recognize that their residents are special and need assistance. That is the greater good! The objections mentioned by the CMA earlier this week (Aug. 2017 ) are bogus.
In that 2016 NJ.com interview, McMillan said, “There’s no easy solution to the parking issue, and the best way to address it is to let the political process play out.” Is he serious?? We cannot trust the “political process”in Neptune. Ask them what happened to the revised HPC guidelines——MIA.
And he said, “We’re not going to run away from the problem.” More gobbledygook! Look what happened over the ensuing year—-nothing but poppycock. Our local government specializes in poppycock and they should hang a banner to that effect in front of the Mother Ship.
And now, 2017, Mayor Brantley tells the Coaster (but not the citizens of OG) that permit parking is dead.
Consider Belmar: In 2015 they closed down the entire town when the number of cars exceeded the number of spaces during a seafood festival. But the official Belmar stance on parking, as stated by their mayor, is that they place the interests of their residents first.
Their online site says, “Belmar’s leadership and citizenry always understood that lack of parking is a serious problem here and that increases in the availability of parking must accompany any increased development.”
Do you think the Neptune leadership ever had this thought in mind when it approved condos without parking?
Paul Goldfinger Editor @Blogfinger.net
MARLENE DIETRICH. She sings this to the Neptune Committee on behalf of OG residents:
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean GRove parking issues | Tagged Parking for residents on gridlock day | 2 Comments »
Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. Sanibel Island; Nature photographers zero in on a roseate spoonbill, far afield. Note their long lenses. Who says that size doesn’t count? Feb. 2020. Paul Goldfinger ©
Paul Goldfinger, MD. Photography Editor@Blogfinger.net
I like to photograph photographers. Sometimes it is a person doing a selfie, and cell phone photos are, by far, the most prevalent device around the world to capture pictures. Photography has been turned around by the cell phone phenomenon.
Most people who shoot with their phones don’t care much about the quality of their images. They just want to be able to move a photo to the Internet. But some do, and the latest cell phone technology, eg. the iPhone 11, produces fine quality pictures.
But there is another world of photography and that is occupied by serious photographers using serious cameras. For example, a new version Leica-M digital sells for $8,000 without a lens, whereas a new iPhone 11 Pro is about $1,000. And the newest Hasselblad from Sweden costs $45,000.00
In the world of nature photography, there is often the challenge of hitting a home run from a distance; sometimes the distance is from home plate to right field. So you need a serious telephoto lens for that.
I used to shoot sports (kids’ soccer) with a 300 mm Nikon lens on a tripod, but the birders seen above, are using lenses approaching 1000 mm. In the past such huge and heavy lenses required a tripod because of camera shake and risk of hernias. Now, with anti-shake technology, a small person can shoot “hand-held” with a long lens without camera blur. In addition, such new lenses are lighter in weight. The photographers in the picture are purists who seek absolute focus clarity, and/or they are using older equipment, so they are still working with a tripod, and that’s what I would do if I were interested in birding.
I don’t own any long lenses, because my interest is primarily in “street photography” which values “being there” in the midst of the action as an important virtue. Such as our “Faces at the Farmers’ Market.”
Some of you may have seen my recent shot of a white pelican which was posted last week. That was shot with a short tele (75 mm) portrait lens. The only reason I got that photo was because the bird was kind enough to go fishing about 15 feet away from me.
My latest project is to capture images of photographers at work.
The tip of the day: Regardless of what kind of gear you are using for photography, always pay attention to the light:
SPAMALOT soundtrack— company bow:
Posted in Blogfinger Presents | Tagged Bird photography, nature photography | Leave a Comment »
The Periwinkle Way. Sanibel Island, Florida. April 7, 2016. Paul Goldfinger photo ©. Click to see the light.
THE STARLIGHT ORCHESTRA “Amada Mia, Amore Mio.” From the movie To Rome With Love
Posted in Blogfinger Presents | Tagged ColorGallery: Sanibel Island, Sanibel Island | Leave a Comment »
Food Store in a strip mall in Ft. Myers, Fla. Blogfinger photo. ©
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Signs of the Times Editor. Blogfinger.net
In the past, convenience stores offered a minimum amount of ready-to-eat food. Most of their edibles were pre-packaged like bagels or buttered rolls. But lately, such stores have been selling hot foods like pizza, cooked eggs, and certain sandwiches. And now they are promoting “hand crafted fresh subs,” as seen above in Florida .
A Grover I know loves to go the the 7-11 outside the Grove “gates.” He says that they create good sandwiches for a few dollars. He also enjoys going to the Pathway Market where they have an actual cook on-site making a variety of hot and cold selections. He says that their “fresh” foods are quite good.
“Fresh” food is dictionary-defined as “food that is not preserved by canning or dehydration or freezing or smoking.” So spoiled food can be considered “fresh?” They also promote “fresh breakfast” to go. What is a “fresh breakfast?”
Maybe they need to say “subs and breakfast made to order.” That way they avoid the confusing “fresh” word. And let the buyer beware.
And since when does one “hand craft” a sandwich? Were they machine made before?
Once again we see abuse of language by businesses trying to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary by the word usage on their signs. So, what do they mean by “fresh?”
Stores like this used to be called “convenience stores,” but now they are “food stores.” But of the “fresh” foods, how are they defining “fresh?”
If they made the potato salad that morning can you call it fresh 8 hours later? 24 hours later? Can they call it “fresh made” if it’s still in the cooler the next day? Are they labeling such items with dates?
These stores are just convenience stores with a microwave and a willingness to make sandwiches to order. Can we trust them for freshness? Who is protecting the public?
Wegmans brings in”fresh” fish daily.. They will keep it overnight one night and then dispose of it the next day if it doesn’t sell by the end of that day. If the fish was caught the day before it arrives on ice, then it is one day old when Wegmans gets it. Maybe they should label their fish as “one day old” or “two days old.” Their sushi is never kept over-night. And they never say “fresh sushi.” A store like Wegmans is meticulous regarding freshness, but the public needs to be informed about freshness at all food stores.
Typically, when it comes to sea food, unfrozen fish is called “fresh.” And frozen fish when it is defrosted is called “what?” “Defrosted?” Public needs to know. If there are no signs to clarify, ask some questions. Be careful where you buy “fresh” foods.
I heard that Japanese tuna fisherman slice off a piece of sushi grade meat as soon as the fish flops on the deck. I would say that that is definitely “fresh.”
But, for those who have limited funds, disabilities, and no cars, these sorts of food stores provide some appreciated sustenance, so the Township needs to protect such citizens.
However, since we do not have a clear definition of “fresh” whoever uses that word needs to find something more precise to say. Hopefully the Township is keeping an eye on convenience stores who are self-proclaimed purveyors of “fresh” food.
Posted in Blogfinger Medical Reports, Blogfinger Presents | Tagged fresh foods for sale | 2 Comments »
GT40 Ford at night, in the rain, at LeMans with Ken Miles driving. All photos by Paul Goldfinger taken off the TV screen.
Christian Bale as Ken Miles racing in the rain.
Diminished visibility and danger at LeMans, at night. in the rain.
Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby holding his Ferrari stopwatch.
By Paul Goldfinger, film reviewer at Blogfinger.net.
This film is beautifully done and is directed by James Mangold. It received a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. It is about international car racing at a major French course called Le Mans, where national pride is at stake, but also competition among men with immense talent and skill.
Ferrari, the Italian royalty of car racing machines, usually wins the 24 hour challenging and world famous LeMans race competition. But the Ford company wants to wear the mantle of producing not only practical cars for every-man but also of crafting beautiful racing cars that can dominate the field at LeMans and show up the arrogant elitists at Ferrari.
We meet the Ford executives who represent corporate America, and they, especially their leader Henry Ford II, appropriately are proud of their record up to the 1960’s, but they now want an extra measure of achievement.
They rightly can brag about what they accomplished in WWII producing most of the bombers that helped defeat our enemies, but Mr. Ford is eager to show the world what else the Ford company can do.
Henry Ford II enlists the help of two American racers/engineer/ designers: Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) Ford is willing to spend as much money as is needed to stick it to the Ferrari braggarts.
Shelby and Miles are typical can-do Americans, but they receive considerable flack from the up-tight Ford suits. Yet the determined duo manage to come up with the Ford GT 40, a powerhouse vehicle that can exceed 200 mph at over 7,000 rpm. This car, with Miles behind the wheel, can win in the rain and the dark of LeMans, a scary race venue.
Shelby is a successful driver and producer of fast performance cars for competition and for driving around town in by his wealthy customers. He is no longer able to race.
Miles is a quirky and sometimes exasperating guy who knows how to win in dangerous conditions. He and Shelby make a determined team and they bring their car to LeMans with fierce resolve.
If you see this movie, be prepared to view a lot of racing scenes and hear a lot of car talk. But all of that is well done. Also, it’s too long at 2 1/2 hours.
However, the filming is masterful, and the race scenes are gripping and exciting. You want to hold onto your seats and you wish you had a seat belt.
Forgetting about the “win the race” story line, this movie can be appreciated at another level where intelligence, will power, cooperation, friendship and American values win the day.
Damon and Bale are wonderful actors. Bale lost weight for his role while Damon looked a little rotund. Bale, as Miles, flashes his British accent, but his entire auto career has been in America.
The film is PG13, and the beautiful Caitriona Balfe, as Miles’ wife, is dealt some dark moments, but nevertheless, she is quite sexy especially in an early scene where she shows up at her husband’s garage and they do some play acting together. It is a heated and well done love scene, done with humor, which proves that a film doesn’t require actual sex to be erotic. Many old movies make the same point. Caitriona is an Irish actress best known for her role in the “Outlander” series.
I found this movie at Red Box.
“Stout Hearted Men” by The Royal Artillery and Parachute Regiment Bands and Chorus:
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By Eileen Goldfinger, Food and Garden Editor @Blogfinger
Preheat 10″ non-stick fry pan on medium-low heat.
Fish:
10 sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper
Rinse scallops and remove connector muscles.
Dry scallops with paper towel.
Season both sides of scallops with the paprika and black pepper, and set aside.
Sauce:
8″ non-stick fry pan
2 tablespoons Wegmans thyme shallot finishing butter*
1 tablespoon margarine
2 Campari tomatoes, seeded and diced
10 sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 scallion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of dry white wine, such as Cavit Pinot grigio
Place all of these sauce ingredients in the 8″ pan. Heat the pan to medium-low heat. Stir ingredients and let them simmer while you cook the scallops.
Cooking the fish:
1 tablespoon Wegmans thyme shallot finishing butter*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon margarine
Place the above ingredients in the preheated 10″ fry pan. When the oil begins to sizzle, place the scallops in the pan. Cook the scallops on one side for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
Plating:
Place some of the scallion-tomato sauce on the perimeter of the serving plate. Place the scallops in the center of the plate and drizzle the remaining sauce over the scallops.
Serves 2
* Make your own thyme-shallot finishing butter. Mix 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine with 1/4 teaspoon of fresh minced thyme leaves (or 1/8 teaspoon of dry thyme) and 1/2 – whole shallot minced. You can use different herbs if you don’t like thyme, such as parsley, basil, chives or garlic.
Chefs note: I served them with fresh steamed spinach and mashed roasted potatoes.
BEN E. KING is feeling amorous after eating Eileen’s scallops:
Posted in Eileen's Recipes | Tagged Eileen's Point Pleasant scallops with tomato and scallion sauce | Leave a Comment »
Coney Island. By the famous photographer Andreas Feininger. 1949
Coney Island beach
This is Eileen. She was 16 years old when I took her under the boardwalk at Coney. Silver gelatin darkroom print. Leica film camera with Tri-X. Paul Goldfinger photograph ©
2013 re-post:
CONEY ISLAND: Nathan’s hot dogs. (“baloney on a roll” **, Steeplechase Park, on top of the boardwalk, under the boardwalk, freak shows, barkers, Tuesday night fireworks from a barge in the ocean, Shatzkin’s Knishes, the Parachute Jump, the Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel where the cars moved in and out, the beach where it was so crowded that somebody might bite your tuna sandwich, riding the waves, holding the ropes and dunking yourself, changing clothes in the back of a car, and searching the surf for the Coney Island whitefish.
There were guys trudging through the hot sand wearing pith helmets and carrying heavy freezers over their shoulders while yelling, “Hey, get your ice cream here.” And there were always couples “making out” on their beach blankets. But I was a little kid, so other things were more interesting.
I could go on and on about one of my favorite places on Earth. We would come from Jersey. We never went to the Jersey Shore except once when my Aunt Marion and Uncle Al rented a place in Bradley Beach. They shared a kitchen and fridge with other renters. But it couldn’t beat Coney Island.
Sandy zapped Coney Island , but not too bad. Unlike in Seaside Heights, the Cyclone stood fast. Nathan’s just re-opened (they cut a ribbon of hot dogs), and many millions of dollars have been spent on the Coney Island recovery.
I associate music with Coney Island, and there is one song “Coney Island Baby” which will be sung in Ocean Grove on June 22 in the Great Auditorium by the Excellents. It seem that a certain kind of girl came from there–like the Jersey Girl.
“Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters makes me think of Coney Island, but it really isn’t about that. The memory there is that there was an actual city under the Coney boardwalk with stores and attractions. It was always dark, damp and exotic to a little kid. I thought that people lived in that subterranean place and never emerged.
That Saturday night, we will hear The Brooklyn Bridge, Freddie Parris and the 5 Satins, Barbara Harris and the Toys, plus John Kuse and the Excellents. Big Joe Henry from 101.5 will preside. It’s sad, but he stepped on a dog’s tail, and the dog died. (Yikes!). And also, Barbara Harris and her two young Toys do an amazing set featuring covers of the big time girl groups of the day. Don’t miss it.
—Paul Goldfinger 2013.
THE EXCELLENTS: “Coney Island Baby.”
This song brings tears to my eyes; not for any romantic reason but because of the aromas, the sounds, the sights, the foods, and the family. Even though the beach was crowded, I would lie on my stomach and contemplate counting the grains of sand. Those moments quickly dissolved into thin air, and then I would race into the water, getting salt up my nose and sand in my shorts.
This summer, take a ride there and visit Nathan’s. Then walk on the boards and hear Russian being spoken, men, with their shirts off reading Yiddish or Russian newspapers, and gaze at the myriad of sights, still present, but just a remnant of another world. And don’t forget Woody’s movie “Wonder Wheel” set at Coney. Here’s a link to our review:
**Go to Coney and eat baloney on a roll” Is from the Rodgers and Hart classic “Manhattan”
Posted in Great Auditorium Musical Event | Tagged Coney Island Baby, Doo Wops in GA June 22 | 3 Comments »
The Nut Hut. Sanibel Outlets market. Ft. Myers, Fla. Feb. 2020. Paul Goldfinger ©. Click to enlarge.
THE BAND PERRY: “Gentle on My Mind” 2015 Grammy nominee (2015 Grammy album)
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Faces at the Ft. Myers farmers market | Tagged Faces at the Farmers Market--Ft. Myers, The Band Perry | Leave a Comment »
Join us for a special feast in southwest Fla. Bring your neighbor. Blogfinger photo. Feb14, 2020
RON MOODY From the soundtrack finale of Oliver.
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