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Sunday, May 31, 2015

FACES OF CUBA / PREVIEWING ORIGINAL, COMPRENSIVE CUBA SERIES


Photo: Phyllis Shess
CUBA HOY. We’re all curious about Cuba.  Starting today thru June 30 Pillar to Post, this 4-year-old free/no ads daily online magazine is posting daily images and articles about one family’s recent “People to People” group tour to the mysterious island.  Photo essays will answer how to get to Cuba legally, vintage cars and what’s under the hood?  We cover Food, Mojito’s. Architecture, Casas, Cerveza, Cigars, local Cocos, dancing with the locals, Afro-Cuban jazz with original photography by Gary Payne, Bruce Henderson, Mike and Phyllis Shess.  iY mucho, mucho mas!

Here’s a preview of original photography for this month long series:

FACES OF CUBA. 
As photographed in Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Trinidad, Playa Giron, Playa Larga and Havana, Cuba, April 2015.
Photo: Gary Payne
Photography by Bruce Henderson
Photo: Gary Payne
Photo: Gary Payne
Photo: Phyllis Shess


Photo: Gary Payne
Photo: Gary Payne
Photo: Gary Payne
Photo: Phyllis Shess
Photography by Bruce Henderson
Photo: Gary Payne
Photography by Bruce Henderson
Photo: Gary Payne


MORE CUBA PICTURES IN TOMORROW'S POST,
PLUS:
HOW TO GET TO CUBA LEGALLY BEFORE THE CROWDS





Saturday, May 30, 2015

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / GIANLUCA’S COFFEE GALLERY

Gianluca Biscalchin was not always Italy’s (or the world’s) favorite food illustrator.  He began his career as a journalist and it wasn’t until mid-life did he feel the tingling in his right hand to start drawing.

Also, he thought of himself as a fine chef until be began dining as a customer in some of Europe’s top restaurant’s.

Now, Gianluca (aka Biscalchin) is flourishing as a food illustrator for the best publications and advertising agencies.  He also does book illustrations and a growing series of contemporary chefs and noted writers of the past.

Speaking of authors, The Literary Coffee (posted here), is a tongue in cheek illustration showing iconic authors and the coffee or other libation they might have enjoyed.

Franz Kafka by Gianluca Biscalchin
For more on Gianluca go to  http://www.gianlucabiscalchin.it/



Friday, May 29, 2015

THE BREWSPAPER / INTERGALACTIC CRAFT BEER


GUEST BLOG—By WestCoastersd.com—The following post first appeared on West Coaster magazine’s website.

From the Beer Writer: It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with local breweries to develop charity beers as part of the Beer to the Rescue campaign supporting the Lupus Foundation of Southern California. One of the first brewers to get involved was Alex Van Horne from Intergalactic Brewing Company. A cousin of his suffers from lupus, so he was excited to have the chance to make a difference.

Like many participating brewers, his first idea was to craft something hoppy in order to do some wordplay with lupus and lupulin, the resinous substance in hops that gives them their bitterness and aromatic character. In the end, we went a completely different direction. My favorite Intergalactic beer has always been Astro, a Scottish ale that’s all about malt. Van Horne was toying with the idea of creating a version that would be higher in alcohol and more complex on the palate, which sounded pretty incredible to me.

That beer is now on tap at Intergalactic’s tasting room (9835 Carroll Centre Road, #108, Miramar), with a portion of proceeds from its sale flowing directly to the LFSC.

From the Brewer: “Astral Scottish Export Ale is a heavier and maltier take on our award-winning Scottish amber ale, Astro. We use six different malts and East Kent Golding hops to create a complex malt profile with enough English hop character to balance its sweetness.

We then add molasses and vanilla during fermentation to provide sugar complexity, depth and a dessert-like quality to this 7.8% alcohol-by-volume ale. The result is a smooth-drinking, malt-forward and unique interpretation on a classic Scottish-style ale that’s full of toffee, biscuit, caramel, molasses and vanilla flavors with some nutty, smoky notes.”
            —By Alex Van Horne, Owner & Brewmaster, Intergalactic Brewing Company


THE BREWSPAPER / BEST SELLING NON CRAFT BEER IN USA

Chart source: VinePair.com

Thursday, May 28, 2015

SPACE CADETS / HAWAII FROM 200 MILES UP




Samantha Cristoforetti, European Space Agency astronaut (@AstroSamantha) photographed the above image of the Island of Hawaii from the International Space Station.

She posted it to social media on Feb. 28, 2015. Cristoforetti wrote, "And suddenly as we flew over the Pacific... the island of #Hawaii with its volcanoes! #HelloEarth"

Crewmembers on the space station photograph the Earth from their unique point of view located 200 miles above the surface as part of the Crew Earth Observations program. Photographs record how the planet is changing over time, from human-caused changes like urban growth and reservoir construction, to natural dynamic events such as hurricanes, floods and volcanic eruptions.

Astronauts have used hand-held cameras to photograph the Earth for more than 40 years, beginning with the Mercury missions in the early 1960s. The ISS maintains an altitude between 220 - 286 miles above the Earth, and an orbital inclination of 51.6˚, providing an excellent stage for observing most populated areas of the world.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

WHO IS THAT SMOKER SITTING BEHIND JFK?



TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN STRANGELOVE—Combing the Internet for images of Cuba—the top photo on this page popped up.  It’s a 1962 image of President Kennedy and his top aides during discussions regarding the Cuban missile crisis. 

British actor Peter Sellers as "Dr. Strangelove."
After looking closely at the photograph our eyes focused on the gentleman seated directly behind JFK, who was smoking a cigarette.  He looks strangely familiar but just can’t place who he is.

Could it be actor Peter Sellers doing a Zelig (OK, that’s Woody Allen) in the famed Stanley Kubrick 1964 satire movie “Dr. Strangelove...?” 



OK, we know it's not--but it's driving us nuts, who is that guy behind JFK? Really?