April 2023

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"This Just In..."

April.

We don’t think of it as the cruelest month.

In fact, we adore April for everything that it is and that it isn’t. That it brings up the beauty of those first blooms. That it delivers days of spring breezes. For the sounds of birds returning as we trash our rusted snow shovels with the last of the ice melt.

It is the sound of the bat on ball (sorry, but somethings are just APRIL and that’s one of them) and the smell of the first BBQ. April is hardly the cruelest month. Maybe it’s just the most anticipated and subsequently has the most to live up to.

Curse it or praise it – April is here – and so is your latest edition of

“This Just In…”

The most viewed image in the world is ‘Bliss’ by Charles O’Rear.

It was featured as a default Windows XP background. “Bliss” was taken in January 1996 in California’s Napa and Sonoma counties.

Charles O’Rear was driving through the countryside and along the road he noticed a spectacularly green hillside begging to be photographed. He obliged and shooting four frames, concluding, “I think that was pretty nice.”

Shortly after O’Rear submitted the best of those photographs to Corbis, an image licensing service founded by Bill Gates.

Microsoft offered him one of the largest amounts ever paid for a single photograph. In fact, they offered so much that O’Rear wasn’t able to mail the original to Microsoft and instead had to fly to their headquarters to deliver it personally.

Since then, O’Rear has seen his photo everywhere, even places like the White House’s situation room and the Kremlin, and regrets having accepted a flat payment for the image instead of arranging a deal that would allow him to benefit from the image’s rampant public exposure.

Though we suspect he’s made a dollar or two!

David Daniels, scion of the Daniels Energy family, announced plans for a new venture for the establishment, namely an enormous Slip & Slide to be constructed at the end of an extension of Airline Avenue in Portland. Nicknamed: Dangerous Doings!

The slide which will be marketed to “adventuresome families and a ‘few lunatics’” will carry participants down a sloping, circuitous, terrifying drop of 612 feet into the Connecticut River where they will most likely land on a 1,400 square yard orange sponge. 

It is expected that the famous yellow 92’ floating barge, “Lady Carolyn,” which will include a carousel, food trucks, t-shirt shack and a triage station, will be moored at the edge of the sponge. 

Dangerous Doings will be the first of 11 such Slip & Slides installed along the river’s edge from Portland to Old Saybrook.

“The Pandemic made us do it,” said David. “It's April. So, we’ve looked for ways to bring some joy and excitement into the lives of our customers and neighbors and thought, “this should do it.” 

John Daniels, the fourth generation of the family, was unusually quiet when the announcement was made. “I’m just sticking with the oil and propane, heating and cooling business. This is all on my dad.”

Happy April 1.

Take a walk…and the Stairs…

“The Stairs at Montmarte,” by Brassai

…Or Stay Home!

29 Ave Rapp in the 7^th Arrondissement

Sorry you missed the Stay Home, Snow and Storm full moons.

They were so full.

The Mets beat the Red Sox 9 to 4 in 17 innings. Where was the game played? Tell us here and you may win an Amazon gift card!

Richard C and Mark W identified Joe Pantoliano, Lynn K. may well have visited the Cano Cristales River in Columbia (it’s the most colorful river) and Martin G and only 9 of you identified the dastardly Stella Swift as the Librarian killer because in the Library of Congress system, QL refers to zoology, the 600s to vertebrates, 696 to birds, and .C9 to Cypseli — or swifts. GOTCHA!!!! Thank you all for playing.

Friendship by Max Ginsburg.

Born in 1931, Max Ginsburg received his BFA from Syracuse University and his MFA from City College of New York. Since then, his true to life New York City sidewalk scenes have received numerous awards including, Christopher Award, Pauline Law Award, The Edith Lehman Prize, and honorable mentions from both Audubon and Salamagundi.  

“I have lived and worked in New York all my life. As a New Yorker, I feel a personal and deep connection to this rich, energetic and beautiful city with its amazingly diverse population. My objective is to paint about the people of New York, realistically and with compassion. 

I have expressed my strongly held feelings about peace and justice; With regard to these themes, I have been inspired by Old Masters such as Caravaggio, Goya, Kollwitz and Picasso. I choose to paint realistically because I believe realism is truth and truth is beauty. -- Max Ginsburg

More here: https://www.maxginsburg.com

Couldn’t make this stuff up. That is a Monkey Faced Orchids, aka Dracula Simia. And these were the nice looking ones. There are some nasty looking flowers out there. Check them out - Google Wicked Ugly Flowers.

April 15^th…It’s Coming.

OCED Total Tax Revenue by Member Countries

Taxes as the Percentages of Total Tax Revenue.

See larger image here

• The U.S. tax system generates the most money in the world ($5.2T), and individuals shoulder a disproportionate burden of that total (41.5%) compared to other OECD countries.
• Social insurance and consumption taxes contribute a higher share of tax revenue for other OECD countries than the U.S. (24.9% OECD average vs. 17.6% in the U.S.).
• Companies pay far less in taxes in the U.S. (3.9%) compared to other countries, like Japan (12.9%) or Australia (19.1%).
• Consumption taxes, like the Value-added Tax (VAT), make up a third of total tax revenue for OECD countries, but this is usually passed to consumers through higher prices.

It’s no surprise that the U.S. raises the most overall tax revenue of any country in the world.

However, with $5.2T in total revenue, an astonishing 41.5% ultimately comes from individuals. Only Denmark has a higher rate at 52.4%. And they have universal health care.

In the U.S., 24.9% of the total derives from social insurance, 17.6% from consumption taxes, 12.1% from property and only 3.9% from corporations. This means that companies are paying a far smaller share of tax revenue than individuals.

Why do you think individuals pay so much in taxes in the U.S.? Should the U.S. switch to a tax system more focused on consumption like the rest of the developed world?

The Countries with the Highest Tax Revenues

1.    United States

2.   Japan

3.   Germany

4.   France

5.   United Kingdom

6.   Italy

7.   Canada

8.   Spain

9.   Korea

10. Australia

New TV in April

Looking for something new & fresh on the tube? Here are some things coming in April.

Agent Elvis. - Netflix

Matthew McConaughey voices Elvis Presley—who moonlights as a secret government spy—in Netflix's Archer-esque adult animated comedy series. Also lending their voices to the project are Johnny Knoxville, Kaitlin Olson, and Priscilla Presley, voicing herself.

Christmas in July in April. - Where else? Hallmark.

Hallmark's annual 268 Days of Christmas event kicks off with its first film.

Nine Innings to Cheyenne – Paramount+

Kevin Costner's first baseball western stars Costner as the coach of a team of outlaws. Who will catch up with them first: the law, or the second-place Deadwood Blue Stockings?

To Boldly Go – Paramount+

A 13-episode reenactment of the behind-the-scenes efforts to make J.J. Abrams' first Star Trek movie. Seth Rogen stars as Abrams alongside Dave Franco as Chris Pine, Timothee Chalamet as Zachary Quinto, Zachary Quinto as Leonard Nimoy, Laverne Cox as Zoe Saldana, Edgar Wright as Simon Pegg, and Andy Serkis as the ghost of Gene Roddenberry.

Schmigadoon – Apple TV

Apple's musical spoof returns leaving for the big city of, well, Schmicago. The new season will lampoon classic musicals from the 1960s and '70s and has a cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Ariana DeBose, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Jane Krakowski, and Martin Short (among others).

The Last Thing He Told Me – Apple TV

Produced by Reese Witherspoon, it stars Julia Garner as a woman investigating the mysterious disappearance of her husband (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) while growing closer to her 16-year-old stepdaughter (Angourie Rice)

The Diplomat – Netflix

Keri Russell plays the new American ambassador to the U.K.—who arrives during a major international crisis—in a London-set political drama from the writer of Homeland, The West Wing, Grey's Anatomy, and Fosse/Verdon). Rufus Sewell and Ali Ahn also star.

Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies – Paramount+

Yes, it's a prequel to the classic stage and movie musical Grease, and, yes, it's also a musical. Set four years earlier—at Rydell High in 1954 — 10-episode feature a cast of mostly unknown young stars and original songs by Justin Tranter.

Plus:

Mrs. Davis

Little Richard: I am Everything

Ghosted

Transatlantic

Waco

Barry

The marvelous Mrs. Maisel

90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise (yes, you do!)

Mystery Quiz (aka:#2)

Sure it’s beautiful…but what is it? Tell us here and well…there’s a nice Amazon gift card for one special winner. 

Tell me you don’t want this in your house!

We are all inspired by beauty. Of every variety.

So, in honor of all the beauty that begins to emerge in April we thought we’d ask for your inspirations. Below are some images.

Write us anything – a poem, a one-liner, 100-words or song lyrics about what any one of these images inspires in you. We’ll post the winner next month and send along a small gift as well. Have fun.

Send your entry here.

But, Let’s Talk Filth.

Have you any idea the kind of dirt, dust, pet hair, mold, dandruff or old Cheetos that may be rotting in your home’s ducts?

It’s astonishing what kind of nightmares are up there.

More importantly -- You’re Breathing That Stuff!

If you suffer from breathing issues like:

• persistent sore throats
• sinus issues
• coughing
• asthma
• allergies and more

You need to make sure your ducts are clean! 

We’re ready to help.

Here’s Before and After. Seeing is breathing better.

If you haven’t cleaned your ducts in 3-5 - (OMG - 10!) years – or more - let Daniels do a complete cleaning program. 

Look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FHWKTUiykM&t=4s

A total cleaning of your system takes 3-4 hours. In the process you’ll reduce pollutants that you are breathing daily and increase the comfort of your home – immeasurably.

But Wait – There Are More Ducks To Be Cleaned

We’ve been selling Ductless Split Heat Pumps for nearly 20 years. Did you know that you must – yes, must – clean them every 2-4 years! You will not believe the dust, bugs, and debris that accumulates over the years in those heating and cooling units.

Grab a “dust bunny” off the floor and imagine pounds of it clogging your system. And we’re not just talking about the removable filters –

You can clean those yourself…no…

We’re talking about cleaning the entire unit – a 2-4 hour process that eliminates 95% of the pollutants any system collects.

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPgOOrnVxZo

Now is the time to clean them. Daniels has the team ready – in and out in one day at a very competitive price.

Call Today.

Schedule your complete duct (or ductless) cleaning and breathe easier (and healthier) all year long.

860 813 9122

Here’s a holiday treat that’s easy to make (says him) and really eat to enjoy. Have fun!

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Meringues

• 4 Egg Whites large
• 1 cup Sugar Granulated or Caster
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Peppermint Exact
• Red Gel Food Colouring optional
• 1 cup (140g) Semi-sweet Chocolate melted
• 1 cup (150g) Peppermint Candies

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Preheat the oven to 225F (200F Convection bake). Line 2x baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In the clean bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the egg whites (carefully separated from yolks to ensure no oily, yolk residue).
3. Add the cream or tartar and salt to the bowl. Begin mixing on low. Once frothy, gradually increase the speed to high and begin slowly adding in the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time)
4. After all of the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and peppermint extract.
5. Once a stiff peak consistency has been achieved, turn off mixture.
6. Add small dollops of meringue to the corners of your baking sheet, to prevent the parchment paper from sliding. 
7. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star attachment or with a piping tip of your choice. For added colour, you can add streaks of red gel food colouring to your piping bag before loading with meringue. As you pipe meringue the colour will deposit creating a swirled effect!
8. Pipe your meringues allowing at least an inch of space between each. Bake the meringues on the centre rack of the oven, at 225F for ~1.5 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for an extra 1-2 hour with the door propped open to allow for continued drying. 
9. Dip cooled meringues in melted chocolate then cover in crushed peppermint candies. Let cool fully and enjoy!

Tips:

• Separating your egg whites one at a time, prevents contamination of oily yolks to the entire egg white mixture if anything bad happens
• Don’t forget to slowly incorporate the sugar! This is best done 1 tablespoon at a time, as the mixer runs. 
• These meringues can be made in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer – just allow for more time for the egg whites to whip up to the right volume.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhlHRqykZVE&t=2s

 Not Just Doodles. Not By Half.

The art of the travel diary



For the past 13 years, Spanish artist José Naranja has been combining sketches, calligraphy and collage to create personal notebooks inspired by his travels. “I collect ideas, dreams and experiences,” he says.

Naranja quit his job as an aeronautical engineer to dedicate himself to his art, through which he says he creates “a little space of freedom” for himself. He has completed 15 notebooks, their pages filled with musings, illustrations, and stamps and tickets from his travels.

After using Moleskine notebooks for many years, he now binds his own by hand, selling facsimiles under the title The Orange Manuscript. Based in Madrid, Naranja hopes his work can speak to a global audience: “Even if they don’t understand the language, they can feel something.” 

Just who might this be?

 Tell us here and you may win a shiny new Amazon gift card.