Tributes: “True Grit” Author Charles Portis Dies At 86 (1933 – 2020)

From a New York Times online article (Feb 17, 2020):

Norwood by Charles PortisCharles Portis, Elusive Author of ‘True Grit,’ Dies at 86 The publicity-shy Mr. Portis earned a modest but devoted readership and accolades as America’s “least-known great writer.”Charles Portis, the publicity-shy author of “True Grit” and a short list of other novels that drew a cult following and accolades as the work of possibly the nation’s best unknown writer, died on Monday at a hospice in Little Rock, Ark.

He was 86.His death was confirmed by his brother Jonathan, who said Mr. Portis had been in hospice care for two years and in an Alzheimer’s care facility for six years prior.Mr. Portis was in his early 30s and well established as a reporter at The New York Herald Tribune in 1964, when he decided to turn to fiction full time. The decision astonished his friends and colleagues at the paper, among them Jimmy Breslin, Tom Wolfe and Nora Ephron.He had covered the civil rights movement in the South: riots in Birmingham, Ala.; the jailing of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Albany, Ga.; Gov. George C. Wallace’s attempt to stop the desegregation of the University of Alabama.

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Politics: Tamara Keith And Amy Walter On Latest Election News (PBS Video)

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including the stakes for 2020 Democrats in the upcoming Nevada caucuses, technical concerns for tabulating caucus results after Iowa’s confusion and whether Mike Bloomberg’s advertising blitz is delivering him voter support.

Classic Italian Cars : “1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada”

1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT interior Classic DriverThe Bizzarrini Strada (also 5300 GT Strada and 5300 GT), was a gran turismo automobile produced by Bizzarrini from 1964 to 1968. Sold as an exceptionally low slung 2-seat coupe, roadster, and track-tuned “Corsa” racer, it proved their most successful model.

Designed by ex-Ferrari chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini in 1963, the Strada was launched by his company in 1964. It was similar in concept to the Iso Grifo, also designed by Bizzarrini, and even used the Grifo name while in the planning stage, as well as the welded unibody platform of the Iso Rivolta 300.

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The Strada – which adopted an FMR layout – was powered by a Chevrolet sall-block 327 Corvette engine displacing 5358 cc and producing 365 hp (272 kW) to 385 hp (287 kW) in street form and 400 hp (298 kW) in the Corsa. The car could accelerate 0–100 km/h in less than 7 seconds, and attained a top speed of 280 km/h. In later models, the 5358 cc engine was replaced by a larger 7000 cc one, fitted with a Holley carburetor.

From Wikipedia

Best New Food Books: “Ana Roš – Sun And Rain” -Essays, Recipes And Stories From The Top Slovenian Chef

Ana Roš - Sun and Rain Food and Cooking Book 2020A personal chef monograph, and the first book, from globally-acclaimed chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko in Slovenia

Set near the Italian border in Slovenia’s remote Soča valley, in the foothills of mountains and beside a turquoise river full of trout, Ana Roš tells the story of her life. Through essays, recollections, recipes, and photos, she shares the idyllic landscape that inspires her, the abundant seasonal ingredients from local foragers, the tales of fishing and exploring, and the evolution of her inventive and sophisticated food at Hiša Franko – where she has elevated Slovenian food and become influential in the global culinary landscape.

Ana Roš Sun and Rain Monograph book kitchen

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Food Trends: “Third Culture Bakery” & “Mochi Muffins” Expand From California To Colorado

From a 303Magazine.com online article (Feb 7, 2020):

Third Culture’s largest sit-down café serves butter-mochi style doughnuts with flavors ranging from jasmine milk teastrawberry cream, yuzu lemon and mango passion fruit to black sesamedark chocolateube coconut and strawberry guava.

Third Culture Bakery in Aurora Colorado

Reigning from the Bay Area, Third Culture Bakery has opened its first café in Aurora on East Colfax Avenue. Owners and life partners, Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu have put a twist on traditional bakery desserts by creating mochi muffins, doughnuts and waffles.

While mochi has become trendy to use in various desserts, these ingredients are what Butarbutar and Shyu grew up eating. From the very beginning, the masterminds behind baked mochi muffins have put their heart and soul into their brand.

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Best Of Camping: “2020 Polydrop KJ-20 Fully Loaded Camper Trailer”

Polydrop Trailer is not only designed to be futuristic-looking. It is aiming at truly futuristic, eco-friendly travel trailers. Polydrop’s energy system runs by 100w solar panel and battery.

  • 2020 POLYDROP KJ-20 Fully Loaded Camper Trailer interior bedPolydrop Trailer fully loaded model weighs only 1150LBS, it can be towed by most cars. Hydraulic disc brakes come stock on all of Polydrop Trailer models will help you drive safely.
  • Polydrop Trailer is the most insulated travel trailer in the market. Polydrop’s maximum 8.7″ insulation lets you stay comfortable during any weather conditions. There is no such word as camping season with a Polydrop Trailer.

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2020 POLYDROP KJ-20 Fully Loaded Camper Trailer kitchen

2020 POLYDROP KJ-20 Fully Loaded model comes with all of below features.

  • Aluminum Frame
  • Timbren 2000LBS Independent Suspension
  • Titan Hydraulic Disc Brake
  • 175/80/13 Tires
  • Maximized Wall Insulation (Max. 8.7″ Rigid Foam)
  • 100W Solar Charging system
  • 12V Battery
  • Gull-wing Doors on both sides
  • 48″x75″x5.5″ Mattress
  • Full HVAC with thermostat (Heater, 5000 BTU Air Conditioner)
  • Interior Cubbyholes w/ hidden LED Lighting
  • FRP/Wood Kitchenette Galley
  • Dometic CD20 Fridge
  • Hand Pump Sink w/ 2 of 1.6 Gallon Water Containers
  • 2 Burner Stove
  • 4 Channel Outside Security Cameras
  • Fan-Tastic Ceiling Fan
  • Rhino-Rack Roof Rack
  • Sunseeker Awning
  • Road Shower 4S

 

Few things need to be installed on your towing vehicle

  • Tow hitch on your car
  • 1-7/8″ or 2″ Ball receiver (18″ Ball height from the ground)
  • 4 Way flat connector

Diet: “Skeptical” NY Times Health Writer Endorses Numerous Health Benefits Of 16+ Hour Fasting

From a New York Times article by Jane E. Brody (Feb 17, 2020):

“It takes 10 to 12 hours to use up the calories in the liver before a metabolic shift occurs to using stored fat,” Dr. Mattson told me. After meals, glucose is used for energy and fat is stored in fat tissue, but during fasts, once glucose is depleted, fat is broken down and used for energy.

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Jane E Brody New York Times February 17 2020I was skeptical, but it turns out there is something to be said for practicing a rather prolonged diurnal fast, preferably one lasting at least 16 hours. Mark P. Mattson, neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained that the liver stores glucose, which the body uses preferentially for energy before it turns to burning body fat.

For example, human studies of intermittent fasting found that it improved such disease indicators as insulin resistance, blood fat abnormalities, high blood pressure and inflammation, even independently of weight loss. In patients with multiple sclerosis, intermittent fasting reduced symptoms in just two months, a research team in Baltimore reported in 2018.

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Top Destination Hotels: “Villa Geba”, Montenegro

Villa Geba, a secret hideaway, nestled among olive trees, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Guests lulled by the view of the Sveti Stefan peninsula and the blue-lagoon horizon. A timeless experience with a Riviera feel in a place designed as a family home.

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Podcast Interviews: 67-Year Old Actress And Author Isabella Rossellini On Her Love Of Animals

LARB Los Angeles Review of BooksThis week the legendary actress, model and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini joins co-hosts Kate and Medaya to discuss her new theatrical production, Link Link Circus, her studies into animal behavior, and her long career in film and TV. 

Isabella also discusses her most recent book, My Chickens and I; as well as her previous one, Green Porno, a hugely successful multi-media project that helped revive interest in one of Isabella’s other loves, the short film form.

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Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. The daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian neorealist film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted for her successful tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet (1986) and Death Becomes Her (1992). Rossellini also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in Crime of the Century (1996).

Rossellini is involved in conservation efforts. She is the president and director of the Howard Gilman Foundation—a leading institution focused on the preservation of wildlife, arts, photography and dance—and she has been a board member of the Wildlife Conservation Network. She received US$100,000 from Disney to help with her conservation efforts in those two organizations. She has also helped with the Central Park Conservancy, and is a major benefactor of the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society of Bellport, Long Island, where she is a part-time resident.[39]

Rossellini is involved in training guide dogs for the blind. She is a former trustee of the George Eastman House and a 1997 George Eastman Award honoree for her support of film preservation. She is also a National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

From Wikipedia

 

Reading: New York Public Library Celebrates 125 Years With “125 Books List”

New York Public Library logoThe New York Public Library is marking its 125th birthday this year—in part with this list of their favorite books written for adults from the past 125 years, which they hope will “inspire a lifelong love of reading.” 

New York Public Library Celebrates 125 Years with 125 Favorite Books List

New York Public Library Celebrates 125 Years with 125 Favorite Books List

See the full list here