tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29891657089586480132024-03-20T01:58:12.452-07:00The Wonderful World of AmsteramaMusings on American culture, politics, and food.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-74321784348808239282010-09-15T10:48:00.000-07:002010-09-15T10:52:23.874-07:00How I Became Mr. Hamburger Press<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XqSEFIxeYA9j4U6LtoAqxmLaxF3DlZ-KdGWQbdc2-WwHCyLscgZHLW8j50EM5g0k_zcx9lK8n2xAI9Sd_kXudAZJa2DynnbhCkmrhrmN_amuQL9RBUzgjtbqxi9OVW9LIJC_nLB4w9NL/s1600/il_fullxfull_123189530.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XqSEFIxeYA9j4U6LtoAqxmLaxF3DlZ-KdGWQbdc2-WwHCyLscgZHLW8j50EM5g0k_zcx9lK8n2xAI9Sd_kXudAZJa2DynnbhCkmrhrmN_amuQL9RBUzgjtbqxi9OVW9LIJC_nLB4w9NL/s200/il_fullxfull_123189530.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517199517352600930" /></a><br />It started with a few simple questions:<br />Do you like Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand or Bette Midler?<br />Was your mother a Cub Scout leader?<br />Have you ever considered the priesthood?<br />Have you ever taken Valium?<br />Complete this phrase: “Clang, clang, clang.”<br />And: Did your mother have a hamburger press with a rooster on it?<br />These questions were often posed by my friend Lloyd as a “gay test.” If you answered yes to one or more of the questions, you were probably gay, he said. Lloyd asked a lot of people these questions, so one year as a joke Christmas present, I decided to find him a hamburger press with a rooster on it. I was driving through Sonoma and dropped into a thrift store, and there was one: a wooden hamburger press with a rooster on it. I presented it to Lloyd, and he was suitably delighted. <br />Little did I know that this would set me on a path where I would achieve my Warholian 15 minutes of fame. I often frequent thrift stores, and suddenly hamburger presses started appearing. It seemed like fate, so I kept buying them. There was one store in particular, where every time I went in, there would be three or four. In very little time, I had a collection. I decided that if I had a dozen or so, I would enter the collection in the San Francisco County Fair. This was back in the ‘80s, when the City had a tongue in cheek county fair, with lots of odd competitions, like a parking space race. <br />As the fair approached, I decided to make a great presentation, so I bought red and white, checked gingham, fake parsley, and even crafted a fake hamburger out of a Gaines Burger dog food patty, complete with airbrushed singe marks. I even made up little cards, explaining the lore and history of the hamburger press. Truthfully I made most of it up, but if you say anything with authority, people will believe you. The display looked great, and I loved standing back and watching people view my collection and say things like: “Why would anyone collect those?” Quite to my surprise, I took third prize, losing out to a fossil collection, and the first price winner, a collection of blotter acid. Only in San Francisco. <br />Soon after the fair, I received a call from the San Francisco Chronicle, they were doing an article for their Image magazine about people with odd collections. They interviewed me and took my picture with the collection. After the article ran, people started bringing me hamburger presses. It was around this time that I decided that this was an interesting conceptual art project and I would ride it as far as it went. <br />Shortly after the fair, I moved back to Orange County and decided to see how my collection would do at the OC Fair. Unfortunately, people didn’t get it as they did in SF (big surprise), but it did garner me an article in the Los Angeles Times. <br />It was during this time that I opened a thrift store, and after the article appeared, many more hamburger presses came my way. Eventually, the collection swelled to over 125. <br />It was becoming overwhelming, dragging around all of there hamburger presses, and I tired of the collecting and the “fame” being Mr. Hamburger Press brought me, but there was one more shot that would be the pinnacle of this project and also the end of it. <br />The Fullerton Museum, located in the Orange County city of Fullerton, is a institution dedicated to pop culture, and always has off-center exhibitions. One day while viewing a show dedicated to Fender Guitar founder Leo Fender, I saw that they were seeking out people with odd collections, mostly purchased on eBay, for an exhibition called “Gotta Have It.” <br />I wrote up a brief description of my collection and submitted it, not really expecting to hear anything back, but to my surprise, about six months later, I received a letter instructing to bring my collection to the museum and be prepared to speak about it for a video interview. I dropped off my collection a few weeks later, did the interview and was told that the exhibition would open a couple of months later. I was told to be prepared to speak at the opening night about my collection.<br />As I entered the museum, there was my collection, housed in a huge plexigalss case with a description, as if it were high art. I decided a long time ago that the character of Mr. Hamburger Press was slightly off-kilter and maybe a little insane (who else but a mad man would collect these things seriously?). On opening night, I donned my loudest Hawaiian shirt, handed my sister a video camera, and proceeded to give a serious lecture about the lore of the hamburger presses, one eyebrow cocked slightly higher than the other for effect. You can actually hear my sister on the tape saying, “He’s gone completely off his rocker.” I consider it one of my finest moments. <br />After the exhibition closed, I kept getting calls from the museum to come pick up my collection, but I had already decided I was done with it all and was just going to leave it there. I kept putting them off. Nearly two years later, the curator called and said he was going to be in my area and he would drop it off. I had no choice but to accept. Over the next six months, two boxes of hamburger presses sat in my office, as I would hand them out to anyone who dropped by. <br />Today, I have perhaps three or four. <br />While I may not be the only collector of Hamuburger presses in the world (there are always a few dozen for sale on eBay), I was certainly the foremost. In fact, if you search my name and hamburger press on the internet, there are still references.<br />So, that was my 15 minutes of fame. I suppose there are worse things to be known for than collecting hamburger presses. <br />By the way, my mother didn’t have a hamburger press with a rooster on it.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-91603352303644988222010-02-25T17:09:00.000-08:002010-03-04T19:35:31.031-08:00Holocaust Survivor and Hitler Youth Speak in Piedmont<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWwlPUjy5EkiFDj_HatGUoqMmA_vCFsZLH6RxlBZHuB4LMCIQL9ikK9Ybqymtfyz1egDUvgS8xN9wmKYeFfFQ2h0RpaToLsOjBJBZ7SSRutzGxqV6Tw3ueyB8IbNjvFyifQ9GBBvjCs3v/s1600-h/BAkehilla.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWwlPUjy5EkiFDj_HatGUoqMmA_vCFsZLH6RxlBZHuB4LMCIQL9ikK9Ybqymtfyz1egDUvgS8xN9wmKYeFfFQ2h0RpaToLsOjBJBZ7SSRutzGxqV6Tw3ueyB8IbNjvFyifQ9GBBvjCs3v/s200/BAkehilla.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442353477990731570" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/41501/survivor-former-hitler-youth-link-up-for-chat-in-piedmont/">Click here</a> to read my latest <span style="font-style:italic;">J. Weekly</span> article about a Holocaust survivor and a former Hitler Youth speaking in Piedmont.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-30255049302232535502010-02-23T12:53:00.000-08:002010-02-23T12:55:39.715-08:00Thrift Store Articles<a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news0310_thrift.shtml">Click here</a> to read my article on AIDS-benefiting thrift stores in the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.<br /><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news0310_dorothy.shtml">Click here</a> to read about my expereinces running Dorothy's on Broadway Thrift Store.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-58094185469690476382010-01-28T15:12:00.000-08:002010-01-28T15:15:27.732-08:00Bay Area Jewish Food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTFHCVXDZ3dFsRoEbULRHdgQLUgn3IPMCp6wk0q0rV92NGt2V8Ur7SATi39J7M5XY8snUgzCMScv7INv7bvHco7kcpxivg8240lHeIEYE5v2IzcA4bz4hVbZ2uUU8g88FLHNl2A_ifHRW/s1600-h/CELjewish+food.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTFHCVXDZ3dFsRoEbULRHdgQLUgn3IPMCp6wk0q0rV92NGt2V8Ur7SATi39J7M5XY8snUgzCMScv7INv7bvHco7kcpxivg8240lHeIEYE5v2IzcA4bz4hVbZ2uUU8g88FLHNl2A_ifHRW/s200/CELjewish+food.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431933275635545314" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/41207/jewish-suppers-in-an-s.f.-restaurant-kosher-kitchen-in-an-oakland-hotel-bel/">Click here</a> to read my article about unexpected Bay Area Jewish restaurants in <span style="font-style:italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-41381088596641771762010-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:002010-01-14T17:24:29.670-08:00Ada Burko Story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9TfAfDb94w5fi7qeAvC-gmgK3MzVQyLrEPvy-TS2cZVMHo332-bxZrcIdXWj3Y0FsNK_vo1YiNK9zNsgbIflsVdfOAZUwHmnfKfrBh8v6Lw7IeloR4F_83rFofRefaSdG0P6JvOlkcg6/s1600-h/SRburko,+ada.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9TfAfDb94w5fi7qeAvC-gmgK3MzVQyLrEPvy-TS2cZVMHo332-bxZrcIdXWj3Y0FsNK_vo1YiNK9zNsgbIflsVdfOAZUwHmnfKfrBh8v6Lw7IeloR4F_83rFofRefaSdG0P6JvOlkcg6/s200/SRburko,+ada.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426771328548008850" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/41076/senior-services-icon-bids-adieu-to-jfcs-east-bay/">Click here</a> to read my story about JFCS's Ada Burko in <span style="font-style:italic;">J Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-66627631015516920322009-12-01T18:07:00.000-08:002009-12-01T18:12:44.526-08:00Chanukah Cards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi920f1caBAOtu1AbgpSIN5ligFwMzCRw8He6sqirTh2VmJ7ofIGGMembBJsxTs43w1OBgvq7h46n8LDABjySdtrD8J0cPEcAF-54ZHIEJ5hUiztuU_I-0vOsbvZWBbZHLllfZAJr4EP8MK/s1600-h/Dreidel_on_Beach_Palm_Press.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi920f1caBAOtu1AbgpSIN5ligFwMzCRw8He6sqirTh2VmJ7ofIGGMembBJsxTs43w1OBgvq7h46n8LDABjySdtrD8J0cPEcAF-54ZHIEJ5hUiztuU_I-0vOsbvZWBbZHLllfZAJr4EP8MK/s200/Dreidel_on_Beach_Palm_Press.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410456020886419826" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/40641/local-company-has-a-chanukah-greeting-for-every-night/">Click here</a> to read my article on Chanukah cards in <span style="font-style:italic;">J Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-91089031747622535982009-11-24T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-24T16:56:41.974-08:00New Articles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbu6gaoTW0m-9kL3l1XqLUySMeqcNQshhc1UmtScuUM82_-g3rnshh3tGF7X0yyU5dT-hwntqeDOPTsICuW5M28BpXs5lOHvF-8kg-bWjt1-6OjDHaN1W-tIHTRnBX6NqdpYlCHpLc6Us/s1600/top_nav_hom.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 71px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbu6gaoTW0m-9kL3l1XqLUySMeqcNQshhc1UmtScuUM82_-g3rnshh3tGF7X0yyU5dT-hwntqeDOPTsICuW5M28BpXs5lOHvF-8kg-bWjt1-6OjDHaN1W-tIHTRnBX6NqdpYlCHpLc6Us/s400/top_nav_hom.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407838824476823746" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/40605/journey-of-insight-creator-of-famous-rosen-method-still-going-strong-in-ber/">Click here</a> to read my article on Marion Rosen in <span style="font-style:italic;">J Weekly</span>.<br /><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news1109_lo.shtml">Click here</a> to read my article on Laguna Outreach in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Orange County and Long Beach Blade</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-81371890561707625482009-10-09T16:45:00.000-07:002009-10-09T16:48:47.843-07:00The Sholem Aleichem of San Francisco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcPdjoxDs-Xjbu8kjCixUBjAhjgPSmYvU0suRn-RzJVOXJK-adwqrWS0S3wPDu2-Q5YQxgbaAGTcO1s0B6rAm8b4TTm6xglkWEPOPe5UwbTnSsG-atZdB6YEgQmjXcLWiCD4kRVM2tYtR/s1600-h/SRliebman.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcPdjoxDs-Xjbu8kjCixUBjAhjgPSmYvU0suRn-RzJVOXJK-adwqrWS0S3wPDu2-Q5YQxgbaAGTcO1s0B6rAm8b4TTm6xglkWEPOPe5UwbTnSsG-atZdB6YEgQmjXcLWiCD4kRVM2tYtR/s200/SRliebman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390751402483430466" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/40074/modern-day-sholem-aleichem-emerges-in-s.f/">Click here</a> to read my article on Joey Liebman, the Sholem Aleichem of San Francisco in J. Weekly.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-10184586256381113702009-09-24T12:11:00.000-07:002009-10-29T14:11:26.851-07:00Same-Sex Marriage News Stories<a href="http://www.sfbaytimes.com/index.php?sec=article&article_id=11511">Click here</a> to read my <span style="font-style:italic;">SF Bay Times</span> story on same-sex marriage in Maine.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=11509">Click here</a> to read my <span style="font-style:italic;">SF Bay Times</span> story on challenging Prop 8 in 2010.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-16118396926893627382009-09-03T15:50:00.000-07:002009-09-03T15:53:05.187-07:00First SF Bay Times Story<a href="http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=11381">Click here</a> to read my first assignment for the <span style="font-style:italic;">SF Bay Time</span>s about the efforts to rescind Prop 8 in 2010 vs 2012.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-44063774072633547992009-08-28T18:13:00.000-07:002009-08-28T18:16:52.201-07:00New Articles<a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/39717/finding-fulfillment-warren-hellman-joins-his-daughter-for-a-special-double-/">Click here</a> to read my article on Warren Hellman and Tricia Hellman Gibbs' Bnai Mitzvah in <span style="font-style:italic;">J Weekly</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news0909_church.shtml">Click here</a> to read my article on Centro Cristiano Oasis in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Orange County and Long Beach Blade</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-49817681005658859442009-07-30T15:36:00.000-07:002009-07-30T15:39:11.311-07:00Holocaust Survivors Article<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpimzoYFU0eKCJKSpNDC96rNX_iVLvaP8Ab9FcAP2i53Mid1BODBVv-NeJafgRpspTFUwhrXHmy8tLLa4L2EAbVc1QcYTujbtg_yPYamcFkOjPYEZl241TWT66YDNWPe_CfilwXn4aGqk_/s1600-h/SRbooket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpimzoYFU0eKCJKSpNDC96rNX_iVLvaP8Ab9FcAP2i53Mid1BODBVv-NeJafgRpspTFUwhrXHmy8tLLa4L2EAbVc1QcYTujbtg_yPYamcFkOjPYEZl241TWT66YDNWPe_CfilwXn4aGqk_/s200/SRbooket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364386404108212210" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/39417/east-bay-survivors-recall-holocaust-in-their-own-voices/">Click here</a> to read my article about the Holocaust Survivors Memoir Writing Group in <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-45210863364461359602009-07-01T17:02:00.000-07:002009-07-01T17:06:08.723-07:00San Diego Pride<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ3eOoZs0IHua8-NHAaGgPeB5av1sGTnvmwzNbdRwaXJvBU3HZymrIMq6mAy2D_Dxl-GEDkpxgoWsPKzUToYGwzjbWLPyUlFJVNeguo54Yh8XwCHrE5OoKS6Hzgijj_bdtfJ04cPveX26/s1600-h/sdPride_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ3eOoZs0IHua8-NHAaGgPeB5av1sGTnvmwzNbdRwaXJvBU3HZymrIMq6mAy2D_Dxl-GEDkpxgoWsPKzUToYGwzjbWLPyUlFJVNeguo54Yh8XwCHrE5OoKS6Hzgijj_bdtfJ04cPveX26/s200/sdPride_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353647369314656114" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news0709_sd.shtml">Click here</a> to read my article on San Diego Pride in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Orange County and Long Beach Blade</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-74954732584510692782009-06-26T16:01:00.000-07:002009-06-26T16:02:42.850-07:00Torah and Tacos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ2zvMc98M-My6oD6kLLkds5p0iOJqqLQQ3zDxl-KwlYdnJSHZk1Iteghzz-3_Cm_3dDMzqYYbwBY3T0nbG4mGHUQq3Ayj_crnOOEvjsi2vvoUI2s-UtlEsIlaCHmFxsU9HPoKJmdJAxq/s1600-h/CELtaco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJ2zvMc98M-My6oD6kLLkds5p0iOJqqLQQ3zDxl-KwlYdnJSHZk1Iteghzz-3_Cm_3dDMzqYYbwBY3T0nbG4mGHUQq3Ayj_crnOOEvjsi2vvoUI2s-UtlEsIlaCHmFxsU9HPoKJmdJAxq/s200/CELtaco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351775588841417522" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/38448/torah-class-spices-things-up-with-tacos-and-salsa/">Click here</a> to read my article about Torah and Tacos in <span style="font-style: italic;">J Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-38755085590906351782009-06-16T13:37:00.000-07:002009-06-16T13:41:07.174-07:00Discovering the Artist Within<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedL_p6Rpx-K2zceuIXLq9UFh8c2XTwAOuPQqQdtnHhRKxVvIifXIRvo5jHT8ioiB9sq-TFg9fHT-KhKyZNhLugtl3vNxyuprndEZPF5jGQLN1u43bl7gE6dmPCkyDJAzNceT9W3cTlOv/s1600-h/MonaLisa_sfumato.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedL_p6Rpx-K2zceuIXLq9UFh8c2XTwAOuPQqQdtnHhRKxVvIifXIRvo5jHT8ioiB9sq-TFg9fHT-KhKyZNhLugtl3vNxyuprndEZPF5jGQLN1u43bl7gE6dmPCkyDJAzNceT9W3cTlOv/s200/MonaLisa_sfumato.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348028247862863618" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/38346/with-just-a-little-effort-seniors-are-discovering-the-artist-within/">Click here</a> to read my article <span style="font-style: italic;">Discovering the Artist</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Within</span> from <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-91047470222846935322009-06-10T13:52:00.000-07:002009-06-10T13:57:28.093-07:00Burrito Web Site<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlGmmCFjWjsHVIPHx_8xUfhamqJBYE-kGldKLZ4KR4VlgpI0Mb6SokINrR07-4Ubak43CsUcXIuILdPTuRYUG24sVcM_AoM9O2AzhSPB3rbM40_cyvFb3BjI_M-FQAsrFrJqufX-kLVCj/s1600-h/burrito.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlGmmCFjWjsHVIPHx_8xUfhamqJBYE-kGldKLZ4KR4VlgpI0Mb6SokINrR07-4Ubak43CsUcXIuILdPTuRYUG24sVcM_AoM9O2AzhSPB3rbM40_cyvFb3BjI_M-FQAsrFrJqufX-kLVCj/s200/burrito.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345805887398678626" border="0" /></a><br />I am working on an article about a program called Torah and Tacos, and Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of San Francisco's Temple Emanu-El told me about this great Web site for burrito reviews: <a href="http://burritoeater.com/main.php">http://burritoeater.com/main.php</a>Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-23781955480832947752009-05-27T13:16:00.000-07:002009-05-27T19:03:43.956-07:00San Francisco Article<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmpFv31cb-JsimGYFJw5gcVDG04_Kv8YI8GhvbxyYVC_GScNGvP-2Xqr72sjBvgi0JyAXejXGnL4lhzoC80wsixPXzYE_EggXhcBtl-eo2fvSQeFlzruZYmDGncv7KSv_5V1Npds2wgG6/s1600-h/IMG_1089.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmpFv31cb-JsimGYFJw5gcVDG04_Kv8YI8GhvbxyYVC_GScNGvP-2Xqr72sjBvgi0JyAXejXGnL4lhzoC80wsixPXzYE_EggXhcBtl-eo2fvSQeFlzruZYmDGncv7KSv_5V1Npds2wgG6/s200/IMG_1089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340689674893107506" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/news0609_sf.shtml">Click here</a> to read my article about San Francisco in the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-25893543265183947542009-02-21T09:20:00.000-08:002009-02-21T09:25:53.470-08:00Recent Articles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmRrjtKQt6RUQc0PakVgy0gzTqqoT8oJSTy-6r9ZHtCNkP2eU9yLIHrQF3FvGEKkFwSNAZ1KFI5JK_7hgo5P3ZYllT0XBaPGZoqURBhKlt6ZOAetTWSA06G12jiLvilAFtsbkMahcXe6y/s1600-h/2376967415_4fc677db73.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmRrjtKQt6RUQc0PakVgy0gzTqqoT8oJSTy-6r9ZHtCNkP2eU9yLIHrQF3FvGEKkFwSNAZ1KFI5JK_7hgo5P3ZYllT0XBaPGZoqURBhKlt6ZOAetTWSA06G12jiLvilAFtsbkMahcXe6y/s200/2376967415_4fc677db73.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305303108023103826" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/37017/format/html/displaystory.html">Click here</a> to read my article on Congregation Sherith Israel's Leisure League in <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/36880/format/html/displaystory.html">Click here</a> to read my article on the Dunsmuir Hellman House in <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-83662336059089859882008-12-19T12:29:00.000-08:002008-12-19T12:31:53.219-08:00Ennio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHbvPoxZPD7oWYmDc4K3opNPBvHUxIF4d4lnkKFJ55cLTdjoTNrpKKPUDKJYqvSkYHWKmcsI_nu_jiIwlB28PhQ8hPXP5YPXELycYGuWKwyACx4JoAdmX6O0FwynGjoXBwDdg-gQpQ00c/s1600-h/ennio_monalisa_classic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 75px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHbvPoxZPD7oWYmDc4K3opNPBvHUxIF4d4lnkKFJ55cLTdjoTNrpKKPUDKJYqvSkYHWKmcsI_nu_jiIwlB28PhQ8hPXP5YPXELycYGuWKwyACx4JoAdmX6O0FwynGjoXBwDdg-gQpQ00c/s200/ennio_monalisa_classic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281601390484842994" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.edgeprovidence.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=news&sc3=&id=84734">Click here</a> to read my article on Ennio in <span style="font-style: italic;">Edge Magazine</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-7427987530537767322008-11-29T20:49:00.000-08:002008-11-29T20:50:43.266-08:00New Article<a href="http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/36590/format/html/displaystory.html">Click here</a> to read my article on philanthropy in <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-1716884740157417582008-11-20T16:35:00.001-08:002008-11-21T09:34:33.672-08:00My Yma Sumac Obsession, or Once in Love with Amy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P1-AOzQPKyAdDCBxypkZ7c6KC-1hPyHiDXPZYPgATwjmTJE1rHR6FnYG7SiDqMIUEgpK7SRzM5KFwERHK3nqpQ_-6PnQtzG3gZdttlSnb9Ii4fMjMKHoMcwKz8m9KBWnJJNFBVIMXxkq/s1600-h/yma-sumac-red.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4P1-AOzQPKyAdDCBxypkZ7c6KC-1hPyHiDXPZYPgATwjmTJE1rHR6FnYG7SiDqMIUEgpK7SRzM5KFwERHK3nqpQ_-6PnQtzG3gZdttlSnb9Ii4fMjMKHoMcwKz8m9KBWnJJNFBVIMXxkq/s200/yma-sumac-red.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270903397181062594" border="0" /></a><br />The recent passing of Yma Sumac seems like a good time to finally write the tribute to her that I've been thinking about for years. Less a tribute, I suppose, than my memories of this singular singer.<br />Like with so many things in my life, my knowledge of Yma began with a call from Lloyd Stensrud and Richard Moss in the late '80s, asking if I wanted to catch a performance by Yma Sumac. I had never heard of her, but they assured me that I would enjoy the concert. They told me about her story: a Peruvian singer with a five-octave range, she released a series of popular albums in the '50s, did a couple of movies, and was now making a comeback.<br />She was performing in a small theater in San Francisco and as the lights dimmed and the band finished the overture, she emerged from the shadows. An exotic creature, he looks had faded somewhat from her heyday, but she was still striking. She proceeded to give a whirlwind concert, plucking favorites from her repertoire, abusing her band (a trend, I would learn later), and teasing the audience who wanted to hear nothing more than one of the songs from her popular Mambo album. She would make that number her encore and "faked" her way through it. I was smitten, and over the next few weeks I bought every recording of hers I could get my hands on. (My obsession isn't as bad as Richard's. He has to not only have every recording, but every packaging of those recordings, from CDs to 78-rpm records and everything in between.)<br />Moving from the Bay Area to Southern California in 1988, I found that Yma started performing regularly at the Hollywood Roosevelt's Cinegrill. My ex and I caught every performance there, and they were pretty much the same set, more of her abusing her band (I think she loathed most musicians), the audience wanting more from Mambo and her obliging grudgingly, and her holding court afterwards for autographs. By 1991, she would do one more concert at The Strand in Redondo Beach (often interrupted by the sound of the dishwasher) and would again retire.<br />The crowd at those concerts were an odd combination of original fans now in their 60s and 70s, gays, and younger hipsters, the latter in the minority. That would change with her final concert at the Hollywood House of Blues in either 2000 or 2001 (I'm not sure). By then, the Space Age bachelor pad music fad was booming, and the room was filled with hipsters and hipster wannabes.<br />Overall, it was the same set she'd been doing all along, but there was one somewhat disturbing surprise. Yma was outfitted in a very low cut, green sequin dress, and at one point in the concert, it literally fell off. There she was, bare-breasted on the stage-embarrassing to say the least. That, unfortunately, would be the last time I'd see Yma.<br />My two favorite Yma stories are ones where I didn't see her, one fact and one fiction. The factual one involves my taking pictures for the cover of IN Los Angeles magazine, where I was working as an editor. We were doing a cover story on the Sunset Junction Festival, and needed a shot of the street where it is held as a background for the cover model. I wanted to get a shot from up high, looking down on the street, so the festival director and I climbed the stairs of the building where their offices were located. I couldn't get the shot I wanted from any of the windows by the stairs, and by chance, we spotted someone coming out of their apartment. We asked if we could shoot some pictures out his window. After I finished getting my pictures, I turned to leave and noticed stacks of pictures of Yma on a table and memorabilia everywhere. I asked him why he had all the Yma stuff, and he told me he was her personal assistant. Yeah, right, I thought, so I started quizzing him. He had enough obscure knowledge about Yma that I decided he was telling the truth, so I asked him if there was any possibility of getting autographed pictures of her for Richard and I. Two weeks later, the pics arrived, and the autograph was authentic, I had some items she autographed after a concert to compare it to. That picture is up in my living room, draped in black once I heard of her passing.<br />My other Yma story is complete fiction: that she was a villainess on the TV show Batman. Her character was the Siren, and she was paired with the Joker. They would rob jewelry stores together: Yma would enter and hit one of her high notes, which would stun everyone and break the glass on the display cases. The Joker would then snatch up all of the loot and they would make their escape. Completely false, but utterly believable.<br />I shed a few tears when I heard of her passing Yma was one of a kind, and there will never be another voice like hers: notes as high as a bird, and as low as a dog's growl. Rest in peace Yma, mi amor.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-90286084387259470782008-11-13T10:01:00.000-08:002008-11-13T10:05:32.727-08:00Jewish Museum Article<a href="http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/36412/format/html/displaystory.html">Click here</a> to read my article on the Jewish Heritage Museum in <span style="font-style: italic;">J. Weekly</span>.Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-55491224130457943422008-11-08T12:48:00.000-08:002008-11-13T09:57:51.501-08:00Harvey Milk Article<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjMjN-nizeG0CWxLgvN3m13pnnKC0zPvo_T9ujbJPpY52hvjKBg-yZD_uBMOg0fOohj80IaLjNhuxjPFW_V035csme32RMbjuMvQYULlePGXgfXBk7URn9JknsMEttMpV5XctK_VxcpJi/s1600-h/harvey_milk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjMjN-nizeG0CWxLgvN3m13pnnKC0zPvo_T9ujbJPpY52hvjKBg-yZD_uBMOg0fOohj80IaLjNhuxjPFW_V035csme32RMbjuMvQYULlePGXgfXBk7URn9JknsMEttMpV5XctK_VxcpJi/s200/harvey_milk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266393350154229938" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.gayblade.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=523&Itemid=1">Click here</a> to read my article <span style="font-style: italic;">Harvey Milk and Me</span> in the<span style="font-style: italic;"> Orange County and Long Beach Blade. </span>Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-48540840933412317732008-11-03T12:58:00.000-08:002008-11-04T14:08:44.682-08:00RIP Yma Sumac<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bVoqtHmbzwUg8sJr0QRN1uM_HqBnH_i1BNF0yHN58YbuISVK5ARQrKW2o1PUgJEblJCmmZDQQDpJvFsTAZ1trcgXsoHhatj0b-sfVbGGkhG00IrMVWd2Hg9cKaoMU3Hv0k9g44KlyiD-/s1600-h/ymahumuhumu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bVoqtHmbzwUg8sJr0QRN1uM_HqBnH_i1BNF0yHN58YbuISVK5ARQrKW2o1PUgJEblJCmmZDQQDpJvFsTAZ1trcgXsoHhatj0b-sfVbGGkhG00IrMVWd2Hg9cKaoMU3Hv0k9g44KlyiD-/s200/ymahumuhumu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264927740128791954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have just received word of the passing of Yma Sumac. I will post my personal memories of her at a later time.<br /><a href="http://www.yma-sumac.com/"><br />http://www.yma-sumac.com/</a>Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989165708958648013.post-39476449713817094832008-11-02T16:08:00.000-08:002008-11-03T10:58:22.730-08:00John Cleese Brillance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWjsAMAqwDMOJge9JOnXj-HSMlSTyePp1DqyHFUlOQO89UYCkkbOBCVDxhzUrmOYQzTBsGH7ut45BcdQMx3zUyio7LSFE2ttxm_dUfxGr6MeUFsMlieOCIuM4cDZA0poA-bH_J0Bgy7uS/s1600-h/John+Cleese.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWjsAMAqwDMOJge9JOnXj-HSMlSTyePp1DqyHFUlOQO89UYCkkbOBCVDxhzUrmOYQzTBsGH7ut45BcdQMx3zUyio7LSFE2ttxm_dUfxGr6MeUFsMlieOCIuM4cDZA0poA-bH_J0Bgy7uS/s200/John+Cleese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264219386619220546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">John</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Cleese</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> came up with one of my favorite moments from Campaign 2008. Appearing on </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MSNBC's</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Countdown with Keith </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Olbermann</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">on Oct. 31, he said:</span><br /><br />"If Carl Rove had been working for the Democrats, he would have run something about John McCain saying, 'This man—so-called hero—spent five and a half years, the most formative years of his life, in a Communist country, speaking only to Communists. He never had to pick up the tab, all his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">accommodations</span> were free. Do we want someone as president who has been palling around with Communists?"Amsteramahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15732217232973902005noreply@blogger.com0