July 2017
Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 1
Processed Media By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind Every year, thousands of game journalists and developers congregate in one location to show off the latest and greatest developments in the game industry. A place where new consoles are announced (like this year’s Microsoft Xbox One X), new technology is demonstrated, and plenty of exciting new game announcements are made, here are the five things I’m most excited about that I saw, heard and fawned over during this year’s set of presentations: Super Mario Odyssey --- Easily the most exciting game shown at E3 2017 was Nintendo’s much-anticipated new Mario title, Super Mario Odyssey. For those expecting another straight-edge Mario game in the vein of Super Mario 3D Land or New Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Odyssey is a breathtaking surprise: Odyssey looks to be the weirdest, most surreal trip into the Mushroom Kingdom ever, far surpassing the ambition and quirkiness of beloved titles like Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. What Nintendo showed was downright fascinating, showing Mario in landscapes like the modern New Donk City (where he possesses a motherflipping human with his self-aware hat), the infamous deserts of Super Mario Bros. 3, and a dozen other, equally unique and gorgeous looking worlds. Set to release 27th October, Super Mario Odyssey looks primed to be the huge followup hit Nintendo’s needed since Breath of the Wild released earlier this year. Unlike the new, much-heralded Zelda title, however, Super Mario Odyssey looks to harken back to the batsh*t crazy days of early Nintendo in a way that makes me excited for the Nintendo Switch’s potential in ways I couldn’t imagine.
Sea of Thieves --- It’s been awhile since Rare was considered one of the premiere game development teams around; after a memorable run stretching from the 8-bit era through the Nintendo 64’s life, Rare is remembered for some of the most beloved platforming titles, games brewing with visual creativity and an upbeat personality much of the games industry openly avoids. Their return to prominence, however, is something completely different, a pirate-themed cooperative multiplayer game exclusive to Windows 10 and Xbox One (possibly giving Microsoft a much-needed boost to its Xbox-only library). A group of players traverse an open world free to do whatever they please. Recently delayed until sometime in 2018, my fingers are crossed that Rare is taking the time to further polish and develop what looks to be a thrilling cooperative adventure. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus --- Though last year’s impressive Doom reboot garnered a lot of deserved attention, it’s Bethesda’s reboot of Wolfenstein a few years back that left a lasting impression on me as a gamer. Doom was fun,, but Wolfenstein was an absolute blast; a game that innovated on the typical mechanics and flow of a first-person shooter, offering a hilariously unhinged story of nuclear war, Nazi scientists and epic action scenes. The New Colossus looks to be a triumphant return of B.J. Blazkowicz to consoles and PC this October (launching the same day as Super Mario Odyssey, no less), continuing the events of the previous game where (spoiler) the Nazis won World War II. Set in 1961 in Nazi occupied America, it sees BJ trying to kick off the next revolution with a militant group armed with a ton of expletives, explosions, and awesome-looking new weapons. Although this game may once again fall under the radar of mainstream gamers, fans of The New Order (like myself) are itching to get back behind Blazkowicz’s triggers.
Spider-Man --- Take the combat from the Arkham series of Batman games, throw in the superior city traversal from Spider-Man 2 (the video game), and coat it with an absolutely stunning level of polish and graphical scope, and you’ve got Insomniac’s very derivative, but still very exciting new Spider-Man game. Taking place in its own independent universe, this is the first Spider-Man game trying to be great at capturing both the butt-kicking adventures of the man in the tight body suit, and the life of the man behind it, bringing Peter Parker into the narrative and game play in ways previous games have never really attempted (maybe in Shattered Dimensions, though it’s largely a missed opportunity there). For decades, Spider-Man has been the open-world game developers have never been able to nail, but there are high hopes this particular Playstation 4-exclusive title (which is thankfully independent from the upcoming movie release; licensed games are the bane of our existence) will finally give the wise-cracking webslinger the digital adventure he deserves. Anthem --- Ok, so maybe this is just Tom Clancy’s The Division mixed with Destiny 2, but hot damn, does Anthem look like the “next big thing” in cooperative multiplayer gaming. Though probably destined to be an under performing mess of server issues and perpetual loot chase, Anthem could be the game Bioware needs right now, after the disappointing Dragon Age and Mass Effect sequels of recent years. A game clearly designed around the most buzzword-y game elements imaginable (Immersive World, Dynamic Gameplay, Cooperative Elements, Loot, Dystopian Future Game... you freaking name it, this game embodies it), this “possibly 10-year journey” (their words, not mine) looks to be the gorgeous, fun, engaging game The Division never could be. The narrative potential alone – which, is arguably still Bioware’s bread and butter – positions Anthem as one of the more intriguing titles planned for release in 2018, an opportunity for the growing massive online multiplayer shooter genre to shed some of its increasingly mundane mechanics and evolve as a storytelling medium.
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Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
Flavonoids O
O
Adenosine Triphosphate
chelated
macronutrient
Mixed Tocopherols
enzymes
alkalinity
long-chain fatty acids
Essential Amino Acids
micronutrient
Polysaccharides
oxidation
We know words like this so you don’t have to. We also know how to explain them in a way that makes sense.
Knowledge
Shared Generously
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Maine Jewish Museum Grand Opening of Three New Exhibits Thursday, July 13, 2017, 5pm-7pm
Within the Landscape
Before the Flood
Anne Ireland
Anita Clearfield
Final Mourner’s Kaddish Max Miller
Exhibition: July 13, 2017 - September 10, 2017 First Friday: August 4, 2017 5pm-8pm Maine Jewish Museum
267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339 Monday - Friday 10am-4pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org
Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag By Stacy Begin / Owner, Two Fat Cats Bakery
Sauntering With Mat
By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator
Letting the Cat Out Of The Bag & Sauntering With Mat are both on vacation for July and will return to Up Portland next issue. Hope your Summer travels are all good ones! Page 4
Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
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Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 5
Attractions & Locations Welcome to Up Portland’s monthly crossword. In case walking along Commercial or Exchange streets has not reminded you, we are now in peak Summer Season. And for both our local readers and visitors alike, this month’s puzzle theme is attractions & locations you might know or want to see. You’ll find a lot of familiar (and maybe a few not-so) spots here, so sharpen your brain and pencil. As always, comments are welcome at ted@upportland.com and the solution (no peeking) is on Page 18. Oh, and the photos are some “hints” to a few answers... Good luck!
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Financial Focus By Michael Wright / CFP — Edward Jones (EDITOR’S NOTE—Welcome to our financial column, which is provided to Up Portland by Michael Wright, a Certified Financial Planner with Edward Jones. Michael welcomes comments and questions and may be reached thru the newspaper or by phone at 855/841.9563.) It’s the month when we mark the Fourth of July, a time when we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy. The Constitution grants us many of these liberties, but we have to earn others – such as our financial freedom. What steps can you take to achieve the financial independence you need to reach your long-term goals? For starters, always work to build your resources. Contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. If you don’t take advantage of this match, you are essentially leaving money on the table. While how much you invest is an essential factor in gaining your financial freedom. How you invest your money is equally important. So make sure you have sufficient growth potential in all your accounts. While growth-oriented investments, such as stocks and stock-based vehicles, carry investment risk, you can help moderate this risk by also including other investments, such as bonds. Another way to gain your financial independence is to liberate yourself from the shackles of debt. This isn’t always easy, of course – most of us have experienced times when our cash flow simply wasn’t sufficient to meet our expenses, but the more you can control your debts, the more money you’ll have to save and invest. One way to manage your debt load is to build an emergency fund, containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, which you can use to pay unexpected costs such as a major car repair or a large medical bill. Ideally, you should keep this money in a liquid, low-risk account, so you can access the funds quickly and without penalty. Aside from possibly helping you control your debts, an emergency fund also may enable you to avoid dipping into your longterm investments to pay for short-term needs. Thus far, we’ve only discussed achieving your financial freedom through methods of saving and investing. But you also need to consider your protection needs, too. If you were to become ill or suffer a serious injury, and you could not work for a while, your financial security could be jeopardized. Your employer might offer you disability insurance as an employee benefit, but it may not be enough for your needs, so you might need to purchase some additional coverage on your own. And to help ensure your family’s financial security, you’ll also need sufficient life insurance. You also might want to protect yourself from the catastrophic costs of long-term care, such as an extended nursing home stay. The average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $92,000, according to the 2016 Cost of Care Study issued by the insurance company Genworth. And Medicare generally covers only a small percentage of these expenses. You may want to consult with a financial professional to learn about ways you can protect yourself from the long-term care burden. By following these suggestions, you can go a long way toward declaring your own financial independence. Consider taking action soon.
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Food For Thought... Anybody got any spices? Maybe not a whole rack of ‘em, but at least some of the basics like salt, pepper, garlic and the others most kitchens have near to hand. The reason I ask is that if you have any spares, you might wanna stop by over at the Saltwater Grille (231 Front Street in South Portland) and offer a few to their kitchen staff. Given the meal a friend and I had there recently, they really, really do need those spices because while the view from our table was first-rate, the staff smiling and attentive, the food was at best so-so because it was just, plain boring, despite menu notes to the contrary. I honestly think the issue was a lack of spices, because if one reads the menu (and we did as the lunch one is not that big, but has great choices) everything sounds wonderful. Sadly, when it’s served, the taste is flat and bland as can be. There’s only so much one can do with the salt and pepper on the table and in the case of Saltwater Grille, it was not sufficient. So what happened and how did we land there on a recent Saturday at 1.30? Easy. My always adventurous neighbour Peggy decided she needed to do some errands in SoPo, and that sent us looking for food to go along with it. That led to a discussion of the Snow Squall on Ocean Street and Peggy mentioning that she’d heard good stuff about Saltwater, so she pointed her car to Front Street and in amongst the tanks and on the edge of an industrial area, we found a cute, well-placed eatery with a huge free parking lot, a magnificent view of the Portland Skyline (below) and Fore River, as well as Casco Bay. It was what looked like a winner. The restaurant has a wonderful deck, though it was a bit warm outside for us,
so the happy staffers seated us right at the window, which was the next best thing, but with air conditioning. Looking over the menu, we found several of our favourite items. There was (to quote the menu’s lingo), “Fore River Fish ‘N Chips ($19). Guinness battered & panko crusted fresh haddock, gribiche slaw, house tartar, fries.” There were also the usual burger, the Maine-stay Lobstah Roll and “Crab Cake Sandwich ($17). Gribiche tartar, arugula, tomato, red onion, toasted brioche, salt & vinegar chips,” it said. The evening menu also looked great, but it’s an after five thing, so we plunged into the lunch which was on offer. Peggy debated a Romaine Salad or the Crab Cake and I was between the Crab Cake, the Fish ‘N Chips and the Haddock Sandwich. Finally, the votes were in and Peggy went with the Crab Cake and I with the Fish ‘N Chips. Both of us had high hopes when our happy server left with our order as we enjoyed the view and the skyline until food arrived promptly in under 15 minutes or so. Good going, so far. Next up was that big first taste and that’s when the total happiness changed to a so-so. Not that anything was really bad, but that everything (and we swapped tastes) was bland, bland, bland. I felt the Crab Cake (right) was the better of the two options at our table as it had a lot of crab meat, was not cooked into oblivion and was well-served on a nice bun with chips. The Fish ‘N Chips (above) was really hot, but I’d say half the credit goes to the fast server and half to the fact that it was so coated, as can be seen, in
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Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
a near bullet-proof armour plate covering of panko. Sadly, the coating overwhelmed the great fish inside, but even less happy: once again, the seasoning had gone missing, along with any hint of the promised Guinness. Perhaps what they meant by Guinness was to order one or maybe staff was imbibing. I do not know. Maybe the restaurant supply sent regular panko and not the seasoned variety or maybe the blandness was intended. In any case, it took away from what really had promise, both on the menu and on first appearance. But let’s go beyond that. We took the time and trouble to look up gribiche, as in the slaw and tartar. The website delish.com said this: “ A mayonnaise sauce made with hard-boiled eggs instead of raw, with the addition of capers, chervil, gherkins, and Worcestershire. Great with fish.”
Our conclusion? Do the opposite of what their website says. That line: “You’ll Come for the View... and Return for the Food.” Honestly I will return for the view, order a few appetisers or drinks and then go eat someplace where they know how to find (and use) spices and they know covering even the best fish with tons of crumbs is not going to add to the flavour at all, but make for a crispy, but doughy experience. In other words, there are a whole lot better places in this reviewer’s mind, if you are going to eat, but very few with the great view from Saltwater Grille. More info, menus, hours etc. are at www.saltwatergrille.com
If indeed there was anything related to any of the above, it slipped by us --- especially the Worcestershire Sauce, because (and you already know what I’m about to say) what I was handed was bland. I am sure 100% of the effort was there and the intent, while the slaw and the tartar were passable, both tasted more like they came straight out of a container somewhere and lacked anything close to the description and homemade flavour that was implied and I expected. Peggy was so disappointed in her Crab Cake that she summoned the server over and ordered a Romaine Salad, which she said later was merely OK. While she paid for both entrees, she sent the crab cake and chips back and declined a box for later. All-in-all, the tab for the meal and a nice tip (Never ever blame the server for what comes out of the kitchen! That’s not something they control so let’s not shoot the messenger!) was about $56 for two, so while not anywhere close to the pricing of the big name spots across the river, it was far from a McDonald’s large Number Four, which is what an old friend in Indiana used to order every chance he got!
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倀伀刀吀䰀䄀一䐀ᤠ匀 䌀伀䴀䴀唀一䤀吀夀 䠀䔀䄀䰀吀䠀 ☀ 圀䔀䰀䰀一䔀匀匀 䌀䔀一吀䔀刀
圀䔀䤀䜀䠀吀 刀伀伀䴀 䴀伀嘀䔀䴀䔀一吀 刀伀伀䴀 䴀䄀匀匀䄀䜀䔀 ☀ 䔀一䔀刀䜀夀 刀伀伀䴀 倀䔀刀匀伀一䄀䰀 吀刀䄀䤀一䤀一䜀 䘀䤀吀一䔀匀匀 䌀䰀䄀匀匀䔀匀 夀伀䜀䄀 ☀ 吀䄀䤀 䌀䠀䤀
Up Portland Is A Proud Member of the
䜀礀洀 䠀漀甀爀猀 簀 䴀漀渀ⴀ䘀爀椀 㘀愀洀ⴀ㤀瀀洀 簀 匀愀琀 㤀愀洀ⴀ㤀瀀洀 簀 匀甀渀 㤀愀洀ⴀ㘀瀀洀
August Edition Deadline
Friday 28th July Papers On Street: Tuesday 1st August
Up Portland is edited in Portland and printed the last week of every month in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We may be contacted at the e-mail or phone number below. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines may be billed at agreed-upon price. Ads may be edited or rejected for content at the discretion of the publisher. All items appearing in Up Portland, as well as the name, logos and design are copyright 2017 by BBS, A division of High Speed Delivery Fork Ltd. & Ted Fleischaker and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written approval.
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Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
匀唀䴀䴀䔀刀 匀倀䔀䌀䤀䄀䰀 䄀搀搀 漀甀爀 䌀氀愀猀猀 倀愀挀欀愀最攀 昀漀爀 ␀ ⼀ 䴀漀渀琀栀 眀栀攀渀 礀漀甀 猀椀最渀ⴀ甀瀀 昀漀爀 愀 ␀㐀 ⼀ 䴀漀渀琀栀 䜀礀洀 䴀攀洀戀攀爀猀栀椀瀀 ⠀␀ 匀愀瘀椀渀最猀⤀⸀ 伀渀攀 琀椀洀攀 攀渀爀漀氀氀洀攀渀琀 愀渀搀 礀攀愀爀氀礀 挀漀渀琀爀愀挀琀 愀瀀瀀氀礀⸀
The Boobé Sisters Coming Home The Boobé Sisters, including Portland native Leah Finkelstein, are coming to the Northeast! Finkelstein told Up Portland (while packing), “We are embarking on our second tour of the Northeast in July, hitting NYC the 6th of July, Newport, Rhode Island, on the 7th, Boston on 8th July and Portland on the 9th, when we’ll be at the Portland House of Music. The doors open at 7, with the show to follow at 8.” So who ARE these ladies and why go see them? Here’s what Leah told us: “I was born and raised in Maine, graduated from Cape Elizabeth High School, then went to college outside of Boston (Wheaton College), moved around a bit from there (mostly Massachusetts) but returned to Maine in 2003 and lived in Portland (Munjoy Hill) before leaving for LA. I used to play all over Portland with my band, Dear Claudia, from 2007 to 2009, when I flew the coop to the left coast. Heather was raised in Fresno, Calif., and Karen Volpe was raised in Western New York, lived in Chicago for a spell (while working with Second City) and then made her way out to Burbank, where she currently lives. We have been doing this for 3 1/2 years and this is our second tour! We are also going to be seen on The Gong Show next Thursday :)” For more on the sisters, visit www.theboobesisters.com f
SEA KAYAKING & PADDLEBOARDING AT EAST END BEACH
Explore the Islands of CASCO BAY
For tickets to the Portland show drop by the House of Music or contact Finkelstein on 207/232.4641. All in all, it should be one hilarious, not-to-be-missed evening.
RENTALS • GUIDED TRIPS • LESSONS PortlandPaddle.net • 207-370-9730
Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 11
Downtown’s Most Up-To
3 1
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Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
To-Date Map & Directory
4 9 2 6 7
Top Stops By The Numbers
10 8 5
The Observatory
1
Coastal Pharmacy
2
Rite Aid Pharmacy
3
Hannaford (Grocery)
4
Whole Foods
5
CVS Pharmacy
6
Two Fat Cats Bakery
7
Ocean Gate Terminal
8 1
Maine State Pier
Maine Jewish Museum & Etz Chaim Synagogue 10 Longfellow House 9 1
Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 13
Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher
and stream free. Same with album rock or most any format. Yes, you can even find stations in the Midwest streaming their all-Polka formats and ones from the Middle East and China with all day chanting or Chinese gong music! Where to look? Well, for North America, one of my favourite sites is www. radio-locator.com (below). There is a pull-down for formats (my example is easy listening), or if you want a certain city or state or even station there are spots to type in call letters or anything else. The search is free and best of all, next to each station is a symbol like a lightning bolt to tell you if they stream. Clicking call letters in lists will take you to a station’s website, so long as they have one. Allow me to tell you over 20,000 stations --- large and small --- world-wide do.
Several folks have told me lately that I have become hung up on answering security questions and dealing with unpleasant and tough subjects involving computers, smart phones and tablets, so this month let’s move 180 degrees and look at entertainment - but not in the traditional sense.
I do need to mention a word or three about rights here, however. A few stations only stream during certain events, like one which only streams during high school football games so fans or alums anywhere can hear their team play. The rest of the time, music is blacked out due to the extreme cost and recordkeeping required by rights groups to be 24/7 online.
One of the jobs I had “back when” was radio announcer. I had a show on NPR as well as locally in Louisville, where I was living. I still get all the broadcast “trades” which is short for the industry magazines. One recently spiked my attention when they talked about a survey some group did asking folks, “Do you have a working radio in your home?” I was amazed at the answers they got, just as I was when I started asking Portland friends --- especially those under 40 --the same question. The radio trade did the survey because they claim radio as we know it (or more as we knew it) will be all but dead in a few years time. I forecast more than a few years, but aside from car listening, a growing number of friends inform they do not own or even know where in their house to find a working radio, though they “may” have one. And that’s just an FM. Forget AM exists, as many folks have. So what are and will we be doing while eating, shaving, driving or anything else? The answer (and not coincidentally the column’s topic this month) is the internet. Cars will still use a radio and XM and Sirius, and yes there are internet connected car radios, but this is mostly about home. There is a huge offering of radio online. And I do not mean just the Pandoras and Apple Music or the tunes one “programmes” on their iPad or phone or pod to walk or work out to. I mean radio stations from real places with real local news and often the announcers and formats we used to listen to. They stream on your computer, phone, pad and in our case, even into our shower via a bluetooth speaker that’s waterproof. Nothing like splish splash with Classic FM live from the UK. Many stations also have their own phone or tablet apps or they work with “aggregators” such as Tunein.com or iheart.com which offer thousands of stations in one spot to keep the cost down, but what does all this mean? Do we care to tune in to a classical station in London or a rock format from France or even a news station from Israel, New York or Canada? Radio stations and listeners are saying very loudly that we do. If you move from Maine to Hawaii or Germany, you might still want to keep up on the “hometown” news. Also, vanishing formats no longer disappear with the internet. If, like me, you were sad to see Binnie Broadcasting abruptly pull the plug in February on Portland’s W-Bach, I have news: The format they broadcast --- announcers and all --- was bought from the World Classical Network based in Chatham, Mass. If you miss Don Spencer or Larry King or the All-Time Classic at nine, just log in at WFCC.com and you will find the familiar, though with ads from Cape Cod, not Portland, which is another concern of the broadcasters. The same is true of most any format and any station. The good news is now radio does not have to have a format you like anywhere close to where you are. If you are sad we do not have an easy listening station, they exist all over online
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Fortunately, the example I just gave is a rarity and most stations do stream around the clock. These include some real quality world broadcasters. If you want to hear BBC’s World Service it’s out there 24/7 at www.bbc.co.uk But why stop there? All of the BBC’s output is online. If you like the World Service try a slightly more “British” all news and “serious talk” (not call-in nuts) format on BBC Radio 4. Or comedy on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Rather do a real time warp? Stations from ABC --- that’s the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, not the U.S. ABC --- are streamed with formats from news to classical and pop. Add 12-15 hours (depending where in Australia the station is) and you’re listening live. Do be warned once again, though. There are some rights issues which come into play. If you want play-by-play British Premier League football (we call it soccer, but we’re wrong the Brits say) then you may be hard-pressed as many games are limited to UK listeners only. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also has some great shows and many are streamed and on demand. If you like CBC’s As It Happens which is carried on NPR, you can get it direct from CBC not once a day, but in every Canadian Time Zone! But, but what if you find TV more entertaining? Well, there are some services which, usually for a price, will provide foreign and other options not available in the States. Acorn TV unlocks a range of UK shows which you are likely blocked from seeing direct. Check their site online. Tired of CNN and Fox? CBC News Network will sell you their channel viewable from anywhere for $6.95 a month. But there are other choices --- some totally legal and some not so much. We are fond of (and pay for) a totally legal service called The Telly (www.thetelly.net) which works with Sky, the British equal to Dish or DirecTV, and offers hundreds
Up Portland 07.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
of channels live. Your remote will appear on the screen (below) and just like if you were in a living room in London you can change channels, record or watch anything you want. But there are a couple of catches. The service uses a gadget called a SlingBox. This hooks one end to an antenna or Sky box and the other end to the internet. The system is addressable, so you can just watch one TV at once. That’s for copyright protection and to stay legal. You can watch via an app or browser window on a computer, iPhone, iPad or other tablet. It’s a pretty neat and remarkable thing.
Canadians by the thousands were using VPNs and a U.S. Netflix subscription to “border hop” until the Netflix folks, Hollywood studios, programme producers, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and the Canadian Radio & Television Commission had enough last year. Accounts were cancelled, lawsuits filed and threatened and a lot of folks found that because they violated their “terms of service” (You did read all that when you signed up, right?) that they could not even buy their own country’s Netflix account anymore because the company would not sell to them. In the U.S., financial services provider PayPal went so far as to cut off a number of VPN services by refusing to collect their fees because of the questionable legality of the services. Be warned: It can get nasty. Still not deterred? There are a whole slew of VPN providers out there and a Google search turned up page after page and rating after rating of the ins and outs of the various ones in existence. Some are free, some charge a monthly or annual fee. Others offer just a single country VPN and others offer a worldwide service where, using an app, one can tell the VPN upon each log-in what country they want to be faked as being in. It’s complex, but for the curious, the hobbyists and those rogues out there just wanting to watch “forbidden” shows it holds a lot of fascination.
Oh, but that down side --- for the Sky subscription and the storage rental and data at the data centre in the UK for your SlingBox and all, you will be looking at $150 to $200 a month. Not cheap, but if you really, really want to watch all those European channels legally, it’s the Cadillac. If you want to go a bunch cheaper, but get into a grey area legally, consider a VPN. That stands for Virtual Private Network. Many companies have them for security and some folks use them to cover up where they are, either for legit reasons or plain old paranoia, but for watching TV (or maybe hearing that football game in Liverpool that might be blacked out) one will work to get around those “geo fences” which let the BBC or RTE Ireland or ABC (the other one) know where you aren’t---and that’s in their country. How does this work? In a non-technical way, we all leave tracks as we surf. One is your (and my) IP address. This tells the places we are going online where we are, as well as who provides our service. Go to your browser and type into Google “What is is my IP address?” and yours will pop up. You can also visit www.whatismyidaddress.com and get even more info, including a map showing where you are. Scary, but needed for the net to work right.
So what to do if you want to stay legal and still watch some things your next door neighbour might not get to see? Well, a lot of things are on YouTube and it amazes me how many British documentaries and old comedies can be found there and elsewhere free with just a name search. Beyond that, many TV stations put their local content online free. Portland stations do so if you want to keep up when away, and I admit every so often I tune in WHAS-11’s local Louisville News which streams via WHAS11.com or their competition on wave3.com Just search and you’ll be shocked at what you find floating around out there --- most often for free, though you might have to endure a few ads for that local body shop in Louisville or air conditioning place in Toledo along the way. Finally, a word about bandwidth: Caution. Streaming radio takes very, very little data because, well, it’s just voices and music, but anything with a picture is a different story. And it can get expensive if you exceed your data package. Some providers of home internet also reserve the right in extreme cases to throttle (slow) you or even cancel you so do check your plan and wallet. As we said before, there are a lot of legal and even free things to listen to or watch out there in all genres and formats and from all over the world. Just pay attention to what you are doing, look at the numbers and enjoy. As for us it’s shower time so we are gonna stream Classic FM to our shower bluetooth and happily wash our “parts” to Sam Pittis and great music as he always seems to be on about 10 p.m., when we shower. Of course that’s 3 a.m. next morning in England!
A VPN will mask your real location... think of it as a tunnel under the Atlantic so the folks at the far end think you are in Portugal, but you never left Maine. If you connect to an Australian VPN and then log into ABCiview, the watch again channel in Sydney (right), or using a British VPN go for the BBC’s great iPlayer, the system at the other end will be fooled into thinking you are local and those shows, newscasts and other content will be unlocked. Go there without the VPN and you will get a sorry, this content is not available in your country message. There are many, many views on the legality of using VPNs for this purpose and some firms and countries are way tougher on folks skirting the rules than others. The U.S. is somewhere in the middle, but do be warned --- there are legal violations watching a show destined for Australian audiences that they either do not want watched outside the country or for copyright or other issues and you can land in hot water trying. Netflix, for instance, offers differing content in the U.S. than they do in Canada.
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Will HiFi Become The Holy Grail Of They got the “hole thing” going down at 30 City Centre, where Ari Modugno and Melissa Selvon recently opened HiFi Donuts & Coffee in the space where Hero existed for a hot second. But unlike Hero, do not look for this place to be anything close to short-lived, as this restaurant and kitchen trained duo have not only managed to get the doors open in record time, but if their plans for the future pan out, that HiFi might have to go stereo or even quad or HD. But let’s step back a bit. He’s a New Jersey native who has done everything restaurant from fine dining to managing at OTTO pizza and everywhere from the East Coast to California. And she, as if anyone had to guess with the thick accent, is a British native who knows her food and how to please a customer or two, with experience behind a stove in the UK and at Munjoy Hill’s Front Room.
together musically. There’s even a possibility the DJ and food could coordinate so on say a coffee tasting morning the tunes could include Bach’s Coffee Cantata (BWV 211) or if the drink on sample were tea, Tea For Two. The possibilities --in all music genres from classical to pop and country --- are endless. But what has the couple convinced it’s going to work and please customers, much less turn a profit? Easy... they have the smiles, the capital, the experience and they are taking things a step at a time. They are also not scared to innovate, as Ari talked of his planning for a lobster roll donut, which he wants to enter in a local contest for best lobster roll. No word as of now what one will cost (“Market Price” undoubtedly) or if they will just be available for the competition or at the store as well, so keep that HiFi on and stay tuned. As Ari further explained, while Melissa hopped behind the counter to assist staffers with the lunchtime crowd on a recent Friday, “We want to do things, but we know they have to go one at a time. First it’s the donuts because people in Portland don’t get the real ingredients and the unique ones we make. Too many are just flavours some chemist threw together,” he noted.
They ended up working together (making donuts, what else?) and about a year ago made things official out of the kitchen with a wedding license, too. But HiFi is their first real experience owning a business as a couple, and not only did they get what they call their spot for “cool donuts & hot coffee” open quickly, but if they and their smiling staff have their way it will soon be Portland’s only 24-hour downtown donut shop, too.
What’s unique here? For just one example, the shop’s raised yeast donuts are called Biere and include beer with a sourdough starter --- a combo the duo came up with on a whim and which has them selling like the proverbial hotcakes.
But wait...there’s more. Ari told Up Portland recently that they do plan on 24 hour operation by next Spring. But he’s also talking about a full menu, possibly wine or beer and cocktails, and, to complete the HiFi theme, just maybe a live in-store DJ to pull it all
Refusing to say anything about the existing competition (famous and not, but the shop does have a menu item called the “Holy Espresso,” which includes a donut hole and espresso dip), Ari told Up Portland that he and his wife are concentrating on “real, fresh, organic ingredients”. Add personal ways the couple go about their work and what buyers have to say about the products and it seems to be working. Looking at the large selection of donuts on offer, the differences are also striking when compared to other stores. Flavours like Spiced Rum and Dulce De Leche do not show up in every donut shop. Neither do a choice when ordering coconut donuts of offering both toasted and non-toasted coconut on top. The store has their own take on the neighbourhood, too, with an Old Port Donut, and, not to be outdone by the likes of the legendary New Orleans shops or the late, lamented Southern bakery chain, Federal Bakeries, there are French Crullers guaranteed to be so light and airy that they might just blow away in a stiff breeze on nearby Monument Square. Along with the donuts, HiFi has gourmet coffee of a variety of types and styles, including beans from Massachusetts’ George Howell roasters, and the latest
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Donuts For Downtown Diners????
craze --- Nitro brew. There’s also indoor table seating, a small outdoor cafe and everything’s available to eat there or be packed and taken home, to the surrounding offices or to one of the nearby benches while you people-watch in Monument Square. Ari noted that at present the shop is open from early mornings (6 at last report) until 4 p.m., but look for that to expand shortly. That is, after additional staff is trained, the last of the kinks worked out and time found in between his and Melissa’s culinary experimentation, tasting and examination of items they want to add to the menu when (not if) they start serving real food. On a recent day, the test of a possible entree included some pretty wicked baked beets, juicy steak and more, so look for this to be a whole lot more than “just” donuts (even great donuts) sooner rather than later. HiFi Donuts is at 30 City Centre, right next door to Longfellow Books. You can find them online at hifidonuts.wordpress.com though like the shop, the website is still a work in progress.
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Beyond The Forecast
By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student Hello everyone!
Just in the past several weeks, early on the morning of the 21st of June, the Summer solstice arrived, marking the longest day of the year for us living north of the equator. Here in Portland, we had a day with 15 hours and 27 minutes of daylight from the time the sun came up at 5 a.m. and went down at 8.26 p.m.
Note that the same thing happens in Winter. The Winter solstice is on December 21st yet our coldest day, on average, is the 25th of January. Typically, our coldest reading of the year falls somewhere around that date or a little afterwards. This is because just after the Winter solstice, hardly any daylight is gained for about a month. During that time, heat continues to rush out into space faster than the sun can replenish it. As a result, the temperature continues to cool. This is just like what’s happening now where more heat is being added by the sun than can escape at night so we continue to warm. Each of these processes takes about a month after the respective solstices to reverse course, so after about a half hour of daylight is either gained or lost, the tides begin to turn. By the time you read my next column, we’ll be on our slow slide towards Winter! --- Jack Apps VelaClock (left) And Sol (right) As Seen On An iPhone in Maine.
Folks in the Southern Hemisphere that same day enjoyed their longest night as it was the Winter solstice for them, so the shortest day of the year in places like Melbourne and Rio. Despite our longest day being in late June, we have to wait just over a month until our usual peak in temps for the Summer. Climatologically speaking, the day with the hottest average temperature in Portland is the 25th of July. However, we usually have to wait until August to see our hottest reading of the year. So what’s behind the disconnect? The days begin to get shorter as soon as the solstice passes, so why don’t temps start to drop in late June? The answer lies in how much daylight we lose right after the solstice. Just after the longest day, there is a period of several weeks where we hardly lose any daylight at all. You can check the numbers yourself at a great website called Time And Date: www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/portland-me But how many of you noticed that today was a second or two shorter than yesterday? Mother Nature didn’t notice either and as a result, heat continues to be added to our atmosphere. The effects of the strong sun don’t subside until the days have become a decent amount shorter. This begins to happen slowly in July and by the time the average temperature begins to cool, we’ve already lost a half hour of daylight. You will probably notice that. By the time the second half of August rolls around and we endure our hottest day of the year, the days are more than an hour and a half shorter than they were on solstice day. As we’ve just seen, there’s a period of about a month on each side of the solstice where the daily change in daylight is fairly low. Think of the changing amount as you would the pendulum on a grandfather’s clock. At each side it comes to a full stop and reverses direction, whereas at the bottom of the swing it’s moving faster. Then it slows again, reverses direction and does it all over again. The sun, the earth and that clock are all governed by the same laws of physics, so the days close to both the Summer and Winter solstices have only tiny changes in daylight, whereas those in say October see way more. The daily difference can be read on a chart or iPhone app (VelaClock and Sol are two good ones, shown at right) for those really into it, but suffice to say the change in daylight can be as little as eight seconds or as much as three minutes in “full swing.” The constant baking of the Northern Hemisphere this time of year is what gives us our warm Summer temps and the fact that it continues even after the solstice explains why we must wait awhile to see the thermometer begin to slide towards winter.
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Jack’s Weather Terms Trough --- This is a term widely used in meteorology, especially when talking about features which exist well over our heads. A trough is a region of relatively low pressure aloft. There are two main types of troughs: longwave and shortwave. Longwave troughs have a long wavelength (usually a couple thousand miles) and typically remain in any one place for a week or two before slowly shifting east. They’re responsible for abnormally cold or stormy weather. Shortwave troughs have a much shorter wavelength (dozens or maybe a hundred miles) and are responsible for individual weather events such as thunderstorms or nor’easters. Ridge --- This is another term widely used to describe upper level features. A ridge is the exact opposite of a trough, meaning that it is a region of relatively high pressure aloft. Not shockingly, there are two main types of ridges: longwave and shortwave. Longwave ridges have a long wavelength (usually a couple thousand miles) and typically remain in any one place for a week or two before slowly shifting east. They’re responsible for abnormally hot and dry weather. Shortwave troughs have a much shorter wavelength (dozens or maybe a hundred miles) and are responsible for individual periods of calm in between storms caused by shortwave troughs.
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The Standard Reviewer
By Bill Elliott / Up Portland’s Film & Theatre Reviewer
If there is one thing Americans are good at it is bingeing. We binge on food, alcohol, drugs, sports, sex and a wide range of consumer goods. So, any opportunity to binge on just about anything is generally met with relish by the inhabitants of these 50 states. Cable television, and more recently, online streaming channels, provide a new source for bingeing. Since the 1950s Americans have spent countless hours each week sitting in front of the small screen, their gazes fixed on a smorgasbord of entertainment and news. The revolution in televisual technologies gives us a new way of adding to a sedentary lifestyle that for most people has become the norm. But wait — cable and online channels also free us from the tyranny of mindless sitcoms and overblown dramas, soaps and miniseries that, for decades, TV executives think we want to watch. Now, we have on-demand viewing, meaning we can watch what we want, when we want it. Why wait a whole week for another 30-minute (or, rather, 23 minutes, plus commercials) episode of your favourite show? What if you could watch the whole thing without those annoying ads appearing every few minutes? Bingo! Not only can you watch your favourite shows uninterrupted, you can watch two, three, five episodes at a time, one after the other. Perhaps the most fun in binge watching is finding something you missed the first time around and watching the entire series in one sitting. I have done this with the superb British detective series Shetland, set on the small island archipelago off the northern coast of Scotland. Likewise, Lewis, the spinoff from the Inspector Morse series. There is nothing more enjoyable on a Sunday afternoon than watching three or four episodes of earnest detectives traversing a rain-soaked England or Scotland, tracking down ruthless murderers (the Shetland Islands, population 23,000 and Oxford, 168,000, where the two shows are set, must have murder rates rivalling Chicago!). Recently, I binge watched Happyish, a series produced by Showtime in 2015. The show was not particularly well received by critics or audiences and was cancelled after one series. But, for me, it is a wonderful example of television at its best. Happyish is not for everyone. It is a very dark comedy, occasionally bordering on the depressing. The language is a challenge also, even for audiences used to cable excess. Much of the profane language is aimed at religion and family and other areas of life many Americans hold sacred. But if you can overcome your prejudices about near-sacrilegious profanity, Happyish is well worth watching because it addresses many of our collective fears and anxieties about the modern world, and what drives us to get out of bed each day and keep going on. Happyish takes as its starting point Thomas Jefferson’s line in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . . .” British actor Steve Coogan plays Thom Payne — a clever name, referencing one of America’s Founding Fathers, and the author of the influential Rights of Man. Thom is a middle-aged advertising executive working in an upscale New York City ad agency. His world is turned upside down when a pair of young Swed-
ish creative directors are drafted into the firm to “rebrand” and reinvigorate the company’s work. Thom finds himself unable to relate to the Swedes’ shallow, crass and bottom line-oriented approach to advertising. His crisis of confidence at work bleeds over into a full-blown mid-life crisis, and to concerns about his marriage and his role as a parent. In short, he is a long way from happy. The series’ first episode sets the tone when Thom’s friend and mentor, the corporate head-hunter Dani (Ellen Barking) tells him that happiness is a myth and advises him to accept he’s hit his “joy ceiling.” Thom refuses to accept Dani’s cynicism and the rest of the series follows him as he challenges everything that is an obstruction to his own personal happiness: the Swedes, advertising, capitalism, the Constitution, God, his wife and even his child. Thom is a disillusioned, alienated, and occasionally angry middle-aged man. He is married to a frustrated artist, Lee (the always-wonderful Katherine Hahn) who, like Thom, finds many obstacles strewn along her path to professional and personal happiness. The couple has an adorable six-year old son, Julius (Sawyer Shipman), who in one episode catches a flu-like bug that leaves his parents stressed and anxious and wondering why anyone would bring children into the world. Thom begins to despise his work. His clients — Keebler, Met Life, the U.S. Army — are wonderful foils for some of the series’ funniest (and occasionally most outrageous) conceits. In one episode, Thom has sex with the animated Ma Keebler, as Ernie, fired as Keebler’s spokesman after 46 years, drops F-words and starts shooting his fellow elves. In another episode, Thom verbally and physically abuses the Geico gecko after it gloats about its company’s success and Thom’s many failures. In yet another episode, Payne is stuck on a commuter train as it comes to a stop outside New York City. As the passengers vent their anger at the train company, an announcement that the train has hit and killed someone on the track causes them all to reflect on the meaning of life. Each episode “stars” a trio of historical and/or iconic figures who either feature in the plot thematically, or as part of a discussion between characters. Some of these guest “stars” include Samuel Beckett, Adolf Hitler, Sigmund Freud and Joseph McCarthy, as well as God, Jesus Christ and Moses (probably one reason why the show didn’t catch on and was cancelled!). There is a great deal of talking in Happyish — during ad pitches to clients, in focus groups, in creative meetings, in bars, over dinner parties and just between Thom and his wife and child. It often seems as if Thom is trying to talk his way to happiness. But, it doesn’t seem to work. And yet, there is no reason Thom shouldn’t be happy. He has a wife who, while often unhappy herself, adores him, as well as a son who dotes on him. The family live in an idyllic rustic home in Woodstock in upstate New York, from where Payne commutes to Manhattan by train. During the course of the series, Payne learns that work is just work and that life itself — family, friends, spiritual and psychological health — are more important than a pay cheque. At the end of the series, Payne quits his high-profile (and highly-paid) job at the ad agency to focus on his personal dream of happiness — writing a novel. Almost immediately, his wife finds out she is pregnant with the couple’s second child. Thom is forced to swallow his pride and return to his job at the agency. However, the show doesn’t end on a down note. Far from being beaten, we imagine that Thom’s future will be spent focusing on the things that have meaning in his life rather than those don’t. He may not be happy, but he has learned to settle for “happyish.”
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Eric’s Optimal Corner Eric Hilton / Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Center I spent the entire month of May committed to my health by going deep and doing some much needed Spring Cleansing. I want to share my experience of what I’ve learned. I am not suggesting anything to any of the readers about the cleansing modality or the means that I utilised in my process. If you are interested, however, please reach out to me and possibly your doctor, in case, you have any health challenges that need to be considered for cleansing, and specifically, fasting. This is because any dramatic shift in your body’s natural way of being can be tough, but if done safely, cleansing can be a test of will and faith in yourself and should be respected. It also opens you up to a new sense of life. So, why did I decide to do a cleanse? Eight years ago while I was in the Army I ended the misery of a life with alcohol and became sober. I found out from many medical doctors and holistic practitioners that I was very unhealthy and my body was pretty beat up. Since then I have been on a path of healing my mind, body and spirit. Being a military medic, personal trainer and energy & body worker I established a way to heal myself, which conventional medicine could not accomplish. Every May has been a good time to clean myself up and to remember my date of sobriety. Since the beginning of last year I dived deep into my nutrition along with diets and fasts. I spent time in the Amazon Jungle with the Indigenous people and shamans learning their ways. This past May was the summation of all that I have learned; with the intention to reduce fat, clear toxins of all sorts, heal my mind from combat traumas, and to raise my consciousness. My plan for the Spring Cleanse was broken down to three phases. The first two weeks I reduced my food intake to 50%, second phase was a 10 day gallstone and liver detox, followed by seven days in the woods with just water. Before I even got close to starting, I planned my journey by doing research and making schedules. I prepared my mind with good thoughts and created a lifestyle at home and work that would properly facilitate the right environment for cleansing. So, let’s dive in - Phase 1: • Starting weight: 174 pounds • I ate half of what I normally do • Started doing coconut oil pulling in my mouth to cleanse my gums and teeth. (I did this every day for the cleanse) • 1 cup of coffee per day - that was hard! • Worked out, but lifted lighter weights. In addition, I went to The Back Cove and walked a quarter mile and jogged a quarter mile for the total 3.5 miles. • Slept approximately eight hours per night and meditate everyday, however I was still working an average of 70 hours a week. So, I did the best I could. Phase 2: 10 day detox: • I drank three rice protein shakes a day. • four times a day I drank double shots of whole organic lemon, fiber and olive oil. (Scrumptious!) • I took some supplements to facilitate the cleansing of the liver and gallbladder. • Once in awhile I would do skin brushing to stimulate circulation and follow it with a shower. • Used castor oil packs to stimulate the movement of the liver. • Continued to work out and jog. I was not consuming any food at that point other than the shakes.
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• At the end of the detox, I spent several hours drinking epsom salt water to loosen the sphincter of my gallbladder. Before bed, I drank half a cup of grape fruit with half a cup of olive oil blended. Right after that, I went to bed laying on my right side. In the morning I passed tiny marble like pellets called gallstones. This technique is definitely something that warrants a doctor’s approval. • Later that morning I had a colonhydrotherapy session to finish cleaning things out. • The next three days I only drank three rice protein shakes (per day) till I left for my finale fast. Phase 3: Fasting • After the 10 day detox, my weight was at 169 pounds. For this phase, I left with camping supplies, warm clothes and two boxes of Tourmaline Springs water. My friend Connor took me to his awesome uncle’s mountain up by Sunday River. For the next week, I fasted on only water and nothing else (with the company of a million black flies, ticks, moose and a pack of wolves!) I spent most of the time on my back looking at the roof of my tent watching the bugs trying to get in and devour me. Luckily it was raining most of the time and in the mornings I could get outside without the bugs bugging me and go for a hike. I would get bundled up and go for my old man trek. I didn’t have much energy, however I needed to move my body to aid in the cleansing. I also did two water bottle enemas to assist my colon in its process. Besides the hike, I journaled daily and prayed. Believe it or not I did not hunger once, but boredom was a challenge. So, I concentrated to utilise my body’s natural fat stores to give me all the energy I needed. At the end, Connor picked me up and I felt great! Super clean and pure. Most of the time when I was laying on my back, I received all these amazing ideas and visions. My mind was clean. My anger was no longer and I weighed 153 pounds. I learned a lot from this experience. I learned that there is a lot more to learn. I want to fast longer and discover my body more. Now that I am at a smaller build in body composition I can rebuild in a much more refined manner till I fast again. I am confident that I will be able regain all my strength and will back as well! If anyone has any questions about cleansing, please know. But a reminder: I am not legally able to give you a prescription to cleanse, however I can share more of the details of my journeys with you. Feel free to reach out to me at hilton0042@yahoo. com or stop by Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Center at 640 Congress Street in Portland and ask for me. Best of luck to everyone on their cleansing path!
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