NOV 2018
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Processed Media By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind
Red Dead Redemption 2’s Release Highlights the Human Cost of Development This weekend, millions of gamers across the world will sit down with Red Dead Redemption 2, the latest game from industry juggernaut Rockstar Games. Their last release, 2013’s Grand Theft Auto IV, made over $250 million the week it released, and would eventually sell over 90 million copies in the five years since. Needless to say, the release of a Rockstar game is a monumental event in the gaming industry – to the point studios like Ubisoft and Activision moved their big holiday release back a month to avoid the release of Rockstar’s latest juggernaut. But the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 is not a moment in gaming history without controversy, a fascinating case study of modern game development, corporate values, and the troubled future of big-budget game production. Rockstar’s suite of development studios – nine in total – have been working on the game in some form since 2010, with all the studios focusing on development of the game for the past five years, after the release of Grand Theft Auto V’s wildly popular online mode, GTA Online (which has generated over $500 million in additional revenue, only furthering its reputation as one of the most profitable games in the industry’s history). And the work appears
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to have paid off: the many previews of the game in recent months have teased one of the most immersive adventure games ever crafted, a painstakingly detailed depiction of the old West in what Rockstar is calling their biggest, most ambitious story yet. Think of every gaudy superlative imaginable to describe this game, and it’s appeared in gaming coverage over the past year, as Rockstar’s slowly unveiled the images and mechanics of its generation-defining adventure. As Red Dead Redemption’s inched closer and closer to release, the attention has slowly shifted from the game’s monumental technical achievements, to question the human cost of developing something so... well, beautiful. The conversations about working hours and conditions in the gaming industry has long been a story; simple Google searches of “EA wives” and “Rockstar spouse” will reveal stories that offer a peek into the dark underbelly swelling within the gaming industry for decades. There are dozens of stories about developers forcing employees to “crunch” on development for 6-12 months at a time, enforcing (or at least, “encouraging”) 70-90 hour work weeks, all under the added pressure of meeting the release deadline, delivering a game that is not only entertaining, but absent of crippling bugs. The more the gaming industry has thrived, the more “crunch” period has become ingrained in the industry’s culture – large companies are boasting record profits, and healthy console sales have created huge audiences ready for new, exciting titles (Insomnia’s recent Playstation-exclusive, Spider-Man, sold 3.3 million copies in its first weekend). Rockstar Games is no exclusion: their games make hundreds of millions of dollars, only crystallizing the scrutiny on its working practices. In fact, the modern controversies around work conditions for game developers really began with the original Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s 2010 game that suffered through an extensive, supremely difficult development cycle. All of that came at a great cost: given that most people in the industry are either contracted or on salary, with most of their incentives tied up in bonuses defined by the game’s sales. Forcing people to work 80 hours a week for a year straight under the guise of “doing what you love” was not only irresponsible, but patently exploitative.
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Sometimes, that gamble pays off: Red Dead Redemption sold insanely well. The risk of working oneself to exhaustion paid off financially. That’s not always the case: Rockstar’s next game, 2012’s Max Payne 3, faced similarly trying development, only to wildly under-perform in sales, leaving many workers under-compensated for the work they’d put in. And that’s not even the worst it can get: EA’s spent recent years shutting down studios soon after games publish, letting go nearly all of their workforce once a game is complete. Or it can end up like Telltale Games which shut down halfway through development of the third season of their game based on The Walking Dead, leaving over a hundred people suddenly unemployed and forced out of their offices in the middle of the afternoon on a workday. Red Dead Redemption 2 is not going to suffer such a dark fate, of course; but the perceivable lack of progress in Rockstar’s culture the last eight years is disappointing. Recently, an interview with one of the game’s lead writers (and studio heads), made a number of comments about working 80 hour weeks and suggesting it was a necessary evil of creating important works of art. Soon after, dozens of accounts from current and former employees were detailed in a Kotaku piece, proving that privately, not much had changed around Rockstar with the ever-present threat of demotion, firing or simply falling behind in a inherently competitive environment still existing at the company’s core – and, as an important proxy for the industry as a whole – put a new highlight on some of the most disturbing trends and habits in game development. What it reveals is the dissonance between what gamers expect from games in 2018, and what it takes to actually craft that content. As game engines get more complex and impressive, the harder it gets to make all those interlocking parts work. Each time the industry gets pushed forward by a Breath of the Wild or a Grand Theft Auto V, the higher the bar gets raised. It’s an arms race that comes at the cost of hundreds of employees who burn out of the industry after jumping from demanding job to demanding job. One account I personally read detailed a 10-year career working at six game studios, showing just how volatile and unstable game companies (and their profits) can be. With no union to unilaterally protect the rights of all workers in the industry, the titans of the business are looked upon to the set the tone for the industry’s culture; and by many accounts, Rockstar has failed to adequately deliver. Sometimes, this shows in petty ways. For example, employees can work on games at Rockstar for five years, but if they leave before the game is finished, they are not included in the credits. That’s company policy. But how do we solve these issues? Not buying the games is a terrible option; again, since careers are literally on the line when it comes to game sales. Supporting the games community and the art it produces is still something important to do. However, purchasing with complicity is dangerous, too. Either extreme of supporting or disowning Rockstar ignores the educational, evolutionary opportunity being offered to the entire industry. Gamers need to purchase and consume games for the industry to survive: but as games get more ambitious and demanding on those who produce them, we need to force the industry to find balance. I guess really all I’m asking is that when you sit down with Red Dead Redemption 2 this holiday season (as I will – look for my full review in next month’s issue), and pause to marvel at the impressive, disturbingly accurate horse testicle physics, think of the dozens of hours someone spent animating nut sacks to create that moment, and whether the potential human cost of that is ultimately worth the entertainment gleaned from your few moments of enjoyment from it. It’s worth more than just a passing thought.
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Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher Should you? Or shouldn’t you? And if so... which one? And when? And where? We are all questions this month and the basis for all of them is the line of new phones which recently hit the stores, purses and pockets of a number of us in Maine and worldwide. So let’s look at those questions one at a time... starting with the obvious: iPhone or Android? ---That one first: Only you can decide if you “should” or “should not” keep or change your phone and operating system (OS) and only you can determine if the Apple or Android device will work best for you. I have always had iPhones but I would not be transparent were I not to confess my partner works for Apple, but we’ve never had an Android in our home --- and that was true well before he started working for Apple, merely because we liked what we saw, bought a bunch of apps, got used to them and the iPhone store, if that means anything. I just will say I can’t tell you if or when you need to change systems or the device you have for something new, nor will I pretend to.
On the same line is where. Where should you get a new, updated device if you decide to do so? Maybe your carrier? Maybe Microsoft? Maybe Best Buy? Maybe the Apple Store? Maybe your sister, who has to have the latest and will get it and then give her “ancient” last year’s greatest to you free or sell it to you for $60? The quick answer is there is no easy one. I prefer to upgrade at Apple because they have an interest-free loan programme with Capital One Bank where you can upgrade every year, keep pretty similar monthly payments (mine’s around $60) and the whole thing includes AppleCare for those “what ifs” and “oh nos”. I get the latest greatest and just turn one in when the next iteration comes out. For some like me this is great. For others, who want to “own” their device outright, not so much. Read all the fine print and check ownership rules, final cost, payments and the rest before you sign. By the way, a little-known fact: The Apple store can upgrade, sell you a phone or activate you on any provider’s network, so if you have AT&T or Verizon, US Cellular or whatever doesn’t matter. They can hook you up and turn you on.
I will, however, tell you to look carefully at what you use that phone for. Do you just make calls? Maybe send or receive a few texts or messages? Do you surf the net and do everything from internet banking to movie watching? Maybe gaming or reading newspapers (including this one, which is online at www.upportland. com)? Also, whether or not you want to make a change should depend upon how happy or not you are with the current OS and device. Also consider how old your current device is, as well as what condition it’s in and if you have kept it up-to-date. If you have an iPhone 6 or 6S or an older Droid and it works fine and handles all you need, then why should you change? But if your older phone looks like a survivor of trench warfare in World War I, doesn’t work half the time, refuses to stay charged or even turn on, then you have a different story. Also, and this only pertains to those with phones so old Alexander Graham Bell could have made a few calls on them, is your system so slow and so old that you cannot update so your apps are failing to work (or work properly) as the phone and OS are so out-dated? Again, the answers depend upon what you need, want and how you feel. Using an old iPhone (or Android) is fine so long as it still works reliably. Know that eventually those apps will “age out” and won’t be supported anymore by their creators. Then it’ll be time to either update or do without, but so long as it all works it’s your call 100%. ---The harder questions are when and where. When, because there will always be a “new latest and greatest.” It doesn’t matter if we are talking phones, motorcycles, kitchen stoves or Jeeps... there will always be a new model just around the corner and none of us can afford every one. You need to pick and choose when you update based upon your personal finances, as well as needs. Peer pressure on electronics is terrific: Don’t give in, especially to a girl or boy friend who has this or that and feels you “must”. I know guys and gals happy with their flip phones... one of whom calls himself a Luddite because his ladyfriend wants him to ditch it for an iPhone, but all he does is take and make calls, send and receive a few texts and enjoy life. Why should he update?
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---Which phone? I will confess I do not know the Android line-up well since, as I said, I have never owned one. Across town, I do know Apple is selling phones from the “ancient” iPhone 7 to the newest XS Max. In between there are 8s and new, cheaper versions of the X called an XR. My advice is go by their store or your provider’s shop and look, see, listen and, above all, touch. Some folks will tell you that XS Max, while it has a huge 6 1/2 inch screen, is too heavy at 7.34 ounces. I happen to be one of them. Others will say this or that model doesn’t fit in their tight jeans pocket. Some will balk at the pricing or the loan obligation if you go that route. Others will just like or not like the way the phone holds in your hand and to your face when it’s used for a phone call. Remember, we do still make at least a few of those, so go grab one at the store and hold it up to your ear. Maybe even make a real call to someone and hear the quality or lack thereof before you decide.
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Just like a stand-up paddleboard will make some high schoolers a great gift, others would have no clue what to do with one and wish instead for a ski coat or bike helmet. It’s not one-size-fits-all in either case. Next there’s the number of gigabytes the phone can hold. If you take a lot of photos or have a lot of videos or music or apps, you’ll need way more room than someone who just sends a few texts, checks their stocks every so often and makes calls. If you have doubts: ask. The staff wherever you go will (or should be) knowledgeable. If they aren’t, then this writer suggests you shop elsewhere. Meantime, a good, fast way to check space needs at home is to see how much storage your current phone has, and how much of it you are using. I seem to always have space, despite taking a lotta photos. Others, including friends, seem to always be maxed out. Again, one size will not fit all.
Finally in this set of considerations, ask yourself how easy you find operating your current iPhone or Android and if you are up to learning a new system --whether you are considering switching from an iPhone to a Droid or the other way round. And do not forget you will need to change accounts from the Play store to the iPhone App store and replace those apps you got in one system with similar or the same from the new one. Do you want to take the time and effort? ---And finally, consider all your options before you sign on any dotted lines. Those include what help there is out there for you should you need it, where you plan to carry that phone (jeans, purse, etc.) and if you have issues with weight of a larger phone or not.
Another Gravestone Resurrected by Spirits Alive This summer, our trained volunteers spotted some white marble peaking through the grass and were able to dig up, clean, repair and reset this outstanding monument to the Mountfort family.
After all that, this columnist can say he got an iPhone XS Max ordered on day one and has now been using it for a few weeks. My review thus far? The photo quality is unbeatable. Check the front page of this Up Portland for an example. Throw your digital camera in the recycle bin. The sound is wonderful from the speakers. The battery life is very good on full or even a partial charge. The screen is brilliant and has a clarity many past models have not. But on the down-side, it’s heavier than my last iPhone X. Also, the larger phone struggles to stay in my jeans back pocket. I still have some issues with placement of the off button and the up and down sound buttons, which when pressed together can cause you to take a screen shot for real or accidentally. I have deleted a lot of photos I never planned to take. Worst of all, I use a glass screen protector to keep the phone’s actual screen safe. Thus far those protectors have done their job, but two of them have sacrificed all in the line of duty, meaning I have smashed two screen covers in about as many weeks... one on a folding chair with the support in just the wrong place that it poked my phone when I sat down and the other when my phone dropped out of those pesky jeans as I pulled them down in a restroom. I can get the protectors online for a couple or three bucks so it’s not the cost, but having to replace one a week is not what I’d call really practical. Perhaps I shudda bought the iPhone XS without the “max” part or maybe, as my partner says all the time, I just need to use a bit more care going thru life. Next time: Christmas & Chanukah gifts? We got techie ideas for you, so don’t miss it!
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Beyond The Forecast
ery seasonal forecasting endeavour starts with a look at the El-Nino Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. ENSO is a way of looking at the impacts of water temperatures between Christmas Island and Peru. When these waters are warmer than usual, ENSO is in its positive, or “warm” phase, known as El-Nino. Cooler waters indicate a negative ENSO, dubbed La-Nina. Both El-Nino and La-Nina events can influence global weather patterns, and these influences are fairly well understood, so they provide a good jumping off point for our Winter forecast. What’s going on with ENSO right now?
By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student Hello everyone!
It’s that time of year again isn’t it. We’ve just turned the corner into November, the last few leaves are being swept from the trees by Autumn gales, and the holidays are rapidly approaching. The upcoming winter is on the minds of many, so, in accordance with tradition, I’ll use my November Beyond the Forecast column to discuss my thoughts on the Winter forecast. As always, I preface this by saying that seasonal forecasting is not my area of expertise. There are many folks out there who know way more about this than I do, and if you’re making any important decisions based on Winter forecast information, I’d urge you to consult with others, too. My thoughts here are meant for those curious about what might lie ahead, and about some (but far from all) of the factors that go into determining seasonal weather patterns. Fair warning, this post is usually a longer one, so start a nice warm fire in the fireplace, grab the cat or dog to sit in your lap and read on. Seasonal forecasting, particularly in the volatile mid-latitudes (Maine!) is tricky business! Why is seasonal forecasting so tricky? The answer lies in just how complicated our atmosphere is. At any given moment, there are many different processes underway that are impacting the earth system in some way. Some of the major players that influence seasonal weather patterns include ocean currents, the cryosphere (frozen parts of the planet including permafrost, glaciers, sea ice, snowpack, etc.), solar cycles, volcanic activity and tropical thunderstorm patterns. Every once in a great while, the influences of each of these factors will all be pointing in the same direction. If the whole earth system is tilted in such a way that’s favourable for a cold/snowy Winter, then it’s pretty easy to figure out the odds are higher than normal for a cold/snowy Winter. However, this is rarely if ever the case. Most of the time, this year included, there are some factors that argue in favour of snow, and some that seem more inhibitive. When this is the case, not only do we need to determine the direction of influence for each factor, but also the magnitude. Which processes will “drive” the Winter pattern, and which will “enhance” it? Further complicating matters is the disconnect between large scale (mainly upper air) patterns and the weather we actually see on any given day. For example, say we identify a pattern perfect for nor’easters at some point this Winter. Nor’easters bring snow, so it’d be an easy call to say “big snow!” right? That’s a great idea in theory, but even if our pattern forecast is perfect (unlikely, given what I talked about in the previous paragraph), we still need all sorts of smaller scale features to come together for us to actually break out the shovels. We could have a perfect pattern, but if a wobble in track barely forecastable 12 hours in advance, let alone four months out, sends the storm a little too far west, we’ll see rain and the whole forecast might “bust”. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at what we’re expecting for the coming Winter. Overall, I expect temps to be a bit above normal, with precipitation around normal. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a blockbuster snow year, but we should be able to get a couple decent events. So how did I get to that conclusion? Let’s dig into the science a little bit. Ev-
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Sea surface temperature anomaly maps (above) show warm waters in this region right now, and model forecasts indicate continued warming is likely heading into the Winter. However, we’re not expecting a “super-nino” like we saw in 2015. This particular ENSO event is much more likely to fall in the weak to moderate category. So how does El-Nino affect our weather? My Map on the next page highlights some of the signals we tend to see from ElNino events. The primary feature of El-Nino is a strong Subtropical Jet, which brings above average precipitation and below average temperatures to the southern tier of the US. Additionally, depending on other factors, the Polar Jet is often farther north, especially across the Western US. While these changes will certainly influence our weather, note that there’s no particularly strong direct signals for Coastal Maine. This means that we have to look elsewhere for more definitive answers about what to expect this coming Winter. The next place to look is still relating to the oceans, but instead of limiting ourselves to the Tropical Pacific, we’ll broaden our horizons a bit to look at all there is to see across the Northern Hemisphere. The map above highlights some of the other ocean temperature anomalies that might be important for shaping the overall jet stream pattern this Winter. Let’s work our way from west to east, starting in the Pacific. The biggest feature to note in the Pacific (besides the El-Nino, which we’ve already discussed) is the region of very warm waters (relative to normal of course --- it’s not actually warm) west of Alaska. This should promote ridging in the Bering Sea, as warm air is allowed to move farther north than usual. A series of powerful storms in the Gulf of Alaska should take a toll on the warm anomalies there over the next couple weeks, and cooling has already been observed in the past few weeks, so I’m going to work off the assumption that these anomalies are transient in nature, and thus not indicative of a seasonally-significant feature. Farther east, we have cool waters in Hudson Bay and cool waters between Labrador and Ireland. To the south of this, waters are warmer than normal from the East Coast over to Portugal. This is important because a feature known as the Icelandic Low feeds on the energy from the gradient in temperatures across this area. The stronger that gradient is, the stronger the low is. It follows that cooler
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How will individual parts of the Winter play out? Will we have a White Christmas? Should skiers expect another Miracle March? I’ll do a subseasonal outlook post for December’s column that will attempt to bring specific patterns into a little more focus. Meanwhile, enjoy the last little bit of Fall, because even if we see a warmer than average Winter overall, you know we’ll be shovelling soon enough! -Jack
Jack’s Weather Terms
than normal waters on the cool side of the gradient, combined with warmer than normal waters on the warm side of the gradient, will lead to a stronger gradient, and thus a stronger low. That’s exactly what we’re expecting. The implication of that stronger low is a more zonal (flat/east-west oriented) jet over the Atlantic. The one caveat to that forecast is if a few factors arguing in favour of a Greenland Block come to fruition, we could see our jet become a bit slower, with the waves in the jet becoming more amplified. So what are those factors arguing in favour of a Greenland Block? There are a few. First and foremost is the fact that due to changes in the climate, there’s a dwindling amount of sea ice up in the Arctic. This means that for a longer period of time each Fall, the loss in energy from the polar regions comes from the oceans (turning water into ice) as opposed to from the air (turning cold air into really cold air). The result is warmer temperatures over parts of the Arctic that don’t have much ice (we’re seeing this already in the Bering Sea, where high pressure is expected to set up shop for much of the Winter.) Two other factors that argue in favour of blocking are solar activity cycles, and a feature known as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, or QBO for short. I won’t go into a ton of detail regarding either, as dissertations are still being written trying to explain their exact links to weather/climate patterns, but the general idea is that when less energy enters the earth’s atmosphere from the sun (low sunspot count/lowpoint in the sunspot cycle), there’s a better chance of high latitude (i.e. Greenland) blocking. As for the QBO, it’s a measure of whether winds in the stratosphere are easterly or westerly. An easterly (negative) QBO phase is linked to a weaker Polar Vortex in the stratosphere. Why is that important? Recall from history that a weak king has a hard time retaining control of his subjects. The Polar Vortex is the king of cold air in the Northern Hemisphere. The stronger it is, the better it can keep its cold air in line, where it’s “supposed” to be: up in the high latitudes. But with a weak Polar Vortex, the cold air can escape from the Polar Vortex’s control, travelling south into the mid latitudes (where we are!) bringing low temperatures and stormy weather as the incoming cold air clashes with warm air from the tropics. To start to wrap this up a bit, both the presence of El-Nino in the Pacific, and certain SST anomalies around the Northern Hemisphere lead me to believe that the core of the really cold Arctic air will remain a little north of us, by and large. Of course, that’s not to say it won’t get cold, nor to say that we won’t have a couple of really cold days somewhere in the mix. However, averaged out over the course of the Winter, warmer than average temperatures are probably a pretty safe bet. As for precipitation, the active subtropical jet provides good promise for coastal storm systems, but the zonal North Atlantic jet pattern fueled by the strong Icelandic Low may impede the ability of some of those storms to really drop a lot of precip. We’ll see though, actual precip will end up coming down to exactly how a particular storm sets up. How much of our precipitation will fall as snow? Well that’ll depend on exactly how much cold air we have available. As I said before, I don’t think we’ll have an abundance of cold air, but it doesn’t need to be bone-chillingly frigid to snow, it needs only be cold enough. So the mountains have the best shot at seeing more snow, with amounts along the coast a bit more uncertain.
Polar Vortex: The now-defunct buzzword from 2013 is actually a formally accepted scientific term, and has appeared in academic literature since the 1980’s. The Polar Vortex isn’t the particular cold airmass that arrives at the surface, nor is it directly harmful to anyone in any way, contrary to what certain media outlets lead you to believe. The Polar Vortex is a current of ferocious wind that circles the earth in the Stratosphere, which extends from about six miles above the ground to about 31 miles above the ground. The Polar Vortex acts as a “guardian” of sorts for bitter cold Arctic air, keeping it bottled up close to the poles when the Vortex is strong, and letting the cold air migrate southward into the mid latitudes when the Vortex is weak. The Polar Vortex’s cousin closer to the surface, also a fast moving current of air that demarcates warm from cold, is known as the jet stream. Blocking: Also inspired by this month’s column, blocking refers to any type of high pressure system in the mid latitudes that is prominent enough to “block” the eastward progression of jet stream winds by redirecting them northward toward the pole. These ridges also block the eastward progression of storm systems, enabling them to develop into powerful cyclones that can impact the same areas for days. The best example in recent memory is when a powerful blocking high set up over the Northeastern Atlantic in March of this year, enabling three consecutive Nor’easters to develop and crawl up the coast, bringing high winds, massive seas, and feet of snow.
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Layne’s Wine Time
Layne V. Witherell / Up Portland Wine Critic
I am sitting out here by the fire pit roasting turkey gizzards and throwing crumpled articles that I have written on wines to have for this most predictable of wine holidays. Thanksgiving wine suggestions are “back like vampires at full moon” (thank you, New York Times). Probably the most boring of the lot is Beaujolais Nouveau. If you must serve it, make sure you have your favourite ABBA tunes at the ready to cheer you up as you motor your way through your tofu or turkey. It is time for new thoughts. Thanksgiving is an event for either the many (I call them “the peeps”), or the few, “the swanksgiving people” (two to four in number). We will look at wines for each group as they usually differ in style, taste and budget. Food, costume and décor are always optional. SPARKLING WINE PEEPS: Prosecco has become a yawner, switch to a Spanish Cava. It is fun to say and is far more interesting. Segura Viudas Cava, Brut, $10-$12 bottle. Serve it chilled in a flute or wine glass or add some cranberries, lemon wedges and orange slices for festivity.
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SWANKSGIVING: Hattingley Classic Reserve Brut. $50-$60 bottle. Tastes like the world’s finest tiny bubbled croissant lightly coated with minerals. It is the classic grape mixture of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The original people who made wine here around the era of ca. 400’s A.D. had “weirdly tonsured heads (shaven in a band from ear to ear but leaving long flowing hair) and tattooed green eyelids” (thank you, Monks and Wine by Desmond Seward). This is a bottle of British bubbles. It is new, hot and awesome: symbolic of the new, young royals, having their own little “royalettes” every 15 minutes or so. Look out Champagne! WHITE WINES PEEPS: A to Z Wineworks, Newberg, Oregon, Pinot Gris, 2016, $15.99 bottle. The operative words here are juicy, aromatic and loaded with flavours of ripe apples. This is a total “peep pleaser”. Everyone will be sloshingly happy. I used to live in this town in the ‘70’s just outside of the other Portland. There were few wineries. I was sales manager of one of them. Lots of filbert nut groves. Things have changed. The filberts are no more. SWANKSGIVING: Empire State Dry Riesling, 2016, Finger Lakes, $20 bottle. Its flavour is like “Riding along a streamlined river of acidity” (thank you, Wine Enthusiast). Swanksgiving wines are more to drink and contemplate than the wines for the “peeps”. This is one you think about when you gnaw on your turkey leg and genuflect on just how tough it is to grow grapes in the Eastern U.S. The early guru of New York vines, Dr. Konstantin Frank, once planted vines in places that “where when we spit it froze before it hit the ground”. RED WINES PEEPS: Il Roccolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $10 bottle. It is so misunder-
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stood. This isn’t Vino Nobile de Montepulciano (different place, different grape, different meal - pass the lasagna). This is the fruity, delicious Montepulciano grape from Abruzzo in Southern Italy that can wash down giblets with the best of them. Only problem here is to pick a producer like Il Roccolo, Cataldi, Valle Reale or Zaccagnini who are simply showcasing this wonderfully drinkable and enjoyably priced wine and not trying to over-entertain your tastebuds with their cellar full of new oak barrels. It happens. SWANKSGIVING: I think that the ultimate swanksgiving wine must coincide not only with the taste of foods but the feeling of the change of the seasons. Having been born and raised in Los Angeles, our only change of seasons was baseball and football surrounded by palm trees. In Portland, Maine, the seasons really are seasons. Autumn here is a feeling and a sensation. After a whole lot of tasting (the tough part), reflecting and generally looking at brightly coloured and changing leaves, one wine best captures this moment: Produttori del Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy, $45 bottle. It is a medium-bodied red that resembles violets and hints of truffles, and if there is a game bird on the table it reaches perfection. The Produttori is a co-op whose members own around 40% of the vineyards of the region. There is a longstanding tradition of quality here. The problem is that their native Nebbiolo grape needs bottle age to reach that perfection. Purchase six bottles and have one every year with your swanksgiving people.
DESSERT WINES PEEPS: Savory and James NV Deluxe Quality Cream Sherry, Spain, $12 bottle. Don’t knock it ‘till you have tried it. Created by Norton Cooper, President of Charles Jacquin Co. in Philadelphia. Cooper is one of the great tasters and inventors of alcoholic beverages in our time. He created Chambord Liquor! Rich, complex and savory (just like the name). SWANKSGIVING: Alvear NV Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez, Montilla-Moriles, $30 half bottle. Unfortunately, some wine writer wag gave this little stupendous under-the-radar dessert wine a 100-point rating and zippo chango the price roared upwards. It is still one of the world’s great dessert wine deals. The grape Pedro Ximenez is still underrated, as is the region in Southern Spain. The wine is essence of Nutella in a glass. A little bit does go a long way. The 1927 refers to a barrel in the solera system but the wine is admirably aged and ancient. It is time to come in from the fire pit. The turkey gizzards are all reduced to a fine cinder ash as are the older clichéd Thanksgiving wine and food pairings. Hope all of this helps with your group large (“the peeps”) or small (“the swanksgiving folks”). Have a joyous Thanksgiving. (EDITORS NOTE: Layne is a professional in the wine business with over 30 years of experience. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com for talks and consulting. His website is http://winemaniacs.wordpress.com/.)
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Food For Thought... There’s nothing like having a bad experience to get folks reading and commenting, which is a pity. Such, however, was the case with this column’s opinion last month, which detailed a rather unpleasant meal we had at a new West End establishment. That’s why I want to start by saying this month, if you are looking for something else less-than-positive, you might want to stop reading now... we had a simply wonderful Sunday evening meal recently at The Dockside Grill, 215 Foreside Rd. (just off Route 88) next to Handy Boat in Falmouth. We were taken to Dockside by a good friend and her mother --- both of whom we know to have great taste in anything and everything --- from friends (us!) to clothes --- but especially food, so we arrived with very high expectations. They were not only met, but greatly exceeded at Dockside. The neatest part about the whole experience was that we had a 7 p.m. reservation and this time of year that means the sun is very down. With cool weather, the eatery’s famous outside (literally dockside) area was closed for the year so we dined in a very cozy inside room on the upper level (Yes, there is an elevator.). Not only was there a fireplace, but thru the windows we got to watch the moon rise over Casco Bay. Suffice to say the mood was as terrific as the company and food. In addition, the server did a wonderful job of staying on top of things, bringing courses well-timed and all with attentive, but not overbearing, attention. They need to send her over to the place we ate last month to teach staff a thing or three about how it should be done. But enough about that. From the drinks menu thru to a fantastic flourless torte, there is/was little bad to say. In fact, my only very slight negative is that the waitress was so good she didn’t try and upsell us at all, so it was only on the drive home that I realised I intended to add a demi salad ($5) to my meal, but I forgot and she didn’t ask. So much for those greens my sister feels need to be in every meal! So what did we have? We started with some very nice calamari which was (as advertised) tossed in a sweet chili sauce ($12). There was more than enough for the four of us to share, and the flavour was well-defined, but not overbearing. In other words, I caught bits of both the sauce and the calamari, but neither dominated, which is, I feel, as a dish like this should be. Next, we were on to the entrees, and for me it was a difficult choice, but Steak Oscar (above right) won. Menu says, “8oz Prime Flat Iron, crab meat, red bliss potatoes, asparagus, béarnaise, $36.” To say the whole dish, not just the potatoes, was little short of total bliss would be a lie. It was wonderful, with no shortage of crabmeat, a delicious (but not overpowering) béarnaise and who can possibly go wrong with asparagus? A word, too, about the steak... fantastic. Unlike last month when I got a lotta static for asking the steak be cooked extra rare (“almost raw” I usually add) here that brought a grin from the server and a perfectly (un) cooked steak to my plate. This was customer satisfaction at its best and worth every cent of the price tag, which I’d have willingly paid had we not been our friend’s guests. Yep... it was really that good.
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Meanwhile, partner Ivan went with my 2nd option, the Salmon en Croute (below right). Menu says “puffed pastry wrapped salmon, spinach, pesto, demi salad, béarnaise, $26” and he was smiling as broadly as I. It was a tough choice for me, as I love just about anything “en Croute,” which translates to “in a pastry crust”. That’s likely because I grew up with some wonderful Beef Wellington at a rooftop spot friends and I frequented in Louisville called Top Of The Tower. But regardless, Ivan proclaimed his croute (and the salmon inside) to be wonderful, making even me question my choice. As far as our hostesses, one had the same wonderful Salmon en Croute partner Ivan did, while her mom reported she thoroughly enjoyed her herb panko crusted haddock with mushroom risotto, asparagus and caper beurre blanc sauce ($24). After such a wonderful meal, there had to be a “closer” and in in this case it was as fantastic a dessert as we have had in awhile, not to mention one which in some ways reminded me of the flourless, dense chocolate cakes my mom used to make for the unleavened bread Jewish holiday of Passover. The menu said: “Chocolate Flourless Torte. Honey Cream, Cinnamon Caramel Drizzle.”
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The chocolate was as dark as the night had turned as the moon vanished behind a cloud... and the drizzle was a bit more like a light shower, though much, much more delicious. To say the two pieces we got to share were a wonderful end to a great meal with friends, a view and a super staff would be a clear understatement. It was really that good. Readers deserve a bit of a P.S. here, which is due to the fact that we were guests, I did not see the final bill nor get a chance (though I offered) to leave a tip for the happy and efficient service we got. Were I to guess, based upon the menu, I’d say the evening four four (including three with a drink each before dinner) came to somewhere close to $165. That means it was a far, far better deal all round than the last place we reviewed. We had smiling service, a kitchen with someone captaining the stove who really cared what his or her diners wanted, and an all-around better atmosphere. That means, too, that we should say our two friends from last month’s experience would also have loved the quiet background at Dockside Grill. There was no loud music or huge parties... just some soft moonlight, friendly conversation and great food, meaning the whole experience left us with big smiles for the 20-minute ride home and well beyond. For more information, visit www.thedocksidegrill.com though be warned, the website needed some updates when we last checked, including the posted Sunday hours, which were from last Winter and showed no Sunday dinner being served at all. The phone (to speak to a live person who can give updated info) is 207/747.5274. Whether you drive in, walk in or boat in (and tie up Dockside) this restaurant should be on your list of destinations. I know it now is for us. Bits & Bites....a bit more food for thought...One can really tell season is quickly winding down as several eateries which cater to outdoor diners and tourist trade have either closed for the season or pulled in their outside tables for the snows to come. Wiscasset’s Red’s Eats finished up the 3rd week of October, Ri Ra and others on Commercial Street have taken their outdoor seating off to storage and Dock’s in SoPo has gone back to being open six days a week, and closing Mondays for their staff to get some needed rest. We also understand Duckfat’s Friteshack at 43
Another Helping? More Food For Thought Is On The Next Page
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More Food For Thought... Continued From The Previous Page Washington Ave. has cut back and now is closed Mondays and Tuesdays for the Winter. That’s all my way to say check the hours online or with a call if you plan on dining out in the coming weeks and months. The places open year round will be thrilled to have your business (and mine) in the off-season, but you will want to be sure you show up when they are open!... Moving right along, and in keeping with the photo on our Front Page this issue, the Monument Square’s Farmer’s Market wraps up the day before Thanksgiving for this year. They will be inside all Winter, and a few tough vendors still set up from time to time on the square all year, but for most of us, the last big chance to get fresh apples and
other great Maine farm-raised produce is fast approaching... Also worth noting, we see Espo’s is on the market. We have had mixed experiences there in the past few months... ranging from some of the best Italian eats in Portland, to a couple of, shall we say, less stellar experiences. We are always sad when we see family ownership end, as will be the case if and when Espo’s sells, so we hope staff and atmosphere will remain unchanged, but that a bit of stability will return to what’s always been a great family place to dine... And speaking of changes, you can forget about the old dinners in the Maine Harvest Dining Room at Freeport’s Harraseeket Inn. While the special buffets (think Thanksgiving’s Grand Buffet which last we checked had about 1200 reservations) and the Sunday Lobster Brunches are alive and well, dinners are changing. Owner Chip Gray told Up Portland that a lot of new excitement is arriving as part of the change. To quote Chip, “The same old, same old menus are gone, and in their place will be special events.” He said these will range from foreign-themed meals (think German and Korean and Latin dinners to name but three), to party nights, special recipe nights, cooking classes and more. Gray said he has long been looking at making a change for the better in the Maine Harvest and decided to take the plunge in October. Check their website (www.harraseeketinn.com/dining/maine-harvest) for special events and dates. Oh, and for those who loved the “old menu” never fear: Gray told us he plans to have a night or two a month with the stand-bys the room has been featuring for decades. Count me in for a Beef Wellington and some Oysters Rockefeller!
Maine Jewish Museum
Opening Reception: Sunday, November 11, 2018 2pm-4pm Exhibition: November 11, 2018 to January 5, 2019
A Piece of Work Russell Christian
Fineberg Family Community Room
Superstitions Neal Beckerman Spiegel Gallery
Contemporary Scrolling Carol Sloane
Third Floor Sanctuary
Maine Jewish Museum
267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339 Monday - Friday 10am-4pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org Nancy Davidson, Curator in Residence
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Autumn, Thanksgiving & More Welcome to the return of Up Portland’s crossword. And this time, it’s all about Fall, Thanksgiving and end of another season. You’ll find a lot of familiar (and maybe a few not-so) words here, all having to do with this time of year, so put on that thinking cap, since while some are as easy as buying a bargain turkey in November, others are a bit more difficult --- like trying to figure out which signs and symbols of Autumn made our list. Sharpen your pen or pencil and as always, comments are welcome at ted@upportland. com and the solution (no peeking) is on Page 23. Oh, and above all, Happy Thanksgiving!
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Eric’s Optimal Corner Lynette Spring Baker / Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Center My name is Eric Hilton. I am a 12-year combat veteran having served in the Unites States Army from 1999-2011, including two tours in Iraq. I live each day with the challenging life-long effects of brain trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is my journey… While I have survived several close-proximity, roadside bomb blasts and combat engagements, there is more to trauma and PTSD than just a singular traumatic event for soldiers. Besides the bombs and the bullets of war, daily military life is difficult. Strict discipline and structure are always expected: no exceptions, no sick days. There is a psychological programming to it all while we are constantly living in a state of fear with those in power yelling at us, training us to stand firm, training us to protect ourselves and each other by training us to fight to the death at any cost. My daily mission was to train for war, which for every soldier can come down to hand-to-hand combat as we must always be prepared to overcome the enemy. Because the mission every day was not to bring peace and love but to kill and destroy, we carried a lot of pain and suffering every day ... pain and suffering which affects our work and personal lives, creating a toxic environment in which we all lived and operated every day. After finishing my time in the army in 2011, I came back to a life without walls, without structure and ultimately without order, left to fend for myself, without a mission and without a team. I felt lost, scared of the unknown and lived in a daily world of doom and gloom. I thought my everyday was “normal.” But actually, as I have found, my day was very different from most people around me. I lived in fear and threatened by everything. I had a boiling cauldron of anger and rage I had to hide every day. I felt powerless to the destructive and violent thoughts that strategically played through my head in response to every scenario that played out in front of me. I felt alone in the world. This is what I have been battling: Depression/hopelessness (visions of doom and gloom) Anxiety Fear Brain fog Difficulties with focus and concentration Visual snow Irritability Substance abuse Fatigue Physical damage from injury Hyper-vigilance Inability to relax Suicidal & homicidal thoughts Self-doubt/ low self-confidence/ low self-worth Difficulties with interpersonal relationships Today, PTSD and veterans who have it represent a mysterious and scary thing for everyone. The effects of blast trauma, psychological trauma and sexual trauma are being seen more and more from our brothers and sisters who have
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served in the military. When a person goes from a life of safety and security to a place where he or she is hunted and hated by the land around them and living in fear of life each day; then to be brought from that heightened state of fear and violence back to a safe and secure place, will a person feel safe and secure? Will they even remember what that safety and security feels like and be able to bring themselves back to that place of innocence that was lost before being thrown into the bowels of hell? Likely not. I, myself, have tried many treatment methods and modalities hoping to bring peace into my life and receive my healing. I do receive support from the VA, which has been helpful but not always fruitful. I have found my greatest help has been from alternative means of healing. Treatments and approaches I have tried include: extensive psychological testing (horrible), multiple pharmaceutical approaches (antidepressants, anti-anxiety, ADHD, migraine medication meant to help with my vision, etc.), a wide variety of talk-therapy, including group therapy, holotropic Breathwork, acupuncture, body work, energy work, plant Medicine (cannabis, Ayahuasca, psilocybin), meditation, spirituality & prayer, diet & nutrition, physical fitness and lifestyle changes that include abstaining from alcohol and drugs. I personally did not find relief from my symptoms with “conventional medicine,” but I still utilise the rest of these approaches in my healing and the pursuit of calming the beast within. Over the years, in order to continue along this path riddled with obstacles, I have had to adjust my perception to find opportunities for empowerment in this ultimately very frustrating process. Talk therapy has been crucial and I still see my therapist once a week. I plan to pursue more acupuncture. Meditation, spirituality and prayer play a significant role in my recovery from trauma every day. Taking care of my physical being through fitness, nutrition and lifestyle choices continues to create a vessel that is more and more capable of healing itself. Discovering one’s own PTSD is like peeling away layers of an onion, working our way down to the core. Sometimes, it get’s really difficult to cut that onion down to the centre... our eyes begin to water and burn. It’s painful. In the process of discovering our own source trauma we experience difficult sensations, pains and emotions. Handling all of this, all the time, is a great stress on our mental and physical well-being. I am very grateful for the people in my life who care about me and love me, who want to see me do well and be well. I know that everyone does the best they can in supporting the veterans in their lives. In my experience, there are certain key things to know about me as a veteran and how you can help me and others: . ---Please respect my space. I sometimes get uncomfortable when people are in close proximity to me or if there are a lot of people around. I can easily get
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overwhelmed and that never leads me to a good place. ---Please GIVE me my space. Some days I just need to be with myself. It’s nothing personal against anybody else, it has nothing to do with what anyone may have done; it’s just like a change in the weather inside me: my own wild, internal weather patterns. ---When I am feeling overwhelmed and I am quiet, please do not talk my ear off, even if you are trying to help. Silence is a great healer! And please know that I am grateful to just be with you in that silence. ---Please do not startle me. (It’s not funny.) Any bang or scream puts me on high alert. Automatically fight or flight is engaged and I have difficulty controlling my emotions. ---Please do not pressure me. My stress acts like a balloon; when ‘overwhelmed’ happens, the pressure increases and things get more difficult for me. I get irritable. Sometimes I just have to do things, including making decisions, at my own pace. ---Be mindful that I am extremely sensitive, even though I appear strong and firm. ---While I work diligently to manage my anger and rage, I am still easily triggered and I am susceptible to losing my cool. (Please forgive me) ---Please be happy for me. Even though you do not understand me or my experiences, please do not assume, exaggerate or speculate about these experiences or how “bad it was.” Just be my brother or sister as equals. I have survived my battles such as you have in your life. Even though I suffered much damage from my time in the service, I am super grateful for the whole experience. Throughout my journey, I have gained so much in my life that makes me a much better man and more capable of helping other people.
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The Standard Reviewer
By Andrea Rouda / Up Portland’s Film & Theatre Reviewer
Hollywood’s Man of the Hour: Bradley Cooper In Hollywood there’s always someone at the top of the heap: the actor who’s in everything, is everywhere and gets everyone to the box office. The hottest leading man is someone who is handsome, charismatic, and hopefully can act, although that last attribute isn’t always the case or even necessary. They come on the scene and shine brightly for a few years, until the glare from a new star obliterates their dimming glow. Years ago, it was Clark Gable, Cary Grant, John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. More recently we’ve loved Harrison Ford, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. Today, right now -- this minute -- it’s Bradley Cooper. Since the start of his career in 1999 he’s been in many movies, but his most recent, A Star is Born, in which he plays the male lead and also makes his directorial debut, is sure to etch him into the hearts and minds of all avid movie-goers. Following is a quick look at that one, and a handful of his other films. A Star Is Born (2018) Despite all the hype about the on-screen chemistry between Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, the real stars of A Star Is Born are those ever-popular old favourites: drugs and alcohol. The very first scene features both of them and they reign throughout the film, ultimately killing off our hero. As usual the moviegoing public adores them, forking over many millions at the box office since the film’s wide release in early October. No doubt it’s a great yarn: The doomed love affair between Ally (Gaga), a rising young talent brimming with possibility, and Jackson (Cooper), whose alcoholsoaked flame is all but spent. Even though we’ve seen it before, this latest film version – three others preceded this one – seems brand new, without a single stale or hackneyed moment. Impressive acting is in evidence from just about everyone involved, including surprisingly heartfelt performances by two famously edgy stand-up comics: Dave Chappelle plays a nurturing old friend of Jackson’s and Andrew Dice Clay is unexpectedly endearing as Ally’s dad. All that plus authentic concert footage of screaming fans and memorable music and singing make it a standout, equal in impact to the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason, itself a hallmark in film history. It’s hard to imagine anyone outdoing Garland’s singing, but Lady Gaga just might. And Cooper’s not bad either, after taking voice lessons for 18 months to prepare for the role. Besides the fun of watching their onstage musical numbers, it’s their obvious love for one another that tugs at the heartstrings. Still, in the end the film is depressing, and not just in the end but pretty much all the way through, since drug addiction and alcohol abuse are simply no fun no matter how much you dress them up with a haunting soundtrack and an amusing cast of characters. It’s a testament to the actors that their story stays with you long after the final credits. I felt oddly sad for a few days.
start always cracks me up.) Although no Oscar-winner, still it was nominated for many lesser awards and won a Golden Globe for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy. It also spawned two sequels, neither of which came close to the brilliance of the first. The second-highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever in the United States, it continues to earn a ton of money on sales and rentals. By now I’m guessing that everyone knows the story of four buddies, one about to tie the knot, who drive to Las Vegas for a pre-wedding bachelor weekend. Things go awry and drunken craziness ensues after the pals accidentally ingest an unknown drug thinking it was Ecstasy, which is itself a weird drug, but that’s another column. In no time, one of the foursome is missing and the other three get into all sorts of trouble trying to find him. As the leader of the pack, dubbed “pretty boy” by a local cop who arrests the bunch during their wild night of debauchery, Cooper is the straight guy for Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, both of whom earn most of the solid laughs. And the laughs, while stemming from admittedly childish and silly situations, are basically non-stop. The only sour note in what is generally a feel-good flick is former heavyweight-boxing-champion-turned-sex-offender Mike Tyson playing himself, a fabulously wealthy has-been with a pet Bengal tiger that the drunken trio steal and take back to their hotel room. (Lesson learned: Keep some roofies and raw meat on hand in case that ever happens to you.) Despite all the crazy antics, still it’s Cooper’s movie. This is in part because he is so pretty in it, and also because he’s the only grown-up in the room, lending the proceedings a certain gravitas and making you less embarrassed at how much you’re enjoying all the adolescent humour.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Bradley Cooper shines in this movie that’s good in every way: Great script, superb acting, fun soundtrack and a perfect laughter/tears ratio. Silver Linings Playbook is full of silver linings, which is a cheap shot I know, but still true. It simply could not have been better. The subject matter might offend some, since audiences flock to movies seeking escape and mental illness is a disturbing topic. Cooper plays Pat, a young man with bipolar disorder struggling to get a grip on his wrecked life after a divorce, nervous breakdown and eight-month lockup in a loony bin. Back home with his parents, one of whom is Robert DeNiro who nails the part of the sad but also crazy dad, he’s desperate to patch up his marriage and return to normalcy. Pat’s journey back to sanity involves cops at the door, an attractive new love interest named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), and lots of running through the streets of Philadelphia wearing a giant Hefty trash bag. A sizable chunk of the film features dance contest rehearsal scenes and a final dance contest like we saw in Saturday Night Fever. I’d like to say here and now that Bradley Cooper is no John Travolta. Still, it’s fun to watch his character slowly come out of his funk, mostly due to his growing romantic attachment to the equally nutty Tiffany. The two are obviously a perfect match. If you have grown kids who are “finding themselves,” know anyone with mental illness, or even live on the edge of crazy yourself, this film reveals what some people have to go through just to have a day -- forget having a nice one. There are a handful of funny lines which are instantly forgettable, but consider them some of those silver linings when they show up. Overall, it’s a light-hearted look at a dark subject, told with grace and style.
The Hangover (2009) American Hustle (2013) One of the greatest of its genre -- stupid & gross but still really funny – The Hangover put Cooper on Hollywood’s map of the stars. The movie never disappoints no matter how many times you’ve seen it; personally, I’ve lost count. (That clucking chicken strutting around a trashed Las Vegas hotel suite at the
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You’ll have a good time, I promise, just as long as you’re the kind of person who can sit back and relax, go with the flow and hang loose. Forget asking dumb questions like, “What’s going on?” or “Who is that again?” It doesn’t really mat-
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ter since it’s all in good fun. Deemed a “black crime comedy,” American Hustle was nominated for ten Academy Awards that year but somehow won none, despite that fact that both male leads, Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper, almost stun you with their brilliant performances. The story is loosely based on Abscam, an actual FBI sting involving senators, congressmen and a fake Sheik of Arabee back in the ‘70s, so you get to see what life was like back then. It’s amusing to see how far we’ve come in terms of the hair, the cars, the clothes, the furnishings, and -- worth repeating -- the hair. The opening scene, coming on even before any credits appear, showing how to effectively hide your bald spot, or at least try, is at once wildly hysterical and truly awful. Another one later on, as funny but more endearing, has Cooper sporting pink hair curlers all over his head to create his Afro doo. Thankfully, the jumbled plot is explained by a continual voice-over narrative spoken by each of the different characters at different times. Besides the sting, reminiscent of Sinatra and his Rat Pack, there are lots of sexy-ish scenes, mostly involving Amy Adams showing lots of skin in low-cut dresses. Jennifer Lawrence, the other babe who sadly seems more like a baby but who my husband decided had the better figure, also strives to be sexy. It’s all good though, since this is supposedly long before the #MeToo movement when that was still allowed. Great acting and occasional laugh-out-loud moments are accompanied by a nostalgic score of all your favourite songs, or at least all of mine. You probably won’t know what’s happening every second, or really a lot of the time, but you won’t care. It’s that good. American Sniper (2014) Keeping in mind that war is hell, this movie illustrates just how bad Hell can be. This particular war takes place in modern-day Iraq, showing you in grim detail how your life could suck too, if only you would enlist in the military. There are guns, tanks, helicopters, grenades, lots of sand and men in goggles. Faces get shot off. Bodies drop in the dirt, spurting blood onto nearby buildings like those old Spin Art paintings from the 60s. As my husband so poetically put it, American Sniper is a “dick flick.” Anyone going for the purpose of seeing the handsome heartthrob Bradley Cooper might as well stay home, since he is nowhere to be found. Instead we have his beefed-up doppelganger with a toned-down intellect and a Texas twang. This is definite proof of his acting chops, since he’s morphed himself into the role of former real-life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. In this based-on-a-true-story story, Kyle is quite good with a rifle. In fact, he’s legendary. He’s a legend in his own time, which is why he earned the nickname Legend, a fact we hear again and again in case we missed it the first ten times. Kyle also has a civilian life which he gets back to every three or nine months. His new wife (Sienna Miller) is pretty, patient and pregnant most of the time. Several scenes have her happily chatting with her hubby on her cell phone about trivial matters at home while he, in Iraq, has a kill in the crosshairs. Eventually she’s screaming into the phone as she hears the gunfire and puts two and two together. (Personally, I would have hung up immediately.) Clint Eastwood directed but I’m not sure he had a lot to do, since all the scenes are identical: Soldiers wearing camouflage and gas masks riding in tanks, or a line of them hunched over and aiming rifles into crummy shacks. There are no big thrills, memorable scenes or profound monologs. The enemy is anyone wearing a curtain on his head. Most of them get shot, usually by Kyle since he is so darned good at it. I guess the title says it all. What did you expect?
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Up Portland Is A Proud Member of the
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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 2018 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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Mark: My Words By Mark Gatti / Mark’s Hotdogs You’ve got to be kidding, already!?! A few days ago, it was the 18th of October I believe, and the wind was gusting to 40 m.p.h. Factor in the temperature of 43 degrees and the feel-like conditions of coldness hovered around 29 degrees according to my trusty weather app. Considering measurable amounts of accumulating snow in the Bethel area at this time, we Mainers didn’t have much time to thicken up the blood on the heels of the most humid rainforest-like Summer in recent memory. Although not uncommon to have fairly frigid weather here in middle October, I felt it rather untoward of Mother Nature to administer such an early cold harsh slap across our frozen faces. With the onset of Winter comes thoughts of cold campaigns I endured in the past when I stubbornly kept the food stand open year round. When the weather hovers around the freezing point or below, coupled with moisture in the air, things start happening to the gear and apparatus of the stand... not to mention the owner. For instance, I have to pour hot water on my water tank valves in order to get them operable. At the end of a work day the propane tank may be encrusted with a boiler plate thickness of ice, before, once again, hot water to the rescue to unfreeze the on-off valve. Clothes lines used to strap down umbrellas are iced up and need to be heartily jiggled around in order to loosen up all the slip knots. Umbrellas heavily weighted down with all nature of frozen precipitation need to be thoroughly shaken of all ice chips, which fall to the ground in crunchy, crinkly high notes of nature’s natural tones.
I remember we had decent snow cover on the ground and modestly high snow banks, but that morning the streets themselves were bare. What happened was a mild morning created melting of snow banks that puddled and collected on the street. Suddenly, an Arctic cold front blustered in on a frigid Northeasterly gale. What had been a mild 40 degree morning plummeted down to a bone chilling 20 degrees within a matter of minutes. All that water in the street instantly froze into a solid sheet of ice. Immediately the accidents started happening, sometimes involving four or five cars at a time as no one could stop. Police and city workers were promptly on the scene trying to sort out the chaos and salt down the street. The situation would be remedied for a few minutes but then the street would re-freeze because of the unusual conditions and despite continued layering by the city plow trucks. Several more crashes happened until late afternoon. Finally, after the city used what seemed half a Winter’s supply of salt and sand, things were once again safe and Old Man Winter mercifully called a truce ending what was a malady ridden day of motoring in my locale! Working in the cold for an extended amount of time also plays on the mind. I would try mind games in order to provide distraction from the chill. I would fancy that I was from Northern Scandinavia or hailed from the frozen steppes of Western Siberia. With this mindset, tricking the brain into thinking a typical 23 degree day in mid-January wasn’t really that cold at all was the goal. This little mind exercise usually evaporated in the frosty air within a few minutes; sometimes seconds when another refreshing belt of wind wafted up the streets coming in from the icy, cold gray North Atlantic. Although careful never to work in dangerous wind chill conditions, I did push the envelope at times and went to work when common sense dictated I should have stayed home. On these extra cold working days thoughts of the struggle between life and death would crop up. Before you question my sanity dear reader, I never put myself in a position literally where I’d freeze to death while working. However, on such days it was evident that anyone stuck outside without proper attire would not be around for Spring’s first offerings of lush green grass shoots and fragrant lilac scented air.
Clothes layering becomes mandatory in the cold season. As I recall those past years of year round alfresco food serving, there was a fairly consistent layering model followed depending on the month. November was a four layer month. December required five to six layers of assorted garments. January and February dictated seven to eight layers and sometimes two hats on my follicly challenged pate. On real cold days --- those bordering on “should I really be out today?” --- a onepiece union suit would be pressed into service. This attire was rare for me to don, however, for two good reasons. First, on a day this cold requiring a union suit, hardly any customers were outside – thus I had little chance of making any decent dough. Secondly, warm as the suit was, it was difficult to move in and do some of the fine motor skills essential in food serving. Plus, if I slipped and fell to the ground it could be challenging to get up again. Think back to the kid brother in the movie A Christmas Story, the scene where he is helplessly lying in a snow bank, arms and legs flailing, weighted down by multiple layers of Winter clothing wrapped around him by his over doting mother. A dozen or so years ago I bore witness to a series of minor fender benders that occurred at the Middle/Exchange intersection close to my stand location. Lots of vehicle traffic that day, it was Christmas season and Old Man Winter created a perfect storm of weather elements that produced multiple mini-crash events that bizarrely lasted half a work day.
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Physical symptoms of hours-long exposure to cold were most prominently felt by me in feet, hands and face. Believe it or not, my feet were warmer when wearing heavy wool socks and sneakers than when wearing felt lined boots with rubber soles. My left hand is in the steamer more than my right hand. During the several minute process of loading up the steamer on frigid winter morns, the left hand would get painfully numb with cold due to extremes of temperatures between hot steamer air and cold air exposure in constant repetition. As a result, to this day my left hand gets a painful throbbing sensation in chilly conditions and is much more susceptible to cold than my right hand. As far as my face, a layer of Vaseline and a face mask would do the trick. Once again, I didn’t do this often because when it is so cold that a face mask has to be worn hardly anyone would be out to buy hotdogs. Lastly, there were a handful of days when I would start to shiver after lunch time. Whenever this happened, my modus operandi was to pack up as soon as possible and head home to a steamy mug of hotbuttered rum! Happy safe Halloween (unless you are reading my words afterwards, then hope it was a good one and you outfitted outfit up as something warm like the Michelin Man or multi-wrapped mummy to stave off the chill!) Don’t forget to change your clocks on the 4th of November to get that extra hour’s sleep. Meanwhile, from me, “Warm” regards, Mark.
Visit Us and shop online at oldportcandyco.com
422 Fore Street, Portland • 772-0600
WICKED COOL CARDS, WACKY NOVELTIES, MAINE TREATS, & SO MUCH MORE!
3 Moulton Street, Portland • 773-5181
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Portland — 47 India Street Scarborough — 655 US Route 1 (at Pine Tree Seafood & Produce)
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