38
DECEMBER 24, 2020 | The Jewish Home
rious risk to native wildlife in the region. The snake is not native to the state and began appearing in the Everglades in the 1980s when it was likely introduced as an escaped or released pet. Donna Kalil has been eating pythons for a while. She is a female python hunter and has so far captured and euthanized 473 pythons. When she catches smaller ones, about 7 feet long, she uses a mercury testing kit she bought online to confirm they’re safe to eat. Then she turns their white meat into food. First, she uses a pressure cooker to make the meat soft and tender. Later, she adds pasta sauce, chili or stir fry. She also likes turning the snakes into jerky. “It’s really good when you cook it right,” Kalil told CNN. “This would be a wonderful way to get more people involved with helping us remove pythons from the environment. It would be a good thing for people to hunt and eat them but we need to make sure they’re safe first.” Kalil spent her childhood catching and releasing snakes for fun. Despite her love for pythons, which she calls “magnificent creatures,”
Python on the Menu?
There are a lot of interesting foods out there, but this one is making us ssssqueamish. Burmese python may be the newest dish on people’s tables if scientists can confirm that they are safe to eat. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is collaborating with the Florida Department of Health to investigate the mercury levels in pythons to determine if they can be safely consumed. Pythons are nonvenomous constrictors primarily found in south Florida where they have posed a se-
F
A
S
H
I
O
N
B
O
U
T
I
Q
U
E
Brooklyn 5005 16th Avenue Cedarhurst 426 Central Avenue
www.shopmezzo.com 718.871.9402
Select styles / categories excluded. Buy one item get second of equal or lessor value free. Offer valid until 1/13/21
she emphasizes the risk they pose to Florida’s wildlife and the severe damage they’ve already caused to its ecosystem. Large pythons can even eat big prey, including humans. Pythons have been preying on smaller mammals, including rabbits, raccoons, and possums. And now pythons may be the next thing on the menu. Honestly, they’re not really my tasssste.
Social Distancing Sweater
Need a little space at your next gathering? SimpliSafe is here to help. The home security company debuted its SimpliSafe Social Distancing Sweater last Monday. The sweater is adorned with snowflakes that are outfitted with a flashing light alarm system. If a person gets closer than six feet from the wearer, lights start to flash and a screeching noise begins to blare. Sounds like a great way to keep noshing on doughnuts undisturbed? Unfortunately, the sweater is just a prototype and is not being sold to the public. Instead, the company is giving away the same sweater, sans lights and sirens, in a limited quantity in exchange for donations to a nonprofit. If you really need your space, though, have no fear. SimpliSafe has published a detailed list of instructions for people on how to install an alarm system into a sweater. “As the experts on protection, albeit home protection, we wanted to give people a playful way to protect themselves during this year’s holiday celebrations,” SimpliSafe’s Creative Director Wade Devers said. “It’s really meant to bring some lightheartedness to a time that’s otherwise proven very stressful.” And alarms and flashing lights on a sweater are not stressful at all.
Ring of Prosperity
It’s called the Ring of Prosperity and you better be pretty prosperous to own it. Harshit Bansal has earned a spot in the Guinness World Record due to his unique ring. The finger ornament is called “The Marigold: The Ring of Prosperity” and is made up of a whopping 12,638 tiny diamonds. The previous Guinness record for most diamonds set in one ring was 7,801 gems. The Marigold weighs 5.8 ounces and features a massive floral design. Each petal of the ring’s eight-layer flower is completely unique. The massive, circular flower nearly covers a woman’s entire hand. Bansal came up with the idea for the ring two years ago during his study of jewelry design in Surat, the hub of India’s diamond industry. The diamond ring was made in collaboration with his employer, Renani Jewels. “It’s wearable and comfortable. My target was always more than 10,000 diamonds. I trashed many designs and concepts over the years to finally zero in on this,” Bansal, 25, said. While there are many prospective buyers, Bansal insists it’s not for sale – at least at the moment. “We have no plans of selling it right now,” the jeweler said of the bling. “It’s a matter of pride for us. It’s priceless.”
Town for Sale – Cheap
Instead of buying a house in the Five Towns, you can purchase a
