Comments Broken Telephone

(Click pix for juicy view)("Fell-A-Phone" London/Montpellier(FR)/NYC, 2005/2006)

Here's a new game I invented a few minutes ago. Figured I'd set it in motion right away...

It's called Comments Broken Telephone. It's another original Ez Sez Creation for you.

To play: Click on the "Comments" button just below to join the other Ez Sez CBT'ers already action. The goal is to be part of the infinite evolution of an online comment.

Just remember the 2 Comments Broken Telephone rules:

1. Change whatever you like

2. Leave an 'Interpretation' if you care to.

Have fun!


Ez

Open letter to Al Gore...

Mr. Gore,

I love your film, your message and your inspiring way to get us all to respect the environment and push hard to fight climate change... however... I feel your signature could use a bit of work....


In today's mass-email plea to raise 350,000 signatures to present to Congress on March 21st, your signature looks like "Ce None". Who the heck's Ce None? (Maybe it's the effects of climate change melting your autograph down? Global warping?)

I'd like to politely urge you to freshen up your signature and then add it as the 350,000th one to your powerful petition.

I have every bit of confidence you'll raise the 349,999 needed before yours goes on.

Keep up the great work, sir.

Respectfully yours,

P.S. I know, I know, it's a bit crooked. I'm working on it... Ez

A fog upon the blog

Took this shot Wednesday night in the thin drizzle and thick fog.

Ez

Ez Sez Quote...

(An oldie from the first day of the new Millennium.)

And if you're a Neil Young fan... enjoy the incredible "from the archives" CD he just released on Tuesday: Live at Massey Hall, 1971. Every archive should possess (and share) such treasures.


See you all in the kitchen. Bring the Massey disc...

Ez

Hot and fresh from Montreal...

(Montreal bagels, 3/11/07, photo by Ezra S.)

To all the Ez Sez readers outside Montreal, I send you these hot, fresh bagels to liven up your day.

To all you Ez Sezzers in town, a friendly reminder to consider yourself lucky to live in a town with such fine bagels.

Hot tip: "To revive a refrigerated bagel to near fresh-baked status, slice the bagel in half and lightly moisten the surfaces with a small amount of cold water. Toast or bake the bagel until it is hot throughout and slightly crispy on the surfaces."

It was yours truly who added the above info to the official Wikipedia definition of the bagel a few years back [Update: someone removed it from the definition! :( ] . This is based on my late grandfather, 'Zaidie Berl' Pofelis's trick that he learnt in the Polish countryside as a kid. It is known as 'banetzing' a bagel, which is Yiddish for moistening a bagel.

Nothing like bagels and zaidies to keep breakfasts beautiful...

Banetz boldly,

Ez

(Berl 'Benny' Pofelis, c. 1990, Hollywood, FL)

Vin-what?

I though up the word 'vindigial' years ago. Wanna think up a definition? (I never thought of anything that really stuck.)

Don't wait. Leave your definition right here as soon as you read this, even if it's days or months after this was posted.

Your definition will appear at the Comments link just below for others to enjoy.

Wry but shy??? Feel free to sign "Anon." next to your definition. (Especially if that's actually your name).

Vindigially yours,

Ez

UPDATE: The 'Vindigial Shake' recipe is now at the comments section too...

50th Ez Sez Post

(Click image for the juicy view)
("Pillars", Barcelona/Montreal, 2006/2005)

Wishing you, dear Ez Sez reader, a strong and wise day today.

Today is International Women's Day.

I also noticed that today marks the 50th Ez Sez post since the blog was launched in January, 2007. (But who's counting?)

Here's to love for women today and every day.


Ez

To run again...

("Look Out For Truck", Yukon/Chicago/Brooklyn, 2003/2002/2005, Ezra S.)

Something strange recently happened at my favourite café, Shaika...

This cozy NDG spot - or rather some of its wonderful staff - was hit with a spate of rather bad luck in February. But that month's now in the rear-view mirror so we can look back on it with a little perspective rather than through eyes of shock as we did when it was all happening.


In February, three of Shaika's finest employees - Teda, Morgan and Jenny - were hit by cars... by three separate drivers on three separate street corners. What are the chances of such a string of events happening? I guess they were pretty high last month.

Thankfully, Morgan, Jenny and Teda are now on the mend. Their broken legs, knees and ankles are healing well and they are all up on crutches and walkers and in some cases back at school or work again.

("The Cast: Morgan, Jenny and Teda", 3/2/07, Montreal, Ezra S.)

In honour of these movers and Shaik'ers, I'm posting some lyrics I wrote while out on my jogging route last March. "To Run Again" came to me in one fell swoop as I was facing the sun and soaking it in on that warm early-spring day.

It's -16C in Montreal today so hopefully the lyrics won't just serve as a get-well-soon card to Jenny, Morgan and Teda but also as a get-warm-soon card to them and everyone in our frosty city. And to all of you out there in your towns too...

TO RUN AGAIN
(Ezra Soiferman, 3/26/06, Montreal)

Cold to warm again
Snow to air again
Clouds to sun again
Oh, to run again
Oh… to run again

We dream and we dream
Dream and we dream
Dream and we dream
And we rise

Dark to light again
Fear to fun again
Heart to pump again
Oh, to run again
Oh… to run again

We love and we love
Love and we love
Love and we love
And we thrive

Cold to warm again
Snow to air again
Clouds to sun again
Oh, to run again
Oh… to run again

We dream and we dream
Dream and we dream
Dream and we dream
We’re alive

The lyrics are now being set to music by my old friend Dylan Silverstein and will appear as a song on our upcoming country-folk album to be released in the fall. Stay tuned for more Dyl n' Ez info at Ez Sez in the coming months.

Keep running, folks... and as I wrote on Morgan's cast the other day... Love's your crutch.

Ez

Ink about it for a moment...

(A scan of Ezra's pen, 3/5/07, Montreal)

May our pens bring only good things to the page and great things to the planet.

Write on,

Ez

ORANGE

BLACK


Here's to colours for words and not for people.

Ez Sez we are all one shade and that is plum alive.

All are always welcome at Ez Sez.

Ez

Zebraic

(Click image for juicier view)
("Steps & Stripes" Peru/Detroit/London, by Ezra)

Every one of us has stripes of one form or another.

Ez

An Ez Sez Public Service Reminder...

("Branches Reaching, Sun Teaching" by Ez)

Be true to your self.

An old friend reminded me of this earlier today.

Now I share it here beneath the branches...

Ez

Posthumous Pickle Party

(Click any image below for juicier view)

Lots of news to share about my documentary Posthumous Pickle Party about Simcha's Fruit Market on The Main, Montreal's famous St. Laurent Blvd:

-Posthumous Pickle Party was created and co-produced by Matt Zimbel and filmed, directed and co-produced by Ezra Soiferman. Editing is by Andrew David and music is by Socalled. Additional footage by Socalled and Melissa Auf der Maur.

-The film aired on Vision TV in Canada on August 29th 2012. Read a review in the CJN here. Globe and Mail review here.

-The film was written up on February 21st, 2007 by columnist Bill Brownstein in the Montreal Gazette. Read it here.

-The film first played at Film Pop (part of Pop Montreal) on October 7th, 2006. The show was sold out (sorry to those who couldn't get in) and pickles were distributed afterwards. Read one fan's review.

-The film screened Thursday, Feb 22nd to a sold out crowd at Montreal's NFB Cinema as part of the Rendez-Vous du Cinema Quebecois film fest. Pickles were served again afterwards.

-The film has been profiled on Global-TV, CBC-Radio, CBC-TV, The Gazette, The Canadian Jewish News, The Montreal Mirror, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Radio Centre-Ville and beyond. Thank you to all members of the media who helped spread the word.

-The film was selected as one of the best docs at the Rendez-Vous film fest in the May 18th, 2007 issue of 24 Images magazine.

-Canal D, the French-language documentary broadcaster, showed the French version of the film on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 (9pm) and Thursday, December 20th (1pm). Thanks to all who watched!

-The film won the Ville de Montréal Prize at the closing ceremony of Eurofest 2008 at Cinema du Parc. More info.

-The DVD is available through Perpetuum Productions. Email Ezra at: ezrasoif at gmail dot com to order a copy.

Simcha Leibovich, subject of Posthumous Pickle Party, photographer unknown

Thanks for all your interest in the movie as it was being made. Thanks to all who have packed the screenings so far.

Food critic Barry Lazar and klezmer/hip-hop star Josh "Socalled" Dolgin analyze pickles in Simcha's walk-in fridge.

The Film's Synopsis:

At the heart of Montreal’s St. Laurent Blvd., one of Canada’s most renowned and culturally rich urban thoroughfares, lies Simcha’s Grocery. A month after the death of owner Simcha Leibovich, a motley group of his customers return to the legendary institution to reminisce about the enigmatic entrepreneur and eat his last batch of famous homemade pickles. A tasty and irreverent romp through one of the last old-style businesses on “The Main”.

Featuring: klezmer/hip-hop wunderkind Josh “Socalled” Dolgin, the legendary, now deceased Montreal sculptor Stanley Lewis, food critic Barry Lazar and many more devoted customers of Simcha’s.

(Renowned sculptor Stanley Lewis and food critic Barry Lazar during the film's "taste-test" scene)

Above: Listen to the track "Mourner's Kaddish" custom-created for the film by Socalled with vocals by Giovanni "Subtitle" Marks.

Keep all the best things in life marinating,

Ez

The next Elvis on the charts?

(Click any image for juicier view.)
(Full-length CD released today on XL Recordings)

Remember where you were when you first heard the name Elvis Perkins?

Was it at Ez Sez? Was it right now?

Who, you might be asking, is Elvis Perkins? And is that his real name?


("Elvis Perkins [holding yellow hat] in Dearland and Clownland", Montreal, 2006, by Ezra Soiferman)

Yes, that's his real name and Elvis is none other than a dear friend of mine, a rapidly rising star and a true artist.

Not a bad combo.

I could not be prouder of Elvis on the occasion of his CD "Ash Wednesday" being released at record stores across the USA and Canada today and at iTunes too.

Elvis, younger brother of my old NYU film school friend Osgood, has overcome some unimaginable tragedies in his life and has had some incredible successes. This epic CD falls firmly on the side of the successes but speaks volumes about the tragedies.

I cannot rave enough about this disc I've been fortunate to have had for a while now.

Simply, it transcends.

This is code for don't rush to find it. It will undoubtedly find you.

Whenever you hear it, enjoy this music and have a good Ash Wednesday tomorrow too if you partake.

Ez

("Elvis's 'Dearland' band" by Ezra Soiferman, 2006, Montreal)

COOL LINKS:
Elvis's MySpace here. (Featuring the song "Ash Wednesday")
Official site here. (Featuring: "While You Were Sleeping": "...a trancelike feel and chilling lyrics." -Rolling Stone, 2/22/07. "...when Perkins started to play, the room was filled with one of the loveliest melodies heard in a while..." -Chicago Maroon, 2/20/07)
CD Review by ASU College Times here. "...stunning debut"
CD Review by The Recorder here.
CD review by NYUnews here.
Live show review by the Boston Globe.
Cool article in San Diego CityBeat here.

See the CD's first music video: "Without Love"

UPDATE:
Here are a few stories about the new CD that I've heard from friends who like me had the self-distributed version of it before today's official release:
-Dan has had the CD in his car stereo for 7 months now. He tells me a friend of his has caught the bug too. Her CD never leaves her car stereo either.
-According to her officemate, Anne listens to the CD once a day at work
-Ez once listened to the song "Ash Wednesday" on repeat for a whole day straight
-A friend in Montreal writes: wow. love him.
-What will your Elvis story be? Send them in to Ez Sez.

UPDATE:
Read a great interview with Elvis in the Village Voice (July, 2007) here.

Bobby D. on TV...

Every once in a while, usually during momentous events happening live, I'll shoot a few pix off the screen of the ol' Trinitron. Here's one of Bob Dylan when he was on the Grammies five years back.

I'll post a few other "TV Screen-Shots" on Ez Sez down the road.

Thanks for continuing to check back in to this site. Great to have you here again.

Always welcome,


Ez

Quick question for you...

Supposing having a great idea is a miracle and making it a reality a good deed... is losing it because you neglected to write it down some type of sin?

Feel free to share comments anonymously below...

Ez

Fresh snow in Montreal

Snow news is good news.

Ez

Ez Sez: Happy Valentine's!

... and if you're there already, enjoy it all.

Love is everywhere. Tap on in.

The Ez Sez Quote above is a little something I wrote last year at Valentine's Day. I share it with you here a year later.

Have a lovely day everyone. Best to you from all the lovers here at Ez Sez.

Ez

Ez Sez Quote of the day

This Machine Wins Grammies®

(Woody Guthrie in 1941 by Lester Balog courtesy of the Woody Guthrie Archives)


Mazel tov, Woody Guthrie, on your Grammy this week.

Your words, music and message spin on and on like a wonder wheel.

Total humdinger of a prize. Bravo to you and the whole team.

Ez

Meet 'Ez Sez Quotes'

This Ez Sez Quote comes from a stack of a couple hundred handwritten ones I've been jotting down on small squares of paper for the past 15 years or so.

Ez Sez Quotes will now start to see the light of day (and the light of your beloved monitor) on this here Ez Sez blog site.

And who knows where they might appear after that... Feel free to bandy them about when there are awkward lulls in conversation.

Thanks again for stopping by when you need a break from the grind or a grind of the brakes.

Regards to all from Montreal,

Ez

Another busy week for all?

Ez Sez: Don't let the great rush of life lessen the lessons of the great rush of life.

Long live weekends...

Ez

Those $100 Bills In Iraq

(Ezra Soiferman, From the series "Apostrophe-S", Toronto, c.1997)

I heard about this brilliance on the radio and then a few hours later Googled it up to see if my ears had deceived me. Had the U.S. really accidentally lost $12 billion in cash in Iraq?

Upon facing the fact that I hadn't been dreaming - and the fact that the powers that be had actually lost it - this lyric whipped itself up inside me like a sandstorm in a depleted-uranium strewn desert...

$100 BILLS
(Ezra Soiferman, 2/9/07, Montreal)

Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Missing now and gone for good
Give up, George, or send troops home
In plastic wrap like all that loot
Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Losing wars and $100 bills

Ears go numb and mind goes soft
When the news comes on I turn it off
Can it get much worse on this here globe
In sand and fire on a dangerous road

Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Missing now and gone for good
Give up, George, or send troops home
In plastic wrap like all that loot
Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Losing wars and $100 bills

Fear pervades across the ranks
Choppers down and morale tanks
Stuck out here in a bloody mess
Save our souls and may god bless

Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Missing now and gone for good
Give up, George, or send troops home
In plastic wrap like all that loot
Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Losing wars and $100 bills

Losing shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills
Losing wars and $100 bills


Have a nice weekend and keep plastic wrap out of the hands of politicians and young children.

Ez

Hemp For The Homeless (2007) - Thanks to all!

(click any pic for juicier view)

Friends,

This past snowy Friday, I zipped around by car and foot distributing all 50 Hemp For The Homeless "Hemp Help Kits" I'd prepared for people in need in Montreal.

I'd set off on the Hemp For The Homeless Project because I'd recently won $500 in a contest ("Penny Idol") and decided to put it towards helping to combat homelessness.

Since I am a big believer in the unparalleled versatility and durability of the hemp plant (a crop grown without pesticides, that heals farmland as it grows and offers Canadian farmers a sustainable wage) and the vast array of products that can be derived from it (fabric, food, paper, fuel, beauty products, construction materials, etc.), I decided to embark on a project that would put it all to good use in a new way...

(Hemp Help Kit assembly line)

I conceived of Hemp For The Homeless as a way to fuse environmentalism, healthfulness and a desire to help fellow citizens.

(My smart stuffed with boxes of hemp kits)

Those who received the Hemp Help Kits (hemp fabric tote bags filled with useful, nutritious and tasty products) included:

-The Old Brewery Mission's Women's Shelter
-Passages Women's Shelter
-Refuge Des Jeunes youth shelter
-A dozen people in need who I met in the subway and out on the cold streets.

To view the actual letter each HFTH recipient received in his or her kit, please click here.

I'd like to offer a huge thank you to the following generous people and companies who contributed (either free, at cost or well below cost) the following items to the 50 Hemp Help Kits:

-Abaka Hemp - Recycled hemp clothing fabric for the hemp paper used in the help kits. This super hemp clothing company is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, and their products are available at Co-op La Maison Verte in NDG and other stores throughout the province.



-Bonnie Harnden + Syd Apel - Fresh-baked oatmeal, chocolate-chip, raisin and hemp cookie recipe

(Bernard Bélanger, le boulanger with hot cookies!)

-Bernard Artisanal Bakery - Fresh-baked oatmeal, chocolate-chip, raisin and hemp cookies. Bernard's delicious organic sourdough breads and cookies are available at Co-op La Maison Verte in NDG and other locations in Montreal.
-Chana Goodfriend - Help in packing the kits and readying them for delivery
-Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps - 18-in-one all-purpose fair trade organic liquid soap bottles. "All-one!", as Ralph Bronner, the company's VP says. They also offered up delicious, nutritious and organic Alpsnack hemp energy bars and organic hemp peppermint and orange lip balm.
-EcoLips - Tasty Hemp-vanilla lip conditioner
-HT Naturals - Gorgeous long sleeve hemp/cotton T-shirts, Hemp/cotton tote bags
-La Ferme Communautaire Mange-Tout - Organic vegetables for the salads Rumi made (see below).
-Manitoba Harvest - Snack-packs of fresh hulled hemp seeds from the fields of Manitoba.
-Marie-Josée Gosselin - French translation of the project letter supplied in the kits.
-The Montreal Film Group - Web site hosting by the MFG
-Papeterie St-Armand - One-of-a-kind recycled hemp/cotton paper for the custom note-pads I added to the bags.
-Penny Idol - Startup funds courtesy of the contest I won. The contest was part of Montreal filmmaker Raphael Levy's short film The Hermitian Penny. My lucky 2006 penny, Juan Redscent, will be starring in this film.
-Rumi Restaurant - Delicious cole slaw, potato salad and Jerusalem artichoke salads made with organic Ferme Communautaire Mange-Tout vegetables and Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds

(Todd from Rumi Restaurant on Hutchison St. with a few tasty salads)

To read the full history of Hemp For The Homeless project click here.

If you're interested in sponsoring another round of Hemp Help Kits to go out to those in need, please contact me at:  ezrasoif at gmail dot com.

I would also like to thank everyone who voted for my penny and poem during Penny Idol and all those who encouraged me along this journey. Your support helped in many ways.

It's been an incredible lesson for me to see the difference one red cent can make.

Here's to your projects and dreams.

Ezra


Finally, here's the CBC Radio One interview I did today with Bernard St-Laurent in case you missed it and would like to hear.


And here's the article Yahoo.ca did on Hemp For The Homeless.

Stay healthy, happy and hempy. Ez

(Ez holding a HFTH kit)

Only days til Valentine's... give the planet some love

KEEP THE AIR ALIVE
(Ezra Soifeman, 2/3/07, Montreal)

Walk that love through the snow
This'll get us somewhere
But not if there's no fresh air
Let the skies talk

Don't let epic troubles
Overtake your epic drive
Let the skies talk-
Keep the air alive

For an atmosphere of a single toxic soul
Can make the world crumble, let alone punch ozone holes
For an atmosphere of purity, would we give up all we know?
Let the skies talk, let them heal, watch the show

Don't let epic troubles
Overtake your epic drive
Let the skies talk-
Keep the air alive

Keep the air alive
See where we may go
Keep the air alive
Walk that love through the snow


Ez

Hemp For The Homeless

Things are happening over here at my Hemp For The Homeless project.

Kits are being assembled this aft and all will be distributed tomorrow...
http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Stay tuned for a more info, pix and a detailed account soon.


Ez

Update: Here's the detailed account of how it went.

MFG Party

(Click for juicy view of invitation)


The Montreal Film Group which I co-founded and co-direct with Val Lonergan is having a big party tonight (January 29th, 8pm) at Club Lambi on St-Laurent in Montreal. If you're in the film or TV business, drop on by.

Best to all from Montreal,

Ez

UPDATE: The party was a great success! Over 200 people attended and talked each others' ears off. Thanks to Cheskie's Bakery on Bernard and Park for the amazing deal on pastries and to the Tremblant Film Festival for sponsoring the party!

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped and to everyone who showed up. See you at the next event to be announced soon on the MFG web site. Consider joining the MFG if you are in the film/TV business in Montreal. Ez

Paths I've Crossed

("Roundabout Triangle in Rectangular Frame", Ezra Soiferman, France, 11/06)

ODE TO THOSE WHOSE PATHS I'VE CROSSED
(Ezra Soiferman, 1/27/07, Montreal)

They made me love the world
They made me love myself
For this alone I love the world
For this alone I love them too

Ode to those whose paths I've crossed
Ode to those round the next bend...

Rodney DeCroo Shows

(Click for bigger version of this pic)

Are you a fan of Springsteen, Mellencamp, Steve Earle?

If so, you'll probably love the music of Rodney DeCroo. Rodney's in Montreal for a 3 month stint playing various shows around town. I caught his show a Shaika about a week ago and was totally blown away.

On Friday Jan. 26th at 9PM he plays the legendary Yellow Door at 3625 Aylmer. Joining him for a few tunes will be banjo player and singer Maica from Co-op La Maison Verte.

Rodney will also be playing at Honey Martin's Pub (5916 Sherbrooke St. W.) each Sunday night at 9 for the next few weeks.

He'll be playing Shaika Café (5526 Sherbrooke St. W.) on Valentine's day too, and...

He'll be playing Shaika with Rae Spoon (as "Trucker's Memorial") on March 22nd. A rare treat to have the two of them in town together at once. Here's Rodney and Rae's Trucker's Memorial site.

Hope to see you out at some of these shows...


Ez

P.S. Sample a few Rodney DeCroo tunes here.

Bliss is on its way...

Friends,

My breakfast cereals and taste buds are salivating for this new "hempmilk" product.

Coming soon, says Mike Fata and friends at Manitoba Harvest in their newsletter I got just now.

You heard it here first:

"Happy & Healthy 2007! We hope that you and your family are off to a prosperous start to 2007. We have been working very hard putting together Hemp Bliss, the world's first certified organic hempmilk. It will be available soon in Original, Vanilla and Chocolate for all to enjoy. Stay Tuned!"

Ez Sez: Plants putting cows out to pasture where they belong.

Seed by seed, box by box.

I love it... (and I haven't even tried it yet.)

Ez