2011

("Mail Chauvenist", 10/11, Brooklyn, Ezra S.)

May 2011 bring you plenty of good news mail.

Ez

Christmastimecheck

("Bulbous Cross", Halifax, 9/10, Ezra S.)

This cross was so old school I couldn't resist.

Happy holidays to you and yours and theirs.

Ez

Hosers

("Boiler Constrictor", Brooklyn, 10/2010, Ezra S.)

I spotted this slinky metal hose on a side street recently. A beauty...

Ezra

Torontocity

("Nature From Nature", 11/10, Toronto, by Ezra S.)

Another journey enjoyed.

Ez

Leotice

I like to call potatoes 'peetardos'
I like to call bagels 'bageo leo-leo pitskies'
I like to call tomatoes 'dolmadas'
and I like to call lettuce 'leotice' (LEO-tyce)

On the subject of which, here is a recent photo I snapped in a Halifecian garden...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

("A leaf loves light, a highway loves night", 10/11/10, Halifax)

Thanks for visiting Ez Sez.

Salad days to all...

Ez

Hasidic Williamsburg

I recently shot a new photo series...

Ez Sez: Hasidic Williamsburg
Photos from the streets of one of Brooklyn's - and perhaps the world's - very finest urban shtetls.

Click the link above to view the full series.

And if you visit Williamsburg, try the bakeries... oy those bakeries...

Ez

Train to NYC

Took a fantastic trip to NYC last week. Here are a few pix I shot out the windows of the train!

Ez

Lulu & the Georges...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

Lulu turned 1 recently and is fun as ever. Here's a chronological montage of her first year with her friends George, George, George, and George.

Thanks for dropping in!

Ez

P.S. Here's a compilation of some more of the best pix from Lulu's first year.

Hemp Field Day!

One day last week I decided it was finally time for me to visit a real-live hemp field. After five years wearing, eating, researching and talking up hemp, it dawned on me that I should get out there 'into the field' and see the stuff face-to-face.

I took a lot of pix, shot some footage and soaked in the sweet aroma of several acres of THC-free hemp at a farm in Saint-Léon-le-Grand in the rural Mauricie region of Quebec.

Here's a photo series I created with the best images of the field trip. Enjoy!

Click this image below to see the shots and read the full story in the photo captions at the Flickr website:

(Click image to see the photo series...)

Hope your summer's going great!

Ez

More sun...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

The "Socalled" Movie is (was) here...

The "Socalled" Movie, about my buddy Josh "Socalled" Dolgin, is now playing at CinemaSpace, the friendly hemp-seat movie theatre at Montreal's Segal Centre for Performing Arts.

This is an excellent and most inspiring new documentary film produced by reFrame films and the National Film Board of Canada. It was directed by Garry Beitel ("Chez Schwartz", Bonjour Shalom", etc...) and produced by Barry Lazar and Ravida Din.


I hope to see all you Socalled fans there. June 5-8 & 10, 2010 at 7pm. Tix at 514-739-7944.

Bonus: Free bottle of Dr. Bronner's organic hemp soap and pack of Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds to all who ask for it at the shows! Thanks to the CinemaSpace sponsors.

Don't miss this loving portrait of the klezmer/hip-hop king. Spread the word to your music-loving friends too...

Lots more info on the film HERE.

Ez

Why I Love Hemp...

("Hemp Over the Canal", by Ezra S.)

Why I Love Hemp
by Ezra Soiferman, Montreal, www.EzSez.com

It's just a plant but it's so many other things too. The astounding versatility of hemp is what I love most.

Here are a few examples of how versatile and useful hemp is:

-Environmental friendliness, renewability and sustainability
-Incredible durability
-Important throughout humankind's history and throughout most cultures
-Hemp fibers are the longest and strongest of all plant fibers
-Hemp clothing protects against UV rays
-Antifungal
-Antimicrobial
-Non-toxic
-To be considered hemp, a cannabis plan must have less than .3% THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana
-Usually grown pesticide-free (often certified organic too)
-Grows without the need for pesticides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers
-Stronger, warmer and more absorbent than cotton without the massive use of water and pesticides required for cotton growing and production. Cotton is the top-using pesticide crop in the world
-Biodegradable and compostable
-Comfortable to wear: hemp fabric is cool in summer and warm in winter
-It's often said that "hemp clothing doesn't wear out, it wears in"
-Fabric wicks sweat away from the body
-Machine washable, dryer-friendly
-Hemp fibres blend beautifully with cotton, silk, wool, ramie, spandex, etc.
-Hemp's natural whiteness prevents the need to use chlorine bleach
-Hemp canvas (the word comes from the Latin word for cannabis) is excellent for making shoes
-Hemp is used to make belts, gloves, shoelaces, hats, pet leashes, guitar straps, bracelets, macramé knotting, and wallets. Just Google them to order some for yourself.
-You can now find men's hemp suits and women's high fashion hemp clothes (skirts, gowns, wedding dresses, etc.)
-Countless unique clothing designs have been created by hemp designers worldwide
-US soldier uniforms and parachutes were made of hemp fabric as recently as WWII and in 1942, the U.S. government encouraged its growth to help win the war though the "Hemp for Victory" campaign which it later tried to bury all evidence of.
-Hulled hemp seeds are called 'hemp nuts' but aren't actual nuts. No allergy risk for those sensitive to nuts. That's nuts. They are also called 'hemp hearts', and you guessed it, they aren't actually hearts.
-Delicious nutty taste similar to sunflower seeds
-Can be eaten raw and not bitter like flax
-High in protein (higher than meat, dairy, nuts, soy)
-High in the proper balance of Omega essential fatty acids
-Hemp oil is the richest source of GLA 'super fatty acids'
-Contains all essential amino acids

-Not genetically modified

-Hemp milk is great straight or for cereal or coffee, tea, smoothies
-Hemp protein powder is excellent as a high-protein, high-fibre supplement
-Hemp is free of all major allergens and hemp butter can be used instead of nut butters for people with allergies
-Used as an ingredient to make bread, oatmeal, cereal, tofu, salad dressing, mustard, ice cream, trail bars and many other foods
-Seeds are great in soups, yogurt and on bagels with cream cheese
-You can ferment it and make beer with it. Cannabis and hops are actually from the same plant family!

-Seeds and oil can enhance nearly any dish (salads, soups, stifrys, spaghetti sauce and even foods not starting with an s)
-Cholesterol free
-Sodium free
-Low in carbohydrates and low glycemic index
-Hydrogenated fat free
-Low in saturated fat
-Gluten free
-The fiber content of hemp seed flour is the highest of all commercial flours
-Vegetarian and vegan
-Kosher
-Contains edestin to help digestion
-Hemp oil has helped people with Crohns, colitis and IBS and also helps relieve constipation
-Hemp oil soothes a dry or sore throat
-CBD, a non-psychoactive medical compound found in hemp can be extracted to produce a powerful medicine useful in the treatment of many ailments. Google it!
-Hemp oil was used for centuries as lamp oil and is a healthier ingredient for candles than petrochemical-based paraffin.
-Great conversation-starter (great conversation-ender too with closed-minded folks)
-Excellent lubricant for machines, engines, doors and massages
-Great for biodiesel to fuel cars, trucks and portable generators
-Energy-wise, it can be used to make methanol, heating pellets, BTU gas, charcoal and tar
-Hemp stalk fibers make a great tree-free, acid-free, easily recyclable paper-source that can be grown in a few short months rather than decades
-Makes an excellent and substantial ingredient in construction materials (concrete, particle board, paint, varnish, insulation)
-Superb insulation properties (acoustic, thermal, breathable, flame retardant)
-Excellent for rope, twine and thread
-Can be used to make bio-plastic and 3D-printable plastic filament
-You can listen to music through hemp speaker cones and play instruments made from hemp plastic
-Excellent for kitty litter and animal bedding for larger animals
-The fabric is ideal for curtains, sheets, towels, upholstery and reusable shopping bags
-Raw fibers are used for carpeting in homes and offices
-Giant net-like hemp fiber mats called geo-textiles are used to prevent soil erosion
-Light hemp fabric is used for reusable coffee filters and tea bags
-Hemp-fleece is frequently used as reusable diaper liners
-Fine coloured hemp fibers are used in the minting of paper money in many countries
-I especially love it because I built a cinema using hemp fabric for the seats (CinemaSpace)
-Hemp oil is a healthy ingredient in makeup and other beauty products
-A nourishing addition to sunscreen, soaps and shampoos
-Hemp oil is great for dry skin and various skin conditions
-The hemp plant can grow to close to 20' tall in about 3 months. Fast!
-Can be grown in various climates
-Was legal to grow until the 1970 Controlled Substances Act classified it as a drug. Hemp was phased out much earlier than that, however, in part because of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which made pot illegal. The last crop of hemp in America was harvested in 1957.
-Was brought back to popularity after decades of obscurity by the late great author Jack Herer, the Woody Harrelson, and many other believers
-Legal to grow in 30 countries worldwide including Canada, Australia, Italy, UK, Romania, France, etc...
-Now starting to be grown for commercial purposes in Colorado and Oregon. Also being grown for research purposes in many other U.S. states.
-Hemp is the highest biomass producer of all plants
-Good for farmers' health (no pesticide spraying)
-Offers farmers a fair, often handsome, return on their crops
-Hemp is carbon-negative: growing it actually improves the air and the soil its grown in
-Hemp's sister plant marijuana has countless age-old medicinal uses and benefits. Google it!
-Many 'Old Master' paintings are on hemp canvas, using hemp oil based paints and varnishes
-In the 1940s, the Pentagon was built on USDA hemp fields (read more)
-First pair of Levis jeans was made of hemp in 1853
-The original Gutenberg Bible and King James Bible were printed on hemp paper
-George Bush Sr. was supposedly saved by a hemp parachute during wartime

-Ben Franklin's 'electrified' kite string was a hemp string
-Old Ironsides, The Mayflower and other ships used many tons of hemp for ropes, sails, varnish, etc.
-The U.S. Constitution was drafted on hemp paper
-George Washington and Thomas Jefferson farmed hemp
-Interest in hemp is growing every moment (is it for you too?)

Read lots more about hemp in Jack Herer's landmark book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" that kicked off the rediscovery of this age-old plant. Read it for free here.

Hemp it up!

Ez

Ever been to a hemp farm? Have a look at my "Hemp Field Day!" photo series here.

Back to www.EzSez.com for Ezra's latest news. Visit EzraSoiferman.com for photos, films and more.

Hempagon!

Unbelievable but true...

A document released today reveals that in the 1940s, the Pentagon was built on land previously used to farm the U.S. government's official test crop of hemp.

As a lead-up to the first annual Hemp History Week (May 17-23) the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) has announced that it has the diaries of Lyster H. Dewey (a botanist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture). The five volume set of sixty-two diaries begins in 1879 and spans until Dewey's death in 1944.

The diaries, found at a garage sale outside Buffalo, are on display throughout Hemp History Week at Capitol Hemp, a hemp store in Washington D.C.

The purpose of Hemp History Week is to show the U.S. government and public that hemp farming makes sense and should no longer be illegal in the USA, the only industrialized nation outlawing the farming of industrial hemp.

The Pentagon built on a hemp farm. Who'd a thunk...

Pays to shop at garage sales!

Ez

Read the official press release HERE.

Read the Washington Post article on the discovery HERE.

Watch the Hemp History Week info video below (60 secs. long):

Glassiette arrives!

("Crumpets", a Glassiette by Alexandra Yanofsky)

I'm really proud of my sweet wife, Alexandra. She has just launched a wonderful new endeavor called Glassiette.

Alex sources lovely vintage dishware and artfully glues matching plates and glasses together with non-toxic, food-safe super-glue to create one-of-a-kind multi-level tray assemblies.

The name Glassiette is a little combo I came up with melding the word glass and assiette (French for plate). She loved the name and it stuck like non-toxic, food-safe super-glue.

These unique trays can be used to serve hors d'oeuvres, desserts, cupcakes or even to store your make up or small tchatchkes.

Read more about the Glassiette experience and where you can buy them for yourself or as gifts, at the Glassiette Blog.

Got glass yet?

Sure do!

Ez

Yummy air and sunlight diet...

I've been following this fellow's story for a few years now. Prahlad Jani, 82, claims to have subsisted on a diet of air for the past 74 years. He lives in a cave and has some type of hole in the roof of his mouth that gathers moisture from the air and gives him enough energy to live. He says a goddess pours an 'elixir' through the hole in his palate. He also claims he derives energy from sunlight. It's bit meshuggah but somehow I believe it...

A wing of the Indian Government's defense department is studying him under lockdown for 15 days with a team of 34 doctors to see if he's for real. They want to know if he could teach them how to help soldiers survive for long stretches of time without food, or disaster victims to remain alive without sustenance until emergency workers arrive.

To read more about Prahlad Jani, click HERE.

I'll keep you posted when I hear any updates.

Ez


UPDATES:

-The 15 day study has concluded and Prahlad Jani baffled the doctors by not eating or drinking for the entire period. Here's an article about the preliminary results.
-A Harvard doctor exclaims "Impossible"; a blog commentor named "eric" types: "India is full of phony magicians. What I want to know is this: What is his relationship to the "researchers" and why are they knowingly publicizing a fraud?"; and a self-help guru chimes in, "It may truly be an example of mind over matter. These are things that enligtened being have been doing since the beginning of time... Jesus stated, "You will do things even greater than I. Study quantum physics..." More.

Hempy trails, Jack...

(Jack Herer, 1939-2010; photographer unknown)

Many of you probably know I love hemp. The plant that can be used for food, fibre, fuel, paper, plastic, soap and rope (even dope if you count hemp's sister plant marijuana) is not just incredibly versatile but also environmental, historical, industrial, medicinal, renewable and frankly, logical:

The way I see it, hemp just makes sense and more and more people like you are click by click and wow by wow discovering this... and making good things happen with it.

The world has lost perhaps the most important hemp advocate. On April 15th, Jack Herer passed away at the age of 70.

In 2004, the L.A. Times wrote: "Herer is widely credited with launching the modern hemp movement, a persistent campaign by an eclectic coalition of environmentalists, legislators, rights activists, farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs and others to end the maligned plant's banishment and tap its potential as a natural resource..."

Jack, the author of the landmark book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" (read it online here) is the person who took the age-old hemp plant and its myriad uses out of obscurity in the late 1980s.


Having been all but banned, banished and shunned since the late 1930s, hemp was essentially rediscovered and fully exposed for modern readers by Jack's book. In researching the book, he uncovered lost documents about Henry Ford's virtually indestructible hemp car; about "Hemp For Victory" a pro-hemp film made by the U.S. government during WWII and subsequently hidden; and among other things, the truth about how nutritious hemp seeds are and how high they are in protein, amino acids and omega fatty acids.

I never had the opportunity to meet Jack but had we met I would have thanked him for turning me and so many others on to this plant and its immeasurable potential.

I've now spent 5 years wearing, eating, researching, and sharing hemp and products derived from hemp. Jack inspired me to do my homework on this plant and after all this time I can't find a good reason for our society not to use this plant more. In a time of eco crisis, here is a plant that's easy to grow, requires no pesticides and little water, and actually heals the soil as it grows. Add to that all that can be done with it once harvested.

Thanks, Jack, for all you did. We will carry your work forward each day. We'll miss you next month as we celebrate the first annual Hemp History Week.

You can read Jack Herer's obituary here. And here is a very nice article about Jack's funeral.

Curious about hemp? Want free Dr. Bronner's hemp soap samples or Manitoba Harvest hemp seed samples? Come by Montreal's CinemaSpace at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts the world's first hemp-seat movie theatre I run and we'll happily give you some.

Best to all from Montreal,

Ez

Bob Dylan upon a wall

"Subterranean Homesick Greens" (4/14/10, MTL, Mural by Henry Buszard, photo by Ezra S.)

"He's a huge Bob Dylan fan!," said a worker at a veterinarian's office in NDG about her boss who commissioned this fine mural of Bob Dylan on the vet's building.

To see Mr. Dylan in the original 1965 video upon which this mural is based, click here. Good for a pick-me-up anytime. Look for Allen Ginsberg looking highly rabbinic in the background.

Oh, and to see the Weird Al Yankovic cover of this song, click here!

Ez

Lulu times are here...

Dear Ez Sez Readers,

I have not been able to post as often as I'd like due to busyness all around.

What's keeping me most busy is the amazing daughter that Alexandra and I had almost 6 months ago.... Lulu!

Here's a pic of me and Lulu above. You can see many more pix below too.

I'll be back with more Ez Sez blogging in the not too distant future. If you sign up for Email Alerts towards the top left, you'll be in the loop when the pix, poems, film news and general fun start churning out again.

Until then, friend!

Ez

Happy 2010

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

("Country View", 1/10, Laurentian Mountains)

Happy 2010 to all. More fun coming to EzSez.com this year. Drop on by when the spirit moves you.

All the best,

Ez