Elegance – by Gary Smolker

 

Everything about yesterday was special to me.

Full Moon

I attended a Passover Seder last night at a friend’s house.

Passover is a celebration of liberation from slavery: the exodus of ancient Hebrews from the bondage of being slaves, having no freedom of any kind, and being forced to do back-braking work building pyramids.

The Passover dinner I attended went on past midnight.

There was a full moon.

As I walked down the driveway from my friend’s home to the street below where my car was parked, I saw the moon and took a picture of it.

  

Three Women Talking

The women attending the Seder were dressed very elegantly.

I took a series of photographs of three of the women I saw there talking to one another.

I love flowers.

Style, Fashion and Refinement

I love style, fashion, and refinement.

The clothes a woman wears tells me a lot about her and a lot about where I am at the moment I am looking at her.

Floral Arrangements

Floral arrangements make a subtle statement.

Drama

Flowers in a vase create a tone in a room.

I saw the yellow flowers in the vase shown below, as I entered my friend’s house.

I immediately knew I was about to attend a spectacularly dramatic Passover Seder.

I also immediately knew that I would not be leaving that Seder – Passover celebration – that liberation from slavery celebration – before midnight.

The Seder began at 6:30 p.m.

Dinner was served at 9:00 p.m.

An Elegant Facial Tissue Container

Everything in my friend’s home is elegant.

See photograph below I took of a Kleenex Box container I saw when I visited their guest bathroom.

The box/container pictured below contains Kleenex facial tissue.

Look at the floral arrangement next to that box of facial tissue.

Attention to fine detail is what elegance is all about.

By the way, my friend works incredibly long hours, pays attention to details, is a wonderful host and a gentleman and a scholar.

Happy Passover.

Gary Smolker

 

Copyright © 2018 by Gary Smolker, All Rights Reserved

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion

 

 

 

“Self-Control”, A Movie Review of RED SPARROW – by Gary Smolker

Gary Smolker, Cultural Anthropologist

I am a cultural anthropologist, a professional connoisseur of beauty, an adventurer, a movie reviewer, a book reviewer, a writer, a publisher and a trial attorney.

As a cultural anthropologist I study:

1. The human experience.
2. People’s behavior.
3. The state of mind of people.
4. People’s behavior.
5. The actions people take, and
6. How a person’s state of mind is reflected in their actions.

I can’t say enough good things about the recently released movie RED SPARROW, staring Jennifer Lawrence:

1. I have never seen a more realistic portrayal of the truth and the reality of what life is all about in print or on the screen.
2. I’ve never seen a more accurate portrayal of what it takes to be a leader, of what it takes to succeed.
3. The movie RED SPARROW is an accurate portrayal of (a) how the human mind works, (b) of the impact of mindset on human thought and action, (c) of what it takes to be a leader, (d) of what it takes to be extraordinarily successful, (e) of what it takes to beat the odds,  (f) of self-awareness, (g) of patience, (h) of how to handle a situation with grace, (i) of strategic talent, and (i) of how nobody understand anyone else.

Self-Control

The key to leadership and success is not strength physical strength.

The first key to leadership and success is self-control, particularly the control of pride and anger.

If you don’t have enough self-respect to swallow your pride when necessary, if you can’t swallow your pride, you can’t lead.

Mendy’s Gym

I work out at Mendy’s Gym in Van Nuys, California.

Below are photos of some of the guys I work out with at Mendy’s Gym.

  

 

The key to Jennifer Lawrence (the RED SPARROW) getting ahead in the movie RED SPARROW was not in any way about having the kind of self-control, or about having the kind of strength and disciple – or having weight lifting technique, control of muscles, and body movement know-how displayed in the photos above.

Nor was the key to the RED SPARROW getting ahead and extraordinary success against all odds the kind of self-control displayed by the fighters (Sumo Wrestlers) in the photos below.

[ASIDE] In Sumo Wrestling the loser is the fighter who gets thrown or pushed out of the ring or touches the ring drawn on the mat on which the wrestlers fight, and/or whichever fighter is first thrown down and off his feet and touches the mat.

 

 

 

Pain

Whenever faced with great difficulty or personal pain, the RED SPARROW funneled her painful sorrow into a great fury.

She focused the strength given to her by her fury into developing a tactic, a vision, a goal and a plan for destroying her enemy.

Talk

The RED SPARROW didn’t talk too much.

She only said what needed to be said.

She demonstrated her thoughts through her actions, not through her words.

Actions

The RED SPARROW demonstrated her thoughts through thoughtful actions.

Vision, goals and a plan are important.

Throughout the movie the RED SPARROW had a vision, goals and a plan.

Without the vision of a goal, a person can not manage their own life much less the life of others.

Strategic Talent

The RED SPARROW outsmarted everyone.

The RED SPARROW had the ability to not only have good ideas but to implement them as well.

 

Copyright © 2018 by Gary Smolker, All Rights Reserved

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion

“Mindset”, A Movie Review of RED SPARROW – by Gary Smolker

Gary Smolker, Cultural Anthropologist

I am a cultural anthropologist, a professional connoisseur of beauty, and an adventurer.

As a cultural anthropologist, I study:

1. The human experience.
2. People’s behavior.
3. The state of mind of people.
4. The actions people take. and
5. How a person’s state of mind is reflected in their actions.

I can’t say enough good things about the recently released movie RED SPARROW, staring Jennifer Lawrence:

1. I have never seen a more realistic accurate portrayal of the truth and/or of the reality of what life is all about.
2. The movie RED SPARROW is an accurate portrayal of (a) how the human mind works, (b) of the impact of mindset on human thought and action, and (c) of how nobody understands anyone else.

Artists

Everyone knows (or at least should know) that women are artists.

It is crazy and expensive what women do for beauty.

Women spend a fortune on how they look.

The photo below is a photograph of a brush belt full of brushes that was worn by a lady standing in line next to me to buy a cup of coffee at my favorite local Starbucks on Van Nuys Blvd., in Sherman Oaks, California on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2018.

The lady in this photo told me she is a make-up artist.

She told me that she uses all the brushes shown in that belt to make women look beautiful.

Don’t be mislead by knowing that all women are artists.

The fact that women are artists does not mean that women are stupid, nor does the fact that women are artists mean women are not smarter then men.

The Strong Fundamental Desire to Be Right

There is a strong fundamental desire to be right, to be right about anything, to be right about everything.

The story told in the RED SPARROW brilliantly portrays how this fundamental desire leads people astray.

 

Copyright © 2018 by GARY SMOLKER, All Rights Reserved

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion

Creating Awesomeness by Gary Smolker

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

Gary Smolker, cultural anthropologist

BACKGROUND

 

I’ve met many interesting people in my life and reflected on what makes them awesome.

What they all have in common is they are vibrant and magnificent human beings.

 

AWESOMENESS

Once upon a Christmas time in 1982, while the Sultan of Bruni was having his to-be-built home in Beverly Hills, California designed by Robert Earl, AIA, Jason Fane, a friend of mine who has inspired awe in me for over 40 years, came from the East Coast to visit me and to see my office in Beverly Hills.

I called Robert Earl, AIA, the architect who was designing the Sultan’s home, to request Bob to come to his office to show and tell us his preliminary design plans for the Sultan’s home.

Bob opened his office for Jason and me, which was closed for the Christmas season, and walked us through his architectural design work in progress.

JASON FANE

Jason is a man who has created awesomeness his entire life.

For example:

1. When I was at Jason’s wedding reception one of Jason’s grammar school chums reported to the other assembled guests – when everyone was taking turns discussing Jason – that when Jason was in grammar school, Jason created and wrote up a schedule to improve the Manhattan Subway System which was published in the “Daily News.”
2. The first time I met Jason (which was in an elevator in the apartment building which we lived in) Jason gave me the keys to his car. At the time we were both graduate students in our twenties attending Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York.
3. Unlike me, at the time, Jason was doing research to determine which city in the world would be the best city for Jason to conduct business.
4. At the time Jason had determined that Jason would be in the dynamic property management business and was figuring out which city in the world would offer the most opportunity to someone like Jason who wanted to be in that business.
5. Jason has always been keen on using his intelligence to improve the functionality, usefulness and utility of real estate.
   

Jason has achieved that goal time after time during all the time I’ve known Jason, which has been more than forty years.

Below is a picture of a 46 story residential building development project Jason is now seeking permission to build in Providence, Rhode Island.

The photo below is from a recent article I read in “Architecture Here and There.”

A Planning Commission hearing is scheduled to take place on April 26, 2018.

If Jason’s development is approved it will be the largest building in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jason’s original plan was to build three towers, at a cost of one billion dollars on a piece of property owned by the government.

A governmental commission recently approved the sale of that property to the Fane Organization (Jason’s company) on which it is now proposed that a forty-six story tower will be built instead, if approved by City officials.

As presently conceived the 46 story tower will be quarter of a billion dollar real estate development.

Jason needs to obtain more governmental approvals before Jason will be allowed to put a shovel in the ground.

The next hearing in the development approval Jason’s project will go through will be before the City Planning.

That hearing is scheduled to be held on April 26, 2018.

In the same article I read in “Architecture Here and There”, mention is made of Jason building two residential towers on that property.

Below is a photo of those two residential towers taken from the same article in “Architecture Here and There.”

Jason’s proposed 46 story Tower in Providence, Rhode Island is of public significance; it was discussed on NBC 10 News, on March 29, 2018.

Below is a snap shot I took at the beginning of that news report.

I know from personal experience that Jason is immensely conscientious, extremely thoughtful, and tenacious.

Jason lives and breathes his work and is a virtuous and public spirited person.

 

Paul “FIG” Fegen

Below is a current photo of my good friend Paul FIG Fegen.

Paul is hard core creative.

When I first met Paul – more than 40 years ago – Paul had already conceived and developed the FEGEN SUITE;  Paul had turned the FEGEN SUITE concept into the largest individual rental space development and leasing business in the United States.

Paul was the largest sub-lessor of individual office spaces in the world with over 7.5 million square feet of office space.

Paul revolutionized the office development and office rental industry when he had 150 full-floor offices and 600 full time employees.

Paul  had a gigantic law practice at the time and was a fun person to know. He liked to entertain people who came to his office by doing magic tricks for them in his office, also he would stand on his hands when you went up and down the elevator with him and when you were in his office he would entertain you by doing acrobatic tricks.

At the same time, Paul was locally famous dating girls and throwing parties.  The Los Angeles Times did a front page article on him titled “The FIG Life – One Party After Another.”

Paul – through his own effort and creativity –  had become one of the greatest showmen in the world.

When I met him, the size of Paul’s corner office in the Penthouse suite – at 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, if I remember correctly, was  60 by 40 feet.

Over the years since first meeting I became very fond of Paul for many reasons.

FIRST, When I was a young lawyer,

1. Paul was one of my first clients.
2. Paul hired me to make court appearances for him and to try some of his cases for him.

I remember trying a car accident case for Paul more than 40 years ago.

1. The car accident occurred in Beverly Hills.
2. Two women backed out of their driveways on opposite sides of the street and crashed into each other, rear ended each other.

The magicality and magicalness of Paul have never changed over the years I have known Paul.

Everything about Paul has always been magical:

1. Everything  Paul did/does was/is magical.
2. The way Paul did/does everything was/is magical.

That is still the case.

When Paul found out that I was writing a brief to be submitted to the Court of Appeal of the State of California last month, Paul immediately jumped in –

1. Paul read my brief.
2. Then coached me on how edit and improve my appellate brief.
3. I made the changes Paul suggested.
4.  As a result of listening to Paul my brief now has a magical quality.

Today, Paul is having fun applying his many talents to being the best independent free-lance card trick professional magician in the world.

Christina Molcillo

 

Christina Molcillo is a costume designer, set designer, party thrower, and has her own clothing line.

The name of Christina’s clothing company is Black Lotus Clothing.

Above are photographs of two of Christina’s latest creations.

The model in Christina’s hand made Mata Hari Costume is Malia Bisson.

Look at the handmade black hat the lady in the second photograph is wearing.

The black dress and hat she is wearing were designed and made by Christina.

I encountered Christina’s work product at a Gallery Opening,

Present in the gallery were sets with live models which, in combination, represented paintings that had been painted by the artist whose paintings were being showcased by the gallery.

Christina created

1. The sets in which the models posed.
2. The clothing worn by models, and
3. Christina chose the models in each of the sets. – These models are very poised. Each of these models spoke to visitors who came up to speak to them.

Below are photographs I took while I was at the opening.

All the clothes and clothing in these photographs and all the sets in these photographs were created by Christina.

     

Leah Graham Smolker

Leah Graham Smolker is the epitome of the salesperson’s “ABC” motto in action: “Always Be Closing.”

I have three daughters.

Leah is my youngest daughter.

I find it impossible to resist when Leah advises me that Leah has planned a trip for us to take together.

Recently, Leah told me we should go to Sao Paulo, Brazil this summer, because

1. There is a lake in Sao Paulo full of Black Swans.
2. There are sand dunes in Sao Paulo that fill with rainwater when it rains.
3. People slide down those sand dunes into lagoons filled with fresh rainwater.
4. People go swimming in those lagoons.

Below are three photos Leah recently sent me:

1. Photo of Black Swans in the Black Swan Lake in Sao Paulo, and
2. Photo of a person sliding down a sand dune into a lagoon filled with fresh rain water.
3. Photo of the splash created when that person landed in the lagoon.

 

Leah and I are planning to see sights designated by Leah this summer in Peru and Brazil.

Leah is making all the plans: making hotel reservations, making guided tour reservations, reserving seats on airplanes, etc. etc.

Last summer Leah and I ate our way through Sicily.

All I had/have to do on these trips was/is (a) show up, and (b) pay expenses.

Check out my report on the trip I took with my daughter Leah last summer, which is titled “14 Day Adventure in Sicily.”

My report on that trip – which describes what we did: Leah and I saw great art and ate great classic Sicilian food with wild abandon in Sicily – can be found at https://garysmolker.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/adventure-by-gary-smolker/

Full Heart, All In

I strongly believe we all have a destiny and that if we do what is compatible with our destiny we achieve greatness.

All-In

I especially admire people who are “all in.”

People who are “all in” have super-hyper-awareness.

By necessity, Sumo wrestlers are “all in.”

They have to be.

Sumo Wrestling consists of two combatants trying to throw each other out of a ring and/or trying to to throw each other to their Sumo wrestling mat.

Normally a Sumo wresting match takes less than three minutes from start to finish.

Below are photos I took at a recent International Sumo Wrestling Championship Contest held in Long Beach California.

 

People Who Are All In

I like being around people who are “all in.”

The below photos are of a power lifter about to power lift weights attached to a bar.

I took the photos below at Mendy’s Gym in Van Nuys, California.

 

I work out four or five nights a week at Mendy’s Gym.

While at Mendy’s Gym, I watch world class champion power-lifters and arm wrestlers working out.

Below is a photo of Scott Mendelson, also known as Mendy.

Mendy is famous for having bench-pressed 1,000 pounds.

 

I agree with the statement on Mendy’s t-shirt: You can’t fake strength.

Below is another action shot I took while attending the International Sumo Wrestling Championship recently held in Long Beach, California.

You can’t fake the strength manifest in the above photo.

Natural Awesomeness

   

I took the above photos while looking for house plants at my local Gelson’s market on Sunday morning (April 8, 2018).

Almost everyday, I look at the plants for sale in the Floral Department of Gelson’s, before having my morning coffee at the Starbucks next door in Sherman Oaks, California.

Below is a photo of a flower I saw at my local Ralph’s Grocery Market on my way home from work, on Sunday, April 8, 2018.

I stop at my local Ralph’s Grocery Market almost every night on my way home from work and/or on my way home from working out at Mendy’s Gym.

In the world I live in, I see beauty everywhere.

Designer Elegance

In my experience something as commonplace as a purse. a handbag, or a shoe can be awesome.

Without a doubt, top high fashion designers create awesome purses, bags and shoes.

Below is a photo of a shoe I took on Saturday, April 7, 2018, while I was in Nordstrom’s Topanga (in Canoga Park, California), shopping for a gift to give a four year old girl.

I looked at the shoes for sale on the first floor in the shoe department while I was on my way to the Kids Wear department on the Third Floor.

While on my shopping excursion, I also looked at designer purses and bags which were on display on the first floor of Nordstrom’s, while I was on my way the to the Kids Wear department on the third floor.

Below is a photo of one of the purses I saw.

I saw that purse in the Valentino. boutique, on the first floor of Nordstrom’s, while I was on my way to the Kids Wear department on the third floor.

I

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Everywhere I go, I see awesome magical marketing.

Below is a photograph of a sign on a food truck, I saw on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at lunch time, shortly after I walked out of my office, in Encino, California.

I had to pass the above photo on the side of that food truck, in order to get to the restaurant I was walking to.

That photo made me gasp, made me stop to look at everything else I could see in front of me posted on the side of that food truck.

Hypothesis

The goal of marketing is to get attention that leads to a sale.

Something that makes you gasp will get your attention.

If what you see, hear, or smell, makes you gasp, and is relevant to you, it will open a door that will potentially lead to a sale.

The photo above is of a photo of a 1.5 pound sandwich consisting of a Polish Sausage (original Kielbasa), smoked and grilled, served with grilled onion, sauerkraut, mustard and spicy sauce.

Perhaps you are not that hungry.

Can I interest you in a hot dog, perhaps a Chili Dog?

Below is a photo of another picture on the side of that food truck.

Question

What if lunch was this colorful and delicious every day?

The Three H’s: Honesty, Humility and Humor

The three people described above, who I personally know very well,  are honest, humble and have a great sense of humor.

Each one of them has fun, and concentrates and thinks ahead long term all the time.

Each one of them is very gutsy, is “all in” whenever they do something, and is not afraid to take calculated risks.

They are trustworthy people you can have fun with, and laugh with, and are always interesting to be with.

Takeaway

Life is only as good as you make it.

 

Copyright © 2018 by Gary Smolker

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion

Decor, Ambience, Expectations, and Identity – by Gary Smolker

I want to have “a ha” enlightening moments, pleasurable moments.

Style and Layout of Interior Furnishing

It is my position that every room we enter is a stage setting.

The style, the layout, the wall coverings, paintings, sculpture, flowers on the table – if any –  the flooring, the furniture and the furnishings, each send a direct message to us when we enter a room.

In a restaurant, the message sent is multifaceted.  The message is –

• a message telling us what to expect – what kind of menu to expect, what kind of selection of food to expect, what to expect of the quality (of the food, the taste of the food and creativity of the food and beverage creations we consume, if any) of what we will be eating in that restaurant and the what to expect of the beverages severed – available for us we drink,
• a message telling us who the owner-operator of the restaurant is,
• a message telling us who the owner-operator wants us to believe he/she is,
• a message telling us how the wait staff will behave, and
• a message telling us how we are to behave.

On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, my good friend Jon Warner took me to LAQHAUS, located at 11671 Victory Blvd., L.A., CA 91606.

LAQHAUS is a restaurant I had never heard of.

LAQHAUS

LAQHAUS is a one room restaurant located in that part of Los Angeles known as North Hollywood.

The minute I walked into LAQHAUS, I was blown away by the what I saw on the walls.

Below are some photographs I took of what I saw on the walls.

See photographs of what I saw painted on one of the walls, below.

The caption/statement accompanying the painting/portrait of Marilyn Monroe states:

“Imperfection is Beauty

madness is Genius

and it is better to be absolutely Ridiculous than absolutely Boring”

– Marilyn Monroe

The minute I read that comment, I knew the menu in that restaurant would be exciting, and that whatever dishes were served to me would be exciting.

I immediately knew I was going to enjoy every aspect of my experiences in that restaurant.

There were more painted quotes next to portraits of famous movie stars painted on one of the walls.

See below:

The statement accompanying the portrait of Marlon Brando/”The Godfather” states:

“CONFIDENCE IS SILENT.

INSECURITIES ARE LOUD.”

I love, that statement, and I completely agree with that statement.

 

I also love the statement next to the portrait of Robert Di Nero.

After looking at those pictures painted on one of the walls, I knew I was going to love the place.

I was not disappointed.

The Food

The food in LAQHAUS was a joy to eat.

For my main course, I had a typical North Hollywood California version of a hamburger with fries.

I had lemonade to drink.

The fries come with a selection of dipping sauces.

  

INGREDIENTS: This hamburger sandwich consisted of a Beef Patty (beef comes from a grass fed cow), Tillinook (spelling?) Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Grilled Onion, Chipotle, Aioli, Tomatoes, Arugula, on a brioche bun.

For dessert I had an Oreo Sushi Roll.

The above photo of the Oreo Sushi I had for dessert at LAQHAUS was posted on Instagram @garyspassion on February 20, 2018, with the following text:

Do you like Oreos?  Do you like Sushi?

Imagine eating an Oreo crust surrounding rich creamy vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel.

INGREDIENTS: Oreo/Sushi Roll, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Coconuts, Caramel.

You May Follow My Off the Beaten Track FOOD Experiences on Instagram @garyspassion

Below are descriptions/”write-ups” of two of my recent lunches, – lunch on Saturday and lunch today, posted on Instagram @garyspassion.

Korean B.B.Q. At One of my Favorite Korean Restaurants

Below is a photograph of the lunch (a Koren BBQ Short Ribs box-lunch) which I ate today (March 5, 2018).

The above photo is posted on Instagram @garyspassion on Monday, March 5, 2018 (today).

My box lunch consisted of BBQ Short Ribs, Fried Rice, Fried Beef Filled Dumpling, Fried Chicken, Seaweed Salad, Ginger, Mixed Green Salad.

The name of the Korean Restaurant and its address are provided in my post on Instagram @garyspassion.

Corn Beef on Rye at One of My Favorite Jewish Deli Restaurants

Below is a photo of the corn beef on rye sandwich I had for lunch two days ago (on Saturday, March 3, 2018).

You don’t have to be a connoisseur to be able to  SMELL really good corn beef before you taste it.

The corn beef on the rye bread in the photo above smelled so delicious, I was beside myself with joyful anticipation of how wonderful that corn beef would taste – before that corn beef sandwich touched any of the taste buds on my tongue.

You may can read my description of all my senses that were triggered when I saw that sandwich, when I smelled that sandwich and when I tasted it.

See my post on March 3, 2018 on Instagram @garyspassion.

In my post I provide the name and address of the delicatessen where I ate that sandwich and describe the entire eating experience I enjoyed in that deli.

Decor, Ambience, Expectations and Identity

Each experience – from the atmosphere in the restaurant, to the way you are treated by the wait staff, to the way the food is presented, the way the food looks, the way the food smells, the way the food tastes –  which you experience in a restaurant creates that restaurant’s identity.

Conclusion

Depending on conditions and circumstances the delivery of a message is 7% verbal, 38% vocal, and 58% nonverbal.

We live in a society of ambience makers and elegant people.

By looking sharp and acting sharp you fashion a sense of pride, positivity, and self-worth that can transcend circumstances as well as social perceptions.

How you dress and what you do, including where you go out to eat, expresses your individualism and your relationship to your own community and to mainstream culture.

You can fashion dignity and self-worth over and above your circmstances by looking good and being “cool.”

Experiences are the new brag.

Seek great experiences.

Be impressive: Share great experiences with others.

Bon Appetite.

Copyright © 2018 by Gary Smolker

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion