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January 25, 2010
When Zaidy Was Young
I am finally relistening to my original podcast series, which oddly enough has become a great source of research for me. The irony of course is it's my research, but I did it so long ago I have already forgotten the details!
One of the interviews, yet to be aired, was with an Orthodox woman speaking of the role seltzer played in her very religious home as a child. In it she mentioned an album all the Orthodox boys and girls loved to listen to, called When Zaidy Was Young, which is all about life on the Lower East Side.
I am still tracking it down - as one of the tunes is about the seltzer delivery man - but in the process I found this outrageous video with the same name - a sort of Yiddish Muppets. It's about a grandfather telling his grandson about how "it once was" on the Lower East Side.
But starting at around 14:30 it's all about their love of seltzer! And then jumping to about 25:00 until the end it focuses on the use of seltzer to put out a fire and how, as a result, it helps the dad to maintain his Jewish identity in the face of assimilationist pressures while supporting his family - once again, seltzer both celebrated and saddled with so much responsibility. Check it out!
Here is what happens when you tell Jewish children: No seltzer for shabbat!
And here's how to put out a burning building with seltzer bottles... and a song!
And here's the full 30 minute video:
Part of what I love about this video is that seltzer is associated with so many different things: being Jewish; refreshing; humorous; seltzer business; and putting out fires. If it only had health and cleaning carpets it would have summed up nearly all popular associations with the drink. I wonder if in my research I will come across something else with containing all of the associations. What have you seen?
Posted by bjoseph at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)
January 08, 2010
"The English drink Seltzer water like fish"
Another fun find in Google Books, from some magazine called The New Monthly Magazine, in 1837.
This is about some street urchins trying to have one over on the man selling seltzer. "The English drink Seltzer water like fish in the dog-days." :-)
Posted by bjoseph at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)
January 07, 2010
German Spas of 1804 and Medicinal Purposes
I am currently having a blast on Google Books, which is Google's efforts to digitize and make available the word's books. It's pretty remarkable.
I can download as PDF or to text search online for this important study from 1804: A treatise on the internal use of the natural and factitious waters of Carlsbad, Marienbad, Ems, &c. &c
Author Friedrich Ludwig Kreysig
I am specifically interested in this work as it documents the medicinal uses of spas. That is, to what extend doctors, the write included, used spas as a form of medicinal treatment, and for what exactly.
One of the amazing things about Google Books is that it will create a word cloud for you of the entire book, using only the most common phrases, making those most used larger. I was fascinated by the book's cloud below given all the numerous health conditions referenced. How many can you find?
Or click here to see a larger version.
Posted by bjoseph at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
The Strangest Seltzer Add Ever
As I have recently mentioned, there is a really gross ad in NYC encouraging people to drink seltzer and other healthy beverages by associating sugary drinks with fat, literally. The ad is a cup of fat. Yuck!
As if that wasn't strange enough, it turns out there's a 30-second PSA for it as well! Check it out below.
Still haven't had enough? Check out their facebook group.
Posted by bjoseph at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
Video Review by The Soda Jerks of Seltzermaker
As you know, this entire project began when I received a new kitchen appliance - the SodaClub (now SodaStream) home seltzer maker. Last week I decided, after five years, to update to the latest model. Seltzer has never tasted better.
I was going to make a video to show it off but it looks like the guys at The Soda Jerks beat me to the punch. Here's their video:
Posted by bjoseph at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2010
Egg Cream Zodiac?
Seth Front has created the The Jewish Zodiac, after a stint at a Chinese restaurant, with one featuring Egg Creams, as you can see below.
Lots of fun! In case you are wondering, 2010 is the Year of the Schmear: "This year, don't spread yourself too thin."
You can buy the Egg Cream t-shirt here. It states that those born in the Year of the Egg Cream are as follows: "You've got a devious personality since you're made with neither eggs nor cream. Friends find your pranks refreshing; others think you’re too frothy. Compatible with Blintz, who also has something to hide." And of course the shirt comes in one color: Chocolate (my wife, who prefers vanilla egg creams, might have something to say about that).
Personally, I am the Year of the Chopped Liver. You can check out the whole Jewish Zodiac at www.jewzo.com.
Posted by bjoseph at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
