A  palace of games, drama and theatre. [spiel= game + palast= play] At the end of the wild whirlwind between WWI and WWII, The Depression (known for it’s loose morals, prohibition, unemployment), European and American ex-patriates flocked to the literary cabarets and burlesque entertainments. These feateured a wide range of scandalous and subversive performance, including political satire, nude dancing, gender bending and elaborate avant-garde nonsense spectacles. In the increasingly oppressive atmosphere of facisct nationalism, brutality, censorship, and restricted civil liberties, these cabarets and burlesque shows served the purpose of transgressive dis-ordering radical internationalism and a much needed release from the rigidity of “family values.” Performed in local clubs and cafes the cabaret celebrated the unstompable resilience of the individualistic and alternative human spirit in a time of mass propaganda, blind patriotism and military frenzy.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend  catch the “Spielpalast Cabaret”. This Sat. and Sunday and also next weekend. www.spielpalastcabaret.org .

The girls from Beaver Pond, Vt. will be at the 8pm Show this Sat. Night at  City Hall Auditorium on Church Street in Burlington, Vt.

We have been going to the Cabaret for years. It is a fun evening of vintage burlesque and vaudeville and a rowdy  house orchestra.

Here is a clue. Johnnie took a trip to Savannah, Ga. and found these Gay Celebs hanging out at the local gay bar “Club One”. This is Randy the original Cowboy from” The Village People” and the fabulous  Drag Queen “Lady Chablis”. You may know her from the Bestselling book and she was in the  movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and she played herself. She continues to have her own show every Saturday Night at Club One in Savannah where she lip synch and dances along with other Drag Queens. They pack the house at every show. If you go to Savannah check her show out.

Here are a few pictures from her show.

It was our first time to perform in a Nursing facility. It was one of those places that we performed in Essex and the crowd set in Colchester.

The building set on the Essex and Colchester Vermont county line. We told a few jokes and sung a few songs and told them some stories of Beaver Pond.

Cousin Craig thought that he was being part of an intervention program but we assured him that he wasn’t and that he would be driving us back to Beaver Pond, Vt. All turned out well and they enjoyed the show.

The House of LeMay  Would Like to Wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We hope you will be having many more! We have had our share of fun at Higher Ground attending many events and with hosting and presenting Winter is a Drag Ball.

The staff at Higher Ground is wonderful. We love Y’all! Thanks for all the memories!

When you get to the last 5 minutes of cooking you can add a cup of small broccoli florets. I added some leftover asparagus cut into one inch pieces with a handful of cherrie tomatoes cut in half. I’m serving this with Boneless BBQ Chicken Wings that I picked up at the store.

To make this a meal:

1) In a large skillet take 1 lb. of ground turkey or beef cook it until no longer pink, drain the meat.

2) Stir in rice-vermicelli mix with 2 Tbsp. of butter and 2 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil.

3) Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender

4) Stir in Special Seasonings. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes and then enjoy!

We had so much fun singing, telling jokes and a few stories and giving out Door Prizes. We had our Easter Bonnet Parade and sing along. Then Mayor Bibbs Fiske brought some of the products that are being made in Beaver Pond, Vt.

We had Major Face taking money at the door. Major Face will be the Little Beavers Troop 69 new Troop Leader. We hope to be hearing from Major Face again.

They had  Party music by that Great 8O’s Band  Hot Neon Magic

Last year they raised over $40,000, had more than 350 participants. It was crazy, and this year they say it was even WILDER! We heard that they had raised over $55,000! All to benefit  Women Helping Battered Women provides many essential services for victims of domestic violence in our community.

Here is their website to check out what they are all about: http://www.whbw.org/

I do have to say it was strange standing on that gym floor in high heels. I kept waiting for some gym teacher to yell at me. “Get off that floor in those street shoes!” So I danced on that floor just for all those times they told me I couldn’t!

Here’s the Winner of the Dance Off that took home the Golden Sneaker Award!

1/2 cup of shortening, now I melt mine in the microwave for 40 min. or until it turns into liquid.
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 egg beaten
3 over ripe bananas mashed
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg

Now if you like you can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or both.

Preheat your oven to 350.
Cream together shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl then add egg, bananas, baking soda, flour and spices. Mix well and pour into and ungreased 9 X 5 loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until your tooth pick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Happy Saint Patty’s Day Y’all! It is time for us to cook  the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage and have a Party. We all gather together and have our dinner down at the Edna St. Vincent LeMay Memorial Laundromat, Library, Comm. Center and now Lint Museum, Wifi Hot Spot and Tourist Kiosk  where we will eat  have some beer and sing a few Irish Songs. Now  here are the ingredients that you will need for the Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet. If you did not get a spice packet just take 2 bay leaves, 12 whole black peppercorns, 2 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
• 10 small red potatoes
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedge
• 

10 Newspapers That Do It Right 2013
posted: 3/4/201

This is why we Love SEVEN DAYS! And because they put our picture in their paper!

by: Kristina Ackermann

As newspapers trudge on through report after report of declining ad sales, shrinking audience, and waning relevancy, they are also, thankfully, getting better at tooting their own horns.

If the industry has come to learn anything from the Great Recession, it’s that we produce a product, a product that needs to be marketed just as well as — if not better than — any other product. This year’s 10 Newspapers That Do It Right are all prime examples of how newspapers can flex their marketing muscle to take back their place in the community, produce the high-quality products that readers demand, and update their sales tactics to accommodate the needs of modern advertisers.

Seven Days
Burlington, Vt.
Circulation: 35,000 weekly

In the rural state of Vermont, the independent weekly Seven Days is moving the needle by expanding in ways that allow for repurposing and repackaging smart, lively content.

“Revenue wise, 2012 was our best year ever,” said publisher Paula Routly.

The company has diversified its revenue streams considerably in the past few years, adding video content, mobile and tablet apps, and niche publications, including a monthly parenting magazine, annual dining guide, another guide for college students, and a bilingual (French and English) quarterly for tourists that’s produced in partnership with Burlington International Airport.

Seven Days’ strength lies largely in its community events: homebuyer seminars, singles mixers, plus unique, statewide events that generate revenueand reinforce the brand of the core print product. One is Vermont Tech Jam, a two-day job fair and tech expo that Seven Days launched in 2008 with a coalition of private- and public-sector partners.

“Unlike many newspapers, (Seven Days) still has a robust employment classified section, and our involvement with the Tech Jam began as an opportunity to add a face-to-face event for those clients who advertise jobs with us — something Craigslist and other online competitors can’t do,” Routlysaid. “Over time, we were able to align ourselves with the tech-industry trade group, and we now partner exclusively with the Vermont Technology Alliance to organize the Tech Jam.”

The Jam has sold out of exhibitor space the last two years, with more than 80 companies and organizations participating and about 2,000 people attending over the course of two days. The event has earned the paper recognition on the state level, and even had Google as a sponsor in 2011.

Seven Days has also expanded its coverage of the state’s Restaurant Week by launching 7 Nights, the annual dining and nightlife guide, and boosting its food writing staff. The paper sells sponsorships for the event and bundles the price of participation with advertising in 7 Nights to encourage larger ads in the guide. More than 80 restaurants participated in 2012, and the paper supports the local community by donating a portion of the proceeds to the Vermont Foodbank.