Time Out Buenos Aires 2008

click on images for a larger view

A while back I wrote about how we were starting to get noticed by the media, but Time Out, for example, did not know who we were; Well, they know us now.



They took a couple of pictures; chatted with me for a while over cookies and coffee; and they went back and wrote this about us:



Does this mean I better get cracking on making muffins? Should I take that as a hint?

One more further clarification. We are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm and close from 1:30pm to 2:30pm for lunch.

We also are open on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.

I am still tickled pink that they thought of us and I love their description. They have just shot to the top of our short list of magazines that we are going to publicize in.

Lipstick on a Pig

"I’m not insinuating anyone is a pig. Nor am I suggesting you need to be wearing lipstick. I believe the saying ‘let’s put some lipstick on this pig’ originated in the brokerage/investment banking industry. Typically, the saying referred to promoting or selling a stock or investment product, which the broker didn’t believe in or which may not have been in the client’s best interest to buy."--Mark McGlinchey

That´s right Obama, only John McCain can use that phrase. Maybe that´s the real reason he is so angry about it. Oh wait, so can Torie Clark, Vice President Dick Cheney, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Rep. John Mica of Florida and Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, as well as the author Mark McGlinchey who is responsible for that book you see above.

But McCain's campaign is not about to let the issue go. They released a Web ad Wednesday that plays Obama's lipstick comments, then asks, "Ready to lead? No. Ready to smear? Yes."

Hmm, lately McCain´s ads seem to describe McCain more than his intended target. Would that be calling the kettle black?

Now let´s see a classy, Presidential type response from Obama. This guy sounds more and more like a President than his counterpart:

Time for Some Campaignin´

I found this video amusing and wanted to share. Thanks Christina!

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Rain of Biblical Proportions

Maybe if the rain doesn´t work they can switch to voodoo dolls. Meanwhile we still have States that would rather have our teachers not teach evolution.

At least there was a reply on Television to this sillyness and I post it below:




I know I seem to be all over the place with this, but really people. There is something wrong when we have to argue about the validity of teaching Evolution in our schools and having a segment of the population praying to their God for a political prank. Believe me, voodoo dolls are not that far a stretch from this.

I am currently living in one of the most religious countries on this continent and I don´t see nearly the same level of idiocies as I see coming from the religious right of the United States. Grant it, this group has it´s baggage ( a lot of bad history here and plenty to criticize), but that is a whole other ball of wax that I can´t tackle here.

Well if you must and you know Spanish you can go to Alerta Religion for that. If you want to read from the same author, but in English then you can click -here- and get a whole slew of material.

Meanwhile one of the most trusted names in the news industry is a comedian (Jon Stewart). He held a breakfast with the news media and my favorite quote from that event was "Why do I take this more seriously than you?".

Way to go Jon!

Maybe we do need rain of biblical proportions, but I would like this rain to wash away this idea that the church and the State have anything to do with each other and that it gets some reporters wet. I am a "Glass half full" kind of guy so I will take this as a good start.

El retrato y el cuerpo - Gallery Nights

Click on picture to enlarge.

This seems to be an Art theme going on recently and that is most likely due to so many artistic events happening around this time. This unique event is part of Gallery Nights. The show starts the 29th of August, 7pm at Arenales 1415.

This time around this show is interactive. You the visitor, if you want to obviously, will have some makeup applied on the second floor, then on the third floor you will have your picture taken.

I don´t want to give anything away, but as you can imagine it´s not just a plain picture that will be taken. The third floor will be set up just for these pictures that will use the space, or the background as part of the total effect.

These pictures will be displayed simultaneously on an LCD screen downstairs for all to see and you could have your particular pictures e-mailed to your friends and family.

The pictures will form part of the show that will be exhibited for the whole month. I am sure to go to this one.

There will be champagne as well as Sugar & Spice cookies to nibble on while exploring the show. Anyone who takes their picture with a cookie and sends me the picture can have a free pack of their favorite cookies (the largest size pack of course to be picked up at our store).

pedidos at sugar and spice dot com dot ar

The show is organized by Omnes Artes, and Marca Futuro Arte, and held at La Europea.

This show is also sponsored by:

Sugar & Spice
Chandon
Maxim Store
Bodega Sur de los Andes
CeeLite
ICAP
2MG NET
among others.

Hank & Maraya

I used to think it was the air that was special here. If it were up to these two, the city would have most likely been called Buenas Luzes instead of Buenos Aires.

Hank is a professional photographer. Having worked for National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, PBS and The Travel Channel, his *girlfriend had to have picked up the shutter bug along the way right?

*correction: I just found out that Hank & Maraya are not partners. My mistake, sorry.

Actually, she is an artist in her own right as well. She received her BFA in art education from the University of Calgary in 1989. She is also a published poet and this couple is currently having their work in photographs displayed at the Edea Art Gallery in San Telmo. The collection is called "The Light is Special Here" and it is a collection of photoshop free highlights of their travels through Argentina and Central America.

The show has already started and it runs from the 14th through the 24th. On the 24th between 4:30 and 6:30pm Hank and Maraya will treat their guests to some Sugar & Spice cookies so you can satisfy any cookie craving you might have while admiring their handy camera work.

Just to give you a taste of what you can see at the show I have included some pictures below, as well as the picture above. You can click on them to get a much larger view:

El Corte Ingles

From the 26th of September through the 18th of Octobre, El Corte Ingles will celebrate 3 weeks of Argentine products in their stores; this includes Sugar & Spice products in the offering.

This will include 8 stores in Madrid, 5 in Barcelona, and 4 in Valencia.

El Corte Ingles is Spain´s largest department store and is also one of its oldest and most prestigious stores. There is an article on the history of this department store in Spanish.

The following are some numbers that represent this event:

390 products purchased and represented during these 3 weeks
34 companies represented in this purchase
21 wineries
7 distributors who end up representing another 20 food companies
600,000 euros was the aproximate amount of their total purchase

Sugar & Spice ended up sending the largest number of pallets (about 15 pallets) of all the participating companies in this round.

Thank you Fundación Exportar for including us in this round of negotiations with El Corte Ingles!

Swiss Day in Buenos Aires

Switzerland became an independent state in the year 1291.

I have never been to Switzerland, and the way the local economy is functioning, it might take a very long time for me to save enough pesos to make it a worthwhile trip. However, if I do go, it would be great if it would be around their independence day. From what I read, they tend to celebrate with a paper lantern parades, fireworks, bonfires, as well as drinking, dancing and eating.

Here in Buenos Aires, the Swiss Embassy is celebrating the day by sponsoring the kickoff to the "Semana del Chocolate" along with Fundacion EISA.

They have asked Sugar & Spice to participate in their event. We will be there with a stand offering our goodies so please come by, say hello, and peruse the stands that will be offering all things chocolate.

Friday night is a private party for the Embassy, and at least 400 guests.

Saturday and Sunday the doors open to the public from 3pm to 8pm. The cost is $10,00 for adults and $5,00 for children (5 to 12 year olds, under 5 enter for free).

I have a very limited number of tickets for this event. Whoever comes to my shop and spends more than $30 will receive two tickets for this event.

The celebration continues past these two dates:

On Monday the 4th of August from 3pm to 6pm, there will be a class on making marzipan figures by Swiss Cheff Philippe Zellweger and a Truffles and Petit Fours class by Head Baker Hilda Caridi.

On Thursday the 7th of August from 6pm to 9pm there will be a class on how to make artisanal chocolate by Swiss Cheff Carolina Bartalay.

Each of these classes cost $60 individually; if you take two, the cost is $100

The address is Rodriguez Peña 254. You can click on the map below to get a bigger view of the location of the event.

Good Morning Buenos Aires Party

Samuel of Good Morning Buenos Aires is proud to announce he is hosting a cocktail party to show his appreciation to the International Community of Buenos Aires.

This is no cover charge for this event. Good Morning Buenos Aires does not profit in any way. No kick-backs, no inflated prices, no fuss, no muss, no wrinkles...

There will be 2 for 1 drink specials and 20% off all food items until closing time and several items will be raffled off for free to include:

• A free cultural tour from CULTOURS of Buenos Aires;
• A dinner for two at the Duhau Park Hyatt, Buenos Aires;
• 5 hours of Spanish lessons (or a backpack) from EleBaires;
• A dinner with dessert (no beverages included) at Freak Restaurant on your next visit (depending on attendance levels, Freak will donate more than one meal);
• Free drinks at Freak Restaurant to be used on your next visit;
• Two gift sets from Sugar & Spice (pictured above and normally retails for $40)
  
• One year membership with South American Explorers...

There will be more details announced leading up to the event date....

Several organizations and companies are co-hosting this event to include: BA Gatos, the BA Insider Magazine, Buenos Aires International Newcomers Downtown Group, CULTOUR turismo con identidad, Democrats Abroad Argentina, Duhau Park Hyatt (Buenos Aires), EleBaires Spanish Experience Program, Freak Restaurant and Cocktails, InterNations.org, South American Explorers, Sugar & Spice, TMT Argentina, Wynn Woods Solutions, yanquimike.com.ar and more to be announced later....

I hope to see you all there.

For complete information on the date and location, please go to the following link:

http://www.wynnwoods.com/party.htm

Through Thick & Thin

Official Web Site

"the Documentary is a brilliant historical record coming from a multi-talented producer of a new genre of Latin American filmakers." - El País, The Herald Tribune.

Apparently love does not conquer all. The film sounds fascinating and brings to light yet another embarrasing point against the United States.

Free screening is Saturday the 26th of July.

Oh, and by the way, Democrats Abroad will help any American that wants to register to vote with the whole process.

Ian and Cintra of GoodAirs are also helping to promote the film. Below you can click on the link to their post:
GoodAirs: More than a bad translation of "Buenos Aires": Democrats Abroad Film Series Inauguración