Tag Archives: Fidel Amos

April 28, 2012 · 5:08 am

Fidelis Maximus vs The “Nutella Lawsuit”.

Foreword.

This is in response to an article a friend of mine pointed out to me yesterday in Yahoo! Finance which spoke of a lawsuit against Ferrero, the company that makes Nutella….my favorite chocolate treat of all time. 

The following is an excerpt from said article:

“…Ferrero, the company that manufactures the highly addictive yet apparently not terribly healthy spread, has settled a $3 million lawsuit filed in February 2011 by San Diego mom Athena Hohenberg. Hohenberg, it seems, believed that Nutella was a great dietary choice for her four-year-old daughter. She claimed the company’s advertising — particularly giving TV-ad viewers the idea that Nutella was part of a nutritious breakfast (see ad below) — led to her erroneous perception. But when she realized the spread is about as healthy as your average Snickers bar, she decided it was time to get even — and get cash.”

(Click anywhere in the excerpt above to read the article in its entirety on Yahoo! Finance)

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(2010 Nutella Commercial)

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The short of it…?

* I think I can safely say that anyone who decides to sue Nutella because they thought it’d be good for them is an idiot.

* The judge that didn’t throw this case and her out of court is an idiot too.

* And everyone that had anything to do with taking this case to that court in the first place…? They’re idiots as well.

* The fact that this lawsuit (and all lawsuits as idiotic as this one in years past) could even be possible in this country is baffling beyond words and in itself a large enough topic to be discussed at a later date.

* The lawsuit also allows anyone who has bought Nutella in a certain two year span to jump aboard the ‘we didn’t know it was as fattening as we thought it’d be’ train and collect up to $20 as well. For the record, I don’t care if it said ‘the next time Nutella touches Fidel Amos’ lips he’ll die’ on every jar, I wouldn’t support a lawsuit against my beloved Nutella or its makers, Ferrero.

The long of it..?

Athena Hohenberg of San Diego, California seriously thought Nutella was going to be a good dietary choice for her 4-year old..?

Actually, while we’re on that subject, why is her 4-year old on a diet in the first place..? Is she a heavy 4-year old? Perhaps the kind of heavy 4-year old that might be heavy in the first place because she eats everything that her mom places in front of her face..? Could it be that her mother has no idea what to feed her (proven, yes, by her mother’s own admittance of “dietary choice” selection) and that’s why she’s heavy in the first place, with or without the Nutella?

I wonder if the same genius that won Athena her millions will work for me? I wonder if I can convince that lawyer to convince the same judge that Athena had to try my case so I can sue her for A) not only being an idiot for believing any commercial whatsoever that appears on television, but B) for slandering the name of something that has been near and dear to my life ever since I can remember what something sweet tasted like….?”

 

– F

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April 20, 2012 · 5:36 pm

“No Mr. President, You Can’t Have My $3.00.”

Foreward.
I usually ignore emails sent to me regarding campaign donating of any kind…especially around this time every four years when the Presidential race goes into overdrive. This particular letter, however, I simply could not ignore….you’ll read why below.– F

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Here is the email I received…
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…and here is my response.

“Mr. Gifford,”

“I would be lying to you if I said I was a person that cared about politics. I would be lying to you if I said the reason I’m on your mailing list is because I wanted Obama to become President a second term and not because I was being nice to the girl with the clipboard at the last fundraising cocktail hour I attended. Hell, I’d even be lying to you if I told you I voted for him the first time around.”

“I’d also be lying if I told you I was the kind of person that would give three of my hard-earned, unemployed, American dollars toward your cause after reading the part about you “taking care of airfare and accommodations” for two random strangers to “enjoy and evening” with the President and an actor who, unless I’m mistaken, has no political position in our country’s White House…regardless of how handsome, charming and morally upstanding he may be. Granted, I too, being not only American but a picture-hungry photojournalist to boot, would love the chance to wine and dine with an A-lister and the Commander In Chief, but I have one serious issue with this scenario Mr. Gifford: how can you justify spending countless hard-earned, unemployed, American dollars to fly two adults to Los Angeles, put them in a hotel and wine and dine them for an evening “A-list style” just for donating $3…??”

“Let alone the fact that this would seem absurdly uneconomical to anyone that’s ever taken a business class…did you (and by default your office and thus the office of the President) not get the memo saying our country was going through a depression? Did you not notice the ever-growing hatred among lower income Americans towards their money-spending, email-sending, campaign-racing counterparts on Capital Hill?”

“Perhaps it would better serve your fundraising needs if you sent out emails to the American public telling them that you’re not wasting their money to fly random, non-political people across the country to have pointless, media-friendly events with folks that could be using their talents and power elsewhere. Perhaps you’d get a more positive response from the people of this country if the emails mentioned instead that their $3 would be used to help put a man back into office that will help them with their job-losing, welfare-needing lives.”

“I’d give three of my hard-earned, unemployed, American dollars to someone who wrote me an email like that….and I’d make sure everyone I knew did the same. You have my word on that Mr. Gifford.”

“…you can trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you.”

– Fidel Amos

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April 19, 2012 · 7:54 am

“This Little Piggy Cried ‘Weeee’ All The Way To COCHON555.”

PORK.

It’s not often that I start a blog entry with a single word.

I thought it best in this instance however, not only for the mere humor of the word in its singular form “pork”, but also for its more down to earth, serious meaning. Pork (in this case the physical meat, not the word) could be defined in a variety of ways: food to some, a pet to a few, an item to avoid in some religions and a sacred animal in others. Even if you set aside the cute, Disney portrayal, as well as the religious and “I want the one in the pink bow mommy” point of views, you’re still left with one very large area of conversation….pork.

Or, more specifically, eating pork.

Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats in the world. According to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, nearly 100 million metric tons of pork was consumed worldwide…and that was just in 2006. There are dozens of cuts of pork and, depending on what country you’re standing in while doing the cutting, dozens of ways to name them!

There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare pork, depending on what part of the animal you’re cooking and how you’re cooking it. It can also be made into ham, confit, sausage, terrine and pate…as well as its most popular form here in the United States, bacon. Truth be told, I didn’t know most of what I just said to you up until a couple weeks ago (except for the part I mentioned about eating it). This is due mostly to the fact that up until a couple weeks ago I had never been to COCHON555.

The brainchild of Taste Network founder Brady Lowe, COCHON555 is a national event that takes place in 14 major markets with the goal of supporting sustainable agriculture. Every year (this is its fourth) it holds a culinary competition in ten cities. Fifty chefs (five in each city) are given one heritage breed pig each, after which they must create a menu using said pig, ‘snout-to-tail’ style.

Competing chef Barry Maiden (& team)

Competing chef Tim Gushman (& team)

Competing chef Steve 'Nookie' Postal (photo by: Julie Burba)

Competing chef Barbara Lynch (& Colin Lynch)

Competing chef Jamie Bissonnette (& team)

Ten winners (one from each city) are picked to fly to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado for the final event, Grand Cochon. As the event grows in size every year, so too does Brady Lowe’s cause: utilization of the entire animal. And believe me when I tell you….at COCHON555, the entire animal is utilized.

Although I’ll make an attempt for the sake of this blog, actually trying to describe to someone what a day at COCHON555 is like is a lost cause, as no mere words can explain the total explosion of “pork madness” that one experiences. It begins with an hour of VIP pork-tasting and private dish-sampling by various guest judges.

It continues with additional hours of general admission perks, including raffles, multiple rooms filled with food, wine and cheese sponsors, a full whiskey bar, giveaways, demonstrations by award-winning butchers and cameos by celebrity chefs.

There are recipes to try, t-shirts to purchase, knives to sharpen and World Series trophies to pose next to (at least, in Boston there was!)

The day’s end brings music, a winner, a few gift bags and a 500-person mini-BBQ that seemed to materialize out of thin air. There are a dozen more COCHON events between now and the end of the year…with any luck I’ll find a ride to each and every one of them.

(Boston winner Jamie Bissonnette)

…also with any luck I’ll find a dozen ways to explain to my friends and family why I have to leave town every few weeks because of “pork”.

– F

(All photos by me unless stated otherwise)

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* Click here to view the rest of the photos via my Wandering Eye’s Facebook page * 

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December 22, 2011 · 2:26 am

“$40 Million Dollar Slaves & The Woman On The Train.”

A couple days ago I boarded the downtown 4 express train, headed for Union Square. As the doors closed and the train began to move, I found myself a seat and began to fumble with my iPod. Before finding the song I was looking for (Coldplay’s Viva La Vida…for those of you that are REALLY into details) I happened to glance across the subway car to the seats in front of me and saw one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Her hair was long and the darkest of browns, almost black…dyed slightly lighter at the tips and pulled into a single large braid behind her. Her skin was light, internationally mixed and absolutely flawless: the kind of color you get when you pour a little too much fresh milk into your morning coffee. Her eyebrows were dark and thin, her face classic, the only modern touch was a single tiny golden stud in her left nostril. She wore a sleek and perfectly fitting top and a simple skirt, which in my opinion happened to be exactly the length and style that a perfect lady would wear. Her long, full legs were in a pair of black heels that you just wanted to buy ten more pairs of in ten different colors for her JUST because she looked so good in them.

Her big, brown eyes acknowledged my presence with a quick blink before looking away just in time to avoid that “uncomfortably long stare”. She reached down into her shoulder bag and pulled out a book that I had never heard of…$40 MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES. This enhancesd the attraction, as her reading such a book denoted character and intelligence. How do I know..? Because I was reading the comics section of the Daily News…

As she found her place and began to read, I found myself daydreaming about what I would say to her should the opportunity arise for conversation. I could have just admired her beauty in awe and silence without interrupting her. But what would be the point of that? Even Outkast once said “Everybody knows you can’t let a pretty one pass you by…without saying hi.” For those of you that have no clue who Outkast is, how about a different analogy, “If you saw a sparkling diamond just sitting there within your grasp…wouldn’t YOU try to pick it up?”

But I digress…where was I?

Oh yeah…

The point is, how does one start a conversation with a woman who has probably already shot down ten other men better than you just in the last hour?? What perfectly original, sincerely smooth, ear-opening comment do you make to such a woman?

“Hello there young lady, I see you’re reading my favorite book of all time…$40 Million Dollar Slaves.”

No…that’s not it.

“Hey girl, I noticed you sitting over there, looking all good, reading $40 Million Dollar Slaves.”

Nope…definitely not gonna work.

“Excuse me miss. I seem to have lost my copy of $40 Million Dollar Slaves and I was wondering if I could borrow yours?”

Geesh…shoot me.

How do I speak to her? How do I tell her that she’s absolutely stunning and even though I don’t know her in any way, shape or form, I feel that my day might be a little more grey if I don’t continue to look in her direction? How do I explain to her that if she’s at all as interesting, funny, cool, or understanding as I THINK she might be, than she should let me take her out, wine and dine her, meet her parents, prove my love, propose and grow old with her until we both die happily like those two fools in The Notebook…???

How do I tell her…?

“Um…hi…”

I look up…she’s standing above me, $40 Million Dollar Slaves in her hand.

“I’m sorry,” I say, pretending to turn down my iPod to buy some time, “What were you saying..?”

She blinks her baby browns at me again. “I was just saying hi.”

“Hi,” I mumble, shyly.

She sits next to me and reaches into her purse.

“I feel a bit foolish,” she continued, “but I saw you looking in my direction earlier and I thought you might introduce yourself, but you didn’t.”

She blushes ever so slightly.

“Well, the thing is, I don’t really know anyone in New York, the subway’s a short ride so I never know how to start a conversation with anyone…and you’re really cute.”

She pulls her hand from her purse…it’s holding a business card.

“…anyway, if you’d like to…I don’t know, get coffee or something, my number’s on the card.”

Before I can part my lips to speak, the doors open, she smiles again and leaves me sitting there on the downtown 4 express train.

I don’t say anything.

I don’t do anything.

I simply put the card in my jacket pocket, go back to fumbling with my iPod and begin laughing aloud like some kind of crazed lunatic.

– F




			

	
	

		
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		December 14, 2011 · 2:38 am	


	
“Old Friends.”
	

		
* Preface *


“I know I’ve been neglecting to post on my blog. I could hit you all with excuses about how I’ve been traveling the world and shooting since March in India, Nepal and about 7 different states here in the U.S.. I could go on and on about how time seemed to have moved so quickly because of the flights, the bus rides, the couch-hopping and the friend-visiting. I could even talk about the wonderful two months I was able to spend in California with my beautiful 10-year old daughter and how I barely had time enough to pull the trigger, let alone find a wifi signal and try to update my blog every few days. I could say all those things…but I won’t. Instead I’ll just say that ‘I’m sorry’ and that I was ‘busy’. I’m glad to be back however, thanks for being patient! As you can probably tell I’ve revamped my website. I have some snazzy new blog ideas to begin using, as well as some feature stories to write about some of the things that I’ve shot during my absence: beaches in South Carolina, MLB games, Occupy Wall Street, models, snow-covered mountains in Colorado, NCAA football games, old friends, Alcatraz, my beautiful little girl and so much more. For now however, we’ll just start off with a new series of posts…smaller, but more intimate.”


“They’ll be called: The Story Behind The Shot.”


“Enjoy.”


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(photo: Fidel Amos)


While in Union Square in NYC one Spring day in 2009, I saw an elderly woman leaning on a wall small wall, facing the grass. For a second I thought she was merely staring off into space or resting, then I realized she was motioning with her hand…holding something. I looked in the direction that she was looking and saw a beat-up, raggedy, NYC squirrel standing on his hind paws in the grass about 30 feet from her, staring back at her. I prepared my Canon (which was slung around my shoulder) ready to shoot the interaction between them, trying to figure out a way to squeeze them both into the same frame. Suddenly the squirrel darted in her direction, quickly (yet politely) snatched the peanut from her by-then outstretched hand  and ran up into a tree.


By the time he go to her I had approximately 1/2 a second to pull the trigger…it’s a fraction off focus, but it came out rather nice.


A casual onlooker might think this was just a case of an elderly woman feeding a nut to a squirrel…as she might bread to pigeons on her stoop, or apples to a mounted officer’s horse. Judging by the condition of the squirrel, the familiar way in which it seemed to notice her and head in her direction and the simple fact that she was motioning for that particular one and none of the others that were within the same distance, I like to think that she had been going there for months and that the squirrel had been expecting her…

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(Wanna hang it on your wall? It’s available via my online gallery on Society6.com. Click the photo below to find out more…)



			

	
	

		
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