Geezus! Aleppo Soap?! I just went to Amazon and there are a million places to buy Aleppo Soap!! And it gets delivered straight to your door! https://a.co/d/34MAUOQ
And it's cheaper and you know how much you pay for delivery? Pair of Hooters; Goose-Egg; Nada; O-O-O as my brother-in-law Eddie says.
Anne, you've been on a roll lately with finding nascent businesses that have enthusiastic owners promising their product is the NEXT BIG THING; this soap store is a-leappo & a prayer. Forget the soap and get the flu vaccine!
Lucy, you are 100% correct that I should be boycotting Amazon and a lot of other businesses that "kiss the ring." I was just pointing out that the soap isn't exclusive or anything new; and the weakness in the business model, besides appointments no signage and toilet paper to dry your hands. Lucy, I assure you that I am doing more than anyone on this board to return this country to stability and tolerance; on my own dime. I'm an old Union man who's been fighting injustice my entire life; descended from a grandfather who fought the KKK back in 1924: http://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2017/08/niles-recalls-1924-riots/
Lucy, although I am an old man, I don't have to behave like one! I apologize for the curmudgeonly reply. No excuses, but I am vehemently opposed to the forces turning this country into 1930's Germany. Best to you Lucy, always!
"I will, of course, be proposing a CAFÉ ANNE-branded garbage truck with the coffee cup logo on the side and my face on the hood." Hahahaha! I mean that's difficult to top!!
When Sir Charles Barry designed London's Trafalgar Square in the 1840s he included four plinths. One carries a statue of George IV while two others have statues of the generals Sir Charles James Napier and Sir Henry Havelock. The fourth plinth, in the north-west corner, was intended to hold a statue of King William IV on horseback but the money ran out. To this day no agreement has been reached on who should be celebrated upon the plinth.
True to British propensity to compromise, the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group was set up to fill the gap with a series of temporary art commissions. As a previous London mayor banned pigeons from Trafalgar Square, New York's wonderful 16-foot pigeon would make a great reminder for the loss of our feathered friends.
Thank you as always for a fun and informative newsletter!
More info re the Pigeon/Dinosaur -
Removing the giant pigeon sculpture, "Dinosaur," from the High Line in Spring 2026 is standard for the rotating Plinth program, which features temporary art.
The new piece, "The Light That Shines Through the Universe," is a 30-foot-tall homage to the Bamiyan Buddhas, two 6th-century monumental statues in central Afghanistan that were destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban.
The Buddha’s hands, missing from the original monuments long before their final destruction, from brass artillery shells.
They are arranged in mudras—or ritual gestures—that express fearlessness in compassion and figure suggests the use of memory and the concept of reincarnation as a tool for renewal and healing.
The changing of the art every 18 months also teaches impermanence.
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”—Mike Tyson
That's one of my favorite all-time quotes!!
Remember When Herman Cain ran for POTUS (9-9-9)? Mike Tyson did the FUNNIEST YOU TUBE campaign ad; wearing an American Flag pin the size of a fat-baby's head!! LOL!!
Steven’s enthusiasm is infectious, Anne! Your immersion into this man’s serial entrepreneurship is contagious as well. Once again I am reminded of my Dad’s pursuit of the American dream—selling Amway, keeping bees, underwriting a shipping business so little old ladies could send stuff to relatives in Latvia…. This time I am likely to get a bar of Aleppo soap out of it. 😃 And the pigeon should take Lufthansa (Dad’s favorite airline for shipping!) to London and visit the Fourth Column! It will be missed, however! Now if I could only come up with a dumpster design….
Geezus! Aleppo Soap?! I just went to Amazon and there are a million places to buy Aleppo Soap!! And it gets delivered straight to your door! https://a.co/d/34MAUOQ
And it's cheaper and you know how much you pay for delivery? Pair of Hooters; Goose-Egg; Nada; O-O-O as my brother-in-law Eddie says.
Anne, you've been on a roll lately with finding nascent businesses that have enthusiastic owners promising their product is the NEXT BIG THING; this soap store is a-leappo & a prayer. Forget the soap and get the flu vaccine!
If you want to experience Jollibee, come to Winnipeg. It's a restaurant chain from the Philippines, and, on account of our large Filipino population, we have at least one here...
Ooooh! Looking at the menu now, Gillian. I love that they have just two desserts—the ube pie and the mango peach pie. Both feel so random. But only one is available as a "six piece pie snack" version so I have feeling one is bit more popular than the other.
I am with you on the confusion about the Middle East, but I am rooting for the soap to be amazing. You have to love the Zoom-suds underdog narrative. 😂
you need to use some of that soap to wash out my mouth for advising you to wager on the Bills last week and they had their chances for sure. something tells me you put the 50 bucks towards some more sleuthing round town which takes advantage of your unique set of skills...and pays better!!
Your observations intermixed in your reporting always make me smile. I'm relieved to hear your reporting was not distorted because you were given free samples of banana planks. I won't even bother to try to bribe you with Necco wafers.
> I was disappointed, however, that no one suggested any
> merch retailers or service providers. Am I the only one
> jonesing for a deep dive into Foot Locker or the UPS Store?
I take back my previous lighthearted suggestion of Kung Fu tea. Thousands of readers want to know about your fun-filled interactions with H&R Block and maybe Blue Cross/Blue Shield?
lol still confused by the Middle East 😂
53 years and counting, Jen!
Love this whole post! And I just bought some soap! ❤️
Oh that makes me happy you're trying out the soap, Charisse, and that you loved the post!
Geezus! Aleppo Soap?! I just went to Amazon and there are a million places to buy Aleppo Soap!! And it gets delivered straight to your door! https://a.co/d/34MAUOQ
And it's cheaper and you know how much you pay for delivery? Pair of Hooters; Goose-Egg; Nada; O-O-O as my brother-in-law Eddie says.
Anne, you've been on a roll lately with finding nascent businesses that have enthusiastic owners promising their product is the NEXT BIG THING; this soap store is a-leappo & a prayer. Forget the soap and get the flu vaccine!
Not boycotting Amazon then Judge?
Lucy, you are 100% correct that I should be boycotting Amazon and a lot of other businesses that "kiss the ring." I was just pointing out that the soap isn't exclusive or anything new; and the weakness in the business model, besides appointments no signage and toilet paper to dry your hands. Lucy, I assure you that I am doing more than anyone on this board to return this country to stability and tolerance; on my own dime. I'm an old Union man who's been fighting injustice my entire life; descended from a grandfather who fought the KKK back in 1924: http://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2017/08/niles-recalls-1924-riots/
Lucy, although I am an old man, I don't have to behave like one! I apologize for the curmudgeonly reply. No excuses, but I am vehemently opposed to the forces turning this country into 1930's Germany. Best to you Lucy, always!
"I will, of course, be proposing a CAFÉ ANNE-branded garbage truck with the coffee cup logo on the side and my face on the hood." Hahahaha! I mean that's difficult to top!!
Would your face be ON the hood or would it be a hood ornament, akin to Mack Trucks? Your head in profile, jaw jutting defiantly into the wind, upon a coffee-cup base with a spreadsheet clenched between your teeth? https://davekoontz.pixels.com/featured/1951-mack-truck-mascot-hood-ornament-dave-koontz.html
When Sir Charles Barry designed London's Trafalgar Square in the 1840s he included four plinths. One carries a statue of George IV while two others have statues of the generals Sir Charles James Napier and Sir Henry Havelock. The fourth plinth, in the north-west corner, was intended to hold a statue of King William IV on horseback but the money ran out. To this day no agreement has been reached on who should be celebrated upon the plinth.
True to British propensity to compromise, the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group was set up to fill the gap with a series of temporary art commissions. As a previous London mayor banned pigeons from Trafalgar Square, New York's wonderful 16-foot pigeon would make a great reminder for the loss of our feathered friends.
That is a great idea, Mr. Styles. How do we get appointed to the on Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group?
Since I don't have any Aleppo soap, I took a shower with olive oil. It was...interesting. LOL LOL
Very resourceful, Mr. Jensen. I am proud of you!
Thank you as always for a fun and informative newsletter!
More info re the Pigeon/Dinosaur -
Removing the giant pigeon sculpture, "Dinosaur," from the High Line in Spring 2026 is standard for the rotating Plinth program, which features temporary art.
The new piece, "The Light That Shines Through the Universe," is a 30-foot-tall homage to the Bamiyan Buddhas, two 6th-century monumental statues in central Afghanistan that were destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban.
The Buddha’s hands, missing from the original monuments long before their final destruction, from brass artillery shells.
They are arranged in mudras—or ritual gestures—that express fearlessness in compassion and figure suggests the use of memory and the concept of reincarnation as a tool for renewal and healing.
The changing of the art every 18 months also teaches impermanence.
Thanks for the intel, mordy!
And I am all for accepting impermanence—except when it comes to pigeon statues!
“You could do this on zoom” ummm does he also have digital soap? Love a hustler, hope he succeeds
I think he meant I should video myself washing my hands and post it on YouTube, Amac. But I do love the idea of digital soap!
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”—Mike Tyson
That's one of my favorite all-time quotes!!
Remember When Herman Cain ran for POTUS (9-9-9)? Mike Tyson did the FUNNIEST YOU TUBE campaign ad; wearing an American Flag pin the size of a fat-baby's head!! LOL!!
https://youtu.be/TfJCYZ06IGI?si=J5ColzFYq6t4hcRM
What is the sound of one wing flapping?
That totally went over my head, LSB...
Like, what is the sound of one hand clapping. It’s a koan, a Zen riddle. But the statute is a pigeon that has wings instead of hands
Steven’s enthusiasm is infectious, Anne! Your immersion into this man’s serial entrepreneurship is contagious as well. Once again I am reminded of my Dad’s pursuit of the American dream—selling Amway, keeping bees, underwriting a shipping business so little old ladies could send stuff to relatives in Latvia…. This time I am likely to get a bar of Aleppo soap out of it. 😃 And the pigeon should take Lufthansa (Dad’s favorite airline for shipping!) to London and visit the Fourth Column! It will be missed, however! Now if I could only come up with a dumpster design….
That's so fun about your dad, Anita. Some people just have the bug. How about a garbage truck mural depicting all your dad's enterprises?
Geezus! Aleppo Soap?! I just went to Amazon and there are a million places to buy Aleppo Soap!! And it gets delivered straight to your door! https://a.co/d/34MAUOQ
And it's cheaper and you know how much you pay for delivery? Pair of Hooters; Goose-Egg; Nada; O-O-O as my brother-in-law Eddie says.
Anne, you've been on a roll lately with finding nascent businesses that have enthusiastic owners promising their product is the NEXT BIG THING; this soap store is a-leappo & a prayer. Forget the soap and get the flu vaccine!
JRB you should know I NEVER get sick.
I substitute that Aleppo soap for olive oil in recipes...it's cheaper!!
That's a blessing for you and us, your audience....
No soap radio!
No soap radio!!
My favorite joke of all time!!! My dad told this joke at the dinner table when I was about 8 years old and once I “got it” it became my fav.
Going 'viral" with the soap!
I just realized the irony, Mr. Roberts.
If you want to experience Jollibee, come to Winnipeg. It's a restaurant chain from the Philippines, and, on account of our large Filipino population, we have at least one here...
Great idea David! Field trip! I could compare the Winnipeg Jollibee to the Times Square Jollibee!
The mango peach pie! It is like the old McDonalds apple pies of yore. Whenever I am near the Vatican I stop & get one. It’s pavlovian now 😂
Ooooh! Looking at the menu now, Gillian. I love that they have just two desserts—the ube pie and the mango peach pie. Both feel so random. But only one is available as a "six piece pie snack" version so I have feeling one is bit more popular than the other.
Anne I will be your personal tour guide if you ever go to Winnipeg!!!
Wot? Are you in Winnipeg now Ms. JDS?
nooo brooklyn, but it's my hometown! try to visit ~quarterly!
I am with you on the confusion about the Middle East, but I am rooting for the soap to be amazing. You have to love the Zoom-suds underdog narrative. 😂
Maybe we can have Middle East peace AND amazing soap? Maybe???
From your lips to the goddess's ears, Anne!!!
you need to use some of that soap to wash out my mouth for advising you to wager on the Bills last week and they had their chances for sure. something tells me you put the 50 bucks towards some more sleuthing round town which takes advantage of your unique set of skills...and pays better!!
Yes I was thinking of you when they lost to Denver, AK. And yes I spent the cash on some fun adventures which hopefully you will read about next week!
always look forward to that.....heres hoping my Patriots finish the job in Denver its been far too long for us fans 🤣🙃
this was a real journey
Steven invited me back for another latte, Dina. But I am still recovering from the first visit! Hoping to return next week....
This is my non-sequitor comment.
"I declined, explaining I didn’t want my reporting biased by free soap." -- that was the best line of the year so far...
It's funny Mark I always think, oh it'd be silly if accepting a small freebie affected what I wrote. But you never know. The mind is a strange thing!
Your observations intermixed in your reporting always make me smile. I'm relieved to hear your reporting was not distorted because you were given free samples of banana planks. I won't even bother to try to bribe you with Necco wafers.
> I was disappointed, however, that no one suggested any
> merch retailers or service providers. Am I the only one
> jonesing for a deep dive into Foot Locker or the UPS Store?
I take back my previous lighthearted suggestion of Kung Fu tea. Thousands of readers want to know about your fun-filled interactions with H&R Block and maybe Blue Cross/Blue Shield?
Oooh H&R block. Do they even still have storefronts Eric? And April 15 is just around the corner...
Indeed they do! I see 25 in Manhattan and 14 in the Bronx (sorry, Brooklyn makes me confused).