Latest news with #Kramer
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Navigating 40 Years Of Gilding Excellence With The Gilders' Studio
The art of gilding is a meticulous process that requires precision, patience, and most importantly, extensive knowledge in the craft. The Gilders' Studio, founded by Michael Kramer, has been beautifying interior and exterior surfaces with genuine gold and other types of metal leaf for the last 4 decades, positioning itself as the modern-day Midas. The world-renowned company has been exuding its creative finesse through architectural gilding and decorative finishes, working on essentially any surface, from domes to massive sculptures. In essence, gilding is the art of applying a thin layer of gold or other types of metal leaf to a surface, turning any structure from mundane to magnificent. The Gilders' Studio has been pioneering the gilding industry, transforming ordinary spaces into a work of art all over the world. The company prides itself on providing comprehensive services, including architectural gilding, conservation and restoration of sculptures, decorative painting, frame gilding, reverse glass gilding, and much more. Their projects have garnered a plethora of attention globally, winning them several accolades. With an extensive portfolio, The Gilders' Studio has used its gilding expertise in several prominent sites across the world, with flawless execution and meticulous craftsmanship. As the lead gilder and the guidepost of his team, Michael ensures that all the projects are executed perfectly. "I have a proficient team, but ultimately, I ensure that I personally produce all the project specifications and see that they are followed through," Kramer explains. Despite being in the industry for 40 years with a fully-trained team, Kramer ensures that he continues to lead and remain on-site along with them from start to finish. The Church of The Holy Sepulchre from Edicule by The Gilders' Studio in 1996. The Gilders' Studio The company maintains its high-quality standards by investing resources in developing and acquiring specialized tools and materials, such as their custom-made gilders wheels, which apply ribbon leaf to almost any surface. From using top-quality squirrel hair brushes to custom-made Manetti gold leaf from Italy, The Gilders' Studio has established itself as a paragon of quality work, innovation, and unparalleled craftsmanship. "We've developed proprietary gilding formulations which have been tested rigorously to make sure that they are of the highest quality and stand the test of time against weathering," Kramer reveals. "Quality, durability, and precision are the cornerstones in everything we do." The Gilders' Studio has years of dedication, expertise, and training behind its reputed name. Michael Kramer started his path towards running a studio by painting his way through college. He joined the painters' union after graduating. But decorative painting didn't align with his passion. "Decorative painting was rewarding, but it was exclusively indoors. That's not what I wanted to concentrate on," Kramer shares. "One of the reasons why I started my business was because, well, I like working outside!" NY Life Insurance Headquarters by The Gilders' Studio in 2007. The Gilders' Studio After receiving mentorship from a master gilder, he worked towards becoming proficient in his craft in gilding. Seven years later, in 1975, he started his own business working on small-scale projects and silently building a name. A decade later, he founded The Gilders' Studio, focusing on being an industry leader in architectural and sculpture gilding - a vision that eventually became a reality. After propelling his company to a reputable position, Kramer has been teaching his craft at a research institution in the US for the past 20 years. He's also acquired a prominent position at The Society of Gilders, a non-profit educational organization that is devoted to the art of gilding. "We have classes and conferences where we discuss all kinds of gilding, whether it's oil gilding, water gilding, and even exploring non-traditional types of gilding," Kramer shares. "I had a great mentor who passed on all his knowledge to me. I want to do the same." The Gilders' Studio has many tools in its arsenal, but its greatest one is its team, half of whom are women. The company is strengthened by the skilled and efficient gilders who have been on the team, some for more than 35 years. "Their years of dedication truly reflect how much they enjoy working here," Kramer shares. He recognizes that every member of his team brings something special to the table. "They all have different strengths, it's what makes the team so dynamic and diverse," he says. The company even recognizes and ensures that they have safety manuals, training, and precautions set in place for high-risk projects. Sherman Monument by DC French by The Gilders' Studio in 2015. The Gilders' Studio Like every business, The Gilders' Studio has experienced downfalls in their work, but they've consistently focused on finding new ways to improve their craft, whether it's through self-funded testing, crafting new formulations, or acquiring the best gilding materials. This unfaltering commitment to excel in their craft is something that sets them apart in the industry. While many use cost-effective materials or cut corners in their craftsmanship, The Gilders' Studio ensures top-tier work at every front. After 40 years of transforming ordinary surfaces into gilded masterpieces, The Gilders' Studio is excited for what the future holds. With a dedication to keep mastering their craft, the company continues looking forward to working on larger-scale sculptures, domes, and any surface that's ready to be decorated.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Keith Hernandez gets help moving — but Kramer is nowhere to be found
Keith Hernandez had to move. But this time, Kramer was not here to help. The Mets great and SNY broadcaster shared on X Monday that former WFAN host Richard Neer helped the former first baseman move into a new home and made reference to his famous appearance on 'Seinfeld.' 'My good friend, Richard Neer of WNEW FM & WFAN fame 'helped me move' into my new home at Hilton Head, SC,' the former Mets first baseman and current SNY analyst wrote on X. 'Kramer wasn't available.' Keith Hernandez at a 'Seinfeld' DVD release party in New York City on Nov. 17, 2004. Gregory Pace/ In a 1992 episode of 'Seinfeld' — the seventeenth of Season 3 — titular character Jerry agrees to help Hernandez move out of his apartment. However, Jerry gets cold feet, claiming that for a male friendship, it was moving too fast. So when the day arrived, Jerry told him that he could not hold up his side of the bargain. Luckily for Hernandez, Kramer, Jerry's wacky neighbor, showed up and, after resolving some issues over a previous confrontation — was there a second spitter? — offered to lend a helping hand. For his real-life move 33 years later, Hernandez tapped recently retired WFAN voice Neer for some assistance. The pair have collaborated on podcasts before and it appears that the friendly relationship has marinated long enough for a move to be a reasonable request. Kramer agrees to help Keith Hernandez move on 'Seinfeld' after Jerry backs out. YouTube Whomever Hernandez gets to help him, the Mets World Series champ is sure to be a steady hand. He won 11 Gold Glove awards in his 17 MLB seasons at first base. He also ended his career with a .296 batting average and five All-Star appearances.
The Star
4 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Don't dismiss the warning signs of a ministroke
Kristin Kramer woke up early on a Tuesday morning 10 years ago because one of her dogs needed to go out. Then, a couple of odd things happened. When she tried to call her other dog, 'I couldn't speak,' she said. As she walked downstairs to let them into the yard, 'I noticed that my right hand wasn't working.' But she went back to bed, 'which was totally stupid,' said Kramer, now 54, an office manager in Muncie, Indiana, United States. 'It didn't register that something major was happening,' especially because, reawakening an hour later, 'I was perfectly fine.' So she 'just kind of blew it off' and went to work. It's a common response to the neurological symptoms that signal a TIA, a transient ischaemic attack or ministroke. At least 240,000 Americans experience one each year, with the incidence increasing sharply with age. Because the symptoms disappear quickly, usually within minutes, people don't seek immediate treatment, putting them at high risk for a bigger stroke. Kramer felt some arm tingling over the next couple of days and saw her doctor, who found nothing alarming on a computed tomography (CT) scan. But then she started 'jumbling' her words and finally had a relative drive her to an emergency room. By then, she could not sign her name. After an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), she recalled, 'my doctor came in and said, 'You've had a small stroke.'' Did those early-morning aberrations constitute a TIA? Might a 911 call and an earlier start on anticlotting drugs have prevented her stroke? 'We don't know,' Kramer said. She's doing well now, but faced with such symptoms again, 'I would seek medical attention.' Cognitive decline Now, a large epidemiological study by researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Cincinnati, published in JAMA Neurology , points to another reason to take TIAs seriously: Over five years, study participants' performance on cognitive tests after a TIA drops as steeply as it does among victims of a full-on stroke. 'If you have one stroke or one TIA, with no other event over time and no other change in your medical status, the rate of cognitive decline is the same,' said Victor Del Bene, a neuropsychologist and lead author of the study. An accompanying editorial by Eric Smith, a neurologist at the University of Calgary, was pointedly headlined 'Transient Ischemic Attack – Not So Transient After All!' The study showed that even if the symptoms resolve – typically within 15 minutes to an hour – TIAs set people on a different cognitive slope later in life, Smith said in an interview: 'A long-lasting change in people's cognitive ability, possibly leading to dementia.' The study, analysing findings from data on more than 30,000 participants, followed three groups of adults age 45 or older with no history of stroke or TIA. 'It's been a hard group to study because you lack the baseline data of how they were functioning prior to the TIA or stroke,' Del Bene said. With this longitudinal study, however, researchers could separate those who went on to have a TIA from a group who went on to suffer a stroke and also from an asymptomatic control group. Brain altered The team adjusted their findings for a host of demographic variables and health conditions. Immediately after a TIA, 'we don't see an abrupt change in cognition,' as measured by cognitive tests administered every other year, Del Bene said. 'The stroke group showed a steep decline, but the TIA and control group participants 'were more or less neck and neck.' Five years later, the picture was different. People who had experienced TIAs were cognitively better off than those who had suffered strokes. But both groups were experiencing cognitive decline, and at equally steep rates. After accounting for various possible causes, the researchers concluded that the cognitive drop reflected not demographic factors, chronic illnesses, or normal ageing, but the TIA itself. 'It's not dementia,' Del Bene said of the decline after a TIA. 'It may not even be mild cognitive impairment. 'But it's an altered trajectory.' Of course, most older adults do have other illnesses and risk factors, like heart disease, diabetes or smoking. 'These things together work synergistically to increase the risk for cognitive decline and dementia over time,' he said. The findings reinforce long-standing concerns that people experiencing TIAs don't respond quickly enough to the incident. 'These events are serious, acute and dangerous,' said Claiborne Johnston, a neurologist and chief medical officer of Harbor Health in Austin, Texas. After a TIA, neurologists put the risk of a subsequent stroke within 90 days at 5% to 20%, with half that risk occurring in the first 48 hours. 'Feeling back to normal doesn't mean you can ignore this, or delay and discuss it with your primary care doctor at your next visit,' Johnston said. The symptoms should prompt a 911 call and an emergency room evaluation. How to recognise a TIA? Tracy Madsen, an epidemiologist and emergency medicine specialist at the University of Vermont, promotes the BE FAST acronym: balance loss, eyesight changes, facial drooping, arm weakness, speech problems. The 'T' is for time, as in don't waste any. 'We know a lot more about how to prevent a stroke, as long as people get to a hospital,' said Madsen, vice-chair of an American Heart Association committee that, in 2023, revised recommendations for TIAs. The statement called for more comprehensive and aggressive testing and treatment, including imaging, risk assessment, anticlotting and other drugs, and counselling about lifestyle changes that reduce stroke risk. Unlike other urgent conditions, a TIA may not look dramatic or even be visible; patients themselves have to figure out how to respond. Karen Howze, 74, a retired lawyer and journalist in Reno, Nevada, didn't realise that she'd had several TIAs until after a doctor noticed weakness on her right side and ordered an MRI. Years later, she still notices some effect on 'my ability to recall words.' Perhaps 'transient ischaemic attack' is too reassuring a label, Johnston and a co-author argued in a 2022 editorial in JAMA. They suggested that giving a TIA a scarier name, like 'minor ischaemic stroke,' would more likely prompt a 911 call. The experts interviewed for this column all endorsed the idea of a name that includes the word 'stroke.' Changing medical practice is 'frustratingly slow,' Johnston acknowledged. Get help immediately But whatever the nomenclature, keeping BE FAST in mind could lead to more examples like Wanda Mercer, who shared her experience in a previous column. In 2018, she donated at the bloodmobile outside her office in Austin, where she was a systems administrator for the University of Texas, then walked two blocks to a restaurant for lunch. 'Waiting in line, I remember feeling a little lightheaded,' she said. 'I woke up on the floor.' Reviving, she assured the worried restaurant manager that she had merely fainted after giving blood. But the manager had already called an ambulance – this was smart move No. 1. The emergency doctors ran tests, saw no problems, gave Mercer intravenous fluids and discharged her. 'I began to tell my colleagues, 'Guess what happened to me at lunch!'' she recalled. But, she said, she had lost her words: 'I couldn't articulate what I wanted to say.' Smart move No. 2: Co-workers, suspecting a stroke, called the ambulance for the second time. 'I was reluctant to go,' Mercer said. 'But they were right.' This time, emergency room doctors diagnosed a minor stroke. Mercer has had no recurrences. She takes a statin and a baby aspirin daily, and sees her primary care doctor annually. Otherwise, at 73, she has retired to an active life of travel, pickleball, running, weightlifting and book groups. 'I'm very grateful,' she said, 'that I have a happy story to tell.' – KFF Health News/Tribune News Service KFF Health News is a US newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programmes of KFF – an independent source for US health policy research, polling and journalism.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Why ‘Mud Season' is the season's hottest media-world must-read
A former reporter with the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe, Jeff Kramer's new novel, 'Mud Season' (Köehler Books) tells the story of Atwood 'Woody' Hackworth, a journalist laid off after accusations of inventing a source in one of his stories. Which, as Kramer tells The Post, has never happened to him. 'Incredibly, I've never been fired,' he says, 'but there were probably a few jobs where I should have been!' Set in rural Vermont, 'Mud Season' explores the conflict between family relationships and the pursuit of personal success. With his marriage and livelihood dangling by a thread, Woody attempts to write an online novel and hopes it will be a hit. 'Woody Hackworth will write a novel, a great one, one that is three hundred pages or longer and not padded by oversized print,' writes Kramer. Author Jeff Kramer 'And it will be commercially successful – perhaps even a Netflix adaptation – yet of undeniable critical merit.' 'Mud Season' also examines the changing face of publishing, from the decline of print to the new, online world, where acclaim is instant but so too is disapproval. 'Social media fuels the story,' adds Kramer. 'It gives Woody an opportunity to publish his book in real time and the immediate reaction he gets influences his behavior and his emotional state, not to mention his book.' With social media taking over Woody's work, he begins to lose control of his real life, alienating his wife, Mandy, and his family. 'Mandy has no interest in a keystroke-by-keystroke account of his return to non-newspaper writing,' writes Kramer. 'Her husband has a history of diving into fiction projects and quietly abandoning them.' Soon, though, Woody's new fiction, published chapter by chapter online, starts to mirror his own existence, with disturbing consequences. 'It's a cautionary tale of internet doom,' he adds. For Kramer, the object of writing 'Mud Season' was two-fold. 'My first goal in writing the book was to make people laugh, but I was also striving for themes of dislocation,' he says. 'But no one who knows me will believe that, and with good reason.' —Gavin Newsham
Irish Examiner
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Make no mistake, Fifa knows exactly what their beliefs are
Sport is littered with the skeletons of competitions which initially seemed to fall into the category of bread and circuses but which presaged significant change to the future of the games they promoted. You would need to be in your late 60s now to maintain a working memory of Jack Kramer and his collection of tennis all stars who played around the world in the days when only amateurs could compete for the blue riband titles such as Wimbledon, and the American, French and Australian Opens. Kramer, who was considered the world's leading player between 1946 and 1953, established an elite, 'have racket will travel', cadre who would appear anywhere for a percentage of gate receipts. His stable included luminaries such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Pancho Gonzales and, in acknowledgement of the increasing popularity of women players, crowd pleasers like 'Gorgeous Gussy' Moran. It was the impact of Kramer that persuaded Wimbledon to go open in 1968, ushering in the era of professional tennis, leading Time magazine to describe it as 'The sport that Jack built.' Ironically it was Kramer's refusal to acknowledge the wage claims of his female stars, lead by Billie Jean King, that led to the Virginia Slims tournament and the burgeoning rewards available to the women's game. Cricket was revolutionised by Kerry Packer and his World Series in 1977 which was preceded by a famous meeting with the Australian Cricket Board at which the tycoon supposedly asked: 'There is a little bit of the whore in all of us, gentleman. What is your price?' Rugby, tired of years of 'shamateurism' and led, once again, by the Southern hemisphere, became professional in 1995. GAA remains an outlier. No sport provides greater tribute to modern Babylon than soccer. There have been several efforts to establish its primacy in the United States, gathering pace in the late 1960s through the era of the New York Cosmos (Pele, Beckenbauer, ) and stimulated by strong attendances at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1994 World Cup. While it is increasingly popular among younger people and the growing Latino population the bedrock of mainstream support still resides in baseball, basketball and American football. But over the next two years the US is the battleground for world domination between the Gog and Magog of the international game. It is on territory chosen by the ruling authority Fifa — the 2026 World Cup and the new, expanded, ¢870m Club World Cup which starts on Saturday and features 32 teams. Their target is Uefa, the parent body of European football, and their lucrative prestige tournament, the Champions League, which has a status and wealth which is coveted in Zurich. Fifa have committed to a consultation on expanding the Club World Cup to 48 teams before its next scheduled appearance four years from now after lobbying from clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona and AC Milan who failed to qualify for the t0urnament based on their coefficients, or because of a two team cap on entries from each country. The winner of this summer's CWC will pocket some ¢110m for seven matches in 28 days, around ¢30m less than PSG picked up for 17 games in a Champions League extending from September to May. Fifa strongly believe in the future of the competition and the world's largest sports streaming platform, Dazn, are paying ¢870m for global TV rights. It is showing every game and Channel 5 will also be showing 23 matches. 10% of the investment comes from Saudi Arabia's SURJ Sports Investment and Fifa sponsors Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa are also involved. Qatar Airways is a major partner. The winners of the Club World Cup will earn the right to wear a special gold badge on the front of their shirts for the next f0ur years. Of more significance is the impact on national leagues of additional money into the coffers of a limited number of teams. Gaia's 1996 Europop banger Freed From Desire is the theme music chosen for the Club World Cup with not a hint of self-mockery. 'My love has got no money; he's got his strong beliefs' declares the opening line of the disco classic appropriated by football fans across the globe. For Fifa boss Gianni Infantino and his crew, we know exactly what those beliefs are. Ten games to watch early doors: The opening match at 1am Irish time on Sunday features Egyptian champions Al Ahly against David Beckham's Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium. Fifa were desperate to get The Herons, captained by Lionel Messi and including former Liverpool star Luis Suarez and Barcelona's Sergio Busquets on board for the tournament and applied a highly liberal interpretation of the qualifying rules. Inter Miami are managed by Javier Mascherano. Sunday 8pm, PSG v Atlético Madrid, Rose Bowl, Los Angeles: An early examination of the credentials of Europe's new champions under Luis Enrique by the continent's second longest-serving manager, the formidable 'El Cholo', Diego Simeone. Some of PSG's stars, including the metronomic Portuguese midfielder Vitinha , and the electrifying Désiré Doué, have been away on Nations League duty. Team selection against a doughty opponent will be an early indication of how seriously clubs are taking the competition. Sunday 11pm: Palmeiras v FC Porto, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey: South America makes its bow as the pride of São Paolo take on the Iberian finishing school of Porto. An item of interest would be an appearance by the €57m Chelsea-bound 18-year-old wing prodigy Estêvão who will be part of the Premier League squad at Stamford Bridge next season. Porto, who finished third in the Portuguese league behind Sporting and Benfica, are captained by the sweeper-keeper Diogo Costa whose penalty save against Spain's Alvaro Morata won the Nations League for his country. Monday 8pm: Chelsea v LAFC, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: BlueCo chairman Todd Boehly will be looking for a brisk start given his wide interests in the City of Angels. There may be early sightings of new centre forward Liam Delap and the young Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos after a successful loan at Strasbourg. Chelsea have also taken the latest addition to their cache of goalkeepers, 19-year-old Belgian Mike Penders from Genk. LA's forever young centre forward Oliver Giroud has a host of admirers at the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and the San Siro and set up the play-off winner which brought them into the competition. Former Spurs veteran Hugo Loris is their goalkeeper. Monday 11pm: Boca Juniors v Benfica, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami: The club of Diego Maradona takes on the team of Eusebio in what could be a lively encounter between two sets of colourful and noisy fans in a city which is 70% Hispanic and Latino. Boca are captained by the nails-hard Uruguayan centre forward Edinson Cavani while Benfica have Argentineans Angel di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi in their ranks. Tuesday 5pm: Fluminense v Dortmund, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey: The 40-year-old Brazilian centre half Thiago Silva is expected to start against the Germans who have added 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland to their squad and rejected two bids from Chelsea for winger Jamie Gittens ahead of the tournament. Wednesday 2am: Monterrey v Internazionale, Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles: The first chance to gauge how Inter have recovered from their Champions League humiliation under their new Romanian manager Christian Chivu who arrived after only 13 days in charge at Parma. Mexican serial champions Monterrey are led by the veteran Spanish centre half and iconic Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, 39. Wednesday 5pm: Manchester City v Wydad, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia: Pep Guardiola's revamped squad includes Ryan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri as City attempt to put a lacklustre season behind them. Wydad from Casablanca will be one of the unknown quantities of the competition although they hold the record for Championships in Morocco. Wednesday 8pm: Real Madrid v Al Hilal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami: Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold early specifically to play in this competition and also include Dean Huijsen, their €55m capture from Bournemouth in the squad. Al Hilal are the only Saudi Arabian side in the CWC and were making desperate attempts to sign N'golo Kante on a short-term loan for the duration of the competition. They field other familiar faces including Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Kalidou Koulibaly. Saturday 2am: Bayern Munich v Boca Juniors, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami: This match will probably decide Group C and Vincent Kompany will be hoping that Michael Olise can provide enough bullets for Harry Kane to lift his second trophy. Don't expect Boca Juniors to go quietly. Could be a very robust game. Round of 16: June 29-July 1; Quarter finals: July 4-5; Semi-finals: July 8-9. Final: July 13. *All games on DAZN
