Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Menu for the 2012 Oscar Party - Dishes for this Years Academy Award Show

In years past as the Oscars approached I would start to fret about what to serve at my party.  I have a bit of a tradition of making a dish based on or inspired by each of the best picture nominees.  Coming up with 5-10 dishes every year is actually harder than it sounds.  Some years your are blessed with movies like The Kings Speech (The King's Peach Cobbler) or The Blind Side (Blind Sliders) and the dishes basically make themselves.  But some years there are difficult films like The Reader (I made "fReaders" a play on potato fritters) or The Fighter (We finally came up with Punch, which was actually a real hit).  What I would have done for ideas from some post on-line to at least give me a hint of an inkling of what to do.  So, here is my post for those looking for menu items for this years nominees (I like to call them "Nom-Noms".  The dishes, not the movies).

Print Friendly and PDFPrintPrint Friendly and PDFPDF

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Francophilia and Self Love Alive and Well in Hollywood - A Look at the Years Oscar Nominees

With the Oscars a mere week away, it is time to look at the nominees for Best Picture.  And as we look over the field there is a real continental feel to the movies nominated.  As in North America and Europe.  Save for The Descendants which is based in Hawaii (which, as we know, is in fact a US state) every story comes from one or the other.  Some might argue The Tree of Life is actually based in someone's dream, but they speak English enough to guess it is set in America.

This seems to point to the state of movie making in general.  With the economy still in its recovery, ever increasing ticket prices, and quality content being provided on any number of platforms, people need a good reason to go to the movies.  To attract the public you need to have ingenuity, intrigue, and interest.  The best way to do that is to go with what you know, return to your base (a lesson most often learned in politics, it is an election year after all).  This year there are no tales from exotic far off lands, strange alternate universes, or alien planets.  This years crop are based in well known familiar settings.  That is not to say that there are not elements of the fantastic.

Print Friendly and PDFPrintPrint Friendly and PDFPDF

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

2012 Consumer Electronics Show - The Gadgets

All right guys, here is the one you have been waiting for: what was the coolest stuff at the 2012 CES?  Well here are a few thoughts, trends, and gadgets groundbreaking and absurd that stood out at the CES.

You're flat screen looks great with that scarf!
- Wireless TVs the next great accessory
As I noted in an earlier post, the lines between different technologies are blurring.  Computer monitors are now nearly as clear as televisions.  Televisions now have wireless and portable capabilities.  Your phone or tablet can act as a remote for any component in the house including turning lights or heating on and off, or even start you car.  Basically what is happening is users are demanding access to data and performance, and there is a race to provide it.  Which means there are legions of people creating technologies, platforms, and apps all tailor made to give the public the easiest and most streamlined answer for any and every issue we have.  Becoming the leader in any little niche is going to be big business.  That means there are many options for users, and it also means many solution providers are not going to make it.  The competition is ongoing, and we will see what ends up being the standard in the future.  But for now, lets enjoy the ride, and revel in the innovation.
Print Friendly and PDFPrintPrint Friendly and PDFPDF