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Category: Myself
If you are looking for the ultimate comfort food nothing beats good pot roast. I've tried many recipes over the years but always came back to my own version of the culinary favorite. Someone recently asked me to blog my recipe over on Twitter and it occurred to me that I've actually been winging it for years so it was probably a good time to get it written down.
If there's a secret to this recipe it lies in the two sets of veggies (one diced for flavor and the other sliced for eating) that gives the pot roast its depth of flavor. There's an extra step or two compared to most recipes but trust me, it's worth it.
Also, by cubing the meat instead of leaving it whole, you get more surface area which means more browning which means more flavor! It also has the added benefit of cooking quite a bit quicker than most traditional pot roasts.
If you give it a go please drop me a line and let me know how it turned out. I'd love to get your opinion. Enjoy!
Large bowl + tongs
Large dutch oven or high-sided oven-safe pot
1 (3-5lbs) Chuck Roast (cut into 2" cubes)
2-4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 whole onions (1 diced, 1 frenched)
6 carrots (3 diced & 3 sliced into bit-sized pieces)
3/4lb of fingerling potatoes (or parsnips peeled & sliced into bite-size chunks)
8 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
2 cups of red wine
3-4 cups of beef or chicken broth
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 Tablespoons of corn starch
2-3 Tablespoons of smoked (or regular paprika)
3 Tablespoons of of tomato paste
3 Tablespoons of Worcester Sauce
3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Set oven to 325º
Slice chuck roast into 2" cubes and season them completely all over with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of paprika and flour. Coat well.
In a high-sided dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot heat on pot with olive oil on stove top until shimmering. Working in batches, brown cubes of the meat on each side with your tongs until nice and brown. Don't crowd the pan, turn them as needed getting each side nice and crusty. Remove browned pieces to a bowl. Continue until all meat is browned.
Combined diced carrots, celery and onions in pot and stir with pot meat drippings to loosen. Cook about 3 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add diced garlic and stir another minute or until garlic is aromatic.
Add tomato paste to the pot and mix in with the veggies. Add red wine and deglaze the pan – cook for another 1-2 minutes until wine mixture starts to simmer.
Return meat to pot on top of the veggie mix and add enough chicken or beef broth to barely cover. Reserve 2-4 tablespoons of broth for thickening later on.
Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs into a bundle with butchers or kitchen string and add to the pot along with Worcester sauce & balsamic vinegar.
Bring to a simmer.
Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven. Cook at 325 for 1.5 hours.
Remove from oven and place meat cubes in a bowl. Discard the bundle of herbs.
If there are pools of fat on the surface of the liquid use a label and spoon off as much as you can or transfer the liquid to a de-fatter and discard the grease.
Transfer the remaining liquid plus cooked, diced veggies to a blender and blend well. Return the mixture to the pot along with the meat once again. Add sliced carrots, fingerling potatoes (or parsnips) and frenched onions to the pot and mix in well.
Return to the oven and cook for another 1 – 1.25 hrs or until meat is fork tender. Remove any grease on the top of the liquid once again with a ladle.
Move the pot to stove top and heat over med-low heat.
Mix the corn starch with the remaining chicken or beef broth (2-4 tablespoons) until throughly combined and then add to the stew. Bring to simmer to thicken.
Add salt, pepper & additional Worchester sauce to taste.
Serve with some crusty bread or with creamy polenta or whatever you want 🙂
YUMMIE!
It's that time again. I woke up this morning and realized I'm once again starting a whole new month to try and keep my current move and exercise streaks alive in Apple's Activity app. I've been really proud of myself for keeping the streak going for 3 whole months (I know people who have gone years!) but honestly, looking ahead at an empty September is daunting.
The problem only gets worse over time. The longer my streak continues, the more pressure there is not to break it. It can be so stressful in fact, some people have come up with clever hacks to work around breaking streaks. Contrary to what the folks on Apple's Activity team may tell you, this isn't actually healthy. It's important to give your body (and mind) a break to recover and rebuild every now and then. Which is why iOS desperately needs to build in the concept of rest days into its Activity app.
Let's just set aside the fact that the Activity app doesn't even allow you to keep your streaks alive if you become sick or injured. That's bad enough. But not to be able to give myself a much-needed break after many months of filling my rings is a poor decision on Apple's part. I had really hoped iOS 13 would introduce Rest Days or Rain Checks or something that would allow us to take a day or two off a month and keep streaks alive, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
The concept is simple – For every perfect month of activity award I complete, give me one rest day that I can use at any time to take an activity break and recuperate. Over time they would accrue like vacation days and I could even apply them for actual vacations so I don't have to worry about filling my rings when I'm laying on the beach or waiting in line at Disney World. However Craig Federighi and his team decides to do it, we need something that takes the pressure off and lets us not be slaves to our Apple Watches every now and then.
I'm really happy iOS 13 will bring health advancements like the Noise app to monitor your hearing and Activity Trends to keep an eye on long-term exercise goals. Rest Days should be a part of a healthy lineup, other exercise apps in the store have had them for a long time. Apple needs to adopt them too because a little peace of mind goes a long way towards overall health.
My favorite horror flick of all time, The Legend of Boggy Creek, has been lovingly restored and remastered and is coming to blu ray. The 1972 docudrama about the legendary "Fouke Monster", or plain Bigfoot for you cryptozoological muggles out there, has been lovingly restored by the daughter of its creator, Pamula Pierce, and looks positively amazing.
I first saw Boggy Creek at a drive in theater with my parents as a kid and it made an impression on me that has lasted a lifetime. The film is the perfect mix of tall tales told by folksy locals, a cheesy soundtrack, out-of-focus monster shots and a vintage 70's vibe that make it required viewing around Halloween each year. I've made Boggy wallpapers, written blog posts and enjoyed this flick since I was a kid (believe it or not it was rated "G" for general audiences) so I'm over the spooky moon with this news.
I'm a little concerned that cleaning up the film will detract from its overall feel of nostalgia but I'm willing to take that risk and support the efforts of the filmmakers. The film has never looked this good before so watching highlights from the restored version on YouTube is a bit surreal but to its credit still manages to give me goosebumps!
If you are a Boggy Creek fan like I am, be sure to head over to the official website and sign up to be notified when the film comes to blu ray sometime "this fall". In the meantime, lock your doors, stay away from your windows and remember, he always travels the creek!
I've eaten quite a few tater tots in my day. I just love them which is why I'm so excited something new and better has finally come along. Imagine the best tater tot you ever had and then imagine it being a pale imitation of what tater tots are supposed to be, that's Birds Eye Cauliflower Tots. They take everything you've ever loved about traditional tuber tots and raise the bar.
Made from just a few simple ingredients (unlike the 10+ ingredients in Ore-Ida Tater Tots), Birds Eye tots are slightly larger than your normal tot, but that's not all. When baked they are very crispy on the outside and super creamy on the inside. If you've ever eaten a fondant potato from a fine dining restaurant, then you know what I'm talking about.
I was skeptical when Mindy suggested we try them, she's been on a cauliflower kick for the past few months, but I have to say I'm so glad we did. About the only downside of course, is the price. Don't get me wrong, they're not that expensive – a bag of Cauliflower tots will run you just $3 at Target or $4 at your local grocery store but it only contains about 4 servings as compared to ten servings from Ore-Ida. So if you're buying for a large family you'll have to buy a few bags to stock up. The extra cost is well worth it however because they are simply delicious. They also have less sodium, less saturated fat and fewer carbs than regular tater tots.
Next time you're grocery shopping pick up a bag (or two), try them out and let me know on Twitter how you liked them. I'm willing to bet you'll never want to eat regular tater tots ever again.
My 2018 Nissan Leaf: Three Days In
I recently turned in my venerable Ford C-MAX energi and leased a brand new 2018 Nissan Leaf EV. I test drove the Leaf in addition to the Chevy Bolt and ultimately went with the Leaf due to its lower cost and the fact that it wasn't a GM brand car. I've wanted an all-electric vehicle for years and now I've finally taken the plunge. So far I've been very happy with how the Leaf has performed overall and I wanted to take just a few minutes and highlight my initial impressions about the car after my first three days owning it.
I'll make more of these videos as I form opinions on other aspects of the car, but for now I hope you enjoy this brief glimpse into the Nissan Leaf.
The Uncertain Highway
Today Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States. To say I never thought this day would come is probably my greatest understatement ever. I was certain we'd never see this man sitting in the Oval Office, yet here we are.
The journey from that stage of denial to today's acceptance of his inauguration has been a tough one for myself and millions of my fellow Americans. At times it's felt like I was shoved in a car by people I don't know or associate with and forced to travel an unfamiliar highway late at night. What's worse, the car has no headlights, no brakes and to top it all off we're not even certain where we're all going. Hopefully we can keep our wits about us and not drive off into the ditch. If we all do our part, God willing we'll arrive someplace safe and not as bad as we originally thought.
This past week I spent time taking down Christmas decorations and as I was packing up the boxes I caught myself thinking "I hope this isn't the last time I get to do this." I was stunned to realize I actually thought such a thing but I had. What if this reckless, unfit, unqualified, corrupt bully of a man starts a war and kills us all? Is that posssible? As depressing as it sounds, yes, it certainly is. And if he doesn't get us, climate change almost certainly will.
By the time I came back in the house however I started thinking of ways I and others can help make sure these things didn't happen. Be kind to strangers, help those in need, call my local leaders and make damn sure they know Trump doesn't speak for me or my family. Teach kids and grandkids to be self-reliant, keep an open mind and be tolerant of others. If you see an injustice being committed, especially to a person of color, speak up. Learn a new skill or trade and do what you need to do to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. It's up to all of us to resist and not become complacent. It's going to be so difficult these next four years to not simply give in to the constant stream of bullshit but that's what we have to do. I for one am ready to fight, I'm ready to do my part to steady the wheel.
As one of my favorite cinematic characters once said "The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make." Like her, I want to face that highway with a sense of hope for the future, not despair. It won't be easy, and there are bound to be casualties along the way but I'm confident we'll get there in the end if we work together and stay true to ourselves. Come with us if you want to live, love who you want and be free.
A Sticker By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet
So imagine that thing you've built your entire professional career on, something you love to create with a burning passion, slowly fades from popularity. Day by day people have less and less use for it, fewer and fewer people write you to make requests. You try to stay the course and keep doing your thing, but doubts inevitably creep in.
Then one day you find you're just not doing it any more. You're not really sure what happened but somewhere along the way it just… stopped. It pains you that people no longer love or even really need the thing you've honed your craft on for close to twenty years, but what can be done?
You go about your business, applying what you've learned to other areas of your discipline. Occasionally a project invites you to play in the fields you once roamed with glee, but they seem few and far between.
Then one day something comes along that turns the old thing you loved to do into something new and exciting. It presents that thing in a whole new, modern way and lets you express your creativity as never before to an entirely new audience. These people are too young to really remember you or where you've come from but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're standing in the middle of those lush, green fields once again and the sky is literally the limit. It may not last a year, a few months or even a week but for now, for right now, it's just as fun, just as compelling and fulfilling as it ever was and it is glorious.
Those "things" are simply icons. Desktop icons, specifically.
They are what, since yesterday, we now call stickers in Messages but they'll always be icons to me. Their introduction in iOS 10 represents a new era for icon artists like myself who once toiled for endless hours to create piles and piles of icons that people could download and use on their computer desktops. We created them because it was fun for us as artists and especially fun for those who collected them.
The advent of the iPhone and mobile era changed all that and desktop icons went out of fashion. People were glued to their tiny screens and didn't have the time or attention span to customize their desktop folders and hard drives any longer. With the advent of iOS 10 however, people once again have a way to collect and share those tiny, iconic works of art in the form of iMessage stickers. Stickers, perhaps even more than emoji have the capacity to inspire and delight people as never before and I have completely enjoyed creating them during these precious weeks leading up to yesterday's launch. I've been working with my friends at the Iconfactory to bring hundreds of icons stickers to life and it has been a blast. I've worked with outside artists as well and watching them create has been joyous.
Stickers may turn out to be another flash in the digital pan and fade quickly into the sunset but that hardly matters. Even if they do, for one brief moment, they allowed me to re-energize, create and dream what might be possible. In short, they have inspired me. As an artist I can truly say this matters more to me than all the tea in China. Thank you, Apple. I owe you one.
Guest Judging Food Network's 'Cake Wars' Was a Sweet Treat
Pictured L to R: Myself, Cake Wars regular judges Ron Ben-Israel and Waylynn Lucas with host Jonathan Bennett
In my career as an icon artist I've had the privilege of working on tons of great projects, meeting fascinating people and participating in lots of wonderful events. This past March however, I was invited to appear on the Food Network's reality baking competition, Cake Wars, as a guest judge and quite simply, it was an adventure of a lifetime. The theme of the episode I was to appear on was emoji, something I've become intimately familiar with these past few years. Needless to say when we received a request for one of us to fly to L.A. and participate as a judge I nearly fell out of my chair. From start to finish, my experience on Cake Wars was fantastic and so I just want to share some of those experiences with you.
I've been a fan of reality TV cooking competitions for years with shows like Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, The Great British Baking Show and more recently Food Network's Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen. Over the years I've considered applying to a few of these shows in the hopes of showing off my amateur cooking skills but had never gotten off my butt to do it. So you can imagine how amazing it was to ultimately be sitting at the Cake Wars judging table next to the incredibly talented Ron Ben-Israel and Waylynn Lucas.
From our initial email exchanges to arranging the trip, all of the people from Super Delicious, the company that produces Cake Wars for Food Network, were positively wonderful and made my time on set a joy. My first surprise happened as soon as I stepped out of the car on the Cake Wars lot. Ron Ben-Israel had also just arrived and he immediately came over to greet me outside the main door. He stepped right up, introduced himself and said "You must be Gedeon!" As we entered the building, he proceeded to tell me all about myself, where I went to school, some of the projects I've worked on over the years and even how long I've been at the Iconfactory. "You see Gedeon, I do my homework!" The sheer fact that Ron warmly greeted me and knew all about me was such a thoughful way to be welcomed to the set that I could hardly believe it.
All throughout the day, Ron helped me to know where to look for the camera, gave me speaking tips and even signed an autograph for me which I now have hanging on my desk at work. He even took time to answer any and all questions I peppered him with like how he makes the incredible buttercream for his award-winning cakes! In exchange I showed him how to receive animated emoji on his iPhone and tried not to gush over sitting right next to him *too* much. I'd be remiss if I didn't say for the record that Waylynn Lucas and host Jonathan Bennett were also both super nice to me as were the entire crew of over 60 people. It was easy to see they had all done their jobs dozens of times before and knew where they should be, how to speak, what the director was looking for and more from the start.
Judge's Table
If you've ever watched TV and wondered what it must be like to sit behind the judge's table to critique culinary creations, let me try and set the scene. Cake Wars is broken down into two rounds; a smaller initial round where one of the four contestant teams is eliminated at the end and then a big, show-stopping round with the winner receiving a $10,000 prize. I'm not going to spoil the episode and tell you who won (you'll have to watch to find out) but I will say that watching the bakers work and tasting their creations was a privilege. Both Ron and Waylynn warned me to be prepared to taste both great and not-so-great cakes and naturally they were right. Some were moist and delicious, some were flavored perfectly and some were so sweet they made my toes curl.
All of the cakes arrived at the judge's table via production assistants with perfectly cut slices, meticulously arranged on white flatware in front of me. Needless to say I took great care when handling my fork and made sure to take my time, taste everything and made mental notes on each as I went. Thankfully the producers explained my primary concern was to critique the overall design and visual appeal of the cakes, how well they conformed to the emoji theme of the challenges and if they had been executed well or poorly. Since I'm not a food critic I gratefully kept the majority of my comments focused on the designs of the cakes. The contestants seemed to appreciate my feedback through the various rounds.
Between rounds, each of the judges had the opportunity to retreat to their dressing rooms while the contestants baked. The final round happens over the course of 4 hours and so there's a lot of work on set for the contestants to get their show-stopping cakes completed before time expires. The production assistant explained to me they would come and get all of us for the final 30 minutes of baking but I asked if I could stay in my seat and watch while they worked. She allowed me to remain on set and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I get to see the inner workings of the show and how it's filmed but I also was able to ask one of the floor directors a bunch of questions that he graciously answered.
One thing I asked was if the producers look forward to "food disasters", i.e. when cakes fall or major mistakes occur on set. His answer was telling. He explained that of course most producers will say they think these unplanned problems make for great TV, but they also tend to push the production schedule later in the day, sometimes much later and that's bad. Things have to be re-filmed, stations reset and it just throws a monkey wrench into the works which wastes time, money and makes the entire production crew cranky. Ultimately he explained that Food Network wants the contestants to succeed in their efforts and produce the best cakes they can so in reality, it's better to have everything go as smoothly as possible in the end.
From the moment I stepped onto the studio lot, just like the emoji I was there to judge, I wore a huge smile across my face. To say I was honored to be a part of Food Network's Cake Wars emoji episode just doesn't do it justice. It was quite literally a foodie's dream come true to be able to travel to L.A. and participate in judging these amazing cakes from talented bakers across the country. One of the teams however was much closer to home than I ever suspected.
I learned just this week that one of the teams I judged is based right here in Greensboro, NC! I went to visit Taylor Kisselstein at Easy Peasy Decadent Desserts and ordered a dozen cupcakes (emoji of course!) for the viewing party I held at my home the night the episode aired. Thanks, Taylor!
When I think back on my experience I will always remember the excitement of being on the set, but I also warmly recall the people, especially Ron Ben-Israel. He is a professional in every sense of the word with an amazing talent for baking positively beautiful cakes. I've spoken with him a few times since filming and even now he continues to be just as warm, gracious and helpful as he was that day and has even encouraged me to audition for Chopped! To him, and all the other members of the cast, crew and production team, and to everyone at Food Network, thank you for having me on the show. It was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget.
The Emoji episode of Cake Wars is available for purchase via iTunes. Enjoy!
Miscellaneous Thoughts & Observations
• Each of the judge's chairs have a leather pouch hanging from the back of the seat for their cell phone should they wish to keep it handy but not on their person during filming
• The feeling you get when you see your own name on a dressing room door is just as amazeballs as you can imagine
• Ron Ben-Israel used to subscribe to MacAddict Magazine & was a huge Mac gear head back in the day
• Multiple people on set told me the "Minecraft" ep of Cake Wars was… challenging to film
• Each baking team has its own "story producer" who encourages them on set to be energetic, enthusiastic & speak clearly during the course of filming
• If all teams are in the weeds and are behind, the producers have been known to give them extra time to complete their cake creations
• Almost all of the judge's dialog is unscripted. In contrast, nearly 100% of host Jonathan Bennett's dialog is written for the camera. The script is edited in real time and constantly finessed and adjusted as events unfold during filming
• Fraternizing with the contestants prior to filming was strictly forbidden. Also, if one of the contestants approached me before filming began I was supposed to let the powers that be know O_o
• Having to eliminate people from possibly winning a $10,000 prize really stinks
• Awarding a $10,000 prize to a talented cake artist is incredibly awesome and more than makes up for the former 🙂
Learning to Lighten Up
Over the last few years I've developed a growing concern for Neil deGrasse Tyson's seemingly inexorable slide towards Richard Dawkins levels of jerkdom. He hasn't sunk to attacking children with a penchant for science or engineering, but he has been punching down at topics that either don't bare close examination or has just been plain rude in his media appearances and it's really starting to hurt my heart.
On a recent episode of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me he justified why he feels the need to call out movies & TV shows when they depict something wildly inaccurate and came off as a smug know-it-all in the process. As I was listening with my wife in the car, I was actually embarrassed to call myself a fan. I get that picking apart science inaccuracies wherever they exist (even in fiction) may be Neil's "thing" but it increasingly just makes him look petty & arrogant or as my friend John Gruber described it on Twitter, a "Killjoy".
Tyson's friend and mentor, the noted scientist Carl Sagan, also led the charge against scientific fallacies but unlike Neil, he never picked fights with science fiction or subjects that didn't deserve it. Sagan had a famous beef with the pseduo-science of astrology and often railed against it, but he did so from a position of authority on a subject that many people saw as fact, instead of the fiction it really was. If Twitter had been around in Carl's day, I doubt he would've felt compelled to nitpick the science behind Star Wars as Neil recently did. We all know the "science" behind Star Wars isn't real, can't we just enjoy it as the fun-filled escapmism it's intended to be?
It's always difficult when you realize your personal heroes have feet of clay just like everyone else. I still love Carl Sagan, Steve Jobs, Gene Roddenberry and Neil Tyson despite their character flaws. They are, after all, only human. In the recently re-booted Cosmos series, Neil tells us that he learned from Sagan not just what kind of scientist he wanted to be, but also what kind of person he wanted to be. I wish Neil would take more of those life lessons Carl conveyed to him to heart sometimes and focus on what matters. I love Tyson so much, but lately he's really bringing me down. To take a cue from Star Wars, hopefully he'll unlearn what he has learned and learn to simply lighten up.
Taking Stock of Your Online Subscriptions
With the impending launch of Apple Music this week, it dawned on me that I don't exactly know just how much I'm spending on digital subscription services. Back in the day I had physical newspapers & magazines show up on my doorstep every month so it was relatively easy to keep track of what I had subscribed to. Those bound, blocks of paper acted as reminders of what I was and wasn't reading. Subscriptions these days can be tricky things; sign up for a Patreon here, add a new online media service there and pretty soon you've lost track of just how much you're shelling out for the convenience of online content.
The new Apple Music service will cost $9.99 a month / $119.88 yearly but I already subscribe to iTunes Match which costs just $24.99 a year. Do I really need both? There are additional benefits that Apple Music offers that go beyond iTunes Match of course, but is it worth it strictly from a cost basis?
Before I can answer that question I really need to know just how much I'm spending month to month on all these things, so I went through and tried to catalog all of my digital subscriptions. Here's what I found.
• MLB TV $129.99 yearly
• Netflix $8.53 mo / $102.36 yearly
• America's Test Kitchen Multi-site Membership / $69.96 yearly
• iTunes Match $24.99 yearly
• Patreon $8.00 mo / $96 yearly
• iCloud 20GB Plan .99¢ mo / $11.88 yearly
• Angie's List Basic $7.99 yearly
So in total, I'm currently paying $347.17 annually in online subscriptions which breaks down to roughly $29 per month. Overall that's better than I expected, but then again these are only the subscriptions I could track down or remember I was paying. There are probably a few others I haven't accounted for yet. I wonder if the amount of content I've subscribed to is below or above average for today's consumer?
Are there subscriptions I could cancel to help get the new Apple Music service into my budget? I'm definitely considering ending my America's Test Kitchen subscription for instance. The two Patreons I subscribe to (Kurzgesagt & Apple World Today) may not be necessary, but they bring me awesome content every month that I enjoy and wish to support. There's no way I would ever ditch Netflix, it's one of the best content providers I've ever had.
In the end, switching out my iTunes Match subscription for a year of Apple Music would bring my monthly total up to around $37 or $442.06 annually. That's an increase of roughly 27% of what I'm currently forking over which seems like a lot at first glance. Will Apple Music be worth it? As I don't currently subscribe to any streaming music services like Spotify or Beats, it's pretty much impossible to say, at least for now. The good news is Apple is offering that infamous 3-month free trial when it launches on Tuesday so I'm pretty sure I'll be taking advantage of that to evaluate the service.
If you're cost conscious or on a budget and have not taken stock of your online subscriptions recently, now might be a good time to do so. Knowing just how much you're spending each month can really be an eye-opener that will help you make informed for future subscriptions. At the very least, this exercise has taught me to categorize all of my online subscriptions similarly in Mint so I can easily review what I've subscribed to. Lastly, the folks over at iMore have also put together a fantastic guide to Apple Music that answers every question you could possibly have. Hopefully this all helps you as much as it helped me!
Mr. Spock and I
So many wonderful things have already been written about Leonard Nimoy on his passing this week. I've been awash in stories about his life, his contributions to our popular culture and his humanity, but I keep coming back to what he's meant to me these many years.
I could write a book about Leonard's portrayal of Mr. Spock but I've decided to record my thoughts in audio form instead. Just a couple minutes to try and summarize why I loved him so much, on saying goodbye and an amazing, chance encounter I had with Nimoy as a teenager, growing up in New England. This life-long fan will miss him dearly.
TV I'm Enjoying Right Now
MINOR SPOILER WARNING: I don't talk about specific plot points for these TV shows in this post, but I do outline them in general. As with all of my posts about TV & movies, if you'd rather not be spoiled about ANYTHING, you probably shouldn't read on.
It's not a stretch to say the US television landscape is currently experiencing a golden age. Everywhere you look there are quality TV shows to be enjoyed. As television and those who create it have branched out beyond the major networks to cable, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, competition for viewers has increased dramatically. If the current state of television is any indication, the best way to attract those millions of viewers is with high-quality series that can be consumed any time and anywhere.
There's so much good TV in fact, that it's pretty much impossible to watch it all so I thought I might share just four of the great shows I've been enjoying lately, why I love them and where you can catch them.
I had heard so much about the CW's show Arrow, based on the superhero from DC Comics, that I finally just had to check it out. The series follows spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen who, at the start of the show, is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns to his home in Starling City five years later a changed man, determined to clean up Starling as a green-hooded vigilante armed with a bow.
Arrow follows in the footsteps of prior super hero efforts like The WB's Smallville and although it takes about 10-12 episodes to really find its footing, once it does, it really gets going. By the end of season 1, Arrow is a solid mix of action, gritty drama, geeky comic book fun and more. Stephen Amell plays the lead, Oliver Queen, and thankfully his acting chops have improved considerably since the start of the series. Ollie goes from a spoiled brat who has little emotional range to a complex character we care deeply about.
Arrow also has a great ensemble cast including stand outs David Ramsey as John Diggle and Emily Bett Rickards as Ollie's geeky, computer expert Felicity Smoak. The writers really start to ratchet up the story arc and drama near the end of S2 which culminates in some seriously great TV. Arrow also sets up the backstory for crossovers with another CW property I've started watching – The Flash. The two shows take place in the same universe so I'm looking forward to seeing how these two heroes interact in Flash S1 and Arrow S3.
Arrow is a great deal of fun and seems to be building its own personal mythos. As someone who's knowledge of the DC character Green Arrow came solely from cartoon episodes of the Super Friends, it's been wonderful learning about Oliver's origins, his personal mission and his relationships with his friends in Starling City. Arrow also features other costumed heroes and villains I've often heard about but never seen on screen until now. The first two seasons of Arrow are both on Netflix streaming, the third season is currently airing on the CW but is also available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.
For many of you reading this, M*A*S*H is most likely before your time. The show followed a company of army doctors and nurses as they work only a few miles from the Korean War front to save wounded soldiers. Based largely on stories and accounts from actual MASH doctors, the series premiered on CBS on September 17, 1972, and ended 11 seasons later in February of 1983. It was one of the highest-rated television shows ever and its final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" is still the most-watched episode of television in history with a record-breaking 106 million viewers.
As soon as I heard Netflix streaming picked up the first 5 seasons of M*A*S*H, I instantly added it to my queue. I remember growing up on the show and loved watching the antics of surgeon Hawkeye, played by Alan Alda, BJ, Radar, Potter and the rest of the cast week after week.
If you're new to M*A*S*H, the first 3 seasons are pretty slapstick and based more on the comedic formula of the 1970 feature film than what would follow. Several of the main characters decided to leave after season 3 including McClean Stevenson as Col. Henry Blake and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John. When they left, the writers (and the actors) who replaced them made a conscious decision to set the new characters apart from the old and the show started taking on more dramatic depth.
Re-watching a classic series like M*A*S*H on Netflix is great because you eventually come upon episodes you've never seen before in syndication. Finding them is like unearthing gold, dramatic and comedic nuggets to savor and treasure. I already count watching at least 4 episodes of M*A*S*H I've never seen which is remarkable since I was sure I had already seen them all.
A situation comedy like M*A*S*H pre-dates the long-story filled arcs that are common among today's popular shows, but it more than makes up for it in heart and touching character interactions. I always enjoyed seeing how these brave group of men and women clown, scrounge and save lives in the midst of war. There are great episodes in M*A*S*H that will make you howl with laughter as well as cry like a baby. The key is giving the audience the kinds of characters we care about and can relate to. When the show ended, none of us (myself included) wanted to see them go. Re-watching the series now, it's very clear why.
For some TV goers, House of Cards may be an acquired taste. The award-winning series from Netflix returns for season 3 on February 27th and fans of the show have been anticipating it's arrival like an overdue subway train. I got hooked on House of Cards after only a few episodes, largely due to the fantastic performances of the two leads, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Frank and Clarie Underwood.
The show features the dark side of Washington politics and the lengths some will go to to seize and hold power. It's a tight, well-written dramatic series that features some impressive twists and turns and enough political intrigue to keep fans consistently on the edge of their seat week after week.
Unlike Arrow or M*A*S*H, the entire House of Cards run is available for streaming, but only from Netflix. Indeed, House of Cards (and other Netflix series like Orange is the New Black) helped bring the term "binge-watching" into today's lexicon. Thanks to how the internet is changing the way we watch TV, viewers can now experience the entire 10 ep season of House of Cards in a single sitting. Personally, I like to savor my television, so I usually skip a few days in-between episodes, but your milage may vary.
If you enjoy tense, political maneuvering, well-crafted, realistic characters or just plain good storytelling, House of Cards may be for you. Those who love the show, love it dearly and with good reason. Spacey, Wright and the entire cast is top-notch, the writing is clever and production values (especially the music) are as good or better than any show on network or cable TV. The cliffhangers from S2 have paved the way for what's yet to come and I can't wait until Frank finally gets back to breaking the 4th wall once again.
Yes, Archer is a cartoon, and yes, that sometimes means it can be childish and silly but for my money it's also one of the funniest shows on television. Archer is the brainchild of its creator, Adam Reed, developed for the FX network and follows the exploits of Sterling Archer, master spy and anti-hero. The series premiered in 2009 and features adult humor and dark, sometimes vulgar comedy but that's really part of what makes Archer so great.
Archer and his co-workers at the organization formerly known as Isis, are a rag-tag bunch of misfits who tout themselves as being skilled in covert surveillance. In reality, the team often causes more harm than they prevent, going from one international incident to the next, toppling governments, trying to overthrow drug lords and even protecting the Pope from assassination attempts.
Archer is at his best when he's facing off against any number of arch-villian spies the series has introduced over it's 5-season run on FX. I especially love Sterling's bionic rival, Barry Dylan, who has made Archer's life a living hell on more than one occasion. Barry showed up again this season, as did a number of other recurring characters which has helped to make season 5 more memorable than the previous "Archer Vice" season 4.
The series features the amazing voice talents of H. Jon Benjamin as Archer, Aisha Tyler as Lana and former SNL cast member Chris Parnell who puts in a hilarious performance as accountant Cyril Figgis. The cast makes an annual appearance at Comicon and often does live episode readings, dishes on their fellow cast members and answer fan questions. I also love the visual style of Archer including the "sets" and the design of the characters themselves, many of whom are patterned on their real-life counterparts.
If you like off-beat comedy combined with a touch of adult humor and fantasy thrown in for good measure, you'll want to check out Archer on FX. One of the best parts of an animated series is that the characters and show format generally don't change. When it comes to Sterling and company, that's just fine with me, they're hilarious just the way they are.
Other shows I'm currently enjoying or looking forward to returning include Marvel's Agent Carter & Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Flash, Big Giant Swords on the Discovery Channel (yes, and it's awesome!), Face Off, Better Call Saul and WWII in HD on Netflix.
Everywhere you turn there's just too much good TV to absorb it all. I hope this quick rundown helps give a glimpse into the kinds of TV I love to watch. Maybe there's something here that appeals to you as well, enjoy!
You Just Lost A Customer
News today that some businesses have begun disabling the NFC readers in their retail locations so as block customers from using Apple Pay. When I read this, I have to say it filled me with rage. I don't yet own an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, but I will soon and one of the reasons why I've been looking forward to owning one is the secure, easy transactions that Apple Pay represents. Now we learn that a group of merchants wants to introduce their own payment processing system, one that favors the merchants by eliminating credit card fees, but is most likely far less secure, and most certainly more difficult or confusing to use.
If you're an iPhone owner who's as upset as I am, I've designed this helpful flyer that you can print a stack of and hand to the clerk at CVS, Rite Aid or anywhere else that refuses to accept Apple Pay. Simply put, you're telling them that you're going to take your business elsewhere until they come to their senses and accept your money via Apple Pay. Why any business owner would actually refuse a customer's money in this economy is bewildering to say the least, but we need to let the corporate owners know we have choices and we chose not to give them our money.
Download the PDF version. If you want, sign your name at the bottom and then see they get into the hands of businesses in your area that insist on doing what's better for them, instead of what's best for the consumer.
You can also contact CVS and Rite Aid electronically and tell them that they need to support Apple Pay or risk alienating millions of iPhone users. The more our voices are heard, the harder it will be for them to ignore us.
March 22, 2014 / 1 Comment
Stop Procrastinating: A Step by Step Guide
Like many people, I have a habit of procrastinating. I sometimes tend to put off completing tasks until the guilt simply becomes too much to bare and I get off my butt and get moving. Judging from the immense popularity of productivity apps that specialize in reminding you to get your stuff done, I think it's safe to say I'm in good and numerous company.
Procrastination isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if it helps you to sort through your emotions or gather a particular plan of attack before barreling ahead. Putting off writing an email you'd have regretted if you had sent it off in the heat of the moment is a good thing, not bad. But more often than not, procrastination can freeze us from action for extended periods of time and even interfere with important work. Personally, I have a bad tendency to stall when starting a new, large intimidating project at work. I find it can be extremely difficult to get motivated especially when the work involves creation of something from scratch. If you've ever written anything and put off starting because you were intimidated by the "blank page" before you, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.
The good news is over the years I've come up with a small but effective method to help get myself started on projects faster and it is simply this: take baby steps. Part of the problem with starting on a task is that often it can seem insurmountable and so why bother even trying? The trick is to pick one small part of the task and start there, slowly chipping away, piece by piece on what has to be done until there is nothing left to do. I'm reminded of the Winter Warlock from Rankin & Bass' classic TV special Santa Claus is Coming to Town. In the story, the evil wizard wants to change his outlook on life from bad to good, but he doesn't know how to start. The young Kris Kringle sings to him to "put one foot in front of the other and soon you are walkin' across the floor!" It sounds completely hokey and cheesy, but I swear it's the truth!
Say you've got a pile of dirty dishes starting at you in the sink. You don't wanna wash them because doing so is going to be time consuming and a complete mess. When something like this comes up for me I think to myself, "Okay, I'll just wash the silverware for now." So I'll start cleaning maybe just the forks first and then the spoons and so on. That naturally leads to glasses and then to plates which leads to pots and pans and then before I know it I'm done. The technique can be applied to just about anything. Have a report or blog post to write? Don't try and write the whole thing, start by drafting an outline and go from there. Need to clean the entire house? Break it down and start with just one room. Over time, things will be nice and shiny. Bags and bags of laundry to do? Start with just the whites. Starting a massive new project at work? Don't despair, figure out what the first step is and once that is done, move onto the next and then the next.
By breaking big tasks down into a bunch of smaller, less time consuming ones, you trick yourself into lowering the barrier to entry. Like most people, I find that I'm fine once I get going on a project, it's just the getting started part that is really difficult. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, baby steps are a great way to jump that first hurdle and get moving. Give it a try and I bet before you know it you'll be walking out the door!
Why I'm Buying an iPhone 5c
I've owned an iPhone 4s for almost 2 years now and had been patiently awaiting the successor to the iPhone 5 until this week. When the 5 was first introduced, I was off-cycle for a discounted upgrade from AT&T and when I finally was eligible I thought I might as well just wait and see. I was hoping the increasing popularity of larger-screened smartphones would encourage Apple to release at least an iPhone with a 4.6″ screen in their next rev, but as I tweeted this past week, it seems Tim Cook's pigs have yet to fly.
Now I have a choice to make. I can go with the fancy new iPhone 5s, complete with 64-bit hardware, a greatly improved camera and a cool fingerprint scanner, or I can "settle" for a 5 wrapped in a lickable, candy-coated plastic shell, the iPhone 5c. The gadget freak in me says to go with the snazzy 5s. After all, its increased speed would hold up better over the next 1.5-2 years and the pictures I took would no doubt be greatly improved from those I snap now. The 5s is more expensive, but that wasn't the deciding factor, at least not for me.
I've chosen to go with the iPhone 5c for a couple reasons, but mainly because of comfort. For my money, the most comfortable smartphone to hold and use was the iPhone 3GS. Its slightly rounded back, smooth plastic construction and tight edges made it a joy to hold and use. When the iPhone 4 was introduced, I really didn't like the device's form factor. The metal band creates sharp edges that fatigue the fingers and collect dirt. In addition, to me the device is *too* thin to hold safely without a case. The new iPhone 5c's smooth curves, and seamless sides call out to the scifi geek in me and the colors, oh the colors! It's much more streamlined, minimal in appearance and seems easier to pick up off the table. I must admit however, if I could have the 5s' guts inside the smooth, plastic shell of the 5c, I'd opt for that in a plastic heartbeat.
I know that no matter which model I pick, either will be a great upgrade from my 4s. Although it's served me well these last two years, I'm more than ready for the increased screen size, faster processor power and increased battery life of a new iPhone. With any luck, around this time next year Apple will be introducing a 4.6″ iPhone that will sport an all new form-factor as well as all the neat-o gadgets that are sure to make the iPhone 5s a huge success. In the meantime, unlike Kermit, it's easy being green.
PS – iOS 7 is awesome, you're gonna love it!
Finding Bigfoot. Stuff.
Being the huge Bigfoot freak that I am, I recently went on an expedition of discovery. This sojourn wasn't to traverse the American Northwest in search of Sasquatch, (I would love to do that someday BTW) but to find the latest and greatest Bigfoot bling. I know there have got to be geeks like myself out there that can't get enough of the huge, mythic ape-man and so I fired up Google and trekked off into the digital wilderness. If you have a Bigfoot fan in your life, maybe some of these items will come in handy as a future birthday, Christmas or bar mitzvah present.
• Bigfoot Air Freshener – Patterned after the big guy in the famous Patterson-Gimlin film. Personally I think it would have been much cooler to go all authentic and replicate the infamous Bigfoot stench for this one, but I guess the scent of pine trees goes over better with the ladies. [$6.95 via Amazon]
• Bigfoot Garden Yeti Statue – The promotional text for this resin garden statue of the legendary Sasquatch says visitors will do a "double take" it's so life-like. Yes, because everyone knows Bigfoot isn't 8-12 feet tall, he's really just 2. Still, it's kinda cute. One thing PR dudes, he's either a Bigfoot OR a Yeti, not both! [ONLY $125 via Design Toscano]
• Bigfoot, the Bashful Yeti Tree Sculpture – Our friends at Design Toscano are at it again, this time with a resin sculpt "Painstakingly hand-painted to make passers-by look twice" that you can hang in your favorite tree. This one looks a bit too "Planet of the Apes" for my tastes but your Bigfoot buddy will probably love it. Probably. [$69.95 via Design Toscano]
• Fisher-Price Imaginext Big Foot The Monster – What kid wouldn't want a 14″ animatronic robot of a creature that has been known to break into houses, kill hogs and scare kitty cats to death? This adorable toy may not come with livestock accessories but he can pound his fists, walk forward and back and even does somersaults! [$74.99 via Amazon]
• Sasquatch's Big, Hairy Drawing Book – How do we market a notepad of 120 almost blank pages to kids and parents? Easy! We'll slap Sasquatch on the cover and watch the money roll in! Featuring "page after page of off-the-wall gags and fillin doodle prompts" Sasquatch's Big, Hairy Drawing Book could be the ultimate discovery for that Bigfoot lover in your life, or it could be the biggest fun-time hoax of all time. Your call. [$12.95 via Amazon]
• 'Gone Sasquatchin' Gear – Nothing says "Hey, I'm a huge, hairy nerd!" like Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot t-shirts, hoodies and baseball caps. If you order within the next 24 hours, they'll also throw in their Backyard Bigfoot Recipe Book. Perfect for all those redneck BBQ's down at the ol' swamp. [Assorted prices via DiscoveryStore.com]
• Patterson-Gimlin Film Site Track Cast – Okay, call off the hunt! If you're looking for the perfect gift for that Bigfoot fan in your life, it doesn't get any better than this plaster replica of a Sasquatch track from Bluff Creek. Taken from one of the footprints left at the 1967 Patterson Gimlin film site, it even comes with a certificate of authenticity. I bet it's even notarized. Seriously, who's buying me this? [$40 via BigfootSurplus.com]
Favorite Film Funnies
I've been seeing quite a few of these "Best Movie Lines" videos on YouTube and so I thought I would take a shot at making my own. It took some work to grab all of the clips, but the result was worth it. Editing this short ode to silver screen silliness was really fun. Next up, my favorite dramatic lines. Enjoy!
December 9, 2009 / 1 Comment
The Tiny Stuff of Nightmares
When I was 5 or 6 years old, my parents took me for vacation to Hawaii. It was the first time I remember going someplace other than Disney World and the whole trip is full of wonderful memories, except for one fateful encounter that happened on Oahu. While playing on the beach, I strayed from my parents for just a few moments and happened to come across an amazing discovery. There, being washed in from the ocean was a beautiful iridescent balloon that looked like it was made from glass. I ventured closer to claim the fascinating treasure for my mom & dad and when I reached down to pick it up, my nightmare began.
Of course the balloon was nothing of the kind, but was in fact a Portuguese Man o' War which had washed up on the beach. When I touched it I was immediately stung and ran screaming for my parents. I don't remember much after that, but my parents tell the tale of how they rushed me to the local hospital where they spent the rest of the day in the emergency ward with their frightened son, in great pain as I dealt with being stung by one of the scariest creatures in nature.
That is unless you've encountered the tiny Irukandji jellyfish (pictured here) as did a man from north-east Queensland, Australia last week. The man thought he had taken the proper precautions by donning a full-length "stinger suit" which covers everything except the hands and face to protect against jellyfish stings. As fate would have it, he dove head first into the water and was immediately stung in the face. Since there is no antivenom, victims must endure excruciating pain, muscle spasms, vomiting and in some cases, death. Blood pressure can rise as high as 280 over 180. The little creatures are so deadly in fact that in 2002, two tourists were killed in two separate incidents of the coast of northeast Australia. All this from an animal no bigger than your thumb.
At last report the man was in serious condition at Mackay Base Hospital, 600 miles north of Queensland. I can only imagine what he's going through right now and I wish him and his family well. Sitting at our computers, playing with our cell phones and watching TV, it's sometimes easy to forget the awesome power of nature. We watch the Discovery Channel in HD and sometimes they even show us the amazing life cycles of these creatures, but few of us ever actually encounter them. Speaking from experience, I can honestly say I'd like to keep it that way.
What's Wrong with the Radish?
Something's wrong with the humble radish. When I was a kid I remember these funny little root vegetables burning my face off from just a single bite, but lately I've found they have no more kick than a cramped kangaroo. Part of me suspects that the heat of the modern day radish has somehow been bred out of it for a wider appeal to mainstream American consumers. A quick check of Wikipedia reveals that there are no less than 10 common varieties of radishes. The Cherry Belle is the version most often purchased in North American grocery stores. From the taste and smell of them they must be some of the blandest radishes on the block.
I first became addicted to radishes when I was very young. My aunt grew them in her garden and would often give them to me and my cousins to chomp on along with freshly dug carrots. Aunt Lorraine's radishes were strong enough to put hair on your chest and I loved them to death. I also remember the veggie from the Passover celebrations in my church. Part of the ritual involved eating "bitter herbs" and although radishes were probably not historically accurate, I distinctly remember eating slices of radish on pita bread while listening to Fiddler on the Roof. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why our Catholic parish ever celebrated a Jewish event, but I'm glad we did because that's where I learned to love radishes.
These days radishes might as well be turnips or potatoes because they have about as much flavor. I've searched high and low for radishes with heat and not found any in years. The topic came up at lunch today with the guys from work and David suggested checking out the locally grown radishes of the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market. I'll be heading there this weekend to do some research and hopefully return home with my hot-headed pearls. If all else fails, you can be sure I'll be sending away for my own super-hot radish seeds next spring. By hook or by crook, the heat will be on!
August 2, 2009 / 8 Comments
Rebutting "Obama's 1st QTR Report"
I love my family (on both sides) very much, but unlike myself, they are all very conservative. I'm not exactly sure how I eventually came to lean so far left, but I like to think it's because my parents always taught me to "do unto others" and that no one was better than anyone else.
So when I recently received the "Obama First Quarter Report" chain email that has been going around from my family, I was compelled to respond to it. Many of the items here are outright falsehoods. Some make some good points. Most are too biased to even be considered seriously. If this post helps you to respond to your own family, or just helps stop the spread of lies about the 44th President of the United States, then I've done my duty.
Do you have any questions on the below? Agree or Disagree. How about health care?
My parents have Medicare and my father has veteran's health care. Both government run health care systems. They love them and think they are much better than their privately run HMO's.
My company's biggest expense after salary is health care. One year rates from our private insurance company rose 15% the next year 33%. And you're telling me that conservatives are content to sit and do nothing to reform health care in this country, let alone try and cover the now over 50 million people who don't have any coverage what-so-ever?
It is estimated that some 1.5 million people will go bankrupt in the United States in 2010 due to illness thanks to insurance companies who are unwilling to cover them. Is that the kind of health care you want for you and your children?
Some facts vs right-wing claims on health care reform.
Observations on YOUR President's Early Days:
1. Offended the Queen of England.
The only ones "offended" were right-wingers. Obama gave the Queen of England the gift *she requested*. An Apple iPod filled with Broadway musical numbers, and video of her previous trip to the US. In addition, she also received a signed, rare edition of a Rogers and Hammerstein manuscript. The queen was not offended, she was actually quite pleased.
2. Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia.
Is that better or worse than Bush kissing him and holding his hand whenever they met? I forget.
3. Praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega.
If by "praise" you mean cutting $64 million in aid to his country because of his posture and remarks, then yes, Obama praised him. Obama knows the difference between words and actions. In addition, at a speech given by Ortega in Spain in April, Obama is reported to have "endured" it. He didn't praise Ortega, nor did he rebuke him.
4. Kissed Hugo Chavez on the cheek.
Obama and Chavez shook hands (as did George W. Bush) and had a joking conversation.
5. Endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Obama initially pledged co-operation with Boliva because of long-standing trade agreements with the country. Unfortunately, the United States doesn't always get to pick and choose the leaders of various nations (that doesn't go for Iraq and Afghanistan obviously).
But on July 1st, the US halted $25 million in annual trade benefits to Bolivia, prompting Morales to say "Obama "lied" about cooperation". So much for that so-called praise:
6. Announced we would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions.
Yes, you're absolutely correct. I happen to think the President is right for doing so. You may disagree, but we tried it your way (not talking to Iran) for over 8 years and it got the USA no where. You're guy lost, it's time to give a carrot a try instead of a stick.
7. Gave away billions to AIG also without pre-conditions.
Actually there are many measures in place to protect tax payer money with the bank bailout, but I agree there could be more accountability in this area.
8. Massively Expanded the bailouts.
What was the alternative? Let unemployment drop at an even faster rate? Sink even deeper into recession faster? Would you have not attempted to stimulate the economy at all and just "stuffed money under your mattress"?
Again, this was tried for 8 years. Tax cuts for the rich, huge spending in Iran and Afghanistan (foreign nations, not the US). Didn't work. I'd rather go into debt for money spent in our own country than giving away billions to other countries to wage war.
9. Insulted everyone who has ever loved a Special Olympian.
Wow, the President is human being who makes mistakes! Imagine him making an in-appropriate remark about the Special Olympics! Was it bad, sure. Did it offend everyone associated with the Special Olympics? No. Plus, unlike Bush who could not, EVER admit a mistake, Obama later apologized for the remark
10. Tripled our national debt in his first 100 days in office.
Completely untrue and a lie. Most of the current debt (over 80%) is due to Bush policies and bailouts that was started BY HIM. In addition, Obama removed the traditional "let's hide all the debt" accounting used by presidents in the past to give the American people a true picture of the federal budget. Sometimes reality is a tough pill to swallow.
Conservatives seemed fine with it for 8 years while the country was going deeper and deeper into debt fighting 2 wars and cutting taxes. Now, that money is being spent on America and American programs, you have a problem?
I suggest you go read this excellent piece by the NYT and then reconsider this unfounded accusation.
11. Announced a termination of the space defense system the day after the North Koreans launched an ICBM.
Everyone agrees that missile defense is important, but not when it doesn't work. The so-called missile defense shield has been plagued with problems from day one.
In addition, other, newer systems are now being tested.
12. Despite the urgings of his own CIA director and the prior 4 CIA directors, released information on intelligence gathering.
Sometimes transparency can be a good thing. That being said, I don't know enough about the subject to speak with any authority regarding if the United States should or should not be announcing how intelligence is gathered.
13. Accepted without public comment the fact that five of his cabinet members cheated on their taxes and two others withdrew after they couldn't take the heat.
I never agreed with Obama's willingness to post people who hadn't completed their taxes correctly. He should never have appointed those people in the first place. I agree with this point.
14. Appointed a Homeland Security Chief who quickly identified as "dangers to the nation", groups including veterans of the military, and opponents to abortion on demand….and who ordered that the word "terrorism" no longer be used but instead referred to such acts as "man made disasters".
Like it or not, the department of Homeland Securities report on disgruntled veterans is right on the money. Levels of extremism have been rising in this country since Obama's election and some of them have to do with ex-military people who seem to think it's their right to take up arms against the President of the United States.
Two Atlanta area police officers were even suspended for doing an unauthorized "background check" on the President.
Gun owners have been stockpiling weapons and ammo for fear that Obama is "about to take away their guns" although, historically speaking gun owners enjoy more rights now than they did under President Clinton. Not only that, but Obama recently signed a bill that makes it EASIER for people to carry guns in National Parks. Reagan opposed such a measure. Obama backed it.
15. Circled the globe so he could openly apologize for America greatness.
This one is soooo slanted it's difficult to reply to with a straight face. The right pulled what they wanted to out of Obama's trip around the world, regardless of context, tone or actual words spoken. If you want to believe that Obama put down the US at every stop, that's your right. I actually listened to the speeches and heard a fair, even handed assessment of the history of this country's actions abroad. Like it or not, we've done some bad things over the years. You can bury your head in the sand and try to ignore this fact, or you can try and rebuild relationships with other nations that was destroyed by George W. Bush. Take your pick.
16. Told the Mexican President that the violence in their country was because of us.
It partly is. If America didn't have such a demand for illegal drugs, the violence in Mexico wouldn't be at the levels it is at today. I find the President's honesty in these matters to the leaders of other nations, refreshing.
17. Politicized the census by moving it into the White House from its Department of Commerce origins.
Robert Groves, Obama's nominee to head the US Census Bureau has said on several occasions that he is opposed to sampling or so-called "politicizing" the 2010 census. Until there is actual evidence of this happening (like the massive politicizing that happened under Bush with the Attorney General's department), simply moving its organizational structure isn't setting off alarm bells for those of us not wearing tin-foil hats.
18. Appointed as Attorney General the man who orchestrated the forced removal and expulsion (from America to Cuba ) of a nine-year old whose mother died trying to bring him to a life of freedom in the United States.
A wonderful example of the right's "situational outrage". Elian Gonzalez was just a boy looking to escape economic and political oppression and so he should be allowed to stay in the US. At the same time, the thousands of aliens that cross our borders every day looking for the same exact thing as Gonzalez are "destroying the country". Which is it? Is the United States a nation of laws or not? Why is one boy allowed to stay but not those who cross the border to try and help feed their families or who need health care?
19. Salutes as heroes three Navy SEALS who took down three terrorists who threatened one American life… and the next day announces members of the Bush administration will likely stand trial for "torturing" a terrorist who had played a part in killing 3000 Americans by pouring water up their nose.
Yes yes, these two instances are exactly alike. Let's compare the systematic deconstruction of the Constitution and rule of law that was issued by Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney over a period of 5 years to the necessary killing of 3 pirates.
I'm sorry that we disagree about water boarding, but anyone who has experience with it, John McCain included, has called it torture. The United States doesn't torture. That's what George W. Bush said. And yet we did. On multiple occasions and for purposes that had nothing to do with "ticking bombs", but to justify the illegal invasion of foreign nations.
20. Air Force One over New York City with a fighter close behind.
Equating this as the work of President Obama is offensive. Obama knew nothing about the flyover and was "furious" about it when he learned of it. People in the defense department will likely lose their jobs because of it.
21. Sent his National Defense Advisor to Europe to assure Europe that the US will no longer treat Israel in a special manner and they might be on their own with the Muslims.
It is true that Obama has been more heavy handed with Israel than any President in recent memory. It is also true that Israel likes to think they are the only "valid" nation in the region. They are not.
Israel also has one of the strongest, most well run militaries and can handle themselves more than well when it comes to their conflict with Palestine. That being said, I don't doubt for a second that if Iran were to become involved, the United States would back Israel up to the very end. They have been, and will always be an ally of the United States, no matter what right-wingers would like us to believe about the President.
22. Began the process of nationalizing the Auto Industry and the Insurance industry.
The auto industry hasn't been nationalized. Like many other industries in this country, the government has been forced to take a stake in its survival so that you don't end up eating tuna fish for dinner every night and heating your house with kerosene. The government doesn't own the auto industry, it doesn't even have a controlling portion of it. Same goes for the insurance industry although I'd say that I wouldn't mind some government control of them. They are crooks and unfeeling liars who refuse health care for things like acne and foot odor.
23. Announced that for intents and purposes the Health Insurance Industry will be nationalized, despite the fact that such a thing is a miserable failure everywhere it's been put in place.
Everywhere except in the 36 countries that rank higher than the United States in world heath coverage.
Or in the national programs of Medicare and Veteran benefits (US government run programs) that conservative columnist William Kristol recently admitted are "the best" in the world.
And people are paying more attention to Michael Jackson than to defending their own liberties.
The same was true while Bush was passing the Patriot Act and setting up "free speech zones" during his presidency. Wire tapping American's phones, bank and medical records. Letting thousands drown in New Orleans, letting the drug companies screw over senior citizens time and time again, turning a huge surpluses into massive deficits and appointing crony after crony to government run positions.
1360 more days to go… God help us all!
Yes God help us because Obama seems to be doing okay for a new President 6 months into his position. So let's not forget all the good things that the President has either succeeded in passing or is in the process of passing while we're at it. Things like:
• Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq
• Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners
• Establish a credit card bill of rights
• Expand loan programs for small businesses
• Expand eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)
• Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners
• Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits
• Reverse restrictions on stem cell research
• Appoint at least one Republican to his cabinet
• Signing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba
• Release presidential records
• Create a $60 billion bank to fund roads and bridges
• Close the "donut hole" in Medicare prescription drug plan
• Create a small business tax credit to help with health premiums
• Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors
• Create a White House Office on Urban Policy
• Support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts
• Appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer
• Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear (equal pay for women & minorities)
• Weatherize 1 million homes per year
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• Enact the single most successful stimulus program "Cash for clunkers" which has helped sell an estimated 220,000 cars in a little over a week


text:
Q: Entending class syntax in Android What does the class name in < > signify?
public class classA extends classB <classC>
I know about inheritance, but exactly want to know what does < > means in classB <classC>
FYI : classA.java and classB.java are under the same folder of the project. classC.java is in different folder of the project.

A: Here is a small excerpt from the definitions of the interfaces List and Iterator in
package java.util:
public interface List <E> {
    void add(E x);
    Iterator<E> iterator();
}

public interface Iterator<E> {
    E next();
    boolean hasNext();
}

This code should all be familiar, except for the stuff in angle brackets. Those are the declarations of the formal type parameters of the interfaces List and Iterator.
Type parameters can be used throughout the generic declaration, pretty much where you would use ordinary types (though there are some important restrictions; see the section The Fine Print.
In the introduction, we saw invocations of the generic type declaration List, such as List<Integer>. In the invocation (usually called a parameterized type), all occurrences of the formal type parameter (E in this case) are replaced by the actual type argument (in this case, Integer).
You might imagine that List<Integer> stands for a version of List where E has been uniformly replaced by Integer:
public interface IntegerList {
    void add(Integer x);
    Iterator<Integer> iterator();
}

This intuition can be helpful, but it's also misleading.
It is helpful, because the parameterized type List<Integer> does indeed have methods that look just like this expansion.
It is misleading, because the declaration of a generic is never actually expanded in this way. There aren't multiple copies of the code--not in source, not in binary, not on disk and not in memory. If you are a C++ programmer, you'll understand that this is very different than a C++ template.
A generic type declaration is compiled once and for all, and turned into a single class file, just like an ordinary class or interface declaration.

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Jane studied at the Royal College of Music, where she was awarded several scholarships and prizes. Whilst there, she was invited to coach and perform in India with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and also to play with the Jeunesse Musicales World Orchestra – with trips to Poland and Germany. In 1989 she won first prize in the woodwind section of the Royal Overseas League Competition and in 1992 made her Purcell Room, Southbank debut on cor anglais.
Jane has played for West End shows, including Les Miserables and for many orchestras throughout the UK and abroad including: the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Wales, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Film and TV work has included Lord of the Rings, Return of the King with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Foyles War for ITV.
As well as playing, Jane teaches and coaches at Liverpool University, Liverpool Hope University and at several schools in the North West.


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The main component of composite materials is a binder that under the influence of hardeners or water passes from a liquid or dough to a solid state.
In the production of polyester polymer concrete, unsaturated polyestermaleate and polyester acrylate resins are used.
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In addition to physical and mechanical properties, chemical inertness of the surface and aesthetic advantages, the popularity of composite materials undoubtedly ensures the ease of modification of the shape of the sheet and the production of broken and curved planes allowing the manufacture of a wide variety of products with a minimum number of fastening elements. Panels can be mounted vertically, horizontally or in an inclined position without deformations and sagging.
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The goal of this initiative is to stimulate research on mechanisms of HIV persistence in myeloid cells and develop strategies to target this reservoir in the central nervous system (CNS).
Eradicating latent reservoirs of HIV-1 within the body and achieving a sterilizing or functional cure have become priority areas in the AIDS field and NIH AIDS programs across many Institutes and Centers, including NIMH. The majority of ongoing work in the HIV eradication field has focused on studying resting memory CD4+ T cell reservoirs and developing strategies for reactivating and purging HIV from this cell type. Resting memory CD4+ T cells in the blood are the major and best-characterized cellular reservoir in a host. The presence of latent proviral HIV-1 DNA in this cell population has been well established. However, there are other sites of HIV persistence in the body. For example, phylogenetic analysis has shown that during rebound viremia (following the cessation of highly active antiretroviral therapy [HAART]), the virus could be detected from a reservoir other than the CD4+ T cells. Anatomic and tissue compartments such as brain, gut, lung, and lymphoid tissue may also be contributing to the HIV reservoir. In addition, myeloid cells residing in these anatomic compartments may harbor persistent HIV-1 that could potentially be a source of rebounding virus upon cessation of therapy.
The brain is unique in terms of its immune-privileged status and the presence of the blood-brain barrier, which restricts access of anti-retroviral medications. HIV-1 is found in the brain early in infection, likely through transmigration of infected monocytes, and may reside in long-lived myeloid cells such as macrophages, microglia, and astrocytes, and thus serve as a site of viral persistence. The perivascular macrophages and the microglial cells, the main targets for HIV-1 in the CNS, have a low turnover (i.e., 2-3 months for the perivascular macrophages and several years for the microglial cells). Viral DNA can also be isolated from these cells suggesting the role for myeloid cells as potential reservoirs for HIV-1. Furthermore, persistently infected myeloid cells could produce partial HIV transcripts, proteins, or soluble factors that could affect the size of the latent reservoir or the sensitivity of latently infected cells to reactivation.
The mechanisms of HIV-1 latency in resting memory CD4+ T cells has been well studied and could result from: (1) repression of HIV-1 proviral DNA integrated into host cell chromosomes by neighboring cis-acting sequences; (2) non-permissive host-cell environment for transcription of HIV genome; and, (3) post-transcriptional restriction mechanisms, such as impaired HIV mRNA nuclear export and the expression of host or viral micro-RNAs. While much has been learned about the mechanisms of HIV-1 latency and persistence in resting memory CD4+ T cells, there is a very limited understanding of how HIV-1 persists in monocytes, macrophages, and other cells of myeloid origin. Further studies also warranted to better comprehend how this cell population contributes to HIV persistence and/or viral rebound following interruption of HAART.
Studying the impact of latent and persistent myeloid reservoirs on neuronal function in the absence of active viral replication.


text:
313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806 • Los Angeles, CA 90012 • (213) 240-8144 • media@ph.lacounty.gov
Facebook.com/LAPublicHealth • Twitter.com/LAPublicHealth
May 02, 2019 For more information contact:
Public Health Communications
media@ph.lacounty.gov
Public Health Investigates Additional Measles Case
Residents urged to get measles immunization to protect their health and prevent disease spread
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is investigating an additional confirmed case of measles in a Los Angeles County resident. This case is linked to the outbreak of four cases reported last month and is not associated with either the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) or California State University Los Angeles (Cal State LA) exposures. Additionally, Public Health has not identified any public exposure locations associated with this case at this time. Public Health urges residents to know the symptoms of measles and to get measles immunization to protect themselves and prevent the spread of measles.
Currently, there are seven measles cases among Los Angeles County residents in 2019, and five non-resident measles cases that traveled through Los Angeles County. Of the seven measles cases among residents, two are not linked and were infected during international travel. The majority of the cases were unvaccinated. "It is very important if you or someone you know has symptoms of measles or has been exposed to measles to contact your healthcare provider by phone right away before going in," said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. "We will likely see additional measles cases in Los Angeles County, so if you are not already immune to measles, the best way to protect yourself and to prevent the spread of measles is to get the measles immunization, with two doses of measles immunization being about 97% effective at preventing measles."
Public Health investigates all cases in the county and identifies potential contacts to try to prevent additional spread of measles. Public Health continues to monitor for measles cases and identify others who may have come in contact with persons with measles. Public Health communicates with health care providers, health plans, local governments, schools, and elected officials to provide updates on the measles outbreak and actions they can take to help prevent the spread of measles and support the countywide response.
About Measles
Measles is considered among the most contagious viruses in the world. About 90% of people who have never been immunized against measles become ill 7-21 days after exposure. Infected people can infect those around them before they have symptoms and know they are infected. Common symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (red eyes) and a rash which usually appears 10 to 21 days after the exposure. The measles virus can be transmitted from one person to another up to 4 days before the onset of rash.
Individuals should contact their healthcare provider by phone before going in if they develop measles symptoms, so measures can be taken to prevent possible spread to others in the provider's waiting room. They should also tell their doctor or other healthcare provider if they traveled internationally or had international visitors in the last 21 days or had exposure to another person with measles.
Measles immunizations are available at healthcare providers, local pharmacy or health clinic. Public Health clinics offer no or low-cost immunizations for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured. To find a nearby Public Health clinic, call 2-1-1 or visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/chs/phcenters.htm.
For more information about measles, visit: publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/measles or call 2-1-1.
The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of over 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises nearly 4,100 employees and has an annual budget of $1 billion. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lapublichealth, instagram.com/lapublichealth, facebook.com/lapublichealth and youtube.com/lapublichealth.

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text:
Ajami ibn Abubakr Nakhchivani  () was a 12th and 13th-century Muslim architect who contributed greatly to the architecture of Nakhchivan. He was the founder of the Nakhchivan school of architecture and is the architect of buildings such as Yusif ibn Kuseyir Mausoleum, Momine Khatun Mausoleum and Juma Mosque.

Architecture

Yusif ibn Kuseyir Mausoleum

One of the ancient monuments created by Ajami is the mausoleum of Yusif ibn Kuseyir, known as "Atababa". The ayahs (verses) from Koran are inscribed on the walls of the monument. Date of construction of this mausoleum (1161-1162 AD) was defined from its traditional built-in plate or katiba. This eight-sided mausoleum consists of the underground plinth burial place (sardaba,  or cellar) and its on-ground top. Each side of this construction is decorated with various ornaments.

Momine Khatun Mausoleum

The masterpiece of Ajami is the Momina-Khatun's mausoleum, also known as the Atabey's Cupola - Atabei Gumbazi. The mausoleum is constructed in honour of Momine Khatun who was the wife of either Atabag Shamsaddin Eldegiz himself, or that of his son Jahan Pahlavan. The date, indicated on the walls, tells us that this ten-sided monument was constructed in 1186-1187 AD. The surface of each side is completely covered by the ornaments. In spite of the fact that the upper parts of this structure have some destruction, its height today is more than 25 meters. Here also exists an underground vault and a burial place or sardaba.

One of those creations of Ajami, which partially survived up to present day, is an architectural ensemble near the Momina Khatun Mausoleum. The main building had been destroyed some time ago, only two minarets and a portal connecting them have remained. This portal was constructed in 1187 AD. In the opinion of researchers, this composition of two minarets and a portal was originally planned and designed by Ajami.

The Khanaqah mausoleum in Nakhchivan strongly differs from what we already have described. While the Momina Khatun Mausoleum and other similar monuments are structures of a tower type, Khanagah mausoleum is a structure of the mixed type: its lower part has the cubic form and the upper part is eight-sided. Ornaments show that the mausoleum was made in 12-13th centuries.

Juma Mosque

Juma Mosque is one of monumental constructions of the Atabegs' Architectural Complex in Nakhchivan. The architectural monument demolished in the 20th century is documented in images and photos from the 19th century.

Legacy

The station "Memar Ajami" in Baku metropolitan was named in honour of him.

References

 Monuments of Nakhchivan Architecture
 Encyclopedia Iranica. Ajami.
 Photos of Nakhchivan

Nakhchivani, Ajami
12th-century births
13th-century deaths
Year of death missing

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