FAVE FIVE: PHONE Tips & Tricks - The LA Report Picks

by Don Rose

For this installment of The LA Report's Fave Five, I describe my five favorite phone tips and tricks.

1. GOOG-411

I use GOOG411 instead of the regular old school 411 because, for one thing, it is free (of course - it's from Google) -- and because it is both easier to use and offers more. I love how I can connect to businesses via voice commands only (using cell keys if there is ever any confusion, which is rare). It is not 100 percent perfect, but it is pretty darn good, and getting better all the time (since I am told Google's algorithm learns with each call, which serves as new data). 

How to use the service: Just say the business name, city and state; GOOG411's mellow voice then says the best match it found and offers to connect you, which it will (no charge) if you do nothing. If you want more matches, say "more results" and you will hear a list of up to 8 best matches; say the number of the match you want, and you are connected automatically (you can say "details" if you want to hear the phone number and address of your selection before you get connected). Easy, fast, works. Love it!

2. TELLME

Try this free, fun and useful voice-commanded service by calling 800-555-TELL. Many services are offered at their Main Menu; a pleasing voice tells you the services offered and you say which one you want. The ones I use the most: Driving Directions, Weather, News, Stock Quotes. There is also Traffic, which Angelenos should appreciate.

3. YOUMAIL

Go to www.youmail.com to sign up for this free service. Youmail does everything my cell-voicemail does, and more. Not only can I listen to voice messages on my cell phone, I can also listen to them on the YouMail website, where I can see the name of who called (caller ID is built in), save messages for later retrieval if needed, and more. Playing messages on the site also allows me to conserve cell minutes, since I had to use those minutes each time I checked my regular cell-voicemail. In addition, I can set up my account so I get email alerts about new voice messages, or text alerts, or both. I can even use custom greetings offered on YouMail's website (I especially love the "George Answering Machine" outgoing message, culled from a classic Seinfeld episode), or I can just record my own greeting. 

How does YouMail make money? One way is by offering, for a small fee, the option of voicemail transcription -- so you can read each voicemail instead of listening to it. I did not choose this paid option, since I don't have a need for transcription yet, but it's nice to know it's there. Eventually, I may try using this feature to leave myself messages for dictation purposes; it might make writing my next book much easier.

4. GOOGLE SMS

Get the information you need texted to you free by Google. You can try an interactive demo and get more info at www.google.com/sms. Very useful service, and yes, it is free (just the normal texting charges from your cell company, if any). The Google SMS webpage says: "From local business listings to stock quotes, you can get the information you're looking for with Google SMS. Text message your search query to 466453 ("GOOGLE" on most devices) and we'll text message back your results. Try our interactive demo below and view results on the phone image as you would on your own mobile device. For HELP Text HELP to 466453, discuss this product, or visit the Mobile Help Center for additional support. Send STOP to cancel to 466453. Message & data rates may apply. Handset must be SMS capable and user must be authorized to use this device. For a list of useful shortcuts and tips, text HELP."

5. T-MOBILE

Final tip: if you are looking for new cell service, try T-Mobile. I switched to them from AT&T and feel TMo's customer service is far superior. In my experience, they have always bent over backwards to solve any problem, reps are extremely friendly, and I have never encountered an attitude or negative vibe from anyone at TMo. Plus, whenever there has been a service hiccup (a rare thing), they offered generous bonus minutes to make up for it. On top of all this, I get fantastic call coverage in the Los Angeles area, as well as across the nation, and I almost never experience a dropped call. Bottom line: The LA Report loves T-Mobile.

JAN 27: Recording Academy P&E Wing Celebrates Island Records During Annual Grammy Week Event

Posted by Don Rose

The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing will hold its third annual Grammy Week event at the Village Recording Studios in West Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

As part of 2010 Grammy Week, the P&E Wing will be celebrating the music of Island Records and its founder Chris Blackwell, who brought to the world the music of artists such as Desmond Dekker and the Aces, Nick Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Grace Jones, Bob Marley, Roxy Music, Cat Stevens, Toots and the Maytals, U2 and Steve Winwood. The special guest DJ for the evening will be Jason Bentley, producer/remixer/sound supervisor, and music director of KCRW radio.

Honorary chairs for "Catch a Fire," named for the title of Bob Marley's first album, which has been inducted into the 2010 Grammy Hall of Fame, are Grammy-winning musician/producers Jimmy Jam and Daniel Lanois.

The evening's presenting partners are West LA Music/Westlake Audio and The Village Studios. Sponsors include Avid, Shure Incorporated, PMC Ltd., Prism Sound, Harman International brands AKG Acoustics, JBL, and Lexicon, Monster Cable Products, Melodyne, Korg, Native Instruments, MXL, KRK Systems, Sennheiser, Anheuser-Busch, Eco-friendly cocktails courtesy of VeeV, and Fiji Water.

"We are proud to celebrate the music of Island Records and its founder Chris Blackwell, and we look forward to hosting a special evening for the Producers & Engineers Wing and friends," said Maureen Droney, the P&E Wing's Sr. Executive Director. "To have so many great companies participate this year and partner with us in shining a spotlight on the recording community is truly an honor."

The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing: 
www.producersandengineers.com    

Apple To End AT&T iPhone Exclusivity On Wednesday -- Report

Hope for Haiti Highlight: Stevie Wonder Sings "A Time to Love" / "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (MTV - Telethon Video)

JAN 20-24: Los Angeles Art Show 2010 at LACC, Presented by Fine Art Dealers Association

Make sure to visit the Los Angeles Art Show 

this week (20-24 January, 2010).

Check out Denis Bloch Fine Art - Booth E144 -

and many other fine art booths.

A highly recommended show.

Please visit http://www.laartshow.com

for more details & parking/directions.

FEB 25: CRE Outreach Presents Changing Perceptions: Theatre by the Blind (Transforming Lives One Show At A Time)

Posted by Don Rose

CRE Outreach Presents:

Changing Perceptions: Theatre by the Blind

What: Theatre by the Blind - Original Production of Seeing Rain

Where: Magicopolis 1418 Fourth St., Santa Monica, CA. 90401

When: February 25, 2010 at 7:30pm

Ticket Price 25$

www.creoutreach.org

CRE Outreach: Making a world of difference through music and theater

CRE Outreach, a non-profit public charity, was founded in 2006 by Greg Shane, Bryan Caldwell, and Colin Simson. They specialize in providing the visually impaired and at-risk youth with the opportunity to write and perform in their own original theatrical works.

CRE's mission is to use theatre to enhance self-esteem, encourage self-expression and empower individuals to overcome the challenges in their lives.

Their blind troupe, Changing Perceptions, writes, produces and performs original theatrical pieces, which is not only entertaining but also raises awareness about the struggles and accomplishments of the blind.

Creative Youth Theatre (C.Y.T.) gives at-risk students a creative outlet to explore the challenges they face through the supportive and dynamic medium of theatre.

The charity serves a diverse population who face a multitude of daily challenges. Through their program, stutterers have learned to speak confidently and more fluidly, those who felt isolated learn to work as a team and shy children lose their fears. CRE's goal is to create a safe environment in which both children and adults are free to express their emotions and develop skills that improve their daily lives.

# # #

Greg Shane

Executive Director, Changing Perceptions

Gregory Shane is California native who is the co-founder of CRE Theatre. CRE Theatre aims to empower children to find their own unique voice through the creation of an original play. He has been teaching theatre for the past six years and has worked with over 1,000 children all over the world. He has taught in London, Dublin, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. In addition to work with traditional populations, he has also worked with prisoners, mentally challenged, and the homeless. Gregory graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans with a BA in Theatre, and received his MA in Educational Theatre from NYU. Mr. Shane is also the Director of Changing Perceptions, an incredible organization for the blind and physically disabled where they write and create original plays culminating in final performances at the Edgemar Theatre and coming soon to the Beverly Hills Performing Arts Centre. As well as being an accomplished theatre practitioner, he is also an award-winning professional magician who has performed in Germany, Oakland, Las Vegas and the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA.

Colin Simson

Executive Director, C.Y.T.

Colin Simson is an actor, singer, drummer and teacher who has been sharing his passion for performing for over 15 years. From 1995-2003 Colin headed the Summer Stage program at Kidstock Creative Youth Theater in Winchester, MA writing, directing and producing over 50 original youth theater performances. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2003, Colin has continued his passion teaching with CRE Theatre at various elementary schools. He helped conceive and create CRE Outreach, the non-profit division of CRE Theatre in 2006 and is currently the Executive Director of the C.Y.T. program at Middle Schools in the Inglewood Unified School District. Colin is proud to lend his experience and talents to CRE Outreach, giving youths an opportunity to express their creativity through performance.

Bryan Caldwell

Director of Operations

Bryan Caldwell, the co-founder of the CRE Theatre Co., received his B.A. in Philosophy and Theatre from Tulane University. A Colorado native, Bryan performed a residency at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, working with their Theater Academy to implement both the adults’ and children’s curriculum. He has taught theater in the Los Angeles area for over six years (including to young people with autism) and has taught at Crossroads, New Roads, and Village School. Bryan is currently the president of the CRE Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides performing arts programs to underserved youth in Los Angeles, and also implements a “Theater for the Blind” program involving original play creation by a cast of entirely blind actors.

# # #

Editor's Note: CRE not only has their fundraiser show on Feb. 25 but this non profit foundation also has a huge event in the works at the world famous Playboy Mansion June 19 called Ice Castles. Save the date and keep checking back here at The LA Report for more details.

JAN 14-17: Pinot Days Southern California Offers Unique Food & Wine Event To Engage the Senses

Posted by Don Rose - Featured Event of the Week

The First Annual Pinot Days Southern California engages all the senses with its offering of gourmet food and 400 incredible pinot noirs. More than 75 pinot producers will pour their wines at Pinot Days, including the newly-released 2007 vintage, which critics are calling pinot’s best vintage in decades, and maybe ever. The three-day Los Angeles food and wine event includes two intimate winemaker dinners and the Grand Festival, a wine tasting event which gives wine lovers the opportunity to experience and enjoy some of the world’s best pinot noir and interact directly with the gifted and passionate winemakers who produce them.

Pinot Days Southern California begins January 14 and culminates on January 17 with the Grand Festival at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA. Event tickets can be purchased at www.pinotdays.com.

Pinot Days producer Lisa Rigisich said, “Los Angeles is a real food town and the innovative culinary scene in this city is the perfect complement to the depth, complexity and versatility of pinot noir. Like chefs, pinot producers are modern day artists with an intense passion for their craft. This dynamic lends itself well to Pinot Days because it allows food and wine lovers to learn about pinot by connecting to it with both their palate and through its producer.”

The stellar Pinot Days Southern California event line-up includes:

January 14 Pinot Days Winemakers “Table Hop” Dinner at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

6:00pm-11:00pm, Beverly Hills, CA. $120

Executive Chef James Overbaugh, whose creative culinary style is hailed for its emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients and flavors from around the world, will present appetizers and a four course pinot-paired dinner with fourteen different pinots. The winemakers will move seats with every course so they can share their stories with attendees.

January 16 Pinot Days Winemakers “Table Hop” Dinner at Sage on the Coast

6:00pm-11:00pm, Newport Beach, CA. $100

Featuring renowned chef Rich Mead, this event offers an exquisite four course, pinot-paired dinner with fourteen different pinots. The winemakers will move seats with every course so they can share their stories with attendees.

January 17 Pinot Days Grand Festival

1:00pm - 5:00pm, Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA. $50

Sunday's Grand Tasting will showcase over 400 pinot noirs and the 75 winemakers who produce them. A culinary extravaganza, the Pinot Days Grand Festival features dozens of gourmet samplings from local food purveyors. Guests will enjoy offerings from the California Cheese and Butter Association, Corn Maiden Foods, Gourmet Grill Masters, Lourdes Gourmet Foods, Fishlips Sushi and more.

Event details and ticket information can be found at www.pinotdays.com.

Pinot Days is an event that connects wine enthusiasts directly with winemakers creating a unique opportunity for new and seasoned wine lovers to experience, enjoy and deepen their knowledge of pinot noir. Produced by the Bay Area Wine Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of pinot noir, Pinot Days was created by Steven and Lisa Rigisich out of their love for the “the noble grape.” The Bay Area Wine Project holds annual events in San Francisco, Chicago and Southern California. Pinotdays.com provides information about and access to wine-related events, wine education opportunities and wine trivia-- including articles about outstanding wine personalities, winery profiles, reviews of wine events, restaurant wine lists, formal tastings and more. For more information visit www.pinotdays.com.

###

Contact: Pinot Days/Bay Area Wine Project

Margaret Ryan

415.437.0437

Margaret@aol.com

JAN 14-17: Photo LA Returns to Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for 2010 Show (Featured Event)

Posted by Don Rose - Featured Event of the Week

 

photo l.a. 2010

19^th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL LOS ANGELES PHOTOGRAPHIC ART EXPOSITION

 

LA’s Longest Running Art Fair Returns To The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium During Golden Globes Weekend January 14-17, 2010

                                                                                                                     

Photographer David LaChapelle & Actor Chris Lowell Host the Opening Night Reception Benefiting the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

 

The 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, photo l.a. 2010, returns January 14 - 17 to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Over the past eighteen years photo l.a. has earned a reputation as one of the foremost art fairs and the leading photo-based event in the country.  Presenting the finest galleries from around the globe, this 19th edition promises to be the best ever.   The opening night reception on Thursday, January 14, from 6 to 9pm, will benefit the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at LACMA and will be hosted by noted photographer David LaChapelle and actor & photographer Christopher Lowell. 

 

Special events taking place at photo l.a. 2010 include the debut of The La Brea Matrix, produced by The Lapis Press and Schaden.com, with the support of MAK Center for Art and Architecture and the Goethe-Institut.  In addition, the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) will present a preview of their exhibition: Changing the Focus: Latin American Photography (1990-2005).  Its curator, Idurre Alonso, will talk about the exhibition and give an on-site collecting seminar, as will Gordon Baldwin, former Curator of Photography at the Getty Institute.

 

photo l.a. will be open to the public Friday, January 15 and Saturday, January 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, January 17 from 11:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 for a one-day pass, $30 for a three-day pass and $10 for lectures.  Tickets to the opening night reception on January 14 are $75 and can be purchased directly from LACMA at www.lacma.org/art/photola.aspx or email: photola@lacma.org.  All exhibition, lecture and opening night benefit reception tickets are available for purchase in advance or at the door.  For additional information on photo l.a. 2010, including the opening benefit reception and advance ticket sales, visit www.photola.com.  

 

Created by Stephen Cohen, producer of the highly acclaimed art fairs artLA and photo Miami, photo l.a. will feature the finest photographic art from the earliest 19th Century photographic experiments to the most contemporary photography and photo-based art.  Many of the world’s leading galleries and private dealers representing international and U.S. artists will display work at photo l.a. 2010. Participating Los Angeles exhibitors include The Lapis Press, DNJ Gallery, Robert Berman Gallery, and Stephen Cohen Gallery. International galleries including Galeria Sicart (Spain), Queensland Centre (Australia), Gallery Suite 59 (Netherlands), and MR Gallery (Beijing) will also participate in the fair.

“Los Angeles continues to be home for more and more artists and it has become a major creative center for the production of photography and photo-based art,” says Stephen Cohen, producer of photo l.a. and owner of the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles. “photo l.a. 2010 presents an international array of galleries and artists giving to curators, collectors, critics and art enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the best photography that our city and the world have to offer.  Now in its 19th year, it is the longest running art fair in Los Angeles and it will be a major cultural event in the Los Angeles fine art landscape.”

Opening Night Reception

The opening night reception, on Thursday, January 14 from 6 to 9pm, will benefit the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department at LACMA and will be hosted by noted photographer David LaChapelle and actor/photographer Chris Lowell. Reception tickets are $75 and can be purchased directly from LACMA at www.lacma.org/art/photola.aspx or email: photola@lacma.org. 

Debuts and Previews

The La Brea Matrix, produced by The Lapis Press and Schaden.com, with the support of MAK Center for Art and Architecture and the Goethe-Institut, will have its debut at photo l.a.

 

The Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) will present a preview of their exhibition: Changing the Focus: Latin American Photography (1990-2005).  Its curator, Idurre Alonso, will talk about the exhibition and give an on-site collecting seminar, as will Gordon Baldwin, former Curator of Photography at the Getty Institute. Photographer Lynn Saville will lecture on her new book.  Onsite collecting seminars are $80 (include a three-day pass).  Seminars have limited enrollment and tickets should be purchased in advance. Student discounts for lectures and the fair are available with valid I.D. 

On Saturday, January 16, LACMA will also present a curated program of lectures, free to the public with day-of tickets, limited attendance. Lectures will take place in the Marquee Ballroom of the Doubletree Guest Suites across from the Civic at 1707 Fourth Street.  Please check the website (www.photola.com) for updated programming and information on the LACMA curated lectures.

Tickets / Info Summary

photo l.a. 2010

January 14 - Opening Night Benefit Reception 6 to 9 p.m.

January 15th and 16th: Open to public 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

January 17th: Open to public 11:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

Tickets are $20 for a one-day pass, $30 for a three-day pass and $10 for lectures.

Exhibition, lecture and opening night reception tickets available in advance or at the door.  

For additional information on photo l.a. 2010: www.photola.com. 

#  #  #

Press Contact for Photo LA: 

Jeannine Schechter Jacobi, Fresh PR 

jeannine@freshpr.net  

CES 2010 Meta-Coverage: TWiT TV, CNET TV, TechVi & CrunchGear, Streaming from Vegas, Side by Side in This Post

by Don Rose

Recession busted your budget? No time to trek to Vegas? Just feeling lazy? Never fear, lover of gear, The LA Report has collected cool content feeds so you can sit back and watch CES 2010 convention coverage right here, all in one post! It's our first-ever CES meta-coverage, or "coverage of the coverage", to satisfy your info-gathering needs.

The first feed below is TWiT TV - arguably the best tech program-podcast online (a Dream Stream Team, if you will). TWiT stands for This Week in Tech; the host (likable Leo Laporte) does an excellent job, and TWiT content is archived on the Web as well as on iTunes (free). For CES 2010, Leo brought a mega-powerful mobile rig and a team of techheads who share his passion for top tier gear. Watch below (click play button) and check out www.twit.tv/ces as well as the TWiT CES blog.

Watch live video from TWiT Live on Justin.tv

Part 2 of our CES 2010 meta-coverage is from CrunchGear on livestream; like TWiT TV, the Crunch bunch is streaming from the Vegas show with a combination of live and recorded content.

Watch live streaming video from crunchgear at livestream.com

Part 3 of our meta-coverage is from CNET TV. We especially love their Buzz Out Loud show, which features a quartet of pundits going over tech headlines/news with rapidfire commentary. Watch CNET's CES coverage below (click play button).



Part 4 of our meta-coverage is from TechVi and their CES 2010 feed. Watch below (click play button) and check out www.techvi.com.

Watch live video from techvi on Justin.tv

For those of you who prefer reading to watching video, below are some notes summarizing TWiT TV's CES 2010 coverage at Pepcom's Digital Experience, one of the two can't-miss press events at CES every year (the other being ShowStoppers). The most visually appealing (or was it appalling?) sights at the Pepcom pressxpo were the bouncy-boobed booth babes dressed as animals. Oh, you wanted tech info? Okay, read on:

COPIA - a social e-reading experience; some say it may be a Kindle killer. Cost: from $199-299. Book content: over 1 million titles at launch, including newspapers and magazines. From their website: "Any eReader can hold your book. But only one holds your entire reading experience. Introducing the copia reader - the first and only reader with social networking built in." "Holds 1500 books and all of your friends."
BOXEE BOX - brings the TV-content service offered by Boxee* (which provides viewers oodles of content choices ranging from TWiT TV to justin.tv, fora.tv, KidMango, radiotime, PBS, NPR, the often hilarious FailBlog and many more) to an actual mini-settop-box (about the size of a Rubik's Cube with askew angles). One nice feature: you can go to websites and search for content you want, and watch it on the Boxee Box. The box/hardware is made by D-Link, with fast wi-fi, a remote with QWERTY keyboard on the back, and a USB port if you want to plug in a USB drive with video content to watch. *Boxee is "cross-platform freeware media center software with ... social networking features designed for the living-room TV" that lets you "enjoy entertainment from the Internet and computer on your TV" and is "available as a free download for Windows, Mac OS X, AppleTV."

MOPHIE: maker of iPod/iPhone accessories, showed off a credit card reader -- and Leo loves their Juice Pack (the mophie website says juice pack air™ is a rechargeable external battery concealed inside a protective case for the iPhone 3G & 3GS that offers the protection of a hard-shell case while providing virtually twice the battery life of the iPhone alone - all in an ultra-thin, light-weight, low-profile design.
LENOVO U1: under $1000, the U1 features a pullout Linux tablet within a laptop!

GOOGLE NEXUS ONE: new cell/puter handheld gizmo is the first Android phone actually made by Google themselves (rather than a phone made by others that has Google's Android software); buy Nexus One direct from Google for

$529 (website: "B

uy the phone without service and insert your own SIM card. Includes a Nexus One phone case, wall charger, and USB cable. Free shipping") or $179 if you sign up for a 2 year service plan with T-Mobile (official cell phone service of The LA Report, who we love for their near-perfect coverage, superior customer service and super reasonable rates).

Other tech products/services mentioned during the TWiTcast:

CLICKFREE (automatic backup; their website says they are "the worlds easiest computer backup solution. Clickfree carries the widest array backup devices : Hard Drives, DVD Backup, Flash Backup")
GOODREADS (share book recommendations, see what your friends are reading, keep track of what you've read and organize your book lists into shelves, join a book club to discuss favorite books)
SHELFARI (social media site focused on books where members can build virtual bookshelves, discover, rate and discuss books, and participate in online groups)
ZOOM (popular portable microphone used by CBS Tech journalist Larry Magid, who did a simulpodcast with Leo as each veteran technojourno interviewed the other at the same time!)

OOMA (free home phone service - why don't they use Uma Thurman as spokeswoman?)

ENELOOP (Sanyo's electric hybrid bike - which one attendee wheeled by).

GG 2010: POD by Skrocki to Attend Gifting Suites Honoring Golden Globes Presenters

Posted by Don Rose

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 01, 2010 –  Paragon of Design by Skrocki is pleased to announce its selection for inclusion in the GBK and Secret Room gift lounges honoring the presenters for the 67th Annual Golden Globes and other members of the Hollywood celebrity community. Designer Amy Skrocki will be onsite in Beverly Hills to provide promotional gift-pieces to: nominated film and TV actors, celebrities, elite media, editors, publicists, producers, celebrity stylists and personal assistants and other VIPS. Major news networks and entertainment programs, which may include: E!, Extra, MSNBC, CBS, FOX, Entertainment Tonight, etc, will be on site syndicating the event throughout the US. The products selected will consist of our signature mixed enamel and plastic painted hoops and pendants, mixed metal jewellery sets, desk clocks, one of a kind mixed metal and leather journals and wallets, as well as, sculptured wire gem and mineral settings.

About P.O.D. by Skrocki

Resplendent handcrafted jewellery and home décor comprise the catalogue of Edmonton based Paragon of Design by Skrocki. The majority of the items presented are entirely fabricated by POD’s designers. From elegant women’s jewellery and accessories (gallery) to worldly home décor to creative men’s jewellery and complimentary accessories POD offers a salient array of products. Whether you are shopping for that perfect personal accent, an adornment for your home or office or perhaps an unparalleled gift our extensive back catalogue, populated by many one-of-a-kind and limited run designs, is sure to have what you are looking for. Paragon of Design by Skrocki is based out of Edmonton, Alberta.

JAN 14: FREE Coffee Bean Drink -- Info & Link

Here you go... details below. 

I'm always keen for Coffee Bean...

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Come join us for a 

complimentary 12oz Heritage beverage on 

Jan. 14th from 4-7pm! 

Choose from our three originals: 

Cafe Mocha, Sunrise Ice Blended®, 

or Berry'd Treasure Ice Blended®! 

*For Details:

  http://coffeebean.com/Complimentary-Heritage-Drinks-W475C125.aspx  

    

CES 2010: SNL's Seth Meyers "Thanks Technology" During Microsoft Ballmer Keynote

Blog2Print from SharedBook: Books From Blogs

Here is a blurb displayed by Blogger that caught my eye while making a post: "Turn your blog into a book! Blog2Print from SharedBook turns your blog into a soft cover or hard cover book. You pick the cover, add an optional dedication, then preview and you're done. Prices start at $14.95."

Casting Notice: SoCal Singles Wanted for ABC's "Dating In The Dark" @iconiccasting

Want to try a unique social experiment, and maybe meet someone special in the process? Then check out this tweet from Iconic Casting:

iconiccasting

is now CASTING SINGLES

in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for

ABC'S "Dating In The Dark"!

Apply on our website at http://bit.ly/18hNoT.

BELUSHI's BROWS & BRANDO: John Belushi's 1st SNL Audition

Posted by Don Rose

John Belushi was born 61 years ago this month. In tribute, we'd like to share (via YouTube) the first audition John did for the program then known as "Saturday Night" (now Saturday Night Live, or SNL). His eyebrow prowess, plus spot-on impressions of Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger, are featured in the clip, showing the raw talent that was soon to explode on national late night television.

Another January/Belushi milestone of note, courtesy of Wikipedia: "...on John's 30th birthday (in 1979), he had the number one film in the U.S. (Animal House), the number one album in the U.S. (The Blues Brothers:Briefcase Full of Blues) and Saturday Night Live was the highest-rated late night television program." Quite a feat. And as far as I know, John Belushi is the only performer in history to have achieved this film-music-TV trifecta.