I met a few members of the staff/camera at the SAACO Interfaith Holiday event last night...very…read moreimpressive. Professional and courteous and most definitely polite! Thank you for capturing the evening. I look forward to working with TV Asia in the near future! Christine ~ Ruby Memorial www.rubymemorialhome.com

Did a boatload of solid advertising business with Hearst and have no complaints but my enduring…read morememory is of several things mostly gleaned from the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute where they certify products for inclusion in the magazine. First, Suave or any bargain Conditioner, is an excellent low cost dry hair volumizer for men. Second, dry your razor blades after each use and they last four times as long. Oh and there's an unspoken third -- never joke about Patty Hearst (or "government cheese") on a crowded elevator -- or for that matter, proclaim the greatness of the thinly veiled William Randolph Hearst biopic, Citizen Kane around the water cooler. Considering that they publish Cosmo, Esquire and shovel out a metric ton of bad reality programming on A+E and the Lifetime Network, they can be remarkably uptight about such things. BTW, they also publish some very fine magazines. And for you kids reading this, Google "magazines", Patty Hearst and "government cheese."

It's so great to live in Manhattan. I have access to all kinds of entertainment and beautiful…read morearchitecture! This is a favorite. Hearst Communications, often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, television channels, and television stations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan and Esquire. It owns 50% of the A&E Networks cable network group and 20% of the sports cable network group ESPN, both in partnership with The Walt Disney Company. The company was founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, and the Hearst family remains involved in its ownership and management. The Hearst Corporation was founded in 1887 in San Francisco, California. Everyone knows I love historic companies! My life is touched constantly by their communications. I used to enjoy reading Cosmopolitan. I can't afford the luxury of magazines anymore. MOTOR Magazine is a monthly American automobile magazine first published by Hearst Magazines in 1903 as THE MOTOR. This was the first title in Hearst's magazine division. My Family always had a subscription to Good Housekeeping. I could go on and on about their extensive communication history and holdings. I'm not going to bore you with details. You can look them up and see your favorites yourself! I'm a fan and recommend this historic company. Visit the building in midtown when you come to the city. You won't be disappointed. I'm a fan of building architecture too!

We live this studio. Friendly staff. A a huge inventory of camera and grip gear…read more The huge green screen is one of the largest green screens in NYC

Been a fan of Food Network since I was little, it's honestly one of those channels that never gets…read moreold. Chopped has always been a favorite of mine, along with all the competitive chef cook offs and Giada's cooking shows. There's just something about watching talented chefs think on their feet and create amazing dishes under pressure that pulls you in every time. In my early 20s, it was definitely my go to. Whether I was relaxing, looking for inspiration, or just had it on in the background while cooking, Food Network was always playing. It actually helped me grow in the kitchen...learning new techniques, flavor combinations, and getting creative with what I had on hand. I also love the variety of shows they offer. From high level competitions to simple, everyday recipes, there's something for everyone no matter your skill level. It's not just entertaining, it's motivating...especially if you love food or work in the culinary world. Even now, I still find myself tuning in. It's one of those feel-good channels that mixes entertainment, education, and creativity all in one.

Tried to watch Chopped. Contestants come out saying how important it is to win. Contestants are…read moreasked to make a dish with peculiar ingredients -- Boston Cream Pie and scrapple say. They run around trying to get ingredients. The rating panel make idiotic remarks and laugh at nothing. Countdown to ending accompany by a claque screaming. The panel picks someone to be "chopped." The next day, the show is exactly the same with a new cast. If you want to learn something about food, watch Jacques Pepin.

Not only does Chopsticks have accurate restaurant reviews but also lists street fairs and where to…read moreget Japanese food at the street fairs. Lately they have been sponsoring a contest for local artists to submit art work for the magazine. There are listings for Japanese restaurants that are not listed anywhere else. They list special events at Mitsuwa in Jersey. We look forward to each issue. The March issue is all about Soba. -Yummy!

Good contests (with real winners) and other food-centric content, with pretty responsive support…read morestaff.

I attended Tuesday evening's performance of SPEAKING IN TONGUES, which runs through 11/20 at New…read moreYork Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theater (83 E 4th Street). The simplistically chic and aesthetically pleasing set (Lea Anello) is utilized well by the director's (Louis Wells) non-superfluous, necessity-driven staging. The lighting (Jessica Burgess) and sound design (also Mr. Wells) work to support and enhance each scene. This is especially impressive considering the lighting limitations of the space. The costuming (Mark Richard Caswell) is spot on! Mr. Caswell's choice of wardrobe works to give the audience unspoken insight into each character's persona. The casting is decent. I feel that the men, as a whole, are better cast than the women. This is partially due to my feeling that Francesca Day and Sarah Brill are cast too young and able-bodied for their roles, though both women do well to embrace the essence of their characters despite these oversights. But the men stand out as having better stage technique and presence. This is particularly evident in the performances of Bryan Kaplan and Joachim Boyle. The play itself (written by Andrew Bovell and first produced by Roundabout Theatre Company in 2001) is enjoyable but would have worked better as a screen play. This is due to TONGUES feeling like a series of related vignettes which develop nicely but don't give a full play arc. The missing link is that the progress of the piece isn't dependent upon the characters' lives intertwining; that circumstance is more coincidence than necessity. As a result some scenes don't have a clear textual ending, which leaves the audience unsure of when to applaud. While this doesn't detract from the overall impact of the piece, it does leave room for more to be desired. The only glaring textual issues I had were, firstly, TONGUES attempt to use overlapping dialogue in the beginning of the play. It's an intriguing way to catch the audience's attention but quickly gets in the way of the pace and rhythm of the scene. Thankfully the actors do decent jobs at not letting this style hinder their performances, and the playwright only uses this technique once. Secondly, the use of lengthy monologues as plot device often forced me to listen too closely to decipher what information was pertinent versus what was dispensable filler. A little more script editing would help to hone these monologues into better vehicles for delivering essential plot and character information. Looking to CAKE's future, I'd like to see a more diverse use of actors, technicians and staff. TONGUES program reads like an invite list for a Rutgers and Tisch reunion, with a few outside guests thrown in for variety. I don't find fault in this since many businesses have to be incestuous until they're established. But this left me wanting for a more diverse range of acting technique from people who only concentrate on acting opposed to splitting their energies between performing and behind-the-scenes work. That diversity would help to boost an already enjoyable evening to a stellar experience. I'd also like to see CAKE incorporate Color Casting. In today's society - and especially when mounting a contemporary piece in such a diverse area of NYC - I often find it odd to see a play with all Caucasian actors when nothing about the piece makes such casting necessary. Color Casting will not only give more depth to future contemporary pieces but also give CAKE a broader audience to whom they can market themselves. That being said, TONGUES is a solid production and a good bet for an Off-Off Broadway viewing option. I'm quite pleased that TONGUES left me able to nitpick. CAKE has provided an enjoyable, thought-provoking experience which demonstrates their dedication to providing quality entertainment. I recommend seeing TONGUES and/or signing up for their newsletter in order to see how CAKE's great potential blossoms!

I was invited to the press night of "Speaking in Tongues," put on by Cake Productions. The company…read moreis putting on the show through most of November 2010 at the New York Theatre Workshop on E.4th in Manhattan. I enjoyed the performance quite a bit, but I think the choice of plays was not great. First, the title seems to be totally unrelated to the action of the play, as none of the characters really has any trouble understanding what is going on. In fact, we learn throughout the play that many of the characters know quite a bit about what is going on, even though some things are not said. The second half of the play is only marginally connected to the first half, and a lot of the action seems contrived. The genuinely funny bits of the first half that inspired true guffaws in the crowd diminished to grim chuckles by the end. The disjointed, swirling nature of the action made it hard to connect, emotionally, with any of the characters. And by the end, I just didn't care about anyone. I described it kind of like waking up drunk... it seems like you should be having a good time, but you're really just confused and hoping it will wear off soon. None of this, I think, was the fault of the actors. Just about everyone in the play was very good at their jobs, even juggling the demands of interwoven dialogue as four people speak over each other, sometimes speaking in unison, while two different stories play out. In the second half, the actors took the somewhat vapid, unbelievable script and performed well enough that it was mildly interesting. I found myself falling away from the script and just paying attention to the actors themselves, to find the subtleties of how they worked their parts. Marta Kuersten ("Sarah") did a very good job at telegraphing thoughts and feelings with a shift on the couch or an expectant flick of the eyes. David Douglas ("Leon") was just wonderful throughout, playing a character somewhere between Don Draper and Jason Bateman in Arrested Development. Funny, emotionally torn at times, and able to switch from boyish bewilderment to crushing self-anguish with no problems. Bryan Kaplan's short, but powerful soliloquy as "Nick" was quite memorable. I have a feeling I will see more shows by Cake Productions in the future. I think there is a lot of talent in that room.

Went for open mike night to see a friend. I imbibed some before, had some drinks during the…read moreperformances (thanks for stocking Brooklyn beers) so this may have slightly skewed my perception but I thought the amateurs were fairly funny (especially for $5). A little difficult to find (it's off the street), but I can definitely see how it is a great place for up and coming comedians to go and hone their craft. It is certainly a bit out of the way, yet for us LICers it a great walking distance excursion.

Love that they have intelligent panels and that they air full live coverage of major events so you…read morecan hear context and original statements. So good and so honest