The End of Gourmet Magazine

This is a sad say in the culinary world.  Gourmet Magazine, the oldest cooking publication in they United States is folding.  Condé Nast chopped the mag in a cost-cutting move along with three other titles.  They only have two cooking titles, Gourmet and Bon Appétit, and they chose to keep BA over Gourmet.  Of course, I get them both, along with Food & Wine and Saveur, but Gourmet has always been my favorite.

The magazine was published since December, 1940. The move comes as somewhat a surprise to foodies, as the Gourmet title has prestige. Or it did, anyway.  Another example of mediocrity over substance in my opinion.

Bring Back Sirius Boombox!

Yes, I was an early adopter with the whole satellite radio thing – I think we put it in our Mini Cooper when we bought it in 2003.  At first, I thought is was so awesome with hundreds of channels to choose from – all that music and stuff!  But, I soon realized that it is just like cable TV – all those choices and nothing really on.  (How did we watch TV with only 4 channels back in the day, anyway?)  

So, after awhile I settle on one station and it becomes not only my favorite station, but pretty much the only one I listen to.  Sirius Boombox – channel 39.  Boombox was the brainchild of DJ Liquid Todd and had a three year run as the go-to station for “break beat and electro rock”   Um, what is that?  Well, here is the official definition according to that vast knowledge datatbase, Wikipedia: 

Breakbeat (sometimes breakbeats or breaks) is a term used to describe a collection of sub-genres of electronic music, usually characterized by the use of a non-straightened 4/4 drum pattern (as opposed to the steady beat of house or trance). These rhythms may be characterised by their intensive use of syncopation and polyrhythms.

Okay, I didn’t know that either – but I do know that I like it.  The stuff I heard on Boombox became my new favorite stuff I bought for my iPod.  So, fast-forward to a few weeks ago, I get in the car and the satellite box does some sort of updating and – poof – my Boombox is no more.  It turns out that because of the Sirus/XM merger they had to do a little editing and decided to trash my station!  I got a cute note in my mailbox telling me that if I loved Boombox, I will love Alt-Rock or some lame-o pop station.  WTF????

I understand with the merger that there would be some overlap and therefore some of the redundant stations would have to go… but WHY would you turn a station off that was a unique niche and has no replacement?  Now I have nothing to listen to for my monthly fee.

I guess I’m not the only one who’s upset as there is plenty of chatter on the messageboards and blogs lamenting this stupid decision.  I thought I would add my two cents and say BRING BACK BOOMBOX fuckers!

OSCARS: So Many Complaints… So Little Time

  

Okay…  I admit it.  I am one of those people that kind of get in to the Academy Awards.  I watched the entire thing tonight – without interruption.  Mostly because my husband is out of town, so he couldn’t get bored and therefore interrupt me.  I actually took some illegible notes as I sipped some of my favorite Pinot Noirs.   Here is what I could make of it all after the fact:

 

1.  C –  List Presenters:  Well, I originally wrote Z List, but now I realize I am being a little mean.  (i.e. George Clooney + Cameron Diaz = C-)  Was it the Strike?  Was it writer laziness?  Was it no one fucking cares?  Why were we subjected to such an overall lame group? Patrick Dempsey? Miley Cyrus? Come on.
2. International Flair: Enjoyed the fact that there were many winners tonight that did not have english as a first language.  Again, our laziness and dropping the ball due the strike may have had something to do with people from other countries winning the big prize.  Yay!  It’s finally a real award, unlike the Miss Universe Contest.
3. Jon Stewart was Lame.  I’m sorry – I really love him on The Daily Show, but he really was no good tonight.  I felt like they had a pre-strike show already written, and then after the strike ended, they didn’t really fix it.  No smart jokes, extreme lameness, and overall mediocre effort from someone I usually equate with excellence.  Boo.
4. No One was There.  Okay, I admit – I didn’t watch the red carpet coverage because I hate that shit.  But, watching just the telecast – it seemed that no one was there.  All I saw were the same 10 people over and over on camera.  Thank God for George Clooney.  He is hot.
5. George Clooney is Fucking Hot.  He is.  End of story.

That’s all I got for tonight – thanks for playin’

 

 

The Decision of NBC News – A Thought

I haven’t blogged for a few days because it felt a little wrong to talk about my usual ridiculous subjects when all the terrible things were happening in Virginia. But, I had to write today after NBC aired the footage last night of Cho Crazy-Ass and the subsequent beating they have taken today for doing so.

I was a Journalism major in school, so this subject is very interesting to me. NBC News is really between a rock and a hard place – they seem that they would be damned if they do and damned if they don’t. But, they shouldn’t be.

Let me explain: Much of the blame for this travesty must rest squarely on the shoulders of the individuals who decided that the News Department of any broadcast organization is on the same footing as the Entertainment Department. Meaning that they are just as responsible to the corporate heads to turn a profit as any other department in the organization. This single decision, made in the mid 80s by a few greedy Reagan-Era assholes, changed forever the role of the news organization – and in the aftermath has toppled the delicate “fourth estate” that ensured a somewhat fair and balanced reporting stucture.

Cho knew how the 21st century 24/7 Media work. This is why, even in his obvious madness, he still managed to carefully plan and execute the perfect media kit. Pretty savvy for a 22 year old kid. Unfortunately, but yet predictably, NBC fell right into the trap – it was too easy not to. No amount of talking about how they did not want to exploit the material matters; they did. Period.

Why?

Because ratings equals revenue – they need to compete with not only other news outlets, but within thier own conglomeratized organization. This is the same reason we had three straight days of so-called news coverage on Anna Nicole Smith, NBCs ridiculous To Catch a Predator, and why Britney Spears makes front page “news.” It’s sickening.

There is no way that journalism can be true to the Fourth Estate if it is saddled with the extra burden of making money. The two are completely mutually exclusive and no one seems to understand the things we’ve lost since this idea was decimated. We will only have more of these horrible incidents in the future unless we realize this sooner rather than later.