Breakfast is probably one of the most important (and favorite) meals of my day.  Recently, I’ve been on a smoothie kick and I just can’t get enough of them.  Sometimes I’ll have them for breakfast and dinner!  My smoothies contain lots of essential nutrients and vitamins that give me energy, keep me healthy and make me feel good.  I’ll share with you what I whip up in the blender each morning to start my day!

8 oz Soy milk

½ Cup frozen blueberries

½ Cup frozen strawberries

¼ Banana

½ cup spinach (optional)

1 T ground flax seed

¼ Cup nuts or seeds (I usually add sunflower or pumpkins seeds)

Pinch of cinnamon

Squirt of vanilla

Sometimes I also like to brighten it up with fresh basil from my CSA.

You can call me crazy, but give it a try first!  Enjoy!

Right brain conference notes.

Find out about Lateralization of brain function here

photo from the comicscomic.com

So recently I have gotten interested in Kickstarter and, lo and behold, found a project on there by one of my favorite comedians, Eugene Mirman.  Many of you may know him as the landlord on “Flight of the Conchords” (where I first discovered him) but I have since seen his stand-up many times and it is incredibly smart and sarcastic, two of my very favorite qualities!

As some of you know, I worked for two years on the USCAF (The Aspen Comedy Festival) which was an amazing gig for a comedy geek like me!  So as you can imagine, every September I look forward to The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival in Park Slope, “the world’s first sincere-and-ironic comedy festival that celebrates New York’s close-knit comedy community while making fun of the trappings of comedy festivals.”

For their 4^th year, the festival turned to Kickstarter to raise money for such noble purposes as paying the people who work really hard to make the event possible, paying the comedians, flying out and putting up some performers so that they can have more events/panels/shows/comedy/music and for such far less noble purposes as building an ice cream limo or buying an ice cream truck, setting up a petting zoo outside of the venue and creating an Awkward Party Bus.

So if this concept wasn’t hilarious enough, even funnier were the benefits of pledging, some of which were:

• Pledge $5 or more and your name will be printed in the festival guide, in small print, as a Cheapy Cheap-face.
• Pledge $20 or more and your name will be printed in the festival guide, in small print, as a Racist
• Pledge $50 or more and Eugene will write your name down on a piece of paper and hand it to a stranger sometime in the next year.
• Pledge $75 or more and you will receive an official badge making you a Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival Marshal, which comes with the right to put people under “Eugene Arrest” (which isn’t a form of arrest, but permission to ask someone if you can buy them a drink) + two drink tickets. Also, with this badge comes the right to ask anyone at festival where they grew up, when they had their first kiss, and for life-advice. Answers cannot be forced, but flash the badge, and ask away. Double also, a cute photo of Eugene’s cat will be emailed to you. (Note: this reward does not grant admission to any shows).
• Pledge $300 or more and receive an autographed ill-fitting children’s policeman, fireman, or army outfit that gets you and a friend after-show backstage access one evening to stand around awkwardly while comics talk about how their sets went + an autographed poster + a cute picture of Eugene’s cat will be emailed to you. (Note: this reward does not grant admission to any shows).
• Pledge $1,000 or more and your company will receive a fancy wall plaque that says “This plaque is to certify that YOUR COMPANY’S NAME has donated graciously to the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. That means YOUR COMPANY’S NAME is cool and ‘gets it.’ It means YOUR COMPANY’S NAME is attractive, possibly environmentally friendly, and a generous lover. This plaque certifies that YOUR COMPANY’S NAME is a brand that can be trusted, even in a blizzard or during war-time. YOUR COMPANY’S NAME is number one and we love you. Sincerely, The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival”
• Pledge $1,000 or more and have an animal in our petting zoo named after you + you get an autographed WWII helmet that says DOUBLE VIP that gets you and a guest into two festival shows (because of limited tickets, shows must be chosen in advance) + You’re invited to the Pre-Show Meet & Hug with Eugene at The Bell House, 4pm on Saturday, September 17th + access for you and a guest to the AWKWARD PARTY BUS with hors d’oeuvres and awkward surprises all weekend.
• Pledge $10,000 or more and Eugene will fly to any domestic destination of your choice and hand deliver a letter for you to a mutually agreed upon person in an accessible location within the next year + access to the VIP HUSH-HUSH AFTERPARTY, a roped off area in the middle of the main room of Bell House that will have complimentary champagne, cured meats, and fresh towels. So exclusive it sizzles; you will be the envy of everyone everywhere forever + access for you and a guest to the AWKWARD PARTY BUS with hors d’oeuvres and awkward surprises all weekend + a weirdly decorated, very heavy chain that gives you and a friend access to all the festival shows.
• Pledge $10,000 or more and receive a leather jacket covered in swears, culturally and racially insensitive messages and inspirational sayings that gives you and three friends access to all the festival shows + parties + a “handler” that will be assigned to you at the festival. This person will probably be around 22-years-old and only sort of helpful + 4 signed posters + a Vespa scooter with doodles by comedians all over it.

So, how could I not support such a fine cause?  Thankfully, other like-minded comedy lovers agreed and the project was successfully funded last week so I hope to see many of you out in Brooklyn next month!

As a somewhat avid gamer I’ve played all three systems as well as tried out their interactive gaming capabilities. Although Wii was the “one that started it all” it certainly isn’t the best, but I also wouldn’t consider it the worst. I used to be a huge Playstation advocate, it was my main system of choice and I was always defending it in debates with other gamers. Then it was announced that Xbox was releasing Project Natal (Kinects initial name before release). It looked amazing (and it is!). The Playstation Move didn’t come close to what the Wii was already offering and the Kinect was stating it would be capable of – so I started doing some research and decided to jump on the Xbox bandwagon. Kinect is an amazing interactive gaming experience that allows you ‘in game’ with friends, chat without microphones, share photos and so much more! Having recently moved to LA from Rhode Island it’s been a great way for me to keep in touch with friends and family too.

How about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and preferences as well!

 Summer ‘must-have’ lists are typically made in response to questions, such as “what to wear?”, “what to read?”, and “what to listen to?” This summer though, if your smartphone is readerless, then you are missing the proverbial boat.

 The question on everybody’s lips this summer is “what am I going to scan?”

My ‘must-have’ this summer is an app that scans 2-d bar codes or QR (Quick Response) codes, as we say in the biz.

QR codes (graphic boxes of black-and-white static) have stormed US shores. Everywhere I turn, whether I’m at a restaurant, shopping at the mall or even searching for real estate, I see them e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e! They taunt me to stop and scan them. The good news is, these QR codes are embedded with images, videos, websites, text…and there is usually some exclusive piece of content that I haven’t already received.

My recommendation is to download a reader if you haven’t already done so and check out the world in 2-d.   It might just make your summer list of best decisions.