Blogs

A tweet from @MBARI_News (Monterey Bay Aquarium Reasearch Institute), links to a good article in the SJ Merc. about the new, under-construction, Visitor Center for the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. It is here in Santa Cruz near the base of the wharf. I drive by it nearly every day and it is looking good. Should be open in June. It will inform visitors about the whole world that exists under the water's surface in the bay. The link to the Mercury article:

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_19701311

This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is under way and is being covered by Gizmodo, ( www.gizmodo.com ) and AnandTech (www.anandtech.com ) among others. I haven't seen anything reported from the show that is the "next big thing", but lots of new HDTVs and smartphones. Devices with Thunderbolt connections are now appearing. Although, Vizio is making a splash with the style of their new computers:

http://gizmodo.com/5874294/the-new-vizio-pcs-and-notebooks-are-worthy-of-apple

http://gizmodo.com/5874450/hands-on-with-vizios-edgy-new-tablet 

On a different topic, I recommend the German Pork Stew recipe from last Wednesday's Food section in the Sentinel. It is not heavy and it is healthier than most stews, because it has sweet potato and cabbage in it and orange juice, mustard, fennel, caraway and celery seeds make it tasty.

 Netflix Recommendations: Have you ever wondered what the guy who is called "Editor" on a movie does? He doesn't just mechanically assemble take after take. It is as important a creative process as the directing and acting. In "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing" (physical DVD only), you hear directors saying, "I went through years of pre-production, a year of production and finally I sat down with the editor in the editing room and said, 'Now, we can start to make the movie' ". And directors usually let the editors have great leeway to put the movie together how the editor wants, because they are coming to it with fresh eyes, they don't have the memories of battles won and lost in production. "The Magic of Movie Editing" is a good phrase, because this film does reveal editing magic that is like learning the secret to a magic trick. All those years watching movies and I never noticed these tricks. Filled with famous directors; Spielberg, Scorcese, Lucas, etc.; and the editors they worked with.

If that isn't your speed, then try "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" (streaming). Between the time he left the Tonight Show and starting the TBS show, Conan did a national tour where he did comedy and performed music. The movie is as much about their lives on the road; in buses, hotel rooms, back stage; as it is about the show itself. Conan is always funny on or off stage, but you do get an idea of how exhausting this kind of tour is and how even he can get grumpy.