Posts Tagged ‘Entertainment’

Family Media for the Holidays

In: Technology

By: Steve Stanfill on Dec 22, 2010 at 8:33 am

While I don’t generally write about media (Libby does such a capable job of that!), I thought that with this season, many families would gather and enjoy media on their home theater together around a roaring fire and a popcorn bowl.  It has been uncharacteristically (read, bitterly) cold in southern Indiana, and with the slick roads, some of our usual Holiday traditions have had to take a back seat to the realities of the wind howling outside.  So here are a couple of family friendly recommendations for cold winter nights from your resident tech guy:

Lark Rise to Candleford–For want of a better way to describe it, this is British “Little House on the Prairie”.  This television series is set around two villages in late 18th-early 19th century England–one prosperous, one not.  Set around Candleford’s center of social and business activity (the Post Office), this is a wonderful set of characters with equal measure of comedy and drama. Casting, direction, script, and production are all top notch–typical of the BBC.  Most of the family will enjoy this, with the possible exception of very young children.

Au Revoir Les Enfants–Certainly the darkest film on this list, this is the story of friendship in a French boarding school between two young boys, one a French Catholic and the other a Jew during the tumultuous time of the Nazi occupation of France.  Subtitled, but very engaging for all but young children.  This film is based on true events that occurred in the life of the director.

The Greatest Game Ever Played–Based on a true events, this is the story of golfer Francis Quimet’s upset victory over the defending champion in the 1913 US Open golf tournament.  Depicts a different era of sportsmanship and tolerance, with the positive and negative implications there.  A great story of friendship and coming-of-age.

Joyeux Noel–This is the (true) story of the Christmas Eve cease-fire of 1914 in World War I, set somewhere in Belgium.  Accompanied by an exquisite musical score by Phillipe Rombi, this film is a masterpiece on any level other than technical production.  The story is so good, you hardly notice.  Subtitled, again suitable for all that are old enough to understand the implications of sworn enemies reaching across a “no-man’s land” to celebrate Christmas.

I wish you peace, love, and joy for you and your loved ones this special season.

Until next time….

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Blast From The Past

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Dec 20, 2010 at 10:36 pm

As the holidays get in full swing this week, I am sure many of us will be getting together with our family and friends to celebrate.  I know that when I get together with my family and friends, we typically find something to keep us preoccupied whether it is watching the football games on the big screen, sitting around the kitchen table reminiscing about Christmas’ past or putting on one of our video games such as Wii Sports Resort.  But, as I was walking around my local Target in the board game section, I thought what happened to the good old days of pulling out a board game and playing for hours on end?

If you have forgotten what it’s like or don’t have any laying around your house to play, here’s some of my recommendations:

Monopoly – Who doesn’t love playing a real estate mogul?  Monopoly is a great game for the whole family and with all the different types of Monopoly out there, you’ll find one that suits your needs.

Cranium  Pop 5 – Figuring out how to get your teammates to guess the answer through the use of clay, paper and pencil, clues through specific letters or humming makes this game highly entertaining. This Cranium version definitely brings out your competitive side especially if you are playing boys vs. girls.

Battle of the Sexes – Think you know the opposite sex?  Battle of the Sexes tests your knowledge about the opposite sex by asking questions about topics you normally aren’t really interested in such as sports, fashion and entertainment.

Scene It? Squabble – Another game that challenges the battle of the sexes to see who reigns supreme.  It is similar to the Battle of the Sexes game except you use a DVD player for various parts of the game including guess the picture or movie, sound clips and much more.

Partini – They say it’s a party in a box and I couldn’t agree more.  Played with six different types of coasters such as Hum Punch, Bouncers, Straight Up, Clay Smoothies, Mime Twist and Straight Up will keep you laughing all night long.

I challenge you to pull out one of your favorite board games and remember how much fun you can have without being tied to all your electronic gadgets.

Happy Holidays!

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Loving All My Apps

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Dec 06, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Who doesn’t have a phone, iPad, e-Reader or tablet-like device that helps pass the time?  As an electronic aficionado, it is imperative to have my essential apps from news to sports to entertainment.  My apps are how I stay connected with the world at large.

I recently welcomed the iPad as the newest addition to my electronic family.  If you have never heard of the iPad or not sure what it is all about, check out Steve’s blog about it here.  And as much love as I have for my iPhone, the love for my iPad is even greater, if that is even possible!  The nice big screen, the ability to showcase movies, presentations or even read a book at a moment’s notice makes this device worthwhile.  But, I soon discovered not all apps are quite ready for the iPad just yet.  That discovery helped me find some new apps that I wouldn’t have given a second glance to if that wasn’t the case.

Here are some of my favorite must have apps:

HootSuite – This app is designed for the social media watchdog.  I have found this to be the best app for watching multiple streams, keywords and other social media apps in one convenient spot.  As the personality behind The WOW! Buzz’s Facebook and Twitter, HootSuite keeps me on top of all the conversations.

Nook – If you love reading and are a fan of Barnes & Noble, the Nook app is a great addition.  I agree with Steve about the feel of a book in your hands but the Nook is so impressive that it truly looks like you are reading from a book.

Dropbox -  Tired of dragging around flash drives or external hard drives?  Dropbox is a great way of placing your need to access files in a place that works on your computer, phone or iPad.  I just recently tried it and was impressed at how easy it was to use.  You can even share files with others without having to send an email, especially if it is a large file.

Flipboard – The ultimate convenient app if you want to read your latest Facebook and Twitter feeds along with other feeds of your choice.  It is setup like a magazine that you can personalize and it flips through the pages with the flick of your finger.  Very cool.

Well, those are some of my favorite apps.  I would love to hear what apps you can’t live without.

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What’s On TV Thanksgiving Day

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Nov 22, 2010 at 10:01 am

After seeing the match-ups for the upcoming NFL Thanksgiving Day games, I’m not sure how entertaining those will be so I decided to see what else is on the tube.  Here’s what I found:

  • Fan of the Macy’s Day parade?  Hit up CBS if you are looking for highlights of the parade along with performances from Carrie Underwood and various Broadway musical casts.  The actual Macy’s Day Parade is on NBC with a bigger star studded lineup including Kanye West, Jessica Simpson, Jimmy Fallon and more.
  • TLC has a Cake Boss marathon Thanksgiving Day if you are a fan of Buddy and his amazing cake creations.
  • It’s not the start of the holiday season without the debut of a Miracle on 34th Street which will be on NBC in the early afternoon.
  • Want to see homes available in exotic locations?  HGTV is running a House Hunters International marathon for most of the day.
  • Another Thanksgiving staple is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving which will air on ABC Thursday evening.
  • If you’re looking for some concerts right at home, Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour on NBC and Beyonce’s I Am World Tour on ABC.

Hope this helps you find something to watch on Thanksgiving Day. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

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I Can’t Live Without My Phone!

In: Entertainment

By: Libby Pawlick on Nov 01, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Think back about 12-14 years ago when cell phones were non-existent or too expensive for the general public – the ability to drive home in peace and quiet, no one interrupting your date night or even an important meeting.  Slowly cell phones started weaving their way into our lives and today we have mini panic attacks if we forget them at home, even if we are just running to the store for a quick errand.  How crazy is that!  The other day I happened to pull up Yahoo and the headline on the front page showed a baby and it was talking about how smartphones, especially the iPhone, have become a pacifier.  I started to think about my phone usage and realized that I truly am connected to my phone and have a hard time putting it down, like a pacifier. (It’s hard to admit it, but it is so true.)

My passion for social media makes me connected to the Internet at every waking moment.  It is hard at times to sit through a meeting or even a dinner without wanting to surf the web.  Where did this co-dependency happen?  It happened when cell phone companies and manufacturers brought the convenience of a lap top computer to the palm size device in my hand.  I love shopping for apps on both my iPhone and G2.  Who doesn’t want to know what restaurant I just checked in at (I love being the Duchess of Los Fernandez Taqueria in Streamwood on Yelp) or what I am up to via Facebook.  But the problem is, that the minute we get bored, we turn to our phone to amuse us.  My question to you, WOW! Buzz reader, how important is your phone for your entertainment needs when you are on the go?

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