And speaking of hiatus, I need one.  From life. Hot damn, I need a vacation.  It's been 2 years since I've been on a real vacay so I'm long overdue.  And no, my trip to Dallas in early February doesn't count. I am now 31 and painfully mindful of the fact that I haven't seen alot of this world. I've been to Canada and the Caribbean twice, respectively and Europe once.  And frankly, that's pitiful.

I will travel out of this country in 2010. This is not only a resolution but also a mandate. I'm setting some realistic goals.  First up, London.  No, I've never been to London.  And if I hear one more person tell me that it's not worth the money, or that it's such a boring, expensive, vanilla city, we'll act out that one scene in the Dark Knight..you know, the one with The Joker and the pencil?  I need to have the experience so I can come to the same conclusion.  Capisce?

And then I think I'll take advantage of a package deal.  I see alot of cheap packages to Ireland (think carefully about that pencil...) and Iceland (especially in the late Fall and Winter).  I think I'll just pull the trigger on one of those just to get a few more stamps in the passport. Or wherever there is an international travel deal, there will be me, agonizing over whether or not to put in my credit card info.

And what about the money?  Well it's no secret that I'm a foodie. So in order to realize my dreams this year, it's looking like I'm gonna have to make a foie gras and oyster sacrifice.  I see a lot of tuna noodle casserole dinners in my future.  And a whole lot of reality TV.  And Netflix.  Tonight's choice?  How about The Dark Knight?

            Some people have been dissing the restaurant lately.  But I think that really has to do with the price point (high) and the people who post on the review sites I typically refer to (broke).  I’m looking at you, Yelp.com. But anyway, on to the food.  I could talk about the décor and ambience but I choose not to waste time on it.  It’s lovely.  Moving on to the food.

• Appetizer: I had the rice cracker crusted tuna crusted sushi in a sriracha-citrus emulsion (aka scallion cream sauce).  My husband had the japanese snapper sashimi with black truffle shavings.  Both dishes were quite decadent but mine was amazing.  Sorry, Stuart.

• Main Entrée: I had the “famed” fried chicken with mushroom spaetzle and some sort of extra extra gingery couscous concoction.  It was aiight. Stuart had the Butter Poached Lobster.  There were some other things on his plate but I’m not really sure and it really didn’t matter because I couldn’t stop sneaking bites of the whole thing.  I’m sure you can guess who won this round.

• Dessert: We shared the twice baked butter coookie with coconut cream and rasberries.  Very lovely close to a very lovely meal.

 Stuart’s November birthday can’t get here fast enough. Happy Anniversary!

To be honest, like a lot of New York City dwellers, I’m unemployed and it’s been a struggle trying to find work, even short term contract positions.  I also lost my car. After 8 years of dutiful, sentimental, disaster-free service, my little black 2001 Toyota Echo lost it’s life (to be specific: it’s front wheel axle) in an accident on the George Washington Bridge. And because of this, I lost a great Project Manager contract opportunity at a retail company in New Jersey as car transportation was essential to complete the assignment. 

I know, I should appreciate surviving such an awful accident.  But it’s hard to part with something that you’ve put so much love, care and frankly, a lot of money into.  But I needed a little time to realize that it was just a thing and my health and wellness mean so much more. 

I’m staying positive.  I didn’t want to post the original post I had planned a couple of weeks ago: Things I Learned This Summer, which would have turned out to be a negative, snarky re-hash of all the crap that’s happened this summer and in 2009 on a whole.  Instead, I’m moving forward, staying strong, and keepin’ it real…

• Pigtails: Pretty good but my only complaint is there isn’t enough meat on the bone.  Not Brooklyn Star’s fault, but still at $11, you’d think the little piggy wouldn’t have sacrificed its life in vain.

• Mac & Cheese: I definitely balked at the price.  I mean, $16 for noodles and cheese?  Seriously?  Seriously worth every penny, in fact.  The mac came out in a small cast iron skillet, obviously straight from the oven as it was still bubbling and too hot to touch.  When it cooled, the bottom stuck to the pan and gave it a nice, soft and crunchy synergy.   I highly recommend.

• Pan Roasted Okra: OK, I’m a huge okra fan.  I’ll eat it any way it’s prepared, kinda like Forrest Gump and shrimp: fried, boiled, pan fried, pan roasted…you get the idea.  And last night’s version, sauteed with onions and a whole lot of spice was no exception.  Awesome.

• Dr. Pepper Short Ribs: This dish was by far my husband’s favorite.  They were perfectly charred and the sauce was neither sweet nor too sour. Just right.  In fact, the husband and I agreed, we could have done without the pigtails as this dish was a suitable and heartier replacement.

• Cornbread with Jalopeno and Bacon: You have the option of ordering the cornbread without the jalopeno and bacon, but why?  This dish also came out in a cast iron skillet, hot from the oven.  And one new twist from my first visit to this most recent one: they now bring out a little bottle of honey.  Nice touch as it added a much needed sweetness to the savory. 

So, should you eat at Brooklyn Star?  Sure, if you’re in the mood for some down-home southern eatin’ and you don’t mind dropping a little dough. Will I be back? You’d have to pay me to stay away.

So last night I attended  Digital Dumbo #8 at Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Digital Dumbo serves as a bridge to connect members of the Brooklyn digital community and each event is sponsored by a local digitally focused marketing and/or advertising agency.  Last night’s event was sponsored by space150, a digital agency with offices in Minneapolis, LA and NYC.  Their presentation (and really the entire mission of the agency) focused on the past 150 days and the next 150 days in the digital ad space.  While the presenters had a hard time engaging the audience, (open bar was kickin’ and poppin’ at top speed), their presentation was enlightening particularly in regard to their perspective on the future or what’s coming in the next 150 days of digital advertising. A few items of note:

• Roku: So I admit, I had never heard of Roku until last night. But the future of Roku is fascinating – particularly when it comes to gaming.  Now I’m not an intense gamer (see The Sims 3), but this is extreme immersion media. Check out Roku’s Reward (Mscape/HP Demo) to get a sense of the next phase of gaming. 

• Mobile Tagging: Wouldn’t it be cool if you aimed your mobile device at a neighborhood or a general location and it would be able to tell you where to find your local Target,  Best Buy, or tell you what kind of cuisine is served at the restaurant you’ve aimed your phone at, etc.? Yes, the iPhone already has apps in place that are doing something similar but I think space150 is predicting its expanse will be greater over the next 150 days. Not only is this convenient for the consumer but it’s also another sponsorship opportunity for big and small brands.  Yet another cool mobile advertising technique.

• Apple iPad (not to be mistaken with the MADTv parody): Don’t get it twisted.  This is not going to turn into another mac worshipping blog.  But this is KINDA cool.  

• The Tron 2 trailer. Insane. 

Those are the few things I remember.  Of course, 1) I wasn’t taking notes (just mental) and 2) I too was partaking in the free sangria, so detail is sparse.  But hey, the next 150 days looks pretty awesome to me.

Because the band I came to see wasn't on the stage, we had to endure the opening act: The xx (or so I thought). At first, I couldn't be bothered to get up off of the comfy banquettes in the back room (conveniently positioned next to the bar).  But to be honest, I was hooked after the first chords of the first song. Intrigued, I went out to the front to see who was playing such languid but pretty pop tunes.  Children! I mean these kids looked like they had just finished a Capri Sun and box of raisins. That was my first impression - how can someone so young make such simple, dark and charming melodies? I made a mental note to download as much as I could find as soon as I got home.

Their self-titled debut album is simply amazing. Dual vocals and thoughtful, straight-forward chords make for a stylish and soulful collaboration that's already getting album of the year buzz. But if you can't be bothered to download the whole album, I suggest checking out the following tracks: Night Time, Basic Space, Stars, Heart Skipped a Beat, Intro (the Intro? Really? Yes!)...oh just buy the entire album. You won't be disappointed. Also check out the track Blood Red Moon.  It's not on the debut album but it's a don't miss. In fact, I think the producers of the Twilight films need to consider this one for the New Moon soundtrack if they haven't already wrapped it.

The xx are coming back around in November. I'm getting my ticket and this time, the back room will have to wait. 

The first thing I do in the morning, like most people, is read the New York Times. Access to the “paper’s” content has evolved over time: from the printed paper covered in plastic and lying on your doorstep to the clean and crisp online site that exists today. It’s also evolved its online site for mobile web browsing compatibility and as of late, developed its very own iPhone application.

I have a love hate relationship with their app. But I must admit, lately I have to profess my love. Not only because article download time has improved immensely since inception, app crashes have decreased significantly, or the fact that all articles download upon opening of the app so reading on the R train is just as easy as reading while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, but also because The New York Times keeps improving their ad offerings.

The Atlantic showcases the latest ad offerings popping up in select articles in the app. Visa, 1-800-Flowers, and Fannie Mae present their ads in a series, prompting the reader to click through to view the next ad.

While the ad is obtrusive, taking you away from the content you originally clicked on, at least it suceeds in holding the reader’s attention and as an advertiser, that is the ultimate goal. Also, the idea of making the ad interactive to encourage the reader to click through to the end is brilliant because ultimately, if your reader is engaging with your brand now, they will remember you later when it’s most important: at decision and purchase time.

Everyone is saying mobile is the wave of the future of advertising. I’m on board with that, especially if media companies keep finding exciting ways to encourage users to physically interact with their brands. So it’s good to see that The New York Times is continuing to work hard on making their iPhone app not suck – for the reader and the advertiser.

• A chronicle of my life in Brooklyn.  OK, fine. I should have started this when I first moved to Brooklyn 3 years ago. But I'm starting it now with the hope of living at least another 3 years in New York City.  It's been an adventure and one I hope not to forget. Writing down as much as I can should help.
  
  
• My love of digital media and marketing.  I have a quiet passion for digital marketing and media trends. Quiet because loving and admiring anything digital or new media related in the print publishing industry would be reason for treason. But despite the obstacle, I will press on and discuss the trends and cool findings in this ever evolving arena. 
  
  
• My love of food, music, film, reality tv, etc., etc.  Occasionally I'll post my opinions on the aforementioned categories. Not promising love 100% of the time, though. 

This is the initial direction of this blog. Of course, everything is subject to change. Stand by.