Dennis Hopper. actor and art collector

"I started acting at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, from the time I was thirteen years old to when I was seventeen. I was doing Shakespeare and plays at the Old Globe in Balboa Park." Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper (1946-2010) and some of his beloved paintings.
If you read the celebrity columns and blogs, Dennis Hopper is often treated as an oddball, an eccentric actor. Much of it is true. Once spurned by Hollywood and nearly destroyed by drugs, he bounced back as so many of us do. And over a long career he worked hard to redeem his reputation.

In later years, his feet were solidly planted on the ground. For one thing he collected art. Not as an investment (though he seems to have quite an eye for emerging artists) but as a tool, perhaps even an obsession that enriched his acting. For another, he voted Republican, something most people are surprised to learn. He was a wonderfully complex person, a living contradiction.

"My whole written history is one big lie! [laughs] I mean, I can't even believe my history. But I did have the first Campbell's Soup painting. It was in the office at Virginia Dwan's, and I bought it for $75. This is '62 or '63. "Dennis Hopper

We will miss him, Perhaps the best memory we could take away of him is that of someone who was as curious about the visual arts as about life.

On Android Compatibility

[This post is by Dan Morrill, Open Source & Compatibility Program Manager. � Tim Bray]

At Google I/O 2010, we announced that there are over 60 Android models now, selling 100,000 units a day. When I wear my open-source hat, this is exciting: every day the equivalent of the entire population of my old home city starts using open-source software, possibly for the first time. When I put on my hat for Android Compatibility, this is humbling: that�s a whole lotta phones that can all share the same apps.

Another thing we launched at Google I/O was an upgraded and expanded source.android.com. The new version has refreshed info on the Android Open-Source Project, and some new tips and tools for device manufacturers � useful if you�re an OEM. However, it also has details on the Android compatibility program, now. This is also aimed mostly at OEMs, but Tim Bray suggested that developers might be interested in a peek at how we keep those 100,000 devices marching to the same beat, every day. So here I am, back on the blog.

The F-word, or, Remember remember the fifth of November

I remember sitting with my colleagues in a conference room in Building 44 on November 5, 2007, listening to Andy Rubin and Eric Schmidt announce Android to the world. I remember a lot of the press stories, too. For instance, Android was �just words on paper� which was especially entertaining since I knew we were getting ready to launch the first early-look SDK a mere week later.

Another meme I remember is... yes, �fragmentation�. Literally before the close of business on the same day we announced Android (4:46pm to be precise), I saw the first article about Android �fragmentation.� The first day wasn�t even over yet, and the press had already decided that Android would have a �fragmentation� problem.

The thing is, nobody ever defined �fragmentation� � or rather, everybody has a different definition. Some people use it to mean too many mobile operating systems; others to refer to optional APIs causing inconsistent platform implementations; still others use it to refer to �locked down� devices, or even to the existence of multiple versions of the software at the same time. I�ve even seen it used to refer to the existence of different UI skins. Most of these definitions don�t even have any impact on whether apps can run!

Because it means everything, it actually means nothing, so the term is useless. Stories on �fragmentation� are dramatic and they drive traffic to pundits� blogs, but they have little to do with reality. �Fragmentation� is a bogeyman, a red herring, a story you tell to frighten junior developers. Yawn.

Compatibility

Now, that�s not to say that there aren�t real challenges in making sure that Android devices are compatible with each other, or that there aren�t very real concerns that keep app developers awake at night. There definitely are, and I spend a great deal of time indeed thinking about them and addressing them. The trick is to define them clearly.

We define �Android compatibility� to be the ability of a device to properly run apps written with the Android SDK. This is a deceptively simple way to frame it, because there are a number of things that can go wrong. Here are a few:

• Bugs - devices might simply have bugs, such as a buggy Bluetooth driver or an incorrectly implemented GPS API.

• Missing components - devices might omit hardware (such as a camera) that apps expect, and attempt to �fake� or stub out the corresponding API.

• Added or altered APIs - devices might add or alter APIs that aren�t part of standard Android. Done correctly this is innovation; done poorly and it�s �embrace and extend�.

Each of these is an example of something that can make an app not run properly on a device. They might run, but they won�t run properly. These are the things that I spend my time preventing.

How It Works

As stewards of the platform we realize that it�s vital to allow only compatible devices to participate in the Android ecosystem. So, we make compatibility a strict prerequisite for access to Android Market and the right to use the Android name. This means that developers can rely on the fact that Android Market � the keystone of the Android ecosystem � will only allow their apps to run on compatible devices. It�s pretty self-evident that a single app ecosystem is better than many small ones, so OEMs are generally pretty motivated to ship compatible devices.

But motivation alone doesn�t get us very far without tools to actually ensure compatibility, which is where the Android compatibility program comes in. This program is like a stool with three legs: the Android source code, the Compatibility Definition Document, and the Compatibility Test Suite.

It all starts with the Android source code. Android is not a specification, or a distribution in the traditional Linux sense. It�s not a collection of replaceable components. Android is a chunk of software that you port to a device. For the most part, Android devices are running the same code. The fact that all Android devices run the same core Android code goes a long way toward making sure those devices all work the same way.

However, this doesn�t solve the problems of missing components or altered APIs, because the source code can always be tweaked. This is where the Compatibility Definition Document (or CDD) comes in. The CDD defines in gory detail exactly what is expected of Android devices. It clearly states, for example, that devices may not omit most components, and that the official Android APIs may not be altered. In a nutshell, the CDD exists to remove ambiguities around what�s required of an Android device.

Of course, none of that overcomes the simple reality of human error � bugs. This is where the Compatibility Test Suite comes in. The CTS is a collection of more than 20,000 test cases that check Android device implementations for known issues. Device makers run the CTS on their devices throughout the development process, and use it to identify and fix bugs early. This helps ensure that the builds they finally ship are as bug-free as possible.

Keeping Up with the Times

We�ve been operating this compatibility process with our OEM partners for over a year now, and it�s largely responsible for those 60+ device models being interoperable. However no process is ever perfect and no test suite is ever 100% comprehensive, and sometimes bugs get through. What happens then?

Well, we have great relationships with our OEMs, and like I said, they�re motivated to be compatible. Whenever we hear about a serious bug affecting apps, we report it to our partners, and they typically prepare a bugfix release and get it out to end users. We will also typically add a test case to the CTS to catch that problem for future devices. It�s an ongoing process, but generally our partners are as interested as we are in the user experience of the devices they sell.

The mobile industry today is �very exciting�, which is code for �changes painfully fast�. We believe that the only way Android will be a success is to keep up with that change, and ultimately drive that change. This means that over time, the CDD will also change. We�ll add new text to handle problem cases we encounter, and the actual requirements will change to accommodate the innovations happening in the field. For example, in the 2.1/Eclair CDD, we tweaked the CDD slightly to make telephony optional, which allows Android to ship compatibly on non-phone handheld devices. Whenever we do this, of course, we�ll make corresponding changes to the Android APIs and Android Market to make sure that your apps are protected from ill effects.

On a somewhat related note, a lot of ink has been spilled on the fact that there are multiple versions of Android out there in users� hands at the same time. While it�s true that devices without the latest software can�t run some of the latest apps, Android is 100% forward compatible � apps written properly for older versions also run on the newest versions. The choice is in app developers� hands as to whether they want to live on the bleeding edge for the flashiest features, or stay on older versions for the largest possible audience. And in the long term, as the mobile industry gets more accustomed to the idea of upgradeable phone software, more and more devices will be be upgraded.

What It Means for You

All that is great � but what does it mean for developers? Well, we put together a page in the SDK Documentation to explain this, so you should take a look there. But really it boils down to this:

1. As a developer, you simply decide what features your app requires, and list them in your app�s AndroidManifest.xml.

2. The Android compatibility program ensures that only compatible devices have access to Android Market.

3. Android Market makes sure your app is only visible to those devices where it will run correctly, by filtering your app from devices which don�t have the features you listed.

That�s all!

There almost certainly will be devices that have access to Android Market that probably weren�t quite what you had in mind when you wrote your app. But this is a very good thing � it increases the size of the potential audience for your app. As long as you accurately list your app�s requirements, we�ll do the rest and make sure that your app won�t be accessible to a device where it won�t run properly. After all, we�re app developers ourselves, and we know how painful it is to deal with users upset about an app not working on a device it wasn�t designed for.

Now, that�s not to say that we think our current solution is perfect � no solution is. But we�re continuously working on improvements to the SDK tools and Android Market to make your life as an Android developer even easier. Keep an eye on this blog and on the Android Market itself for the latest info.

Thanks for reading, and happy coding!

Yes, a wee bit scattered but happy!

I'm all about BBQ's (aka cookouts), fireworks, pooltime and kidtime right now!  I've been pretty relaxed these past days and realized that although the Curlie Birdie giveaway post said it was ending on Sunday (yesterday), my reminder said it ended today.  So....I am giving everyone a few last hours to enter this fabulous giveaway.  Blame it on my scatterbrain!  Good luck to everybody.  Still dreaming on chubby feet in tiny shoes...

Winners will be posted tomorrow morning!

Curly Birdie Handmade Bootie Giveaway ends Monday!

There's still time!  The Curly Birdie giveaway ends Monday.  Now put down that cheeseburger (or veggie burger) and click here to enter a fabulous pair of baby shoes - winner's choice!

Have a great Memorial Day!

Pop time!

My kids go through a lot of pops in the Summer.  For Christmas, my Mom got us a Zoku Quick Pop Maker from Williams Sonoma and I just rediscovered it the other day.  That pop maker freezes 'em super fast, in about 7 minutes but any popcicle mold, or cup will do.  Trust me, these pops are delicious!  I can't wait until we can use freshly picked strawberries in them.  So good! 

Strawberry Lemonade Quick PopsYields 6
Ingredients
1 cup lemonade
4 oz hulled strawberries

Picture from Zoku.com

Directions
1. Add lemonade and strawberries to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve into a measuring cup, using a spoon to push it through faster. If the mixture is foamy, let it sit for 20 minutes to settle down. Then give it a gentle stir before assembling pops.

2. Remove The Quick Pop� Maker from your freezer, insert sticks and pour the strawberry lemonade blend into molds until you reach the fill line. Let freeze completely, then remove the pops with the Super Tool and enjoy! Repeat with remaining 3 pops.

For more recipes,  you can download a list of them including Sour Grapes, Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pop, Pomegranate Apple Cider and Chocolate Chocolate Pops...yum!  Click here for the recipes!

Android Cloud To Device Messaging

[This post is by Wei Huang, who helped implement this feature. � Tim Bray]

In the just-launched Android 2.2, we�ve added a new service to help developers send data from servers to their applications on Android phones. Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) makes it easier for mobile applications to sync data with servers.

Most of the useful applications on your mobile phone use the Internet to keep users connected. Traditionally, many apps use polling to fetch data periodically. POP mail clients, for example, connect to the server every 15 minutes or so. Polling is fairly easy to implement, and works well in many situations. It�s tricky, though, to select the frequency: Poll too often, you may not see any new data, and create unnecessary stress on the server and network. Poll too rarely and the data on the device may become stale. Polling is especially problematic on mobile devices, because it consumes precious network bandwidth and battery life.

Having the server push messages to the client asynchronously may be a superior choice for getting the latest data to your applications, resulting in fresher data and more efficient use of the network and your battery. However, it�s also tricky to implement a good push solution, and it isn�t free as there is some overhead in maintaining the required connection. On a mobile device like an Android phone, implementing applications to receive these messages is tricky; you have to worry about patchy network coverage and zombie connections created when the wireless carrier�s routers time out connections that are idle for too long.

Many of the Google applications on Android already use push to keep their data fresh, for example Gmail, Contacts, and Calendar. Starting with Android 2.2, C2DM allows third-party developers to use the same service the Google apps do.

Here are a few basic things to know about C2DM:

• It requires Android 2.2; C2DM uses Google services which are present on any device running the Android Market.

• It uses existing connections for Google services. This requires the users to sign into their Google account on Android.

• It allows 3rd party servers to send lightweight data messages to their apps. The C2DM service is not designed for pushing a lot of user content; rather it should be used like a �tickle�, to tell the app that there is new data on the server, so the app can fetch it.

• An application doesn�t need to be running to receive data messages. The system will wake up the app via an Intent broadcast when the the data message arrives, so long as the app is set up with the proper Intent Receiver and permissions.

• No user interface is required for receiving the data messages. The app can post a notification (or display other UI) if it desires.

It�s easy to use the C2DM API. Here is how it works:

• To enable C2DM, an application on the device registers with Google and get a registration ID, and sends the ID to its server.

• When the server needs to push a message to the app on the device, it posts the message via HTTP to Google�s C2DM servers.

• The C2DM servers route the message to the device, and an Intent broadcast is sent to the app.

• The app is woken up to process the message in its Intent Receiver.

• The app can unregister with C2DM when the user no longer wants messages to be pushed to it.

That�s about it! All you need is a server that knows to talk HTTP, and an Android app that knows how to use the Intent APIs. Below are some code samples:

// Use the Intent API to get a registration ID
// Registration ID is compartmentalized per app/device
Intent regIntent = new Intent(
        "com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTER");
// Identify your app
regIntent.putExtra("app",
        PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this /* your activity */, 
            0, new Intent(), 0);
// Identify role account server will use to send
regIntent.putExtra("sender", emailOfSender);
// Start the registration process
startService(regIntent);

The registration ID will be delivered back to your app via an intent broadcast with the Intent Action com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION. Here is a code sample to receive the registration ID.

// Registration ID received via an Intent
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
  String action = intent.getAction();
  if (�com.google.android.c2dm.intent.REGISTRATION�.equals(action)) {
    handleRegistration(context, intent);
  }
}

public void handleRegistration(Context context, Intent intent) {
  String id = intent.getExtra(�registration_id�);
  if ((intent.getExtra(�error�) != null) {
    // Registration failed.  Try again later, with backoff.
  } else if (id != null) {
    // Send the registration ID to the app�s server.
    // Be sure to do this in a separate thread.
  }
}

On the server side, your server needs to get a ClientLogin Auth token in order to talk to the C2DM servers. When it wants to push a message to the device, it can send an authenticated http POST with:

• Authorization: GoogleLogin auth=<auth token>

• URL encoded parameters including the registration id, the data key/value pairs, a �collapse key� used for overriding old messages with the same key on the Google C2DM servers, and a few other optional params.

When you use the C2DM service, you no longer need to worry about dealing with flaky mobile data connections, or when the user isn�t connected to the internet (i.e. Airplane mode). C2DM keeps the messages in the server store, and delivers them when the device comes back online. Basically, you can leave all the hard work of designing a robust push service to Google. Your application can take advantage of push infrastructure we�ve already built and tested, and stay more connected to the internet. Best of all, you won�t ruin the users� battery life.

Information about how to build C2DM enabled applications on Android is online at the code lab, and more will be coming as we approach general release.

Thank you Mr Gingerbread Man!

This year, Riley requested a husky birthday cake.  She's an avid dog lover and has certain breeds she prefers over others.  How about cupcakes?  Nope.  "Next year we can do cupcakes but I really have my heart set on a husky cake this year!"  Ahhhh, the drama.  Of course you do!  It couldn't be a flower, a butterfly or just some plain old cake.  I hit the craft store, no plain old dog face mold, forget a husky specific mold!  So, I attempted to do it on my own.  I used a standard round cake pan and enlisted the help of my trusty gingerbread man cake mold for the ears, using the gingerbread man's arms and the husky's nose by using the gingerbread man's foot.  I created texture with the frosting and tried to use just a little gray frosting (gray frosting = yuck!) to accent his ears.  Riley was pretty thrilled with the results and I was happy to confirm that you can really trust a good man!

Also happy to report that this cake was simple and quick, it took me less than an hour to decorate, unlike last year's puppy cake....

Next year, I think we'll order!

Honey Grilled Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
500 gr chicken wings

Marinade:
50 gr finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp tomato sauce
50 ml lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste

How to cook:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Marinate the wings for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
• Place the wings in the heat-resistant dish and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
• Basting with remaining marinade occasionally.
• Remove and allow a minute before serving to prevent overheating.

Remove and serve.

Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen invites you to try Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash recipe. Enjoy Delicious Arabic food and laern how to make Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash dish. Spice up white fish fillets with a flavoured butter and serve with fluffy sweet potato mash.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp butter , softened
1 garlic clove , crushed
0.5-1 tsp harissa (Belazu is good)
zest 1 lemon
small handful coriander , most chopped, rest left whole
fingertip-size piece fresh root ginger , finely grated
2 skinless white fish fillets (look for sustainably caught)

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 10 mins or until just tender when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, mix together the butter with the garlic, harissa, lemon zest, chopped coriander and some seasoning. When the potatoes are ready, drain thoroughly, mash with the ginger and seasoning, then keep warm.

2. Place the fish in a roasting tin, season, then spread half the flavoured butter over each fillet. Roast for about 8 mins until just cooked through. Serve with the ginger mash and some green veg.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

445 kcalories, protein 36g, carbohydrate 65g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 0g, sugar 17g, salt 0.67 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.

Moroccan Fish Recipe - Moroccan Fish Bastila (Pastilla) - Moroccan Salmon Recipe

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Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen invites you to try Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash recipe. Enjoy Delicious Arabic food and laern how to make Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash dish. Spice up white fish fillets with a flavoured butter and serve with fluffy sweet potato mash.

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp butter , softened
1 garlic clove , crushed
0.5-1 tsp harissa (Belazu is good)
zest 1 lemon
small handful coriander , most chopped, rest left whole
fingertip-size piece fresh root ginger , finely grated
2 skinless white fish fillets (look for sustainably caught)

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cook the sweet potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 10 mins or until just tender when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, mix together the butter with the garlic, harissa, lemon zest, chopped coriander and some seasoning. When the potatoes are ready, drain thoroughly, mash with the ginger and seasoning, then keep warm.

2. Place the fish in a roasting tin, season, then spread half the flavoured butter over each fillet. Roast for about 8 mins until just cooked through. Serve with the ginger mash and some green veg.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

445 kcalories, protein 36g, carbohydrate 65g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 0g, sugar 17g, salt 0.67 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.

Moroccan Fish Recipe - Moroccan Fish Bastila (Pastilla) - Moroccan Salmon Recipe

Save and share Moroccan spiced fish with ginger mash recipe

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Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen invites you to try Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe. Enjoy cooking delicious Arabic food and learn how to make Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad. This salad is delicious served with grills, or serve with couscous for a veggie lunch.

Ingredients

2 aubergines
2-3 tbsp olive oil
400g can chickpeas
good bunch fresh coriander , roughly chopped
1 red onion , finely chopped
FOR THE DRESSING

1 tsp each paprika and ground cumin
1 tsp clear honey
1 lemon , juice only
4 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Thickly slice the aubergines and arrange over a grill rack. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until browned. Turn them over, brush and season again then cook until tender, about 8-10 mins in total. Remove from the grill and cut each slice into quarters.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into a bowl with the aubergine, coriander and red onion. Mix the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, shake well, then use to dress the salad.

Nutrition per serving
263 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 6g, sugar 6g, salt 0.35 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2006.

Moroccan tomato and chickpea salad - Marinated Sturgeon with Moroccan Chickpea Salad - Chickpea Fattoush

Save and share Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.

Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen invites you to try Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe. Enjoy cooking delicious Arabic food and learn how to make Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad. This salad is delicious served with grills, or serve with couscous for a veggie lunch.

Ingredients

2 aubergines
2-3 tbsp olive oil
400g can chickpeas
good bunch fresh coriander , roughly chopped
1 red onion , finely chopped
FOR THE DRESSING

1 tsp each paprika and ground cumin
1 tsp clear honey
1 lemon , juice only
4 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Thickly slice the aubergines and arrange over a grill rack. Brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill until browned. Turn them over, brush and season again then cook until tender, about 8-10 mins in total. Remove from the grill and cut each slice into quarters.

2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into a bowl with the aubergine, coriander and red onion. Mix the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, shake well, then use to dress the salad.

Nutrition per serving
263 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 6g, sugar 6g, salt 0.35 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2006.

Moroccan tomato and chickpea salad - Marinated Sturgeon with Moroccan Chickpea Salad - Chickpea Fattoush

Save and share Moroccan aubergine & chickpea salad recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.

Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices recipe

The Arabic Food Kitchen invites you to try Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices recipe. Enjoy Arabic Food and learn how to make delicious & easy Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices dish. This fresh-flavoured roast is lightly spiced with a hint of citrus � an ideal dinner for two

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp harissa paste (use 1� tbsp if you like it hot)
� tsp cumin
� tsp turmeric
� tsp paprika
� tsp ground coriander
20g pack flatleaf parsley , chopped
� small lemon , juice only
1 rack of lamb (6-8 cutlets, see tip, below)
2 carrots , peeled and cut into chunks
100g couscous
150ml vegetable stock
1 satsuma , juice only
� tsp ground allspice
� x 20g pack of fresh mint , chopped
� red onion , finely chopped
50g flaked almonds , toasted
Greek yogurt , to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Mix 2 tbsp of the olive oil with the harissa, then add the cumin, turmeric, paprika and coriander, half the parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then stir. Sit the lamb in a roasting tray, season well, then spread the spice mix over surface of the meat. Roast for 20-25 minutes for rare to medium, 30 minutes for well done.

2. Meanwhile, throw the carrots into a small roasting tin, add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until carrots are just browning slightly at the edges.

3. Just before you take the carrots out of the oven, prepare the couscous. Tip it into a bowl, pour over the hot stock, then leave to stand for 5 minutes. Break the couscous up with a fork and leave to cool. Add the remaining olive oil and parsley, satsuma juice, allspice, mint and onion, stir well, then add the cooked carrots and season.

4. Put the lamb on a warmed plate and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice it in half to give 3-4 cutlets each, then cut in half again. Spoon the couscous on to two plates, scatter over the almonds and top with the lamb. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Try
Good Food know-how

You can buy a ready-trimmed rack of lamb from the chilled section of some large supermarkets. The rack will have about 7-8 rib bones, giving you 3-4 cutlets each. Otherwise, order it from your local butcher or supermarket meat counter. Explain how you want to cook it, and ask them to trim the ribs right down to the fillet and remove the outer layer of fat.

Nutrition per serving
888 kcalories, protein 34g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 67 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 5g, salt 1.22 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2004.

Lebanese Lamb Chops with Lemony Lettuce Recipe - Lamb chops with fruity couscous & mint recipe - Moroccan lamb steaks with fattoush

Save and share Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.

Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices recipe

The Arabic Food Kitchen invites you to try Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices recipe. Enjoy Arabic Food and learn how to make delicious & easy Roast rack of lamb with Moroccan spices dish. This fresh-flavoured roast is lightly spiced with a hint of citrus � an ideal dinner for two

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp harissa paste (use 1� tbsp if you like it hot)
� tsp cumin
� tsp turmeric
� tsp paprika
� tsp ground coriander
20g pack flatleaf parsley , chopped
� small lemon , juice only
1 rack of lamb (6-8 cutlets, see tip, below)
2 carrots , peeled and cut into chunks
100g couscous
150ml vegetable stock
1 satsuma , juice only
� tsp ground allspice
� x 20g pack of fresh mint , chopped
� red onion , finely chopped
50g flaked almonds , toasted
Greek yogurt , to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Mix 2 tbsp of the olive oil with the harissa, then add the cumin, turmeric, paprika and coriander, half the parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then stir. Sit the lamb in a roasting tray, season well, then spread the spice mix over surface of the meat. Roast for 20-25 minutes for rare to medium, 30 minutes for well done.

2. Meanwhile, throw the carrots into a small roasting tin, add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until carrots are just browning slightly at the edges.

3. Just before you take the carrots out of the oven, prepare the couscous. Tip it into a bowl, pour over the hot stock, then leave to stand for 5 minutes. Break the couscous up with a fork and leave to cool. Add the remaining olive oil and parsley, satsuma juice, allspice, mint and onion, stir well, then add the cooked carrots and season.

4. Put the lamb on a warmed plate and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice it in half to give 3-4 cutlets each, then cut in half again. Spoon the couscous on to two plates, scatter over the almonds and top with the lamb. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Try
Good Food know-how

You can buy a ready-trimmed rack of lamb from the chilled section of some large supermarkets. The rack will have about 7-8 rib bones, giving you 3-4 cutlets each. Otherwise, order it from your local butcher or supermarket meat counter. Explain how you want to cook it, and ask them to trim the ribs right down to the fillet and remove the outer layer of fat.

Nutrition per serving
888 kcalories, protein 34g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 67 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 5g, salt 1.22 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2004.

Lebanese Lamb Chops with Lemony Lettuce Recipe - Lamb chops with fruity couscous & mint recipe - Moroccan lamb steaks with fattoush

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Broadway has another Billion Dollar Year

Actually, only a couple of theatres are on Broadway itself.

The Broadway League released end-of-season statistics for the 2009 � 2010 season, which began May 25, 2009 and ended May 23, 2010. For the 2009 � 2010 season, Broadway shows yielded $1.02 billion in grosses, and total attendances reached 11.89 million.

Grosses are up 1.5% from last season's absolute numbers (which do not include Young Frankenstein*). Attendance is down 3.0% from the 2008 � 2009 season, also using absolute numbers.

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, said, �Using the numbers we know, grosses were up 1.5% over last season. However, if we factor in estimated figures for Young Frankenstein which ran 32 weeks in 2008 � 2009, it could be down slightly this season � perhaps as much as 1.0% in grosses. In any case, it seems that even in this current economic climate, the numbers are strong thanks to the vibrancy of this season's offerings.�

The League recently studied the demographics of theatre-goers and found that, for Broadway, international visitors accounted for one in five admissions. Tourists in general accounted for a whopping 63% of Broadway admissions, though that could be a misleading statistic since under their parameters I would be considered a tourist, not the Broadway regular I consider myself.

The report also shows that the use of the Internet for the purchase of tickets has grown by 471% since the 1999-2000 season (from 7% to 40%). Online purchase was the most popular method of ticket buying for a fifth year in row.

During the 2009-2010 season, 39 shows opened (11 new musicals, 14 new plays, 6 musical revivals, and 8 play revivals).

The total for 2009-10 was $1.02 billion vs. $1.00 billion in 2008-9.

The more important figure was the gross attendance and that was 11.89 million in the last year, vs. 12.25 million the year before, representing a decline.

Broadway audience is aging
The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 42.2 years old, slightly older than last season, while those aged from 25-34accounted for 16% of all tickets sold, higher than it has been since the 1999-2000 season. But younger audiences generally seem to prefer the more edgy (and cheaper) offerings of off-Broadway and off-off Broadway houses.

Broadway theatregoers were a very well educated and affluent group. In addition to an annual reported income of $195,700, 73% of theatregoers over the age of 25 had completed college and 36% had earned a graduate degree.

�Broadway is a national pastime! As there is more of a choice for the theatregoer than ever before, it is exciting to report that we are seeing a wider audience for Broadway. Our shows, and our audience, are more diverse than ever,� continued Charlotte St. Martin. �With our goal to make Broadway a stronger international brand, we do believe that the increased attendance from foreign visitors to New York City reflects that these efforts are working. A stronger international brand will not only be an asset for Broadway�s business, but for the New York City economy as well.�

*Estimates for Young Frankenstein, which played 32 weeks during the 2008-09 season are not included here (previews began 10/11/07, closed 1/4/09 ) The producers refused to cooperate with the Broadway League and insisted on keeping their numbers to themselves.

The days are flying by...

A month from today, we'll be celebrating my little Sydney's 2nd birthday.  My, how time flies!  She's starting to string together words now and we never know what's going to come out of her mouth.  Last night, she said, "Sit here Mama, read 'dis book".  She's also asking all sorts of questions, "Where's Riley Mama?", "Are you hungey Mama?" 

The best yesterday (by far) was when I heard her leaning down to give dada a great big morning kiss and she said, "Pee-you Dada, stinky!"  Gotta love the honesty possessed by an almost 2 year old!

Indonesian Chicken Stew [Rendang Ayam]

Ingredients:

1.5 kg chicken, cut into 8
� tsp turmeric powder
� teaspoon salt
200 ml of water to boil
3 tablespoons cooking oil
5 btnG lemongrass, crushed
Thick coconut milk 1 l

Blend:
10 red chili
10 onions
5 cloves garlic
4 cm ginger
2 tablespoons coriander, toasted
1 tsp cumin, toasted
� teaspoon salt

How to cook:

• Marinate chicken pieces with salt and turmeric powder until blended.
• Boil until cooked and water dry out.
• Heat oil, saute ground spices and lemon grass until fragrant.
• Pour the thick coconut milk, bring to a boil while stirring.
• Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked and sauce thickens.
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Cook the remaining coconut milk until thick and oily.

Remove and pour over chicken. Serve warm.

Dalvik JIT

[This post is by Dan Bornstein, virtual-machine wrangler. � Tim Bray]

As the tech lead for the Dalvik team within the Android project, I spend my time working on the virtual machine (VM) and core class libraries that sit beneath the Android application framework. This layer is mostly invisible to end users, but done right, it helps make Android devices run smoothly and improves developer productivity.

The 2.2 release is particularly pleasing to me, as it is the first release since before 1.0 in which we have been able to deliver significantly new VM technology. And unlike much of what my team and I do, it is something that can be experienced directly by end users.

�Dalvik� isn�t exactly a household word (at least in my country), and most people wouldn�t know a virtual machine if it hit them in the face, but when you tell them you were able to make their existing device work better � run faster, use less battery � they will actually take notice!

What Makes This Possible?

We added a Just In Time (JIT) compiler to the Dalvik VM. The JIT is a software component which takes application code, analyzes it, and actively translates it into a form that runs faster, doing so while the application continues to run. If you want to learn more about the design of the Dalvik JIT, please watch the excellent talk from Google I/O 2010 given by my colleagues Bill Buzbee and Ben Cheng, which should be posted to YouTube very soon.

To be clear, the differences aren�t always dramatic, nor do they apply uniformly to all applications. Code that is written to run the CPU all-out can now do more in the same amount of time (running faster), and code that is written to be rate-limited can get its work done using less time and less of the CPU (using less battery). On the performance front in particular, we have seen realistic improvements of 2x to 5x for CPU-bound code, compared to the previous version of the Dalvik VM. This is equivalent to about 4x to 10x faster than a more traditional interpreter implementation.

The team is proud of our new JIT in general, but we are especially proud of two aspects of it:

Many previous JIT implementations react slowly, delivering performance improvements only after a long warm up period. In the extreme, it can be minutes or even hours before the code is fully up to speed. On the other hand, the Dalvik JIT reacts quickly, so that mere moments after you hit the �Start� button on your favorite game, you are already benefiting from the work of the JIT.

We are also very pleased with how little memory the JIT uses. The code for the JIT itself is well under 100k, and each process that the JIT runs in will typically only use another 100k or so of RAM. On the current generation of Android phones, device users won�t even notice this additional memory usage; on my own phone, I can still have literally dozens of applications warmed up in memory and ready to go.

The Dalvik team isn�t resting on its laurels, either. We are hoping to see the Dalvik JIT deployed on many devices in the coming months. Looking forward, the team has an endless list of ideas for making the VM and library code better, which we are diligently working on.

Spring = Flowers

Check out what I won over at Skylar's Candy Clips...two adorable hair goodies, one for each of my girlies!  We won a pretty daisy hair clip like the one here and an unexpected bonus, a dainty pink flower hair clip that my most un-dainty Sydney is sporting.  Here are a couple of others that I'm loving, the Shirley Headband and these pretty pink hydrangea hair clips.

Thank you Skylar's Candy Clips for the great loot!  Check out her blog here, where she discusses a little bit of everything and gives you sneak peeks of her upcoming creations!  Love that!

Coconut Milked Chicken in Banana Leaf

Ingredients:

250 ml thick coconut milk
400 g whole chicken, cut into 6
6 onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
12 fruit of cayenne pepper
2 cm ginger, thinly sliced
1 cm galangal, thinly sliced
10 each petai seeds, thinly sliced lengthwise
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
banana leaves for wrapping
toothpick to sewed

How to cook:

• Mix thoroughly all ingredients except bay leaf. Take two pieces of banana leaf size 10 x 15 cm, a piece of bay leaf, a piece of chicken and seasonings.
• Wrap chicken with banana leaves.
• Steam for 30 minutes or until cooked and greasy.

Remove and serve.

Feeling a little LOST this morning!

I've talked about it before, I'm a huge LOST fan and yesterday, was the series finale!  It sort of took a few extra hours out of my usually structured life away....and I neglected my little blog!  This morning I realized I didn't write one thing.  So, there you have it.  I was playing hooky and watching my favorite show one last time.  Still not sure what to think about the ending but I know I will miss it.  I also missed my sleep - and went to bed right around midnight only to be awake this morning before 6am with the words, "Hi Mama".  That's ok though, I'll take that over an alarm clock anytime!

Have a great Monday!

Spicy Chicken Cooking

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 8
5 cm galangal, smashed
2 lime fruit, take the juice
4 leeks, sliced

Blend:

8 each red chilies
10 each medium onions
1 � tablespoons salt

How to make:

• Marinate chicken with ground spices, green onion and ginger. Cook covered in a saucepan with a little water (medium heat) until cooked.
• Add water a little longer if necessary. Just before removing from heat, add lemon juice.

Serve.

Gingered Chicken Cooking

Ingredients:

• 250 gr chicken breast, roughly cut
• 3 cm ginger, Julienne
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 7 shallots, finely sliced
• 12 red chili, finely sliced
• 1 pcs tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Cooking Method:

1. Finely grind shallots, white, and red pepper.
2. Heat oil, saute ginger. Then enter the spice paste until fragrant. Add chicken and stir well, allow it to flavor turn colour.
3. Add soy sauce into chicken, stir again, then add the tomatoes at last. Stir well, remove.

Android Application Error Reports

[This post, the first in a series about new features in Android 2.2 ("Froyo"), is by Jacek Surazski, a Googler from our Krakow office. � Tim Bray]

The upcoming release of Android will include a new bug reporting feature for Market apps. Developers will receive crash and freeze reports from their users. The reports will be available when they log into their Android Market publisher account. No more blind debugging!

When an app freezes or stops responding, the user can send a bug report to the developer with a click of a button, right from their phone. The new button appears in the application error dialog; if the user chooses to click it, the Google Feedback client running on the device will analyze the offending app and compose a report with information needed to diagnose it. The system is set up with user privacy in mind � the app developer will not receive information which could identify the user in any way. The user can also preview all information that will be sent.

If users choose to do so, they may also send additional system information like device logs. Because there is a chance these may contain private information, they will not be passed on to the developer; they will be used by Google to track down bugs in the Android system itself.

On the receiving end, developers will get tools to diagnose, triage and fix bugs in their apps. A popular app can generate hundreds of thousands of reports. Google Feedback aggregates them into "bugs" - individual programming errors. Bugs are displayed to developers sorted by severity, measured as the rate at which reports for the bug are flowing in.

Clicking on a bug will display information such as stack traces, statistics about which type of hardware the bug occurred on and what versions of the app the user was running. In case of freezes, stack traces for all threads in the app will be displayed. This data should give developers a good idea how well their apps are faring in the wild.

Google is constantly working on improving and extending the feedback feature to provide developers with tools to improve the quality of their apps. The benefits should be felt by both developers and their users.

[I recommend watching the video of this feature's announcement in Vic Gundotra's Google I/O keynote on May 20th, mostly for the audience reaction. I hear that a high proportion of developers are making use of the Market's new "Bugs" tab. � Tim Bray]

Lime Flavoured Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken, quarter
3 cm cinnamon
3 pieces cloves
3 pcs lime leaves
1 pcs turmeric leaf
800 ml coconut milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Blend:

4 red chilies
3 cloves garlic
4 pieces red onion
3 candle nut
� teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 tsp coriander
� tsp star anise
� tsp cumin
2 cm ginger
3 cm turmeric

How to cook:

• Preheat oven to 200 � C.
• Heat oil and fry ground spices until fragrant.
• Add cinnamon, clove, lime leaves, turmeric leaves and lemongrass, and cook until cooked. Add chicken and cook until half cooked.
• Add 300 ml coconut milk and cook over low heat until milk is reduced 2/3 of volume.
• Add the remaining coconut milk and cook until the juices dry. Bake in the oven hot oiled occasionally while remaining chicken broth with dried until golden brown.

Remove and serve with white rice

That's one CLEAN fish!

Recently, I've come across this recipe for Salmon....cooked in the DISHWASHER?  I have to admit, this completely made my stomach turn....just because it sounds like a very odd way to cook but I figured I'd share for my other curious friends in the blog world. 

DISHWASHER SALMON - Recipe from Real Simple

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 6-ounce pieces salmon fillet
� cup fresh lime juice
kosher salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges
heavy-duty foil

Steps

1. Grease the shiny side of two 12-inch squares of heavy-duty foil with the oil. Place 2 pieces of fish side by side on each square. Fold up the outer edges of the foil (to contain any liquid) and drizzle the fish with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Fold the foil closed to form 2 airtight packets. (To test the seal, press down on a packet gently with your hand. If air escapes easily, rewrap.)
3. Place the packets in the top rack of the dishwasher. Run a normal cycle. Remove the fish from the foil and serve with the lemon wedges. Serves 4

A take-the-risk-out-of-making-dinner-in-the-dishwasher tip: Richard Vergili, a food-safety instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, in New York City, says that as long as a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 145� F, it�s safe to eat?and probably pretty moist.

I'm not exactly a salmon fan but I'd love to hear from YOU if you have tried this in the past or if you're adventurous enough to try it out!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Coriander Chicken Cooking

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken pieces
350 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp cornflour
oil for frying

Blend:

1 tbsp coriander toasted
5 cloves garlic
3 red onions
1 tablespoon salt

How to make:

• Cut the chicken into desire size, wash and drain.
• Mix the ground spices with coconut milk and boiled chicken marinated in coconut milk until tender and sauce thickens. Combine cornflour with the remaining coconut milk and seasonings and stir well.
• Marinate the chicken with seasoned flour and fry in hot oil until cooked and dry.
• Remove and drain.

Android 2.2 and developers goodies.

Today at Google I/O we announced that Android 2.2 is right around the corner. This is our seventh platform release since we launched Android 1.0 in September 2008. We wanted to highlight five areas in particular:

Performance & speed: The new Dalvik JIT compiler in Android 2.2 delivers between a 2-5X performance improvement in CPU-bound code vs. Android 2.1 according to various benchmarks.

New enterprise capabilities: We�ve added Exchange capabilities such as account auto-discovery and calendar sync. Device policy management APIs allow developers to write applications that can control security features of the device such as the remote wipe, minimum password, lockscreen timeout etc.

Faster, more powerful browser: We have brought the V8 JavaScript engine to the Android browser as part of 2.2. This has resulted in a 2-3X improvement in JavaScript performance vs. 2.1.

Rich set of new APIs and services: New data backup APIs enable apps to participate in data backup and restore, allowing an application's last data to be restored when installed on a new or a reset device. Apps can utilize Android Cloud to Device Messaging to enable mobile alert, send to phone, and two-way push sync functionality. Developers can now declare whether their app should be installed on internal memory or an SD card. They can also let the system automatically determine the install location. On the native side, a new API now gives access to Skia bitmaps.

Additions to Android Market: Android Market provides Android Application Error Reports, a new bug reporting feature, giving developers access to crash and freeze reports from users. Developers will be able to access these reports via their account on the Android Market publisher website.

For a complete list of everything we�ve included in Android 2.2, please see the platform highlights.

Developers can now download the Android 2.2 SDK and Android NDK, Revision 4 from the Android developer site.

Tools update

We are releasing new version of the Android SDK Tools, Revision 6, Eclipse plug-in ADT 0.9.7 and Android NDK, Revision 4.

Android SDK Tools, Revision 6, Eclipse plug-in 0.9.7

These new versions include support for library projects that will help you share code and resources across several Android projects.

Android NDK, Revision 4

Workflow improvements
The new NDK brings a host of workflow improvement, from compilation, to debugging. Starting with 2.2, the NDK enables debugging native code on production devices.

ARMv7 instruction set support
This release enables the generation of machine code for the ARMv7-A instruction set. Benefits include higher performance, as well as full use of the hardware FPU for devices that support it.

ARM Advanced SIMD (a.k.a. NEON) instruction support
The NEON instruction set extension can be used to perform scalar computations on integers and floating points. However, it is an optional CPU feature and will not be supported by all Android ARMv7-A based devices. The NDK includes a tiny library named "cpufeatures" that can be used by native code to test at runtime the features supported by the device's target CPU.

For more information, please see the releases notes for the SDK Tools, ADT, and NDK.

As I said at the beginning, Android 2.2 will be here soon, and some devices will get the update in the coming weeks. I invite application developers to download the new SDK and tools and test your applications today.

Check out the video below to learn more about Android 2.2.

Featured shop and giveaway Thursday: Curly Birdie

Looking for a baby shower gift or something for the newest arrival in your life?  Consider Curly Birdie, a super sweet shop that specializes in adorable and functional accessories for little ones.  Each item is handmade with love and care.  They also do custom orders!  What could be cuter than a pair of chubby feet in some tiny shoes?  Not much!  Check out these designs...

Oliva Mary Jane Crochet Shoes

I love the indigo violet Abby Mary Jane Crochet Shoes!

What a great accessory!  This Posie Flower Headband makes a unique gift!

I love that these give you the option to pick your color, trim color and size!  Check them out here

Hot pink and teal crochet shoes

A little more about the artist and owner:   "I am the Mom of 3 lovely girls who inspire me everyday. I enjoy making all of the items in my shop. I am constantly creating."

Buy It!  Visit Curly Birdie to purchase

Win It! Curly Birdie is giving one lucky reader a pair of shoes from her shop! Please note, every item is made to order so there is a 4 week turnaround time

How do you enter?  Visit Curly Birdie and comment here which item you like the most from her shop.  Please be sure to leave your email address so I will be able to contact you if you win.

Extra entries (please post comments separately):

• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of Curly Birdie's blog here
• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of Curly Birdie on Twitter here
• Get an extra entry for becoming a fan of Curly Birdie on Facebook here
• Get an extra entry for becoming a follower of my blog or comment if you already are one!
• Get two extra entries if you blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog) 
• Get two extra entries if you grab my blog button (leave a link to your blog)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, May 30th at 7:00pm EST and winners will be posted Monday, May 31st.  Winners will be drawn at random.  Open to US and Canadian residents, 18 years +

I did not receive any compensation for this giveaway, I just like these items!

The Google TV Story

Vincent Dureau, who�s in charge of Google TV, is a lean, bony-faced man with a strong French accent; not too far off my own age, I�d say. With the announcement imminent, he�s been too busy to write; I'm reporting on my talk with him to give a feel for the thinking behind the project. You�ll notice an absence of quotation marks; Vincent�s half of the conversation is reconstructed from the combination of my memory and notes. I think it�s accurate in essence, but certainly not in detail; among other things I can�t write with a French accent.

On why Google TV is needed:

Even two years ago you would have said that telephones are mostly for making calls, maybe for email and texting. Today, we know that phones can actually do a whole lot more. In the same way, people say that TV is just for watching TV. But, like the phone can be used for more than making calls, we believe that TV can be used for more than just video. Also, there�s not enough shelf space for the stuff on TV; not even with online channel guides and your PVR access and your racks full of disks. The shelf space should be as big as the web.

On why developers should care:

They�ve always had access to the desktop. With mobile devices, they managed to get into your pocket. Google TV brings them into the living room, which is where people live.

On what�s going to be in the SDK:

First, we have to make sure that most mobile apps work on your TV, too. Second, we should offer TV-specific features, like being smart about screen sizes, changing channels, embedding video streams, mashing up live TV and what�s on the PVR and what�s on the Web.

On the Google TV project:

The project started 2� years ago, with a vision of a walled garden of TV-optimized web services. But the landscape keeps shifting, particularly in the capabilities of mobile devices. The only solution big enough for the problem is to bring the whole web to your TV.

On which apps will come with the initial release of Google TV:

First of all, we run Chrome so we can ship both Android and web apps. Some will be pre-loaded; this is a moving target but we expect that Listen, Netflix, and Amazon Video On Demand will be on board.

On what truly great Google-TV apps he imagines:

That�s irrelevant; the reason we�re building the SDK is to enable all those smart people out there that don�t work for Google to do cool stuff with TV.

On how it works if there isn�t a partnership between Google TV and your TV provider:

It should be pretty good; the device comes with an IR blaster and knows the IR interfaces for the popular satellite and cable boxes. You really should be able to get an integrated experience.

On himself:

He�s the guy who pitched the project to Google�s executive team. He has been at Google for four years, and was hired to work on TV, originally ads. Working on TV is pretty much the only thing he�s ever done. Prior to Google, he worked on compression and DIRECTV.

On which TV he watches:

He doesn�t watch TV, he tests it. His popular test materials are Battlestar Galactica, Life on Discovery, Democracynow.org, Al-Jazeera�s newscasts (they have reporters more places than any other network); and, these days, the NBA playoffs. He does a lot more on his TV than watch TV; he uses it to run Pandora and Last.fm to hear the music through the nice speakers. Whenever he hears a tune he likes, he buys it right there & then from Amazon, which can get a little expensive.

On how to get involved:

You can begin building optimized web apps today. If you�re interested in building Android apps, visit our Google TV homepage to sign up for updates on when the SDK add-on will be available. And if you�re interested in helping out in a broader scope, check out our Google jobs site and apply for an engineering position.

Latitude API Launch

Over at the Google Code Blog, there's a pretty significant announcement, about the release of APIs for Latitude. the idea, as you might expect, is that the best way to get good location-based applications is to put the tools for building them into everyone's hands.

A glance at the online documentation reveals an essentially-RESTFul API with JSON payloads, which should be easy to use from an Android app. It seems likely that a device which knows its location is a really good platform for building location-sensitive apps.

Giveaway Winner....ME!

In case you couldn't tell...I love giveaways!

I love finding goodies, gabbing about 'em and offering up some great items for people.  So, I was just tickled when I was on the receiving end of a great giveaway hosted by 30 days a few weeks ago.  I have never been a winner before so I was pretty excited (to say the least) to learn I got to choose a tote over at Sevi Designs. 

I opted for this Park Slope Tote.  Isn't it pretty?

Of course, as soon as it arrived...both girls tried to claim it.  I caught Sydney over in the corner transferring all her blocks into it and I realized just how sturdy it is.  A little later, Riley was carrying a few of her treasured puppies around in it but I quickly explained that this was going to be for Mama.  They didn't argue, sometimes, they just get it.  I'm so glad they did!

Goodspeed Musicals "Annie Get Your Gun" Hits a Bullseye

The Company of Annie Get Your Gun at Goodspeed Opera House until July 3. Photos by Diane Sobolewski.
Theatre companies do Broadway musicals all the time, but few productions ever seem to measure up to the originals. The one reliable exception is the little Goodspeed Opera House, hidden away in East Haddam, Connecticut, just southeast of Hartford. This is one company that almost always hits a bullseye.

Jenn Gambatese as Annie Oakley

Since Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun opened this past weekend, we had to revisit this musical tale about Annie Oakley (1860-1926), who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.

The verdict? The audience rewarded it with wildly enthusiastic applause, and so did I. It's fresh, funny and fabulous. The love they lavished on this musical is right up there on stage to hear and see. There's an energetic cast of two dozen singers and dancers who put their hearts into the show. The choreography by Noah Racey was dazzling. The work of the hard working performers was enhanced by the sparkling sound, with eight top notch musicians in the orchestra pit.

This edition of Annie Get Your Gun is not the same as the original, however. Cuts - most significantly of "I'm An Indian Too" - and updates were made to both book and song to bring it into the 21st Century, and to avoid some of the earlier racist cliches that were common in the mid 1940's.

From the opening notes of "There's No Business Like Show Business" to the rip roaring final duet of "Anything You Can Do" the two lead actors, Jenn Gambatese as Annie Oakley and Kevin Earley as Frank Butler filled the hall with glorious singing and acting that made the old fashioned book almost believable. Despite all its puns the audience loved every line, got every joke. I had a grin that went from ear to ear for most of the show. So much so that my jaw is sore today.

Kevin Earley as Frank Butler and the company of Annie Get Your Gun at Goodspeed Opera House.
Success of course has many mothers. Nevertheless, a big portion of the credit has to go the incredibly clever director, Rob Ruggiero who used every inch of stage space available. His cast swarmed and swirled under the big top, through the crowned heads of Europe and into a high society gathering. One dance took place on the top of a railroad car which rolled on and off stage with ease.

David McDonald made Buffalo Bill Cody a gentleman ringmaster in this role. Equally impressive were Bill Nabel as Pawnee Bill and Rebecca Watson as Dolly Tate. Impeccable timing in delivering his lines was Chief Sitting Bull played by the delightful Michael Nichols.

Orville Mendoza - who I first heard at Barrington Stage Company - carried the roles of Running Deer and several others over the course of the evening.

Rounding out the major figures are the two lovers Winnie Tate (Chelsea Morgan Stock and Tommy Keeler (Andrew Cao). Their voices were sweet, if not terribly loud.

As usual, the Goodspeed's production was world class, even with the limited playing space this jewel box of a theatre has to work with. Michael Schweikardt's set was highly creative, billowing posters and curtains doing the work of dividing the locations and scenes with speed and decisiveness. The costumes by Alejo Vietti were just amazing to see, detailed right down to the dirt and grime on Annie's leather and rough hewn clothes.

Anyone who is looking for a top notch musical - of the old fashioned variety - should find their way to East Haddam and see this superb company for themselves. You will quickly discover why Goodspeed is the home of Broadway hits - they have sent more musicals to Broadway than any other regional theatre company.

Annie Get Your Gun. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Original Book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields. Revised by Peter Stone. First performance April 16, 2010. Recently extended to play to July 3. Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut. About 2 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission. http://www.goodspeed.org/