Category Archives: digital

Google’s Calorie Counter 

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Image: Dreamatico.com

Now I’m in trouble. I just found out that Google is working on an app that counts the calories in your Instagram photos. Every time I take a photo of myself, I’m usually sitting with a plate of food in front of me.

Instead of people admiring that I’m out for the night with friends, they will be staring at my meal that could have a flashing light on it that says, “this piggy had 2,000 calories in just one dish.”

Google’s artificial intelligence researchers are diligently working on the kind of algorithms that can detect your meal’s calorie information by analyzing a photo of the food. 

Called Im2Calories, the app determines the depth of each pixel. It’s still has to be perfected, but the technology is almost ready for prime time.

I’m not sure why Google is going in this direction, but this could help portion control.

Read more about Im2Calories on Mashable.

The Uber of Alterations  

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George Zimmer has a new gig. It will keep you in stitches.  Image: Fortune.com.

I just spent the last few days throwing out thousands of dollars of clothes. Everything went to a staff member at our NY co-op. This isn’t the first time that I have done that. Every time I lose weight, I get rid of the fat clothes and everytime I gain weight, bye bye smaller sizes.  I’m not telling you which stage I am at now, but let me just say those late night ice cream sodas have been very enjoyable. After one or two wears, I really start to dislike a lot of the clothes I impulsively buy. If I could get the money back for all those wasted clothes, I would be able to send a few kids to college.

I have tried the alteration route as well. Taking clothes in or letting them out can be a tricky business. Most of the time, the altered garments never look quite as good as its original shape. I’m lucky that I have a fabulous seamstress directly across the street from me in NY. I can drop the clothes off in the morning and have the alterations done by the afternoon. 

For those of you who are not as lucky, George Zimmer, the founder of Men’s Wearhouse, has created an app that will be the Uber of alterations. Zimmer’s new company, zTailors, is a website and app, that provides on-demand tailors who are ready to make house calls.

Zimmer, 66, said he believes that zTailors (the “z” is for Zimmer) — “has the potential to transform millions of ill-fitting garments into like-new items.” Americans everywhere will now be able to schedule a tailor to make a house call. zTailors has already been operating in several major cities around the country. Almost 600 tailors are on board. Zimmer plans to be in all 50 states later this year with more than 1,000 tailors in the system.

You have to read more about it in The New York Times. I think this business idea is a natural and before too long, Zimmer will once again be bellowing,  “You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.”

My first Zentangle. Thank you Whitney. 

 

Condolences to Joe Biden

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Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, and Donald Trump are the top notables that did not extend condolences to Vice President Joe Biden on Twitter. Beau Biden, the VP’s oldest son, died over the weekend, from cancer. I researched all of their tweets, and found no mention of Biden.  You may not know this, but Twitter is the platform where all major announcements are made. Everyone mentioned on this post has an active Twitter account. 

1-Brit Hume (@brithume)

5/30/15, 9:58 PM

Regardless of politics, we should all be Joe Biden supporters tonight. We are not meant to bury our children. Beau Biden, dead at 46. Cancer

2-Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton)

5/30/15, 11:03 PM

My heart is broken for the family of Beau Biden—a wonderful man who served his country with devotion and lived his life with courage. -H

3-Bill Clinton (@billclinton)

5/31/15, 12:36 AM

Hillary & I mourn the loss of Beau Biden – so full of life, love, honor, and service – and we pray for the strength of his wonderful family.

4-Barack Obama (@BarackObama)

5/31/15, 1:01 PM

“For all that Beau Biden achieved in his life … nothing claimed a fuller focus of his love and devotion than his family.” —President Obama

5- Jeb Bush (@JebBush)
5/30/15, 9:57 PM

Saddened by the news of Beau Biden’s passing. My prayers are with The Vice President, Dr. Biden and the whole family

6- George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki)
5/31/15, 10:00 AM

Libby and I extend our thoughts and prayers to the @VP Biden family on the loss of Beau. No parent should have to bury their

7-Ted Cruz (@tedcruz)
5/31/15, 10:27 AM

Heidi and I extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to all those who knew and loved Beau tedcruz.org/news/cruz-heid…

8-Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry)

5/31/15, 10:37 AM

.@AnitaPerryTX joins me in praying for the Biden family after the loss of Beau

9-Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee)

5/31/15, 7:50 AM

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Biden family. May God comfort them in this moment of tremendous  

10-Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders)

5/31/15, 11:13 AM

Jane and I send our condolences to the Bidens during this difficult time. -B pic.twitter.com/JfIzhZSM8G

The Final Hazel Workshop 

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It’s been a long time since I was personally involved in a theatrical production. I forgot what an emotional experience it can be. When I saw the camaraderie amongst the cast of Hazel, I knew these actors desperately wanted to work together for the Broadway production. It’s going to happen. 


 
Klea Blackhurst center, her sister and Peter Key, son of the creator of Hazel, Ted Key.

  
The Hazel workshop was directed by Lucie Arnaz and her husband, Larry Luckinbill. He had the role of Sgt. Kreppel.

 Lots of hugs and kisses at the end. 
   
      

 

Actress Michele Lee, showed up because she worked with so many in the cast.   

 
  Book writer Lissa Levin, her husband Dan Guntzelman and Eliot 

The Making Of A Broadway Show 

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Eliot and I have been behind closed doors for the last two days with all of the folks involved in bringing Hazel to Broadway. Hazel is a musical about a fictional live-in maid named Hazel Burke and her employers, the Baxters. The TV series, of the same name, aired from September 28, 1961, to April 11, 1966. The TV show itself was based on the popular single-panel comic strip by cartoonist Ted Key, which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.

   

Klea Blackhurst portrays Hazel. Klea is a Broadway actress and singer. 

 Shirley Booth was Hazel on TV.

Our friends, Ron Abel and Chuck Steffan, licensed the rights to Hazel from the Key family. Ron is the musical composer and arranger and Chuck is the lyricist.  Eliot with Ron and Chuck.

The book was written by Lissa Levin and the show was directed by Lucie Arnaz. Chet Walker was the choreographer.

We were told that we absolutely couldn’t take pictures during the workshop, so this is what I could sneak in.    

   Lucie Arnaz announcing the workshop       Adrienne Arsht sat right in front of me. She is an American philanthropist and business leader. She is widely recognized for her $30 million contribution to the City of Miami’s Performing Arts Center, now known as the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.   One of four audiences.    

       

The insiders debriefed after two workshops. Hazel received standing ovations. Everyone was very encouraged. Fundraising starts and the marketing begins. 

A Tech Pizza Party

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Greetings from Arlene Marx, aka Gail Marx

 

I received a wonderful surprise last night.  I heard from a very accomplished talent agent in Vegas, Gail Marx, aka as Arlene. We grew up together in Hollis, Queens many moons ago before she went out west. When my parents moved to Los Angeles. Arlene, who lived there then, was very supportive of them. My mother was crazy about Arlene, as I am about Lillian, Arlene’s mother. It had been a four-way mutual admiration society for decades. As a side note, I was Arlene’s brother’s date at her Sweet 16 party. He never asked me out again.

A email from Arlene…….

Hi Lois…..I don’t know how you do it…..every night you post something. It is 2 AM here in Vegas and I can never go to bed without reading your blog…I think that is what the term is???? Afterall, I am a Senior!!!!

Hope you, Eliot and your Daughter are doing well. My Mom always sends her love….wish she used a computer. She is afraid to put her hand on the mouse….

 Until tomorrow…..xoxox Arlene

I am so flattered and thrilled to hear from a gal who has been responsible for launching so many careers in the entertainment business. Maybe, it will rub off on me. Thank you Arlene. Love to your husband, Hank, and the beautiful Lillian.

Now it’s time for the pizza party.

We are supposed to be on diets, but Eliot and I had pizza for lunch. It was absolutely delicious. As I was devouring each slice, I thought to myself, “maybe I should just eat pizza and nothing else. I wonder if I could lose weight that way?”

We all know the answer to that, but no one can deny that pizza represents fun, parties, sharing, and satisfaction. That’s why I wanted to tell you about a new gadget for a pizza box that can make your home the entertaining center stage you may want it to be.  

The ad agency Ogilvy & Mather in Hong Kong received great recognition for building the Pizza Hut Blockbuster Box, a pizza box that quickly turns into a video projector.

As the tech site Engadget explains, “all  you do is pluck a lens out of the protective stand, mount it in the side of the box and use your smartphone (conveniently perched on the stand) as the video source — any video that plays on your phone suddenly becomes room-sized.” 

Pizza Hut is hopeful that this cardboard theater sensation will reach the United States soon.  I want to go to more pizza parties and watch videos with friends. That’s one way of staying young (and fat).
 

Senior Benefits

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I have friends who are almost 70 years old and they refuse to ask for senior discounts when we all go out together. They do this because, a) they don’t want to admit their age and, b),they think the service will suffer. 

Eliot and I started to ask for senior discounts when we were 55. We never thought twice about it. Banana Republic and the Gap will gladly give you 10 per cent off for shopping at their stores. Yes that 10 per cent can be on top of all the other promotions they are touting. There are times when Eliot walks out of a store with a big bag of gorgeous new clothes for $18. 
It’s not like you are stealing. It’s your “right” of passage. Read this article in Market Watch  about senior discounts. Also make sure you get your discount on Amtrak, auto insurance, banks, hairdressers, car rental, cruise lines, movie theaters, museums,, national parks, and doctors. You have earned it.

By the way, there is no tech angle to this post. Thanks Ben La Marca for emailing the story to me. 
      

Far Away From The Internet 

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    I have been searching for years to find a way to zone out and completely relax. It has to be a very compelling function so that I don’t get distracted by my emails. The closest I have ever gotten to accomplishing this was to take up knitting. I love the activity of knitting, but my mind is always racing in so many directions. I need something that forces me to focus and frees my mind of all of its clutter.   

I was so surprised to find out on Facebook, that my daughter, Whitney, was engaged in an activity that could be the nirvana I was looking for. I said nothing, but watched for weeks as she posted abstract art that was open to great interpretation. 

Then I found out that Whitney was using a mediation-type of art book method called Zentangle. Zentangle is a way of creating beautiful pieces of art while being mentally stimulated, inspired, and energized. There are other types of art disciplines like Zentangle as well. Zentangle requires no artistic ability but does bring out everyone’s individual artistic bent. I am starting to put pen to paper this week. 

Here are some of Whitney’s postings.

   

       
   
  

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Bragging Rights 

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They were just a few months old when they first met. Whitney Hess (l) and Veronica Belmont (r) were probably already computer geeks. Veronica’s  mom, Barbara, was my client at Coleco for a few years. This picture was taken in Barbara’s West Hartford, CT, home. Thirty-three years later both these gals are major personalities in the world of tech. 

   

Whitney Hess, Keynote speaker at     DrupalCon Conference 2015. She is a coach, writer, and speaker teaching people in the tech world how to bring their whole selves to their work.
 

Veronica now has her own show on the Engadget tech site. She is the go-to person for any question you may have about tech.