Starting to feel the alcohol yet? Christmas isn’t even here and I’m nearly spent. Dinners, family get togethers, and company outings. December is the busiest month for me. Let’s count the damage;
4 family birthdays
2 wedding anniversaries
+ christmas + new years.

So this year, I try to escape. Tomorrow, I leave for Cabo San Lucas Mexico for a week of relaxation. See you guys in the new year!. Have a safe Christmas and happy New Year.

..and his name is Peter Jackson!.

Peter Jackson and New Line have settled all litigation relating to the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) Trilogy.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:

* MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally.

* Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

You can continue reading...
Everyone knows that you cannot make another Lord Of The Rings Movie without Peter Jackson, he is the only man on the planet that can do such justice to Tolkien’s work. Recently I re-watched all three movies in their directors cut versions, with a series of emotions that surfaced through every scene. Remember a few years ago when we had a LOTR movie every christmas? What an incredible journey. I’m glad it will only be a few years before we get to revisit Middle Earth.

One can only hope that PJ might actually get to direct the films as well (notice how a director wasn’t mentioned?). Or maybe he’ll get his wife Fran Walsh (screenwriter for all the movies) to direct. If you’re a movie nerd, you’ll know that Fran directed quite a few scenes in the LOTR movies, and those scenes are easily some of the best of the trilogy.

This news totally made my day. In 2010, Christmas will be right again.

So I have a new front page. Oh, you haven’t looked? Go, take a peak.

I toyed with the layout while lying on a beach some time ago. It was hardly any sort of epiphany as I was rather distracted by crystal blue waters and momentary sunshine during rainy season — when I thought that I needed better, more functional and creative intro page. Business Photography has grown via leaps and bounds this year for me, and more and more people were asking for me to re-launch a more marketable site.

I considered going flash but there were drawbacks. People tend to hate flash sites these days, and I wanted a base that would allow me to change the look on a monthly basis. This is the result, and I plan to change the page every month. Think of it as a magazine cover, something new to look at every month with access to all areas of the site.

The final ingredient of the new site is the portfolio, which is almost complete. I expect to finish that portion within a few days.

I was cleaning through the cupboards the other day and spotted this gem. The Chateau Coufran 2003 Haut Medoc. It sits waiting to be opened. What’s the best way to highlight displays of blueberry, blackberry, vanilla and leather? It’s been sitting on the counter by the faucet for the last week. I spot it every morning as I make my way for the blender.

The bottle must be opened soon.

It’s all worth it in the end when you walk away from the desk having learnt something you didn’t know before. A chance to better yourself — adapt yourself to the ever changing intricacies of the world. This is why I love my Spotlight project.

Not a single day goes by where I don’t learn something new in Marketing, Promotions, Editing, Photography, Technology, Culture, Toronto, Advertising, Public Relations, Typography, Desktop Publishing. As I type this, I’ve had very little sleep from a night that was spent putting together the final touches on a Christmas project for the site. It looks great and I can’t wait to unveil it tomorrow. I’ll post a link here when it’s done.

**Update**
Here it is;
Spotlight Toronto Presents; The 2007 Christmas Guide

The first time I prepared this dish, I had no idea what I was doing. I was 21 — living by myself – and wanted to go beyond the basics of cooking and really try preparing a whole bird. I stuck a very simple self-concocted recipe, lucking out with a delish dinner.

Cornish hens are deliciously tender and most often prepared in ovens to soften the immature meat — which is known to absorb almost any spice you throw at it. They’re very easily found at the St. Lawrence Market, so always try to buy fresh. The Frozen variety can also be found at your superstores. Read the rest of this entry »

So we were on a brief hiatus. I travelled, shot 2 weddings (one on a beach and the other was a nice turkish reception) and worked my ass off. I got some mixed feedback on the previous template that I was using so I decided to switch things a little bit to give the readers what they want.

Secondly, I was also scolded for not updating this site as often as I should. I apologize, and as a result, you will see many updates on this blog as it shifts its focus in the new year. The idea is to focus more on the world of food and cooking, photos being the visual aid of course. The rest won’t disappear, I’ll just be using this blog more as an outlet for my deep desire of cooking.

Lastly, I am currently working on a re-branded version of a site. A bit of a fancy with a gallery and some other links. It should be good, and I expect it to launch within the next few weeks.

So here’s to a new new beginning, and a newer promise of more content. Let’s eat.

– The above picture was taken in a relaxing water park in Mexico known as Xel’ha. The parrots posed as soon as I pulled out my camera –