Got a headache? Take some Excedrin. Backache? Excedrin. Sore muscles? Excedrin. Bloating? Excedrin. Stuffed up? Excedrin. Fatigue? Excedrin. Migraine? Excedrin. Sinus pain? Excedrin. Cramps? Excedrin. Toothache? Excedrin.
   
No, they’re not paying me for this.

But pay attention the next time you find yourself in King Sooper’s medicine aisle contemplating which Excedrin formula to purchase. You will notice that many of the formulas, although priced differently, are basically the same combination of active ingredients. To make it easy for you (you’re welcome), I summarized the active ingredients in each formula, using Excedrin’s website for reference. http://www.excedrin.com/excedrin-products.shtml
   
Yes, Excedrin Migraine, Extra Strength, and Menstrual Complete are all the same formula.

EXCEDRIN MIGRAINE
Acetaminophen 250 mg                   
Aspirin 250 mg                       
Caffeine 65 mg                       

EXCEDRIN EXTRA STRENGTH
Acetaminophen 250 mg                   
Aspirin 250 mg                       
Caffeine 65 mg                       

EXCEDRIN MENSTRUAL COMPLETE
Acetaminophen 250 mg                   
Aspirin 250 mg                       
Caffeine 65 mg       

EXCEDRIN BACK & BODY
Acetaminophen 250 mg                    
Aspirin 250 mg

EXCEDRIN TENSION HEADACHE
Acetaminophen 500 mg                    
Caffeine 65 mg                       

EXCEDRIN PM
Acetaminophen 500 mg                    
Diphenhydramine Citrate 38 mg                

EXCEDRIN SINUS HEADACHE
Acetaminophen 325 mg                   
Phenylephrine HCI 5 mg

By Emily Kingston

Back in my high school marketing class we had to write down these “thoughts for the day” which consisted of 4 or 5 motivational quotes per day. At the end of the semester we had to go back and type each day’s quotes and turn them in for credit.
It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized how much I missed reading thoughts for the day and the impact it made on my attitude for the day. 
Some examples include:

“Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do” –H. Jackson Brown Jr.

 “The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live”- 
Elbert Hubbard


“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude”
-Thomas Jefferson


“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.”-Helen Keller

When I read 4 or 5 positive quotes a day it makes me feel like I can conquer the world.  There are so many negative things in the world that can bring you down if you let them. So, if you are ever in need of a little boost read some “thoughts for the day” and see what you can conquer!
www.quotablecards.com

Nicole Klingensmith

I should start off by admitting that I don’t have kids.  I tell you this because it is entirely possible that I have no idea what I’m talking about when I write this entry on kids television. (Please address in the comments if you feel inclined.)  Still, I’ve never really grown up when it comes to my tastes in media.  I’m a 29-year-old Harry Potter nerd who makes my boyfriend go to kids movies with me and occasionally checks out Disney and Nickelodeon when I get bored with watching the Real Housewives of Wherever.

Last week I was feeling nostalgic for some of the shows I used to watch when I was 12, so I did what any self-respecing internet addict would do and looked up some clips online.  If it weren’t for YouTube it may never have even occurred to me that a lot of kids shows these days feel kind of… well, weak.  From what I can tell we have two main categories of current programming for kids: trouble makers, or pop-star tweens.  Both are annoying, but it’s also kind of sad that kids today don’t seem to have the option to watch something quirky.   read more...

I’ve learned my lesson.  I’ll never do it again.  I had a rebellious moment and made a reckless decision.  I substituted strawberries in place of plums and I will never do it again.  

I decided to start off easy.  I picked a beautiful, colorful salad.  I did and still do feel very confident in my ability to put lettuce in a bowl and will have fun with the challenge of creating the rest of the salad. Done and done. I can handle this.  I chose the Arugula Salad with Roasted Fruit and Panettone Croutons from Giada’s cookbook, Giada at Home.

Challenge:  the grocery store doesn’t have any plums.  Solution: That’s ok I have strawberries at home (NOT OK I found out later).  Challenge: what on earth is panettone?  Solution:  ok I know this…  I’ve seen Giada use it before I think.   And I’m making croutons out of it so I have a feeling it is a type of bread. Thank goodness I had my iphone with me.  I went from being the girl awkwardly looking from her shopping list to the names of the bread on the shelf to the girl awkwardly looking from pictures on her iphone to the bread on the shelf.  And my final conclusion is… I know EXACTLY what panettone is AND they definitely don’t sell that festive and delicious type of Italian bread here. No plums and no panettone?  Fail grocery store.  Epic fail.  So I grabbed a loaf of sweet, fruity Italian bread and called it even (and ate about half of it on my 3 minute drive home from the grocery store- yum!)    read more....

I’ve made a few props, models, miniatures and physical versions of show logos over the years. These days, most of my time is focused on broadcast design and animation on the computer. I am often amazed and blown away by the level of realism that can be achieved in 3D. But there is still a certain charm and some advantages to shooting real elements also. For example, when shooting a real model you have the freedom of trying different camera angels and lighting techniques in real time rather than waiting hours for something to render before you see the final result. And maybe the best thing is that you have a cool piece of artwork that can displayed in your office, that will be around for years after anyone even remembers what the spot was about.   read more...

Confession… I’m not a very good cook.   If you know me and you disagree, then you have probably only eaten one of the three things I can make: pesto pasta with vegetables, chocolate pumpkin bread, and in college I made a good stir fry, but that was a while ago… so no promises that I could recreate it now.  Oh and I make good molasses cookies…. But those are pretty hard to mess up.

There are quite a few foodies and exceptional chefs here at Citizen Pictures and Base2 Studios.  Lunch is often more of a display of masterpieces than a mid-day food break.  I try to make my leftover pesto pasta visible to everyone at the table when I bring it in for lunch, hoping it will cover the memories of my caramel rice cake and peanut butter (which I think is delicious!) and whatever I microwaved the day before.  I’ve learned a lot about food and the art of cooking since I started at Citizen- between working on Food Network shows, shooting food focused webisodes, and sitting next to some rockin producers who are researching and producing a new show about food artisans and their creations, I have a new outlook on the world of good food and fine cooking.  Cooking has always been something I’ve enjoyed and I love an exceptionally prepared meal, but I don’t believe I have truly appreciated all that goes into making an exquisitely delicious dish until now.    read more....

I was eating carmel corn today…not a stretch for me, because to know me is to know I love my popcorn. But this was something, dare I say special? Caramel corn with black pepper and bacon, yes bacon…and it was fabulous.
 
I’m on a new show… called foodCrafters…or Foodcrafters…or who really knows, we’re still working on it. We’re in production on a new show on a new channel. It’s the Cooking Channel….and the show is technically about artisianal food producers. Much, much different than working on my other show about eating extreme foods around the world….couldn’t be more different. Sweet people on foodCrafters, salt of the earth, who want nothing better than to give you gourmet deliciousness that they made with their own hands. You feel guilty taking it, but really for the last 8 hours you’ve been dropping hints about how wonderful it looks, and how amazing the kitchen smells, and no I couldn’t, well I guess I’ll take a bottle and scarf it down tonight in the hotel room, thus ruining dinner. Ruined is a strong word, I just ate a dozen shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate for dinner is a statement of pride.
 
That’s the show… and it’s fabulous.

Tim McOsker

What we do to get respect and attention in this business is directly related to beliefs we may have formed early in our work careers. These are superstitious behaviors we have come to believe in that need to be shelved for us to move forward and up in this competitive industry.

Taking full responsibility:
When being assigned a job, it doesn’t mean that you are the only person who can or should do it. It means that you are the one responsible for making it happen. SURE, it looks awesome to your bosses if you “do it alone.” You’ll get bragging rights and everyone will say you’re a rock star. Like many of us in Production, you have learned that if you need it done, and you need it done NOW, you have to do it yourself! –But, there will ALWAYS be something that needs to get done, and why do it all alone when you can delegate? Being able to delegate parts of a project to others shows that you can “manage a project.” It also helps you to form relationships with others who are able to provide you wish assistance. Building trust with your co-workers and trusting other people do their jobs is extremely important in Production. If you do it all alone you are not forming relationships. And in this business, relationships are everything!          read more...

Just back from the NAB convention in Vegas (National Association of Broadcasters).  I went to my first one in 1980 so this was 30 years in a row that I’ve gone to this show that showcases all of the latest technology in TV.

The ‘broadcasting’ part of the convention has shrunk over time and now it’s so much more about production and post-production.  Oh, it’s still a pocket protector nerd-fest but it is always so great to see fresh creative and the new cameras, editing, and graphics technology that will be available “soon”.  I say “soon” because manufacturers such as SONY and Panasonic are famous for having prototypes at the show that aren’t available for use or purchase until years later.

I still have a brochure from a show in the 80’s with the headline “HD is Here!) when in reality it was 10-15 years later that High Def was in use and beyond the tipping point of acceptance.  Now of course it is everywhere with newer, cheaper cameras and edit systems that still look great.     read more....

Cartoons are a part of our culture.
   
Some of us take pleasure in remembering old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes. Others fawn over the Japanese anime phenomenon. I've got friends that can quote entire episodes of the Simpsons at the drop of a hat.
   
I find myself breathless at the beauty of Finnish animation.
   
These fearless animators poke fun at the futility of our existences, and are bold enough to buck the trend of socially acceptable cartoons. They ignore "good taste", disregard "political correctness", and aren't afraid to "put quotes around things".
   
And I love them for it.
   
With the assuredness of an acrobat tumbling across the flying trapeze while juggling six flaming chainsaws and reciting Pi, these Finnish animators grab animation by the dangly parts and don't let go.
   
While this product is HARDLY for children, it shows just what happens when our parents disappear for weeks at a time, leaving us in front of the television with little more than a roll of toilet paper and a case of Ramen noodles, and allow Homer Simpson to teach us life's lessons.
   
Cartoons can inspire us to achieve, to dream, and to memorize hilarious quotes and spit them at our friends periodically. Enjoy this dose of Moist Pork, and the universal language of cartoons.

Will Kingston