Five Celebrated Photographers You Should Know

Rise And Shine: Exceptional Egg Breakfasts

Eggs are the cornerstone of many a breakfast, but it’s easy to get tired of some of the standard preparations. If you’ve had one too many mornings start with scrambled eggs, here are five new ideas for interesting egg breakfasts.

• Toad in a hole is a classic British preparation – use a jar or cookie cutter to punch a hole in the middle of a slice of bread, then fry it in a pan. Crack an egg in the middle and cook them all together for a delicious meal.
• Bake eggs in small ceramic ramekins with sliced tomato and spinach. These dishes will come out like miniature quiches with much less preparation time.
• Make a savory and delicious omelet with fresh mozzarella, basil, and slices of tomato. This Italian flavor combination is healthy and tasty.
• For a different take on the omelet, fill a finished egg omelet with strawberries and sour cream. Eggs actually go really well with sweet flavors, and this unusual combination is a winner.
• Make an egg sandwich on whole wheat bread or English muffins and top it with sharp cheddar cheese and slices of avocado. This is a delicious and portable breakfast if you’re in a hurry.

New Jersey Nets: Ready to Surprise

The New Jersey Nets have one more year to make a splash in Newark before heading to Brooklyn. There's still plenty of time to say goodbye in style, though, and head coach Avery Johnson intends to put some excitement into the Prudential Center. Last season may have had its disappointments, but Johnson is more than capable of helping his team win, as his time with the Dallas Mavericks made abundantly clear. With the start of his sophomore season with the Nets, he's got talent to make that happen. Deron Williams is a two time all-star, and the recent acquisitions of veterans Shelden Williams and Mehmet Okur will add some serious and needed depth to the Nets' frontcourt game. This adds, of course, to a roster already featuring the skills of players like Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, and Sundiata Gaines. A number of people will tell you that this is a year of rebuilding to get ready for the team's move into the Barclays Center for the 2012-13 season. Those folks, though, are ignoring a lot of talent already on the roster, and a coach well acquainted with success. With all of the strength in Jersey this season, the Nets may just surprise the naysayers who think that the team is only building for Brooklyn. Stick around, because these guys aren't done with Jersey just yet.

For all of your Nets needs, including schedules, merchandise, and tickets, visit http://www.nba.com/nets

New York at the Holidays

There’s nothing quite like New York City at the holidays – festive crowds, sparkling lights, and countless attractions that perfectly capture the season's spirit. Here are some must-visit New York sites for the holiday season:

Rockefeller Center
No holiday adventure in New York would be complete without a visit to this iconic location. Every year, thousands of people flock to see the dazzling Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Make sure you also check out the famous Rockefeller ice skating rink, where you can watch skaters in action or strap on a pair of skates and join the fun.

Holiday Windows
At Christmastime, New York’s most famous department stores unveil brilliantly artistic and elaborate holiday window displays. Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Barneys are just a few of the stores that attract awed window-gazing crowds every season.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
If you want the ultimate New York City holiday experience, make sure to book tickets for the classic Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. The show features song and dance numbers that will truly dazzle you, as well as stunning sets and costumes. The iconic Rockettes steal the show, of course!

Holiday Train Show
Every year, the New York Botanical Garden hosts a holiday exhibit featuring model trains and replicas of New York City landmarks, popular with people of all ages. The exhibit is housed in Garden’s Conservatory, a lovely indoor space, so it’s an ideal holiday outing in any kind of weather.

New York City Pops
If you love holiday music, you won’t find a better concert that the annual New York City Pops holiday celebration at Carnegie Hall. This year the featured singers are John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, described by the New York Times as a “musical match made in heaven.”

Arthouse Awesomeness: Quirky Indie Films

We all love the big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, but sometimes our cinema tastes desire something a little more alternative. Thankfully, the world of independent film offers a wide selection of movies that think outside the box. In this feature, we’ll share some quirky indies that you might not have seen:

-          Ghost World, directed by Terry Zwigoff. This hipster comedy launched the career of Scarlett Johansson. Based on a graphic novel, it tells the story of a teenage girl friendship that goes awry when they start stalking a geek (played by Steve Buscemi).

-           Eagle Vs Shark, directed by Taika Waititi. From New Zealand, this romantic comedy is about a shy fast food cashier who develops a crush on a video game nerd who is looking for revenge against his high school bully.

-          Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, directed by Shane Black. Black paid his dues in mainstream Hollywood – he wrote Lethal Weapon, after all – but his directoral debut was a decidedly different affair. A dark film noir comedy with some incredible performances, it’s totally unique and very worth watching.

-          The Baxter, directed by Michael Showalter. New York improve comedy veteran Showalter also stars in this hilarious romantic comedy, about a guy who’s always left at the altar in every one of his relationships.

Shop Smart: Five Places To Get Unique Gifts

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and it’s getting harder and harder to find presents that are off the beaten path. Thankfully, a number of online retailers have sprung up that source awesome things from all over the world. Here are five of the best places to get gifts that you won’t see anywhere else:

-          Fab.com – This design-oriented store offers a daily deal on cool, artsy products from all over the place. With savings of up to 70% on some items, this is an incredible way to get in on the ground floor of future trends. Unfortunately, you need to be a site member to get the deal, and it’s currently invitation only.

-          Woot.com – Targeted at techies and gearheads, woot.com is another daily deal site. Every midnight, they put up a new product available in limited quantities, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. These can be deeply discounted items, some of which are very cool.

-          ArchieMcPhee.com – This Seattle institution has been selling novelty items for decades, and their selection is absolutely unbelievable. From practical jokes to bizarre costumes, there’s a little bit of everything here.

-          SiteNYC.com – Based in the trendy Astoria neighborhood, Site offers a great selection of cool stuff for adults and kids alike. Local artisans sell their limited edition wares there, and they also stock some of the hippest national designers.

-          UncommonGoods.com – This national firm offers a great collection of environmentally conscious, intelligent gifts for a variety of audiences. Their prices are reasonable and their stuff is very well-designed.

Best Gangster Movies

Some of the most stirring and memorable films in cinematic history have been gangster movies. The best works in the genre feature multi-layered characters, intriguing plots, and edge-of-your-seat tension. Here are five of the very best gangster movies, sure to entertain moviegoers of all stripes:

The Untouchables – This 1987 gangster film, directed by Brian DePalma, is set in corruption-filled 1920’s prohibition Chicago. The film centers on a treasury agent who, with the help of an account friend and two ragtag cops, undertakes a mission to take down Al Capone.

The Departed - This 2006 Martin Scorsese drama, set in South Boston, explores the conflict between the state police force and Irish-American organized crime. The characters, many of them leading double-lives, become entangled in a web that tests loyalties on both sides of the conflict.

Reservoir Dogs – This 1992 Quentin Tarantino movie centers around six eccentric strangers who come together to plan and execute the perfect crime. But when the police ambush them, they are left to figure out a searing question: which one among them acted as a police informant?

The Godfather - This 1972 Francis Ford Coppola classic epitomizes the gangster film genre. The movie, which tells the story of the Corleone Mafia dynasty, unfolds as a layered family drama that explores love, loyalty, fear, and revenge. Blood ties and bloodshed abound.

Once Upon A Time in America – This 1984 Sergio Leone film explores the lives of a group of Jewish gangsters in New York City, following them as they grow up in a rough Lower East Side neighborhood in the 1920’s and come of age as gangsters during Prohibition. The timeline extends to the late 1960’s, when the main character returns to New York to reflect on his past.

Autumn Events in New York City!

If you’re looking for some unique events to take in this fall, you’ll find them in the Big Apple. With street festivals, comic conventions, and more, the city that never sleeps is your ticket to fun. Here’s a look at some highlights:

New York Comic Con – New York’s biggest comic event returns to the Javits Center October 13th through 16th. Special guests include Mark Hamill, Kevin Smith, and Jason Mewes revisiting the roles of Jay and Silent Bob during a special live podcast, John Landis, Rose McGowan, and more. The event will also be in conjunction with the New York Anime Festival.

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival – From October 18th through 22nd, the world's most important platform for the discovery of new music, CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, invades New York City with over 1,300 artist performances and dozens of cutting-edge films. CMJ fills more than 80 of the city's greatest venues, nightclubs, and theaters with over 120,000 fans, music industry professionals, college radio tastemakers, bloggers, press, filmmakers, and musicians.

The Chocolate Show – From November 10th through 13th the largest show in the United States completely dedicated to celebrating all things chocolate comes to NYC. Sounds delicious!

Get Crafty!

Crafting is becoming more and more popular in the modern world, as people turn away from the screen and towards the old ways. If you’re looking for a new hobby, check out this list of crafts that make great ways to spend your leisure time.

-        Knitting is one of the most popular craft hobbies, for a number of reasons. The supplies needed are inexpensive and very portable – you can carry your yarn and needles in your daily bag and take them out whenever you want. You can also work on projects in short periods of time, like during a commute.

-        Origami is a popular crafting choice. The Japanese art of folded paper can make some awesome shapes if you keep at it, and all you really need are square sheets and instructions.

-        Quilting is undergoing a resurgence of popularity in recent years, as people are recognizing the artistic expression possible in these traditional blankets. This is the least portable of the crafts on this list, but the end product can be really spectacular.

-        Screenprinting is now easier than ever to do at home, with one-piece kits letting you expose an image, burn a screen, and print on paper, fabric, or other materials quickly and easily. This classic method of printing is simple, fun, and great for making gifts.

Visit West Virginia!

The heart of the Appalachians, West Virginia is one of the most geographically diverse parts of the nation. It's an outdoorsman's paradise.

The Gauley and New Rivers offer the best whitewater rafting in the country, with challenging rapids and exciting high water. Raft rental companies will dispatch a guide with each group to keep you out of danger.

The New River also boasts one of the most impressive bridges in the world. The New River Gorge Bridge was, until recently, the largest steel-arch bridge in the world and remains the largest in the United States.

If you’re looking for a supernatural touch to your vacation, stop at the town of Harpers Ferry. Rich with Civil War history, this charming little town also has some of the most robust folklore in the region.

If you’re feeling like getting a little more urban, go to Charleston, the state capital. The city also has a booming arts scene and some truly fantastic restaurants.

Learn more: www.wvtourism.com

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