FNYTSF Year-End Awards Results, and a Look to 2012!

Patrick Gorman, winner of the 2011 Interview of the Year!

Awards

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived to reveal the four award winners in From New York to San Francisco’s first annual year-end awards! I would like to thank everyone who voted, as there was a much larger turnout than I expected. Below are the winners:

Picture of the Year: “Lawrence Gets Into Trouble” (50%)

Interview of the Year: Actor Patrick Gorman (55%)

National-Level Idiot of the Year: Harold Camping (29%)

Local-Level Idiot of the Year: A Waitress in Virginia (44%)

Interview with TV Show Host Bobby Bognar

Have you ever wondered what kind of technology goes into making our favorite foods? What about the ingredients included, or where it is shipped from? Enter Bobby Bognar, the host of the fast-paced and informative program on the History Channel called Food Tech. Airing back in 2010, the show was given a lot of air time once more a few weeks ago for a food-related week of specials on the network’s sister station H2. It was here that I first got a chance to see the show, and I must admit, I was hooked. This is a fantastic show that answers all of the questions asked above. Though it has the format of a Modern Marvels episode, it is a lot more personable because of its host, who does everything involved with the certain food’s production, from operating machinery and tasting the product in various stages of development, to detailing the complete history behind what ever food is being featured.

During the show’s run, Bobby did episodes on more than 60 different items, ranging from Italian, Chinese, and Mexican food, as well as more specifically, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheeses, and seafood, and even some condiments like ketchup, mustard, and horseradish sauce—as you can see, no stone was left unturned; if you sat down and watched them one at a time, you would find yourself addicted to the fun nature of the program. It is not often that I stumble upon a show and automatically get hooked, which was why I contacted Bobby for an interview, who also happens to be a musician, and has a band called The Piper Downs.  Below is our conversation:

Previewing “1863″ Part I: An Upcoming Film about the Civil War

An unofficial film poster, designed by Greg Caggiano.

When one thinks of their favorite films about Vietnam, what aspect normally comes to mind? For most, the answer will probably be the psychological effects that war has on a human being, as they go through training and fight their way through battles, seeing friends and comrades dropping by the thousand beside them. While it has become tradition to form films about Vietnam and even World War II in that manner, films made about the American Civil War tend to be more broad. Unfortunately, the number of them produced in the past has not allowed for such specificity, but that all will be coming to a change in 2013, as an upcoming film set during the 150th anniversary of one of the War’s most pivotal years promises to strike audiences with a vivid and accurate depiction for what war really is—as General William Tecumseh Sherman best described: “hell”.

Ron Maxwell’s “Copperhead” Going Into Production This Spring

A political cartoon portrayal of the “Copperheads” from an 1863 newspaper.

EDIT: Click here for the page on this blog devoted entirely to the film.

As if movie news for Civil War buffs could not get any better, we now have some sort of official word from director Ron Maxwell about his upcoming film Copperhead, which will also tackle the same era as his two previous films, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, although in a completely different manner. Word had come out over the summer in regards to the project (personally, it slipped my mind to ask him about it during our interview at the G & G premiere), but now it appears finally to be coming to fruition. Ron recently conducted a fascinating interview with History Net, and spoke about the film at the end:

Time Running Out to Vote in the Year-End Awards!

Just a quick reminder to everyone to vote in FNYTSF’s First Annual Year-End Awards, if you have not done so already. The turnout has actually been pretty good so far, and there are only two days remaining to have your voice heard, as the results will be announced on New Year’s Eve! Please click the following links to be re-directed to the polls:

Merry Christmas from FNYTSF!

I would like to wish all of my readers here on From New York to San Francisco a very Merry Christmas, and an upcoming Happy New Year! It has been a pleasure blogging for you for a little less than two years now. Let’s hope that we all have an enjoyable day tomorrow with our family and friends, which shows what the real meaning of this holiday is all about. I have already recieved my first gift of the holiday, from a friend, which was a Henrik Lundqvist t-shirt-jersey with the Winter Classic patch on the top. I am really pumped up for that game, and will definitely be wearing that shirt on January 2nd. As for tomorrow, I will be spending it with my family as I do every year, one of the only days where everyone can get together for a meal at the same time. I hope everyone else will be experiencing the same.

Sincerely,

Greg Caggiano

P.S Christmas is sure a lot more enjoyable knowing that the New York Rangers sit in first place in the Atlantic Division, and Marian Gaborik leads the league in goals. Still a long way to go, but last night’s victory over the Philadelphia Flyers was one of the best gifts I could have gotten!

Rangers & Flyers Matchup Tonight Could Be Game of the Season

‘Twas the last game before Christmas, and the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are both surging toward the highly anticipated Winter Classic on January 2nd. Both of these teams, the stars of HBO’s hit series 24/7, have given the network and fans alike plenty of entertainment. From a hockey marketing standpoint, the scenario could not be any better. The Flyers currently sit in first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, while the Rangers sit in second in the former, and fourth in the latter, just two points behind. Should the Blueshirts win tonight, they would take over first place, because they would have played one less game with one fewer loss, though both teams would have an identical number of wins.

A PC American Holiday Vol. 3: Why Leave New Year’s Alone?

Ah, it’s that time of year again where political correctness drives people mad! Last year, we attacked the myths behind Frostie the Snowman and Santa Claus, and because they went over so well, I decided to continue it again this year, with a different holiday that no one ever goes after. Well, why should we leave New Year’s celebrations alone? Surely, somewhere, someone is offended by such a day/eve, and on this blog, we shall set out to exploit it!

With Concussions Increasing, Is It Time for the NHL to Resize the Rink?

It seems that almost every day, we are reading reports of a player who has gone down with a concussion or related symptoms, and even upon recovery, the phrase “Post-Concussion Syndrome” has become household jargon for hockey fans. As a writer covering the New York Rangers, I have seen firsthand the devastation that can occur from a concussion, with two of the Rangers top-four defensemen, Marc Staal and Michael Sauer, sitting on the injured reserve. This has become an epidemic in the NHL, the priority of which should be at the top of the slate for all of those in charge. The following is a list of players who are currently on the IR due to concussions and related injuries:

New York Rangers: With Eminger Down, Time to Trade for a Defenseman

Coming off a huge win over the Phoenix Coyotes, when Brad Richards scored the game-winning goal with .1 seconds remaining to give the New York Rangers the win and snap a two-game losing streak, the team finds themselves down a defenseman yet again, as Steve Eminger took a check and went shoulder first into the boards during the second period. While we do not know what exactly is wrong, we do know that he left the arena with his arm in a sling, and by looking at the replay, it seems as if he might have separated his shoulder. Severe or not, the Rangers are in a bind. Marc Staal has been out the entire season with post-concussion syndrome and Michael Sauer, more recently, suffered a concussion as well. The Rangers, who, at the beginning of the season, had one of the best defensive depths in the league, are now losing that by the game.