Adobe Youth Voices - Youth Producing Change

Want to buy a child? Seriously. It will only cost you a bag of millet. Leila was sold...traded really. For a bag of food that would feed her family.

If you’re not interested in purchasing a child, what about children who work as many hours a day as they are old just to support their family.

Alcides parents—both parents—died of HIV/AIDS.

Are these tales put on the airwaves and television to tug at your heartstrings and empty your wallet? No. These are true stories put out by youth filmmakers to raise awareness.

As part of Adobe Youth Voices and the Youth Producing Change Event in Boston, ten young filmmakers were armed with digital cameras and their own creativity. They made films to expose human rights issues they faced or had seen in their community.

With issues ranging from child labor to police harassment, these films aired at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts this past weekend as the showcase series featured in Human Rights Watch Film Festivals in London, New York and San Francisco.

Made possible by The Adobe Foundation, Youth Producing Change is part of Adobe Youth Voices and is “designed to provide youth in underserved communities with critical skills they need to become active and engaged members of their communities and the world at large.”

In just over three years, 20,000 children in 30 countries have taken part in the Adobe Youth Voices training programs to create media for social change.

What’s that mean? It means you learn a little bit about Human Rights Watch. You learn about The Adobe Foundation. And you learn firsthand what kids already know.

In films that explored these topics...

Clean water is a basic human necessity, yet corporations seeking profit are purchasing community water supplies around the world.

Shocked by the claim that more than half of all rapes happen to people under 18, young filmmakers searched for the roots of sexual violence and call for change.

Each night 1,600 teenagers in New York City find themselves homeless. Clemins and Jackie, two formerly homeless teens from New York City shared their stories of overcoming adversity and their work to create a community of support around teen homelessness.

Using new media tools, kids shared these videos and then the event was publicized via Twitter and Facebook. From what I read and learned about these kids, the only thing more powerful than their videos is their resolve to address human rights issues.

Michelle Mann, Executive Director of the Adobe Foundation, said, “By calling attention to human rights issues, these youth are inspiring audiences worldwide and demonstrating the power to express ideas, engage stakeholders and effect change through digital media.”

Anyone can do this stuff, but these kids are inspiring because they got out and explored the world around them, then they got in front of the camera to share their thoughts, their pain, their stories.

Pictures...especially moving pictures...are more moving when they engage and tell a story that matters. The films that aired this past Friday at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston did just that.

You can find out more a couple of ways. Give a click over to Facebook... http://www.facebook.com/adobeyouthvoices or jump on Twitter and follow @adobeyv to see what else is happening with Adobe Youth Voices.

You can see images and learn more about Human Rights Watch at http://www.hrw.org/iff.

GutenBlog.net

This post is being created over on GutenBlog and it's being ported to a number of my sites. The app has been created to give you one point of contact for your various online presences - saving time and effort when trying to get multiple postings up.

I'm just evaluating the Alpha right now and can't say it works yet because I'm just typing this in the dashboard and haven't hit send yet. I guess we'll all learn together how well it works in a minute when I publish it.

Shall we try?

PRESSING PUBLISH NOW!!!

*OK, not pressing it yet. Wanted to remind people - just in case this doesn't work - that I'm just a tester at this point and any concerns about Guten Blog should be sent to their staff.

**Also, on a totally separate note, if you're looking for a way to get your link out in the world of new media, Twitter, etc. Gimme a shout. As of November 1, 2009, my photo site - wwjce (what would Jeff Cutler eat?) has been accepting sponsorship. Few of my other sites do so, but wwjce is widely read and has achieved critical acclaim.

Posted with GutenBlog.net.

Boston Latino International Film Festival

I have been doing volunteer marketing for BLIFF. There had been a lot of buzz about a movie called The Devil's Tail, self-described by the filmmakers as the story of a man who abandons predictable life in Toronto, dashing off without a plan to find his best friend, a charming Texan ne’er-do-well, and plunged into a world far darker than the familiar tourist images of Cancun. I hadn't seen it, so I decided to attend Sunday's screening at Cambridge College.

The film blew me away. It was filmed beautifully, well-acted and the story had me on the edge of my seat for the whole 2 hours (literally, although with the folding chairs at the Cambridge College location, a little tighter editing would have improved the experience). The most interesting part of the evening for me was meeting the filmmakers in attendance: director Christoper Comrie, writer/actress Samantha Swan, and actor Arthur Pellman. When I found out from them that this entire film was made for about the cost of a well used car, it impressed me even more.

I attended the screening with 3 friends, and we spent the greater part of dinner afterward discussing the movie, its underlying meanings, our varied perspectives and impressions of the well-developed characters, and interpretations on the film's story.

As an amateur film buff, I've been really impressed by the quality of the films that have been screened at this festival. I'm not saying I've loved every one, but I don't like all the big box office hits either, its a matter of personal opinion. What I do love about them all though, is the chance to support these dedicated artists in telling their stories and pursuing their passions and dreams while making films.

The festival continues this weekend, December 11-13 at Cambridge College, and I will be there to check out a few more...I know its the holiday season and I have about 1,000 other things I need to get done, but this festival is only happening for a limited time - so I won't miss it!

Met Bar & Grill

Address: Legacy Place Plaza, Dedham, MA

Who Goes There: Local couples, teeny boppers & overall, people of a variety of ages

Special: Burger bar, custom made to order

Clearly the draw to this place was the burgers. The place is pretty spaced out so it never feels like you're cramped for room. The waitstaff is pretty good. We had a great waiter who was on his game. There are a few TVs for the sports fans and there's a relatively large bar space as well. Not the best date spot as it's really loud and there's no atmosphere.

Now let's get to the food and drink.

Knowing we were going to get burgers, we started things off with a 2006 Cabernet which was amazing. It was the perfect compliment to the burgers. The bread they give you at the beginning is really hard. Probably the hardest bread I've ever had. Definitely not their selling point.

Their burger bar is pretty extensive. They have pre-selected combinations varying from the all-American burger to a French style burger. Then it's the create your own where you can order pretty much anything your heart desires. I'm talking from a double Kobe burger with feta cheese, bacon, ranch dressing & Spanish onions to a simple salmon burger with horseradish sauce.

Food comes with lettuce, a tomato, a pickle and fries that aren't bad at all.

Overall, the meal was really good. I don't gjve ratings for restaurants but I will say that since this place is close to my house, I'll be there again soon!

Thomas Edwards is @URWingman on Twitter and can be reached via his Website.

Green Mountain Coffee & Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro

This evening I had the pleasure of being invited to a Boston Food Bloggers' event at Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro in Foxboro, MA.

The dinner - a four-course extravaganza with dishes all made with coffee or coffee derivatives - was arranged by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and I was a last-minute addition.



With Blog World Expo going on in Las Vegas, I surmise that writers who had previously committed to the dinner found themselves weighing the choice between slummin' it in Vegas with hundreds of other bloggers or staying home for a free meal and some potent coffee. As I sit in my living room with a cat by my elbow, I would say they made the wrong choice by missing this meal.

Let's go through the venue, the concept and then the meal. If you've got comments, please share them.

Venue - Tastings Wine Bar is essentially a bistro-style restaurant that until June featured only a tastings menu....hence the name. Its design was created, according to one of my fellow diners, by some of the same people who design the restaurants at Walt Disney World. It shows.

The wine cellar, the bar, the side room (with live music) and the dining room all are comfortable and efficient. Chairs were comfortable, tables were distressed, dark wood, and the staff were all well-dressed and well mannered.



Tastings is a little difficult to locate when you first show up at Patriot Place (the mall that surrounds Gillette Stadium in Foxboro), but there are plenty of signs.

Parking is plentiful and free. Prices at the Bistro are moderate to high. Before we went to the dinner table, I purchased a glass of wine and a beer. That set me back $21 including tax and tip. *Bear in mind that my beer was only $6.

The Concept - The idea behind the evening's event was to bring influential and interested bloggers together and show them how coffee can be used in cooking some enticing and tasty food. The other goal was to inform these same writers about Fair Trade Coffee and how Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is focused on supporting the Fair Trade movement.

In my mind, it worked.

We finished our meal (menu and descriptions in a second) about two hours ago and I've decided to post this before going to bed. That's because I liked the food, was interested in Green Mountain's efforts, and had a lot of coffee tonight.

If you're not sure what Fair Trade really means, check out this site. It essentially says that Fair Trade coffees are held to six principles. These principles allow growers, and the communities within which these growers farm, to lift themselves up - essentially maintaining access to markets where they might not have had an in if demand was the sole determination of pricing.

I liken it to subsidizing farmers to grow corn - or paying farmers not to grow anything - but can see that participating in Fair Trade practices is more than this for Green Mountain. During the meal they discussed how there is an element of corporate social responsibility that helps direct their actions.

Not gonna get all political here, but this whole CSR focus has helped them connect with customers, employees and partners in a way they hadn't before.



Let's eat...menu was created by executive chef Richard Garcia

Course 1 - Live Sea Urchin Cappucino

Served in its shell, the sea urchin was pureed and infused with parsnip and vanilla. I gobbled it up. There was coffee used in the puree.

What I tasted most was a spicy, velvety and fresh dish that had just a hint of coffee and a hint of the vanilla. I remember trying urchin as nigiri at various Asian restaurants and this dish had none of the bitterness that sometimes accompanies urchin.

Loved it.

The wine was a Hamilton Russell Chardonnay that brought out the vanilla more after I had a sip.



Course 2 - Coffee Cured Hamachi

Served on a plate with a vanilla citrette, this dish was by far my favorite. I could have eaten this all night. The subtle citrette and the texture of the fish was perfect.

I've had sashimi right off a fishing boat in Hawaii and this was as good. Delicate, tasty and outstanding.

There was just a breath of coffee essence on the hamachi and it was decorated/garnished with a few nuts and leaves. The photos I took don't do it justice.



The wine for the hamachi was a Georg Albrecht Schneider Spatlese Riesling. I found it just sweet enough to offset the citrette.

Course 3 - Duck Two Ways - Coffee Smoked Lola Duck Breast; and Lola Duck Confit

The duck was excellent. I'm not sure I would be able to survive if I had to dine regularly on the portions we enjoyed...but it was a tasting menu. But I digress.

The duck breast was perfectly seasoned with French roast duck jus and was set in a Rhode Island turnip puree.

The puree tasted light and airy and the duck was perfectly cooked. *I was one of the only people at the table who preferred the breast to the confit.

The confit was two pieces of duck that could have passed for mini filets. They were also set in the French roast duck jus.

Course 4 - Coffee & Cardamom Infused Dates

Ergh. The chef admitted that the dessert was thrown together and it played that way. The dates were done perfectly, but the yogurt & coffee fluid gel remained on everyone's plate - including mine. It was like a bad Knox blox that tasted like coffee. A mousse of some sort could have been created as easily and would have been a better feel in the mouth.

This was paired with Barros "La Grima" White Port. I don't know enough about port to know if this was good. It was definitely sweet and had a gentle burn at the end. I'm not positive that it paired correctly with the gel, but as I admitted, I didn't thoroughly enjoy this course.

Finally, we had a post-meal coffee cupping and got to compare Kenyan and Sumatran coffee from Green Mountain. I can say I've never tasted coffee in this manner. Usually I just sweeten it up and load it with cream. This time I took the time to let it roll over my tongue like wine and I noticed flavors that have been absent in my coffee-drinking life.

This wasn't something I'd attribute solely to the Green Mountain brand, but was pleased to now have a new technique in my arsenal when trying different blends.

What's the verdict? Well, wow. I was surprised that you could put coffee into so many dishes. I was also surprised by what I learned about Fair Trade items. *Tastings tries to use as many FT products as possible, including vanilla and coffee.

Will the Fair Trade information make me be more socially responsible - if that's what buying only Fair Trade does? I'm not sure. I'm still going to choose my food by taste and cost primarily. But if I can get the same quality and also do something nice for a coffee grower in Guatemala, then why not.