“I have always had biscuit dreams” – Carrie Morey, “How She Rolls”
It’s fun to stumble upon tasty little gems as I'm perusing Apple TV.
The PBS series “How She Rolls” follows Charleston, South Carolina, entrepreneur Carrie Morey as she juggles family life and the future of her business, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit (named for her mother, whose biscuit recipe is at the heart of culinary hand-made items served up).
As I was perusing the PBS app a couple weeks ago, I discovered “How She Rolls” listed in the app’s “Featured Shows” section. I decided to sample a few minutes of an episode (I inadvertently selected the season finale, but it didn’t spoil anything).
I thought it looked like something Bridget and I would enjoy watching together. We donate to PBS, and a perk is access to all the content available via the streaming platform.
As small business owners ourselves for more than 25 years, we enjoy programs focused on the entrepreneurial life. Staples in our streaming diet are series like ABC's “Shark Tank” and CNBC’s “The Profit.”
“How She Rolls” shows the challenges Morey faces as Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit looks to expand its mail-order and brick-and-mortar operations. They also have a charming food truck called “Butter” that is launched during the first episode.
“It’s not a biscuit company,” says husband John regarding his wife's business. “It’s way bigger than that.”
Indeed it is. Viewers gain insight into the the small empire that Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit has become over 15-plus years.
In addition to the typical challenges faced by businesses in the food space, much of the series was filmed during — and highlighted difficulties caused by — the COVID-19 pandemic.
We breezed through the 10-episode season in a weekend (each episode in the debut season runs about 25 minutes).
The danger with watching a food-based series is that you inevitably want to sample the treats featured. As I’m writing this blog post, I'm craving one of the Sausage Biscuits featured on the Callie's Hot Little Biscuit menu.
We looked to see if we could purchase any of Morey’s items in or around Omaha (the closest store carrying any items is 100 miles away), so we’ll have to have something shipped here.
She pre-ordered the items and picked them up at the Omaha Farmers Market in the Old Market (Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Oct. 10).
I enjoyed having the biscuits for breakfast over the next couple of days. You forget just how satisfying and comforting something as simple as a buttermilk biscuit can be.
“How She Rolls” is an intriguing look into the life of an entrepreneur, mixed with an ample helping of comfort food along the way.
It was nice to see the spotlight focused on a female-led business.
I’m hoping we'll get to see more seasons of “How She Rolls” on PBS (the first season left me curious about plans for future expansion). We had a terrific time learning about Carrie Morey, her husband, daughters, and extended family in the Palmetto State.
Check your local listings to see if “How She Rolls” is airing in your area. The series is also available via various streaming platforms — including PBS Living and to PBS Passport subscribers via the PBS app.
To learn more about Carrie Morey, the “How She Rolls” series, and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, visit www.calliesbiscuits.com.
When Apple TV+ was first announced in 2019, the dystopian sci-fi series “See” looked like one of the more intriguing entries among those available when the service debuted.
I’ve had Apple TV+ for the past few months and finally made my way through the Jason Momoa-led show.
“See” takes place on Earth in the far future when the human race has lost its ability to see (hence the name of the series).
The outbreak of a deadly virus in the 21st century reduced the human population on the planet to less than 2 million people. The survivors all emerged blind.
As a result of the mass blindness, a society emerged that has adapted to a world without vision (over the course of centuries).
Some of the methods used for communicating in a sightless existence are fairly clever. For example, tied knots on pieces of rope serve as a substitute for the written word.
The world presented is tribal in nature, and the first season of “See” feels more akin to a 19th century wilderness story than a futuristic tale.
Momoa plays Baba Voss, the chief of the Alkenny tribe. He is married to Maghra (Hera Hilmar), a pregnant woman who came to Alkenny village seeking help.
Maghra’s twin children (a boy and a girl) are born able to see — something considered to be a witch-like ability.
The twins’ forbidden gift — and the danger the ability brings — sets into motion the macro narrative that carries “See” through its first season.
The twins attract the attention of Queen Kane (Sylvia Hoeks), the peculiar leader of the Payan Kingdom. She dispatches General Tamacti Jun (Christian Carmago) to hunt the heretics down (a hunt that, at times, reminded me a bit of plot points featured in the George Lucas fantasy film “Willow”).
The twins are named Kofun (Archie Madekwe) and Haniwa (Nesta Cooper). We soon learn they are the children of a mysterious man named Jerlamarel (Joshua Henry).
“See” is the creation of screenwriter Steven Knight. Knight is probably best known for the Netflix series “Peaky Blinders” (which he created and serves as a writer and executive producer). I’ve never watched that show, but have noticed it was available on Netflix.
Knight also wrote the screenplay for the 2016 World War II thriller “Allied” (read my review).
I went into “See” not really knowing what to expect.
As I watched the first season, my opinion bounced around like the readout on a PKE meter. Some moments were quite compelling. Other moments left me somewhat underwhelmed.
Overall, I found the first season of “See” to be something of a mixed bag.
The strong points in “See” rest largely on the shoulders of Jason Momoa.
If you’re looking to cast a brawny leader of a futuristic tribe, the “Aquaman” star seems tailor-made for the part. With his scraggly locks, bushy beard, and tattoos, Momoa brings instant authenticity to the role of Baba Voss.
You genuinely believe he is a blind man who has developed a keen sense of hearing — and a warrior’s intuition for unseen dangers lurking at every turn — in this environment.
Momoa definitely brings an enthusiasm to the material, and his performance is the best thing about the first season. You can tell he is having a good time in the role.
He recently posted some fun behind-the-scenes material from “See” on his YouTube channel:
A number of the other cast members do a yeoman’s job in their roles, creating characters that show promise for the future.
Alfre Woodard brings quite a bit of energy to the character of Paris, a spiritual elder in the Alkenny tribe (a welcome trait in a show that can plod along at times). The character is tasked with a number of responsibilities in the season’s story structure — and the exposition she doles out helps viewers make sense of this mysterious world.
Even though I found the Queen Kane character to be overly bizarre, Sylvia Hoeks did create a memorable character. She created a character that was cunning, paranoid, and downright weird.
I also thought that Nesta Cooper did a solid job as Haniwa (one of the sighted twins). Cooper portrays the character during her teenage years, and brings a tough feistiness to the role. It is a nice counterpoint to Archie Madekwe’s performance as her brother Kofun.
The frustrating thing about a show like this is that a considerable amount of time is spent doing “world building” during the early episodes. While that task is necessary to establish the rules of the unique world in “See,” the added exposition can cause the storyline to drag.
That’s why a lot science fiction and fantasy movies and TV series rely on familiar tropes when telling stories.
Be that as it may, you have to admire the filmmakers for trying to do something different with “See.”
“See’s” production is the real highlight of the first season. The show is filmed in some gorgeous locales around Vancouver, British Columbia.
Lush forests and breathtaking mountain landscapes envelope much of the first season’s story. The 4K UHD video presented on Apple TV+ is really lovely.
One of the technical aspects I didn’t care for was the show’s musical score — or lack thereof. The music (what there is of it) is composed by Bear McCreary.
While McCreary’s score tries to convey a sense of foreboding and tension, it didn’t quite resonate with me. Parts of it reminded me of Hans Zimmer’s score for the movie “Dunkirk” (read my review) — where the score is less about the “music” and is employed to emphasize the sound effects on screen (if you get my drift).
Despite some promising elements, the overall tone of the show is so “dreary” that it can be hard to stick with. It took me a few months to work my way through the eight-episode season (each episode runs about an hour).
I think there are some interesting possibilities for future seasons. To that end, the season finale set things up for what could become a fascinating story as things move forward.
(The eighth episode also features one of Momoa’s best “one liners” of the season — it happens during a fight sequence at the end of the episode. This is a “no spoilers” review, so you’ll just have to watch for yourself to see what he says!)
I just can’t tell at this point whether or not I really like “See.”
The show is like a bizarre mix of “Mad Max,” “Waterworld,” and “The Hunger Games.”
It’s very possible that “See” will be a series that is more of a “slow burn” — requiring multiple seasons to develop a truly compelling narrative.
We’ll see… If you’d like to learn more about the series — and watch the first two episodes for free — visit the Apple TV website or watch via the Apple TV app.
I’ve written several posts on this blog about Apple, my love of the company’s products, and the new streaming service Apple TV+.
For me, each new announcement and presentation is something akin to Christmas Day.
Because of COVID-19 global pandemic, Apple changed its annual World Wide Developers to a “virtual” gathering online — making the conference free this year.
Because the company’s keynote is a stage-based production, I wasn’t sure how this year’s event would feel.
As many pundits Tweeted during the keynote (including myself), the production value on the event was pretty slick, and very informative.
Sadly, there weren’t any hardware reveals or teases this year (I was excited to see a redesigned iMac), but there were a number of details on upcoming software updates for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, TVOS 14, and macOS Big Sur. Along with the enhancements to the core software, Apple outlined its desktop/laptop transition from Intel’s x86 processors to their own custom processors, dubbed “Apple Silicon.”
Here are my five favorite highlights from the event:
WIDGETS ON THE HOME SCREEN IN IOS
A number of the Apple-focused rumor sites, YouTubers, and bloggers have had concept photos of the next iteration of iOS showing widgets of various shapes and sizes on the Home Screen of an iPhone (among the typical grid of apps).
(This is where Android users make snarky comments about this feature being available on their phones for years.)
Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi demonstrated this new ability during his iOS 14 presentation at WWDC.
Users will be able add things like Weather and Calendar widgets to their Home Screen and place them to their liking among the app icons — and they can be sized to a user’s preference.
The Home Screen has long needed to be more useful and customizable (much in the way a user can customize the complications on various Apple Watch faces).
Quite honestly, I haven’t spent a lot of time swiping to look at the Today View on my iPhone, so I’ll be happy to have the ability to use widgets in a more useful way.
Apple has also implemented something called a Smart Stack that allows users to scroll through several widgets on the Home Screen. You can either do this manually, or the Smart Stack can change the widget automatically based on the time of day you’re looking at your iPhone.
APP CLIPS
I’m a person who doesn’t like to have a lot of apps on my iPhone.
I like to limit it to those I use the most. Part of this mindset came a decade ago when I had phones like the HTC Droid Eris and the iPhone 4s. Both devices had fairly small hard drives, so I tried to keep my phones “fit” as I went along.
Obviously, smartphones today have infinitely more storage, faster processors, and bigger batteries.
Be that as it may, my “daily driver” is an iPhone 6S Plus (a device that was released in 2015), so process-hungry apps are still a focus for me as it regards battery life on an older device.
In my mind, one of the more irritating side effects of app development is when you are “out and about” somewhere and find out you need to download an app to be able to do something.
An example of this might be a parking meter that requires an app to pay the fee (the University of Nebraska at Omaha has this setup in front of Milo Bail Student Center).
When we’ve eaten at Qdoba over the past year or so, we’ve been told that we can only use the reward programs if we download their app.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t really relish installing software when I’m away from home. I don’t want to do it on public wifi, and I don’t like doing it using our cellular service.
Apple has come up with a solution to appease people like me with its new App Clips feature in iOS 14.
Federighi described the functionality as the right app you need at just the right moment.
An App Clip is a small part of an app. It’s light and fast and easy to discover.
So, if you are at a parking meter that requires an app for payment, App Clip will open and allow you to pay using a portion of the app (without requiring users to download and install the entire app).
There will be a number of ways users can access App Clips. Apple has also developed what it calls App Clip Code (something akin to a QR code) that they’d like entities to have on display so people can scan them with their iPhones.
APPLE TV+ ADAPTATION OF ISAAC ASIMOV’S “FOUNDATION” SERIES
I’ve been an Apple TV+ subscriber for a few months now, and have started reviewing a number of the service’s original programming offerings on this blog.
So far, I’ve been pretty impressed.
At WWDC, Apple showed a sizzle reel and teaser trailer for its upcoming adaptation of science fiction scribe Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” series (an epic drama encompassing various stories and novels).
I’ll admit, I’m not at all familiar with Asimov’s “Foundation” series (but it sounds amazing).
The Apple TV+ adaptation is helmed by David S. Goyer. Goyer served as a screenwriter on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Trilogy.”
In the teaser, Goyer mentions that the “Foundation” series influenced “Star Wars.” The early images of Apple’s new series certainly look epic in scope. I’m very excited to see if the narrative matches the visuals.
I’m hoping it turns out to be a “must see” program on the Apple TV+ service. The series won’t debut until 2021. In the meantime, here is the trailer that debuted at WWDC:
INTERFACE ENHANCEMENTS TO MACOS
The upcoming iteration of Apple’s venerable Mac operating system is called macOS Big Sur (sticking with names of scenic wonders around California).
With this release, Apple has ditched the 10.x numbering scheme for the first time since the NeXTSTEP-based operating system (built from technologies acquired from Steve Jobs in 1996) debuted in 2001. Instead of being called macOS 10.16, this version will be MacOS 11.
With Big Sur, Apple continues the trend of making the desktop interface look more like iOS.
Interface tweaks and enhancements don’t normally get my heart racing, but the overall look and feel presented in Big Sur signals increased integration between macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
There is more translucency in Finder windows and the Menu Bar at the top of the screen.
Moreover, they’ve added a Control Center to macOS 11 that is basically a thematic counterpart to the Control Center on iOS and iPadOS devices.
It is interesting to see the new app icons in Big Sur. Apple has adopted the “squares with rounded corners” look from iOS for the built-in apps in macOS 11.
My friend Jason Combs Tweeted during the keynote that it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish between Apple’s various operating systems. That is indeed true, and macOS 11 takes things several steps further toward a unified experience. One other note: While it isn’t an interface change, per se, Apple has brought back the “startup chime” in macOS Big Sur (it was removed from macOS in a 2016 update). You’ll be able to toggle it on and off in System Preferences.
APPLE’S TRANSITION TO ARM PROCESSORS IN UPCOMING LAPTOPS AND DESKTOPS
Speaking of efforts to create a “unified experiences” among its various product lines…
Reports have swirled for years about Apple shifting its laptop and desktop lineup away from Intel’s x86 processors in favor of its own silicon (based on the “A” series chips powering iPhones and iPads) using ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) architecture.
They are referring to these new processors as “Apple Silicon” (lets hope they have a better name in the future).
Despite strong indicators Apple was headed in this direction, some prognosticators wondered if it would ever happen.
The rumors have finally come true. It is happening.
I’ve solely used Apple computers throughout my life (the brief exceptions being a couple courses in college that used DOS terminals and desktops running Windows 3.11).
My first experience using a personal computer was in 1982 when I took a summer school course that taught Applesoft’s BASIC programming language on Apple II computers.
I was a 9-year-old at the time (weird to think I learned to program lines of code at that age).
Over the years, I grew to love the Apple II and the various models of Macintosh computers I used (both personally and in my business).
When Apple announced a shift from PowerPC processors in 2005, they outlined an aggressive roadmap to move the entire Mac lineup to Intel processors (an effort that was complete by the end of 2006).
That transition saw software developers make what were called “Universal” apps (that ran on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs) and introduced an emulation environment called “Rosetta” (that would run PowerPC apps — that had not recompiled — on the new Intel Macs).
Both technologies were designed the ease the transition between platforms.
Here we are — 15 years later — and Apple has announced a new transition that feels oddly similar to the one that took place in 2005.
In the coming months, developers will be able to make “Universal 2” apps (that will run on existing Intel-based Macs and the upcoming "Apple Silicon” Macs).
Apple will also include emulation software in mac OS 11 Big Sur called “Rosetta 2” (that will run Intel apps that haven’t been recompiled on the new "Apple Silicon” Macs).
As I watched the WWDC presentation on this switch, it was fascinating to hear Apple using similar messaging to the talking points Steve Jobs used during the 2005 transition.
I’m pretty excited to see what Apple is able to do with its desktop-class computers once they control the entire software/hardware experience. I have a feeling that the power-to-performance ratio will improve dramatically with Apple using its own silicon to power these machines.
Because Apple has been so dependent on Intel’s roadmap the past 15 years, it has becoming increasingly difficult for the engineers in Cupertino to create innovative machines for its pro users.
Intel’s struggles in recent years have been widely publicized. Making matters worse for Intel have been the advances AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) has made with its processor technology (some Mac users were hoping Apple would switch to AMD processors in its Mac lineup).
I know transitions like this can scare users, but I really think it is a positive development for Apple. Having lived through the previous transition (and having used PowerPC and Intel computers in our business during that time), it wasn’t as problematic as people have made it out to be.
As long as software developers retool their apps in the new version of Xcode (creating apps that use the Universal 2 binaries), users on both platforms should be fine.
Native versions of Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop were shown running on a new ARM-based Macintosh computer. Apple also showed a resource-intensive, Intel-based videogame (that hasn’t been rebuilt for the new architecture) running surprisingly well in the Rosetta 2 emulation environment.
Since many software companies have shifted to a SaaS model (software as a service), a lot of us have to “rent” productivity suites, like Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of applications. The days of purchasing software with “perpetual” licenses is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
As a result, the idea of shifting to a new platform is a lot less intimidating than it was in 2005.
When you pay a monthly fee for your software, you’re not worried about having to fork over a couple thousand dollars for an upgrade when you purchase a new computer. The upgrades are included in the subscription fee.
Big players like Adobe and Microsoft have already been building new versions of their core software assets (as Universal 2 apps) that will run on existing Intel-based systems and Apple’s new ARM-based Macs.
Apple says the first of these news Macs will be available later this year, and that the transition will be complete in two years. I’m intrigued to see where things go from here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In addition to the five items I highlighted, there is a whole lot more that is worth unpacking from this year’s WWDC keynote.
My post scratches the surface of the enhancements and refinements Apple is gearing up to offer in upcoming software and hardware releases.
One of the technologies previewed (that I didn’t highlight) is the new handwriting feature in iPadOS 14 called Scribble.
Scribble allows users to do more with the Apple Pencil on iPad devices that support it.
For example, you can sketch a basic shape (like a star) and the underlying programming can create a “cleaned up” version of your rough sketch.
Scribble allows you to use the Apple Pencil to input text in form fields outside of apps that typically support handwriting and drawing.
Safari is one such app. Apple Pencil users will be able to write terms in the search bar in Safari. The browser will then convert that to typed text and complete your search.
Another nice feature is the ability to take blocks of handwritten text in a note, highlight them, and select “Copy as Text” so you can paste the block into another application (such as Microsoft Word).
It will be interesting to hear how this feature works as people test the beta releases of iPadOS 14.
I know this post was more technical and “jargony” than the content I normally write on this blog. Since Apple is such an integral part of my marketing communications business — and my daily life — I wanted to share my thoughts on the news from Apple’s 2020 WWDC.
It’ll be fun to see where things go from here! To learn more about the technologies and projects featured in this blog post, visit www.apple.com.
If you’d told me a month ago that “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” would be the show that would motivate me to subscribe to Apple TV+, I would have said you were crazy.
In that review, I wrote “I’m wary” as it regarded Apple’s foray into subscription services (which also includes a beefed up news offering, a video game arcade, and the company’s branded credit card).
Because Apple TV+ is focused on “originals only” (something the marketing team has tried to pimp as a virtue), I was skeptical about whether they’d be able to develop enough compelling programming to keep subscribers interested.
I’m still skeptical (based on the current lineup), but Apple has a winner in the new workplace comedy “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.”
The series focuses on a fictitious video game development company with the “highest grossing multiplayer role-playing game of all time” (called Mythic Quest… obviously!). The game is played in 20 countries on six continents.
As the first season begins, the team is getting ready to launch Raven’s Banquet — an expansion pack for the game.
Before I go any further, I should note that you DO NOT have to be a “game geek” to enjoy the series. I haven’t played video games since I parted with my PS2 several years ago, and haven’t delved into the current generation of games at all.
The joy of the nine-episode first season lies in the quirky characters and dysfunctional workplace dynamic seen in the show. It’s all done with a light touch and the show has some genuinely funny moments.
The tone of the show is sort of a whisked-together mix of the NBC show “Community,” HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” and the 1999 movie “Office Space.”
The ringleader of the “Mythic Quest” team is Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney) — a creative director who exudes an oddly charming “God complex” as he perpetually pushes his vision for the game. McElhenney imbues a sort of an everyman Ryan Reynolds vibe. (Bridget called him a “poor man’s Ryan Reynolds.”)
As Grimm tries to navigate the ever-changing world of the game, he’ll use pithy phrases like “just let me noodle” to describe his creative process.
The game’s lead engineer is Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao) — a plucky hipster who serves as a foil to some of Grimm’s more grandiose plans (the interplay between Li and Grimm is one of the show’s strengths).
The executive producer of the game is David Brittlesbee (David Hornsby) — a Ms. Pac-Man-loving, straight-arrow manager who sports a ’stache that looks like it jumped out of an 80s detective show.
The head of monetization is Brad Bakshi (Danny Pudi) — an aloof bean counter concerned about maximizing the game’s revenue potential. One of his contributions to the game is the MQ Grand Casino (referred to as “an artless money grab that has no connection to the game”).
(I loved Pudi as Abed Nadir on “Community”… ).
The main slate of characters is rounded out by C.W. Longbottom (F. Murray Abraham). Longbottom is a washed-up science fiction writer (winner of the 1973 Nebula Award) who builds the narrative structure for the game. Ian met him at a state fair where he (Longbottom) was selling rotisserie chicken.
(A look at the character’s bookshelf in the second episode shows his bibliography of novels — including one called “Dances With Elves”).
Highlight episodes for me were Episode 3 (“Dinner Party”) and Episode 5 (“A Dark Quiet Death”).
The third episode had me chuckling in quite a few spots. It was definitely a novel take on crisis management in a 21st century tech company. Since we provide PR services in our business, we could sympathize with “Mythic Quest’s” trod-upon community relations expert Sue (Caitlin McGee).
A number of fans online have talked about how good the fifth episode is, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.
It is a tonal/narrative shift from the other eight episodes in the first season, and features “New Girl’s” Jake Johnson as the developer of a video game called Dark Quiet Death. The episode builds an emotional core for the first season, and illustrates the melancholy side of partnerships in business. It’s a really terrific story.
The series was created by “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” writers Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz.
My friend Jason Combs recommended “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” to me shortly after it dropped on Apple TV+, and I’m glad I checked it out.
There were a number of interesting supporting characters in the first season. Game testers Rachel (Ashly Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim) added dimension to the series. David Brittlebee’s assistant (and the company’s newest employee) Jo (Jessie Ennis) provides moments of levity as a slightly unhinged fan girl of Ian Grimm. Snarky programmer Michelle (Aparna Nancherla) adds… well… snark.
The show manages to poke fun at the trappings of millennial life as it regards the so-called “influencers” in pop culture. Many of these moments are played out via a 14-year-old gamer known as “Pootie_Shoe” (Elisha Henig) — a live streamer with over 10 million followers who can determine the success (or failure) of a video game with one flippant comment.
I also want to mention how much I enjoyed some of the fun cut scenes and interstitials that were included in the structure of the show. Video game maker Ubisoft is one of the series producers.
Bridget and I breezed through the first nine episodes of “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” in a couple days. The first two episodes are available for free (without a subscription) on Apple TV (via the website or the app) if you’d like to check it out for yourself.
It can be a crapshoot recommending comedies since it is a genre that appeals to specific tastes. I’ve had an affection for workplace comedies like “Community,” “Parks & Rec,” and “Superstore” for quite some time, so this show was right up my alley.
We had a good time watching the first season. It was irreverent, charming, and a lot of fun. With all the craziness going on in the world right now, I think you’ll enjoy escaping into “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet” too.
