Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

Drive through the Midwest and it's only a matter of time before you hit corn and soy fields that stretch as far as the eye can see. It's no surprise, really--the U.S. government lavishes the two industries with cash, spending $15.4 billion in subsidies for corn, cotton, rice, wheat, and soybeans in 2009 alone.

CEO Reed Hastings told investors he wasn't interested in "creative risks." But his company is betting a rumored $100 million for 26 episodes of a series no one has seen--based largely on "intuition" and the reputations of David Fincher and Kevin Spacey. On a Jan. 26 earnings call, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told investors he was not interested in taking creative risks.

Earthquakes, fires, mold, asbestos, employee hacker—there's any number of calamities that can shutter the doors of your business. When disasters happen—man-made or natural—you want to be able to rebuild when the time comes.

Last week, a very prominent artist in the paleontology community somewhat publicly blew a gasket. His tirade started a conversation that has been sorely in need of attention for some time now.

In what would position Netflix as an even bigger threat to the major cable players, the company might soon offer original programming, according to Deadline Hollywood . The streaming TV and movie powerhouse has reportedly outbid networks from HBO to AMC for the rights to the David Fincher and Kevin Spacey series House of Cards. Nellie Andreeva calls it "probably the biggest gamble" in the company's history, and reports that while negotiations are still ongoing, Netflix has offered to commit to two seasons of the drama series in a deal that could be worth more than $100 million.

Participant Media plans on portraying the moments leading up to the BP oil spill disaster in an upcoming film. Jeff Skoll's social film company, Participant Media , has picked up the rights to adapt the New York Times article, " Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours ." The deal was done in partnership with Summit Entertainment and Imagenation Abu Dhabi--the film will tell the story of what happened on the rig when it exploded, including the story of how over 100 people survived

Alcon Entertainment to buy all the rights to sequels and prequels

It's a week of magic and wonder; a week of little sleep and nonstop conversation; a week of sublimating the ego to explore and understand the brilliance of others; a week to feel small in the face of the human propensity for creativity. It's the week of course of...well, the truth is the description could fit both the TED conference and the annual Burning Man festival. At first glance, there is little to connect these two happenings other than, perhaps, their general cultural significance

What do a German designer who finds ways to make animal superpowers available for humans, a young MIT professor designing structural components that can self-assemble into entire buildings, and a Bahraini youth activist trying to protect and promote the rights of ethnic minorities in the Middle East have in common? They're all TED Fellows this year. TED first began experimenting with a fellowship program in 2007, when organizers decided to bring emerging leaders to their event in Africa.

Back in December 2010, Racebook Marketing Concepts held a Brand Name Auction during which "150 Timeless Trademarks and Domains" were offered for sale.