WATCH: Bo inspects White House holiday decorations

He'll give it a paw-shaped stamp of approval.

First dog Bo today inspected the holiday decorations at the White House. Trotting through the halls and checking everything over before before 90,000 visitors come through the doors of the People's House this holiday season.

"Bo-flakes" featuring the first dog and ornaments fashioned from zippers are among the new twists on traditional favorites at the White House this Christmas season.

First lady Michelle Obama unveiled this year's decorations before an appreciative crowd of military families Wednesday, then spent some time doing holiday crafts with military kids.

The theme for this year's decorations is "Joy to All," but first dog Bo seems to steals the show.

There are 40 "Bo-flake" ornaments throughout the White House that feature cutout images of the dog.

There's a life-size replica of the dog, with a string of lights in his mouth, in the East Garden Room.

And there's an outsized statue of the Portuguese water dog next to the 300-pound gingerbread house in the State Dining Room.

Mrs. Obama said that reflects Bo's high standing at the White House.

"He's almost as big as the house," she declared. "He is such a huge personality."

Visitors also will get a Bo bookmark that sends them on a scavenger hunt for "Bo-ornaments" stashed in eight rooms.

Bo himself made an appearance during Wednesday's festivities, sporting a jingle bell collar, and was quickly swarmed by young guests.

This year's decorations include lots of handmade items that could easily be done at home, including patriotic wreaths and ornaments wrapped in red, white and blue yarn to fit with Mrs. Obama's emphasis on supporting military families.

The gargantuan gingerbread house, however, is not a feat for amateurs to attempt: It contains more than 175 pounds of gingerbread and modified gingerbread and more than 50 pounds of chocolate. Pastry chef Bill Yosses mixed up a combination of wheat, rye and white-flour gingerbread that mimics the color of the sandstone house prior to 1798, when the house was first painted white.

More than 90,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House this holiday season.

Executive chef Cristeta Comerford said she's drawing on the recipes in Mrs. Obama's gardening book, "American Grown," as she prepares food for all the guests. The treats will include sweet potato quick bread, green beans with almonds and a winter salad featuring fennel.

The massive decorating job — there are 54 live Christmas trees in the White House — comes together in just five days, with the help of 85 volunteers from around the country. This year's volunteers included Nellie Funk, a military wife from Carlisle, Pa., who was working beside retired homicide detective Tracy Jacobson from Southern California.

Asked which job was more fun — detective or decorator — Jacobson deadpanned: "This has been much more fun."

With AP

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California Pizza Kitchen brings prototype to Sawgrass Mills

The restaurant chain that took barbecued chicken pizza mainstream is ready to push the culinary envelope again. How about a pizza topped with roasted Brussels sprouts and applewood smoked bacon or a Korean barbecue pizza with pork loin and spicy kimchee salad?

Innovative menu items are just one piece of what’s unique about California Pizza Kitchen’s new flagship restaurant unveiled Thursday at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. The first of its kind, the Sawgrass location aims to reinvigorate the brand that started in 1985 in Beverly Hills.

“The whole idea is about taking the best of what put us on the map and making it relevant for 2012 and beyond,” said G.J. Hart, who took over as chief executive officer of the chain just over a year ago. “Over the years the brand morphed from being a leader and it became a follower of food trends. We want to bring back the hip, cool feel.”

The changes are obvious from the moment you walk into the restaurant, which opens to the public Monday. The new look is all about focusing on the chain’s California roots. Very little of the bright yellow and chrome remains. The design is California-casual with earth tones and reclaimed wood everywhere from the walls to the floor and tables. An outdoor terrace with couches and fire pits is designed to encourage lingering. Large windows and glass doors let in lots of natural light and fold open to enjoy the weather.

Pizza is center stage with the kitchen designed so diners can watch the pizza makers at work. At the Sawgrass location — and by mid-2013 at all restaurants — pizzas will once again by hand-tossed. Currently the chain uses a pizza press to make the dough more uniform.

The new focus is on upping the culinary quotient across the board with dishes like a roasted beets and whipped goat cheese salad, plus a sweet pea carbonara featuring pea-filled pasta purses tossed with Italian pancetta and a Romano cream sauce. These are some of the unique items only on the Sawgrass menu, which also features a specialty menu of hand-crafted cocktails.

Chain-wide the company has actually slimmed the menu from more than 100 items to 74 in order to improve execution. But there are also more healthy choices like quinoa and arugula salad or a fire-roasted chile relleno stuffed with chicken, cheese, mushrooms, spinach and eggplant that dishes up at only 380 calories.

“As we grew, we didn’t keep up with the creativity on the menu and we tried to be all things to all people,” said Brian Sullivan, senior vice president of culinary innovation, who has been with the company for 24 years. “We’re always going to be pizza-centric. But we’ll continue to push the envelope with these specialty items that resonate with who we are. We don’t want items that you are going to see in other restaurants.”

The chain chose Sawgrass to unveil its new flagship location because of a combination of the area’s diverse demographic base and the influx of international visitors. South Florida has already been a strong market for the brand, which has seven locations in the tri-county area stretching from Coral Gables to Palm Beach Gardens.

The opening is the culmination of a new vision that began to take shape when Golden Gate Capital purchased California Pizza Kitchen in July 2011 for $470 million, taking the company private and bringing in Hart as the new chief executive.

“They saw a brand that was undervalued,” said Hart, who has an ownership stake in the chain. “This is an iconic brand with so much brand equity. If we can bring the excitement and enthusiasm back we’re only going to see it go up.”

Industry experts say the changes make sense because the brand still has a loyal following, although it has not kept pace with the competition.

“It’s a good time for them to go back to what were the fundamental things that made the brand so intriguing,” said Dennis Lombardi of WD Partners, a restaurant industry consultant. “The difficulty is going to be getting the word out to consumers that this is different. The devil is always in the details in these kind of evolutions.”

Based on consumer reaction, the plan is to take pieces of the Sunrise concept and introduce it into the chain’s other 268 existing restaurants. Some restaurants could be completely remodeled, but most will only get elements of the new prototype, which cost $2 million in Sunrise, Hart said. The company’s Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton locations could be strong candidates for remodeling next year or early 2014, he said.

Community and business leaders, who got a first look at the restaurant on Thursday, were impressed.

“This is phenomenal,” said Luanne Lenberg, general manager of Sawgrass Mills. “We’re so excited to have this caliber of restaurant and to be their test for the rest of the world.”

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Young local artists focus on Art Basel crowd

With Art Basel Miami Beach opening this week, Juan Fernando "Buddah Funk" Gomez is in overdrive. The artist has been busy affixing his gold and black oil-based butterflies, flowers and lizards onto galleries, restaurants, bars, carefully brushing them with wheat paste to stick to the high-profile walls.

He has been doing this for eight months, from Miami Beach to Wynwood to the Design District.

It’s important “to be seen in the art community,” said Gomez, a Los Angeles native who moved to Miami 20 years ago to attend Miami International University of Art and Design.

As collectors, dealers, and curators descend here for Art Basel, aspiring artists like Gomez are getting creative in self-promotion. They’re starring in videos, publishing magazines and plastering their artwork on the sides of buildings near the galleries, satellite fairs and Miami Beach Convention Center.

“Art Basel is a gift to the Miami art community,” said Antonia Wright, 32, a performance artist who uses her body, sculpture and costumes in videos to explore topics like the BP oil spill and Fidel Castro’s regime. “There as always been art in Miami, but it has never had exposure on an international arena like it does today.”

During last year’s Art Basel, the Cricket Taplin Collection displayed one of Wright’s videos at the Sagamore Hotel in Miami Beach. A collector from Belgium spotted it, and shortly thereafter she was on a plane to Brussels for an exhibit.

On Tuesday she will perform near two of her videos, valued at $3,200 each, which will be on display at the Spinello Projects in Wynwood, 2930 NW Seventh Ave.

“You never know whom you will meet. I have an audience and there is a demand for my work,” said Wright, daughter of Cuban author Carolina Garcia-Aguilera and a graduate of the New School in New York, where she studied poetry. “I have been really lucky. I’m living my dream.”

Other artists are hoping for similar success.

In Wynwood, next to an old car repair shop, there is an industrial warehouse where Jacqueline “Soir” Rios works. Rios manipulates photography to evoke a chiaroscuro painting and sculpts with clay in her windowless studios. On a quiet day, homeless men, crack users and the occasional prostitute walk near the warehouse, but this week thousands will pass by to explore the Wynwood art fairs.

Rios, a University of Florida and New World School of the Arts student, is not looking forward to the “chaotic traffic.” As a baby, her mother fled with her from the civil wars of Nicaragua, where her dad, an artist and poet, lives. She grew up with her mom in Kendall and lives in Wynwood.

One of her photographs named “Alienation,” which depicts a trapped distorted figure, is part of the Cricket Taplin Collection, which will be on display at the Sagamore Hotel’s lobby in Miami Beach.

“I will be attending an invitation-only brunch at the hotel and I also have a VIP invitation to a satellite fair,” said Rios, 33. “I want to spark interest in my work, so I invested some money on a self-published magazine to hand out to the people I meet, so that I can put my work out there.”

Fellow New World art student Sebastian Duncan-Portuondo, 26, is banking on work he has at two hotels in Miami Beach. On display at the Sagamore Hotel is his mixed-media mural –– made out of stained glass, mirror mosaics and spray-paint –– which climbs up a five-floor stairwell near the pool and beach. His video project will be featured at the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) fair at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach.

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Mark Hamill's 'Star Wars' Sequel Jedi Mind Trick

Does Mark Hamill know more about the upcoming Star Wars sequels than he's leading us to believe? Will Luke Skywalker appear in Episode VII? Is the man just using a Jedi mind trick on ET?

Related: Mark Hamill Tells New Stories from 'Star Wars'

"That's a really good question! I mean, it's also exciting, but I don't really know enough to be able to answer these questions – I have to watch Entertainment Tonight to find out," said the cagey star with a smile at the Tuesday premiere of his gritty new gangster movie, Sushi Girl.

As for whether or not he think Steven Spielberg may still opt to helm an installment of his buddy George Lucas' franchise, Mark said, "Anybody that loves movies would love for Steven Spielberg to be in the director's chair, but I understand why he probably wouldn't want to. He's a trendsetter. He doesn't really follow anybody else."

Mark volunteered that up next he'd like to climb into the director's chair himself with an adaptation of The Black Pearl, and told ETonline that he's working on the project with the writers of The Fighter.

Sushi Girl, out this week on VOD, follows a group of gangsters who reunite for dinner -- fresh sushi atop a naked girl -- several years after a diamond heist gone wrong. Determined to find out where the missing diamonds are, they torture one of the members who last had the jewels in his possession. Directed by Kern Saxton, the film boasts such co-stars as Tony Todd, James Duval and Noah Hathaway and features cameos by Danny Trejo, Sonny Chiba, Michael Biehn and Jeff Fahey.

Video: Sushi Girl -- Yes, This is Mark Hamill from 'Star Wars'

So why take on such a dark tale? "Because I don't get offered these kind of bizarre roles, and I get jealous of people like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Steve Buscemi, and I had fun playing a psycho when I did Joker [for the animated Batman series], so I should do it on camera once instead of just in cartoons. … Certainly darker characters and villains are a lot of fun to play, especially when you're known for something 180-degrees removed from that."

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Dem mayoral candidates unlikely to be as pro-biz as Bloomberg

Business leaders worried about whether the next administration will be as pro-business as this one didn't get many assurances today from most of the Democratic candidates running to succeed Mayor Bloomberg in 2014.

Right out of the box, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio told hundreds of executives gathered at a midtown forum sponsored by Crain's and the New York City Partnership that the premise itself was wrong.

"We're not on the right track for the economic future in my view," declared de Blasio, reeling off issues ranging from income disparity to the fines levied against small businesses.

Comptroller John Liu called for sweeping changes in fiscal and tax policies, including an end to hundreds of millions of dollars of subsidies to businesses that commit to adding jobs.

Liu also dismissed Bloomberg's oft-repeated warning that higher city income taxes might drive out the rich who pay most of those taxes..

"The arguments by Mayor Bloomberg that you can't make this or you can't do that because it will drive the wealthy out, that's not something that we have to consistently and continuously beholden to," he said.

Former Comptroller Bill Thompson suggested a "Marshall Plan" to restore the city after Hurricane Sandy, but offered few specifics about his business agenda.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was the only candidate to mention a partnership with the mayor.

"Under the leadership of the City Council, myself, my colleagues and Mayor Bloomberg we demonstrated we understand there is nothing you can do to manage your way out of a bad economic situation if you don't manage the good times well," said Quinn.

One lobbyist who attended an earlier panel discussion at the conference featuring technology executives said their view of government's role in their industry was much more basic.

"They just want to be left alone," said the lobbyist.

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Gift ideas for the techie on your list

The holidays are coming fast, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably gotten very little of your gift shopping done.

Here are suggestions for a variety of gifts for the techie and the not-so-techie people on your list.

Some of these items can be found in stores and some are only available online, but you should be able to order them in time for Christmas or Hanukkah.

IOMEGA EZ MEDIA & BACKUP CENTER

What is it? A hard drive that lives on your home network so you can share files, store all your photos and music and back up your home computers. Works on Macintosh, Windows and Linux computers.

The EZ Media & Backup Center is available in 1-, 2- and 3-terabyte capacities. It is simple to set up. It lives next to your home router and plugs into the network via Ethernet.

Major features include a built-in iTunes server so your music is available to all connected computers, Time Machine support for easy Macintosh backups and Iomega’s Personal Cloud to access your data from any Internet connection.

It can also stream your video files to your TV if you’ve got a compatible streaming box or an Internet-connected TV.

Software for backing up Windows PCs is also included.

Who’s it for? Any family that wants central storage for their digital lives. This is a great home for your digital photo, music or video library.

What does it cost? One terabyte for $169.99, two terabytes for $209.99, three terabytes for $279.99.

Where can you get it? Online at www.iomega.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Apple store, Fry’s.

NETATMO URBAN WEATHER STATION

What is it? A wireless indoor/outdoor weather station that displays through an application on your Apple or Android mobile device.

There are two parts, one that lives in your house and one you place outside.

The indoor component plugs into the wall and monitors the temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, carbon dioxide level and even the sound level in decibels.

The outdoor module is battery-powered and measures temperature and humidity.

Once you connect the Netatmo to your home Wi-Fi network, you can download the free app and see your weather stats from anywhere.

Setup was easy enough, and you can set the app to notify you when carbon dioxide rises to levels that you should be warned about — which is great.

Who’s it for? Weather geeks and people who like to know what the temperature is without having to fire up a browser.

What does it cost? $179

Where can you get it? www.netatmo.com

3M LED ADVANCED LIGHT

What is it? 3M’s first foray into the home light bulb market is with the LED Advanced Light, which uses light-emitting diodes (LED) to produce 800 lumens (the light of a 60-watt bulb).

The Advanced Light has a life span of 25 years and costs just $1.63 per year if it’s turned on for three hours per day.

The bulb lights instantly and is dimmable.

It’s a little intimidating to start buying light bulbs that might outlive me, but my wallet approves.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to save money or wants a bulb that might not have to be changed until 2035.

What does it cost? $25

Where can you get it? Select Wal-Mart stores. For more information, go to www.3mlighting.com/LED.

STEM IZON 2.0 WI-FI VIDEO MONITOR

What is it? A small, wireless video camera that you can monitor remotely with an iOS device.

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Citizens leader criticize media coverage of firm’s problems

TALLAHASSEE --
Beleaguered by allegations of corporate misconduct and exorbitant executive spending, leaders at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. expressed outrage — at the media.

During a special hearing on Tuesday to address several corporate improprieties first reported by the Times/Herald, Citizens CEO Barry Gilway reserved some of his harshest criticism for news outlets that uncovered the laundry list of scandals at the state-run company.

“I am committed to making sure the reputations of innocent employees are appropriately protected,” said Gilway, claiming that reporters had defamed former Citizens employees accused of wrongdoing.

Gilway used words like “preposterous,” “absurd,” “pathetic,” and “shameful,” when discussing media coverage of the company’s internal troubles.

He defended his top officials — who have been beset by a laundry list of scandalous allegations in recent months, including questionable severance packages, sexual impropriety, and falsified documents.

The board largely voiced support of Gilway — who took the helm of the state-run insurer in June — and saved criticism for the media, the former CEO and a few “bad apple” employees.

In recent months, at least two top executives at Citizens have resigned and Gov. Rick Scott has called for two separate investigations into its top management.

Gilway stood by a claim that Citizens terminated internal investigators who discovered the misconduct as part of a company restructuring effort – not as retaliation for exposing the company’s dirty laundry.

Scott’s chief inspector general is looking into the terminations.

Gilway and board members acknowledged that Citizens needed to make some changes, and said the company is beginning to take “corrective action” to address the various scandals.

“We have a new day in this company,” said board chairman Carlos Lacasa. “And we will win back the credibility of the company in the eyes of the public.”

Lacasa also lashed out at the media, referring specifically to a recent editorial in the Palm Beach Post that branded Citizens a “corruption-ridden scam artist that threatens Florida’s economic recovery.”

Such media criticism of Citizens is “shameful” and “designed to incite the public,” he said.

Homeowners covered by Citizens have expressed outrage this year over the company’s unpopular home re-inspection program, an 11-percent rate hike and news that executives were spending upwards of $600 per night for luxury hotel rooms across the globe.

Scott’s inspector general is investigating such expenditures.

“The state of Florida gave them this blanket ability to pull in money from homeowners,” said Sharon Goessel, a 65-year-old from Palmetto Bay whose Citizens insurance rates are skyrocketing. “I want to be one of those executives at Citizens and go spend the night in a $580 hotel room.”

Sean Shaw, a former insurance consumer advocate who works for a law firm that represents insurance policyholders, blasted the board at Citizens and called for the resignation of top executives.

“Instead of spending time talking about fixing abuses of the public trust, the board seems more interested in blaming the media for finding out about it,” he said.

Some board members attacked Shaw, whose employer regularly battles Citizens in court, as someone who “has a direct financial stake” in seeing the company tarnished.

The board had less criticism for former employees and executives whose actions sullied Citizens’ reputation, including the underwriting executive who resigned after a sex scandal blew up and the Chief Administration Officer who resigned after several allegations of misconduct occurred within her unit.

Both received lucrative agreements worth tens of thousands of dollars after resigning, and Citizens helped the underwriting executive apply for unemployment compensation.

Gilway stopped short of criticizing the hefty severance agreements, but said a new policy will be drafted to clean up the process.

Citizens’ board also spent much of Tuesday’s meeting discussing the company’s preliminary budget for next year.

The company expects to shrink from about 1.5 million policies to 1.2 million policies by the end of 2013, advancing Gov. Rick Scott’s push to downsize the state-backed insurer.

“Unlike the private sector, that’s a good thing if we’re shrinking,” said Chief Financial Officer Sharon Binnun.

Toluse Olorunnipa can be reached at tolorunnipa@MiamiHerald.com or on Twitter at @ToluseO.

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The Wii U sells out in its first week: Evidence of a Nintendo comeback?

The latest console from the videogame pioneer is flying off the shelves. But are the kids really still into Mario and Zelda?

Earlier this year, Nintendo posted its first annual loss in three decades, a grim omen for the pathbreaking videogame maker that introduced the world to classic characters like Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link. The Japanese company has struggled amidst an industry-wide decline in the sales of consoles and games, a trend partly attributed to the ever-growing popularity of tablets and smartphones. Nintendo’s last breakout success was the Wii, released in 2006, and there have been serious doubts that its successor, the Wii U, could sell as many units. However, since the Wii U went on sale in North America on Nov. 18, Nintendo has completely sold out of all 400,000 consoles shipped to retailers. “As soon as the Wii U hits the shelf, it’s selling out,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, the head of Nintendo’s U.S. operations.

The Wii U’s early success is a surprising indication of “strong demand for the company’s next generation of videogame devices,” says Ian Sherr at The Wall Street Journal. And during the week of Nov. 18, Nintendo also sold 300,000 units of the original Wii, as well as more than 500,000 units of its portable DS and 3DS systems, which could reflect a rebound in consumer demand as the economy continues its long slog of a recovery from the Great Recession. Nintendo says it expects to sell 5.5 million Wii U systems by the end of March 2013, the end of its fiscal year.

However, it’s important to remember that “Nintendo has a very dedicated audience that craves almost anything new the company has to offer, not unlike Apple’s fans,” says Nick Wingfield at The New York Times. “The real test of the Wii U’s durability will come when the product is in better supply and more casual gamers, who don’t dream about Mario and Zelda in their sleep, can more easily buy it.” In addition, rivals Sony and Microsoft are expected to unveil their new consoles sometime in 2013, putting extra pressure on Nintendo. 

And perhaps most importantly, Nintendo has to sell games. The Wii U — which retails for $ 299.99, and $ 349.99 for a more powerful model — is being sold at a loss. Nintendo hopes that users will continue to buy games in the years to come, particularly those that aren’t sold on other systems, such as the latest installments in the “Super Mario Bros.” and “Legend of Zelda” franchises. That’s among the keys to Nintendo’s future profitability.

Sources: The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal

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Zoe Saldana Praises Bradley Cooper at Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Actress Zoe Saldana was one of three stars to emcee the Independent Spirit Awards nominations in Hollywood on Tuesday, and one of the standout nominees this year was none other than the star's on-again/off-again beau Bradley Cooper.

Related: Common, Zoe Saldana & Anna Kendrick Announce 2013 Spirits Award Nominations

The former Sexiest Man Alive earned a Best Male Lead nod for his film Silver Linings Playbook alongside director David O. Russell and co-star Jennifer Lawrence, who were given nominations for Best Feature and Best Female Lead for the feature, respectively.

"That was a movie that was so excellent," praised Saldana, who agreed that the film's five collective nominations this morning were "absolutely" merited. "They deserve to get every recognition possible."

Check out the entire list of Independent Spirit Nominations here.

Winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and broadcast that night at 10 p.m. on IFC.

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B'klyn shopkeeper 'killer' indicted by grand jury

A grand jury today indicted alleged Brooklyn serial killer Salvatore Perrone in the shooting deaths of three Middle Eastern store owners.

Neither Perrone, 64, nor his lawyer appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court as a prosecutor presented the indictment to a judge.

The Staten Island salesman was indicted on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder.

He faces life in prison if convicted.

“He intends to vigorously fight the charges against him,” said Perrone’s lawyer, William Martin, who did not rule out an insanity plea.

Authorities have not cited a motive, but Perrone referred to a “grand plan for world peace,” during his rambling interview with cops after his arrest last week, sources said, and only confessed when he thought he was speaking with federal agents.

Perrone had cased a fourth store on Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, law-enforcement sources said.

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