By: Gere Iverson - MSTv
Additional content from Associated Press

"Now the story of a wealthy family - who lost everything - and the one son who had no choice but to keep them together."  A simple, but truthful quote that began every episode of one of the most brilliant and unappreciated comedies of the new millennium, "Arrested Development."

The gist of Arrested Development centers on the wealthy, but highly dysfunctional, Bluth family. The focus and center of the show is middle-son, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), who works to keep his family together, despite their materialism, selfishness, obvious insanities and manipulative natures.

Though the series has received widespread critical acclaim, since its debut in 2003, the six time emmy winner failed to draw a niche audience during its troubled three year run.  The show suffered from low ratings and viewership on the Fox network and it was canceled in 2006. However,  television "death" isn't so final in this information age. 

In response to numerous pleas by fans, talks of a possible movie and even actions from the cast and creators themselves, the online streaming service, Netflix agreed to license new episodes and distribute them exclusively via their site.

The award-winning show about the dysfunctional Bluth family returns Sunday May 26th - seven years after Fox cancelled the series. The show is the third exclusive series from Netflix Inc. this year. It's part of the company's effort to add more original programming to a selection that consists primarily of old TV series and movies.

In a recent analysis posted on BTIG's Research analyst Rich Greenfield blog, Greenfield predicted that the total number of hours watched on Netflix in June might even surpass the Fox broadcast network for the first time.

If that were to happen, it would be an ironic twist, given that Fox canceled "Arrested Development" in 2006 over the protest of the series' fervent fans. "Arrested Development" had low ratings during its run, but the viewers who did watch loved it. Others discovered the show later on DVD or Internet streaming — both of which have been available through Netflix.

The first three seasons of "Arrested Development" were being watched by so many subscribers that Netflix knew another season would be well-received by its existing audience and would likely lure new subscribers, too.

Like Netflix's previous series, all 15 new episodes of "Arrested Development" will be released simultaneously to allow viewers to watch the show as if they were perusing a book and deciding how many chapters to pore through in a single sitting. "Arrested Development" is scheduled to be available at 12:01 a.m. PDT Sunday (3:01 a.m. EDT), meaning Netflix subscribers could conceivably devour the entire season before grilling on Memorial Day afternoon.

Reproduced from NOLA.com

NOLA Veggie Fest comes to the New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St. Claude Ave., this weekend (May 11-12). The timing couldn’t be better, at least if you’re one of the many New Orleanians still trying to digest the meat pies and cochon de lait po-boys consumed during the vast community pig-out that just took place at the Fair Grounds.

Nola Veggie Fest features food vendors, restaurants, cooking demos, speakers, films, product samples and a children’s area. It’s designed for anyone with an interest in healthy eating and new cuisines. But the festival also is a place to see how individual food choices can have an impact on the environment by promoting sustainable lifestyles and animal protection. Much of the focus will be on vegan cuisine.

The festival, which launched in 2009, is a project of the Humane Society of Louisiana. A lead sponsor of the fest is the New Orleans Food Co-op, which operates a community-owned grocery store at the New Orleans Healing Center.

A festival day pass is $15 at the door and includes a T-shirt, tote bag and product samples. The outdoor food vendor area is free and open to the public. (Other ticket options and festival details can be found at nolaveggiefest.com). The festival runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

The NOLA Veggie Fest Afterparty, a fundraiser for the Humane Society, takes place at Café Istanbul in the Healing Center on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The entertainment includes burlesque and belly dancers and a number of musical groups. Admission is $10. Tickets are available through the festival website.

For another dose of vegetarian food, check out India Fest at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Saturday.

If you have an interest in the sustainable lifestyle issues raised at NOLA Veggie Fest, you might want to look into the Eat Local Challenge 2013. The NOLA Locavores group is encouraging New Orleanians to go 30 days in June eating only foods grown, caught or raised within a 200-mile radius of the city. They hope to “raise awareness of the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural benefits of eating locally sourced foods.”