Showing posts with label all things digital marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label all things digital marketing. Show all posts

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Happy 112th Father's Day and Fatherhood Day America! Sunday, June 20, 2021

This Father's Day blog post is a repost from previous Father's Day posts from this blog with minor updates.  Enjoy!


Happy 112th Father's Day (and Fatherhood Day) America! Sunday, June 20, 2021

"It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father." 
 ~~ Pope John XXIII 
(Latin: Ioannes XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈandʒelo dʒuˈzɛppe roŋˈkalli]; 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963), reigned from 28 October 1958 to his death in 1963. (photo above right, boy with hand-made gift for his dad, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)


"My father could have been a great comedian but he didn't believe that was possible for him. So he made a conservative choice. Instead he got a 'safe job' as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old he was let go from that safe job. Our family had to do whatever we could to survive...I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love." 
~~ Jim Carrey, 
Award winning actor, comedian, children's book author, philanthropist, on how his late father inspired him to follow his dreams. Quote taken from his speech at a recent Maharshi University Management Class of 2014 in Fairfield, Iowa, and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist. (Photo,You Tube video screen capture; Full speech at http://youtu.be/ajMpfPYlHi4)


I use to update this post every year with Google's doodle for FD - it may or may not be updated this year.  (see below)

Happy 109th  Father's Day America! The first Father's Day celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910.  Incidentally either plural possessive (i.e., Fathers') or individual possessive (i.e., Father's) can be used; However, the original proclamation law referred to Father's Day.

Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days. 


This year, Google's animated Father's Day doodle by doodler, Olivia Huynh, intends to characterize the “universality of familial love.” In 2013, Google celebrated Father's Day with an interactive doodle that shows dads in many different roles with simple clicks. IN 2014, Google's doodle celebrated Father's Day and World Cup with an adorable doodle moustached dad with the letter O (this was one of my faavorites).



While I'm at it, I have to share a photo of my Grandfather (Angelo Buono) circa about 1908 with a similar moustache like Google doodle. Born in Naples, Italy my grandmother would tell me stories of how he became an engineer and seeked a better life by immigrating to the U.S. Around 7 years later, 1915, he moved to New York, NY and opened a fruit and produce business on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's Little Italy. The business stayed in the family for over 80 years (1915 - late 1990's).

Did you know that "Father's Day" was created to complement Mother's Day, a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood. In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers.



Here are more photos of my grandfathers - Imperati and Buono - Hard working ntrepreneurs, they came to the USA for a better life, and to start families - both sides had 8 children;  I would not be here without them. It was never about money but surviving and providing a better life for the family. Love you guys. I pray, and thank my lucky stars every day. 

Photo left, my mom's dad Andrea Imperati, standing in the middle - his mother would live to 103 years old - she would still pick fruit and vegetables from her garden. He and my grandmother, Elvira Travaglina, would have 4 girls, 4 boys (living to see 3 predecease him)









 
Photo right, my father's dad Angelo Buono. He and his wife Carmela Piccolo, would have 7 boys and 1 girl (the eldest).

Photo right, another photo of my dad's dad, Angelo Buono. I'm not sure but this may have been taken in Italy. He is probably with one of his relatives during a Holy Communion or Confirmation many years ago.   Family and religion, always so important to my family. It was their pride, love, and joy.  


How well-dressed they were. As a style fan I really like the cravat (loose bow tie) worn by the child with a double-breasted jacket and the sharp light tailored suit with necktie and button-down vest on my grandfather. 


Below is a photo of my mother's father our Grandfather Andrea Imperati (Imperato). He was already a grandfather, couldn't find earlier photos.





For those of us whose dads are no longer with us, (an estimate of about 100 million folks in the U.S.A.) and for the many more who still have their dad, there are so many things to do to keep his memory in your heart. Do things that your dad loved and things that brought out the best as well as visiting your dad's friends and family.(photo left courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)

I have so many fond memories as a child with my dad and other family members at the Jersey Shore that I was inspired to write a short story in memory of my dad, “The Painting Ballerina".


The short story (published in 1999) was about a young girl by the sea who with the help of her animal friends, creates a new art form “ paint-dancing.”

TESTAMENT TO ALL FATHERS AND VETERANS OF THE U.S.A. 
 Enjoy this article originally written years ago and updated and reprinted a few times in a local Il Progresso about my late dad and his fellow veteran brothers who served WWII with honors. 

 WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS FATHER'S DAY?

Besides baseball games, brunch in NYC or a beer cruise in NYC, and DadFests, why not celebrate "Father's Day" by donating to NTEN, a membership organization of nonprofit professionals who put technology to use for their causes. This is great especially for all you digital, tech geeks out there.



What things do (or did) your dad enjoy? Are you planning anything special this Father's Day?

Lovingly and appropriately, I did things that my dad enjoyed this FD weekend -- dining out at fine restaurants with friends and having lots of laughs throughout the event. Here's a few photos posted on Facebook - Ladies Night Out to celebrate birthdays of Helen and Rosann.




Things to do and other resources for Father’s Day: 
http://www.active.com/roosevelt-island-ny/running/distance-running-races/running-of-the-balls-5k-and-10k-2017
•http://www.fatherhood.gov/pledge Take the Fatherhood Pledge
• http://www.innewyork.com/fathers-day-2015
• http://www.albanyevents.org/events/Dad_Fest_4_event_main.htm
• http://www.newyork.com/events/fathers-day/
• http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-newyork-ny-top10-fathers-day_1ny.html
• http://www.timeout.com/newyork/fathers-day
• http://parade.condenast.com/303824/leahingram/10-freebies-for-fathers-day-2014/ 10 Freebies for Father's Day
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father's_Day Father's Day on Wikipedia
• http://www.neilchethik.com/writings-fatherloss-fathersday.htm
 • www.momanddadday.com
• http://www.ccrny.com/blog/
• http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Fathers-Day.shtml
• http://fathersday2013.net/
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/occasions/fathers-day-gifts/fathers-day-gifts
 • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/bill-clinton-father-of-the-year_n_2447453.html 



This blog posting is a re-post from previous Father's Day blog posts from the AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com blog. 

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Happy Valentines Day America! What's in your heart this Valentine's Day?

This is a repost from earlier Valentines Day posts.

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.” 

~~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet,
Act IV, Scene 5 
Valentine's Day
as ruefully mentioned by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600–1601


Saint Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most countries.

The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love was in Parliament of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Chaucer wrote: 

"For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make."
 ["For this was on Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]


This poem by Chaucer was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381. (When they were married eight months later, they were each only 15 years old).Have you marked your calendars for giving back this month? February is the month of love and of "giving back," be it supporting a cause or simply going the extra mile for someone. The energi PR firm in Canada is dedicating Valentine's Day to "Acts of Love & Kindness" and closing the office on Friday, February 14th to continue it's strong message of corporate social responsibility.

ACTS of LOVE & KINDNESS performed by energi PR on Friday, February 14, 2014 can be followed online on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #energiPRALK.

ALK (Acts of Love & Kindness) was conceived in 1994 by Patrice Tanaka, chief counselor and creative strategist at PadillaCRT and was later adopted by more than 50 public relations firms in the US through the Public Relations Society of America. energi PR approached Tanaka and sought her blessing to bring ALK up to Canada as part of its corporate social responsibility program.






The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius.

Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.

Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church.

The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, however on July 6th in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and July 30th, in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The flower crowned skull.

The modern cliché Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):
The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.



According to the U.S. Greeting Card Association approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines. Also, many send Valentines Day chocolates and other candies.

New traditions have evolved with the internet. Millions of people today use digital (e.g., eCards, eCoupons, etc.) to send Valentine's Day greeting messages. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010. Below are two sets of Valentines Day card collages, to view detail, zoom in 150% to 200%.



Do you plan on volunteering this month and on Valentines Day? Are you participating in any social responsibility initiatives for the month of February? Please share in the comments section and do include links to any of your Valentines Day giving back themed campaigns.

Other Resources 
♦ Closed for the day: Gone volunteering, NewsWire.ca http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1296689/closed-for-the-day-gone-volunteering
♦ 10 things for happier living: do things for others, actionforhappiness.org, http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living/do-things-for-others?gclid=CO-V0fuup7wCFZDm7AodiXoAQQ
♦ Becoming Ginger Rogers, How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner, and Smarter CEO, Patrice Tanaka http://www.prsa.org/Conferences/HealthAcademy/Archives/2012/Sessions/2012BecomingGingerRogers#.UusLS_ldV7M
♦ Valentines Day Ecards http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/valentines-day?source=aggoogle548
♦ Greeting Card Association http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeting_Card_Association
♦ No better place to say "I Love You" than Times Square, TimesSquare.org http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/valentines-day/index.aspx
♦ Guy Kawasaki Google Plus, https://plus.google.com/+GuyKawasaki/posts/8SaRPXr8cEA#+GuyKawasaki/posts/8SaRPXr8cEA
♦ Valentines Day Recipes & Cooking, FoodNetwork http://www.foodnetwork.com/valentines-day/package/index.html



All photos courtesy of Wikimedia and screen shots taken from video and websites. All other photos will be credited as required.



Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional network. Thanks.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Happy 124th Halloween - October 31, 1895

This post is an update from prior Halloween blog posts.
"Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn and cauldron bubble."  
 
 
   
~~ William Shakespeare, “Macbeth, 1611 

English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". (1564-1616)



















2018 Google Doodle celebrates Halloween a day earlier, with theme "The Great Ghoul Duels Catch the flames and when your opponent steals your flames, get them back and earn more points.


2017 Google Doodle celebrates Halloween with the Memo the Cat and her Magic Academy interactive contest doodle.

Follow feline freshman Momo on her quest to rescue her  magic academy. Score points and help ward off mischievious ghosts by swiping in the shape of the symbols above the ghosts’ heads. And you’d better pounce fast—the ghost that stole the master spellbook is getting away! 



HAPPY HALLOWEEN DOODLE and BoooOooH ha ha ha to all ghastly ghosts & evil spirits!

 


Save Momo's Music Academy and earn game points by swiping the shape on top of the ghosts' heads and wipe out all the ghosts.

I scored 1660! 


How many ghosts can you wipe out?












Much more than a just a Google doodle, today many internet surfers enjoyed spooky, interactive, search results instead of Google’s customary and “I’m Feeling Lucky” search options.

Eighteen Halloween's ago, Google posted it's very first Halloween Google Doodle.

Photo right, screen capture of Google's first Halloween Doodle, October 31, 1999.

Internationally, Halloween's first celebration traces back to 1895 in Scotland and for North America the first Halloween was celebrated in 1911.


Enjoy this collage of Halloween Google Doodles above or to experience Google Doodles of Halloween's past, visit the following links:
Halloween 2017 Google Doodle: Jinx's Night Out 
Halloween Momo on Her Mission 2016
Halloween Global Candy Cup 2015
Favorite Monsters Google Doodle 2014
Google Halloween 2013 doodle.
Google Halloween 2012 doodle
Google's 2011 carving pumpkin doodle celebrating 100 Halloween years
Google Halloween 2010 doodle
Google Halloween 2009 doodle
Google Halloween 2008 doodle
Google Halloween 2007 doodle
Google Halloween 2006 doodle
Google Halloween 2005 doodle
Google Halloween 2004 doodle
Google Halloween 2003 doodle
Google Halloween 2002 doodle
Google Halloween 2001 doodle
Google Halloween 2000 doodle
Google Halloween 1999 doodle

Happy Halloween to you and yours!



What do you think of Google’s Halloween doodle today?

ABOUT HALLOWEEN AND HISTORY

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.

According to Frank Leslie's popular monthly, (Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543) in Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and was recorded in Scotland at Halloween as far back as 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visited homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood was first noted by Rogers, Nicholas, "Coming Over: Halloween in North America". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3.

American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America":

"The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using Burn's poem Hallowe'en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now."

OTHER RESOURCES 

▲ Google's Halloween doodle turns you into a witch, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57610125-93/googles-halloween-doodle-turns-you-into-a-witch/
▲ The wizards behind Google's doodles, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57573307-93/the-wizards-behind-googles-doodles/
▲ Halloween witch: The real history behind Google's doodle, The Christian Monitor, http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1031/Halloween-witch-The-real-history-behind-Google-s-doodle 


Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks! This is a reposting from previous Happy Halloween blog postings from AllThingsDigitalMarketing.


This post is an update from prior Halloween blog posts.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Happy 123rd Halloween - October 31, 1895


This post is an update from prior Halloween blog posts.

"Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn and cauldron bubble."  
 
 
   
~~ William Shakespeare, “Macbeth, 1611 

English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". (1564-1616)



















2018 Google Doodle celebrates Halloween a day earlier, with theme "The Great Ghoul Duels Catch the flames and when your opponent steals your flames, get them back and earn more points.


2017 Google Doodle celebrates Halloween with the Memo the Cat and her Magic Academy interactive contest doodle.

Follow feline freshman Momo on her quest to rescue her  magic academy. Score points and help ward off mischievious ghosts by swiping in the shape of the symbols above the ghosts’ heads. And you’d better pounce fast—the ghost that stole the master spellbook is getting away! 



HAPPY HALLOWEEN DOODLE and BoooOooH ha ha ha to all ghastly ghosts & evil spirits!


 


Save Momo's Music Academy and earn game points by swiping the shape on top of the ghosts' heads and wipe out all the ghosts.  

I scored 1660! 


How many ghosts can you wipe out?












Much more than a just a Google doodle, today many internet surfers enjoyed spooky, interactive, search results instead of Google’s customary and “I’m Feeling Lucky” search options.

Eighteen Halloween's ago, Google posted it's very first Halloween Google Doodle.

Photo right, screen capture of Google's first Halloween Doodle, October 31, 1999.

Internationally, Halloween's first celebration traces back to 1895 in Scotland and for North America the first Halloween was celebrated in 1911.


Enjoy this collage of Halloween Google Doodles above or to experience Google Doodles of Halloween's past, visit the following links:
Halloween 2017 Google Doodle: Jinx's Night Out 
Halloween Momo on Her Mission 2016
Halloween Global Candy Cup 2015
Favorite Monsters Google Doodle 2014
Google Halloween 2013 doodle.
Google Halloween 2012 doodle
Google's 2011 carving pumpkin doodle celebrating 100 Halloween years
Google Halloween 2010 doodle
Google Halloween 2009 doodle
Google Halloween 2008 doodle
Google Halloween 2007 doodle
Google Halloween 2006 doodle
Google Halloween 2005 doodle
Google Halloween 2004 doodle
Google Halloween 2003 doodle
Google Halloween 2002 doodle
Google Halloween 2001 doodle
Google Halloween 2000 doodle
Google Halloween 1999 doodle

Happy Halloween to you and yours!



What do you think of Google’s Halloween doodle today?

ABOUT HALLOWEEN AND HISTORY

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.

According to Frank Leslie's popular monthly, (Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543) in Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and was recorded in Scotland at Halloween as far back as 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visited homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood was first noted by Rogers, Nicholas, "Coming Over: Halloween in North America". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3.

American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America":

"The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using Burn's poem Hallowe'en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now."

OTHER RESOURCES 

▲ Google's Halloween doodle turns you into a witch, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57610125-93/googles-halloween-doodle-turns-you-into-a-witch/
▲ The wizards behind Google's doodles, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57573307-93/the-wizards-behind-googles-doodles/
▲ Halloween witch: The real history behind Google's doodle, The Christian Monitor, http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1031/Halloween-witch-The-real-history-behind-Google-s-doodle 


Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks! This is a reposting from previous Happy Halloween blog postings from AllThingsDigitalMarketing.


This post is an update from prior Halloween blog posts.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Happy 109th Father's Day and Fatherhood Day America! Sunday, June 17, 2018

This Father's Day blog post is a repost from previous Father's Day posts from this blog.  Enjoy!

Happy 109th Father's Day (and Fatherhood Day) America! Sunday, June 17, 2018

"It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father." 
 ~~ Pope John XXIII 
(Latin: Ioannes XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈandʒelo dʒuˈzɛppe roŋˈkalli]; 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963), reigned from 28 October 1958 to his death in 1963. (photo above right, boy with hand-made gift for his dad, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)


"My father could have been a great comedian but he didn't believe that was possible for him. So he made a conservative choice. Instead he got a 'safe job' as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old he was let go from that safe job. Our family had to do whatever we could to survive...I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love." 
~~ Jim Carrey, 
Award winning actor, comedian, children's book author, philanthropist, on how his late father inspired him to follow his dreams. Quote taken from his speech at a recent Maharshi University Management Class of 2014 in Fairfield, Iowa, and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist. (Photo,You Tube video screen capture; Full speech at http://youtu.be/ajMpfPYlHi4)


Happy 109th  Father's Day America! The first Father's Day celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910.  Incidentally either plural possessive (i.e., Fathers') or individual possessive (i.e., Father's) can be used; However, the original proclamation law referred to Father's Day.

Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days. 


This year, Google's animated Father's Day doodle by doodler, Olivia Huynh, intends to characterize the “universality of familial love.” In 2013, Google celebrated Father's Day with an interactive doodle that shows dads in many different roles with simple clicks. IN 2014, Google's doodle celebrated Father's Day and World Cup with an adorable doodle moustached dad with the letter O (this was one of my faavorites).



While I'm at it, I have to share a photo of my Grandfather (Angelo Buono) circa about 1908 with a similar moustache like Google doodle. Born in Naples, Italy my grandmother would tell me stories of how he became an engineer and seeked a better life by immigrating to the U.S. Around 7 years later, 1915, he moved to New York, NY and opened a fruit and produce business on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's Little Italy. The business stayed in the family for over 80 years (1915 - late 1990's).

Did you know that "Father's Day" was created to complement Mother's Day, a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood. In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers.






For those of us whose dads are no longer with us, (an estimate of about 100 million folks in the U.S.A.) and for the many more who still have their dad, there are so many things to do to keep his memory in your heart. Do things that your dad loved and things that brought out the best as well as visiting your dad's friends and family.
(photo left courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)

I have so many fond memories as a child with my dad and other family members at the Jersey Shore that I was inspired to write a short story in memory of my dad, “The Painting Ballerina".


The short story (published in 1999) was about a young girl by the sea who with the help of her animal friends, creates a new art form “ paint-dancing.”

TESTAMENT TO ALL FATHERS AND VETERANS OF THE U.S.A. 
 Enjoy this article originally written years ago and updated and reprinted a few times in a local Il Progresso about my late dad and his fellow veteran brothers who served WWII with honors. 

 WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS FATHER'S DAY?

Besides baseball games, brunch in NYC or a beer cruise in NYC, and DadFests, why not celebrate "Father's Day" by donating to NTEN, a membership organization of nonprofit professionals who put technology to use for their causes. This is great especially for all you digital, tech geeks out there.



What things do (or did) your dad enjoy? Are you planning anything special this Father's Day?

Lovingly and appropriately, I did things that my dad enjoyed this FD weekend -- dining out at fine restaurants with friends and having lots of laughs throughout the event. Here's a few photos posted on Facebook - Ladies Night Out to celebrate birthdays of Helen and Rosann.




Things to do and other resources for Father’s Day: 
http://www.active.com/roosevelt-island-ny/running/distance-running-races/running-of-the-balls-5k-and-10k-2017
•http://www.fatherhood.gov/pledge Take the Fatherhood Pledge
• http://www.innewyork.com/fathers-day-2015
• http://www.albanyevents.org/events/Dad_Fest_4_event_main.htm
• http://www.newyork.com/events/fathers-day/
• http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-newyork-ny-top10-fathers-day_1ny.html
• http://www.timeout.com/newyork/fathers-day
• http://parade.condenast.com/303824/leahingram/10-freebies-for-fathers-day-2014/ 10 Freebies for Father's Day
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father's_Day Father's Day on Wikipedia
• http://www.neilchethik.com/writings-fatherloss-fathersday.htm
 • www.momanddadday.com
• http://www.ccrny.com/blog/
• http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Fathers-Day.shtml
• http://fathersday2013.net/
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/occasions/fathers-day-gifts/fathers-day-gifts
 • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/bill-clinton-father-of-the-year_n_2447453.html 



This blog posting is a re-post from previous Father's Day blog posts from the AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com blog. 

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Happy Valentines Day America! What's in your heart this Valentine's Day?

This is a repost from earlier Valentines Day posts.

“To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.” 

~~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet,
Act IV, Scene 5 
Valentine's Day
as ruefully mentioned by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600–1601



Saint Valentine's Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most countries.

The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love was 632 years ago in Parliament of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Chaucer wrote: 

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
 ["For this was on Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]


This poem by Chaucer was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381. (When they were married eight months later, they were each only 15 years old).Have you marked your calendars for giving back this month? February is the month of love and of "giving back," be it supporting a cause or simply going the extra mile for someone. The energi PR firm in Canada is dedicating Valentine's Day to "Acts of Love & Kindness" and closing the office on Friday, February 14th to continue it's strong message of corporate social responsibility.

ACTS of LOVE & KINDNESS performed by energi PR on Friday, February 14, 2014 can be followed online on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #energiPRALK.

ALK (Acts of Love & Kindness) was conceived in 1994 by Patrice Tanaka, chief counselor and creative strategist at PadillaCRT and was later adopted by more than 50 public relations firms in the US through the Public Relations Society of America. energi PR approached Tanaka and sought her blessing to bring ALK up to Canada as part of its corporate social responsibility program.






The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius.

Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.

Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church.

The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, however on July 6th in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and July 30th, in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The flower crowned skull.

The modern cliché Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):
The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.



According to the U.S. Greeting Card Association approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines. Also, many send Valentines Day chocolates and other candies.

New traditions have evolved with the internet. Millions of people today use digital (e.g., eCards, eCoupons, etc.) to send Valentine's Day greeting messages. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010. Below are two sets of Valentines Day card collages, to view detail, zoom in 150% to 200%.



Do you plan on volunteering this month and on Valentines Day? Are you participating in any social responsibility initiatives for the month of February? Please share in the comments section and do include links to any of your Valentines Day giving back themed campaigns.

Other Resources 
♦ Closed for the day: Gone volunteering, NewsWire.ca http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1296689/closed-for-the-day-gone-volunteering
♦ 10 things for happier living: do things for others, actionforhappiness.org, http://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living/do-things-for-others?gclid=CO-V0fuup7wCFZDm7AodiXoAQQ
♦ Becoming Ginger Rogers, How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner, and Smarter CEO, Patrice Tanaka http://www.prsa.org/Conferences/HealthAcademy/Archives/2012/Sessions/2012BecomingGingerRogers#.UusLS_ldV7M
♦ Valentines Day Ecards http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/valentines-day?source=aggoogle548
♦ Greeting Card Association http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeting_Card_Association
♦ No better place to say "I Love You" than Times Square, TimesSquare.org http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/valentines-day/index.aspx
♦ Guy Kawasaki Google Plus, https://plus.google.com/+GuyKawasaki/posts/8SaRPXr8cEA#+GuyKawasaki/posts/8SaRPXr8cEA
♦ Valentines Day Recipes & Cooking, FoodNetwork http://www.foodnetwork.com/valentines-day/package/index.html



All photos courtesy of Wikimedia and screen shots taken from video and websites. All other photos will be credited as required.



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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy 122nd Halloween - October 31, 1895


"Double, double toil and trouble;
fire burn and cauldron bubble."  
 
 
   
~~ William Shakespeare, “Macbeth, 1611 

English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". (1564-1616)























Google Doodle celebrates Halloween with the Memo the Cat and her Magic Academy interactive contest doodle.

Follow feline freshman Momo on her quest to rescue her  magic academy. Score points and help ward off mischievious ghosts by swiping in the shape of the symbols above the ghosts’ heads. And you’d better pounce fast—the ghost that stole the master spellbook is getting away! 



HAPPY HALLOWEEN DOODLE and BoooOooH ha ha ha to all ghastly ghosts & evil spirits!

 


Save Momo's Music Academy and earn game points by swiping the shape on top of the ghosts' heads and wipe out all the ghosts.  

I scored 1660! 


How many ghosts can you wipe out?












Much more than a just a Google doodle, today many internet surfers enjoyed spooky, interactive, search results instead of Google’s customary and “I’m Feeling Lucky” search options.

Eighteen Halloween's ago, Google posted it's very first Halloween Google Doodle.

Photo right, screen capture of Google's first Halloween Doodle, October 31, 1999.

Internationally, Halloween's first celebration traces back to 1895 in Scotland and for North America the first Halloween was celebrated in 1911.


Enjoy this collage of Halloween Google Doodles above or to experience Google Doodles of Halloween's past, visit the following links:

Halloween Momo on Her Mission 2016
Halloween Global Candy Cup 2015
Favorite Monsters Google Doodle 2014
Google Halloween 2013 doodle.
Google Halloween 2012 doodle
Google's 2011 carving pumpkin doodle celebrating 100 Halloween years
Google Halloween 2010 doodle
Google Halloween 2009 doodle
Google Halloween 2008 doodle
Google Halloween 2007 doodle
Google Halloween 2006 doodle
Google Halloween 2005 doodle
Google Halloween 2004 doodle
Google Halloween 2003 doodle
Google Halloween 2002 doodle
Google Halloween 2001 doodle
Google Halloween 2000 doodle
Google Halloween 1999 doodle

Happy Halloween to you and yours!



What do you think of Google’s Halloween doodle today?

ABOUT HALLOWEEN AND HISTORY

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.

According to Frank Leslie's popular monthly, (Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543) in Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and was recorded in Scotland at Halloween as far back as 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visited homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money.

The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood was first noted by Rogers, Nicholas, "Coming Over: Halloween in North America". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3.

American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America":

"The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using Burn's poem Hallowe'en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now."

OTHER RESOURCES 

▲ Google's Halloween doodle turns you into a witch, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57610125-93/googles-halloween-doodle-turns-you-into-a-witch/
▲ The wizards behind Google's doodles, CNET, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57573307-93/the-wizards-behind-googles-doodles/
▲ Halloween witch: The real history behind Google's doodle, The Christian Monitor, http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1031/Halloween-witch-The-real-history-behind-Google-s-doodle 


Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks! This is a reposting from previous Happy Halloween blog postings from AllThingsDigitalMarketing.