Short Compositions on Life, Art, PR and More

Understanding Fashion

2012-02-12T09:44:00.002-05:00

Since it’s Fashion Week, I found an interesting interview with Ashley Mears, sociologist and model:

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/a-model-professor/#more-176637

It brings some light into this multi-billion dollar industry.

Rainbow

2012-02-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

The Catskills Featured on Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show

2012-01-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

Emmy award-winning travel journalist Peter Greenberg recently featured the Catskills on his radio show Peter Greenberg Worldwide.

Of course, I knew the Catskills is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but I also learned new things. For instance, I didn’t know we have bison in the Catskills – farm raised, I believe, but still bison.

Also, the Catskills has been listed as a top wedding destination by NYC wedding planner Kimberly Richmond.

The proximity to New York City, four beautiful ski resorts, horseback riding opportunities, breathtaking scenery, and good food were also mentioned.

If you missed the show, which was originally broadcast on 425 radio stations around the country Saturday, January 21, you can find it on Greenberg's website.

A Quick Look at this Blog's Stats

2012-01-25T09:32:00.006-05:00

Top countries, percentage of visitors:

The U.S. 70%

Russia 9.9%

Germany 5.8%

Romania 3.9%

The Netherlands 2.2%

Other 8.2%

Thank you all for your visit!

Have You Picked Your Year Theme?

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

I just found this beautiful quote by Orison Swett Marden: “Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you will see farther”. I think this is going to be my year theme this year!

Good Bye 2011, Welcome 2012!

2011-12-29T14:50:00.000-05:00

There was no better way for me to end a great year than putting together a personal website at http://simonadavid.com; indeed, a fine opportunity to take stock of what I’ve accomplished thus far, and to think about what I want to do next.

2011 was a year of many firsts for me:

Joined a Board of Directors;
Worked as an election inspector in the local elections;
Summoned to be a juror - trial was settled, all’s well ends well;
Improved my radio show;
Put together a book;
Made new friends;
Enjoyed good times with people I know.

And above all, many thanks to my supportive family, as always!

I hope you had a great year too, and wish you an even greater new one!

Happy 2012!

Simona David, New York

How You Can Write Stories and Photoplays

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

That was the title of an article written by screenwriter Elinor Glyn for the “Photoplay” magazine in July 1922. I read some of it on my radio show this past Monday.

Glyn was a British writer very much involved in the motion picture industry in the 1920s. In 1922 she published “The Short-Cut to Successful Writing,” a system of writing meant to help aspiring writers improve their condition.

“Many people think they can’t write because they lack “imagination” or the ability to construct out-of-the-ordinary plots. Nothing could be further from the truth. The really successful authors – those who make fortunes with their pens – are those who write in a simple manner about plain, ordinary events of everyday life – things with which everyone is familiar. This is the real secret of success – a secret within the reach of all, for everyone is familiar with some kind of life” - Elinor Glyn, July 1922.

“Photoplay” was one of the first American film fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago; in fact, the magazine has been credited with inventing celebrity media. In the 1920s and 1930s “Photoplay” was quite influential in Hollywood. Nowadays you can find on the Internet, for instance on magazineart.org, covers and advertising art from “Photoplay.”

October Snow in the Catskills

2011-10-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

Fill Your Week with Memorable Moments

2011-10-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

Weeks go by so fast these days that I can’t help but thinking on a week by week basis now – a lot of things happen each week, and one goes faster than the other.

So this fall I assembled, more or less voluntarily, a relatively stable routine that pleases me. This fall my week seems to be revolving around seven major themes:

1. Monday is the radio day – which means that the week before I had been in contact with many people, and created a content for my show. That builds a context for me to interact with bright people, and learn new things. See the link for more info on my show: http://simonadavidpr.blogspot.com/search/label/WIOX

2. Tuesday is what I call the “leadership day” – I read and watch videos of great leaders, those who truly have the ability to inspire and motivate people. One of my favorite leaders these days is Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO. Tuesday is also the board meeting day. So, while getting ready for the board meeting, once a month I also delve into board development resources.

3. Wednesday is my favorite work day – while certain things have already been accomplished, the week is not over yet, so I feel comfortable that by Friday I would have other things done. Wednesday is essentially the event / meeting planning day for me – that’s when I reach out to most people: phone calls, emails, all that stuff gets done on a Wednesday. That is not to mean there aren’t overlappings, postponements and exceptions – those happen all the time.

4. Thursday is the writing day – in all honesty, I write every day in various forms and genres, but on Thursday I’m really focused on specific assignments. This fall I’m writing about homes, and how each object in a house has a story behind it.

5. Friday is when I usually have lunch with friends and colleagues or new acquaintances – we talk, we plan, we brainstorm and we try out new places to eat. On a side note, I also write restaurant reviews (check out the “Local Eats” column in the O-Town Scene – every now and then you will see a review written by me).

6. Saturday – not cleaning again! Well, on Saturdays I like to go around and explore new art galleries and antique shops. And there are plenty of those in the Catskills! Last Saturday, for instance, I was at the Martin Lerner Gallery in Roxbury, and this Saturday I will probably go to the Andes Art and Antiques in Andes.

7. Sunday – read a book, go for a walk, watch a movie.

Another week just went by!

Hobart, the Book Village of the Catskills

2011-09-29T12:30:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month, I spent quite a bit of time in Hobart, the Book Village of the Catskills.

Established before the Revolutionary War in the 1770s, Hobart became a permanent settlement in the early 1800s, like most of the surrounding area – Stamford, Harpersfield and Kortright. In fact, Delaware County was officially established by the New York State Legislature in 1797. The village of Hobart, which is now part of the town of Stamford, was incorporated in 1888. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the oldest church in Delaware County, was built in 1794, and it functioned as a hub for the village’s later development.

Set aside its remarkable past, what makes Hobart truly special today is its metamorphosis into a “book village,” part of the famous local book trail, which begins with Bibliobarn in South Kortright, and ends with Steinway Book Company in Delhi. The world’s first book town was established in Wales in 1961, when the small town of Hay-on-Wye re-branded itself as “the town of books.” Today Hay-on-Wye is a destination for bibliophiles from all over the world who come to the little Welsh settlement for secondhand and antiquarian books, prints and specialist hardbacks. With over 30 independent bookstores operating in town, a thriving local tourism industry developed based on literary interests.

Read my story about Hobart, the Book Village of the Catskills by clicking the link below:

http://www.epageflip.net/issue/43311/9

Also, as a bonus, since you’re there, read my review of the East Branch restaurant in Roxbury.

Albany, NY

2011-09-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

Monarch Butterfly

2011-09-26T17:44:00.000-04:00

If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

2011-09-20T12:44:00.000-04:00

I thought you might enjoy this blog I Love Belgium - all about arts and culture in ... Belgium!
If you know any good arts and lifestyle blogs, do share!

Chatham, NY

2011-09-18T18:08:00.000-04:00

Sunflowers

2011-09-15T15:24:00.002-04:00

The Aftermath of Hurricane Irene in the Catskills

2011-08-29T19:35:00.001-04:00

Photos taken in the village of Fleischmanns yesterday afternoon – courtesy Jeff Slavin:

Keeping an Old Promise: You Can Now Listen to Excerpts from Some of My Shows on WIOX

2011-08-25T12:26:00.002-04:00

Let's begin with the following excerpts:

- Interview with Karin Ursula Edmondson, food writer and landscape designer, originally broadcast on Dec.6, 2010;
- Interview with Justin Kolb, classical music pianist, originally broadcast on Dec. 13, 2010;
- Interview with Heidi Younger, illustrator and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, originally broadcast on Jan.17, 2011.

Just click on the appropriate file in the WIOX Audio File widget on the right.

House & Home Writing Class with Bethany Lyttle

2011-08-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

Hi, guys.

I intend to take this class in the Fall: as you know, Bethany Lyttle writes for the New York Times, Martha Stewart and all the important magazines in the country.

The class is described as "Literary Fiction/Non-Fiction/Poetry. Emphasizing the importance of domestic details in writing. Houses and homes are rich with information about the characters who live in them - and written with attention to detail, they provide a rich social and historic context for any piece of writing. "Painting" a room with words... evoking emotion by describing a room, rather than by describing the feelings or face of the character - unleashes an unusual power in writing."

Classes will be held September 8 - October 13, Thursdays at 6 pm at the Roxbury Library.

To register go to the Writers in the Mountains website.

Yung Yung Tsuai: The Difference in Butterflies

2011-08-14T12:32:00.001-04:00

“I would love to be as soft and free as silk,” Yung Yung Tsuai

Monday, August 15 from 1 to 2 pm I will have another special guest on WIOX: Yung Yung Tsuai – Chinese dancer and martial arts expert. Born in China in 1948, Yung Yung was raised in Taipei, Taiwan. She started to take dance lessons at the age of five. She excelled both in Chinese traditional folk dance, as well as European ballet. Yung Yung distinguished herself from her peers, and won many dance competitions at an early age. The stage became her “power spot,” as she remembers today.

Soon, Yung Yung was to become a child star in Taiwan, and had her own weekly television show, for which she also did the choreography. In her youth, Yung Yung also worked as a stuntwoman for kung fu movies in Taiwan.

Growing up on the beautiful island of Taiwan, Yung Yung had a fascination for Hollywood, starting at an early age; she grew up with “The Wizard of Oz” and Dorothy, and she admired Judy Garland.

In 1969 Yung Yung was taking tap dance classes at the American Center in Taipei, when she met Martha Graham. The following year, she embarked on a plane to come to New York on a Martha Graham scholarship. At the Martha Graham School in New York City Yung Yung remembers: “Dancers learn to use their bodies as instruments. We push to the limit of our physical capacity. If we break through the barrier of physical limitation, there is a chance to glimpse the enormous unknown energy locked within our bodies. Martha Graham created a technique which I believe is more difficult than any other dance form.”

Although she came to master Martha Graham technique, and has taught for many years at the Martha Graham School, and many other schools in the United States, Yung Yung developed her own choreography and founded her own dance company, managed by her husband Martin Lerner.

Yung Yung met Martin shortly after she moved to New York – she was the first Chinese Martin ever met. In the early 1970s, Yung Yung remembers, there weren’t many Chinese in the City. Yung Yung married Martin shortly after; they’re still together today, after 40 years.

In the United States, Yung Yung has known success as a dancer and teacher, and has met many famous people. Her daughter Tysan is also a dancer.

In 2007, Yung Yung wrote her memoir The Difference In Butterflies with co-author Marilyn Meeske Sorel. This is what the publisher IUniverse says: “In this memoir we experience the fall and resurrection of a professional dancer / choreographer who, with the help of Martha Graham and an unconventional psychotherapist, Shepherd Hoodwin, escapes outer and inner tyranny, to find passionate love and the ultimate – identity as her own woman: free to be.”

Tune in this Monday for a lovely conversation!

WIOX’s One Year Anniversary

2011-08-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

WIOX’s one year anniversary is right around the corner. There will be many events celebrating this milestone. I want to have you as my guest on “Accent on Monday,” and highlight some of the best moments that happened during the show’s one year airing. If you’re up to this challenge, drop me an email to accentonmonday@gmail.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Simona

New York City Playwright and Composer Jim Farmer Will Be My Guest on WIOX This Monday

2011-07-23T10:09:00.001-04:00

New York City playwright and composer Jim Farmer will be my guest in the studio this Monday at 1 p.m. We will be talking about theater of the absurd, musicals and other topics of interest, and we will discuss his latest play and musical.

Jim Farmer is a Playwright/Composer living and working in New York City. Plays written, produced and directed by Jim include: "Frontier Halloween", "Pistols and Stamens", "The Savage Routine of Living", "We Never Learn", "Yonder Window Breaks", "I've Been Drunk for Three Weeks and I Have a Gun", "Morning Milking, Evening Milking" and "The Supper Club of Lost Causes".

The New York Times did a nice review of "The Supper Club of Lost Causes" here.

Jim’s latest play "A Brandy before Dying" was developed this past year at the Naked Angels Tuesday@Nine reading series. He has just completed a full length musical titled: "When Existential Things Happen to Good People". We will talk about that on the show.

Jim is also a film and TV composer. Besides scoring numerous TV commercials, he has scored a number of feature films: "Johnny Suede" (with Brad Pitt), “Living In Oblivion" (with Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener), "Box of Moonlight" (with John Turturro, Sam Rockwell and Catherine Keener), "The Real Blonde" (with Dennis Leary, Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener and Kathleen Turner), and "Double Whammy" (with Denis Leary, Chris Noth and Steve Buscemi).

His most recent score is the soon to be released "Ponies" with John Ventimiglia from the Sopranos.

Tune in for a delightful conversation this Monday at 1 p.m.

Rare Photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Andes, NY

2011-07-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

Rare, intimate photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono are on display at the Andes Art and Antiques Gallery through September 1.

To see the article I wrote about this photo exhibit, click the link below and go to page 10:
http://www.epageflip.net/issue/37074/1

Summer Sky

2011-07-14T15:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

Chevy Chevelle 1969

Care about Trends?

2011-06-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

You might have noticed some of these:
100 Things to Watch in 2011, by JWT Intelligence, Headquartered in New York City

Accent on Social Media

2011-06-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

We’ve come a long way since wireless telegraphy made radio broadcasting possible, in the early 1900s. In the digital era, we now have radio on the Internet, and the iPhone and iPad applications. And we now have Pandora , a personalized Internet radio service, based on user’s musical selections, available only in the United States. As reported by emarketer.com, Internet radio audience seems to be growing, and that gives marketers more targeting opportunities.

Over the past five years, we have seen a constant increase in social media use, and an ever growing digital advertising market too. With close to 700 million users, Facebook had an advertising revenue of $1.86 billion in 2010, and it is estimated to reach $4.05 billion in 2011. With more than 200 million users, Twitter is expected to reach $150 million in 2011 from advertising.

In the United States Facebook has 157.2 million users, MySpace 34.9 million, LinkedIn 33.4 million, and Twitter 27 million, as reported by prdaily.com.

In 2011, 76% of communicators in the United States and Canada used Twitter. At the same time, the percentage of consumers using Twitter continues to lag that of PR pros, according to the Social Media Reality Check, a study by CNW and Leger Marketing. However, 37% of consumers said that they have bought a product they heard about via social media. See full article on prdaily.eu.

On the other hand, digital media continue to expand the range of gadgets and applications made available to consumers and PR pros. And, as Brian Solis said on fastcompany.com, “Social Media Dashboards are the future of hosted and aggregated conversations.” Speaking of which, you may be interested in these five essential iPad applications for PR pros.

One significant aspect of social media nowadays is that community managers, whether acting on or offline, are playing an increasingly important role in cultivating and supporting their brand identity. They are the “voice of the brand,” as Janet Aronica said on prdaily.com. Also, Edelman Digital identified the “new community manager profile,” a professional who masters three areas of expertise: strategic, social and project management skills.

For latest trends in social media, go to http://techcrunch.com/.

Summer Fun: Golf, Tennis and Music

2011-06-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

Incendiary Mark Birman, host of Mark Birman Sports, aired Monday at 7 p.m. on WIOX, invites you to “Spring Swing,” a fun event for both golf and tennis aficionados. The event takes place on June 18 at the Meadows Golf Center in Arkville, in the morning, and Fleischmanns Park Tennis Courts, in the afternoon. The proceeds will benefit the Roxbury Arts Group and the Fleischmanns Park Tennis Courts. Expect to see many WIOX stars there. To sign up contact Mark Birman at (845) 254-4400 or mark@tenniseveryone.com.

Read full article here.

From My Garden

2011-06-14T12:02:00.000-04:00

Daisy’s Routine

2011-06-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

This is not meant to become a farm blog, but:

Daisy posing

having breakfast

enjoying the grass

playing

running after the car

a chipmunk eating her food

Feeding Miss Daisy

2011-05-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

Meet my new pet: a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Thank you Tovey and Madalyn!

Magic Show on WIOX

2011-05-14T11:40:00.000-04:00

Magician, composer, educator and radio personality Arthur Martello will be my guest on WIOX, this Monday 1 to 2 p.m. Besides good music and conversation, Artie also promised to do some magic tricks on the air. Magic show with magic guest this Monday on “Accent on Monday!”

My Review of the Andes Hotel and Restaurant in the O-Town Scene's April 21 Issue, Page 12

2011-04-21T13:44:00.001-04:00

http://www.epageflip.net/issue/29770/16

Billy Having Fun

2011-04-09T17:56:00.002-04:00

Hunter Mountain Today

2011-04-09T17:42:00.002-04:00

Central Park

2011-04-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

New York City - Central Park

La Duchèsse Anne, La France en Amèrique

2011-03-25T12:01:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday I had an exquisite dinner at “La Duchèsse Anne” off Rte 28 in Mt. Tremper, NY. With a beautiful view of the mountains, this 19th century inn has retained a lot of its original Victorian look, lavishly decorated: floral walls, antique furniture and a fireplace at the center, all in shades of gray and brown.

The restaurant’s motto is “La France en Amèrique,” which literally means “France in America,” and reveals what this is all about: recreating a piece of France in America – French cuisine, French music, French atmosphere.

The chef is French indeed: Fabrice Vittoz was born in Brittany, and had worked throughout France and Switzerland since he was 15. In the Catskills he has been recognized as one of the best. And the first bite you take out of his house salad will tell you all about it.

The menu has many choices of seafood, together with lobster, salmon and trout. It also includes lamb, duck, chicken and organic pork. The entrée comes with plenty of vegetables as well, all rich in flavor. Side dishes include baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and rice. An impressive list of wines goes with that. And it’s not pricey: an entrée is around $30.

Although I very much enjoyed everything I had, desserts were my favorite part: French pastries, with fresh fruits, homemade whipped cream and chocolate, all put together in an artistic way. Quite an indulgent experience!

The service is good: you don’t have to wait long, and all your whims are promptly accommodated (within reason). The atmosphere is romantic, the ambient refined, yet not imposing in any way. No dress code required, or anything like that.

You can hear French music in the background, kind of inspiring you to engage in prosaic conversation, have a good laugh or just keep silent and enjoy the food. My thoughts were wandering, as they often do, but got stuck on Maurice Chevalier and Josephine Baker – I read his biography, and saw her biopic – they were both famous entertainers once, hired by Folies Bergère in Paris.

There is actually a piano by the bar, and live music is offered on special occasions.

Upstairs there are about 10 rooms, so you can spend the night there, if you choose so. Or maybe an entire weekend, if you’re coming from the City.

“La Duchèsse Anne” is about 12 miles from Woodstock, and two and a half hours from New York City.

For more details visit: http://www.laduchesseanne.com/

My Thoughts and Prayers with the People of Japan

2011-03-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

My thoughts and prayers are these days with the people of Japan, as they struggle with unimaginable devastation. Let’s keep in mind that 50 brave workers are fighting to re-gain control over the nuclear reactors at Fukushima, whereas many people continue to live without food, water, electricity and gas.

I have a few readers from Japan. I hope everybody’s fine. If you would like to share what you’re going through, please do.

Here’s a website for those who need shelter:
http://quakehousing.com/index.php

And here you can see the latest updates from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/03/16/134587377/disaster-in-japan-wednesdays-developments?ps=cprs

There is also a link there explaining how you can help.

Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories Come to Roxbury

2011-03-03T16:37:00.003-05:00

Check out my article about Faye Lane's show in this week O-Town Scene, page 18:
http://www.epageflip.net/issue/26296/1

How to Be Successful on Kickstarter

2011-02-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Historian Linda Norris and her Fulbright colleague Sarah Crow managed to get their Pickle Project funded via Kickstarter. Linda was my guest on WIOX earlier in January.

See Linda's experience with Kickstarter as explained on her blog.

Recent Guests on “Accent on Monday”

2011-01-31T15:20:00.000-05:00

Excerpts from the following interviews will be posted soon:

- Interview with Karin Ursula Edmondson, food and farm writer;
- Interview with Justin Kolb, classical music pianist;
- Interview with Heidi Younger, professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, and a successful illustrator.

The interviews were broadcast on WIOX Roxbury on Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Jan. 17.

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-19T17:36:00.000-05:00

The Pickle Project Explained

2011-01-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

Monday, Jan. 10 historian Linda Norris and food writer Karin Ursula Edmondson will be my guests on WIOX, from 1 to 2 pm. We will be talking about the Pickle Project, and explore traditional food ways and sustainability.

Meanwhile, check out these sites:

http://pickleproject.blogspot.com/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1654084111/the-pickle-project

Top Ten All Time Favorite Movies

2011-01-03T16:28:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I read on WIOX my top ten all time favorite movie list. We have a whole year ahead of us, and you might find my suggestions useful. All these movies are classics, so it’s very likely you have seen them, but we could – at least I could - watch them again and again.

10) I am going to start with my number 10 - “Some Like It Hot,” a 1959 musical by Billy Wilder, starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis – the American Film Institute listed “Some Like It Hot” as the greatest American comedy film of all time. Billy Wilder, who is actually one of my favorite movie directors, had encouraged throughout his career a brilliant and humorous dialogue style, and we see this in all his movies.

In “Some Like It Hot” Tony Curtis, as Joe, and Jack Lemmon, as Jerry, play two musicians – Curtis a saxophone player, and Lemmon a cellist - in the 1929 Chicago: they accidentally witness the St. Valentine’s gangster massacre, and as a result they have to get out of town in a hurry. Synchronicity or not, an all-female orchestra is on its way to Florida, and needs two more musicians to join the band: this is Joe and Jerry’s chance to get out of Chicago, except that they have to dress and act like women. Joe and Jerry join the all-female band as Josephine and Geraldine - Geraldine later becomes Daphne, and ... surprise, surprise: the irresistible Marilyn Monroe, playing Sugar - the band’s vocalist, is on that train too. Both Joe and Jerry fall in love with her, and fight for her affection, while struggling to maintain their disguise. The plot becomes funnier and funnier, as the girls make it to Florida – and so do the mobs!

9) Number 9 is “Love and Death,” a 1975 comedy by Woody Allen – I believe is one of Allen’s best movies, and possibly his favorite, as the rumors go. “Love and Death” is a satire of some of the best Russian novels, by classics like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy – and it’s full of philosophical underpinnings and intellectual humor. Woody Allen, playing Boris, and Diane Keaton, playing Sonja, are two young Russians living during the Napoleonic era. While they engage in philosophical debates about the meaning of life, they also fall in love, and ... plot to kill Napoleon. You’ll make the most of this movie, if you’re familiar with the European classics, as many cultural references are made throughout the movie - there are small inaccuracies each and there, but they can be overlooked. However, it’s hilarious no matter what, especially if you’re a Woody Allen fan – and, since I’ve watched almost all of his movies, I think I can call myself a fan.

8) Number 8 is “Amadeus,” a 1984 biopic written by Peter Shaffer and directed by Milos Forman – it is loosely based on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two colossal composers, contemporary and rivals in the late 18th century Vienna. The story is built around Salieri’s ardent jealousy as well as enormous fascination with Mozart, a rising star at the Viennese Court in the 18th century. Salieri was the Court composer for the Emperor Joseph II in Vienna, when Mozart, still a child, arrived at the Court. Salieri recognized Mozart’s genius immediately, and felt threatened. “Amadeus” is quite a long movie – it starts with Salieri being held in a lunatic asylum, after attempted suicide – a priest visits him, and Salieri confesses his feelings for Mozart, as well as his belief that he was the one who killed Mozart – Mozart died while working on his Requiem Mass in D Minor, a work that was, as shown in the movie, secretly commissioned by Salieri. The movie is structured as a series of flashbacks from Mozart’s life, musical career, family and financial struggles - an incredible portrayal of his exceptional life. “Amadeus” won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Costume Design, Best MakeUp and Best Sound. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. I would watch it again and again.

7) Another exceptional biopic is “Immortal Beloved,” my number 7, a 1994 film about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven – directed by Bernard Rose, and starring Gary Oldman. When Beethoven dies, his assistant and close friend Anton Schindler goes through the great composer’s last will and testament, as well as love letters addressed to a mysterious woman - referred to as the “Immortal Beloved.” Schindler embarks on a journey to find out who the “Immortal beloved” was: as the story progresses, a series of flashbacks from Beethoven’s life reveals the great composer’s passion for life and music. The soundtrack is exceptionally beautiful, featuring Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9, Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and Pathetique, among other compositions. Nowadays you can find on the Internet some of the letters Beethoven addressed to the “Immortal Beloved.”

6) Music, music, music – it looks like my list is full of musicals: number 6 is “Cabaret,” a 1972 musical set in 1931 Berlin, during the Weimer Republic: the film documents the growing influence of the National Socialist Party and the spread of anti-Semitism in Germany before World War II. A British writer Brian Roberts (played by Michael York), and his friends, including the American singer Sally Bowles (played by Liza Minnelli) live a Bohemian, yet morally disputed life in the pre- World War II Berlin. While they go on with their lives, the growing anti-Semitism and violence around them add tension and a feeling of insecurity. The film won seven BAFTA awards, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Leading Actress, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture in Musical and Comedy.

5) I can’t help, but being into artsy movies. And one of the best art films I have ever seen is “Fitzcarraldo,” a 1982 production of the German director Werner Herzog – this is my number 5. The movie was inspired by the real life story of Carlos Fitzgerald, an Irish rubber baron who lived in Peru in the late 19th century, early 20th century - in Peru he was known as Fitzcarraldo. Klaus Kinski, an iconic figure in the German cinema, plays Fitzcarraldo - an entrepreneur with a dream: a big Opera lover, Fitzcarraldo dreams of building an Opera House right in the middle of the Amazon jungle, in a city called Iquitos – even today Iquitos can only be reached by airplane or boat, with the exception of a small road to Nauta. To build an Opera House, Fitzcarraldo needs money. And after failing several different businesses, he starts looking into rubber – this was the most profitable industry at the time in Peru. However, he finds out that the only unclaimed parcel was practically unreachable: it was a piece of land surrounded by rapids and waterfalls, coming off the Amazon River. However, Fitzcarraldo is not discouraged: he buys a steamer, hires a crew, and heads out to that parcel of land immediately. Many adventures are to follow, and both success and failure occur when least expected. The most spectacular part of the film is when the ship is dragged over a mountain in order to avoid the rapids, and this had actually happened during the shooting, with no special effects. It’s indeed worth seeing this movie, especially if you like Opera music, because you get to hear a lot of that. For this film, Herzog was awarded the Best Director award at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. One more detail: this is a German language film.

4) Number 4 is another Billy Wilder classic - “Sabrina.” This 1954 romantic comedy stars Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, in what I like to call a ‘modern Cinderella’ story. You probably all know the story – Sabrina (played by Hepburn) is the chauffeur’s daughter, never noticed by the family two wealthy sons – the workaholic Linus (played by Bogart), and the playboy David (played by Holden). Up until she returns to New York from Paris, all polished and refined. Now both David and Linus seem interested, but eventually it is Linus, the more experienced and reliable one, who proves to be the right one for Sabrina. Audrey Hepburn has always been my favorite actress: intelligent, talented, beautiful, elegant, charming, feminine yet powerful. There is no one else to compete with her, yet, in my mind.

3) Number 3 is another Audrey Hepburn movie - “My Fair Lady,” a 1964 musical, adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.” Hepburn plays Eliza Doolittle, an uneducated flower seller in the streets of London in the early 20th century - she is transformed into a cultured and sophisticated lady by misogynistic Professor Henry Higgins (played by Rex Harrison), who believed that the accent and the voice tone determine one’s prospects in society. In order to win a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering, Higgins teaches Eliza to speak with the upper class accent, and coaches her to pass as a duchess at the Embassy Ball. The film won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

2) Number 2 is “Fiddler on the Roof,” yet another musical, a 1971 adaptation of the homonymous Broadway play. It tells the story of a Jewish family in the Tsarist Russia, early 20th century, during the Pogrom. Tevye (played by Topol) is a milkman, providing for his wife Golde (played by Norma Crane), and their three daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava. Tevye is a poor man, despite working hard, and lives under constant harassment from the neighboring non-Jewish community. The village matchmaker Yente (played by Molly Picon) is making arrangements for Tzeitel, the oldest of the three daughters to marry Lazar, a wealthy but much older butcher. However, Tzeitel is in love with Motel, a local tailor, and is Motel she wants to marry - here the questioning of an ancient tradition begins, and others will follow. Tevye’s second daughter Hodel falls in love with Perchik, a young man with revolutionary ideas. Hodel and Perchick question the ancient tradition too, by dancing together – something the old tradition would not allow them to do. Meanwhile, the youngest daughter Chava falls in love with an Eastern Orthodox Russian Fyedka, she too questioning an old tradition. Tzeitel does marry Motel, Hodel marries Perchik (while exiled in Siberia), and Chava marries Fyedka. As the story progresses, the Jews are being forced to live the village, and Tevye and his family decide to come to New York. The film depicts an incredible story, has an amazingly beautiful soundtrack, and fabulous actors. “Fiddler on the Roof” should be on your watching list in 2011. The film won three Academy Awards and two Golden Globes.

1) Number 1 is “La Dolce Vita,” a Fellini masterpiece produced in 1960 in Rome. “La Dolce Vita” tells the story of a young journalist Marcello (played by Marcello Mastroiani) searching the meaning of life and love. While in Rome, Marcello engages in a life of pleasure and glamour, seeking the company of beautiful women and partying in exclusive night clubs. He also works on a novel, and attends philosophical debates and intellectual conversation at Steiner’s house, a wealthy friend’s lavish residence. The costumes in this movie are exceptionally beautiful – the film actually won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in Black-and-White. Well, Fellini’s characters are known to be dressed extravagantly. “La Dolce Vita” is quite a long movie, about 2 h and 40 min., but it’s one of the best art movies in cinema, and it’s no doubt worth seeing.

If I were to make a top 15 or maybe 16 all time favorite movies, I would have included “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961), “It’s a mad, mad, mad world” (1963), “Zorba, the Greek” (1964), “Dr. Zhivago” (1965), “Amelie” (2001) and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001).

Well, enjoy it!

Reading the Numbers

2010-12-26T14:39:00.001-05:00

That’s why I like statistics: because it allows us to put reality into numbers, and then interpret the numbers to understand reality.

After 20 months of writing this blog, this is what the statistics tell me:

That a vast majority of my readers, namely 78.93% are from the United States – as expected.

5.44% are from Romania, 3.81% from Russia, and 2.72% from the Netherlands. So far so good.

But here’s an interesting finding: 2.34% of my readers are from Germany, and just as many are from India.

Now, while I expect to be read in North America and Europe, a less expected event happened: 1.36% of my readers are from the Philippines. Never been there, don’t know anybody there, but this is the magic of the Internet: our words can go around the world in practically no time at all.

1.09% of my readers are from Canada, and surprise again: 0.98% of my readers are from Spain, and just as many are from the United Kingdom.

I also have a small but consistent number of readers from France, Switzerland and Israel.

The most popular posts have been so far: “Saturday Evening Post,” “Special Guests on ‘Monday Lunch’,” and “Holiday Card Writing.”

I want to thank all my readers for stopping by: your praise as well as your criticism is much welcomed. You can either post your comments here, or write me to accentonmonday@gmail.com

And you can now hear me on the radio at wioxradio.org every Monday from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year, full of joy and prosperity!

Happy 2011!

Holiday Card Writing

2010-12-06T18:26:00.001-05:00

Next weekend I was going to take a class in “holiday card writing”: in the age of email this “old-fashioned type of correspondence” seems to have lost its fans – the class was canceled due to lack of interest.

I was a little bit disappointed, but then I went online and researched the art of letter writing – there are people out there who want to keep this art alive. Why? Some people say that a letter is more than communication: it is also a gift; they also say that a letter is more personal, and more intimate than an email message. The stationary that we use varies in its design and patterns: we can be as artistic as we want. And, of course we can make good use of our creativity and literary talent to craft beautiful messages, and convey our thoughts and feelings in an original way.

The art of letter writing has been around for millennia. “Calligraphy” which is a Greek word meaning “the beauty of writing” is considered a type of visual art, or fancy letter writing. The loveliness of hand writing is an art in itself! So, if you really want to be fancy about letter writing, hand write!

In literature, we often hear of famous letters people have sent to each other to convey their personal philosophies, ideological views, or romantic liaisons.

Just recently, with the publishing of Mark Twain’s Autobiography, historian Robert Hirst, the Director of the Mark Twain Project, University of California at Berkeley, spoke with the NPR contributor David Bianculli, about Twain’s letters. Hirst said that letters that Twain wrote during his lifetime continue to be found in various private collections and libraries: people have kept these letters, because of their exquisite literary style.

But going back to holiday card writing, if you google “Christmas card writing” you will find plenty of information on how to go about it.

Traditionally speaking, Christmas cards or in general holiday cards have been a way of keeping in touch with family members and friends, and strengthening business relationships. What goes in these cards: people make wishes, but they also share good news and accomplishments they are proud of.

First, make a list with all those you want to send cards to. Then, be personal. Each card has to be personally addressed to its recipient, and composed with that recipient in mind. Then you will think about what exactly defines your relationship to the recipient of your card, and what exactly you want to write about. Remember, holiday cards are supposed to be short, fun, and meaningful. Otherwise, what would be the point of writing one?

I also think of holiday cards as an exercise of personal analysis and reflection: I think about the year that is about to come to an end, what I have accomplished, and what I aspire to accomplish in the year to come.

WIOX Is Streaming

2010-11-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

You can now listen to WIOX on the Internet. Go to wioxradio.org and choose a player, then sit comfortably and listen!

Starting Monday Dec. 6 “Monday Lunch” will be broadcast as “Accent on Monday” every Monday from 1 to 2 pm (Eastern time, guys!), right here on WIOX.

Relax and enjoy your ride, as some classic would say!

Saturday Evening Post

2010-11-21T14:11:00.002-05:00

What am I reading these days? Well, yes I read Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” (1965), but also a whole bunch of magazines from the 1920s. I have a couple of Saturday Evening Posts from 1922 – neither of them has the cover still on: the magazine has distinguished itself in time through its fine cover artwork, and maybe some collector out there has them. Many of these covers, it’s good to know, were painted by Norman Rockwell, an iconic figure on the American art scene. And if you go on saturdayeveningpost.com, you will find a gallery of Rockwell’s most exquisite work, and an invitation to pick your favorite.

Beautifully illustrated and featuring good literature (i.e., F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis), the Saturday Evening Post was very popular, and consequently it was full of advertising. As I went through Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, 1922 issues, I focused on ads: authentic pieces of art, detailing a rich and progressive 1920s lifestyle. I read some of these ads a couple of weeks ago on my radio show on WIOX.

Take for instance an ad for the “Eversharp” pen, “Solving Gift Problems”: “If you have $1 to $50 to spend for gifts - EVERSHARP will solve your problem. Everyone who writes, wants EVERSHARP. The man who has one for his vest pocket wants another for his watch chain, or for desk use. The woman or girl wants the midget EVERSHARP for use on a ribbon or chain as a sautoir. Whatever the price or size, every EVERSHARP has the exclusive EVERSHARP rifled tip which keeps the lead from slipping and wobbling. No other pencil can have this rifled tip. To match EVERSHARP in engraved designs and efficiency is WAHL PEN with the indestructible all-metal barrel that holds more ink; priced as low as $4. In velvet-lined Gift Boxes, singly or together, these two perfect writing instruments make most attractive presents; always useful, everlasting. Finished in gold or silver. Sold everywhere.” Well, today you can find the Eversharp pen online, collector’s items from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, some of them quite pricey, but beautifully engraved indeed.

My favorite ad is the one for the Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, a brand that is still popular today. If you remember, the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was only adopted in 1920. This 1922 ad on Campbell’s Soup had embodied the spirit of the day - it came with the illustration of a parade of little girls holding a poster that said: “Our Candidate Stands for Health and Happy Homes.” And this is the ad: “We’re the ladies aid in a big parade, / Mid the shouting crowds and the din, / The issue, we state, is the full dinner plate / And Campbell’s is sure to win!” Less time for women in the kitchen, I guess.

And this is a funny ad for a trip to Europe - as you can imagine, in 1922 people were still traveling to Europe by ship: “IF YOU have planned to go to Europe in the near future you can't do better than going late November or December. London and the brilliant capitals of the Continent are at their gayest during the winter months. The tourist season is over and "tourist prices" no longer prevail. Central European currency is so far down in value that your dollars will buy you a princely living there. [...] If you go at this time, you can revel in the mellow sunshine of southern France; tramp or motor to the sunlit Riviera; enjoy the famous winter sports of Switzerland, where the dry, crystal clear air will send a tumult of health rioting thru your veins! Send the blank below today for full information. Learn how cheaply you can take the trip at this time. If you are going to Europe, now is the time to go. Write Today.” Cool!

I just saw recently “The Spirit of St. Louis” (1957), a Billy Wilder movie telling the story of the first transatlantic flight: Charles Lindbergh made the first transatlantic flight on May 20-21,1927 - Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris in 33 ½ hours, opening up a new era in aviation.

If you didn’t know, the Saturday Evening Post was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1728 as “Pennsylvania Gazette.” It became “The Saturday Evening Post” in 1821. Norman Rockwell worked for the Saturday Evening Post for 47 years – from 1916 till 1963.

Shift Happens, Learn How

2010-11-16T19:19:00.012-05:00

Yesterday I had another special guest on “Monday Lunch”: George Suess, CEO of the Arc of Delaware County - Delarc, one of the most progressive organizations in the country. Delarc serves children and adults with developmental disabilities in various programs across the county, and provides training and consulting services to many organizations all over the United States. Mr. Suess has been employed by Delarc for 31 years and has served as its CEO for the past 25 years, leading the organization towards increased national reputation for excellence, high quality services, innovation and fun. This past summer Delarc received the prestigious “Moving Mountains” Award for its best practices in recruitment, retention and training of Direct Service Professionals from the National Alliance for Direct Service Professionals and the University of Minnesota.

What makes Delarc a progressive organization is the shift from a developmental approach to a person-centered approach that happened over the past few years. Mr. Suess explained what the centered-person approach means: each individual is extensively interviewed over several different sessions, to identify his or her personal needs and wants. People are being helped to find out what their dreams are, and how they want to live their lives. Whether be skiing, horse-back riding or dancing, everybody’s needs and wants are accommodated by a team of committed professionals. Delarc professionals do not set limits to what people can do, but work together, and explore new possibilities.

Recruiting and retaining the right staff is one major component of “Shift Happens,” a pro-active, positive approach, and a leadership model that is meant to unleash the creative power in people, and produce internal change. Delarc recruits people who share the organization’s values, and then trains and prepares them for excellence in service. Mr. Suess explained that the first day of work at Delarc is not filling out paperwork, but being treated as a consumer: each employee’s first day of work consists of taking the wheel chair and the bus, and then getting involved in all the activities everybody else is doing. All the employees at Delarc are being asked to experience what people they help experience there every day.

Because of the “Shift Happens” model success at Delarc, Mr. Suess has been invited to provide consultation and training services to organizations across the country on how to eliminate the use of restraints, power struggles and reactive responses. To find more about Delarc go to delarc.org, shifthappens.tv, or shifthappensblog.blogspot.com

Special Guests on “Monday Lunch”

2010-11-03T18:59:00.003-04:00

Since I started “Monday Lunch” late in the summer, I promised to myself that I would write a short piece about each one of my guests on WIOX. Each of them has come with a fascinating story to tell, and they all are exceptional characters.

My first guest, historian Linda Norris, eloquently spoke about her experience overseas as a Fulbright scholar. Mrs. Norris spent several months in Ukraine, where she worked with museums in Kiev and other parts of the country, and taught a graduate level course on Learning in Museums. Over many years of working with museums in the United States and other parts of the world, Mrs. Norris looked into “what kinds of stories does a nation choose to tell through its museums,” and helped her museum colleagues to improve their ways of exhibiting collections. Mrs. Norris told WIOX listeners how it was to live and work in a different culture, how she learned her way around, kept an open mind, and enjoyed what other cultures had to offer.

With my second guest, Dr. Elizabeth Sherr from SUNY Delhi, I had a lively conversation about Macroeconomics and Theater. Dr. Sherr teaches an Introductory Course to Macroeconomics, as well as Theater. In addition, Dr. Sherr writes plays, and occasionally acts. Her way of balancing between such varied interests I find it both inspiring and intriguing.

Martin Morales, a Mexican-American entrepreneur, talked about values such as hard-work, perseverance and family dedication. Immigrated to the United States from Mexico about 20 years ago, Mr. Morales has built a successful family business in the small town of Fleischmanns, NY, where he raised three sons. He served on the Board of Trustees for three years, and continues to serve the community in various other ways.

James Lichtman, a Holocaust survivor, agreed to share his incredible life story with WIOX listeners. Mr. Lichtman survived two Nazi death camps, and became a success in many different ways: an astute businessman, a dedicated husband and father, and a philanthropist. After WWII he moved to the United States, and became a proud American citizen. Mr. Lichtman reminded to us all what makes this country great: it is the welcoming attitude, the acceptance of immigrants from other parts of the world, who come here, use their skills diligently and create prosperity.

Madalyn Warren, Project Director for the Andes Sprouts Society, Andes, NY, talked about a rather curious mix of farming, media and art. Before becoming a farmer, Ms. Warren was Director of the Anthem Gallery and Curator at the 4^th Street Photo Gallery in New York City. Her work with the Andes Sprouts Society is to create a “media lab” for artists and farmers, to meet, work together and exchange ideas. The artists and farmers working together may create a Farmville type of activity, except that it wouldn’t be a game, it would be for real. When artists, digital media savvies and farmers work together big things could happen.

Documentary filmmaker Jessica Vecchione explained how for a documentarian like herself the camera is a window into other people’s lives. For us, the viewers, it means that we have access to people’s life stories that otherwise we wouldn’t know, we wouldn’t guess. Ms. Vecchione thinks of her documentaries as falling more into the newsreel rather than the artsy type. But if life itself is lived as art, so are Ms. Vecchione’s compilations to be viewed as.

I am going to keep my promise: I will write a short piece about each one of my guests on “Monday Lunch”. I will keep a collection of memorable quotes from all of them. And I will post some of them here, on my blog.

In the meantime stay tuned on WIOX Roxbury 91.3 FM. The programming will be webcast soon!

Watershed Post in the New York Times

2010-10-14T18:59:00.003-04:00

New York Times columnist Peter Applebome wrote an interesting article about the Catskills mediascape, as it evolves and is being shaped by technological, generational and economic factors. Read the article here.

Media entrepreneurs Lissa Harris and Julia Reischel have started watershedpost.com a few months ago, and the site keeps growing every day.

WatershedPost.com covers the five counties that make up the New York City watershed area. It includes local news stories that get little attention from anyone else, a calendar of local events that tells you what's going on in the region every day, and a searchable local directory.

Visit Watershed Post to find more.

Holocaust Survivor James Lichtman Is Special Guest on “Monday Lunch with Simona”, Monday, October 11, from Noon to 1 on WIOX Roxbury, 91.3 FM

2010-10-08T18:50:00.001-04:00

Holocaust survivor James Lichtman is special guest on “Monday Lunch with Simona”, Monday, October 11, from noon to 1 on WIOX Roxbury, 91.3 FM.

Originally from Satu Mare, Romania, Lichtman was 19 year old in 1944, when he and his parents were imprisoned at Auschwitz. Located in the Nazi occupied Poland, Auschwitz was the largest Nazi death camp, where it is estimated that at least 960,000 Jews were killed between 1940 and 1945. Shortly after, Lichtman was sent to Mauthausen / Gusen concentration camp, in Austria. There he survived extreme abuse, hard labor and humiliation, and on May 5, 1945 he was liberated by the brave American soldiers of the 11th Armored Division.

After the war, Lichtman went back to Satu Mare for about a year, then crossed the border into Hungary, and after spending some time in Paris, he finally arrived to the United States, in 1948.

He settled in New Jersey where he worked for an electrical appliance company, eventually becoming its owner. Lichtman is married, has a son and a daughter and four grandchildren. Lichtman’s father did not survive the war, but his mother did: she died one month before her 100th birthday in Brooklyn, New York.

Stay tuned Monday, October 11, from noon to 1 on WIOX 91.3 FM for an extraordinary life story!

Romania 2010

2010-09-25T09:30:00.015-04:00

Bucharest, The Arch of Triumph

Central Bank

Historic Center

National Library

Strada Lipscani

Old Country House

Old Railroad Station (in use)

Farmer's Market

Romanian Fall

Romanian Orthodox Cathedral

Gilboa Fossil Forest

2010-09-03T19:18:00.002-04:00

380 million-year old tree fossils were found in the Schoharie Creek near Gilboa from 1850 till as recently as 2004. The tree stumps were dated back to the Devonian Period, an intermediate stage, a period of transition from a wholly marine world to the terrestrial.

See the article here: http://www.watershedpost.com/2010/rock-ages-380-million-year-old-tree-grows-gilboa

WIOX Has a Blog

2010-08-31T12:40:00.002-04:00

If you want to find more about WIOX’s programs and hosts, go to
http://wioxradio.blogspot.com/

Many interesting people are involved in this enterprise, and I’m very happy to get to know and spend time with them.

Artie Martello is hosting “Mostly Folk” Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Don’t miss it!

WIOX Launch Day

2010-08-27T19:21:00.002-04:00

Roxbury Town Supervisor Thomas Hynes, joined by State Assemblyman Cliff Crouch, cuts the ribbon after much anticipation. Tune in to 91.3 FM: WIOX is on the air.

Summer in the Catskills

2010-08-23T18:37:00.008-04:00

stream

sky

hummingbird

flowers

falcon

“Monday Lunch” First Show

2010-08-17T16:38:00.005-04:00

With only ten days left till the launch of WIOX Community Radio Station in Roxbury, the excitement is, as you can imagine, big!

“Monday Lunch” will debut on August 30 at noon. Linda Norris, Historian and Fulbright scholar, will be my guest in the studio. Linda just got back from Ukraine, where she spent four months working with museums in Kyiv (Kiev) and other parts of the country. She'll be sharing with us some fascinating stories about Ukrainian culture and traditions, and some music too. We might even talk about Ukrainian cuisine!

If you have questions for Linda and want to call during the show, dial (607) 326 – 3913.

Meanwhile, read Linda’s blog at http://uncatalogedmuseum.blogspot.com/

Summer Interest: Historic Houses

2010-08-17T16:33:00.001-04:00

New Radio Station in the Catskills: WIOX Roxbury 91.3 FM

2010-07-28T16:14:00.005-04:00

Starting August 27 we will be able to hear a new radio station in the Catskills: WIOX Roxbury on 91.3 FM. See full article here:
http://www.watershedpost.com/2010/local-radio-comes-high-peaks

I’ll be hosting “Monday Lunch with Simona” every Monday at noon, starting August 30. Join me for an hour of good music and conversation.

The Chipmunk Story

2010-07-20T17:57:00.003-04:00

We had a chipmunk living in our house for five days. We don’t know how he got in, but he made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to go back out!

First time I noticed him (I don’t know why I call him “him,” but I do) in the basement: I thought I was hallucinating. Then he started to move and run around. We ran after him, we couldn’t catch him, we got tired, and we gave up.

The next day, he showed up in the kitchen looking for breakfast. He looked like he was interested in cereals, and wondered where the espresso machine was. We ran after him again, and again we failed to catch him.

Later in the afternoon I was typing something on my laptop, when he showed up in the middle of the room: he was washing himself.

We woke up next day in the morning: the iMac was on – it wasn’t on when we went to bed! I’m not making this up: the Mac was on! Maybe the chipmunk wanted to get on Facebook, or maybe he just walked over the keyboard. Attention: he chose the Mac over the PC!

The hide-and-seek went on for five days, until this morning. After yet another breakfast encounter with the chipmunk, I decided I had to leave the deck door wide open. Fresh breezes coming from the outside, and other chipmunks playing in front of the house – that’s what got him. He went out on the deck, and I closed the door immediately after him.

He left, played with other chipmunks for a while. Then, an hour later I saw him sitting in front of the door waiting to come back in...

True story.

Julie & Angela

2010-07-18T16:16:00.000-04:00

Julie Halston and Angela LaGreca are two sweet ladies and witty comediennes, with long careers in theater and television. They did a comedy show last night at the Roxbury Arts Group: the audience just loved them.

Halston is best known for her Broadway performances (i.e., “Hairspray” and “Gipsy”), TV sitcoms (i.e., “The Class” on CBS) and “Sex and the City” (she played Bitsy Von Muffling).

In addition to being a writer and an award-winning comedienne, LaGreca is also a producer at NBC’s “Today” show. You might have seen her in “Law & Order,” on Comedy Central, in comedy clubs, or Carnegie Hall.

Last night Halston and LaGreca did a lovely performance of short life stories, filled with referential jokes and warm humor. I loved them and want to see them again soon. Halston will do another Broadway show in the Fall, and I’m hoping to get there and see it.

Greene County Economic Development Workshop

2010-07-07T11:50:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, June 29, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., I attended the workshop “Building the Watershed Economy,” sponsored by the Greene County Watershed Assistance Program, in conjunction with the Hunter and Windham Chambers of Commerce. According to the organizers, the purpose of the workshop was to “bring economic development resources together for an informational and brainstorming session for existing business owners and those thinking of opening a business in the NYC Watershed region of Greene County.” Small business owners learned about low-interest loans and grants that were available to them through various programs.

Three agencies - Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC), Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning Department, and Greene County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) - reviewed their programs and ability to support businesses in the Mountaintop area.

Warren Hart, Director, Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning Department, talked about two types of loan programs: Revolving Loan Fund and Quantum Fund, which, he said, offer financing for any kind of business, including restaurants, retails, agriculture and tourism. “We frequently partner with the state of New York to get state dollars to help the projects as well,” Hart said. Among projects he has helped financing recently Hart mentioned the Spring Water bottling plant in Halcott Center, the Crossroads Brewing Company, located in the Athens Old Opera House, and the Athens Hotel, both located in Athens. For more information about these loan programs go to www.greeneeconomicdevelopment.com

The Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) administers loan programs similar to those offered through the Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning Department. Interest rates and eligibility requirements may differ. To find more about these loans go to www.cwconline.org

The Greene County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) includes several different entities such as the Greene Business Alliance, Greene Local Development Corporation, the Greene Innovation Group, and Greene Environmental. Sandy Mathes, Executive Director, said that the IDA has now a better, more flexible structure to help businesses expand and thrive. He said that the Greene Business Alliance acts as a “public developer organization,” helping businesses with site development, business model and vision. To find more about the IDA go to their website at www.greeneida.com

To find more about the Watershed Assistance Program (WAP) go to http://www.gcswcd.com/wap/

If you plan to spend your summer in Greene County, go to www.greenetourism.com to find the calendar of events.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T08:41:00.002-04:00

New York

2010-06-30T19:23:00.001-04:00

the most beautiful city in the world

Town of Middletown's Comprehensive Plan Draft

2010-06-25T17:24:00.004-04:00

The town of Middletown has submitted to public attention a Comprehensive Plan draft, which once adopted will serve as a guideline for the town's future development.

The purpose of the Plan is to support a robust local economy, while protecting natural resources and preserving the town's rural and historical character.

A comprehensive plan is a community-based document which defines municipal goals and objectives toward land use, economic development, open space and recreation, agriculture, transportation, natural resources, housing, community resources and infrastructure. Once adopted, the Comprehensive Plan will provide not only guidance in the decision-making process, but also access to financial and technical assistance.

The draft can be found here http://planningbetterplaces.com/middletown

The Planning Board will continue to receive input from community members - full and part-time residents, businesses and students - till Thursday, July 1st.

Congressman Scott Murphy in Delaware County

2010-06-21T14:48:00.003-04:00

Saturday, June 19, Congressman Scott Murphy (NY-20) spoke about his Renew Upstate New York economic program at the Village Pavilion in Margaretville. Full article here:
http://www.watershedpost.com/2010/murphy-m-ville

A Visitor in My Backyard

2010-06-20T17:21:00.004-04:00

a beautiful, adult turtle

So Einstein’s Brain Was Indeed Different

2010-06-03T09:23:00.002-04:00

An interesting article here http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126229305

The Express Ride / Historic Version

2010-05-21T17:01:00.005-04:00

Have you ever thought of going back in time? No, not the time machine, that's not what I have in mind. It's the express train, the 1920s version of it, going from Arkville to ... Arkville, Sunday, May 30, from 2 to 4 pm. It's a ride through the Catskills, in a vintage coach, that offers not only a spectacular view of the Catskill Mountains, but also good food, wine and music. Thus, while enjoying a serene and bucolic environment, you can also eat, relax or chat with friends in a movie-like setting.

The ride will benefit the Open Eye Theater, in Margaretville. It's $55 per person or $195 a table of four. To make reservations call (845) 586-1660 or e-mail openeye@catskill.net

See you there.

Romanian Cinema

2010-05-15T17:36:00.005-04:00

Remember this post http://simonadavidpr.blogspot.com/2010/01/wanna-sound-smart-in-2010.html ?

Well, as I said it then, I am getting back now to one of my favorite topics: Romanian cinema. These days the 63rd edition of the Cannes Film Festival takes place in the south of France, with 18 movies competing for the Palme d'Or, and 19 competing in the section "Un Certain Regard." Out of these 19, two are Romanian movies: "Aurora" directed by Cristi Puiu, and "Tuesday, After Christmas," directed by Radu Muntean.

In "Aurora" the director Cristi Puiu plays the lead character - a 42-year old man named Viorel, whose life full of frustrations pushed him into committing a series of murders. Eric Kohn writes a good review here: http://www.indiewire.com/article/cannes_review_a_black_comedy_with_patience_cristi_puius_aurora/

"Tuesday, After Christmas" is about a married man involved in an extra-marital affair, caught up in between his infidelities. Here's the review in the Los Angeles Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/05/cannes-film-festival-romanian-tuesday-after-christmas.html

"Romanians can't make a bad film. It's, like, illegal in their country. Or at least not in their DNA," says Steven Zeitchik in LA Times.

Well, this may be true if we're thinking of "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu" (Cristi Puiu, 2005), "The Way I Spent the End of the World" (Catalin Mitulescu, 2006), "California Dreamin' " (Cristian Nemescu, 2007), and "Police, Adjective" (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2009) - all these films won awards in "Un Certain Regard" section at Cannes. I would also like to mention "12:08 East of Bucharest" (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2006) which won Camera d'Or, and "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" (Cristian Mungiu, 2007) which won Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at Cannes.

I count on Netflix to see "Aurora" and "Tuesday, After Christmas" in my home theater.

My Blog into the News Feed

2010-05-13T09:29:00.004-04:00

I've started this blog about a year ago. I guess I needed a hobby, and I found one: going digital rather than continuing writing for a small community newspaper, as I did before.

To my great surprise, today I find my blog in the news feed here http://www.watershedpost.com/aggregator/sources/93

and here http://www.socialpulse.com/David_Ogilvy/blog?page=9

Not bad.

Maternity

2010-05-11T13:05:00.002-04:00

Cooperstown, NY: Home of Fenimore Cooper and ... Baseball

2010-05-05T19:15:00.013-04:00

As soon as one enters Cooperstown, one gets to see a baseball game:

As the story goes, baseball was invented in Cooperstown, and here's the Baseball Museum to prove it:

As we continue our walk through one of America's most beautiful towns, we reach Otsego Lake:

Like any respectable resort towns, Cooperstown has one of the most beautiful golf courses I have ever seen:

As we walk by, the Otesaga Hotel, built in 1909, overlooks the Lake:

Blossoms:

And finally we make it to the Fenimore Cooper Museum - the 19th century writer grew up here. In fact, his father - a U.S. Congressman - founded the town:

That's not all. The Ommegang Brewery makes in Cooperstown a Belgian style ale, one of the finest in America:

On Crisis Management

2010-04-27T18:01:00.009-04:00

Things happen. People make mistakes. Organizations experience "crises" (hopefully seldom or ideally never).

However, when crises do happen, they are best handled by those PR professionals specialized in "crisis management." Since crises - I like to believe - occur only rarely, no one has a great deal of experience in handling them. But let's give PR professionals a chance.

It's a whole literature out there addressing crisis management. What seems particularly important to me is that before, during and after the crisis all those involved should mind their credibility. It is known that credibility has two components: competence and trustworthiness. A credible individual is both competent and trustworthy: one doesn't work without the other.

While competence can be easily proved by facts, track record of achievements, articles, awards and references, trustworthiness is a bit tricky. It shouldn't be, but I've seen talented people failing to display honesty, reliability and fairness.

When crises occur, its main actors should acknowledge what went wrong, be transparent about it and present the public with a set of proposals to address what went wrong and fix it. This would make them trustworthy in the public eye. If the crisis couldn't be prevented from unfolding, at least the willingness to work out a remedy should be on display.

Not only that being trustworthy makes one look good, but it also helps him or her in doing business. Being trustworthy is good for business.

It’s Spring

2010-04-25T18:54:00.002-04:00

Social Habits

2010-04-04T15:15:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite books in school, and still one of reference today, was Leon Festinger's "Theory of Social Comparison Processes" published in 1954. Simply put, people experience some sort of internal drive to compare themselves to others in order to make sense of their own persona and evaluate their social worth.

And so we do when it comes to social habits: we are shaped and influenced by our social and cultural environment, and consequently we pick up habits that are "fashionable" in our circle. It's easily noticeable that people with similar social status have similar habits. As Edward Bernays once said, "Men are rarely aware of the real reasons which motivate their actions." Bernays talked a lot about "group customs" and the circumstances that create and modify those customs.

PR practitioners deal with this every day: they deal with people's customs and the circumstances that modify old habits and create new ones. Whether they promote a product, a service or an idea, PR practitioners create and modify habits.

And habits are addictive - very much so. I, for one, can't leave the house before I drink my cup of coffee. Even worse now, I don't make the coffee before I open my laptop. And I read in the New York Times that this habit has become quite popular lately: first the laptop, then the coffee.

To quote again Bernays - one of my favorite quotes actually - "Human desires are the steam which makes the social machine work," which leads to the conclusion that influencing human desires is like putting the "social machine" to work.

More about habits in another post.

Kingston, NY: Re-Visited

2010-03-10T16:35:00.011-05:00

Kingston, the first capital of New York - once the New Netherlands, is still reminiscent of its remarkable past, easily noticeable as one enters the Stockade District, uptown. The Stockade District, originally established as the Dutch settlement "Wiltwyck," is full of historic buildings, dated 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The house in the picture above, dated late 17th century, belonged to Cornelius Tappen, a deputy county clerk who saved many records when the British burned Kingston, during the Revolutionary War. It is the oldest building in Kingston.

Another house that I love but know nothing about it is this one:

And a fancy yellow house:

First Time Snowshoeing

2010-03-10T16:31:00.004-05:00

It feels great!

Snowy Day

2010-03-01T10:08:00.007-05:00

Being stuck in the house on a snowy day is not as bad as it may seem.

Yesterday morning, for instance, I got to hear Einstein on the radio - an old recording, broadcast by the NPR. Then, thanks to Netflix, I "traveled" through the world's most famous art galleries. And then, I immersed myself into Umberto Eco's "Travels in Hyper Reality."

But that's over now... roads are back to normal. And so is our life.

Catskills Under the Snow

2010-02-26T19:02:00.004-05:00

I have never seen as much snow as we have today. Yep, that's my deck.

And Here It Comes, the Snowman

2010-02-24T17:35:00.002-05:00

First snowman I've made in probably 20 years. With expert help, of course.

February Fun

2010-02-18T16:17:00.005-05:00

February might be thought of as the coldest month of the year, but definitely not as an uneventful one.

The Venice Carnival, held annually in February, reintroduces art lovers to the Renaissance and Baroque costumes and music, with a whole display of masks, in a variety of themes and motifs. Although I haven't been there yet, every year I get to see photographs taken by my artist friends. I'm guessing, the Carnival is like a "gold mine" for photographers!

Then we had the New York Fashion week - exotic models on the runway, in all their splendors. I couldn't help but notice that gray or gray in combination with beige or brown is what we're going to wear in 2010. Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang's collections have convinced me that gray is actually a beautiful color!

And then we have the Olympics in Vancouver, and the American snowboarder Shaun White winning the gold medal for the second time: first time in Turin in 2006, and now in Vancouver. What a joy to watch him!

LATER EDIT: Somehow I left out the Oscars, the Grammy, and the Super Bowl. February is fun indeed!

Speaking of Being Connected…

2010-02-18T16:03:00.005-05:00

... And How That Embelishes My Life:

A New York City grandma is taking care of her grandson.
A German friend is at the Olympics working with the Austrian team.
The Albany twins turned six months.
A Romanian photographer is in Venice, taking pictures at the Carnival.
A two-year old Romanian boy living in the UK just learned how to cook.
A senior citizen from Richmond, VA has been awarded "Volunteer of the Year" Distinction.

How nice it is to know nice people, isn't it? Uplifting too.

Wanna Sound Smart In 2010?

2010-01-18T17:42:00.005-05:00

Those of you living in the Catskills and Hudson Valley are familiar - I'm sure - with "Chronogram," a monthly magazine published by Luminary Publishing. Chronogram covers Hudson Valley's cultural and social scene, as well as some political and economic analyses.

Their latest issue, January 2010, raised my interest right from the cover. The cover, designed by Jason Cring, is full of graphs, bars, circles, arrows and curves, in other words "infographics" or information graphics, as explained here http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2010/1/On+the+Cover/On-the-Cover-A-Formal-Display-of-the-Obvious

Cring uses information in a humorous way to create graphs around variables of interest to us, like for instance job security, socially acceptable attire, twitter updates, etc.

My favorite graph is the one called "Most Effective Topics of Conversation for Sounding Smart in 2010." Among those topics, the artist mentions: Wine, Greek Philosophy, Keynesian Economics, and Romanian Cinema. Sounds familiar? To at least one of these topics, Romanian Cinema, I'll get back in a future post.

If you haven't seen it yet, I invite you to look for this issue.

A Sexy Genius at Harvard: Corina Tarnita

2010-01-10T10:07:00.001-05:00

Corina Tarnita, my role model for the day:
http://www.math.harvard.edu/~corina/me.html

NYU Exhibition – Artifacts of the Ancient World

2009-12-16T17:54:00.011-05:00

“The Lost World of Europe, The Danube Valley 5000 – 3500 B.C.” is the name of the exhibition I visited this week at the NYU, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), 15 East 84th Street. The New York Times wrote a nice article about this here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01arch.html?_r=1
I also have to thank some friends for mentioning this exhibition: it was worth the trip.

As the ISAW card points out, when we think of the ancient world we pretty much think of Egypt, Mesopotamia, then Greece or Rome. And we tend to forget some of the oldest cultures in Southern-Eastern Europe, like for instance Cucuteni culture, as old as perhaps 7000 years.

The NYU exhibition is centered around Cucuteni’s famous (and mysterious) miniaturized figurines. The most famous of them all are “The Thinker” and his female partner, dated 5000 – 4600 B.C., Hamangia culture, Romania. I still wonder what was their symbol, their purpose if you wish? Was it religious, social or what else?

Another part of the exhibition is the Cucuteni ceramics which, according to the ISAW brochure, “had the liveliest and most colorful decoration of any in Old Europe and was widely desired throughout the region.” Thousands of years old, these ceramics are not only in good shape, but still beautiful.

The exhibition will stay open until April 2010. The admission is free. Guided tours on Fridays. More details here: http://www.nyu.edu/isaw/exhibitions/oldeurope/

Fifth Avenue, Making a Fashion Statement

2009-12-16T16:31:00.003-05:00

Playing is Fun.

I believe it's Alexander McQueen's work (the window).

Rockefeller Center – People Having Fun

2009-12-16T16:26:00.001-05:00

Will I Ever Learn How to Skate?

New York City, Ready for Christmas

2009-12-16T16:16:00.002-05:00

Except for the snow.

Snowing in Roxbury, A Fairy Tale

2009-12-05T16:20:00.002-05:00

Writers Club

2009-12-01T09:19:00.006-05:00

Sunday, November 21, I spent the afternoon with "The Writers in the Mountains" circle at the RAG location in Roxbury. I didn't have time to write about this experience, but I do want to mention that I had a good time. I read a short piece about stereotyping, which seemed to be well received by the audience. Other writers read pieces of their own, quite a variety I dare to say: a short (very funny) play, childhood memories, nature essays, etc. Anyone interested in taking classes should visit the website http://www.writersinthemountains.org/

First Day as a Citizen

2009-11-20T14:06:00.001-05:00

In our State Capital - Albany, New York

Today I’ve Become a Citizen!

2009-11-20T14:00:00.002-05:00

So now I feel fully integrated in a community of values I have chosen to be part of. I'm drunk with happiness and a little bit of champagne, I admit. If you wonder how I feel, it's a blissful mix of joy and pride. I am what I want to be, where I want to be, with whom I want to be!

Gordon Willis Receives An Honorary Academy Award

2009-11-15T11:52:00.015-05:00

The 78-year old cinematographer is being awarded an honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievements in the art of cinematography. I am glad to hear that genius is once again celebrated in the movie industry, an industry that has given us so many moments of delight! I'm a big movie watcher - I have at home a huge TV screen, for movies only!

This past week NPR broadcasted an interview with Willis that Terry Gross took back in 2002. Willis talked about his work with Francis Ford Coppola at "The Godfather" trilogy and Woody Allen at "Manhattan." See, I've always liked black and white movies, but I've never understood why. Well, Willis explained it when comparing color with black and white movies. He talked about the way color can actually be distracting, and how black and white movies are more about values, categories, so forth and so on. The interview can be found here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120386781

What Is Personal Branding

2009-11-01T08:17:00.007-05:00

What is personal branding? How to build a personal brand? Why build a personal brand? To accomplish what?

What is personal branding? Personal branding is a way of differentiating oneself from a crowd of professionals, by articulating a unique set of skills and qualifications. Having a well-defined brand helps professionals on a highly competitive job market to pitch themselves and get the job they are most suitable for.

How to build a personal brand? In order to build an effective personal brand, one has to know his or her strengths and weaknesses, his/her goals and what needs to be done in order to get what’s aimed for. It’s like putting together a unique selling proposition, not to sell a product or a service, but to sell oneself – in other words, get hired.

Why build a personal brand? As I said before: to get hired on the basis of your true worth - your economic value. A personal brand lets people know who you are, what you can do, and what can be expected from you. So, do it right: build a personal brand that truly tells the world who you are.

To accomplish what? To clarify your competencies, to position yourself on the job market, to build a consistent, unitary public image, to enhance your reputation, to get hired.

Start with a self-diagnosis and an inventory of skills, qualifications and competencies, then build a consistent message, and ultimately disseminate that message to get you where you want to be.

As for me, I started my career as an Economist, living in a world of numbers: financial and economic analyses, statements and reports, patterns and trends, resources and budgets, maximum efficiency. As a result, I developed analytical, critical thinking skills, and enhanced my ability to diagnose problems and identify solutions. I am proud to say that my background in Economics helps me today when I write strategic planning.

As I grew older, I became more and more interested in Communications. What fascinated me was how the right topic brought up in the right context and portrayed in the right way could get people to move in a certain direction rather than other. So I left Economics behind, and started a new career in Public Relations. I like to craft powerful messages, to interact in a positive way with those around me, and find the right way to address issues of interest and disseminate pertinent information.

What else? I mentioned analytical and writing skills. I have also done research, published articles, organized fundraisers, and built bridges among people from different backgrounds.

Do your diagnosis, and see what you find.

Falling for Fall

2009-11-01T07:49:00.003-05:00

This is why I love Fall. It's for these colors!

New York City in Motion Picture

2009-10-18T17:35:00.006-04:00

New York has been featured in many movies and musicals over time e.g., "West Side Story" (1961), "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), "Funny Girl" (1968), "Hello Dolly!" (1969), and of course "New York, New York" (1977) and "Manhattan" (1979), to name a few. But did you know that the first motion picture of it was taken in 1896 by William Heise, who was working for Thomas Edison? On May 11, 1896 Heise went down the streets of Manhattan with his camera, and took shots of buildings, streetcars, and people. This was in fact one of the first motion pictures ever.

When the motion picture, then called "actuality," was shown for the first time in the theater, people rushed out of the building, thinking that the walls were going to fall down: it was for the first time they saw a motion picture. All they knew of up till then was still photography. It is difficult to imagine today how they felt when they saw for the first time a "still" image moving in front of their eyes.

I learnt this and many other things about New York from Ric Burns' 1999 "New York" documentary, a PBS production. If you love New York, like I do, I strongly recommend this series - there are eight episodes all together.

My Favorite Beach

2009-10-18T09:09:00.002-04:00

Already longing for the summer...

Reflections on Advertising and PR

2009-10-12T11:06:00.005-04:00

About a month ago while flying from New York to Amsterdam, on my little TV screen on the plane I ran into a documentary about David Ogilvy or the "father of advertising," as people refer to. That put me into a good mood since I savor both great people's bios and stories about advertising industry.

An ingenious salesman, Ogilvy perfectly understood consumer's behavior, and built on that one of the most successful advertising agencies ever - a model for others to follow. Coming to the United States in 1938, Ogilvy went to work for George Gallup, and that is where he learnt how to do research. Research remained at the core of his business model ever since. But of course he was also a very imaginative and colorful guy. I decided I wanted to know more, and ordered "Confessions of an Advertising Man" on amazon.com.

The documentary I saw on the plane was called "David Ogilvy: Original Mad Man" or something like that, with "Mad" coming from Madison Avenue in New York City, which is known to have been the headquarter of the advertising industry since 1920s. The title made me think of my husband's collection of "Mad" magazines, a collection inherited from an old uncle. We keep most of its 1960s and 1970s issues.

Started as a comic book in 1952 on Madison Avenue, "Mad" magazine has become part of the popular culture through its parodies of television shows, movies, ads, lifestyle, trends, etc. all written in a funny, witty way. And I'm thinking, when traveling from one culture to another, ads tell you a lot indeed about that culture, people's mindset, their values, what they accept as normal, what shocks them, etc. Now I read "Mad" magazine (older issues) as well.

Cathedral St. Peter and Paul (Mioveni, Arges County, Romania) – At Night

2009-10-01T09:20:00.003-04:00

Cathedral St. Peter and Paul is a fairly new edifice: its construction started only in 1993, and the first religious service was held there in 2000. The construction hasn’t been completed to this day, due to lack of funds: it is quite an ambitious project.