Events
On Veterans Day Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon
Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is an all-volunteer 501 (c )(3) public charity that has been supporting our Troops since April 2003. The mission of Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is to lift the morale and support the welfare of active members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces, their immediate families, and the immediate families of deceased veterans. Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is constantly sending care packages downrange to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. These packages let our brave Americans know we are thinking about them and their sacrifices far from home are not in vain.
Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon got started literally by accident. About two weeks after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, Mary-Edna Krutchkoff, a school nurse at the time, had her parked car hit in the school parking lot by the school’s female custodian. Mary-Edna called her husband Alan at work at Unilever Bestfoods in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and explained there was serious damage to her car. “Couldn’t she see your car in the parking lot?” he asked, somewhat angrily. “She had a lot on her mind,” Mary-Edna replied, who then went on to say that the woman’s son-in-law had just deployed to Iraq. “Oh,” was Alan’s remark, whose emotion changed from anger to empathy. He then contacted a buddy at work, Holmes Brady and said, “Let’s adopt this kid. He’s a sergeant in the 82d Airborne.”
Turns out that Holmes’ dad was in the 82d during World War II. So there was an instant connection. The two men went to the company store and started buying goodies for the young sergeant. And the word spread amongst their fellow employees that they were supporting a deployed infantryman. Soon after, others came to them with loved ones who were serving. And teammates offered to help support the mission by donating $20 bills. Within a few months, there were about 25 folks supporting three Marines and the original “Adoptee.” Krutchkoff said, “We’re the size of a small platoon. Let’s call ourselves the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon.” And that’s how the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon was formed. 19 years later, it’s more active than ever.
AaSP’s also has a program called Operation Wounded Care, which supports our Wounded/Recovering Veterans who often struggle to make the transition from military to civilian life. AaSP provides services and necessities that enable their independence and improved self-esteem. This includes, but is not limited to: specially-adaptive vehicles; motorized wheelchairs; ADA renovations to bathrooms and homes; entertainment/recreation; hunting and fishing trips for Wounded and Homeless Vets; financial stipends; and other needs they may have. 100% of restricted monies for Wounded Care go to these programs. Since COVID hit, AaSP has spent about $500,000 on these programs. We provided various grants to help our Vets: hunting therapy trips (COVID kept us from having fishing trips in 2021); housing improvements; financial grants; and, pre-COVID, entertainment/gifts for Super Bowl and Holiday parties at Walter Reed hospital, including gifts for Wounded Vets’ children (this year was different- again, COVID kept us from having the parties in 2021 but we are supporting these parties once again. In 2015, we sponsored a grassroots “Warfighters Independence Weekend” on July 3-4 to help reduce suicide amongst Soldiers of the 10th MTN Div and we continue that mission. Operation Wounded Care is funded primarily by our Salute to American Heroes Gala, which is held during October. This year’s Salute to American Heroes 10 was held on 19 October 2023, at the Royal Manor in Garfield, NJ.
There are many ways to support our Veterans and those who serve our country, Camp4Heroes and AaSP are just two of the organizations we have found.
G.H. Harding
RYAN O’NEAL — For people of a certain age, Ryan O’Nea’sl portrayal of Harvard-preppy Oliver Barreett IV in 1970’s Love Story – who falls for working-class Radcliffe student Jennifer Cavilleri, was emblazoned forever in their minds. O’Neal passed Friday at 82 and left behind a rather tremendous body of work, from Peyton Place on TV, to Love Story; Paper Moon; Barry Lyndon; The Thief Who Came To Dinner; People I Know (with Al Pacino), The Driver; Irreconcilable Differences; Chances Are (with Robert Downey, Jr.) and What’s Up Doc with Barbra Streisand, on the silver screen. His output was somewhat jiggered. but boy, in each of his roles he showed a storied conviction. When I think about his roles right now, everyone reverberated with me. If you don’t believe me, watch Barry Lyndon again! Just superb!
His off-camera role was that of a wild hellion, perhaps most noted by his wooing and subsequent marriage to Farrah Fawcett, then riding her one-season arc on TV’s Charlie’s Angels. Together they had a son Redmond, who endured through his own personal tragedy.
Along with Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Kurt Russell, and Burt Reynolds … O’Neal led the pack of leading men in the 70’s. I will miss him for sure. here’s a great tribute in the U.K.’s Guardian:https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/08/ryan-oneal-actor-tribute-love-story-paper-moon
Steve Hackett
HACKETT’S CIRCUS — (Via Prog) Steve Hackett has shared the first new music from his upcoming studio album, The Circus And The Nightwhale, which will be released through InsideOutMusic on February 16. Watch the new video for People Of The Smoke below.
“My new album kicks off with People Of The Smoke, where we’re thrown back in time to the smokescape of 1950 London,” Hackett tells Prog. “A baby’s scream becomes a steam train, black smoke invades everything and industry rules the day. This is the place where the album’s story begins…”
The Circus And The Nightwhale will be the first full-blown Hackett concept album since his 1975 solo debut Voyage Of The Acolyte, which followed Genesis’s 1974 grand double concept affair The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
“The Circus And The Nightwhale is an album with a difference,” Hackett adds. “This time it is a story, based both literally and metaphorically on my life… It’s both faction and fiction, beginning in a gritty world of harsh reality, spinning off into a colourful and dark, weird metaphorical universe of wonder turned to terror, with an ultimately beautiful resolve.”
The album features Hackett’s touring band as well as a raft of guests including Amanda Lehmann and Big Big Train’s Nick D’Virgilio, Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drumstool, Benedict Fenner features on keyboards and Malik Mansurov on tar, with Hackett’s brother John once more on flute.
The Circus And The Nightwhale will be available on several different formats, including a limited edition CD and Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound and 24-bit high resolution stereo mixes), standard CD jewelcase, gatefold 180g vinyl LP and as digital album.
Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_iujNWzPL0
Micky Dolenz and Nikki Novak at KTLA
SHORT TAKES — Micky Dolenz on KTLA’s Countdown To 2024New Year’s Eve interviewed by Nikki Novak. Here’s Micky and Nikki. Thanks, Kimberly Cornell, for the photo. Speaking of Dolenz, his “Shiny Happy People” recording remains for a fourth week on the UK’s Official Physical Singles Chart, right behind Coldplay’s Xmas single.
Brad LeBeau
Congrats… Brad LeBeau’s forthcoming Teardrops On The Dancefloor doc will include interviews with David Morales; Hex Hector; Maurice Joshua; Dave Aude; David Morales and Nicky Siano … all classic DJ’s … Kevin Costner and Jewel dating? Seems an odd pairing, but that’s why they do call it Hollyweird! … Great article from Ultimate Classic Rock on the much-missed Denny Laine: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/denny-laine-songs/?fbclid=IwAR0FJFlY5IIHcC6wwStnVQV5Azk2aV_FW2laG0do5E08bBb6aTDlWJ-9V1E … Big news coming from Yorkshire Publishing; currently riding high on the charts with Mark Bego’s Joe Cocker tome …
Mark Maron
And: I’m not a huge Mark Maron fan, even though a colleague has been after me for years to listen to him
Lou Adler
so I jumped in this week and listened to a podcast with Lou Adler. Lou Adler: Johnny Rivers; Sam Cooke; Monterey Pip; The Roxy; Carole King; ODE Records …a true legend. Maron was good, but seemed somewhat confused when he discussed Monterey and Herb … Alpert that it. Here’s it is: https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1484-lou-adler
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Sam Rubin; Alison Martino; Tobe Becker; Robert Funaro; Milicient Mifficiendo; Steve Walter; Richard Johnson; Jacqueline Boyd; Peter Abraham; Adrian Niles; Jeremy Long; Joel Diamond; Les Schwartz; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Robert Funaro; Anthony Noto; Adam White; John Weber; Randy Alexander; Jeremy Long; and CHIP!
Chanukah on Ice NYC is back at Wollman Rink, (59th Street) and 6th Avenue, this year! Guests will skate to live Jewish music throughout the night, accompanied by a life-sized dreidel mascot. Attendees will enjoy complimentary hot drinks, delicious food from Famous Pita, and doughnuts.
As part of the effort to maintain the safety of our event, ticket sales are only online and there will be no tickets at the door. Every person will be screened by our security professionals and asked to show ID. Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation! We look forward to safe and fun event for all.
In case of rain or other inclement weather, we will not reschedule Chanukah on Ice NYC, but we will send you a voucher that you can then use to schedule a time to skate at your own discretion.
This year, costs for the rink have gone up dramatically. Pricing is $35 per person.( Under 2 is free). Ticket Sales end on December 11, 11:59 PM Online registration only, no at the door sales this year.
Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff hosted the Celebrating the Art of Style reception at the Hotel Croydon in Miami Beach, FL to celebrate Art Basel Miami 2023. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served as guests, celebrities, and art enthusiasts converged on the South Beach hot spot in celebration of one of the biggest art events of the year. Leading galleries from five continents exhibited significant works by masters of modern and contemporary art, as well as a new generation of emerging stars, at this year’s Art Basel show.
Notable attendees at the reception held at the Hotel Croydon included: Jean Shafiroff, Diane Lieberman, Alan Lieberman, Casey Lieberman, Katya Tolstova, Li Jing, Linda Lewandowski, Meera Ghandi, Sofie Mahlkvist, Miguel Serrano, and Pamela O’Connor.
Pudgy Penguins, the NFT collection-turned-CPG innovator that’s now entering the gaming space, was at Art Basel Miami with a special announcement. The global alpha launch of Pudgy World showcased two new hero characters Pudgy and Peaches. Players will be able to explore an open world, customize their unique penguin characters, and embark on a story-driven journey to save Peaches with their friends. The final version of Pudgy World will be made up of 13 in-game “neighborhoods,” the alpha version will unlock 7, with the final 6 slated for launch later in Q1 2024.
Earlier this year, Pudgy Penguins launched Pudgy Toys, a toy line inspired by the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection that gives royalties to NFT holders. Each toy comes with a QR code that is used to unlock unique traits inside of Pudgy World. Pudgy Penguins inked a deal to be sold in 2,000 Walmart stores across the U.S., a testament to the growing popularity of the Pudgy Penguin brand.
The Art Basel announcement marks Pudgy Penguins’ entry into the gaming space. They are no longer just an NFT company or toy company, and are continuing to innovate and evolve as they head into 2024.
The “Big Bang Theory” actress and Hanukkah ambassador Mayim Bialik new YouTube video breaks down myths and facts about the holiday of lights.
Bialik, known for her role as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on “The Big Bang Theory” released this video 4 years ago. This video has earned over 13K million views.
Thought Hanukkah was all about the presents? False. Pajamas, calendars, stickers, socks, chocolate coins and spinning tops are all fair game for gifts but it’s about so much more than presents.
“It’s about finding light in darkness, about facing adversity, it’s about fighting for what you believe,” Bialik explains. These are the real presents of Hanukkah.”
EGEYAPI GLOBAL has officially open their new international headquarters in the heart of Miami’s Design District.
A VIP event hosted by visionary developer Cagri Kanver took place in early December 2023 with notable attendees from the realms of real estate development and the investment community. Powered by Red Connect, which is a real estate development networking event organization, and VV Global Partners for Podcasting, the invite-only list was a bevy of Who’s-Who in the Florida real estate industry.
The event in the 2,000 square foot interior space celebrated the groundbreaking work of EGEYAPI GLOBAL and their revolutionary concept to make the work-life balance something finally achievable. Offering a more sustainable office model that provides a launching pad for consistent high-quality developments, the coveted collection of work byEGEYAPI GLOBALsets an unrivaled level of consumer gratification as displayed in the office building that is replicated after the most comfortable and luxurious home environment.
Positioned in the heart of Miami Design District, the workspace captures the flow of positive energy. Gone are the days of cramped cubicles and sitting in traffic for hours to get to a stuffy building to slave away between 9:00am and 5:00pm.
The business space offers a warm and hospitable atmosphere that thrives off an open-air design concept in a well-positioned home. Elaborate decor is showcased with an expansive creative collection of artworks throughout the property.
Guests attending the event were able to view this visionary space and enjoy live music, thrilling conversations and networking along with award-winning small bites from the design district’s renowned El Turco Turkish Food during this grand soiree.
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