Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Happy New Years America! Wishing everyone a Peaceful and Prosperous 2020!

Happy New Years America! Wishing everyone a Peaceful and Prosperous 2020!

This is a repost from an earlier New Years blog.

“Cheers to the New Year and to everyone making resolutions, improving on it and becoming better people!" ~ Gloria Buono-Daly, blogger, inventor, former marketing executive. 

Quote taken from C.S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis), (11/29/1898 - 11/22/1963) British novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford University and Cambridge University. Most popular books include "Mere Christianity," "The Four Loves," "The Screwtape Letters," and "The Chronicles of Narnia."


Sunday, December 15, 2019

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Happy New Year 2020America!

This is a repost from previous blog Christmas posts.


Still wishing you all a very Merry Christmas America! Happy New Year too!

Wishing you a very "Charlie Brown Christmas," and The Gift of Silver Bells and Chocolate!



"...When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things -- not the great occasions -- give off the greatest glow of happiness..."
~~ Bob Hope

(May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003)English-born American comedian and actor on Broadway, in vaudeville, movies, television, and radio. 

This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Sunday, December 22, 2019 and ends Monday, December 30, 2019.

Kwanza will begin on December 26 and will end on New Years Day, Monday, January 1, 2019.  



Like many households during Christmas season, in the center of our table you will find all sorts of desserts --cookies, cakes, Italian pastries, etc.

During the 12 days before Christmas and the 8 lights days of Hanukkah have fun decorating, baking and partying with family and friends.

There are so many other traditions and cultural customs during this festive season. Week-long holiday, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th through January 1st and symbolizes "fruits of the harvest." 


Held in the United States since 1966, Kwanzaa honors African heritage in African American culture. Kwanza was created by Maulana Karenga in 1965 and has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). Traditions include baskets full of fruit and gift-giving.

Every once in a while during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I would bring that favorite, rich treat to my family table -- dark, decadent chocolate mousse.

Every once in a while, I would bring that favorite, rich treat -- dark, decadent chocolate mousse. 

What makes mousse so unique is the light and airy texture from air bubbles.

Depending on preparation and mix intensity mousse variations range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick and can be sweet, bitter or savory. The great thing about this dessert is the prep time is only six minutes and then all you need do is refrigerate it for an hour.

INGREDIENTS:
[Use numbers in parentheses for larger quantity servings
► 1 (4) teaspoon unflavored gelatin
► 1 (4) tablespoon cold water
► 2 (8) tablespoons boiling water
► 1/2 (4) cup sugar (can substitute with splenda, equal, etc.)
► 1/4 (1) cup cocoa (AT LEAST 60% cocoa concentration for best flavor)
► 1 (4) cup whipping cream (can substitute w yogurt but texture will change
► 1 (4) teaspoon vanilla extract
► chocolate curls

OPTIONAL:
► 2 tablespoons of instant espresso
► Be imaginative. Try something different and share it by commenting on this blog
► I've tried with the usual raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, but also tried cinnamon sticks, walnuts, cranberries, etc. 

Step 1 : Gelatin mixture (3 min) 
► In a small bowl sprinkle unflavored gelatin over the cold water; let stand 1 minute
►Add the boiling water, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved.


Step 2 : Mousse (3 min) 
► In a separate bowl combine the sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, and vanilla; stir to blend
► Beat on medium speed of electric mixer, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times, until the mixture is stiff
► Add the gelatin mixture and beat until well blended.

Step 3 : Spoon in dish and chill (60 min) 
► Spoon the chocolate mousse into dessert dishes or glasses
► Sprinkle mousse with chocolate curls, if desired
►Chill for at least 1 hour before serving makes eight 6oz servings (parenthesis numbers make up to 32 6oz servings

Total time - 1 Hour and 6 Minutes 


Click this link to view my eCard and "Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!"

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Happy 124th Halloween - October 31, 1895

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

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



















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


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

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



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

 


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

I scored 1660! 


How many ghosts can you wipe out?












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

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

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

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


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

Happy Halloween to you and yours!



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

ABOUT HALLOWEEN AND HISTORY

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

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

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

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

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

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

OTHER RESOURCES 

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


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


This post is an update from prior Halloween blog posts.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Google reaches legal drinking age: HahahaHappy Big 021 to Google - September 27, 2019

This is a reposting from an earlier post.  Some information may have been edited/added to original blog post.

Will share if there is a Google doodle celebrating their 21st.

Yes there is a great write up about Google celebrating itself with it's very own doodle by Forbes Science and Technology contributor, Kiona Smith of Forbes titled Friday's Google Doodle Celebrates Google, But What Does That Mean?



Below Google Doodle was from 2017:

From breathing out and breathing in to playing solitaire, Google celebrates 19th with 19 great games from doodles past! Happy birthday to Google :) may all your wishes come true :) Enjoy google's doodle by visiting 19th Google Birthday doodle or copy/paste this link https://www.google.com/search?q=google+birthday+surprise+spinner&oi=ddle&ct=googles-19th-birthday-us-6538650035683328&hl=en&source=doodle-ntp

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Oscar Race Begins – Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)


I recently attended TIFF for the 8th year in a row.  TIFF is held every September and just concluded its 44th festival, featuring over 300 films from around the globe.  They just announced the coveted Grolsch People's Choice Award, which went to the WW2 satire, JoJo Rabbit.  Depending on who you talk to - they either loved the movie or hated it, so it should be interesting to see where that film winds up during awards season.  I did not see JoJo Rabbit but 15 other films.  While I will not review all 15, here are a few films that I think may deserve Oscar attention and those that were underwhelming.
Renee Zellweger at the Judy premiere


1      How to Build a Girl:  Beanie Feldstein has been making a name for herself in films like Lady Bird and Booksmart, proving that she’s just not only Jonah Hill’s little sister.  Feldstein is perfectly cast to play Johanna, based on British writer Caitlin Moran, who wrote the screenplay.  (I hope this film gets a screenplay nod) Johanna is a bored early 90s suburban teen with an active imagination and writing talent. She enters a writing contest and becomes a music critic for a hipster rag based on the NME, reinventing herself in the process.  She becomes a meaner and sexier version of her former self, estranging herself from her family in the process.

Feldstein is believable and hilarious in the role and I also enjoyed the early 90s soundtrack featuring female fronted bands like Elastica and Bikini Kill.  It also features a nice acting turn by Alfie Allen as Johanna’s musician crush and Emma Thompson in a bit part as an editor who helps Johanna find her authentic writing voice.

Bad Education:  I was particularly excited to see this film directed by Cory Finley, since it was about a school district scandal a couple of towns over from where I grew up on Long Island.  Hugh Jackman plays Frank Tassone, the Roslyn Schools Superintendent who was convicted of embezzling millions from the district in the early aughts.  Allison Janney effectively plays a school official who was also convicted of the same crime, funneling school funds to pay for renovations on her Hamptons beach home.

The film captures the competitive culture of the North Shore where school ranking and Ivy league admissions make people want to live there.  Jackman is both sympathetic and mystifying as Tassone, a closeted man who is dedicated to his students’ success but also steals from them.  In addition to Jackman and Janney, the cast includes Ray Romano, Annaleigh Ashford, Stephen Spinella and Australia’s Geraldine Viswanathan, who breaks the story in her high school newspaper.  I would like to see Jackman nominated, as this is his meatiest role in years and had me convinced he was a local. 

ETA:  HBO picked up Bad Education, so it won't be eligible for the Oscars.   However, it will be eligible for the Emmys possibly in 2020.

3    Judy:  I had seen pictures of Renee Zellweger costumed and made up to be Judy Garland in the last year of her life, prior to the film and she definitely looked the part.  But nothing prepared me to actually see her act in the role and completely disappear.  Zellweger also did vocal training to sound like Garland in her later years, and her singing is quite effective.  I predict that Zellweger is a lock for a best actress nomination.  The rest of the film, directed by Rupert Goold,  is quite good, including flashbacks of Judy as a teen trying to rebel against movie boss Louis B Mayer, but it’s definitely made special by Zellweger.

4    A Beautiful Day in the Neighboorhood:  Like Zellweger, Tom Hanks does a remarkable job becoming Fred Rogers, embodying his goodness and carefully controlled emotions.  He plays a supporting role in this film to Matthew Rhys’ Esquire journalist, who has daddy issues and learns to deal with his anger by interviewing and befriending Rogers.  Directed by Marielle Heller with humor and sensitivity, the film never gets overly sentimental, yet the script is a bit too predictable.  Still this film is worth seeing as a companion piece to last year’s excellent documentary “Wont You Be My Neighbor.”   I also predict an Oscar nomination for Hanks.  Whether it will be best actor or supporting, we shall see.

5    The Report: Written and directed by Scott Z Burns, The Report examines the investigation led by Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) and special investigator Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) into the CIA’s torture practices (aka Enhanced Interrogation Techniques) post 9/11.  Driver is excellent as he relentlessly tries to bring to light that the techniques were illegal and not effective.   I found the ending of the film particularly home hitting with a speech by the late Senator John McCain.  The film also stars Jon Hamm as a member of the Obama administration.  I hope the script gets a screenplay nod.

6    The Aeronauts:  Starring the Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, this Amazon produced adventure about 1850s air travel via balloon is a wild ride.  The story is nothing too extraordinary but the special effects and chemistry between the leads is.  I hope this film gets some technical nods.

Disappointments

       The Goldfinch:  Having read Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer prize winning novel and seeing the handsomely shot trailer for this film, I was really looking forward to seeing this.  Unfortunately, the film strips The Goldfinch to its basic plot about a young boy named Theo who loses his mother in a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan museum.  He winds up stealing a painting in the confusion and the film traces Theo’s life over the next 15 years or so.  The richness of the characters is more or less gone and the film becomes a beautiful bore, not helped by the lifeless performance of Ansel Elgort as the adult Theo. (Oakes Fegley as young Theo is much better).  There are some bright spots in the performances including Finn Wolfhard’s Boris, Theo’s Russian friend with a sketchy upbringing and Geoffrey Wright as Hobie, the antiques artisan who becomes Theo’s surrogate parent.

      The Laundromat:  Also written by Scott Z. Burns and directed by Stephen Soderberg, the
Laundromat takes a satirical look at the Panama Papers scandal of 2016, involving legal and illegal dealings of the 1% and offshore accounts.  Despite a stellar cast led by Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas, the film has too many threads, some dropped and tries to be a bit too clever. 

3    My Zoe: Written and directed by Julie Delpy, a favorite of mine, this was a polarizing film for me.  Delpy plays a devoted mother to Zoe, her eight year old daughter, who suddenly grows ill from a brain injury.  Delpy is going through a separation from her husband, which complicates their custody issues of the little girl.  Zoe eventually is pulled from life support and her mother in an act of desperation, takes some of her tissue to see if she can be cloned.  The last third of the movie was interesting and poses some interesting ethical questions, but I felt it could’ve been a movie all on its own.  The happy shoe-horned ending doesn’t feel earned either.    

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Eighteen years ago today our country was attacked, crumbling NYC's World Trade Center.

This is a re-posting of previous annual 911 blog posts by AllThingsDigitalMarketing. Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.

Today the weather is near identical to the gorgeous, sunny, breezy day as 18 years ago - when  we mourned victims and lives lost from the 9/11 attacks.



I'm sharing this double rainbow I caught 2 days ago, Monday, 9/9/2019 at 5:45pm on my way home.

It's a snapshot from my Facebook page.  Had to share here especially since it was only 2 days before 9/11.




I'm not superstitious but do believe in the resilience and beauty of mother nature and the meanings she brings.




So much symbolism for me, and a double rainbow is so meaningful especially among eastern cultures.


I turned this controversial photo below  upside-down in 2011 to celebrate the 10th year and today marks 18 years of resilience; Also a symbol of rising peace. Flagship 1 WTC stands at the symbolic height of 1776, the year when we Americans declared our independence and "all men created equal," now once again, 1776 beautifying NYC's skyline. This photo is symbolic for our rising towers, faith and independence. I share this post (update it a bit) every anniversary year.
For those born on 9/11 or near that date, please visit birthdaySpirit.org ~~  no matter what your age, visit birthdaySpirit.org and celebrate all goodness born on this tragic day of mourning. You can even register to stay up to date on happenings and things about 9/11 birthday members.
Photo below, "The Falling Man," by Richard Drew; which I call
"Flipped Falling Man."


two haikus commemorating 10 years after 9/11

▐║ 911 ten
▐║ years later falling man is
▐║ still provocative

▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌

▐║ pin-straight
Falling Man

▐║ endless time still shows
the world

▐║ our
land, brave and free


by
Gloria
Buono-Daly     &nbsp (c) 2011


Emotionally charged, mixed feelings - 2001 to 2015. From Poet Laureate, Billy Collins' prose commemorating all of the 9/11 victims, "The Names," posted below, to one of the most provocative, unforgettable images by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew, of a man falling from the twin towers, positioned perfectly in the middle. 

The photo was taken at about 9:41 am on 9/11/01 -- 15 minutes before the 1st building, the South tower, collapsed. Videos would show that the falling man was actually a tumbling man in the air and this is one moment in his time that was captured.


Note how perfectly straight, positioned in the middle and parallel to the burning towers the falling man is. The above photo was branded distasteful and voyeuristic -- never to be shown again, yet the incredible "falling man" is still around.


For those of 

you 

wondering 

how our 

WTC 

looked before 

9/11/01, 

here's a 

photo 

by 

photographer 

Joseph Lopes 

taken in 1979.  





There is much up side today. By the 11th anniversary (2012) the new multi-billion-dollar World Trade Center, was back up in lower Manhattan's skyline.

One World Trade Center (formerly known as the Freedom Tower) which was completed on August 30, 2012 and the final component spire installed on May 10, 2013.

Additional complexes include 7 World Trade Center, three other high-rise office buildings, a museum and memorial, and a transportation hub similar in size to Grand Central Terminal. The Four World Trade Center opened to tenants and public on  November 13, 2013. The 9/11 memorial is complete, and the museum opened May 21, 2014. Three World Trade Center open in 2015 and the $4 billion Transportation Hub, the most expensive ever also called "Oculus" (originally opened back in 1903) reopened  March 4, 2016.  Two World Trade Center's full construction has been placed on hold until tenants can be found; It began construction in June 2008 and is still expected to be completed by 2020. Three World Trade Center, in the very center of  the new WTC began construction in 2010 and is scheduled to open by 2018 (earlier than anticipated). As posted by wtc.com "The defining aspect of 3 WTC is its load-sharing system of diamond-shaped bracing, which helps to articulate the building's east-west configuration. This allows unimpeded 360-degree panoramic views of New York."  WTC overview photo above by Joe Woolhead, Silverstein Properties

Budgeted at 3.9 billion upon completion, flagship, One World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, has been opened since November 3, 2014. At 104 stories (1368 feet high), the decorative architectural spire atop makes the building stand at the symbolic height of 1,776 feet. Observation decks will adorn the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors. Tenants so far include magazine publisher Conde Nast and the federal government's General Services Administration. Visit time lapse of 1 WTC video animation of rebuilding 1 WTC.

Rendering of 1 WTC photo left courtesy of Wikimedia.

At 72 stories (977ft high) Four World Trade Center, was the first office building to open, (October 2013). First tenants were Port Authority, the Bistate agency that owns the trade center site and lost its headquarters when the twin towers were attacked. According to many articles and documentaries, there were about 200 people who jumped to their deaths, some were able to be identified only for the victim’s families and to provide closure for them. But there was no time to recover or identify those who were forced to jump prior to the collapse of the towers. We lost almost 3,000 lives that day.

Where were you on 9/11/2001?
I was working on Wall Street( on the corner of Wall and Water Streets). It was a beautiful, clear skied morning. I arrived early as I usually do and was at my desk on the computer when I heard a loud bang and felt rumbling underneath my desk at 8:46 a.m. I shouted "What was that?" Then 15 minutes later another bang, as some fellow employees arrived - initially we thought it was from a missile. Hard to imagine it would be the biggest single attack on American lives. I still keep asking myself "how could this be?" I was curious and ran outside to see what was happening.

As I was walking on Water St. and reached Liberty St., it was at about 10:00 am, I saw large billows of gray smoke, appearing to turn day to night, enveloping hundreds if not thousands of people running for their lives towards me – apparently heading towards the river. I asked some folks what is happening now and all were in shock. With all the commotion, all they could say while they were running was “it’s down, it’s down.” At that moment, I thought another plane came down. I ran back to the office and learned from colleagues that the South tower collapsed (incidentally, this was the 2nd building hit). The North tower (1st building hit) collapsed at about 30 minutes later. And the world would never be the same.


"The Names" poem by Billy Collins posted below:
Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows,
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
Then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Eberling, names falling into place
As droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a watery bend.
Twenty-six willows on the banks of a stream.
In the morning, I walked out barefoot
Among thousands of flowers
Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears,
And each had a name --
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal
Then Gonzalez and Han, Ishikawa and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
And stitched into the cloth of the day.
A name under a photograph taped to a mailbox.
Monogram on a torn shirt,
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
And on the bright unfurled awnings of this city.
I say the syllables as I turn a corner --
Kelly and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.
When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden
As in a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Schubert, Torres, and Upton,
Secrets in the boughs of an ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
Or cried out behind a door.
Names blown over the earth and out to sea.
In the evening -- weakening light, the last swallows.
A boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
And the names are outlined on the rose clouds --
Vanacore and Wallace,
(let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
Then Young and Ziminsky, the final jolt of Z.
Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in a green field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart


Additional information at the following links:


║ Chiff.com http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/september-11.htm

New York City's $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub is finally open to the public — take a look inside

║See CBS video, “The Passionate Eye,” http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyemonday/video_player.html?fallingman&playerType=wmp

║Video “911 The Falling Man”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EFvGuIXIJc&feature=related Images of bodies hanging out of windows, holding on across the steel across windows, leaning out for air.

║Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/ten-years-later.html


My two 911 haikus:
║ 911 ten ═ years later falling man is ═ still provocative

║ pin-straight Falling Man ═ endless time still shows the world ═ our land, brave and free

Search engine stats for the term 911 on Sept. 11, 2014
Match type  &nbsp Broad   &nbsp   &nbsp Exact
Google   44,900,000   &nbsp 44,400,000
Yahoo   &nbsp 54,200,000   &nbsp 54,100,000
Bing     &nbsp 54,200,000   &nbsp 54,200,000

Search engine stats for the term 911 on Sept. 11, 2011
Match type  &nbsp Broad   &nbsp   &nbsp Exact
Google   981,000,000   &nbsp 431,000,000
Yahoo   &nbsp 246,000,000   &nbsp 240,000,000
Bing     &nbsp 245,000,000   &nbsp 242,000,000

RESOURCES & THINGS TO DO IN MEMORY OF 911 IN ADDITION TO VISITING THE 911 MEMORIAL
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ Soothe your soul by listening to music in memory of 911 like Unhappy Birthday, by The Bacon Brothers, Originally from the album "White Knuckles" reworked for the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with updated lyrics, written by Michael and Kevin Bacon, Directed by Bill Keller
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ visit the NYC FireStore on Greenwich Street, NYC
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ World Trade Center Status Detailed By Developers 11 Years After September 11th Attacks , by the Associated Press, September 10, 2012
▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ World Trade Center Timeline, by WTC organization

▓▌▄▒║ ▓║ ║▌ Downtown Manhattan Future Skyline animation, by Silverstein Properties


Please check out all the links in the resource section above and share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks!

This is a re-posting of previous annual 911 blog posts by AllThingsDigitalMarketing. Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.

Visiting this blog frequently and sharing this with your social media and professional network is much appreciated. Thanks.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

"G Whiz!" Four years ago today - Alphabet, abc.xyz was born and Google became "G" but still Google to me and many others

This post is a reposting of previous blog posting with minor updates. 


August 11, 2019 marks the 4 year anniversary when Google became the letter "G"and  part of the newly converged organization named Alphabet (abc.xyz).  Happy 4th birthday G!  I still don't see any letter G on the Google browser page, and I'm sure many like me don't use the letter "G" when referring to Google. Do you?

I still haven't noticed anything different since Alphabet launched 4 years ago and began using the .xyz root server which itinially launched on February 19, 2014. Have you?     According to many SEO/SEM industry leaders and ceo.xyz, the .xyz extension has gained momentum and is here to stay.

Interesting to know stats at these URLS:
newgTLD statistics (or copy/paste https://ntldstats.com/);
Will .TOP Usurp .XYZ (or copy/paste http://www.domainpulse.com/2017/05/08/top-usurp-xyz-largest-new-gtld/)

As of November 2015, .xyz reached 1.5 million name registrations with speculation the growth and momentm was most likely due to Google's announcement of abc.xyz. Yet according to TheDomains.com, as recently as June 26, 2016, .xyz had over 5.5 million registrations (nearly 600K registrations per month for the 7 months (November 2015 - June 2016) and became the 4th most registered gTLD (generic top level domain) on the worldwide web after .com, .net and .org.


The Blog post below was posted on August 11, 2015 when Google became part of abc.xyz and gave birth to baby G.

In the new Alphabet world at abc.xyz, G is for Google.

As of Monday, August 10, 2015, Google has a new name, “Alphabet.”

Who would think that the renamed, reorganized, Google corporation, is officially named after a set of 26 letters in fixed order, “Alphabet.”

Of course, Google remains its own, fine-tuned, Google brand as the internet arm for Search, Advertising, Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome, Android, Google Apps, etc.; However, Google will be owned by the newly created company Alphabet where G = Google. Will C = Calico, F = Fiber, N = Nest, X = Google X, etc. ?



According to a recent blog by Google co-Founder Larry Page,
“What is Alphabet? Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google. This newer Google is a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main Internet products contained in Alphabet instead … Alphabet is about businesses prospering through strong leaders and independence … For Sergey and me this is a very exciting new chapter in the life of Google -- the birth of Alphabet. We liked the name Alphabet because it means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity's most important innovations, and is the core of how we index with Google search!” #GisforGoogle #Alphabet #abc.xyz


REORGANIZATION OF GOOGLE – What does this mean?

All of the other venture projects, i.e., Google X (moonshot which includes driverless cars and delivery drones) Calico (biotech research), Nest (smart home projects), Fiber (high-speed internet), Ventures and Capital (investing), once part of Google, will operate under Alphabet as separate entities. Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have new titles, Alphabet CEO and Alphabet President, respectively.

Google’s new CEO is Sundar Pichai (formerly Larry Page’s deputy), who according to a recent Bloomberg post, is known as the “most powerful man in mobile.” #GisforGoogle #Alphabet #abc.xyz

Many leading economists equate this recent Google strategy to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway business model. Although quite different, (i.e., Google innovative non-consumer product vs. Berkshire Hathaway ordinary consumer products) Berkshire’s Insurance business is the key income generator for Berkshire Hathaway just as Google Search is the key income generator for Alphabet. For the economy it means more jobs including more CEOs for many of Alphabet’s emerging entities, more financing and investment opportunities, and continued technological innovations.

RESTRUCTURING OF GOOGLE STOCK – If you own Google’s stock, what will you do?

Apparently this new stock structure has to do with transparency for Google’s investments and the new Alphabet will make future acquisitions much more seamless than before. Do you think this restructuring will shed an entirely new light to disruptive innovation and turn the markets upside down?

According to the company’s recent SEC filing, Alphabet will gradually replace Google as the publicly traded company on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Therefore all shares of Google will convert to shares of Alphabet and will represent the same amount of shares. This merger will most likely occur sometime later this year. #GisforGoogle #Alphabet

OTHER RESOURCES:
• Google SEC Filing, SEC
• Google Investor, Google
• Google Creates New Company Called Alphabet, Restructures Stock, Bloomberg
• Google Investor Relations, Google
• How Google Became Alphabet from A to Z, Wired
• A New Company Called Alphabet Now Owns Google, Wired
• What is Alphabet, Google's new company?, Business Insider

Google.com becomes abc.xyz and G is for Google is part of the "evergreen marketing insighter" series by Gloria Buono-Daly

#GisforGoogle #Alphabet Innovation and Disruptions, Google and Alphabet, google.com and abc.xyz, Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Friday, July 26, 2019

Happy 79th B-Day to Bugs Bunny: America's smartest cartoon character born on 7/27/1940


This is a repost from previous Happy b-day BB posts

“Eh...What’s up Doc?” 

Bugs Bunny’s most famous catchphrase introduced at the debut of cartoon short, “A Wild Hare,” on July 27, 1940

Hard to believe, the world's smartest cartoon character, Bugs Bunny, turns 79 years young today (7/27/19). Bugs was born with the release of cartoon short, "A Wild Hare," directed by Tex Avery, on July 27, 1940.

According to the publication "Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare," Bugs was born in Brooklyn, New York, in a warren under Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Actually, he was created by many animators and staff, including Tex Avery. According to the late Mel Blanc, the character's original voice actor, Bugs has a Flatbush accent.  He still stands as the funniest and smartest cartoon character ever ~ always the underdog yet outsmarting his tormentors. According to Kwame Opam of The Verge, "...As a character, Bugs Bunny is king, and he's as close to an animated culture hero as we're going to get..." 



A Wild Hare, was the first cartoon where both Elmer Fudd and Bugs are shown in their fully developed forms as hunter and tormentor.

In this cartoon Mel Blanc first uses what would become Bugs' standard voice; this cartoon also marks the first time that Bugs uses his catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?"



Animation historian Joe Adamson deems "A Wild Hare" as the first "official" Bugs Bunny short. The short was a huge success in theaters and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.




Other Resources 
A Brief History of Bugs Bunny, Bathroom Reader, Comics & Cartoons on Nov 8, 2010
 BugsBunnyBurrow.com
 Wikiquote.org; Bugs Bunny Quotes
 Yahoo Voice, The History of Bugs Bunny
► Bugs Bunny at the Symphony (Tour dates - 2012-2013
► Wikipedia.org: Listing of Bugs Bunny cartoons in chronological order 
► YouTube.com - The Wild Hare, starring Elmer Fudd, July 27, 1940



This post is a reprint from earlier posts by allthingsdigitalmarketing blog. Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks!

All photos courtesy of Wikimedia unless otherwise indicated.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Happy 243rd Independence Day America! Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, the nation’s largest Independence Day display, on the East River this year for it's 42nd Anniversary. Will You Be Celebrating? Play baseball with Google's interactive 2019 July 4th doodle!

This blog has been updated from previous July 4th articles on AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog. Thank you for visiting, and please share with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.



No plans yet? You can always play baseball with Google's 2019  July 4th interactive doodle! Don't strike out !

Here's Google's 2019 Fourth of July doodle - enjoy this interactive doodle which lets you play baseball game.


And here's one of my favorite quotes about America's Happy Independence Day, July 4th!


“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. 

You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” Erma Bombeck, American humorist, reknown suburban home life newapaper columnist chronicling ordinary life of a midwestern suburban housewife (mid-1960s - late 1990s); Publisher of 15 books, most bestsellers; On patriotism & Independence Day.

Video from lmy 7/4th 2018 fireworks show at Cross County Shopping Center, Yonkers, NY 




Visit this link for more information about
Macy’s  Fireworks - Macy's lit light up the Brooklyn Bridge with fireworks and will also light Smartphones for 1st time ever (2017)! Will you be syncing your smartphone this July 4th?

Visit this link  Celebrate 4th of July with Macys!  according t0 NYCGO.com 


Visit this link Best Places to Watch Fireworks in NYC 

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, the nation’s largest Independence Day display, returned to the East River a few years back and it's still here :)   

How Will You Be Celebrating??
For things to do in NYC on July 4th visit the following posts: 
Δ Where to Watch Macys July Fourth Fireworks as listed on www.macys.com/social/fireworks/

ΔFifth Annual Freedom Fest, July 4, 2019  (here's link from July 4, 2018)
Δ Fourth of July in New York City post by NYC TOURIST.
Δ Fourth of July at SkyRoom, Hells Kitchen, NYC
Δ Where to Eat and Drink on July Fourth in NYC



No plans yet? You can always play baseball with Google's 2019 4th interactive doodle!

Here's Google's 2019 Fourth of July doodle - enjoy this interactive doodle which lets you play baseball game.

Here's Google's wonderful doodle from 2018 Fourth of July! 



Happy Independence Day America! Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and safe one.

However you spend it and whatever you do, please remember to not text while driving or while playing with fireworks. Hard to believe, I swear you can't make this up: On a July 4, 2015 morning on my way home from the Jersey Shore, a lady driver was in her car plucking hairs from her chin on Hope Road before the right turn onto the Garden State Parkway not only during the red light but continuing tweezing even when the light turned green. She must have a hell of a lot of hair on her chin.


Although President Adams's Independence Day prediction was July 2, the actual date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress, from the getgo, Americans celebrated independence on July 4th, which is the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence. Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. This year marks the 242nd Anniversary!


Remarkable coincidence is that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.




Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the third president in a row who died on this memorable day. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only President to have been born on Independence Day.
If you happen to be in New York City on July 4th, don't miss Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display on the East River which begins at 9:00pm. This year marks Macy's 41st year celebrating July 4th with fireworks in NYC. More information visit this link at Macy's 4th of July Fireworks!  from FoxNews.  

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia.org unless otherwise indicated.
This blog has been updated from a previous article. Thank you for visiting, and please share with your social media and professional networks. Thanks.