Category Archives Aloha Friday

Say No to Censorship

Wednesday, I likely confused some members of my family if they stopped by my website. First, they would have seen this:

TheAngelForever Wednesday 

This was a widget for WordPress that TechyDad and I placed on our blogs to show support against the new bills that the US Congress and Senate are trying to put on the books. We really liked that this would help to inform people about what these bills will do to the average American – including bloggers like us. If you continued to my blog, this was at the top over my header/logo:

SOPA PIPA

I did not blackout my website like Wikipedia, Reddit, and others. Instead, I did not post new content during the blackout period and had this information to educate people about the cause. If you look up in the right corner, I now have a Stop SOPA ribbon.

As someone who has had her content copied and used without my permission, I get that piracy is not ok. The problem is that SOPA and PIPA go far above and beyond that. Oh and IF you have seen the commercials promoting these bills – they are horrid. Scare tactics against citizens without all of the information is unacceptable. Here check it out (commercial begins at :29 mark):

 

For more information, please head over to read TechyDad’s post about the legislation.

So my question to you this week:

Did you blackout your website on Wednesday? I would also like to know why you opted with your choice. Please remember to make some noise and contact your representatives in Congress and Senate to let them know that censorship is NOT acceptable. We need to kill these bills and revamp to properly stop piracy.

It's Me

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #187

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Not My Hair in the Food

The title pretty much explains it all. Last week, TechyDad stopped on his way home from work to pick up some dinner because it was one of those nights. We opted for some subs. I was really in the mood for some grilled chicken and ordered that. As we were eating our dinner, I noticed a medium length hair of a color that is not mine sticking out of my sandwich.

 Sub Sandwich - using sub from OpenClipArt.org

Insert gagging noises, expressions of horror, and rage.

That was the end of my meal since there was no way I was eating something that was served to me with an unknown hair within it. TechyDad called the store and was told he could go back in for a new sandwich and see the manager. Oh sure, just what we want to do so late on one of the coldest nights of the year with two kids that need to go to bed soon. NOPE, I was not taking that as an answer. I decided to call and ask to talk to the manager. The manager came onto the phone and blew me away with the cluelessness. She did not get how bad this situation was, offered no solution, and certainly NEVER said she was sorry. The next morning, I went to the website of the main company since I did not have a way to get in touch with the local owner. This is what I wrote to them:

My husband decided to stop on his way home to get subs for dinner to take home. He ordered a roasted chicken and veggie patty. As I was eating mine, something caught my eye. A hair was embedded in my sandwich that was clearly NOT mine. That was it, I was done eating. I was disgusted with this. What I was not ready for was what happened when we called the store. First, my husband called. He was told to go back to the store to talk with the manager. He hung up and told me. It was dinner time, we have two young children, and it was freezing. He was NOT going back to the store at that point in time. I picked up the phone and asked to talk to the manager. It was a little after 6:00 at this point. I did not get the managers name. She was less than helpful at best. The manager clearly did not get the gravity of the situation. She stated "Oh you are upset and don’t want your food?"  No kidding I was upset, disgusted, and appalled with how she had no clue how to handle this. I told her I was finished and was going to contact corporate. This is when she suddenly seemed to care and wanted to know what she could do. I told her no thank you and hung up the phone. Your Twitter feed helped me to located this page to report the incident. I would like to know what is the proper protocol for  avoiding hairs into customer food and what is supposed to be done when a customer finds one within their meal.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

After some time, an e-mail from the owner of the store arrived. It was 2-3 sentences long and did not really apologize, state what happened, or anything else. They may have thought it was a sorry, but it was not. Stating that you are “sorry that your experience at my store was not satisfactory” and telling me to print out the e-mail for a free sub next visit does not cut it. Nope, my business will now be going to a new location and I will make my own sandwiches at home without feeding my family hairs.

So my question to you this week:

Have you ever gotten a hair in your food at a restaurant? What did you say and what did they do in response to the situation?

It's Me

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #186

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Preoccupied with Pinterest

“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, I was trying to avoid things and got distracted by all things Mickey Mouse”

My Pinterest

What am I talking about? Just before Christmas, when I was busy with all things Chanukah and beyond, my friend Kelby Carr, aka @TypeAMom, mentioned something about Pinterest. This was far from the first time she had mentioned an addiction to it. I heard about it while in NYC during SheStreams. Of course, I tried to stay away. Why? Not because I didn’t think I would like it. I knew I would and didn’t want another item in my bag of tricks.

Well, Kelby brought me to the dark side that evening. When I said I was avoiding it, she sent me an invite. Within minutes, I was a sold. What’s not to love as a mother, geek, social media person, and crafter? Seriously, WAY too much to offer.

The beauty of Pinterest is you can personalize in any way you want. So far, I have organized my pins into 16 boards. My topics include:

Disney Life For Me – Recipes to Try – Sweet Goodness – Knitting Things – Crafts for Kids – Geek I am – Need to Read – For Those Eeyore Kind of Days – Chanukah Oh Chanukah – Recipes that we Enjoy – Bullying Be Gone – Books from Tuesday Tales – Just for Laughs – Around the House – <3 Day Items – Birthday Party Ideas

On Type-A Parent, Kelby has shared 5 Pinterest Tips for the Beginner. This post does a great job summarizing things for the newbie getting to know Pinterest. Now, let me share a few fun pins.

From “Disney Life For Me” – a favorite Dreamfinder and Figment post from Zannaland

Source: zannaland.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

 

 

A funny saying that several fellow Geeks shared and I loved for my “Geek I am” board:

Source: nerdquirks.tumblr.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

 

 

Of course, there are lots of sweet temptations in my “Sweet Goodness” board. Here is one with cookie dough that is taunting me to make it one day:

Source: recipegirl.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

 

 

There are SO many other goodies out there, but I will leave you with those three pin examples. If you are on Pinterest Type-A Parent also has a Pinterest Profile Linkup that they are running to locate more people. Oh one more thing, congratulations to Kelby. While I sit and type this, she just announced  that she was signed on to write a Pinterest for Dummies book.

So my question to you this week:

Are you on Pinterest yet or not? If you are, what do you like using it for? If you are not, I would love to know what you are waiting for.

It's Me

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #185

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Family Concert Time with Laurie Berkner

Growing up, I have fond memories of my parents taking me to concerts. This is where I should laugh that some included Paul Simon, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys, and countless other people and bands that they were fans of. Then there was the Rosenshontz concert that brought back the biggest memories. There was something special about being in that smaller theater and watching Gary Rosen and Bill Shontz rock out. Heck, I still remember seeing my mom and dad sing and participate along with them.

Photo from The Laurie Berkner Band

Now imagine me, rocking the mommy van with my Laurie Berkner music playing most mornings. As I take the kids to school, we often are belting out Victor Vito, BOOTS, I’m Gonna Catch You, or one of her other catchy tunes. I also have memories of JSL rocking out with Laurie and his play guitar in December 2009. He loved to watch her segments on Nick Jr. Of course, the inspiration for that was Laurie’s song My Family. Here is a video about the song:

Our boys love going to concerts and we were lucky enough to be invited by the PR company representing The Laurie Berkner Band to see them next weekend for a stop on their  “Animal Party” concert tour. Yes, Capital Region friends – Laurie and company will be in Schenectady on the Mainstage at Proctor’s Saturday, January 7 at 11:00 am. If you are not near Schenectady, NY – have no fear. The Laurie Berkner Band has other dates on this tour as well.

There are so many goodies on the website for Laurie Berkner, but I love the section about the concert. Check this little bit out:

The Laurie Berkner Band is throwing an Animal Party Concert!
What can you bring to an Animal Party Concert?
1. Your favorite stuffed animal (for your head). Any kind will do!
2. A party outfit!
3. Your dancin’ shoes, so you can groove to the music!

I have a feeling Snowflake and Clumsy just may be joining us for our concert adventure! So my question to you this week is inspired by our love for family concerts:

Have you ever seen Laurie Berkner in concert? I would love to know about it or another concert you went to and your favorite song. No doubt there will be more coming on this after the concert.

It's Me

Disclosure: My family and I will be receiving complementary tickets to the “Animal Party” concert next week. The opinions are mine as a long time fan of Laurie Berkner and I received no other compensation..

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
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    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #184

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My Own Rainbow Connection

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away –er before I had kids I used to put nail polish on my fingers nails. I had the time and energy to do them, and, well, I was not battling the rough-tough terrain that I am now. Since the boys were born, I can probably count on my fingers the number of times I have bothered to do them. That isn’t to say that I don’t love a little color in my life, especially on my toes during the summer months. I always keep the boys guessing what color they will see via my flip-flop feet each week.

OPI Rainbow ConnectionThe other day, I painted my finger nails and my four year old son sat in amazement. He had never seen me do it before. What was the special occasion? There was no blog conference, wedding, or other celebration. No, this was a Muppets moment. Yes, you read that right.

 

<— Check it out!

 

A day earlier, I found a bounty of OPI brand nail lacquer that is specifically made around The Muppets. Before I knew it, I HAD to get a bottle of Rainbow Connection and then convinced myself to also purchase Animal-istic. When JSL and I were home, I asked him if he wanted to help me paint my fingernails. Please note, he eventually asked to do his own, but I convinced him it would be too hard for him to wait and let the glittery polish dry. Phew! He was fascinated with the process at first and eventually ditched me to play since it was taking forever.

Rainbow Connection TypingIt was fun wearing the sparkly polish around, but I forgot how rough I am with my hands when knitting and working around the house. Guess I will need to work on that if I continue to add colors to my nails. Lots more to share about the Muppets polish, my adventure, and some comedy of errors that happened along the way.

So my question to you this week is inspired by my new curiosity for nail polish and getting it to last long:

 

Do you wear nail polish? If you do what are your favorite colors for your finger nails? I would also love to have any tips to helping a manicure last longer when there are so many obstacles in life.

It's Me

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #183

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