When I get homesick for Germany (we lived there for three years) there are three places to soak up some echte Deutsche Weihnachten kitsch: Peddler’s Village has a German store (as pictured) year round. Plus I just learned from a Washington Post article, reprinted in the Times of Trenton, that Philadelphia and Baltimore host a Christkindle Mart every year. Gluhwein…. but more about that later.
Monthly Archives: December 2013
Zastra is the new store for Aruna Arya. Congratulations, Aruna! Her previous store, Miss Simoni, was on a lower level on Nassau Street. Aruna has been an enthusiastic supporter of UFAR and Women, Cradle of Abundance.
At 28 Palmer Square East, it will be a terrific location for a fine designer and energetic retailer.
All those books in my basement: maybe there is an alternative to donating them to the library: http://www.harvestbooks.com/
From attorney Hanan Isaacs, a review of the Ban the Box proposed law. As you may know, as a supporter of Not in Our Town and The New Jim Crow movement, I am in favor of it. It is called the Opportunity to Compete Act (A3837).
McPhee Shines His Flashligiht: Stephen Ornes quotes the redoubtable John Mcphee in a December 6 blog post about how science writers can fashion their opening sentence. About how in a 2010 interview in the Paris Review McPhee says the right lead shines a flashlight into a dark well etc. etc.
McPhee has been using that metaphor for long time. I quoted him on it at least 20 years ago. It’s still about the best one around.
People with Good Hearts
For today’s cover story of U.S. 1, I talked to Gretchen Sword and Dan Rowe to find out what happened to Wm Sword & Co. after his untimely death. It’s a good story and a cautionary tale for families of small business owners. As below, or the complete story here.
Gretchen Sword was caught up in the throes of grief. Rowe was also grieving, and the daughter and de facto son clashed. “Dan had a new vision of where he wanted to take the company,” Sword says. “I didn’t know what I wanted, but I wanted my father back.” She tried to block the plans that Rowe proposed.
One year later, the firm launched under a new name, Sword, Rowe & Company, a boutique merchant bank focused on offering financial advisory services for private companies
and alternative investment managers….
Daniel Rowe is CEO and managing director, supported wholeheartedly by the Sword family, notably Gretchen Sword. How this happened is a story of knowledge, power, wealth, connections — and people with good hearts.
A separate story on Daniel Rowe tells of his career..and his singer-songwriter wife, Charlotte Kendrick.
photo by Mark Czajkowski
Postscript: due to a glitch in one paragraph it looks like I quoted Martha Sword. The quote is from Gretchen Sword.
She (Martha Sword) was ill equipped to take over the business, but her husband had trusted she would have the good sense to find good help. And she knew enough not to sell it. “Immediately there were poachers looking to take over the firm,” she (Gretchen Sword) recalls. “Now I realize that it would have been easy enough for him to sell the assets when there was a rough month. In a 37-year career, there were a lot of ups and downs. I am sure there were many times he could have given up. For us to get through the first year was pretty amazing.”
Smart bridges? John Romanowich, founder of SightLogix and co-founder of what used to be called the Einstein Alley Entrepreneur Group, had a big win recently, as told by Gabrielle Erhardt of his company:
She shared a security management case study on how the firm’s smart thermal video has improved security, better manages traffic, and reduced operating costs for the New York State Bridge Authority.
“The NYSBA presented SightLogix with a complex security puzzle. The Authority required a solution capable of detecting trespassers, keeping traffic moving smoothly, and maintaining detection accuracy over large open areas and in the water environment of five bridges spanning the Hudson River. Prior approaches using fencing with vibration devices resulted in high costs and excessive alarms.
“Major change was necessary. A consultant recommended a smart thermal video system, and a year and a half later, the Authority relies on that technology 24/7, not only for security on all five bridges but also for traffic monitoring.”
Big win!
Christmas in Germany: On Friday, December 6 (it is St. Nikolaus Day) the Princeton German Teacher’s association and infi cafe’ offer an Adventssingen (Christmas caroling) session, with carols in French and Spanish as well as English and German.
If you’d like to recreate some old-world Christmas spirit, RSVP. Come at 6 p.m. and bring a plate of German Platzhen (any kind of cookies, nuts, or clementines) and a bottle of red wine to make Gluhwein (German mulled wine). Bratwurst and Brezeln will be available for purchase, and other drinks besides. But please RSVP to PrincetonGermanTeacher@gmail.com (609-356-2438).
Two years ago my husband and I returned to Nurnberg, where we had lived in the ’60s, and connected with our friends, Elise and Wilhelm. They took us to a village church, St. Johanis, for a carol service (pictured above). It warms my heart to think of it.
Buying Your First iPad. My friend Stephanie took me to buy my first Apple product. We went to the Bridgewater store to see the array and get great advice but I bought it at Creative Computing, out of loyalty to the “buy local” effort. The price is the same everywhere.
Now it’s my turn to pay it forward. Here is the advice I’m giving to my cousin, who is on the verge of the purchase. If you think i’m wrong, please raise your hand. I am not an expert. These tips are only “My Best Guess” and I’d welcome your correction.
Prepare. Read the tip sheet from Doug Dixon who IS the real expert, as printed in U.S. 1. Dixon gives his “what gadgets to buy for Christmas talk” tonight (Wednesday, December 4) at the Princeton Public Library.
Find your passwords. Be sure to bring all your IDs and passwords with you. Do you have any kind of Apple ID, for iTunes or anything else? Also any ID you have for your phone bill. You will need these and you don’t want to end up with duplicate IDs.
Here are some things to think about.
Your iPad or tablet can have any of these talents:
Connectivity: Wifi or always on (like a phone). When you have the always on, you can choose to use it (and pay a monthly connectivity fee, like your phone) or not use it. When you buy it with JUST Wifi you can never add the phone network. I bought mine with just WIFI and now I wish I had paid more to have the capability for always on.
Color: Fabulous versus very good. The latest iPad and all the Samsung tablets have LCD color. This might matter if you show off your pictures on your iPad.
Storage. I got the max storage and after 1000s of photos I run out of space and have to take them out of active use and put them “in the cloud.” More storage, more money.
Picture taking ability: the iPad can take excellent pictures in some situations, especially low light, but is a miserable camera in other situations (lots of light). However it’s great for storing and editing pictures.
Apple technology. I think it’s great but it can be tricky to synch things, like pictures, from an Apple product to a PC. I’m still working on that one. Some PC programs look slightly different on an Apple product, Picasa albums for instance shows up as “web albums.” You can get tablets that are NOT Apple based if you don’t like Apple. Only Apple has the dictation program Siri.
Size: they make a mini now.
Age and price : they continue to make the old iPad 2 and they no longer make my iPad 3. The iPad 2 is much cheaper than the new version. If you get the latest version, it takes longer to go obsolete.
Then, the accessories. I am fond of my bulky rubber waffle weave case because it is very protective. I have dropped it and it was unharmed. The standard slim case folds over the screen and sits up on a table. Not necessary if you are using it in your lap. They also sell carriers. I fit mine in my big pocketbook.
You must get Apple Care (24/7 help line for 2 years). They give you 3 months of it. You want it.
You want a screen cover (thin film) and make them put it on.
I bought a $15 keyboard on Amazon that works just as well as the $75 keyboards. I rarely if ever use it, maybe I will take it on a trip where I have real work today. Otherwise I sit at my PC or poke away at the screen keyboard. AND if you get an Apple product you can dictate your manuscript with Siri. I have tried it and it works great. I dictate emails now.
Lessons: Princeton Senior Resource Center has good intro courses, beginner and intermediate, for low cost. Creative Computing charges a heftier price but maybe they are good too. I don’t know. Also available at the library. Definitely worth taking! I had mine for a month before I knew how to turn it really OFF off. I couldn’t figure out why it was using so much power.
Also the guys at Verizon in Princeton Shopping Center are wonderful at helping. Even though you might not have bought your iPad there, if you have a phone from them or a Verizon contract they happily give you tips.
For the best and straight scoop on any kind of gadget, consult Doug Dixon’s latest tip sheet in U.S. 1 or his website, Manifest Technology.
From Bejing, to Princeton — to Alcatraz. The zodiac animals of Chinese artist and political dissident Ai Weiwei enliven the plaza at the Woodrow Wilson School. Soon visitors to Alcatraz will see his art. As in today’s New York Times.
That’s the good arts news from Princeton today. The bad news is that the funds of the Triangle Club have been embezzled to the tune of more than $100,000. Robin Lord will be the attorney for the defense and this is one case I hope she doesn’t win.
Or is it good news that an arts organization could make that much money and it wasn’t missed?
Princeton Comment 