Tuesday, February 22, 2011

10 Reasons to Visit the Darien Antiques Show - March 4-6

10 Reasons to Come to The Darien Antiques Show
The Best Winter Weekend Activity Around
Preview Party – March 4. Show – March 4 – 5.

You don’t have to be an antiques collector to enjoy The Darien Antiques Show. There’s a reason for everyone within driving distance of Darien, CT, to visit the show:

1.    See the halls, rooms and nursery school of the First Congregational Church of Darien magically transformed into a collection of booths filled with gorgeous antique furniture; antique and estate jewelry; fine art; accessories like Inuit carvings, colorful pots, ceramics or Chinese porcelain; sailors’ woolies; fireplace accessories; antique silver; and mid-century art, furniture and accessories – which can complement any décor and fit any budget.

2.    Support the church’s outreach efforts. St. Luke’s LifeWorks is the primary beneficiary of the Preview Party. It is a not-for-profit organization that plays a critical role in providing learning opportunities, housing and support services to people overcoming homelessness right here in Fairfield County. Additional proceeds from the party and the show benefit other organizations selected by the Board of Outreach including: A Better Chance in Darien, Person-to-Person, Aging In Place in Darien, Norwalk Emergency Shelter, Carver Center and more.

3.   Support the entrepreneurial efforts of the 37 antiques dealers at the show. They come from all over the Northeast. These are top dealers who guarantee all their merchandise. Some have been in the business all their lives, some are new. All have lovely items.

4.    At the Preview Party, do some in-person social networking, see old friends, enjoy fine wine, good music, yummy hors d’oeuvres, while browsing through the beautiful booths.  Bid on great items at the Preview Party Silent Auction and Live Auction.

5.    Get a family heirloom appraised, road-show-style, by Christine Downing from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

6.    Look, ask questions and learn. Our dealers are very friendly and are eager to share their knowledge.

7.    Meet our new dealers who are bringing fine art that reflects our region and other one-of-a-kind items that can lift your home décor to a new level.

8.    Connect with the past by browsing and buying. Items like the ones on sale at our show aren’t made anymore.

9.    Enjoy a home-cooked lunch or afternoon treat at the Café.

10.    Uphold a tradition from the 275-year-old church First Congregational Church of Darien. This is the show’s 44th year.


Quick Facts:
Sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Darien - 14 Brookside Rd., Darien, CT.
Just south of Exit 13 from I-95.

The fun and festive preview party on March 4th – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm, $45 advance sale, $50 at door, patrons: ($55 New Collector, $75 Collector, $100+ Connoisseur).

Show Hours:
Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Admission: $10, $8 for seniors.

Further information, discount cards and photos are at www.DarienAntiqueShow.org.  And visit the Darien Antiques Show on Facebook – become a fan and help spread the word!  www.facebook.com/TheDarienAntiquesShow.

Show Sponsors: William Pitt – Sotheby’s is a platinum sponsor of the show, People’s United Bank is a gold sponsor and Moffly Media is the media sponsor.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Stagnation and Entrepreneurial Energy

Yesterday, David Brooks wrote in the New York Times about a new book which explains why our economy and nation are stagnating, while at the same time people feel happier (February 15, 2011, Opinion). Wealth building and living standards have diverged. He makes a case that all the high tech gadgets and online services we have make people feel like they have a lot, but they don't employ a lot of people to create or manage the goods and services. People aren't conflating wealth building with hard work on real things. It made me think of the interview I heard with Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) in which he talked proudly of how few people he employed to manage so many users (half a billion and counting). Brooks says this sort of thing is leading to stagnation. But it made me wonder what opportunities there are for other people with entrepreneurial energy.

There are still plenty of men and women out there who want to create new and exciting things. They want to put energy and hard work into building something great -- something that fills a gap in the marketplace or meets a real need. And needs are evolving. Call me an optimist, but I believe the entrepreneurs will continue to innovate and build. Excellent brains will be put to work, unless they are taught that hard work does not pay off. The problem is, as Brooks points out, many of the new innovations don't employ many people to make them.

The column also made me think of all the moms I know who just want their kids to be happy. They don't want to teach their kids the value of hard work or sacrifice or producing for the common good . (These are obviously not your "Chinese Tiger Mothers".) They don't seem to care what kids are learning in school, as long as they're happy. That frightens me. It's this kind of mindset that does lead to stagnation and does not create entrepreneurs.

Read the article and decide what you think. It really is a great piece of food for thought.

The Experience Economy
Published: February 14, 2011
What happens when wealth and living standards diverge?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/opinion/15brooks.html

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Best Super Bowl Ad Ever - What Does That Say About Us?

What do you think is the best ad ever to air on the Super Bowl?

Advertising Age (see below) has been running a poll, and the top two contenders are "Mean Joe Green" from Coke and "1984" from Apple. Some pundits say that the 1984 commercials established the Super Bowl as the place to air really creative, radical new ads -- and made watching ads and rating them as much as a sport as football.

Before voting, I watched the commercials. In view of the uprisings in Egypt, the "1984" commercial really spoke to me. It takes individuals to free us from tierany. Then I thought of what Apple has become, and how its iphones, ipads, ipods and personal computers like the Macintosh have us staring at screens -- all mezmerized -- and I couldn't help but think of the irony the ad holds now. They've freed us and enslaved us.

The "Mean Joe Green" commercial, on the other hand shows the power of kindness. And in our increasingly uncivil society, I long for commercials that once again teach us how to be better human beings. OK, it's a corporation doing it. But with so few people attending church and learning the Golden Rule, maybe that's not a bad thing. We need corporations and businesses of all sizes to do the right thing, now more than ever.

So I voted for the Coke ad. What do you vote for? --

Mean Joe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffOCZYX6F81984:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhsWzJo2sN4
Piece from Ad Age:

Coke's Mean Joe Greene vs. Apple's '1984' Face Off for Super Bowl Championship

Feb. 3, 2011

After more than a week of voting for your favorite Super Bowl spots of all time (or, in some cases, the spot created by your employer), we've come down to two finalists. Now you must choose a victor. Is it going to be the sentimental grid-iron classic for Coke featuring Mean Joe Greene? Or will it be the perennial adland favorite, the Apple "1984" spot that boosted Super Bowl creative into the stratosphere?

POLL QUESTION: Who will be the all-time Super Bowl ad champion?

VOTE & COMMENT: http://adage.com/superbowl/article?article_id=148635