Taking the Summer Interns to See Bruce Springsteen: Priceless

I'm not a veteran of Bruce Springsteen concerts. I've only been to about 25 in my life. That is NOTHING compared to REAL Bruce veterans, who log in at least hundreds if not thousands. I am fortunate enough to have "connections" with the Bruce machine, and I had the ability to take my summer interns to see Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium July 28, 2008 and watch him up close....like right in front of the stage.

This guy, as you all know is absolutely spectacular. And he just keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny. In fact, the Energizer people should replace that pink bunny with Bruce. They'd get far more mileage.

Anyway, I've been going to the shows since the late 1970s, and most concerts just get better and better. There was something terribly missing last night. Just about everyone was on mark, and the whole stadium was electrified, but, maybe it's because I was standing right in front of the speakers, I don't know...but it was missing something. Obviously it was missing Danny Federici, and as much as the band tried to compensate for that, his magical music was a whole part of the atmosphere and it was certainly missed last night.

Another thing I noticed was how underused Clarence Clemens was. It's obvious that he is getting up there in years, and someone said that he may have been sick or is ill. I'm not sure which. He would shuffle to the center of the stage....and then retreat back to the side. In younger years, he was always front and center with Bruce, jumping and pumping and playing his heart out. I was almost afraid for him as he did his first sax solo, but, you know, he still "got it". Meaning, this guy was beyond perfect back in the day. Because as ailing as he seems, his music was still beautiful, soulful and heart rendering. So, A+ to you Clarence...and you are LOVED by all.

Speaking of magic, Max Weinberg had his son Jay on drums for Born to Run. One word: Electrifiying! He ROCKED the house.

Bruce had his daughter Jessica and her girlfriends out during the Twist and Shout encore and they were all adorable! They were up there twisiting and shouting and having a grand old time. More power to you girls! Each were prettier than the other (hey, I've got a handsome finance/engineering son at a prestigious university that you girls may want to facebook!!!)

Anyway, I am sorry that I missed the night before with Rosalita (boy I've been dancing to that one for 30 plus years!).

But anyway, thank you to Bruce and his band for another night of absolute bliss and fun and just, wow, just a great, great time.

Shop The Gift Basket Store: info@shopthegiftbasketstore.com

http://www.shopthegiftbasketstore.com

Bruce Springsteen, Max Weinberg, Jay Weinberg, Clarence Clemens, E-Street Band, Jessica Springsteen, Jessica Springsteen's friends, Bruce Springsteen July 28, 2008,

Back To School Gifts for the College Student

The day has finally arrived....one the two of you have worked hard to get to since the day of their first breath....OFF TO COLLEGE! If you are like most parents, you will be doing the happy dance for the first few weeks. You will feel like a kid in a candy store. Less laundry, less money spent at the grocery store, less junk all around the house. And then in mid-September, it will hit you. Pretty soon you will be in a funk, singing Greenday's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" over and over, because you are, basically, depressed. Your child has gone off to college.

What to do? Go shopping. After you go shopping for yourself, go shopping for someone that really matters. Yes, you guessed it, the kid.

Now, all colleges will send those pamphlets home saying send a gift basket to your college kid. Make them feel recognized. Ok, so you look at the stuff they are hawking...and it is pretty darn expensive. Not only that, but it comes (usually) in some useless cardboard box or a plastic bucket (OK, the kid will think the bucket is great for pre-gaming shots of Grey Goose)....but...STOP. Send them a gift basket that is useful.

Come visit Shop The Gift Basket Store at http://www.shopthegiftbasketstore.com/scthgi.html and you will find a large selection of gifts and gift baskets that are appropriate for the college kid. Most of them come in useful packaging that can be used to hold useless junk that they collect, pens, keys, ID's, hair products, toiletries, etc. So...get hopping and send something today. It just might make your child think twice before they go off and do something stupid.....

Vettes for Vets

I was privileged to be a part of the 4th Annual Vettes for Vets this past July 12 at the Veterans Affairs home in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. I arrived with the Central Jersey Corvette Club contingency.

Over 100 corvettes and their owners from many of the different Corvette Clubs in New Jersey assembled the cars at an off-site location and then descended enmass upon the facility where dozens of veterans were waiting to see the parade of Corvettes from the 1950s through to the Z-06. You can just imagine the look on their faces as about 120 different Corvettes drove past them and then parked in the parking lot.

The veterans then strolled around the grounds or were assisted in their wheelchairs to inspect the colorful array of these beautiful cars. This has become a yearly event that the vets look forward to. It was fun talking to them. There are so many people from different walks of life, but they all have one thing in common. They served their country, and they served it well. It is the least that we can do for them, even if it is just once a year, to let them know how much we appreciate what they have given.

And, just as an aside, did anyone ever figure out how old "Tony From Italy" is? I'm going to guess 90. From the facts he gave us, he was probably about 12 years old when he arrived here (without his parents) from Italy in 1930
(he couldn't have been much younger...leaving his family behind...could he?) and then he served in WW II...so I am guessing he was in his early 20s in the 1940s...by the way, this Vet served 4 years as a POW over in Germany. So that puts him in the 90ish bracket. What a character!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to next year's visit!

Give a Gift of Jewelry for those special occasions

Do you have a special occasion coming up? Is a friend getting married? Maybe a significant birthday is approaching: 13 years old, Sweet Sixteen, a legal 21 year old, 40th, 50th? Perhaps your daughter is going off to college and you want to give her a special gift to think of you and to help calm her homesickness when it strikes in September. Maybe a friend has received her Nursing degree. Or you may want to give a new grandmother a special gift to commemorate her first grandchild, or give a gift to a special caregiver.

Shop The Gift Basket Store is pleased to announce a new line of special occasion bracelets. Most are made with Swarovski Crystals and Bali sterling silver, and many of them come with a special poem to mark the special event. After all, don't just give a gift, give a memory.

Come on over to www.shopthegiftbasketstore.com and take a peek. If we don't have what you are looking for, email us at info@shopthegiftbasketstore.com and tell us what you would like to see. Perhaps we can arrange it.

After you are finished shopping for jewelry, you may want to order yourself a nice cheesecake to help celebrate the occasion even more. Whatever you gift giving needs, Shop The Gift Basket Store is there to help you find just the right touch for any event.

Oil Speculators - Contact Congress If You Are Sick of Them

If you don't want vacations to be a thing of the past.....read on...

Reprinted from an email from Air Train Airways:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing
oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.


For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers.

Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known.

Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com/sos.

Don't just send a gift, send a memory

Don't just send a gift, send a memory!

If you are like most people, you are probably called upon quite a few times a year to send a gift to someone. It can be a birthday, graduation, get well, anniversary, new baby or a special housewarming gift. How many times do you drive to the mall not knowing what to get, wandering in and out of stores, while your lunch break gets shorter and shorter, or your laundry at home keeps piling. And as always, it’s just the same old same old.

Why not cut your driving time and costs, and just shop online at one of the many gift baskets stores listed. More often than not you will find something for just about any occasion.

New parents do get weary of opening the “same” style of gift over and over. Why not stand out and send a delightful new baby gift basket. Each basket carries a wonderful variety of different newborn gifts to delight any new parent. You can get a generic new baby gift basket, or one designed for a girl or a boy. There are many gift baskets for twins and triplets. Some gifts can be personalized. And don’t forget the whimsical diaper cakes that can double as a baby shower centerpiece or decoration for the nursery.

How many times do you find yourself in the position where you need to reach out to someone who is not feeling well? In this case, flowers just won’t do. Gift basket stores carry a wide selection of get well gift baskets or even elaborate cookies, cakes or cheesecakes to help put a smile back on someone’s face.

My favorite thing to send my senior citizen parents, as well as my senior aunts and uncles, are gift baskets for their birthdays and holidays. My elder parents have just about everything they need, so by sending a gift basket, I’m sending more than just a gift, I’m sending a special moment. Imagine their delight each time they get that special brown box delivered to their doorstep! It’s especially nice to send even a small gift of dried fruits and nuts (their favorites) or something else just to say I’m thinking of you. By doing this I’m not just sending a gift, I’m making a special moment for them, which can’t be measured in dollars and cents.

Next time you need to give a gift to someone special, let a gift basket convey your thoughts. Don’t just send a gift, send a memory!

Shop The Gift Basket Store, America’s favorite gift boutique, offers over a thousand gifts and gift baskets for every occasion and holiday, including wedding and baby shower favors, along with cookie and lollipop bouquets. You can find them at http://www.shopthegiftbasketstore.com

Happy Shopping.

Shop The Gift Basket Store now carries Flowers and Cakes!

To further meet the needs of a loyal customer base, Shop The Gift Basket Store has expanded it's product line to include delicious cheesecakes and beautiful flower bouquets. Now you can shop in just one online store for all of your gift giving needs.

In addition to the cheesecakes and flowers, Shop The Gift Basket Store is America's favorite online gift basket store, carrying over 1000 gift baskets and gifts for every special occasion and holiday.

They will be expandeding their line even more in the next few weeks with more decadent cakes, customized cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels. Keep checking back them for updates at www.shopthegiftbasketstore.com

Don't forget.....Christmas in July is right around the corner....so it is time to start thinking about your corporate gifting needs. Contact Shop The Gift Basket Store for ideas and suggestions at info@shopthegiftbasketstore.com.