day of service - ellington cms

January 17-23, 2018

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online at potomacalmanac.com

Page, 5

‘Fulfilling the Dream’ News, Page 3

New Year, New OrderA+, Page 5

Day of ServiceNews, Page 2

Carlyne Cardichon and her daughters Gaby, 13, and Martine,15, of Potomac, were among the volunteers who helped with clean up projects at Locust Grove Nature Center in Cabin John Regional Park on Monday, Jan. 15. More than 50 volunteers helped at the Nature Center as part of the MLK Day of Service.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 17-23, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See A Day of, Page 4

News

By Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

This year marks the 50th

anniversary of thedeath of Martin LutherKing, Jr., civil rights ac-

tivist who was assassinated April4, 1968.

On Monday, some MontgomeryCounty citizens celebrated his lifeand legacy with a Day of Service,volunteering throughout the area,collecting food for Manna FoodCenter, making bag lunches forhomeless shelters, and cleaning upthe environment by picking uptrash along stream beds and pull-ing invasive species fromparkland.

Most of those who volunteeredat Locust Grove Nature Center innearby Cabin John Regional Parkonly know of King’s work second-hand but were happy to brave thecold weather to make their cornerof the world a better place.

“My mother said [Dr. King] wasall about service and servingpeople no matter what race, creed

or gender,” said MartineCardichon, 15, of Potomac.

Martine, her sister Gaby, 13, andtheir mother Carlyne, volunteeredat the nature center for severalhours Monday. Together theycleaned trash along the streamseparating the nature center fromDemocracy Boulevard.

“We found lots of tennis ballsand plastic bottles and lots and lotsof Styrofoam,” Martine said. “Ieven found a plastic water gun.”

Much of the trash, she said wasfrozen to the ground and theycould not get it, still, they, alongwith other volunteers collected adozen large trash bags full of de-bris.

Though collecting trash on avery cold day is not a glamorousjob, Martine said it was an impor-tant one.

“The Earth belongs to everybodyand trash can kill wildlife, thatwould disrupt the food chainwhich will disrupt the whole,”Martine said.

Carlyne Cardichon said she andher daughter helped at the naturecenter because it was a day of ser-vice but also because they livenearby and enjoy the park.

“We enjoy the park so much, wewant to keep it clean, not just forour family but for everyone,” shesaid.

Inside the nature center, ScarletMann, 12, of Carderock Springs,helped naturalist Calvin Sweeney,clean a turtle cage and spray mois-ture in the home of Prince Charm-ing, the center’s resident toad.

About Martin Luther King, Jr.,Scarlet said that King helped hisworld and that is the point of theDay of Service.

“I think mostly what they aretrying to do is incorporate thosewho help the world connect it tothe environment,” she said. “Weare helping the environment,where Martin Luther King washelping people.”

Another trash collector for theday was Anderson Campellow, 8,from Potomac. He seemed excitedabout his trash haul, holding upan almost full trash bag and re-counting the various things hefound.

“I found a brick, a shoe, soccerball and a calendar for 2018,” hesaid.

Anderson and his parent, AlidaAnderson and Lenny Campellow,said they help at Locust Grove ev-ery year for the Day of Service.

“Last year we found a deer skel

Day of Service Brings Out the BestCelebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by volunteering in the community.

Scarlet Mann, 12, of Carderock Springs,adds moisture to the toad house duringthe Day of Service at Locust Grove NatureCenter in Cabin John Regional Park onMonday, Jan. 15.

Anderson Campellow, 8, displays the bag oftrash he collected along the creek at LocustGrove Nature Center. Anderson and hisparents spent time collecting trash at theNature Center Monday, Jan. 15 as part ofthe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

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Potomac Almanac ❖ January 17-23, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

County celebrates King’s legacy.‘Fulfilling the Dream’T

his year’s theme for Montgom-ery County’s annual MartinLuther King Jr. celebration was“Fulfilling the Dream: A Cel-

ebration of Yesterday, Today, and Tomor-row.” The ceremony, held on Monday, Jan.15 at the Music Center at Strathmore, wasproduced by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Commemorative Committee and the Mont-gomery County Office of Human Rights.

The event celebrated Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr’s life through dramatic readings,music, dance performances and a specialchoral performance by the Carlton ReeseMemorial Unity Choir from Birmingham,Ala.

The Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choirbegan in 1959 singing in the SixteenthStreet Baptist Church in Birmingham. Thegroup offered music and inspiration duringthe Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.

Musical performances were also providedby student groups from Albert Einstein HighSchool; Clarksburg High School; Dr. Mar-tin Luther King, Jr. Middle School;Gaithersburg High School; MontgomeryBlair High School; Northwest High Schooland Ritchie Park Elementary School.

The event was hosted by NBC News 4Anchor Leon Harris. Scheduled presenters

Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir from Birmingham, Ala. performed at Montgomery County’s annualMartin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday, Jan. 15.

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

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for the program included County ExecutiveIke Leggett, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen; U.S.Rep. Jamie Raskin; County Council Presi-

dent Hans Riemer; County Council VicePresident Nancy Navarro; CouncilmembersRoger Berliner, Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen,

Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, George Leventhal,Craig Rice; and Board of Education Presi-dent Michael Durso.

County Executive Isiah Leggett addresses the audience.

The eventwas hostedby NBC News4 AnchorLeon Harris.

The Golden Phoenix Dancers.

Cleo Kennedy of the Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir. Montgomery County Law Enforcement Color Guard.


News

POTOMACALMANAC

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EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

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ASSISTANT EDITORMike Salmon

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,

Cissy Finley Grant, Carole Funger,Colleen Healy, Kenny Lourie,Peggy McEwan, Ken Moore

ContributingPhotographers

Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager

Geovani Flores

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:

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Holiday FeastsFor the fourth year, TPC Potomac Executive Chef David Trevelino pre-pared holiday feasts for sailors aboard the USS Chicago submarine.Initially inspired by his son’s enlistment in the U.S. Navy, Trevelino andhis wife have since made it a holiday tradition. Thanks to contributionsfrom the members and friends of TPC Potomac, the duo’s travel wascovered, along with costs for food supplies and cargo shipping.

Room of the Council Office Building, 100 MarylandAve., Rockville. The Montgomery County Councilwill hold a public hearing on Expedited Bill 40-17,Personnel - Merit System - Salary and Wage Plans -Police Leadership Service, which would modify theuniform salary plan for police sworn managers toinclude a salary schedule for a Police LeadershipService; authorize the Chief Administrative Officerto establish a Police Leadership Service under themerit system for lieutenants and captains in theDepartment of Police; establish guidelines for thePolice Leadership Service; and generally amend thelaw governing salary schedules for Countyemployees under the merit system. Visittinyurl.com/z9982v8.

Afternoon Grief Support Group. Tuesdays from1:30-3 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church 6810Montrose Road, Rockville. A six-week group foranyone grieving the death of a loved one.Registration required at 301-921-4400.

WEDNESDAY/JAN. 17Evening Grief Support Group. Wednesdays 6:30-8

p.m. at Montgomery Hills Baptist Church, 9727Georgia Ave, Silver Spring. A six-week group foranyone grieving the death of a loved one.Registration required at 301-921-4400. (No meetingon Feb. 14.)

Loss Of A Child Support Group. Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. at at the Montgomery Hospice offices at 1355Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville. A six-weekgroup for parents grieving the death of a child ofany age. Registration required at 301-921-4400. (Nomeeting on Feb. 14.)

SATURDAY/JAN. 20100 Mile Challenge Kick-off Event. 2-4 p.m. in

the EOB cafeteria at the Montgomery CountyExecutive Office Building (EOB), 101 Monroe St.,Rockville. The event will include a healthy tastingreception, fitness programs and other groupactivities. Registered participants can also pick uptheir T-shirts and bandanas at the kickoff event. Thegoal of the program, which is self-reporting, is tocomplete 100 miles (or more) in 100 days. Twentyminutes of continuous physical activity also countsas one mile. Tracking logs will be sent to eachparticipant who registers atActiveMONTGOMERY.org, using activity number42466. Visit the 100 Mile Challenge atwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/100.html.

Bulletin Board

From Page 2

A Day ofService

eton.” Anderson said.Clean up at Locust Grove

seemed like a big success,naturalist Rebecca Wadlersaid. “We had a lot of peoplewho signed up and we had alot of people who just showedup. We are a very small naturecenter so we really do dependupon the public to help us,”Wadler said. “When we dothese days it [develops] own-ership of the nature center andhelps us grow.”

Amrita Sadhu, Archit Ravishankar, andAyusha Kadigari, students at Robert FrostMiddle School, show off one of the baskets offood donated by customers at the PotomacGiant Food store Sunday, Jan. 14. The stu-dents greeted shoppers with a list of foodsfrom Manna Food Center, and asked them topurchase items and donate to Manna as partof the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Ryan Whittaker, left, and Sean Borsumgreet shoppers at the Cabin John GiantSunday encouraging donations to MannaFood Center. The boys, both students atJulius West Middle School, volunteered aspart of the Montgomery County Day ofService in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos and art-work welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, at leasttwo weeks before event.

GENERAL ASSEMBLYThe Maryland General Assembly meets in

Annapolis each year for 90 days to act on more than2,500 bills including the state’s annual budget.Potomac falls into two districts, District 15 andDistrict 16, each one with one senator and threedelegates. Visit www.mlis.state.md.us.

WINTER GUIDE AVAILABLEThe 2017-2018 winter issue of the

Montgomery County Guide for Recreationand Parks programs is now available to thepublic. The Winter Guide features a variety ofclasses and programs designed to help participantsstay active and have fun. Visitwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec/Resources/Files/publications/WinterGuide2017-2018.pdf.

TUESDAY/JAN. 16Public Hearing. 1:30 p.m. in the Third Floor Hearing

Photos by

Peggy McEwan

The Almanac


By Marilyn Campbell

With the holidays now amemory, local organizersare getting requests fromthose with overflowing

buckets of ambition to create and maintaina clutter-free space.

“One of the first things to learn is that afew minutes spent on a few tasks each daycan go a long way in maintaining order,”said Jodie Jacobs of SOUPerior Organizing.“Decide how important a clean, clutter-freespace is to you and follow through on keep-ing it that way. Prioritize it like other im-portant things in your life.”

One habit that Susan Unger of ClutterSOSteachers her clients to focus on simplethings that can be done easily and fre-quently. “In general, I recommend keepingup with household duties on a daily basisso none of them become a bigger project,”said Unger. “For example, don’t leave dishesin the sink. Load the dishwasher after ev-ery meal and put all cooking and food prepitems away so the counters are clear.”

Establishing a daily routine so that tidy-ing becomes second nature is a techniquethat Unger uses in her own life and teachesto her clients. “I always make my bed firstthing in the morning,” she said. “Having aneat bedroom is a great way to start the

day.”Also on her recommended list of daily

tasks: apparel. “Be sure to put all clothesaway on a daily basis rather than leavingthem on a chair or the floor,” said Unger.“Clean clothes should be hung up or put indrawers and dirty clothes in the laundrybasket.”

In fact, Unger tells clients to gather theentire family at the end of each day andspend 10 minutes tidying as a group. “Makea sweep of your house and determine whichitems need to be put in their proper place,”she said. “It makes for a less stressful and

more pleasant morning when you’re notwaking up to clutter sitting around,” saidUnger.

Deal with mail on a daily basis so itdoesn’t pile up, advises Unger. “Immediatelyrecycle or shred the junk mail and put bills,items to file and reading in an appropriateplace.”

Whether it’s a small basket by the frontdoor or storage boxes placed under a bed,one technique for tidiness is having a des-ignated space for items. “Kids’ homeworkshould have a landing place like a back-pack,” said Jacobs. “The backpack should

go in a particular place, like on a hook. Youhave to figure out what works for your fam-ily.”

Keep bathrooms in order by adding over-the-door hooks to hold towels, suggestedTodd Martz, Home on Cameron in Alexan-dria. “This might make the room appearsmaller, but it [offers] a place to put tow-els,” he said. “Include a decorative bag onthe door hook for toiletries so they’re outof the way.”

“Add an ottoman or coffee table with stor-age,” continued Martz. “Maximize the spacenext to a utility or laundry room by addinga … shelf to hold blankets.”

Whether it’s once a week or once a month,schedule time to spend on organizationprojects and record it on a calendar, advisesJacobs. “Tie it to something that you alreadydo and select a time that won’t be overrunby other events, she said. “If you know thatevery Sunday at nine o’clock, you alwayswatch a television show, set aside that timeto go through mail, pay bills and respondto invitations while you’re watching. Thatway, your time won’t get bumped for a soc-cer game or business meeting.”

One caveat that Jacobs offers her clientsis, “Maintaining a routine doesn’t mean thatyou won’t slip up at times,” she said. “Youhave to hold yourself to realistic standardsor you’ll get discouraged.”

Local organizers teach methodsfor streamlining a space.New Year, New Order

Photos courtesy of Jodie Jacobs

Small tasks such as putting away clothes each daycan lead to a organized space.

Teaching childrento put away toys atthe end of the daycan create a peace-ful environment.


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Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.

FRIDAY/JAN. 19Fine Arts Quartet and pianist. 8

p.m. at WestmorelandCongregational UCC Church, 1Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. FineArts Quartet and pianist AlonGoldstein will be featured as part ofthe Washington ConservatoryConcert Series. Email [email protected] or call301-320-2770.

JAN. 19-FEB. 25The Wonder People. At Photoworks

Gallery, in Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. “The WonderPeople” exhibit is a series of portraitsof children and adults caught in theglobal refugee crisis. PhotographerDorte Verner captured the exhibitedphotographs of people fromAfghanistan, Burundi, Central AfricanRepublic, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Iraq, Kurdistan, Myanmar,Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan,Syria and more over the past one anda half years. Visit glenechopark.org.

SUNDAY/JAN. 21Design Seminar. 1-3 p.m. at Gallery

B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E,Bethesda. Subject: “How to IntegrateArtwork into your Home.” Call 301-215-7990 for more.

Hot Jazz Jam Session. 3-6 p.m. atThe Potomac River Jazz Club atNormandie Farm Restaurant, 10710Falls Road, Potomac. Bring andinstrument and sit in with theConservatory Classic Jazz Band orjust come on by to listen and enjoy.$10 admission, free for jammers andstudents. Visit PRJC.org.

Opening Reception and GalleryTalk. 4-6 p.m. at PhotoworksGallery, in Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. “The WonderPeople” exhibit is a series of portraitsof children and adults caught in theglobal refugee crisis. PhotographerDorte Verner captured the exhibitedphotographs of people fromAfghanistan, Burundi, Central AfricanRepublic, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Iraq, Kurdistan, Myanmar,Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan,Syria and more over the past one anda half years. Visitwww.glenechopark.org.

JAN. 26-FEB. 4The Underpants. Various times at the

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603Edmonston Drive, Rockville.Rockville Little Theatre will continueits 70th consecutive season with anadaptation of Carl Sternheim’s “TheUnderpants,” written by actor,

comedian, musician and writer SteveMartin. “The Underpants” containssome mature themes and humor andis recommended for ages 13 andover. $22 for adults and $20 forseniors and students. Call the boxoffice at 240-314-8690, or visitfscottfitzgerald.showare.com.

SATURDAY/JAN. 27MoComCon. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at

Montgomery County Library, SilverSpring branch located, 900 WayneAve., Silver Spring. MontgomeryCounty Public Libraries will host itssecond comic convention. This eventis open and accessible to all,including seasoned comicconventioneers, novices and thecurious of all ages. The comicconvention will include a variety ofpresenters, workshops, programs,displays, exhibitors and cosplay(costume play, dressing up as acharacter) opportunities. Free. Visitmontgomerycountymd.gov/library/programs/mocomcon/.

SUNDAY/JAN. 28Live Music. 7 p.m. at Focus Bethesda

at Positano’s Restaurant, 4948-4940Fairmont Ave., Bethesda. The HarriedAmericans and The Aloha Boys are inconcert on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at FocusBethesda at Positano’s Restaurant,4948-4940 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda.Tickets are $18 in advance at

www.focusmusic.org/buy-tickets andfor members, $20 at the door.

SATURDAY/FEB. 3Concert Series. 8 p.m. at

Westmoreland Congregational UCCChurch, 1 Westmoreland Circle,Bethesda. Members of the PressendaChamber Players – performingrepertoire for violin, viola, cello, andpiano – will be featured as part of theWashington Conservatory ConcertSeries. Free (donations welcome).Audience members are invited to apost-concert Wine & Words in thechurch social hall. Visitwww.westmorelanducc.org/.

FEB. 10 - MARCH 18“The Princess & the Pauper – A

Bollywood Tale.” Various times inImagination Stage’s Annette M. andTheodore N. Lerner Family Theatre,Auburn Avenue, Bethesda. In thisBollywood-inspired musicaladaptation of the classic Mark Twainnovel, commoners work long hoursto support the luxurious lifestyle ofthe palace royals. Rani, a shydressmaker’s daughter, dreams ofruling the Sultanate with generosityand justice. Meanwhile, a corruptWazir plots to steal the throne, and aspoiled Princess Razia longs wistfullyfor freedom beyond the palace walls.Tickets start at $10. Visitwww.imaginationstage.org.

“The Wonder People” by Dorte Verner.

Art Exhibit“The Wonder People” exhibit is a series of portraits of children and adults caught

in the global refugee crisis. Photographer Dorte Verner captured the exhibitedphotographs of people from Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Demo-cratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kurdistan, Myanmar, Rwanda, Somalia, SouthSudan, Syria and more over the past one and a half years. Exhibit runs Jan. 19-Feb. 25 at Photoworks Gallery, in Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Visitwww.glenechopark.org.

Entertainment


News

Officially FilingFor CongressCongressional candi-date David Troneofficially filed paper-work on Tuesday, Jan 9to appear on theDemocratic primaryballot. Trone an-nounced his candidacyin early August andhas since then traveledthrough the 6th Districttalking with votersabout his agenda tocreate jobs all through-out the district, im-prove the district’sinfrastructure includ-ing I-81 and I-270,doubling the fundingfor the National Insti-tutes of Health, andfighting the OpioidCrisis. Trone is thefounder and owner of Total Wine & More. He started the companywith one store and grew it into 172 stores in 22 states. They cur-rently employ 6,000 people. More information about David Troneand his campaign for Congress can be found atwww.davidtrone.com.

The Center for Transformative Teaching& Learning at St. Andrew’s (CTTL) inPotomac has received a grant to fund a pi-lot program of Neuroteach Global, an onlineprofessional development platform thatdelivers research-informed strategies inMind, Brain, and Education Science.

The initiative is intended to expand theCTTL’s capacity to meet international de-mand for services. Neuroteach Global willexpand both the scale and scope of theCTTL’s work to bridge neuro-educationalresearch and classroom practice. Thisproject has been made possible in part by agrant from the Chan Zuckerberg InitiativeDAF, an advised fund of the Silicon ValleyCommunity Foundation.

Created by Priscilla Chan, M.D. andFacebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, theChan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) looks “forbold ideas - regardless of structure and stage- and helps them scale... to build tools thataccelerate the pace of social progress.”

“The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s missionis the same as every educator,” said GlennWhitman, director of the CTTL. “To advancehuman potential. We’re delighted to haveearned their support in the early phase of

this important innovation in the personal-ized professional development of teachersin all school settings.”

The CTTL is the only pre-collegiateschool-based research center in the UnitedStates designing and providing MBE Scienceresearch-informed professional develop-ment programming to public, charter andprivate schools as well as Teach For America(Washington, D.C., region). Since its found-ing in 2011, the CTTL has attracted foun-dational funding from organizations includ-ing the Crimsonbridge Foundation, theOmidyar Group, E.E. Ford Foundation,CityBridge Foundation, and Windover Foun-dation. The CTTL has trained teachers atmore than 100 schools in 20 states and fivecountries.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School serves asthe CTTL’s incubator for new programming,resources, and educational tools. Partici-pants in the pilot phase of MBE Global willinclude Northeast High School (Pasadena,Md.) Mead High School (Fort Meade),Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (ChevyChase), Breck School (Golden Valley, Minn.)and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School(Potomac).

Initiative’s Grant SupportsCenter at St. Andrew’s

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline is Thursday at noon.

Madeline Brennan-Levine, of Rockville,achieved the dean’s list at Belmont University(Nashville, Tenn.) for the fall 2017 semester.

Elizabeth Chiaramonte , of Potomac,achieved the dean’s list at Belmont University

(Nashville, Tenn.) for the fall 2017 semester.

Emily Harlan, of Bethesda, achieved thedean’s list at Belmont University (Nashville, Tenn.)for the fall 2017 semester.

Tom Oggier, of Potomac, was named to the fall2017 dean’s list at Ohio Wesleyan University (Dela-ware, Ohio).

School Notes

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

As a baby-boomer, I’ve transitioned fromblack and white television to color to “H.D” -and of course now to “Smart Television;” andwithin that evolution, so too has the variety,content and number of channels– and the“demand” that we consumers can make –from home, transitioned as well. And I don’tsuppose much of it could have happenedwithout advertising and the revenue it hasgenerated. Promoted by people, places andthings. From sports heroes to celebrities tonews makers to cartoon characters to puppetsand on to anthropomorphic agents/avatarsand other creative mouthpieces.

I grew up watching television – without aremote, not listening to the radio. I rememberseeing “Mr. Clean,” “The Jolly Green Giant,”“Mr. Magoo,” “Speedy” – from Alka Seltzer –among other iconic creatures of the creative,all of whom sent so many messages to somany consumers, ripe for the plucking. Abrand new medium had arrived: television,and its audience was extra large and extraeager.

And even though these spokes-things werenot exactly speaking from the heart (whatheart?), they were speaking/symbolizing withconviction – and repetition. The impressionsmade on impressionable future consumerswere incalculable. It launched a generation.Not the “Greatest Generation,” mind you, buta generation nonetheless, prepped and readyto make its mark: in the drug store, the con-venience store, the supermarket, the box storeand now the on-line store. We are not merelywhat we buy, we are what and how we areadvertised to.

Previously I had written a column abouthow I loathe the computer-generated charac-ters which have been utilized on television inan attempt to capture consumers’ interest. Assoon as they appear on television, I switchrather than fight. For me, it’s an immediateturn off, literally and figuratively. I am not lis-tening to inanimate objects/creations tell an“animate” (yours truly) object what to do. Andthough I understand the humanity behind themessage, as far as I’m concerned, the deliverysystem does not compute (an old-fashionedusage). Artificial spokes-things are not worththe computer screens they’re drawn on.

What has brought this rant on is a new ele-ment in the artificially-intelligent world inwhich many of us are subjected: holidaygreetings from a computer. Mass emails sentby manufacturers from whom as a consumerwe’ve emailed, inquired, bought, sold, etc.,wishing me a “happy, healthy, prosperousholiday/New Year,” yada, yada, yada;click/delete. As fast as I can. Are you kiddingme? It’s not bad enough that as consumers weare regularly watching/listening to fake spokes-things on television, I am now being directlyinteracted with through my personal emailstoo. No. That’s where I draw theline/terminate my attention span.

However well-conceived, I am not gettinginvolved with what is in effect, a thing. Pre-programmed messages of this kind are theunkindest cut of all; “Et tu, Brute?” If you/yourcompany can only treat me like a number –and not as a person, don’t treat me at all.Don’t think for a nanosecond that a holidaymissive to a massive holiday audience carriesany substantial weight. It doesn’t. It providesthe exact opposite: a greater wait until Irespond. It’s akin to be weightless in outerspace. It’s for bemusement. It serves no func-tional purpose. And though I can certainlyappreciate how getting into thousands/millionsof personal email accounts with one keystrokehas an appeal, you risk squandering a previ-ously hard-earned resource: goodwill.

You want me as a customer? Don’t emailme feelings. Email me facts and figures. Youreally want me as a customer? Then speak tome, really. Save your greetings; and not fornext year either.

SeasonsGratings

day of service - ellington cms

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