Happy Valentines Day

Hearts and Funeral flowers

Bang the drum slowly: Father Michael Bercik was a Clairton guy. He became a priest and was ordained at his home parish of St. Paulinus, after which he moved to parishes from Pittsburgh to Boston. Father Michael served as pastor at Saint Pamphilus Catholic Church in Pittsburgh for eleven years, served as pastor at St Ann's Catholic Church in Marlborough, Massachusetts for fourteen years, and served as pastor at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry, New Hampshire. He also served on the Provincial Definitorium of the Providence of the Immaculate Conception. He died of complications from diabetes and kidney failure. He leaves Milbrey Campbell of Tennessee, his twin sister and brother Fred of Charleroi.

One life ends, another begins: Last week’s snow storm in Clairton brought the Blue Flame Restaurant’s service to a screeching halt. With no power for a week the local restaurant was unable to host the civic group meetings, post-funeral mercy dinners, or the many regulars who stop by for good food and conversation. But life must go on. At least that was the case with 30-year old Questa Giles of Charleroi. She was very, very pregnant during the snow storm when a little voice inside her began to say, “Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail will stop me from making my grand entrance into the world.”

Questa’s mom Gelinda Giles piled her daughter and almost grandchild into the car and headed up the recently opened Highway 43 to its terminus at Rte. 51 for a hospital, braving the weather. Once the Blue Flame came into sight Grandma, Mom, and almost Baby all knew that the ride was about to be interrupted. They whipped into the semi-snowbound parking lot and with the help of Jefferson Police Officers Sgt. William Potts and his partner Stephanie Behers, added one more life to the world in the person of 7 pound 8 ounce girl named Emani. The three generations of Giles eventually made it to the hospital where Mom and Baby are reportedly doing well. Grandma is still shaking. Perhaps the Blue Flame sign will be changed to read “Blue Flame Restaurant and Birthing Center.” If not, surely their parking lot will be remembered as a place of Special Delivery.

St. Valentine’s Day is for the birds: One myth held that if a young girl saw a particular bird on St. Valentine’s Day she would marry a particular type of man. Blackbird = man of the cloth, bluebird = man of humor, dove = man of kindness, goldfinch = man of wealth, robin = man of the sea, sparrow = man of the country and if she saw a woodpecker on Valentine’s Day she’d remain a spinster.

Top 10 gifts for her on Valentine’s Day: #10, a personally cut CD with her favorite music, #9, tickets for a weekend getaway to either her favorite spot or a romantic place you want to explore (hint: DO NOT take her to the romantic place you and your ex enjoyed so much). # 8, lingerie. Be sure to tell her that she looks better than the models at Victoria’s Secret. #7, dinner out at an upscale restaurant and make it a very special night #6 by getting there in a limo. #5 Chocolates in a heart shaped box, #4, a huge bouquet of roses complete with baby’s breath and greens. #3, jewelry, depending on your budget this could be a heart-shaped locket or lots of diamonds. #2 is poetry. If your ability is limited to “Roses are red, violets are blue,” or if you can only rhyme love to above, perhaps a fine poem from a commercial source would be your choice. And the #1 gift for a most special Valentine’s Day is the renewal of your vows. Take her to a chapel. If I may use the line that you used when wooing her, “Trust me.”

Nothing says “I love you” like a… dolphin? For as long as there’s been romance there have been symbols of love. Today we are most familiar with flowers, especially roses, hearts, lovebirds, doves, and of course Cupid and his arrows. Scholars tell us that Valentine’s and romantic symbols over the years have included pendants, crystals, butterflies, and even dolphins.

Cupid is the son of Venus, the Goddess of Love. According to mythology whomever his arrow hits will fall in love with the first person s/he sees. The love knot concept was born in the Muslim culture where women would send a message of love to a man by tying the knots of a carpet in a certain way and sending him the carpet. It is believed that on Valentine’s Day love birds and doves found their mates. And of course, the heart is the very center of life. Hence, the symbol of cupid’s arrow piercing the heart has come to represent true love.

A little blogging music Maestro…. Today there can be no better selection than John Paul Young’s, “Love is in the Air.”

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Farewell Dear Friends

A Week of Legacy

Florie of China: A true era has passed with the passing of a dear friend. Florie was the last of the group of World War II era people who simply exuded class, good manners, grace, and a sense of worldliness. She lived in Shanghai, China as part of a class of people who rubbed elbows with heads of state. Her eldest son was born in Shanghai and her family’s textile mills produced a good portion of the Chinese GNP and exports. After the War ended and the infamous Gang of Seven began their takeover in China, Florie and her family were able to move to South America where although life was not as regal as it had been, she still was able to maintain her persona.

Years became decades and Florie’s family did as families do. Her parents passed on, she lost her husband, and her children got on with their lives throughout the world. Florie moved to Canada and lived alone in her apartment for decades as the world that she and her family helped define changed. Even into her nineties she visited her children regularly in New York and Thailand. One son moved to Canada and lived nearby.

Last week at age 99 Florie fell in her apartment, apparently after suffering a heart attack. She had rarely been ill or dependent and her children sensed the worst. Her eldest son raced to the Bangkok airport but in a cruel twist of fate the airport was closed by government protesters and remained so for more than a week. Unable to leave Thailand the eldest son depended on missives from his sibling in Canada for medical updates. There were few, as Florie passed away peacefully not long after entering the hospital. The tragedy is doubled as the son who devoted his life to making sure his mother was able to live the life she deserved, was prevented by political unrest from being at her side at the end.

James of Japan: Jim Wilson really wasn’t from Japan. He wasn’t even Japanese. Well, yes he was. Jim was born as Caucasian American as one could be. Jim joined the Navy and spent time in Japan as a cryptologist and computer expert. There he decided to stay for, oh, a quarter century or so. He became so prolific in the Japanese language and culture that he became a court reporter and Japanese interpreter. When his younger brother became a ward of the state Jim brought him to Japan and enrolled him in school. That’s just the kind of guy Jim was. But that is not only who Jim was. Short in stature and slight in build, Jim had more energy than the Eveready Bunny.

Jim became a businessman and taught himself the technology of the internet. His specialties included business and professional coaching, wireless networking, multimedia, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Also Consulting: Japanese-English DVD translations and conversions, site development and strategies as well as conference A/V Support, Multilingual Simultaneous Interpreting. Jim was a master promoter, developing dozens of media outlets including vegasnews, which featured himself as a columnist as well as Robin Leach and myself. If you wonder how effective he was at getting his clients featured on the net, Google Makino Green Tea, one of his recent Las Vegas clients and notice the plethora and placement of the product.

A small segment of Jim’s resume includes: “Developed 1.5 million + subscribers in Japan for streaming desktop product, Index-TV, and three strategic alliances for content and distribution mostly in Asia. Successfully negotiated Japan license for Canadian Playerless streaming media product which replaced Index-TV's original QuickTime-based product. Vice President, Business Development, Managed Staff of 27; Direct reports included directors of Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, Creative, Internet Broadcasting and related programming staff. Identified and developed 140 business alliances and partnering strategies for print and electronic media. Internet and business development services for corporations marketing to Japan and Japanese tourists in Las Vegas. Japanese Website Development. Owner at Wilson Productions, Vegas Buzz News & Radio .

Jim’s biggest venture of late was the Las Vegas Marathon, a project he worked on for several months. He did publicity nad planned to stream the even live across the world via his online news network. The run will take place Sunday, December 7, but Jim will not be there.

Last week, probably on Tuesday, Jim’s heart ceased to function. He lived alone and remained at home until he was discovered two days later after concerned friends asked the landlord to check on his welfare. The world is a less perfect place after the loss of my friends Florie and Jim. They were both single-mold people. Neither met the other but both made the world a better place. Rest in peace my dear friends.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Roses and Tears” by Capercaillie.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Read me also for the last time at Jim Wilson’s: http://vegasnews.squarespace.com/dr-forgot-andrew-r-nixon/