Governor Christie and Trump Rally at Lawrence National Guard Armory

By Tammy Duffy

Invitations for a Trump rally for this evening were $200 a person  and all the proceeds benefited Christie’s presidential campaign committee, which had $400,000 in debt and $150,000 in cash on hand as of March 31.

The Trump event was hoped to be a way to reduce Christie’s debt load significantly, but likely would not erase it. There were less than 500 people at the event this evening.  Tickets for students were $25 and there plenty of them in attendance.  The most they could have raised based on bodies in the room was less than $100,000.

In the end, the rally demonstrated the less than colossal crowed Trump is accustomed to. The $200 a person price, clearly kept people on their decks this evening vs. attending the rally. 

A few New Jerseyans thought they had secured tickets to Trump’s rally for free, instead of having to pay the $200 price, but they were disappointed to learn Tuesday that the tickets were being handed out due to a glitch on Trump’s website. Many of the attendees complained they thought they were being duped because their tickets did not arrive via email until the morning or some the evening of the event. One man in attendance said he ended up buying two tickets because he was afraid he would not get in because his ticket did not arrive on time.

Hundreds of Trump supporters descended on the National Guard armory in this Mercer County suburb Thursday night to see the presumptive Republican presidential nominee hold his first campaign rally in NJ.  And at the same time, hundreds protesters gathered in a park across the street to voice their detest. There were school buses that went buy filled with children screaming profanity from the buses about Mr. Trump.

Paul Anthony, 18, helped organize a coalition of dozens of students from nearby Lawrence High School to speak out against Trump. "He's a racist, bigoted, homophobic, anti-Semite," said Anthony, who is voting for the first time this fall and supports Democratic contender Bernie Sanders. 

And not everyone there was from New Jersey. Joan Allen drove 2 1/2 hours from Bronxville, N.Y., to hold a sign near the entrance of the armory that read: "Fools love Trump."

When the doors opened there were less than 150 people in attendance. There was a biplane flying overhead with a banner reading, " #Make NJ Great Again #dumpchristietrump.

Danny Campbell, notorious member of the Jersey Shore gang, according to sources, was evidently hired to run the souvenir carts at the event. All of the products that were being sold at the event demonstrated labels, Made in China.

As the attendees of the event waited for the rally to start, there were fights going on in the wait area. Perfect strangers were acting like two year olds in the back seat of the car on family vacation, "You touched me!" and arguments were breaking out. I listened to a man completely insult a woman about her attire, her educational status, her looks, all the while her significant other just stood there an did nothing to stop the perfect stranger from insulting his loved one. The behaviors were odd to say the least. I felt as if I was at a cult rally vs. a political rally.

It must also be noted that there were zero accomodations made for the handicapped or anyone with special needs. There were zero seats in the auditorium for anyone. The $200 fee to get in did not get you even a mat to sit on.  There were veterans there who had to walk long distances from parking areas, for there was not even any handicapped parking. 

There were very few women in the room, there were mostly white men. It was a very white crowd.Attendees were corralled into metal barriers like cows at the slaughter house.

Several politicians were in attendance, some even got to use the podium. Senator Penacchio, Senator Mike Dougherty and Chris Christie all gave talks that focused on the goals of the Trump campaign. Senator Dougherty said,"What are Donald Trump's sins? He wants to protect citizens, not allow jobs to be moved from the USA, focus on the middle class, and make other countries pay their fair share."

Trump made a poor choice having Hamilton township, Mercer County, Mayor Yaede (obviously he wanted some woman on the stage) take the podium during the event. She was instantly boo'd both coming and going off the stage. She made the oddest statement during her time at the podium. She said," Never trust a politician, we do not need politicians in political office."  The attendees who boo'd her could not agree with her more. They snickered at her comment and said,"That is right Yaede, we do not trust you." According to attendees, Yaede has demonstrated poor leadership, an inability to set a budget, lost their Playcity designation due to the fact her team ignored the playground equipment for years until it was unsafe for use, increases cost to taxpayers with a personal entourage of security, she ignores residents, hires her entire family to work at the township, walks with her back to the American flag during parades, has habitually raises taxes on residents annually to accomodate raises for herself and staff, and makes poor choices that effect the public safety of the residents.  The list of complaints went on an on by the attendees. She even calls the town "The Big H", which is the street name for heroin. She is oblivious to the fact that big H is the street name for heroin. Mr. Trump needs to vett who he lets on stage during his events. 

Governor Christie spoke about his 14 year friendship with the Trump family. He stated that he will always stand by his friends.

When Donald Trump took the stage the attendees were supportive and chanting for the presidential candidate. Donald started the conversation speaking about the 3 to 5 new judges he wants to appoint. Trump said," We will be naming 3 to 5 new judges Chris," all the while looking directly at Governor Christie.  Was this a subliminal message of some sort? Does this mean Govenor Christie will be a new judge or a VP? Only time will tell, but clearly there seemed to be some meaning to that message.

Trump went on to speak about free trade. He said Nabisco is moving their manufacturing plant to Mexico. He stated, he will no longer eat his favorite cookie, Oreo's.  He told Governor Christie, " Chris, No more Oreo's for you either."

Carrier, a manufacturer of air conditioners is slated to move their manufacturing to Mexico. Trump stated," If they do this I will charge them a 35% tax on every air conditioner they sell in the United Stated." He also went on to say that if other companies do this, they too will be hit with the same outrageous tax.Yet, Made in China products were in every cart prior to the rally, is his Trump being a hypocrite or just something else?

There is no doubt, there is an energy Trump created in the room upon his entrance. However, people were not saying, " I have to have Trump." Their comments were more in line with, " We need change."  Who will change America for the better? We will find out soon enough.

There were many people there who will be first time voters. Their ages ranged from 18 to 67. I spoke to a man 46 years old who has never voted.

In all the hoopla of these months of campaigns, it does appear that more are going out to vote. Let's hope the right candidate wins the race in November. Who are you voting for?

Posted by tammyduffy at 10:42 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 20 May 2016 2:11 PM EDT

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 Junie B. Jones Shares Tips, Tricks and Fun in ‘Survival Guide’ at MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre June 4

Junie B. Jones is back.  The irrepressible youngster is ready to share her words of wisdom with young audiences as Theatreworks/USA presents “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School” at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey Theatre Saturday, June 4 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Junie has been going to school for more than 1-1/2 years now.  Who knows better how to write the book on everything a kid needs to know? From bus rules to band-aids, carpools to cookies, Junie has a jillion tips, tricks and trip-ups, and she’ll share her hard-won expertise and show her friends at Kelsey Theatre how school is sometimes scary, sometimes super-fun, and always something to sing about.  It’s a fresh new musical adventure based on the popular book series by Barbara Park, with book and lyrics by Marcy Heisler and music by Zina Goldrich.

Theatreworks/USA is America’s largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences.  Since 1961, the company has enlightened, entertained, and instructed more than 90 million people in 49 states and Canada, now performing for about four million people annually.

Tickets are $10 for children, students and seniors, and $12 for adults.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.  Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking available next to the theater.

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:09 PM EDT

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FlightMageddon: Smell something, Say Something

By Tammy Duffy

The summer time holiday travel crush is upon us. Want to give a special gift to a stranger?  Spread some holiday cheer by not doing any of the things I am about to share with you while flying.

During a recent United Airlines flight to Ohio we experienced quite the turbulent flight. This is a normal occurrence and expected as we fly the skies. We are accepting of this and entrust the crew to keep us safe and get us grounded safely.

However, on the ride home the experience was quite different. The gentleman pictured above removed his shoes as he sat down. In an instant this man created the most radically noxious, odiferous atmosphere for all of us in the back of the plane. He was completely oblivious and non caring of the atmosphere he created. His feet on appearance resembled that of a expeditioner traversing the NYC subway system rail systems barefooted for 2 weeks, in the search for the ultimate piece of pizza. The pungent odor was quite penetrating. It traveled up our nostrils and had a stay power equivalent to a tick on a dog sucking the blood from a vessel.

This unnamed man was sitting next to a friend. His friend did throw his smelly footed wonder friend a look when he removed his shoes, however, did nothing to rectify the situation.  The flight crew also seemed oblivious to the smell. But, what could they do? Are their olfactory senses dismantled when they are hired by United? Are they not allowed to say anything in fear someone will sue the airline?

After we landed and during my ride home, the negative olfactory experience continued. The smell of dirty, crusty, pus smelling feet permeated my nostrils. I felt as if I had been sprayed with a new type of Febreeze, entitled Smelly foot spray.

The olfactory experience was not the only experience passengers got to relish in from this passenger. When he woke up from his nap, he began a large excavation of his nasal passage. Each new mucosal secretion he removed from his nasal cavity, he examined with extreme interest. It was as if he had discovered the first piece of gold in a new gold mine. Each new piece of "gold" he placed carefully in a tissue for collection.  Once he felt the entire cave (aka his booger filled nose) had been full excavated, he placed this massively filled mucosal secreted tissue into the seat back pocket.This is a horrible thing to do for the flightcrew who cleans the planes.

The level of rudeness this passenger demonstrated to fellow passengers and to the flight crew (with the mucosal secreted filled tissue) is beyond what is acceptable. Why have we become a society of such radical behavior in the skies. No wonder Mr. Trump has his own plane.

As a common courtesy, you should at least walk onto the plane clean and not reeking of body odor. One of my worst flights involved a couple who smelled so bad that the passengers in the two rows around them literally had to plug their noses for the flight. Later, the flight attendants actually encouraged the offended passengers to write to Delta to complain and get a gift certificate. A close second in terms of hygiene-related offenses is when you see people clipping their nails, tweezing their eyebrows or putting nail polish on. It’s not only rude but it’s also illegal to put on nail polish on planes because it’s highly flammable. If you ever see someone putting it on, either tell them to stop or ring the call button and ask the flight attendant if they smell nail polish. And don’t get me started about the person across the aisle who I saw flossing their teeth.

Let me tell you another story that my aunt shared with me. The smelly feet cannot compare to what happened to her returning from Switzerland last fall.  She was traveling business class and they were bumped up to first class on our return flight.  It was their first time ever flying first class internationally. Everything is going well on the flight.  They were being pampered by her own personal attendant. After lunch, lights are subdued and people are napping. She was not for she cannot sleep on planes.

There are only four seats, my aunt, two in the center and one against the other side of the plane. All of a sudden she gets a whiff of the smelliest flatus you can imagine.  The gentleman in the seat across the aisle has his rump pointed in her direction and his anal wind was aimed right at her. She gets up and goes to another seat to tell her husband how bad the smell is. She returns to her seat and the smell has now dissipated. She sits down only to be greeted with another smelly windstorm. The smell has crescendo stronger than Beethoven's 5th symphony.  She then goes to the galley to ask if they have anything to help with the odor. The odor at this point had taken over the cabin.  

The attendant has a spray and starts spraying the entire cabin. They were laughing, although it was not funny.  The human odiferous wind machine, got the hint because he then sat up. A few minutes later he gets up and goes to the restroom. He comes back and then I notice the galley is now being sprayed. The smell was so bad it crept out of the restroom into the galley. After her first experience going first class she said she would rather sit next to a sewer.

Where do the airlines have to take ownership of these bad behaviors of passengers? To ensure that passengers do not have to be subjected to these bad behaviors. Many passengers will not go to the galley and complain for fear of what could happen if the "culprit" reacts in some severely negative manner at 30,000 feet.

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:13 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 7 May 2016 9:27 AM EDT

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 ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON HAMILTON

SUPPORTING THE ARTS

LAKEFRONT GALLERY

The Lakefront Gallery at RWJUHH has 4 shows a year and is located on the first floor at RWJ Hamilton Hospital. These art shows include  juried exhibit submissions and First Bid Auctions both of which will support Lakefront Gallery.   The gallery takes no fees from artists for exhibiting nor do we except any commissions. The gallery is maintained by the Princeton Photography Club.  If you are a local artist who has a desire to exhibit, you can contact the gallery to do just that. The gallery is focused on promoting emerging artists in the community.

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:16 AM EDT

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Over the last three months, the Zimmerli Art Museum’s special exhibition galleries have filled up with nearly 1,400 photographs, as part of the HereNow: Rutgers 250 initiative to celebrate the university’s milestone anniversary. Photos submitted by students, faculty, alumni, and visitors have fondly highlighted iconic scenes of student life and campus sights, uncovered hidden nooks, and captured treasured moments. Together, these images celebrate the Rutgers experience and create a dynamic, once-in-a-lifetime collage. As the final submission deadline for the museum’s first ever crowdsourced exhibition approaches on May 15, we invite the global Rutgers community to share their photos, and support our vision to capture the past, present, and future of our university. Images can be submitted via the microsite herenow250.rutgers.edu, which launched last November, and will be added to the growing exhibition.

As part of the culmination of the initiative, following the final submission deadline, all of the images will be reviewed by a panel of arts professionals, and 250 will be chosen to be featured in a full-color art book that will be available prior to Charter Day, November 10, 2016. We encourage you not to miss the opportunity to participate, and encapsulate your Rutgers moments for future generations.

“The photos represent the broad range of people who interact with Rutgers and their individual experiences,” says Donna Gustafson, Curator of American Art and Mellon Director for Academic Programs at the Zimmerli. “Some general themes have emerged, but there is no one subject that dominates the project.”

Most photographs have been taken on campus in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Camden, and Newark; but university and club events held around the state and nation, as well as in study abroad locations, also appear. The collage features selfies and photos of football games and classroom scenes, but also unique abstracts of familiar places and images of singular extracurricular activities such as those from the Rutgers Equestrian Team. The collage is vibrant, lively, and, most importantly, like the university, diverse.

Gustafson adds, “Of course, with the semester winding down, we look forward to receiving photos of spring semester classes, students outside, Alumni Weekend, and Rutgers Day, as well as Commencement in May.”

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

• Anyone can submit images for the initiative
• Images can be uploaded to herenow250.rutgers.edu
• Images are loosely categorized into Academics, Campus Life, Arts, Athletics, and Global Experiences
• Images must reflect the experience of Rutgers-affiliated individuals and be dated between January 1, 2015 and May 15, 2016, to be considered for inclusion in the book
• Use #RUHERENOW250 to share images on social media
• Come by the museum often to see the exhibition grow and change.

Rutgers 250 is a yearlong celebration marking Rutgers University's founding in 1766, honoring the university’s past, present, and future with a series of events, programs, and gatherings. The history of Rutgers begins on November 10, 1766, when William Franklin, the last Colonial governor of New Jersey, signed the charter that brought Queen’s College into existence. In 1825, the school was renamed to honor Colonel Henry Rutgers, a Revolutionary War veteran. In 2015, poised to celebrate 250 years, Rutgers is one of the most highly regarded institutions of higher education in the nation, with more than 65,000 students and 24,400 faculty and staff in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden, and at locations throughout the state. Complete information and a list of related events can be found at 250.rutgers.edu.

The exhibition HereNow: Rutgers 250 is supported by the Estate of Ralph Voorhees, and donors to the Zimmerli's Major Exhibition Fund: James and Kathrin Bergin, Alvin and Joyce Glasgold, Charles and Caryl Sills, Voorhees Family Endowment, and the Jerome A. Yavitz Charitable Foundation, Inc.--Stephen Cyphen, President. Related public programs are supported by the Friends of the Zimmerli Endowment Fund.

The book HereNow: Rutgers 250 is supported by the Class of 1937 Publications Endowment Fund.

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:27 PM EDT

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Blow dry bars have become a popular trend in many major cities throughout the United States.  A new establishment has opened in Hamilton, NJ, The Hairports: Wash  & Blow dry bar, located at 825 Rt 33. Their phone number us 609-395-8424.

They specialize in blow dry's only.  This focused offering gears them to allow their styles to be flawless. They use only the most elite products, like Unite hair care product line and Mirabella makeup lines. They also host parties, girls nights out, bacheloreette parties, and birthdays.

The Hairports Wash & Blow Dry Bar offers several Destinations (services)-like NYC, Los Angeles, Bahamas, Paris, No Fly Away Zone, and more that you can choose from depending on your preference of wash, style, make up, and more. The Fly Guy, which is their signature shampoo, conditioner and style only costs $25.

This location in Hamilton has unique qualities. They create an entire experience for those who enter. The nanosecond you walk in, you are pleasantly greeted by one of the "flight crew". It is not an overwhelming greeting, but a welcome of genuine kindness.  The decor resembles that of an airplane. There are no details that owner, Jennifer Powell has forgotten. The salon is a whimsical, fun, relaxing atmosphere for all who enter. The mirrors, the paint, the signage all make you feel like you are on your way to Fantasy Island. I only wish airlines were like this! I imagined being on a transcontinental flight for 16 hours and having this service available.  

The airline industry can learn from The Hairports Wash & Blow Dry Bar. When you get your hair washed you are made to feel like you are in a reclining business class seat. When business class actually was comfortable.  These hair sinks are wonderfully comfortable. You are then treated to a 5-10 minute scalp massage as they wash your hair. The scalp massage is something everyone must experience!! It was epically relaxing.

The attention to detail that owner, Jennifer Powell, has placed in her new establishment is refreshing.  She is bringing first class back to travel in her salon. In the past, travel was something people looked forward to. In the past people wanted to travel, they wanted to look beautiful at the airport. Today, travel has become a fashionable pigpen for most and an annoying experience. Hairports, Wash & blow dry bar is bringing us back the good old days when travel was comfortable, relaxing and fashionable.

The "hair traffic controllers" are dressed like the skygirls from the 1960's.  It's lovely! I have been in so many salons where the stylists are dressed like absolute slobs, and they are tasked with making me pretty?  How is that even possible? If they do not care about their own looks and presentation how are they going to care about mine? 

The Skygirls at Hairports wash & blow dry bar want everyone to experience first class service, and you get it. They are open 7 days a week. They even open early for those "travelers" that need an early departure.

Jennifer Powell came up with her idea for The Hairports after a relative from California told her about blow dry bars and suggested she open her own. “She came out and said we’re missing an opportunity — I was missing an opportunity,” Powell said. “And I thought, ‘Wow, what a great idea!".

Powell plans to take her Hairports brand and open salons in major airports, she said. She hopes to open her first airport location in two years.

"Eventually we will be branching out to all airports, here and international,” she said.  She wants to open a store behind the security gates, so travelers on layovers or delays can relax and have their hair styled while they wait for their planes to depart.

Powell has been a licensed cosmetologist since 1991 and has worked in a number of salons. She and all of her hair traffic controllers are required to be licensed by the state Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.

Posted by tammyduffy at 5:06 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 15 April 2016 10:27 PM EDT

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• 392 children in this age bracket were found to have lead levels below 5 BLL (µg/dL)
• 9 children in this age bracket were found to have lead levels between 5-9 BLL (µg/dL)
• 1 child in this age bracket were found to have lead levels above10 BLL (µg/dL)
• Only 22% of the children were tested

N.J.A.C. 8:51A requires the protection of children less than six years of age from the toxic effects of lead exposure by requiring lead screening pursuant to N.J.S.A. 26:2-137.2 et seq. (P.L. 1995, c 328. So why is the Township of Hamilton ignoring this law?  Why are only 22% of the children being evaluated in Hamilton township, Mercer County?

According to a report by the  N.J. Department of Health from 2014, the township of Hamilton demonstrated they had 5,480 children who were in the age bracket of less than 6 years of age. Only 14.9% of these children were tested for lead in Hamilton township, Mercer County. These results demonstrate one of the lowest in the state out of the large municipalities evaluated.

• 749 children in this age bracket were found to have lead levels below 5 BLL (µg/dL)
• 18 children in this age bracket were found to have lead levels between 5-9 BLL (µg/dL)
• 1 child in this age bracket were found to have lead levels above10 BLL (µg/dL)
• 1 child in this age bracket was found to have lead levels between 20-44 BLL
• Only 14.9% of the children were tested

The link below will take you to the original story by DUFFY 

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:08 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 10 April 2016 7:18 PM EDT

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