Tuesday, February 22, 2011

What a Difference a Day (and a few degrees of latitude) Makes

New York: Yesterday

Ft. Lauderdale: Today

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Swab Your Cheek; Save a Life

A one year-old girl needs a bone marrow transplant, and we can all help.

All it takes is a cheek swab to be placed in the bone marrow registry. It's quick and painless to register; it is, however, a commitment. But imagine, for a moment, how you would feel if you were in Ayelet's parents' place. Wouldn't you want everyone you've ever met, as well as everyone they've ever met, to see if they're a perfect match?

Here are the details: (ALTHOUGH THIS INFORMATION PERTAINS TO NYC, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE LOCATED. SEE BELOW)

"Ayelet, our lovable one year old daughter, was recently diagnosed with a rare bone marrow failure disorder and will need a bone marrow transplant. We're searching for a perfect match and need your help.

"Here are some ways you can help us out:

   1. You and everyone you know can get your cheeks swabbed at the bone marrow drive taking place at the YU Seforim Sale this week (details below)
   2. If you think you are already in the registry, double check here: https://www.giftoflife.org/Public/quickcheck/default.aspx
      http://www.giftoflife.org/dc/Ayelet-Galena/blog.aspx
   3. If you banked your child's chord blood and would consider donating it in the event that it is match- please be in touch with us
   4. Forward this email to everyone you know.

"BONE MARROW DRIVE DETAILS
Yeshiva University - Seforim Sale
Belfer Hall, Weissberg Commons
2945 Amsterdam Ave

# Sunday, Feb. 20, till 9:00 PM
# Saturday, Feb. 26, 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Sunday, Feb. 27, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

In addition, the following drives will be held:

Tuesday, February 22
9:=0 AM to 9:00 PM
Stern College, Stern Lobby
245 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY

Wednesday, February 23
9:00 AM to 9:00AM
Yeshiva University, Rubin Hall
2501 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY"

*Even if you don't live in NY, there are other ways to participate.  Go to http://www.marrow.org/index.html, and find out where a bone marrow drive is being held near you. Even if there are no convenient drives, you can sign up online, and the Marrow Registry will send will ship to you a cheek swab kit for you to mail back and be included in the registry.

When they make it this easy, there's no excuse not to do it. Please forward this information to all of your caring and compassionate friends so that, hopefully, one of us will be a perfect match for Ayelet, or others like her.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Setting Up Speaking Opportunities

This week (Wednesday), I'll be speaking at the Princeton Library, which has always had a stellar line-up of speakers, good enough to make me wish (except on really cold days) that I lived a lot closer to it.

I'm still preparing my speech, and need to figure out where to add my new audio/visual portion of the presentation -- it's the animation from my website (if you haven't checked this out, please do so; it's very cool) -- and need to get the names of everyone to thank for inviting me and setting this up.

At the same time, it's a little intimidating. While I love speaking about the book, it's still hard to get up in front of a room full or people, even knowing that they wish you well, but it's something I'll get used to.

I'm currently putting together a list of other organizations to contact (I just got onto the tail end of the speaking tour in South Florida at the Jewish retirement communities, which are hungry to hear about and read interesting new books. Apparently I'm to expect an audience of about 150 people in Boca Raton next week). I guess I'll be spending a lot of time there next winter -- no great hardship! (and will get to see more of my son, as well as my brother and sister-in-law and their family, and my sister-in-law and her husband and family.

I need to start direct marketing to conservative synagogues that arrange for speakers, Jewish book stores, retirement communities, and so on, and would be delighted to receive suggestions of other categories or groups to contact, as well as specific, individual suggestions. I look forward to hearing from anyone with recommendations or referrals.

Meanwhile,I hope you saw the review of The Accidental Anarchist on Blogcritics.com. It was picked up by The Huffington Post and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (online), as well as a number of other publications that surprised me, such as a technology website (WhattheTech.org) and one in Romania. All I can say is Thank you to everyone who has tweeted out the review, or emailed it to friends, or sent personal recommendations to others to read the book, for helping me get the word out.