GiftDay

Jan. 13, 1970: Gabby Sosa, Tiny Tim and Cookie Monster Perfectly Align

2010-01-13T02:06:00.000-08:00

"Can you tell me how to get...

how to get to Sesame Street?"

On the morning of January 13, 1970, on television sets all across the United States, Sesame Street episode # 47 aired. The children's show had just premiered two months before and it was already a huge hit for PBS and the Children's Television Network. Almost 2 million households, in fact, turned in to watch the show every morning during its premiere season. (An extremely low quality, very small image from that specific show accompanies this blog as reference.)

During the January 13, 1970 show, the viewer is introduced to the letter "u". (Every Sesame Street show has one letter that is the focus of the show.) In one particularly hilarious skit, Ernie, one of the show's regulars, tells us that "u" is the first letter of the word "ukelele". He is about to play the stringed instrument when he is interrupted by a fuzzy blue character with goo-goo-googly eyes. (For a while after the show aired, this character was called "Monster" but his name eventually evolved into the one we recognize today: "Cookie Monster".) Monster jumps into the scene and screams out the word "UKELELE!" (Cookie Monster was clearly more brash and outlandish in 1970 than he is today!) He then grabs the ukelele from Ernie and begins playing a song very popular at the time called "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". I won't spoil the ending so you can watch it over on youtube here. (My favorite part is when Cookie Monster pauses near the end and almost imperceptably says to Ernie: "BIG FINISH!" I wonder if the show was as geared for adults at the time as it was for children. Or perhaps the actors playing the puppets just wanted to "ham it up" and have fun?)

The reason the show's song "Tiptoe" was so popular at the time was that in late 1969 and early 1970 a ukelele-playing musician named Herbert Khaury, aka Tiny Tim, was at the height of his popularity. His most famous song, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", was not only his biggest hit - it was his trademark. (How cool of Sesame Street to pay homage to a folk singer so topical, relevant and popular at the time?!) Tiny Tim had such a huge cult following in late 1969 that when his marriage to Victoria Budinger aka Miss Vicki was televised as a publicity stunt on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in December of that year, the television show drew 40 million viewers! Let me repeat that: 40 million viewers!

On Tuesday night, January 13, 1970, reveling in his stardom and success, Tiny Tim showed up at Los Angeles' Troubador Theater to play a sold-out concert (Photos from the performance are available for purchase here. An extremely low quality, very small image from that night at the Troubador accompanies this blog as reference.) Perhaps Mr. Tiny was out partying and performing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood because he was celebrating his song being lovingly popularized on that morning's hit TV show?!

January 13, 1970 was a huge day for both Ernie and Cookie Monster as well as Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki.

But the story doesn't end here. With GiftDay, there's always a wonderful gift-related payoff!

Here's why...

January 13, 1970 was also a huge day for my sister-in-law, Gabriella Berk. Because exactly 40 years ago today, she was born.

GiftDay has a passion for date-relevant gifts so for Gabriella's birthday we're going to burn a DVD copy of her birthdate's Sesame Street performance, buy her a Sesame Street compilation DVD, 40 Years of Sunny Days (so she can watch it with her 6 month old newborn) and a copy of the recently released book called Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street. (I think both the DVD and the book title are relevantly poetic, don't you think?)

* * *

Give gifts that are poetic and creative and fun and goofy and magical and full of meaning. GiftDay LOVES to be able to tell you how to get there...

Today was easy.

We just "told you how to get; how to get to Sesame Street..."

Lucien Wilde Crane: Party with Joan of Arc, Elvis or Nixon?

2010-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Greg Crane is a close family friend of my family. I have known him since we were drooling babies crawling around the same crib together. His mother and my parents grew up together so our history goes way WAY back.

We've been facebooking with each other for the past week because Greg's wife Amber has been expecting their second child. Greg has been seeing my facebook postings over the last week referencing GiftDay's current push to create a giant "Calendar of Biographies" for the GiftDay website.

So you're asking... What exactly is a "Calendar of Biographies"? We're glad you asked...

For every day from January 1 through December 31, GiftDay.com is assigning 365 famous people and their birthdays to each one. Paul Revere was born January 1 (1735). Isaac Asimov was born January 2 (1920), J. R. R. Tolkien was born January 3 (1892) and so on (until December 31 when Henri Matisse was born in 1869). The next step is on our website where GiftDay will recommend a biography of the notable and link to it at Amazon. Biographies, as strange as it sounds, actually make great gifts for newborns. Hear us out...

The gift makes a good gift; however, if you write a clever and personalized message on the inside flap of the book, the biography makes a GREAT gift. The message to the baby should tell him or her that the book can be appreciated by the baby when he or she is old enough to read and understand it.

We recommend hardcover books as biography books (rather than paperback) because the hardcover editions are more substantial; plus, they look great on bookshelves. (Kindle edition books and e-books are good gifts but they are not substantial and they are not GREAT gifts.) Books would tend not to be tossed out or donated to a library because (a) they have a certain sanctity (b) it would have been a gift (c) the book ties into baby's birthday and (d) the baby's parents have to respect that the gift giver has gone through time and expense and given a very memorable and meaningful GREAT gift!

Greg facebooked me yesterday morning when he thought Amber might be having a baby January 7. I told him to let Amber know GiftDay felt that she could go ahead and PUSH HARD. January 7, after all, would make a wonderful birthday because it would be shared with French hero Joan of Arc (born January 7, 1412) - and Joan's got a great biography we've picked out at Amazon!

January 7 passed however without a little Crane drooling baby so Greg facebooked me again today to let me know that he thought the baby might be born on the 8th (today) or the 9th (tomorrow).

I consulted our "Calendar of Biographies"...

PUSH, I facebooked back in capital letters - January 8 is Elvis' birthday! (That's good!) But January 9 is Nixon's birthday. (That's not so good!) Who wants to read about Nixon when they could be reading about Elvis?

I don't know if Greg took me seriously but all I know is that he facebooked me today to let me know that Lucien Wilde Crane was born January 8 at 2:18 PST. (7 lb, 10 oz, healthy with all fingers and toes). Thanks god!

We at GiftDay will now be able to officially recommend to a good friend of Greg's a GREAT baby gift for Lucien Wilde Crane - an Elvis biography of course and available here: www.giftday.com/elvisbioforlucien

If you buy the book at Amazon (available for $29.95), make sure to get it first before you give it to the Cranes as a gift... You'll want to write that note on the inside cover. Something like...

Dear Lucien,

We look forward to watching you grow old enough so that you can one day enjoy this biography about Elvis. He was an amazing and talented man with lots of charisma and charm.

Because you share the same birthday with him (exactly 75 years apart - to the day!) we're sure you'll share a lot of the same wonderful attributes (and hopefully none of the bad ones!)

Love,
[Your Name Here]

Congratulations Greg and Amber. We love you guys!

Why December 31, 2009 is especially important to 200,000 people

2009-12-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.giftday.com/artstore

December 31, 2009 is one of those days when GiftDay has to get up out of its anniversaries and birthdays armchair and call attention to the fact that our planet is aligned today in gorgeous harmony with the sun and moon - and therefore the perfect opportunity to give someone who has a relationship with this date a GiftDay gift!

Yes, GiftDay knows that tonight's night sky will eventually parade a beautiful Blue Moon... but we also know that a partial lunar eclipse is in store for many of us... a very special, very rare event.

Partial and full lunar eclipses only occur a few times a year. The last time that a partial lunar eclipse occurred on earth was August 16, 2008. And the last time a lunar eclipse occurred specifically on New Year's Eve? We have no idea... because we've only been tracking lunar eclipses for the past 110 years and there hasn't been one in over a century.

So now you're going to ask: What's a lunar eclipse and when does it occur?

During lunar eclipses, the Earth passes between the sun and the moon. This blocks the sun's light from falling on the moon. Lunar eclipses only take place during a full moon and only when the Moon passes through a portion of earth's shadow created by the sun. If the entire moon falls in the earth's shadow, it's a full eclipse. If only a part of the moon falls in the earth's shadow it's a partial eclipse.

If you live in the Americas, don't expect to witness tonight's eclipse - you won't see it; the lunar eclipse will only be visible in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

No matter though. GiftDay still appreciates the significance of this date.

If you know anyone who had a baby today, December 31, 2009 - and there were more than 200,000 of them born today on earth, the best gift you could possibly get them (and their parents) would be something that honored this special date in time: a memory of the partial lunar eclipse.

Appropriate gifts? Telescopes of course. Or posters of lunar eclipses, or... or... the sky is the limit! Think outside the box. Forget the nappies or burp cloths or stroller toys. Get something that will be appreciated and remembered for its meaning and thought. Get something remembered forever, not just for the next few weeks or months.

The recipient will remember the meaning behind the gift, the person who gave the gift and the importance of the person who gave the gift. It will be good gift alignment and harmony for everyone.

And isn't all of this what the best gifts are all about?

Why December 27 Matters to Melissa Steinman and Marlene Dietrich

2009-12-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Facebook: Steinman (left) and Dietrich (right)

Separated at Birth?

Melissa (Landau) Steinman and I were close friends in college. The last time Melissa and I spoke, though, was graduation day almost 20 years ago. It's a shame because Melissa was one of my "go to" friends during freshman year. We lived in the same dorm and had a few classes together. I remember her always with a smile on her face; she had a warm, sweet disposition.

After graduating from college, we lost track. I know Melissa now only through memories created two decades ago and through facebook. After we parted in college, she went on to Harvard Law, antitrust practice, marriage and motherhood. I also know that her birthday is tomorrow, December 27, 2009.

I imagine December 27 means a lot to her. I'd love to check in with Melissa tonight and let her know that I'm thinking about her. It's been a while but year-end holidays always seem to help rekindle connections. As I'm in the midst of writing GiftDay website content this evening, I'm thinking about what type of gift I could recommend to Melissa's friends. Melissa has a lot of them on her facebook page so I imagine one of them needs a good gift idea.

I navigate over to Melissa's profile on facebook and see that she loves movies. I know that she loves the classics because the movies she's listed as her favorites include "any Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy movie", "Singin' in the Rain" and "Double Indemnity".

Tonight, I'm working on a calendar of biographies for GiftDay: 365 days of biographies that begin with Paul Revere and the World He Lived In by Esther Forbes (Revere was born January 1) and ends with Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse by Hilary Spurling (Matisse was born December 31).

As Melissa loves classic movies I think the definitive biography of a classic movie actress would make an excellent gift. In looking to see what movie actress was born December 27, I score. It's Dietrich.

Marlene Dietrich, in case your living under a rock, was one of the most famous and most talented actresses in movie history. She's also one of the most beautiful. GiftDay.com, in fact, named her as the most beautiful woman (in any film role) in 1935 for "The Devil is a Woman". I think that for a gift, better than a straight biography, would be a book of photographs of Dietrich. Judging from Melissa's facebook updates, it looks like she's busy with family and career and a long book might be a challenge. A coffee table book, especially because it is Dietrich, is clearly the better gift choice. I've selected for a $30 glossy, gorgeous book for Melissa called Marlene Dietrich: Photographs and Memories.

If someone were to buy the Dietrich book for Melissa, I know it would make an impression that would last for her lifetime. And for an extra thoughtful touch, I'd recommend that the gift giver include a personal note inside the book - a note about December 27 and what it means.

It's important and it matters.

Arnold Berk, Lobotomies, a Nobel Prize and 1949

2009-12-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

I only have one biological relationship uncle - my Uncle Arnie. (All of my other uncles are through marriage.) My father's brother lives amongst the rest of the Berk clan in Los Angeles. Today, December 23, 2009 happens to be my "blood uncle" Arnie's birthday and he turns 60.

So what's with the biology and blood references above? I'm glad you asked.

While the family knows Arnie as a sailor, opera buff and wine afficionado, the rest of the world knows him as the eminent Dr. Arnold Berk, one of the most well-regarded biologists in the country. Arnie is a cancer researcher who literally wrote the book on Molecular Cell Biology. The textbook is a biology campus "classic" - if you know anyone who has studied molecular biology, I can guarantee you they've read the book (or, at least, the exciting parts of it).

Arnie's resume makes all of us look small and stupid. He is a Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at UCLA. He's also one of the original discoverers of RNA splicing and mechanisms for gene control in viruses. His lab at UCLA studies "interactions of molecules that regulate transcription nitiation in mammalian cells" (whatever that means). While I'm not a scientist and understand very little about what Arnie does, I can proudly tell you that if there's a short-list of Nobel candidates in physiology and medicine, Arnie's on it. Really. Ask any world-class molecular biologist to name the world's Top 10 smartest micro-biologists.

Being the founder of GiftDay, you'd probably think it's a foregone conclusion that I'm going to find a book about physiology for Arnie's 60th birthday. About that, you'd be right.

I'm curious who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine the year of Arnie's birth so I turn to Wikipedia where I learn that in 1949 Antonio Caetano du Abreu Freire Egas Moniz took home Portugal's first ever Nobel prize for discovering cerebral angiography. Besides having an incredibly long name to help him, Moniz or Egas Moniz or Caetano, essentially won the prize for his work in "introducing the controversial psychosurgical procedure leucotomy, otherwise known as a lobotomy."

Arnie's birth year, ironically enough, 1949, was a banner year for lobotomies. More lobotomies were performed in 1949 than in any other year. It was in medical vogue and the Nobel Committee decided that it needed to keep up with the times. (Certainly if the Nobel Committee were around in AD 180, they would have awarded the prize to Claude Gallen, a prominent Roman physician and researcher, specifically for his work in "blood-letting".)

Looking back now 60 years later we recognize that lobotomies have been "deplored by many as brutally arrogant". Wikipedia tells us that "collateral derision has been directed specifically at Moniz as the operation's innovator."

Digging a bit deeper though it appears for all intents and purpose that Moniz was unfairly labelled by history as a blood-letting quack; that it was doctors like Walter Freeman who sought to aggressively promote lobotomies "which led to its being performed in large numbers of cases now considered inappropriate."

I find the whole subject fascinating and head over to Amazon where I find dozens of books about lobotomies. There are dozens to choose from. But the book that grabs me more than any of the others is a book by Howard Dully called, appropriately enough, My Lobotomy.

According to Amazon: "At age 12, Dully received a transorbital (or ice pick lobotomy) from Dr. Walter Freeman, who invented the procedure, making Dully an unfortunate statistic in medical history—the youngest of the more than 10,000 patients who Freeman lobotomized to cure their supposed mental illness. In this brutally honest memoir, Dully describes how he set out 40 years later to find out why he was lobotomized... He also investigates the strange career of Freeman—who wasn't a licensed psychiatrist—including early acclaim by the New York Times and cross-country trips hawking the operation from his Lobotomobile."

Arnie is a well-read and thoughtful guy who appreciates a meaningful book. This GiftDay gift really is a "no-brainer".

Sorry for the sloppy joke Arnie. Happy Birthday anyway...

Much love,
Your Blood Nephew,
Jeffrey

December 19, 1969: World meets Kristy Swanson and the Jackson 5

2009-12-18T00:08:00.000-08:00

One of my first jobs in the movie business was working as a coordinator on the movie "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer". The film starred Kristy Swanson as Buffy, student by day and vampire killer by night. Almost 20 years later, Kristy and I have kept in touch and remain friends.

I noticed on my calendar that Kristy turns 40 tomorrow. Cool. As I run GiftDay, a company that specializes in meaningful and thoughtful gifts built around dates, I knew that I'd need to find something special for Kristy.

Apple formalized a marketing arrangement with GiftDay yesterday so I thought it would be appropriate to jump over to iTunes to find something meaningful for Kristy. With more than 10 million songs available worldwide, it'd be impossible not to find an item date-relevant to Kristy. And in Kristy's case, December 19, 1969 would be the date-relevant date - the day she was born!

I immediately got to work...

With the help of Wikipedia, I discovered within a few minutes of searching that the very first Jackson 5 album, "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5", was released the same day Kristy was born. Perfect! I know Kristy likes Michael Jackson so this gift purchase is a no-brainer.

Later tonight, I'll buy and download the Jackson 5 album and burn it to CD, print some personalized cover art on it, write a provenance and then drop it off to Kristy on Saturday. (Although by the time she gets the gift it will no longer be a surprise since I'll likely post a link to this blog on a social networking site... or two.)

Hi Kristy, Happy Birthday. Sorry to go public on you but I gotta shamelessly promote GiftDay! (We actually just had our own company birthday/anniversary last week.) What are friends for, right? Sorry to see you leave the hood. How's the new digs? Talk soon. Enjoy your birthday weekend!

That was kind of lame I realize but when you're shamelessly promoting... you've gotta be shameless.

So back to The Jackson 5 album. According to Wikipedia, the album was called "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5". Diana Ross? Huh? Wikipedia though goes on to heed my raised eyebrows by telling me that Ross was nothing more than a marketing gimmick. She neither discovered the band nor actively sought to promote the band without some ulterior gain. Motown apparently asked Ross to help them sell Jackson 5 records. The marketing plan worked. The album was a huge success...

According to Apple's review of the album: "For all intents and purposes, this dozen-song disc introduced the world to the sibling talents of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and most significantly of all, a prepubescent powerhouse named Michael Jackson."

How perfect that Kristy and the Jackson 5 were introduced to the world on the same day!

The gift will sell itself. Clearly. While it didn't take me long to hunt down this gift, I know it will mean something to Kristy. She's someone who've I known for a long time and who will appreciate being thought about and fussed over. She deserves a meaningful, thoughtful gift. Everyone, in fact, deserves to be treated like a movie star on their birthday. Even movie stars.

Why December 17 and iTunes Matter to 475 Facebookers

2009-12-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES: Originally posted on Facebook on December 17, 2009:

Right now on facebook in the December 17 group chatroom, there are 475 people chatting away about their birthday on December 17. Most of the users are buzzing along the lines of "Aren't we the greatest?"

Some users reach out to other date-aligned compatriots: "Hey, if you were born on December 17 but in the year 1979, please facebook me". (A website called youtwins.com actually dedicates itself to introducing people born on the same birthdate to each other.)

Clearly, dates serve as a way of bringing people together. We not only celebrate birthdays but anniversaries of events. Everyone in our generation remembers September 11 for the 9-11 tragedy. (The date is all one needs now to reference the event.) My grandparents remember December 7 for Pearl Harbor.

People born on December 17 go to a common place to connect with each other. Say hello. Trade a greeting and a wish. Share information. To commemorate something important they've experienced together. The date is the bond that holds this tribe together and there is certainly the feeling amongst these member that they are not only special but that they should be treated extremely well because... they ARE special.

I think the 475 members of the December 17 group are pretty special. In fact, for today's gift idea, I am going to send them a link to the #1 song on iTunes from this date by directing them to GiftDay.com where they can find the #1 song from whatever year they were born. 1931 or 2001. It doesn't matter. GiftDay has them all.

For those turning 20, click here and see what song Dec. 17, 1989 has for you. (Hint: If you live in Paradise, you'll probably have no trouble guessing.)

Or, for those who are turning 30, click here and see what song Dec. 17, 1979 has for you. (Hint: If you like Pina Coladas then you'll have no problem guessing.) For 70, click here to see what song Dec. 17, 1939 has for you! (Hint: You won't be able to find it if you are scatter-brained.)

The point we're making is that everyone born on December 17 deserves a great gift to help demonstrate how special they are. And for someone who spends just a minute to show a gift recipient that they've spent the extra time to put thought into a gift will make that gift much more appreciated. And valued. I can guarantee that when someone receives the song, they'll never forget who gave it to them whenever they hear the song... for the rest of their life.

Inexpensive. Easy gifts. That Have Meaning. It's About Time.

December 16: Holly Hagy, London & Colorstrology

2009-12-16T01:31:00.000-08:00

Today, December 16, is my close friend Holly Hagy's birthday.

Holly is currently in London working on "Hereafter", a supernatural thriller that Clint Eastwood is directing. (She's been working with him for the past few years all over the world.)

I met Holly 10 years ago when I was production supervising a Vin Diesel action movie. Holly was the Coordinator on the film and was always professional, energetic and kind to the entire crew. It was a challenging movie to work on but Holly always walked around the office and film set with a smile on her face.

I want to find and share something in the GiftDay spirit for Holly for her birthday but I don't know the year that she was born... nor do I want to ask. (Holly must be in her early 40's; however, I'm not comfortable asking a woman her age.) This isn't a problem though, as a birth year is not required for a special GiftDay thought or gift. Sometimes just a year or birthday month and day will suffice.

For a meaningful idea about what I could get or share with Holly, I turn up a book I bought recently called "Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You". The book has never failed to identify the exact right color for a friend based on their birthday. While the book's color assigned to a friend based on their birthday is always tough to gauge, the description of the color always seems to match the personality of the person I am researching.

"Colorstrology," the book's description says, "is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology, and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our lives and relationships... the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who we are and how we behave. For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) share the color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and "born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them] in front of an audience."...

I flip open "Colorstrology" and thumb my way to the December 16 page in the back of the book. And there, staring me right in the face, is the "birthday" color of my friend who is currently working in cold, gray London. I begin to smile. I cannot believe it. The color is called "English Manor" and it happens to be a cold shade of gray.

The book continues, describing the person who shares the birthday with this color: "You have an unusual and often profound take on life. It is your ability to see and hear things differently that sets you apart from others. You can excel in the arts where your creativity and personal perception can lead others into a unique way of experiencing the world."

Now if this description doesn't fit Holly perfectly, I don't know what does. Although Holly works in an office with schedule and spreadsheet tools, she is an exceptionally creative person. She also has a very interesting take on life that allows her to trot the globe with a seemingly perpetual smile on her face. If anyone has a unique way of experiencing the world, it's Holly Hagy.

So Holly, listen up: When you get back to the States, bring London home with you. Pop into your local hardware store and order up loads of English Manor paint and use it to cover your living room walls with. Buy a sharp British woman's suit in English Manor. Paint your nails English Manor Gray!

And when you have surrounded or wrapped yourself with your own life "birthday" color, I hope you'll think of me, our friendship and GiftDay's idea. But I know you will. Because the GiftDay spirit always has a way of bringing people together.

Jamie Foxx, Jacqueline Du Pre and December 13, 1967

2009-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

Two years ago on December 13, 2007, I was dropping off a very special gift to the producers and executives of a major Dreamworks Studio movie. The producers and executives had heard about the GiftDay concept from their entertainment industry colleagues and had hired our premium-level service to come up with a 40th birthday gift for the star of their movie. The group believed that a GiftDay gift would be a unique and thoughtful gesture for their actor just prior to his start of filming. The gift itself has an amazing story - one that began exactly 40 years earlier on December 13, 1967.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Du Pre was one of the greatest cellists in recorded music history. (Many Americans know her from the movie "Hilary and Jackie".) On December 13, 1967, Jacqueline Du Pre teamed up with one of the most famous conductors of the 20th Century, Sir John Barbirolli, together with arguably the greatest orchestras in the world, the London Symphony Orchestra, to record one of the most important and beautiful cello pieces ever written: Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major. And all of this was happening at Abbey Road Studios in London, one of the most famous recording studios in the world.

On the other side of the globe on the day the recording was taking place, Eric Marlon Bishop was born in a small East Texas town. The boy was abandoned seven months later and raised by his grandparents. At the age of 5, he started taking piano lessons and a few years later he was singing in a church choir.

The boy eventually became the Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Cut to 2007 when Foxx was handed a script for a film called "The Soloist". The project was based on the true story of musical prodigy Nathaniel Ayers, a cellist who dropped out of Julliard when he developed schnizophrenia. Ayers eventually became homeless in downtown LA, where he continued to play his music on the streets and where his faded genius was ultimately discovered by a Los Angeles Times reporter who helped him turn his life around.

Foxx knew he had to do the movie and signed on to play Ayers. But Foxx had to do one thing first... he had to learn to play the cello.

When the connection was made between Jamie Foxx's birthdate and the recorded concert featuring Du Pre on cello, everything "came together".

GiftDay located a 78 RPM recording of Du Pre's performance at a used record store in Los Angeles.

The item was inexpensive but the thought and poetry behind the gift and its meaning was priceless. The movie's producers and Dreamworks understood this. They knew that beautiful music was born on December 13, 1967, and that they had a 40th birthday gift "hit" on their hands.

GiftDay endeavors to find meaning and poetry in gifts - so that they can be used to tell the gift recipient that they are unique and special and they have been thought about, considered and fussed over. Because everyone likes to be treated like a movie star on their birthday. Even movie stars.

Why December 13, 1969, Marc Chagall and my Friend all Matter

2009-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Recently, I turned the BIG 4-0. As such, many of my peers, colleagues and friends are also turning the BIG 40.

Decade birthdays (30, 40, etc.) are a big deal to most people (and a big deal to GiftDay, of course). It follows then that birthday gifts for people celebrating a "0" in their age are a big deal too. Gifts for decade births tend to be more grand, important and special than regular non-decade birthdays. Of course, they should be; a decade birthday celebration should be grand, important and special - it only comes around once every decade.

A Facebook friend of mine celebrates his (or her) 40th birthday tomorrow, December 13, 2009. (I will not reveal the name of this friend in the blog because I haven't yet asked whether he or she would like his or her age revealed to the general Internet public.)

Now while I am not particularly close to this person, I thought it might be nice to let this person know (and the Facebook friends of this person know) about a really special gift available for him (or her) on the web - and soon to be available at GiftDay.com. Trying to determine what would be a great date-relevant gift, I can begin with the fact that I know that this friend likes art.

GiftDay is a fan of art exhibition posters. Typically, an art exhibition will last a few months. The posters, which are printed to both promote exhibitions and to serve as souvenirs (or gifts!), will typically have the date that the art exhibit opened and closed.

I always remember growing up that an art exhibition poster hung in my home. The opening date (printed on the poster) was the same as my birthdate. Seeing my full birthdate in print on a professional art poster made me feel good. I've never forgotten that feeling. (And I will never forget the poster. My parents still have it at their home!)

Art.com and Allposters.com are the 2 biggest players in the art exhibition poster world. These companies literally have thousands of art exhibition posters with dates on them. The problem is that many of these dates are not searchable through the web or even through their own websites. GiftDay however has fully catalogued these two company's art posters by date. (On its website, GiftDay will be making date-search-for-poster possible beginning in early 2010.)

In the meantime, I bring to my friend's attention (and to his or her friends' attention - and YOU'RE attention), a Marc Chagall art exhibition poster (pictured in this blog) that is available at art.com. The poster promotes a Chagall exhibition at the Grand Palais (which must in Paris) that opened December 13, 1969. The date: December 13, 1969 is printed on the bottom of the poster. The poster is $900... expensive... but this friend is turning 40. So while the gift might not be something affordable for everyone, it is affordable for that person who wants to find that one special, meaningful, unforgettable gift. (Also, it is possible that a less expensive reproduction can be found on art.com, allposters.com or elsewhere at other shops on the web. Now or in the future. The beautiful thing is that the friend's birthdate will never change so the gift can be given at ANY time - and not just as a birthday present!)

Now if I or anyone else gave this gift (especially if it were framed), to my friend who was turning 40, I know that the friend would hang up the poster and keep it hung up for the rest of his (or her) life. And every time that the friend looked at the poster, he (or she) would be reminded not just about the importance of the date on the poster but about the gift giver and the relationship he (or she) has to the gift giver.

Those relationships and those ties are what help make this gift and every GiftDay-inspired gift the MOST MEANINGFUL gift possible.

Alyson Kassorla, Lennon and Drugs. Why December 12, 1968 Matters

2009-12-12T04:06:00.000-08:00

Alyson facebooked the folks at GiftDay today and wanted to know what would be an interesting gift if she were to buy herself something from December 12, 1968. (Hint, hint to those friends of Alyson reading this...)

Let's see if GiftDay can find something for her...

I always enjoy seeing what programs aired on specific dates from decades past and walked my fingers over to youtube. In about 4-5 seconds, I found some black and white grainy video of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Perfect! I know Alyson likes The Beatles and John Lennon so we're off to a great start.

I next read some background about the interview from the youtube sight. Apparently the two soon-to-be-wed lovebirds were interviewed at Lennon's dentist's office in London. (I googled for "Lennon" and "Dentist" and quickly found that Lennon had stated publicly that the first time he tried LSD was when his dentist slipped him some in his coffee at dinner - whether he is referring to this particular dentist to whom he paid the December 12 visit, I don't know.)

In the video, available on youtube HERE, John states: "So all of a sudden like, there was this knock on the door and a woman's voice outside and I look around and there is a policeman standing in the window wanting to be let in..."

Apparently, a few months earlier, John and Yoko who were living in an apartment in London when they received information that Scotland Yard was going to raid their place. John dashed around the apartment quickly trying to get rid of all the drugs. He didn't do a thorough enough spring cleaning however. When the police showed up, they found a small amount of hashish in the apartment and charged Lennon with drug possession and obstruction of justice. In an effort to gain sympathy for the couple, John's lawyer pleaded for mercy explaining that Yoko had a recently miscarriage. The conviction was no small matter. It was to shadow him for years and was used repeatedly by the American government to deny his green card.

For Alyson, I've selected the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography. It's available at Amazon for $16.47. If someone had the time, they could take a look and find the reference to the drug bust in the book and dog-ear the page. And for a true blue-ribbon Giftday gift, someone could download the youtube video, burn it to DVD and insert it in the book and wrap the entire gift together. It might take a half hour but the gesture would truly push the gift "over the top".

But Alyson deserves it, right? Of course she does. Everyone deserves a GiftDay-inspired gift.

Why December 10 matters to Jeff Berk, Meatloaf and Brook Schaaf

2009-12-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

First of all, the photo above is of musician Michael Lee Aday, otherwise known as Meatloaf. I'll explain why the photo has been embedded in this blog in a moment.

But first, a little context.

Since early 2008, Brook Schaaf has been an amazing supporter and fan of the GiftDay gifting concept and site. (By the way, Brook looks absolutely nothing like Meatloaf.)

Brook runs Schaaf Consulting, one of the most well-run, smartest and innovative boutique affiliate marketing firms in the United States. Brook is a genuinely good, smart and nice person. I am proud not only to call him a supporter of GiftDay but a friend who I can call for advice about our site.

I noted last night on Facebook that Brook's birthday is today. As I launched the GiftDay website yesterday after 2 long years, time and money are tight. But with the GiftDay gifting concept, that doesn't prevent me from stopping everything I'm doing and sending a quick digital gift to Brook.

One of my favorite stores on the web is Wolfgang's Vault. I quickly found on their site an entire concert recorded in Cleveland the day Brook was born, December 10, 1977. The audio from the concert costs a mere $5.98. I have already bought it and emailed the audio files to him with a nice note describing the actual concert from that significant day.

The beauty of this gift is that it was inexpensive and easy. It took me less than 5 minutes to find and buy it via GiftDay and 1 minute to send it. The bonus is that Brook will surely never forget for the rest of his life that he shares a bond with Meatloaf and I. I'm certain that whenever Brook hears "I'd Do Anything for Love" for the rest of his life, he will remember this birthday gift. And he will remember me. And our friendship.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it but isn't that what the best gifts are all about?

GiftDay.com LAUNCHES

2009-12-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today, on December 9, 2007, the road to GiftDay began.

I had been looking for a bottle of 1968 wine with which to celebrate my 40th birthday that was quickly approaching. Oddly enough, there was not one objective website that could tell me what bottle of wine to buy for the occasion. (I use the word "objective" because any wine store or seller that had a 1968 bottle in their fridge would have told me what they thought I should buy.) But there was no arbiter. Not even the great Wine Spectator was any help. No voice to tell me which bottle to buy and why. No answer about how I could celebrate with a date-relevant product during an important milestone in my life.

GiftDay intends to become the arbiter of date- and time-based products. From wine to books to video entertainment to clothing and coins, GiftDay wants to sell it all. Anything with a date on it. Anything where an item can be placed with an historic event or milestone.

GiftDay, for example, intends to be the go-to site for a baby's birth present. GiftDay wants to provide meaningful gift products that say to the recipient that they (or, in this case, their baby) are treasured and valued.

GiftDay wants to help its user community find gifts with a gift "soul" - that say to the gift recipient that they have been thought about and that the time has been spent thinking about them.

My best friend Guy turned 40 on May 30, 2008. I found for him an amazing original $2000 Jimi Hendrix poster at Wolfgang's Vault. There was a printed concert date on the poster that read: "May 30, 1968". (The poster was from a concert Hendrix had played in Switzerland.) The date on the poster was special and giving it to Guy would have told him that I was aware of his birthday date. But I couldn't afford the $2,000 poster!

With GiftDay, it might become possible for Wolfgang's Vault to print a reproduction of the poster. There CAN BE a NEW market for products - a market that previously did not exist. But what about the 11,000 people in the U.S. born May 30, 1968. I know a few hundred of them would appreciate a cool Hendrix poster from the date of their birth.

GiftDay recognizes that everyone likes to tell people that they are special. And GiftDay also recognizes that everyone likes to be reminded that they are special. The world is filled with products, entertainment and information that are priceless to a select group of people. GiftDay wants to put in motion the "second coming" of eBay... that old item in the garage that is worthy of the trash heap is actually a priceless treasure to someone.

Next May 30, I will have the opportunity to get Guy a 41st birthday present. There is no reason why I shouldn't be able to get a reproduction of that Hendrix poster. I know that if I give it to Guy he will put it up on his wall and NEVER take it down. And every time he looks at it, he will be reminded that:

A. he is special (just like the poster)

B. he has a thoughtful friend

C. he is a good friend who is worth a meaninful gift

D. he can tell a really good story about the gift

That poster gift and the ideals it expresses above are what GiftDay's core focus will be: gifts that embrace A, B, C and D. Because that's what the best gifts - the most meaningful gifts - are all about.

December 8, 2009 - Official 40th Anniversary of Fat Albert Rotunda

2009-12-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today is December 8, 2009. It also happens to be my close friend Jonathan Wershow's 40th birthday. Happy Birthday Jonathan!!

This Jonathon is one cool cat. Really. He deserves a quick, thoughtful gift for his 40th. Let's see... his date of birth is December 8, 1969...

OK, here we go... I found a soundtrack that Herbie Hancock performed for Bill Cosby's Fat Albert cartoon show. The album, called Fat Albert Rotunda (cool name), was released on December 8, 1969 - the same day Jonathan was "released". Apparently this is Hancock's first venture into a style of music that's been labeled "jazz-funk". I gotta get this album for Jonathon to show him I'm appreciating the coincidence of two cool, funky works being released on the very same date.

I need to get a little more background on the album so I dig into some posted liner notes on Amazon.com. I read that the album was different than anything Hancock had done previously. Apparently, there are some funky horn riffs that crank. And I read that the album demonstrates Hancock's genius with an electric piano. Some of the selections on the album include "Wiggle Waggle," "Fat Mama," "Oh! Oh! Here He Comes". (Sounds like titles for a Fat Albert cartoon!)

Most of the people commenting on the album rave about a song called "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" so if I'm going to end up buying him just a single song from the MP3 download section of Amazon, that would be the one.

So, let's recap... I can spend $15 on a CD and buy it from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000056P01?ie=UTF8&tag=gif0c2-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000056P01

... or I can spend $1 and buy him the "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" song on MP3... or I can spend
$7 for all the songs on the album on MP3. This sounds like a better plan because I would then have the option to burn a disk and print him out personalized CD artwork.

I decide to "go for it". As soon as I finish this blog post, I will download the "Bedtime Story" song on MP3 here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012FB4AW?ie=UTF8&tag=gif0c2-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0012FB4AW

I will now say goodbye so I can go burn the song (or maybe the album; actually haven't figured out which yet) to CD and then print out a CD label to affix to the CD.

A thoughtful, meaningful gift for less than $7 and 15 minutes of time. Perhaps if I'm feeling in the mood I might get him a bonus gift and "spring" for a Fat Albert DVD. Couldn't hurt. Everyone loves Fat Albert.

For more ideas what to get a 40-year old turn to www.giftday.com. Enjoy.

A Baby Gift for Babies Born December 7, 2009

2009-12-05T01:40:00.000-08:00

If you know someone who had a baby on December 7, 2009, you couldn't find an easier baby gift...

Why?

Well... In one amazing moment, the world came together to sing about love, sweet love.

People from around the world sang “All You Need is Love” in a single voice on December 7, 2009 at 8:30am EST. The event is part of Starbuck's sponsored "Love Project".

The global sing-along was part of Starbucks continuing efforts to help fight AIDS in Africa. In just one year in partnership with (RED)™, Starbucks generated money equivalent to more than 7 million days of medicine to help those living with HIV in Africa.

To celebrate the birth of a friend's or relative's child, donate to an AIDS charity. If that doesn't appeal to you, perhaps you could get the baby's parents a gift certificate from Starbucks.

A little more creative however is a really fun kids CD album of Beatles songs. The album includes the previously mentioned "All You Need is Love" song and many other Beatles tunes.

Get the Beatles album and print out a little information about the "Love Project" and put it with a gift card. That's it. An easy, inexpensive and thoughtful gift.

Actually, you can't go wrong with any of the above the gifts. Nobody hates the Beatles, do they? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard anybody say they don't like the Beatles. If facebook existed in the 60's, can you imagine the Beatles' Fan page? You'd probably get a lot of screaming teenage girls writing in all caps: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PAUL I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEE YOUUU!!!

OK. December 8 will follow in tomorrow's blog.

December 6 Decade Birthdays

2009-12-04T23:44:00.000-08:00

I love it when people who know me by reputation challenge me to find a specific GIFTDAY product in a short amount of time. They'll sit on google for an hour and give up. But give me 4-5 minutes and I'll find a giftday item that is extremely cool and suitable for framing or wearing!

Let's pick this Sunday for example, December 6, 2009. There are anywere from 10-11,000 Americans who turn 20 years old on Sunday. And, yes, roughly the same number of people who turn 30, 40 and 50. Imagine that. Let's see what kind of products we can find out there in the digital space....

20 (born 12/6/1989)

This one took me a few minutes to find. For someone turning 20 on December 6, 2009 (and thus born December 6, 1989), I find an item from a band called Grateful Dead. The gift product is an actual unused ticket from the concert they performed in Oakland to benefit Earthquake Relief. (Just a few months earlier, on October 17, 1989, an earthquake had rocked the San Francisco Bay area.) The ticket is for sale for $24 ($4 more than the actual cost of the concert.) The item is at Wolfgang's Vault. Amazing online store. Rock memorabilia. The actual audio of the concert is likely available for free at Internet Archives. The ticket and the audio of the concert would pretty much rock anyone's world, even if they weren't a rock fan.

30 (born 12/6/1979)

A quick search for December 6, 1979 takes me to Wikipedia where I see that the Premiere for Star Trek: The Motion Picture was held at the Smithsonian Institute. The Smithsonian? Do you think there was a snack bar with milk duds and twizzlers? I begin to think about this. But not for long. I race to find a copy of the flick on DVD at Amazon. Perhaps I include with the DVD a big box of milk duds. Or twizzlers. Not a bad gift for a Trek fan or science fiction fan. Before I'd buy the gift, however, I'd cruise over to imdb.com and confirm the Premiere date.

40 (born 12/6/1969)

Pressure is on to find something quickly since the 40th and gifts turned out so well. First site I find yields a direct hit. Wolfgang's Vault. Again. A postcard printed to promote a Grateful Dead concert that took place December 6, 1969. Date printed is in easy-to-read print on the bottom of the card. The item is original and sells for $500. I'd stick it in a $10 frame with a little bit of information about the concert on the back of the frame. The concert audio likely is freely available at Internet Archives. Put 'em together = true giftday goodness.

50 (born 12/6/1959)

For a second I get revved up. A google search appears to tell me that a seminal album from Miles Davis, A Kind of Blue, was released on 12/6/1959. Upon closer inspection, however, it seems the album was released August 17, 1959. The trouble with Google and other search engines is that they simply have a hard time understanding dates. I try again. A quick search tells me that Stadio San Paolo opened in Naples on this date. Bingo. A Naples soccer jersey. I find it quickly at bigsoccer.com. Very hip, retro looking blue t-shirt with a big "NAPOLI" on it. "A+" gift! $15. My favorite of the bunch.

That's it. 4 great gifts that range in price from $8 for the Star Trek DVD to $500 for the Grateful Dead postcard. 2 minutes to find each gift.

Head over to giftday for more great ideas about December 6 gifts.

My Search for the Best Bottle of 1968 Red Wine

2009-12-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, I have given time-related gifts.

Finding and giving creative gifts wrapped in a meaningful relationship between a date and a gift recipient was a fun hobby. Most people would assume then that my tradition of "giving" was the reason for GiftDay.

It's not the whole truth.

The seed of GiftDay, ironically enough, was not planted in the warm feelings I had of giving to others but, instead, came from the frustrating experience I had of trying to "get" something for myself.

In late 2007, I was about to turn 40. I wanted to celebrate with something special. I'm a wine fanatic so it seemed like a good idea to google the best bottle of wine from my birth year, 1968. I sought out not a good bottle, but the best bottle. What better way for me to acknowledge middle-age than with some amazing wine?

But the answer did not come easily. France and Italy didn’t produce long-aged reds in 1968 due to bad weather. Time Magazine declared all of Europe’s vintage “awful”. And Australia hadn’t yet mastered the art of producing wines that would hold up for 40 years.

California appeared as saviour. Thank god for the 1968 Californians! The weather in Napa was fine that year.

The hunt revealed several wines that offered the promise of hyperbole. Heitz and Inglenook whispered my name. Beaulieu and Mondavi beckoned. But the only websites that made claims of knowing the best bottle of wine from 1968 had a conflicting interest because they were also selling those very same wines. How convenient!

I decided to dispense with the google search and developed my own kind of search engine. I analyzed magazine wine scores and researched online wine sites, blogs, tasting reports and scores. I charted winery and wine reputation. I asked knowledgeable wine store employees what bottle of 1968 wine they would drink if they were celebrating a major birthday.

I eventually crowned a winner: 1968 Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) Georges de LaTour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Proud of my research experiment's success, I bought every bottle left of BV on the planet I could find. I spent hours trying to locate them online at wine sites and auctions and visiting wine shops in person. I turned to friends’ private collections. And to the collections of friends of friends. And finally to some fairly fancy cellars of friends of friends of friends.

Where did the madness end? With a wine locker filled with more BV than I could personally drink by the time I turned 40!

I began to sell the wines and in doing so discovered that there were other people all over the country who were turning 40 and who wanted a good bottle of wine from 1968 with which to celebrate. I started emailing and calling and talking to a whole group of people who were all going to be celebrating an important milestone at around the same time. There was an undeniable feeling of comraderie that we all felt. We all shared a bond. We had gone through the same experiences, watched the same TV shows, kissed our first girlfriends or boyfriends at about the same time. We felt a tribal-like closeness to each other.

We are all connected to time and dates in a powerful way. And information and products and gifts that tie into these times is powerful and life-affirming "stuff". I only partially realized the power of this when I gave gifts to others. But it really hit deep for me when I sought out products for myself. The products made me feel alive, happy and celebratory. They also helped me feel special and important.

The powerful feeling that I felt looking for date-relevant products could be shared with others. I just needed to "bottle it" and set up shop. It was easy. The world is filled with billions of date-relevant products. I could provide the marketplace and a forum around which tribes could gather.

And so GiftDay was born.