RelyLocal New Britain - Berlin

What’s a positive out look going to get you?

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:47:59 +0000

I had a discussion with a bunch of people last night about miracles and magic in our every day lives. I am not talking “Harry Potter” and “Hogwarts” style magic, I am talking every day stuff. My theory is that if you see and expect to see magic and wonders, you will. You will be open to all the wonderful and amazing things that happen your life every day – which can help you find a balance, and help you deal with the icky things when they happen in our lives. The beautiful and colorful spectacle of a sunrise, the glory of a flower in bloom, the wonder of water turning solid into ice, how in heck that big old piece of metal that is an airplane can actually fly. I suppose what I am proposing is very similar to “stop and smell the roses.”

Similarly I also believe that if you are only looking and preparing for the perception of “negative” things, you will just as easily find them. When I suggested the sunrise as a miracle to look for, the colors and the actual miracle that that body rises every day and provides for life on this planet, a friend said that all a sunrise meant to her was being blinded driving to work. When she said this you could see the pain and suffering that sunrise represented to her.

It brought to mind a quote from the Dali Lama. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is not.”

Dali Lama Quote

That quote always makes me think. How many times have I thoughtlessly suffered through something that in the big scheme of things was pretty trivial. Looking at it from my current perspective, I realize most of that was a waste of time. Rather than dwell on the “bad” part of the experience, I would have been better served to start working of the solution.

A change of mindset can make the difference in your life. As Shawn Achor says in this video, we can train our brains to look for the positive, which might sound unlikely, or even impossible, but consider how you got your negative out look.

You were, as a little kid, pretty happy go lucky, right? You weren’t worried and scared all the time, just some of the time. You learned these things. You learned how to be safe from parents, then the church and school, and the news media. Over time your outlook changed. You knew good things were still out there, but the worrisome things seemed bigger and more important and like something you should concentrate more of your energy on. That is, after all, why the media concentrates so often on negative news stories, making them seem bigger and badder than ever, because people, when alert, are better viewers. They act like they are helping educate us, but what they are doing is adjusting our blinders. They profit if all we can see is the bad because then we will want to watch them so that they can fill us in on all the big bad boogie-events out there. They could tell us about all the good, or, the reports of lowering of the crime rate, or all the places there is peace in the world. It just sells better if they are talking about politicians saying foolish things and people acting badly. The good is still out there.

I say reclaim your blinders. Adjust your own blinders so that you can see a balance, and can allow yourself to see the potential in every situation. Positive thinking doesn’t only mean crossing your fingers and hoping for the best – wishing for everything to be good, like magic. Positive thinking is in large part leaving yourself open for the positive, accepting the positive can happen, and allowing it to. Practice happiness, so that you can retrain your brain to be ready for it. Allow that life can be wonderful, and accept it and enjoy it when it is. Accept that things don’t always go right, but that things don’t always go wrong. As Mike Dooley of the TUT Adventurers Club says, “Thoughts become things, choose good ones.”

Tagged: get better, happiness, Happiness Practice, Magic, Miracle, Positive Thinking, Sunrise, thrive

More great events around the area this weekend: March 23 – 25

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:44:59 +0000

Independence Poster: Hole in the Wall, New Britain

Saturday, March 24: “Independence” by Lee Blessing at Hole in the Wall Theater, New Britain
After being called home by her sister Jo, Kess returns to her mother’s house in the small town of Independence, Iowa. She finds it exactly the way she left it, a place from which she wanted to escape. While their mother’s mental health wavers, Kess struggles to bring a sense of normalcy to the house for her two sisters ∙ $20 general admission, $12 seniors, students with ID ∙ Friday/Saturday 8:00 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm ∙ Hole in the Wall Theater ∙ 116 Main Street, New Britain ∙ 860.229.3049 ∙ www.hitw.org

Coming soon: Reefer Madness, Book and lyrics by Kevin Murphy, Music by Dan Studney
May 11 – June 2, Fridays and Saturdays: 8 p.m., Sundays May 20 and 27: 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 24: New Britain Public Library – Main Branch: Meet the Author Trinene Davis: Stories and crafts with Trinene Davis, author of “My Sunny Day.” Ages 3-8, accompanied by an adult. No registration ∙ New Britain Public Library – Main Branch ∙ 2:00 pm ∙ free ∙ (860) 224-3155, ext. 121 ∙ http://www.nbpl.info ∙ alitke@nbpl.info

More at the New Britain Public Library:

Saturday, March 24:

Women’s History Celebration Concert
In its 3rd year of celebrating exceptional women, this women’s history celebration is brought to you by the Queen Anne Nzinga Center ∙ Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St New Britain ∙ 2:00 pm ∙ $10 in advance, $15 at the door ∙ (860) 229-2072 ∙ www.trinityonmain.org ∙ Katie@trinityonmain.org

Art Explorers Students learn to express their creativity using varied art methods and materials to create personal works of art. New themes will be explored each month with different projects weekly. Drop-in students are welcome. Scholarships are available for New Britain students. No charge for chaperones, who must remain in the building ∙ for Ages 6-8 ∙ New Britain Museum of American Art ∙ 10:30 – noon ∙ Members $5 per class; non-members $7 per class ∙ (860) 229.0257 ∙ NBMAA ∙www.nbmaa.org ∙ NBMAA@NBMAA.org

Art Start for Preschoolers This program helps caregivers and young children discover art together in the Museum galleries. Listen to stories about art and then explore line, shape and color with Museum educators. Drop-in students are welcome. No charge for chaperones, who must remain with the class ∙ New Britain Museum of American Art ∙ 11-11:45 am ∙ members $3 per class; non-members $5 per class ∙ (860) 229-0257 ∙ www.nbmaa.org ∙ NBMAA@NBMAA.org

Earth, Air, and Form opening at the ALNB 6-8 pm ∙ Featuring the digital works and landscapes of Kathleen Smits and sculpture by Caitlin Lee ∙ Refreshments, free ∙ Special Open House April 6, 7-9 pm in tandem with FF at the NBMAA ∙ Art League of New Britain, 30 Cedar Street ∙ www.ALNB.org

Shared Rhythms from Japan, Brazil, and Cuba 7pm ∙ Come join Melanie Chirignan and the Alturas Duo, as they take you on a journey that encompasses new music and shared rhythms between the United States, South America, and the Far East performed on flute, viola, and guitar ∙ $10 ∙ Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St New Britain ∙ Tickets can be purchased at www.trinityonmain.org, or over the phone at (860) 229-2072, as well as at the box office on the night of the event

Sunday, March 25

BACH! 4 pm ∙ Richard Coffey, conductor ∙ Immanuel Congregational Church, Hartford ∙ CONCORA’a annual collaboration with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra ∙ tickets $10-45 ∙ tickets may be purchased at www.concora.org

Trinity-on-Main Weekend Events: March 24

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:24:48 +0000

The Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc. presents the 3rd annual "Celebrating Women's History Concert" as they honor 2012 Exceptional Women. March 24, 2 PM, at Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main Street, New Britain

• • • • • •

Trinity-on-Main, a wonderful performance space in the center of
New Britain for live performances and events in central Connecticut, presenting a varied list of programs from rock concerts
to stand up comedy, to live opera and civic events.

• • • • • •

Come join Melanie Chirignan and the Alturas Duo, as they take you on a journey that encompasses new music and shared rhythms between the United States, South America, and the far east performed on flute, viola, and guitar. Tickets: $10

Another Friday night….

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:33:56 +0000

Looking for something to do? Check out this calendar on the RelyLocal New Britain – Berlin Facebook page, and “Like” us when you are over there!

Screen Capture of the RelyLocal New Britain - Berlin Events Calendar

“What do you want to do this weekend?”

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:22:51 +0000

Is the weekend calling to you, asking: “What do you want to do this weekend?”

Lets take a look and see what is happening in the area!

New Britain:
Friday: February 10
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Trinity-On-Main, 69 Main St, New Britain • www.trinityonmain.org
Daryel McCrorey Presents “Everything I Miss at Home”
Doors open @6, showtime @8. Relationship comedy stage play. Tickets $20-30 adults, $10-15 children under
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Community Central 117 West Main Street New Britain, CT
Unmasked: Echoes from a child’s soul: An art and education project by CCSU Professors Jerry Butler, Barbara Clark, and Joss French. Special guest artist Larry Hunt. Showing the work of Gaffney Elementry and DiLoreto Magnet School Students. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. • Free • Contact Hannah Hurwitz 203-843-2121
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Welte Hall, Central Connecticut State University 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT • http://thevirtuosi.org
Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major, K. 299 • Mozart: Symphony No. 41, K. 551 “Jupiter” • Jill Maurer Davis-flute, Megan Sesma-harp • 8 p.m. • Free, but donations are accepted via mail or PayPal • Abundant free parking in the garage next to Welte Hall at the corner of Stanley Street and Ella Grasso Boulevard.
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The Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main Street New Britain, CT • 860-223-9665 • www.hitw.org
Life X Three: 8:00 p.m. • Directed by Matthew Skwiot • The French playwright Yasmina Reza is one of the most gifted writers for the stage today. Her plays explore modern, chaotic reality in simple forms of disillusionment and hysterical humor.“Life x3” represents all that is most distinctive and prominent in Reza’s writing: sharp and witty language, examination of detail in everyday life and precise form that speaks for itself. Prosaic situation becomes a pretext for speculation of starry consequences. The outcome is only one…or…three… • $20, $12 Seniors and Students
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Art League of New Britain, 30 Cedar Street, 860-229-1484 • www.alnb.org
“2012 Working from the Figure” Exhibit/Sale: Selections from the ALNB life drawing/marathon sessions.
Work bought can be taken immediately! Cash or check. 6-8 p.m. Show continues through Sunday, March 4.
Gallery Hours are Saturday & Sunday 1-4 p.m. or by appointment.

Saturday: February 11
___________________________________________________________
The Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main Street New Britain, CT • 860-223-9665 • www.hitw.org
Life X Three: 8:00 p.m. • Directed by Matthew Skwiot • The French playwright Yasmina Reza is one of the most gifted writers for the stage today. Her plays explore modern, chaotic reality in simple forms of disillusionment and hysterical humor.“Life x3” represents all that is most distinctive and prominent in Reza’s writing: sharp and witty language, examination of detail in everyday life and precise form that speaks for itself. Prosaic situation becomes a pretext for speculation of starry consequences. The outcome is only one…or…three… • $20, $12 Seniors and Students
___________________________________________________________
New Britain Downtown Visitors Center 66 West Main Street • www.hitw.org
GHAC “Arts Day”: 10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. • The Greater Hartford Arts Council in conjunction with the City of New Britain is sponsoring an “Arts Day.” Stop by the New Britain Downtown Visitors Center to design a card of what the arts in our town means to you. These cards will become part of a paper mosaic mural to be used regionally in the kick-off of the 2012 United Arts Campaign. Refreshments, music and a chance to see the monthly Greater New Britain Arts Alliance Second Saturday and Sunday Arts Mini-Market. Come celebrate the importance of the arts in our community • Free • Free parking on the street and in the City garage 1/2 block north of the Visitors Center on Washington Street • Contact Anne Pilla at apilla@sbcglobal.net for more information
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New Britain Downtown Visitors Center 66 West Main Street • www.hitw.org
Second Saturday & Sunday Arts Mini-Market, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday Noon – 4 p.m. A regular opportunity to purchase handcrafted work, provide local artists with a regular opportunity to display their work, and be a fundraiser for the Greater New Britain Arts Alliance • Featuring in February Clymenza Hawkins, Katia Porter, Anna Murfin, Jean Rill-Alberto, and Paul Gobell • Free admission • Free parking on the street and in the municipal garage 1/2 block north of the Gallery on Washington Street
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New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT, (860) 229-0257 · nbmaa.org
NEW/NOW: Marc Swanson: Feb. 11 – May 13, 2012 • Opening Reception: 2-3:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012
Marc Swanson, automythologist: one who excels at crafting sparkling, enigmatic totems from the messiness of his own history. Self-identity, development, conflict, and nostalgia are all re-occurring themes found in the works artist Marc Swanson. Born in New Britain, Connecticut, and now residing in Brooklyn, New York, Marc has re-located to several areas across the country. His continual struggle to find a place secure and comfortable enough to call home can be detected in his artwork.

Feb. 11, Saturday
10:30 a.m.-noon Art Explorers: Suzy Jorsey-Balay *
11-11:45 a.m. Art Start: Margaret Freedman *
11 a.m. Welcome tour/11:30 a.m. en español

Feb. 12, Sunday
1-2 p.m. American Masterpieces Tour
2-3:30 p.m. Opening Reception: NEW/NOW: Marc Swanson
3-4 p.m. Sunday Music Series with African drum and dance company Sangbanyi Fare De Afrique

Berlin:
Saturday, Feb. 11
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Mooreland Hill School, 166 Lincoln St, Berlin, CT • www.mooreland.org
Mooreland Hill School Open House, 9:00 am, FREE. Mooreland Hill School is an independent, co-educational day school currently serving central Connecticut students in grades 4-9. Announcing grades K-3 starting Fall 2012. For more information or to register, call 860.828.0571 or online at www.mooreland.org

Golf Fitness Connecticut, 598 Deming Rd, Berlin, CT, GolfFitnessCT.com.
Learn About Your Golf Swing, 12:00 pm. Golf Fitness Connecticut presents: How Your Golf Swing and Body Are Connected. The workshop will be conducted by Eric Lunt and Pete Asadourian. $15 For more information or to sign up, contact Eric Lunt at eric.lunt@GolfFitnessCT.com. Please wear athletic attire.

Golf Fitness Orientation, Noon to 1 p.m. Cost of event is $15. This event is an introduction to Golf Fitness and how proper physical training can help improve your golf game. This event is being put on by Berlin resident Eric Lunt, who is a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor and Pete Asadourian, owner of Future Fitness, LLC. There will be some lecture and interactive portions of this event, so we are asking people to please wear atheltic attire. Cost of event is $15. Please contact Eric Lunt to register. Contact 860-578-2860 email at eric.lunt@golffitnessct.com.

Peck Memorial Library, 234 Kensington Rd, Berlin, CT
The Annual Meeting of the CT Community Gardening Association will be held February 11, 2012 at the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library from noon to 3 p.m. Join members for a free showing of ‘URBAN ROOTS’, a documentary about urban agriculture phenomenon in Detroit. Find out more about CCGA! Share your community gardening experiences! Help spread the word about community gardening. Go to www.ctcommunitygardening.org/events for more information.

Tagged: central connecticut state, central connecticut state university, connecticut state university, diloreto magnet school, mozart concerto, music, new britain ct

Around and about the area this weekend:

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:26:56 +0000

NEW BRITAIN and BERLIN, CT

Super Bowl: Roma Sports Bar & Grill Your not going to want to miss Super Bowl Sunday at Roma’s this year! We’ll have live blogging, Hartford Courant webcams, tweeting, you name it!! Definitely Super Bowl central!!. T.G.I.F.!! Don’t forget to place your Super Bowl wing orders!! 30 wings + fixings for $17.50!!! Call 860-225-7947

Arts:

NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: 56 Lexington St., nbmaa.org, 860-229-0257

Searching the Horizon: The Real American West 1830-1920, Art from the Bank of America Collection. 1830-1920 explores the vastness and variety of the West through the numerous ways artists chose to depict it, whether to chronicle current events, or to capture the culture and traditions of the regionís native inhabitants, the American Indians. The people of the 18th and 19th century American West, their work, their lifestyles, and cultures, hold a prominent place in the American imagination.

NEW/NOW: Carson Fox: Bi-Polar: Comfort/Peril, Nature/Artifice, Fantasy/Reality, Warmth/Frigidness, Permanence/Disappearance. These dichotomies coexist within the work of the next NEW/NOW artist, Carson Fox. Bi-Polar is an installation that transports the viewer into a surround of related, yet opposing elements.

SKETCHING WITH THE MASTERS: 10:30 a.m.-noon, Free with Museum admission. Sharpen your pencil and learn from the masters! This class will benefit all skill levels and interest, whether you are an accomplished artist or just like to push a pencil.

HOLE IN THE WALL THEATER: www.hitw.org, 860.229.3049, 116 Main Street, New Britain, CT

“Life X 3″: When Hubert and his wife Inez show up for dinner a day early at the home of Henry and Sonia, what starts as an awkward evening turns into a major disaster. Hole in the Wall’s production of “Life X 3″ highlights playwright Yasmina Reza’s sharp wit as two couples act out three different interpretations of the dinner party from hell. Performances are Friday and Saturday, January 20 – February 11 at 8:00 pm; Sunday matinees are January 29 and February 5 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20, $12 for seniors/students with ID. Reservations can be made at www.hitw.org or by calling 860.229.3049.

DOWNTOWN GALLERY, 66 West Main Street New Britain, www.NewBritainArts.org, 860-832-8299, Free, M-F 9-5, Th 8pm, Sa.

Natural Dynamism: Works on Paper by Susan Spaniol: Susan Spaniol chronicles her experience of the beaching of a whale at Herring Cove, MA, in artwork that is profoundly contemplative and emotionally charged. Artwork for sale. The Downtown Gallery is open M-F 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and, during exhibitions, Thursdays until 8 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment. Parking on the Street and in the City Garages is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends.

Sunday:

New Britain Symphony, Mooreland Hill School, 166 Lincoln St. Kensington, 860-826-6344, www.newbritainsymphony.org

The Many LoveS(ongs) of Frank Sinatra: 3 pm, Free Will Offering, For the second year the New Britain Symphony offers a special program to celebrate Valentineís Day. Gilbert Gigliotti, New Britain Symphony Board member, CCSU professor of English and Latin, and noted Sinatra expert, author and lecturer, will examine the music of the man who is considered the greatest interpreter of popular song ever. The presentation of “ol’ blue eyes” will be through the lens of his most significant and popular recordings about romance and heartbreak. From “All or Nothing At All” to (Love is) The Tender Trap, you will get a kick out of learning how Frank’s songs became the soundtrack of 20th century romance. Valentine’s Day reception to follow. Free will offering for the benefit of the Symphony and the Mooreland Hill School program.

At the Library:

NEW BRITAIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, www.nbpl.info, To register, please call the Reference Desk at (860) 224-3155 ext. 125.

FIRST FRIDAY FILM: For title information, please call the Reference Desk at (860) 224-3155 ext. 125.

Saturday:

INTRO TO COMPUTERS: 9:30AM, For the absolute beginner! Come and learn how to use your computer. To register, please call the Reference Desk at (860) 224-3155 ext. 125

OPEN MIC POETRY: 2:00PM, free: Poets age 16 to 100 are invited to bring their poetry to share.

CHILDREN:

TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE LIBRARY DAY: Main Branch, free, all day

Join us for this day for the whole family! Register your child for a library card, enjoy activities, share some stories, and check out some books. Free giveaways. Everyone welcome!

BERLIN, CT

Friday and Saturday, February 3

CONNECTICUT CABARET THEATRE: 31-33 Webster Mill Plaza, Berlin, CT, 860-829-1248, 8 pm

BLITHE SPIRIT: By Noel Coward – The smash comedy hit of the London and Broadway stages, this much-revived classic from the playwright of Private Lives offers up fussy, cantakerous novelist Charles Condomine, re-married but haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira who is called up by a visiting “happy medium”, one Madame Arcati. As the (worldly and un-) personalities clash, Charles’ current wife Ruth is accidentally killed, “passes over”, joins Elvira and the two “blithe spirits” haunt the hapless Charles into perpetuity.

Tagged: Bank of America, Berlin, Bi-Polar, Blithe Spirit, Broadway, cabaret, Carson Fox, Chicken Wings, child, Connecticut, CT, Down Town Gallery, Events, first friday film, Frank Sinarta, Hole in Wall Theater, intro to computer, Kensington, library, library card, Life X 3, love songs, Mooreland Hill School, mouse training, Natural Dynamism, New Britain, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain Public Library, New Britain Symphony, New/Now, Noel Coward, open mic, party, play, poetry, Roma's Sports Bar & Grill, Searching the Horizon, sketching with the Masters, super bowl, Super Bowl Party, Susan Spanilo, The Real American West, theater, theatre, Weekend

Do you remember the good old days?

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:17:09 +0000

I grew up in a rural area, so I probably remember the rustic good old days a little better than many people in Connecticut. We lived in a small town which was the biggest thing around. That isn’t saying much, cause it wasn’t big, but only seemed so because everything around was so small.

If you wanted something up there we had the local stores for everyday things, but if you needed something special you had to drive over an hour to the nearest place with a mall, or you had to order from a catalog. We had two catalog stores in my town, so you could order something and pick it up in a few weeks. A few weeks. It was exciting when I moved to a more urban area and I could get about anything I needed, I just had to pick up a phone book and find out where the store was and drive out to get it.

I was reminded of this recently when I needed a battery for my digital camera. Sure, with one of these cameras you can take a picture then go home and print it out automatically, but without a battery I was dead in the water. I found out my battery had died two days before Christmas. Not good.

So, I jumped on the internet and looked up stores in the area where I could find a new one, fast. What I found out was several stores could get me the battery, but they would have to order it. It would take 3 days to a week, and if I know how things are likely to work, probably longer. No way I was going to have that battery for Christmas Day and other Christmas events. I was out of luck.

The other thing I noticed, when I searched on line for a local battery store was that on line the price was less. They had the same delivery time though. At that moment having the battery was more important to me than price.

It got me thinking. Before the promise of the internet, would there have been a local store that stocked the item I needed? (maybe not, but maybe so) Had the internet been the reason the store that might have met my needs that day had gone out of business because of the unfair competition offered by the internet?

That made me sad, both because I could not get what I wanted in a whole region, but also because I was probably part of the reason local stores were suffering. I too often shop for price and am tempted by getting a real bargain on the internet. (Have you noticed when we talk about things we get on the internet we rarely factor in the price of shipping when we tell people how much we saved?)

So, give that some thought. What thing did you used to be able to buy around here that you still need that you can’t get locally any more? What store that used to meet your needs, and was always there when you needed something NOW that is not there anymore? As you drive by vacant store fronts, do you wonder why the store that was there is not there any more? I do. Or an empty store that used to have a ton of variety and choices that is gone because a big box store moved to town, and now they offer you only what sells the most, in other words, no variety at all.

We need to do our part to make sure our area is vibrant and has a strong local economy. In the short run, sure, you can save buying on the internet, but in the long run, are we shooting ourselves in the foot?

Before it’s too late: Buy local. Support local businesses. Support the local economy.

Tagged: Berlin, buy local, economy, New Britain, small business, Support Local Businesses

Why Social Media Isnt a Waste of Time [Infographic] | Schools.com

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:52:25 +0000

For a local business: is social media a waste of time?

Courtesy of: Schools.com

via Why Social Media Isnt a Waste of Time [Infographic] | Schools.com.

Nope, it looks like social media is a great tool for businesses large and small to reach customers. In fact, you could say it is even a way for smaller companies, the ones that aren’t (or aren’t yet) national, ones that don’t have big marketing budgets to get their foot in.

And in our area, New Britain – Berlin we need all the help reaching customers that we can get. If you are interested in better using of social media, give me a call.

Facebook

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:01:19 +0000

Facebook. I was on facebook today and a person popped up in the “People you may know” area, someone I never heard of, and it said 13 of my friends (and we must keep in mind, this is facebook friends) were mutual friends. So I wanted to know who knew this stranger woman also knew me. It was interesting what I discovered.

On the list were these different parts of my life; people who in my own life would probably never meet, but who, in this netherworld of Facebook knew each other. Because they are facebook friends many of them were not close friends, but certainly people I would recognize in a crowd.

Represented was a person from a church I take classes at, a speaker I’d arranged to speak at a club I am a member at, CCWF, a marketing group member/founder who I met through a comic book creator/publisher I know, a guy I met though work who is also a regional owner in his region, a member of the same Toastmasters International group I belong to, another speaker I arranged for CCWF, and the president of CCWF. (Central Connecticut Women’s Forum) Some of the “friends” were organizations or restaurants, but still, this impressed me.

Ever doubt social media’s reach? I don’t anymore.

Winter Sunrise Over Martha Hart Park, New Britain, CT. Photo credit: Amelia Schwencke

Wondering about Social Media?

rlnewbritainberlinct1 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:20:05 +0000

What is this social media thing and is it as popular and people make it out to be? Will being mentioned on social media make a difference to my small business? Let’s have a look:

Source: The Growth of Social Media: An Infographic

I’d say it is looking pretty good that social media mention will help your business look good.

Tagged: Berlin, business, Connecticut, Facebook, Internet Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, New Britain, RelyLocal New Britain - Berlin, small business, Social media, Social network, Twitter