Problems Plague Harry & Sally’s Opening
By Rob Taylor

There is a formula in Hollywood that works most of the time and that formula is having a couple marry, live together for a few years, have some kids and then they find out that, for one reason or another, their marriage wasn’t ever legal. That is the premise of The Station Dinner Theatre’s new production Harry & Sally’s Wedding.

Now, don’t get too excited and don’t think what I did…it is not a sequel to the 1989 smash film When Harry Met Sally. I don’t think that a sequel has ever been written nor will one ever be.

In this production Katie States and Jawn Gross play Sally and Harry Balzac a couple married 5 years before in a ceremony in a Catholic church. The problem is that the priest wasn’t a real priest and that makes their marriage null. So, at a party to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary they decide, I guess not to renew their vows, but redo them to correct the previous mistake.

Then another thing gets thrown into the mix…it seems that Sally had been shacking up with Brother Benny, played by David Durst, when they travel to a retreat every year. How do we know that? Well, Sally’s kids look like the brother and their births took place exactly 9 months after the retreat. Add to that a mother who invites every guest to see her husband’s family jewels and a father who is running for political office and you can pretty well get the idea of the story.

Carrie Smith played the frazzled mother of the bride. I love her when she went through the audience talking about her husband’s jewelry shop and showing of pictures of her two grandkids who needed a shave because of their 5 o’clock shadows. (BTW, they do look like Brother Benny) I just wanted to keep talking to her. The thing is Carrie usually plays keyboards for the theatre so you never get to see her. Thank the gods that Paul (The owner of the Station) let her out in public this time…she made the show for me.

I am going to keep this short…the performance has a few problem such as trying to follow the show since the actors use the whole theatre as a stage as well as the fact that a lot of the time I could not hear what was being said. If they can fix these…Harry & Sally’s Wedding is a good show and I know that the cast is among the best actors in town so I would recommend this show…if not at least you can say that you enjoyed the food.
 

Facebook Programs Helps Cure Pancreatic Cancer

The Issue
“My mom was diagnosed the day after her 45th birthday. Exactly 2 months later she died; on my 22nd birthday.” - Dani Galbraith

Every year, pancreatic cancer quickly and painfully takes the lives of over 35,000 Americans. People like: Patrick Swayze, Randy Pausch, Michael Landon, Chuck Dailey, Myles Brand, Paul Mitchell and tens of thousands more who inspired us. People like our spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, and best friends.

76% of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of diagnosis and 95% within five years. Unlike most cancers, there is no early detection, no effective treatments and no cure. Pancreatic cancer kills almost as many individuals as breast cancer does, yet receives considerably less cancer research funding.

If we can dedicate one million dollars toward innovative pancreatic cancer research that could lead to new medical breakthroughs, we could save the lives of tens of thousands of people every year and provide real hope.

The Plan
“We can beat it if we give a lot of smart people the funding to do their job.” – Randy Pausch, Author of The Last Lecture, three months before he died of pancreatic cancer in July 2008

Pancreatic cancer research is desperately underfunded, despite being decades behind other cancers in diagnosis and treatment options. We need research to save lives. We know it will take big ideas and out-of-the-box thinking to make progress. Therefore, we will provide funding to researchers bold enough to explore novel ideas to treat and cure pancreatic cancer through our innovative grant system.

Our Innovative Grants will provide funding for brilliant pancreatic cancer researchers to test their revolutionary ideas. Researchers will apply the results of their studies toward developing early detection methods or new treatments for pancreatic cancer patients. Additionally, findings from these research projects will serve as a solid foundation for future pancreatic cancer research efforts.

The Outcome
“We have already accomplished the hardest part. We are off the sofa and out the door. It is early in the race, but we are gaining momentum and determined to win.” - William Hawkins, MD, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Grantee

Innovative Grant recipients will explore new methods for diagnosing and treating this disease. Grantees will have the guidance of our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board, comprised of top scientific experts in the field of pancreatic cancer. With no time to waste, the proposed timeline for implementation is marketing the grant opportunities to scientists in Summer 2010 and grant applications will be due November 2010.

The outcome is simple: we have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in the U.S. every year.

Pancreatic cancer is often dismissed as too deadly to make progress. But we are making progress, and we must put our financial resources behind the innovative science needed to fight this disease.

Pancreatic Cancer: Know it. Fight it. End it

For more information check out: www.facebook.com/JointheFight
 

Mother and Son are Back, not Bach, in Erie

If you are from Erie and follow classical music, you may remember the billboard's "He's 15 and he's Bach in Erie". Richard Stadler was a well known child prodigy classical guitarist in Erie throughout the 90's. When he was 15 he made his European debut in "The Rome Symphony Festival", as the youngest musician ever to be invited to perform on the prestigious festival. That same summer he accepted his invitation to study at the world renowned bordering school for music "Interlochen Arts Academy" and moved away from his home town to attend the academy in Interlochen MI.

Stadler started studying music first at World of Music, when his teacher Chris Hansen advised him after only a half year that he would need to find a professor, as he had outgrown what he could teach him. Richard went on to study with Mark Heverly at the Mercyhurst D' Angelo School of Music.

Stadler began having hand problems in his late teens that eventually became so bad he had to have surgery. The surgery worked with great success for about a half year, until his problems became worse. Stadler saw top hand specialists in PA, MI, and in NYC with little relief. He tried every type of physical therapy under the sun, but nothing really seemed to allow him to heal.
 

Cabin Fever Teacher Getaway at Erie Art Museum
 

Teachers of all disciplines and grade levels are invited to an evening of great
art, music, and camaraderie during the Erie Art Museum’s annual teacher Cabin Fever Getaway on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010 from 4-7 p.m. at the Erie Art Museum, 411 State Street. Educators from all disciplines and age levels can earn 3 hours of Act 48 credit.

“We think of it as a way to pamper teachers a bit,” states Kelly Armor, Museum
Education Director. “We design the Getaway so they can have fun and get their creative batteries recharged.”

Participants will explore Making It Better: Folk Arts in Pennsylvania Today, and meet
artists featured in the exhibit, such as Bosnian ballad singer Mensura Berberovic, stone wall artisan Ken Ely, and Charles Culleiton, sawdust carpet maker.

Registration starts at 3:30 p.m. and the program runs from 4- 7p.m. Teachers are invited to stay for a light supper at Molly Brannigans.

Event sponsors Erie Federal Credit Union and Iadeluca Chiropractic will be giving away special gifts to those in attendance.

Cost is $10 per person in advance or $12 at the door. Contact Jude at the Museum, (814) 459-5477 or email jude@erieartmuseum.org.

Scam Warning - Your Friend Did Not Lose Their Wallet!
 

by Scott Carmichael, www.gadling.com

Imagine sitting at home and getting a desperate email from a friend asking for help after they lost their wallet on an overseas vacation.

The email address matches that of your friend, and the request sounds legitimate. But before you start sending them cash, be aware that you have probably just become the potential victim of a scam.

It's the newest craze on many web based email sites (mainly Hotmail). The scammers hack their way into the email account of your friend, usually by guessing their password, and start sending out the "cry for help" to everyone in the address book. Eventually they'll run into someone who falls for the trick and sends cash using a wire service.

The emails almost always start with "I misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel" and you'll notice that they don't address you directly by your name.

So, if you get an email from a friend in need, call them, make sure they are OK, and let them know that their email account has probably been hacked. Let this also be a reminder that "password" is not a sufficiently strong enough password for your email account.