Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's to one and to all!
Enjoy this special time with your family and friends.
Enjoy a Coke and a Smile!
The Blog will take a "brake", Ha! Ha!......until Tuesday, January 3rd.

Brakeman

Team Spirit

I have read many articles on team development and the one interesting point that always seems to stick with me is team spirit.Team spirit means thinking of others. It means losing oneself in the group for the good of the group. It means being not just willing, but eager to sacrifice personal interest or glory for the welfare of all. Have you ever been part of a team or group that has a lot of team spirit? Please share your experience with me.

The Brakeman

Friendship

Have you ever thought about what is true friendship?
 
I was reading different opinions about friendship and what I found is that friendship is not about someone doing something nice for you, that is them simply being a nice person. 
 
True friendship is mutual; doing good things for each other.
True friendship takes time and understanding.

Do you have any true friendships?
 
Do you take the time to develop friendships?
 
Do you believe friendships play an important part in a person’s success in life?


The Brakeman

Vacation

It’s been said for a person to be successful at his or her profession for a long time, the person needs to also be good at taking vacation.

Do you agree with this theory?
Do you have a favorite place you go on vacation?
Have you ever experienced a “trip of a lifetime"?

Please share your thoughts and experiences.

The Brakeman

"Holiday things to do"

In the last three weeks I have attended shows at both the Musikfest Cafe (ArtsQuest) and Allentown Symphony Hall.

I had a blast at both venues.

This past Friday night my wife and I saw Natalie MacMaster, a very talented Master of the Fiddle at Allentown Symphony Hall. Natalie's enthusiasm and the warmth of the Hall made it a very special night.

At Musikfest Cafe we were treated to a fantastic lunch and an outstanding show by Elisabeth von Trapp, the granddaughter of the Baron and Maria von Trapp. The ambiance at the Cafe makes you feel right at home and Elizabeth's voice and her joy of music was uplifting.

And while we're speaking about great music.....

George Harrison of the Beatles was labeled the quiet Beatle.
Do you know how he got that label?

The Brakeman

Flying in the Lehigh Valley

Hi everyone! I trust you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday. I just heard that Southwest Airlines is stopping direct flights from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Southwest flew a couple direct flights to Pittsburgh from our beautiful Lehigh Valley International Airport every day?

Let us know if you or your company could take advantage of this idea!

And, while we're talking about airports.......

Have you ever forgot where you parked your car when you returned from a flight at an airport? 

Share your story with us.

The Brakeman

Old Man Winter

I trust everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday!
Now, some time in the near future, we need to deal with 'Old Man Winter'.
Here are a few tips I read about minimizing the cost increases of our winter
utility bills.

-Fix hot water leaks.
-Lower the thermostat setting.
-Turn ceiling fans off when you leave the room.
-Change the ceiling fan direction for heating.
-Wash full loads of dishes.
-Clear your clothes dryer lint.
-Wash and dry full loads.
-Shower rather than bathing.
-Close your fireplace damper.
-Open southern exposure drapes and blinds.

I hope these tips will help someone.
If you have a tip on saving on your utility bill, please share.

The Brakeman

The answer's to the "Brakeman's Blog" from Friday, November 18th are:


Coach Frank Tavani  has been head football coach at Lafayette College for 12 years.

As of Friday, November 18th, his record as Lafayette's head football coach vs. Lehigh University in the 'annual football classic' is 5 wins and 6 losses. 

Thank you to the winners who posted their answers!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


The Brakeman!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a very special holiday!
It reminds us of our country's beginning and how much the Lord has blessed our nation over the years.
From the early 1600's to modern day, we have a lot to be grateful for.

What do you like the most about the Thanksgiving Holiday?
Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions you would like to share?
What are you thankful for?

Who will win the Easton vs. Phillipsburg high school football game this Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Brakeman

The Game

Today's Trivia:

How long has Coach Frank Tavani been the head football coach at Lafayette College?

As of today, Nov. 18, 2011, what is his record as head football coach vs. Lehigh University in the 'annual football classic'?


The first 6 people to answer the question's correctly, will receive a prize.

In addition, amongst the 6 winners, there will be a drawing to have lunch with Coach Frank Tavani, Scott Morse (Director of Athletic Communications) and with me, The Brakeman!

Once you submit your answer to my Blog Trivia question, we will pull your answer and compile it so no one can see your answer.
You have until Monday evening, November 28th to answer my trivia questions. 


Good luck!

The Brakeman

Answer to Brakeman's Trivia from 11-11-11

Thanks to all the ‘Knowledge Seeker’ winners who posted their answer on the Brakeman’s Blog! We have our winners who won a FREE 12 pack of 12 oz. Can of any Coca Cola product.

Answer to Friday, Nov 11^th, “Brakeman’s Trivia Blog”:

 Legionnaires' disease acquired its name in July 1976 when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia.

My personal story:

I was in Philadelphia on that hot summer day in 1976. The Legionnaire’s were having their parade on the streets of Philadelphia and I was stuck in traffic waiting for the parade to pass. Little did I know of what was to come?

Rivalry

Over the next ten days, the Lehigh Valley will be the home of two of the most historic “Football Rivalry’s” in our great country. On Saturday, November 19th, Lafayette against Lehigh University and on Thanksgiving day, November 24th, Easton High School against Phillipsburg High School. Who will you root for? How do you feel when your team wins? What happens to you if your team ends up on the short side? Does the end result of a rivalry game define success? One of our greatest coaches of all times defines success as: “A peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming”. John Wooden

Knowledge Seeker

Over the last 2-3 months, there has been an increased number of Legionnaires disease cases. They say it's from the increased amount of rain this year.

My questions are:
1. How did the Legionnaires disease acquire its name?
2. Can you name the year and location of its origin?

The first 6 people to answer the questions correctly will be entitled to a free 12-pack of cans of our product.

Winners and answers will be posted next Monday evening, November 14th.

I have a personal story to share in referencing the above question.

Stay tuned to next week!

Can you answer these questions without utilizing technology?

The Brakeman

Obstacles

What do you think about the Phillies winning 102 games this season? How did you feel when they didn't win it all?
Congratulations to the Cardinals on winning the 2011 World Series! I don't remember any team overcoming more obstacles than the Saint Louis Cardinals....they never gave up.
Could you watch the World Series since the Phillies didn't make it? Did you know the Cardinals were one out away from losing the World Series twice?

Do you ever think about how you personally deal with obstacles in your life or at your work? Do you continue with a positive outlook? A thought for us all....someone once said, "It's easy to be a leader when things are going good."

P.S. Check back this Friday, I'll have a trivia question with chances to win!