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PAUL RUBIN R.I.P.

My oldest friend PAUL RUBIN passed away on Christmas Eve morning.

He was my running buddy back in the days of early teenage hood when I was young and innocent and Paul was a whole lot more sophisticated about the ways of the world; how to get around New York City and find the cool stuff (like THE MEMORY SHOP movie memorabilia joint) and girls. And most importantly, puppets!!!

(Me, Rowlf, Jim Henson, and Paul on the set of A SUMMER PLACE on CBS circa back in the day)

As everybody knows, I'm a puppeteer and have been since I could stick my hand over the crib. Paul was once a puppeteer too. That's how we met.
To New York City people of my generation there were a few truly magical names. Names like Sandy Becker, Soupy Sales and especially Chuck McCann. These guys had local TV shows with puppets and cartoons and they were on everyday and we all watched them. Some of us were adventurous enough to leave our living rooms and head to the TV studios where these heroes did their shows. I did. And so did Paul.

(That's Paul working the Paul Ashley puppets during a break at Chuck's WPIX-TV11 show LET'S HAVE FUN)

One day, at Chuck McCann's LAUREL & HARDY FIX-IT SHOPPE SHOW, our paths crossed. I went to Channel 5 and saw Chuck, who said I had to sit in the viewers booth today. So I climbed the lonely stairs and there behind the glass window sat a handsome boy about my own age with nicely-combed hair, wearing a well-tailored blue suit, with a pretty girl friend on his arm. When I walked in he turned and said to me "what the hell were you doing down there?" Well, I liked Laurel and Hardy and since I was Chubby I assumed the role of Ollie and said "Well never you mind!" Then skinny Paul began to cry like Stanley. And right at that moment we became life-long friends. We put together a Laurel and Hardy act. . . . . . and eventually performed on The Joe Franklin MEMORY LANE TV Show!

We built puppets, did shows at schools, and met the greats.

We learned "Who's On First" and did it for anyone who would listen.

(with JOEY FAYE in the hallway of WOR-TV9 prior to a JOE FRANKLIN appearance)

We traveled around the city, started a company RUMAR ENTERPRISES. . .

(with Jack Burns from Burns & Schrieber)

. . . met celebrities and even put out a magazine called Celebrity Post!

For almost 4 years we were inseparable.
New friends came into our lives and we went our several ways. Sometimes losing touch for years as craziness kicked in and yet? We never left each others hearts.
We reconnected in a more or less permanent way these past 10 years, talking a couple of times a month, a week, sometimes a day. The last few months were rough when Paul got sick, and then when I received an email from his sister Amy that he was taken to the hospital, I knew I had to visit him. But not just me. Remember earlier when I mentioned the name of kid show host Sandy Becker? When Sandy passed away Olga and I inherited his puppets, and one of Paul's and my favorite was a feisty little German named GEEBA GEEBA. When I walked into his hospital room, he was not alert. Amy rubbed his chest and brought him to consciousness and told him I was there. He struggled to open his eyes and when I caught his attention, I told him I brought someone to see him, and pulled Geeba Geeba from my black bag, put him on my hand and had him say:
"Hello dere Paul! Remember me? I remember you ven you used to be black und vite."
And he smiled. And they talked. And through Geeba, Paul and I reminisced about the highlights of our life together. He held Geeba's little hand and hugged him. When it was time to pack Geeba away, Paul struggled with his hand and signaled us closer. Geeba and I leaned down and Paul smiled and whispered to us "Thanks for the memories."

Paul, I want to say thank YOU, for the memories. You will always be part of my story.

http://flexitoon.blogspot.com/2010/04/for-love-of-laurel-and-hardy.html

MERRIE CHRISTMAS 2010

Christmas - - childhood.Dreams.Puppets.Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol.Chuck McCann's Christmas Specials.Jerry Mahoney dummies. Jingle Dingle Dolls. Family. Love.

New heart for christmas.

Just a quick post for you guys. I hope you're all having a wonderful christmas and spending time with your family and friends. I've had a lovely couple of days.. just resting and sleeping in and making gingerbreads and all that fun stuff you do on christmas. So here are some photographs for you to enjoy and a tiny little video! Be sure to tell me what you think and enjoy!

( I used CanonEOS 400D and 50mm lens for the pictures/ suitcase is thrifted; dress and the jacket are from Iwearsin.com, beret from Vero Moda)

Merry Christmas sweethearts!

Translation: " Wanted to say hi to all my readers and wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year! "

Management Rules to Follow in 2011

Got your party hat ready? It’s almost time to bid adieu to 2010!

At the dawn of 2011, millions of Americans will make resolutions to get rid of bad habits and adopt new, healthy ones.

Many business leaders also use this time to outline plans and goals for what they hope to achieve in the New Year. In a way, the concept is similar to personal New Year resolutions - the idea that the New Year can bring optimism and new opportunities for growth and development.

However, just as it can be difficult to maintain a personal New Year’s resolution, the same can be said for executing a strategy in business.

One survey found that 49 percent of business leaders perceived a gap between strategy and execution; 64 percent lacked confidence in their company’s ability to narrow it, according to Mashable.com.

In 2011, business leaders and managers should aim to close the gap between strategy and execution. Here are a few rules to follow.

Clearly Define the Desired End Result

The big problem with going from idea to implementation is a lack of clearly defined vision and goals. Leaders who do not define what they want to accomplish can hardly expect others to understand their strategy. Remember, that we usually get what we expect. If you have unclear expectations, that’s probably what you will get from others! Define your expectations, and establish measureable outcomes for each objective.

Stay in Control of Details

A key management skill is to keep the work moving along to achieve the team’s deliverables. Effective managers monitor performance without being too controlling of how the work is accomplished. Find the balance of exercising reasonable accountability while still allowing enough breathing room for employees to do their best work.

Listen to Feedback

Leaders can’t afford to be surrounded by “yes men” who refuse to tell the truth about problems as they occur. Listening to the perspective of others is vital for those in management positions. It is practically important to listen to the feedback from others about your own behavior, and to use it to change and improve your performance. Be sure to ask for feedback that is performance related.

Share the Credit for Success

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to cultivate good interpersonal relations with your co-workers. Leaders need to remember to always give credit when it’s due. Failure to do so may cause employees to become resentful, and resentful employees will be less likely to execute your vision at a high level. It is just a simple matter to say, “Well done” or “Nice job” to a person who contributes to your team’s performance.

This is our last blog post of 2010 – we look forward to connecting again in 2011!

IT'S PAUL WINCHELL'S BIRTHDAY!!!

Paul was - - in my opinion - - the GREATEST VENTRILOQUIST of the 20th Century!

The characters he created - - JERRY MAHONEY, KNUCKLEHEAD SMIFF, and his own PAUL WINCHELL persona, were vividly alive and magically manipulated.

This book is STILL the best written tome on the subject. When I was a kid I would take it out of the library, return it, wait until they restocked it on the shelf and then took it out again. As my birthday approached my dad & mom wanted to get me the book, but they couldn't find one. So he wrote to Paul at the Little Little Theater off Times Square (currently the Helen Hayes) where he did his HARTZ MOUNTAIN SHOW and a few days later the copy above arrived in the mail. Autographed! What a way to encourage a young boy with stars in his eyes (and dummies on his knees).

This picture is from his first TV series for kids "WINCHELL/MAHONEY TIME". He would begin the show coming down on a slide with Jerry by his side. I was 3 years old and remember thinking that the kid is make believe, but he's also alive! Something kicked into my consciousness because right then I said to myself "I want to make other kids feel the way he makes me feel right now."
Paul was also profoundly inventive - - adding moving arms and things to his dummies. He also invented an upside-down chin face he called OSWALD.

Now get this: he was working Jerry, performing his voice without moving his lips while lying upside down on an inverted camera/split screen shot in extreme close-up on national television.

This shot is from his KTTV-11 series. The little girl is his feisty daughter APRIL WINCHELL (today a very funny, biting, voice-over artist.)
How did Paul bring the dummies arms to life? With the help of two talented "PUPPET COORDINATORS" JAY LLOYD (l) & SKIP LUDWIG, pictured below in this ultra rare shot with Paul's wife and April's mother NINA RUSSELL.

Along the way, Paul invented the artificial heart and did the voice of GARGAMEL on the Smurfs and TIGGER in Disney's Winnie The Pooh. But the dummies would continue to make furtive appearances in his life.

The last time we saw Paul was at a party thrown for him by his friend and confidant, producer Burt Dubrow. As he was giving a speech, Burt (an avid puppet collector) reached around the corner with a Jerry Mahoney replica. Winch went "Ohhhhh" like he was seeing an old friend, took him from Burt and launched into an hysterical, impromtu act. Unbelieveable and unforgettable.

Right after this picture was taken of Olga and me giving Winch the hug he deserves, I put my hands on his shoulders and we looked each other in the eyes. I say "Paul, you're the reason." And he said "Craig, you're the result."

How to use charisma to your advantage as a leader

Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler had something in common.

While they were mortal enemies, with extremely different beliefs and actions, they both were known to draw large crowds and inspire people with their words. They each had an indefinable personal magnetism that helped draw people to them, and made people want to cooperate with them. In essence, these two men both displayed one similar trait – a charismatic leadership style.

The word charisma comes from Greek, meaning divine favor, as true charisma was seen as a gift from the Gods. In the 1920s, a German psychologist described it as “a quality where one is set apart from ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman powers that are regarded as divine in origin.”

However, according to Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, you don’t need divine powers to be charismatic. Wiseman said he believes that charisma is half born and half acquired, which means while some may have been blessed with those qualities at birth, they still have to nurture and develop them.

If you are not a naturally charismatic person, and you are in a leadership position, or strive to be in the future, developing charisma may help you maximize success. As history points out, people always seem to be drawn to individuals who have a certain level of charisma.

Here are some quick keys to being charismatic.

· Don’t hide. Be seen. Charismatic leaders are always visible. They make efforts to motivate people, whether by listening and responding to them, or by working alongside them. They inspire people to go on, even in dark times.

· Talk the talk. Charismatic leaders embrace every opportunity to convince others to adopt their vision. These leaders always appear enthusiastic and passionate and make others feel good in their presence. These leaders present their strategy in a compelling way in order to inspire others.

· Speak even when you are silent. Charismatic leaders are very aware of the signals they send out. They let people know they matter, even if it is just by simple gestures such as direct eye contact and firm handshakes.

· Push boundaries. Charismatic leaders know exactly what they want, and how to get it in order to achieve goals. In every undertaking they push the boundaries beyond what is ordinary thought possible.

Charisma helps build confidence. As a leader, if you are confident and sure of yourself, it will be passed on to your employees.

Source: Forbes

What are you thoughts about a charismatic leadership style?

I fell in love at the seaside.

I'm back in snowy estonia. My week in portugal was one of the craziest. I had some of the best and worst moments of my life there, met some talented people from all over europe and made really great friends. It was an unforgettable experience, and I'm so proud of myself and everyone else who competed in Euroskills 2010! yay!
And I got to see the ocean! Aaah it was magical!
Anyways.. now that I'm back and christmas break is just around the corner, I've gotta warn you that I'm going to start blogging like a crazy person, cause I've got so much pictures and other fun jazz to share with you guys. Now about the outfit: the cardigan i'm wearing is from H&M and the scarf is from Reserved, unfortunately I can't remember the name of the store I got the bag from but the gorgeous bow necklace was a gift from Zara Taylor who's a very taleneted jewelerry designer, so be sure to check out her site by clicking HERE. I hope you enjoy and be sure to tell me what you think!