Category Archives: Endorsements

My Latest Shaving Regime (As My Skin Seems To Get More Sensitive With Old Age).

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by Anura Guruge
on March 20, 2024

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Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Amazon‘.

I am convinced that the skin on my face HAS TO be getting MORE SENSITIVE as I get older. Yes, I do try to take care of it. {Some might even claim pamper. I am big into keeping my face hydrated.} But, it doesn’t help. Shaving is becoming an AGONY.

I HATE shaving, I really do. Always have. (Though I had a goatee in my early 20s) I refuse to have a beard. I dread having to shave! For much of my adult life, until I was well into my 60s I used to shave everyday. Then, I gave up. I try to just shave every 3 days — unless I am going out. I still will not go anywhere important WITHOUT shaving. Old habits die hard.

I am CONTINUALLY looking for a new ‘silver bullet’. I have the latest ‘Gillette‘ & the top-end ‘Braun’ electric razor. I also try all sorts of lotions. Still never happy.

A few weeks ago I again scoured Amazon. I found the ABOVE two products — Shave BUTTER & aftershave DEW. Sounded interesting. Both claim to be for ‘sensitive skin’. That is sure what I have.

So, I ordered them. I have been using them (exclusively) for the last 3 weeks. They seem to help. I LIKE THEM. The butter is nice. GREAT Mango smell. The mist sure is soothing.

So, I wanted to SHARE with you. Worth trying. I sure endorse them, both.

‘Common Good Soup Kitchen’, ‘Southwest Harbor’ (‘Acadia’), Maine — Revisited (& Better Than Ever).

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by Anura Guruge
on February 24, 2024

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The live (v. good) music.

Happened to be the Executive Director’s 60th birthday —
which made it even MORE special
(especially as I had celebrated my 63rd birthday with them).

Link to their Website.

My first encounter with them, which was enormously uplifting was in 2016. I felt an immediate, deep & profound connection — & their mission resonated with me. I think every town in the U.S. should have a ‘Common Good’. I RAVED about them just last week ahead of my latest trip to ‘Acadia’ because I was hoping to make it to their (now) weekly Wednesday night dinner.

I made it & it made MY WEEK.

The meal was outstanding, the company outstanding & the ambiance divine. So much goodwill, caring and camaraderie. We need more of this. I really, really enjoyed it.

This is such a great inspiration. I want a ‘Common Good’ NEAR ME. I am trying to work out how I can make it happen.

‘Common Good Soup Kitchen’, ‘Southwest Harbor’ (‘Acadia’), Maine — An Inspirational, Uplifting Cause.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 20, 2024

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Link to their Website.

What the ‘Common Good‘ is all about by Bill Morrison
(the co-founder).

THE MAN himself, ‘Larry Stettner‘. As is my luck I got to meet him, chat with him and he was kind enough to go and find a sheet (reproduced ABOVE) that spelled out what his ‘Goodness’ was all about. Larry, alas, passed away. aged 79, in May 2017 — 8-months after this picture.

A wholesome, modern-day, year-round ‘soup kitchen’ with heart,
in Southwest Harbor, Maine, (adjacent to ‘Acadia National Park‘)
that used to raise money with ‘As Good As Jordan Pond‘ Popovers,
for breakfast, on a donation basis c. 2016.

They are still going STRONG in 2024 — & still open year-round.

Every community should have a
‘Common Good’ — along these lines.

This (though the YouTube video is NEW) is a redux of a September 2016 post from my now shuttered ‘Old Blog‘.

We happened to serendipitously stumble upon this heartwarming ‘Common Good‘ cause, on Facebook, just before we headed up to Acadia — in September 2016. Since we like popovers and always stop at ‘Jordan Pond House‘ for some (with me even making a v. rare exception to my low-carb diet) we decided instead to give this ‘Cause‘ a try on Sunday morning. And aren’t we glad we did so.

It was the BEST birthday I have had in years! Everything, starting with the music provided by the Band, was just so uplifting, collegial and bonhomous. Everybody was bending over backwards to be nice, friendly and helpful. The popovers, with maple butter and blueberry jam, were excellent. As good, if not better, than the exorbitantly expensive ones ‘Jordan Pond House’.

Wonderful experience. Getting to meet and chat with founder Larry Stettner was a treat. What a nice person. met some other nice folks too.

This will definitely be a fixture on our future visits to Acadia. I would like to do something sustainable for them. I have some ideas.

In the meantime please make sure that you pay them a visit.

I stopped by last month when I visited Acadia. I hope to stop by AGAIN this week. That is what prompted this post. SMILE.

‘Microsoft’ ‘PC Manager’ — Not Bad, Not Bad At All.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 7, 2024

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I have been hearing about it, i.e., Microsoft’s newly released ‘PC Manager‘, all over the place for the last 48 hours. Folks were RAVING about it.

I didn’t really need it. I keep my PCs quite clean and up to-date — & I don’t have any performance issues. But, I wanted to try it out. I did.

Not bad. Nothing spectacular. I have tools that do all of this. But, it is all in one place and it is from Microsoft — for FREE. So what did I have to lose.

Try it out. On an older PC it might do some good.

PC + ‘Windows’ Diagnostic Tools — A Handy List Of USEFUL Tools.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 29, 2024

Link to the ‘Giz China’ article — and trust me that it is good.

This article came up this morning on my ‘Google News‘ feed — as one that I might find interesting. I idly clicked on it to see IF there were any that I was NOT familiar with. I was blown away. Lot that I had never heard of.

NO, I have NOT tried any of the new ones. I, however, wanted to PRESERVE this lits — for when I might need to locate a TOOL. This is the BEST way that I can do that — & MOREOVER share this with YOU. I am not selfish. I wanted YOU to have the benefit of this list too. Check it out.

‘Kathmandu Bazaar’, Concord, NH — Ideal For A Light Indian Lunch.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 18, 2024

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Today was my second time for lunch there, be it 4-years apart — BUT we did have COVID intervening. I like it — which obviously is why I went back.

Light fare. Not your full Indian/Nepali menu. Small kitchen. One person doing all the work. Kind of self-serve from the counter. Informal.

But, it is GOOD. Only 3 small tables and a few stools at the counter. No wine.

I was meeting a friend for lunch. It as at 1pm. So the place wasn’t that busy. Yes, people coming and going but we had a quiet table for an in-depth chat. I ordered some extra Samosas and Momo to bring home.

Given that I avoid carbs, this is menu is good for me — though Samosas (one of my many weaknesses) is, of course, NOT good for I. Smile.

Two New Web ‘Portals’ I Bookmarked This Week — Check Them Out. They Look Mighty USEFUL.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 8, 2024

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Yes, ‘kadaza.com‘ & ‘wolframalpha.com‘.

I saw them on ‘YouTube‘ on shows talking about USEFUL Websites.

They both looked interesting & intrigued I. I made a note of them, looked them up & bookmarked them on my MAIN ‘bookmark bar’. Unlike some I don’t maintain that many bookmarks! I tend to remember what I want or just look them up on the fly. That is where I thought these two MIGHT come in handy. I haven’t had to use them, as yet BUT in the meantime I wanted to tell YOU about them. Check them out. I ‘hotlinked’ them above. OK?

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“Sawyer’s Holiday Open House”, Barnstead, New Hampshire, 2023.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 24, 2023

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Going to this always delightful, ‘Holiday Open House‘, just 1.8 miles from our place, is now an entrenched & beloved, ANNUAL Thanksgiving Tradition for us. It is hosted by a real lovely family that we have come to know over the years. This was probably the 10th or 11th year that we have gone to this Open House. Check here for the pictures from 2022. We obviously didn’t go in 2021 because of COVID.

Last year, because of other commitments we couldn’t get there till the Sunday. It was nearly empty by then. This year the ‘girls’ were determined to get there as early as possible — taking into account that one of them doesn’t move that quickly early in the morning. They set 9:30 as departure time & we made it. Even then, getting there within 40 minutes of them opening, it was BUSY. But, they had fun. They, as always, bought stuff.

I just go to take pictures — & then walk back. Nice walk & today was a gorgeous, not-too-cold day.

Unqualified Endorsement Of ‘Gold Standard Tree Care’, ‘Gilford’, New Hampshire. Very Impressed.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 7, 2023

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We could NOT be happier. No complaints, or regrets, whatsover.

‘Ronny Bean’, the owner & chief arborist, impressed us from our very first interaction.

Very professional, very knowledgeable, very helpful & very reasonable.

We found him through a Facebook recommendation.

He worked with us, very cordially & helpfully, throughout his first visit to give us a quote (& by the way, he was totally true to his quote). We are all TREE HUGGERS here & we had some very specific & exacting demands. He worked with us.

He was here, yesterday (just as promised), with a helper, i.e., ‘Cameron’.

They got straight on with it. Everything was done meticulously & with care. He used hand tools as much as possible. That impressed & pleased us.

No damage, no accidents & they cleared EVERYTHING they cut.

Perfect.

IF you need tree work done call him, Ronny Bean, 603-520-8261.

‘Cinde Warmington’, Candidate For New Hampshire Governor — At ‘Barnstead’, Nov. 6, 2023.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 7, 2023

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Click image to access her Website.

She was formidably IMPRESSIVE.

‘Formidable‘ (but in the nicest possible way) characterizes her. She will be a formidable candidate. I am not sure WHY anyone would bother to run against her in the Primary. She, in my opinion, will be a WALKOVER in any Primary. I doubt whether we have any other Democratic contenders with her resume, hands-on-experience, recognition, PRESENCE & charm.

I gather than current N.H. Governor, ‘Chris Sununu‘, has already described her as such. That counts. Sununu (like his dad), despite many actions to the contrary, is not a total idiot!

I knew now Senator ‘Maggie Hassan‘ when she was our {splendid} Governor. Cinde reminds me of HER — & to be fair also of ‘Jeanne Shaheen‘. I only met Gov. Shaheen once, but her office helped me twice when she was in D.C. Cinde worked for Jeanne Shaheen’s husband. I am totally convinced, after seeing her last night, that she will be our THIRD OUTSTANDING Female Governor. Yes, I can — & if I have the time WILL — campaign for her. She won me over — & that is NOT easy given that I am crotchety cynical.

Over the last 6 weeks, in my trips to ‘Laconia‘, I had heard snippets of unstinted praise for her. That is why I made a point of going to see her last night. I am glad I did. She motivated I. That is always good.

Well, I will be keeping a CLOSE eye on her.

I have to MAKE SURE that SHE is the NEXT GOVERNOR of New Hampshire.

I owe that to my kids!