ALEX was my secret idol back in the 60/70's when he was making "dune buggies" and, as he once said, "earning a Master's Degree in Bankruptcy Chapter 911". I was sneaking around Marblehead trying to steal his technology for the 1929 Model "A" (VW) roadster with rumble seat I prototyped for another business idea. It could have earned me another master's degree. Fortunately, I stumbled back into the computer game where I was never bored. ALEX went on to establish a most successful enterprise restoring Mercedes Benz among other things.
He and "the car" are in this blog today because of a luncheon meeting we had recently where ALEX told us about a little Japanese game he knows. It is wonderful! I plan to introduce you to that game now as I tell you about plans for BRAD MARVIN's 80th birthday party coming up this Saturday.
We expect twenty people for dinner. Many are Brad's relatives that Yacht Race Committee Comrades meet once a year at best. Suffice it to say that names are sometimes a problem for some of us----that is where I often find myself. ALEX and his Japanese friends have come to the rescue. This game requires just a little cooperation from most of BRAD's guests. Hopefully, enough will read this blog to get us started Saturday.
It seems that the Japanese ALWAYS present you with a business card at an introduction. They expected you to return one of your own. In meetings, when seated, they often place each new card in a circular array positioning each in the direction of its owner. This facilitates polite little glimpses when needed to help "learn" names. Pretty clever! Everyone wins!
For BRAD's 80th party, I have prepared 20 special "business" cards for each of the 20 guest. I have arranged seating so that a "place card/business card" packet defines the table. Here below is a montage of these cards for your review. You can actually click on the picture for a closer look at some of the identities.
NOTE--until published with this unfriendly software I did not realize how I chopped off the names of BRAD's two children. If I try to fix it now the whole thing may explode! AMANDA Elliot M. Terenzio is BRAD's only daughter married to PETER B. Then, "TACK" Bradford Marvin Jr is BRAD's only son married to MARY PAT.
Also included at each place is this lovely glossy 4 x 6" LEIGHTON O'CONNOR photograph showing my old IOD #16 TANGO with three other magnificent yachts FLYING THEIR SPINNAKERS WITH POLES IN THEIR NORMAL POSITION FOR RACING. The reverse side of the photo has print explaining yet again for BRAD and SUSIE just what "NORMAL" position is on these racing yachts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD
