As general manager of the Weekender, I would like to take the time to thank you, our readers and advertisers for another year of success. The first rule of management is to understand that you are only as good as your team. And as our team at the Weekender understands, our jobs as managers of our own specific job duties, relies heavily on you. For we understand that just like a manager of a company, we essentially are only as good as all of you.

Here’s why. Here at the Weekender, we work very hard at exceeding expectations. We work until the job gets done, not when the clock tells us it should be. We try new things and take some risks such as introducing new features like Wingman, Who Is, Fantasy Ref, and Dish. We reinvent ourselves by ways such as a new look to our Model and Man of the Week and the rebirth of the ever popular, Tell Us. We work hard at scoring exclusive interviews with celebrities, interviews you cannot read in any other local weekly paper. And we continue to interact with our audience by creating in-paper contests and attending local events while creating our own community fundraisers and parties. We do these things because it our customers who are priority. Those customers are you.

We receive phone calls and emails from some of you who love our work and others who vehemently hate it. Those accolades fuel us to continue to work. The criticism fuels us to continue to work harder. And it is that feedback, good or bad that lets us know we have your attention. Understand this, you also have ours.

The Weekender is your paper. It is your guide to entertainment. It is your showcase of local talent. It is your bragging rights to NEPA and why you know this is a great place to call home. We strive to erase the “there’s nothing to do in NEPA” mentality because we know, as well as you, that simply remains untrue. Our hometown is rich in arts and culture and has a philanthropic spirit unlike no other area. That message continues to be top of mind among our staff. This is why our readers remain our number one priority. It is you who contribute to our communities. It is you who give us pages upon pages to write about each week. It is you who run local businesses and grace our pages with numerous advertisements week after week. And for all of this, we remain grateful.

The Weekender is only as good as all of you, our loyal readers and business owners. Thanks for making us pretty damn great.


Here’s to you, NEPA for helping to make 2009 and the last decade a success for the Weekender. And here’s to continuing our joined efforts for years of success upon us.

Cheers, Rachel A. Pugh

We're used to the overly intoxicated, uber- arrogant music celebs walking on stage to present an award and barely being able to read the teleprompter. These train wrecks we've become accustomed to witnessing. But we’ve entered a whole new world of obnoxious stunts after experiencing MTV’s latest VMA segment Sunday night.

Forget the Rhapsody commercials plugging a musician directly after the musician receives her award, making us aware that everything is for sale and a shameless plug. Forget the ridiculous staged music performance on a subway, packaged as though it was an organic scenario. Forget the forgettable generic opening speech made by the falsely eloquent Madonna about the King of Pop, no the human being, no the King of Pop…whichever she ultimately decided on and informing us that Michael Jackson’s music made us feel like we could “fly”, a vanilla throw away statement at best. And, if you can, forget the horrible performance by the sexually frustrated host, Russell Brand who couldn’t refrain from talking about his penis and getting lucky hour after hour, or at least that’s what we think he was referring to during his on stage screaming emcee duties.

Even with all the clowns competing for ringleader of the circus, an all time low was definitely hit when the self righteous Kanye West jumped on stage during Taylor Swifts acceptance speech, grabbed the mic from her, and announced that really Beyonce’s video was the best. Poor taste is a sin but a constant allowance of vindictive behavior is a crime. This is too many times MTV. Shut Kanye West up by kicking him off the invite list next year. We’re not impressed. We’re not surprised. We’re disgusted. Enough is enough, Kanye. Hang your false sense of entitlement up. It’s weighing you down to the bottom of the barrel.

Tell me if you’ve seen this, eggs near a convenient store’s register. I’ve seen candy bars, Laffy Taffy, even greeting cards, but I’ve never seen hard boiled eggs. My sister has been working in Long Island and informed me that she keeps seeing hard boiled eggs at convenient stores. I thought she must be seeing things so she sent me this picture to prove it. Have you seen this? If so, would you purchase a hard boiled egg for a quick snack as you paid for your gas? I’m on the fence. I do love eggs.
 

As I was changing after work one evening, I had my TV on in my bedroom simply as background noise. I was not invested in the TV program but rather turned it on and allowed what ever channel that was on last to play.

As I prepared to get into some comfortable clothes, I found myself frozen, listening to what I thought might be a joke. The channel was on one of those gossip shows, Extra or Entertainment Tonight, who knows, they’re all the same. Regardless, they were flashing photos of celebrities who have gained weight (as if gaining weight isn’t a hurtful experience all in itself) and exclaiming how alarming the now heavy set celebrity has become. A woman from a gossip rag was being interviewed on the show and she was explaining her job at her magazine. She was a weight watcher. No, not like the folks at the national reputable weight loss center, but rather a person who watches celebrities’ weight. If a star suddenly loses weight, she reports it. If a celeb starts to put on a few pounds, she calls that in too. I found this to be one of the most pathetic and disturbing professions I have ever heard of.

I’d like to see this woman’s resume: Objective: “Seeking an editorial position in which I can maintain my deplorable personality while administering superficial tongue-in-cheek catch phrases in hopes to trigger an eating disorder within a young female.  Experience:  a valueless lifetime of shameful behavior and unethical decision making to hide my insecurities and stomp my journalistic integrity.”

Mam, you’re hired. Soon you’ll be promoted to senior shallow management where you’ll just hand deliver psychological diseases to young women. Congratulations. I hope their parents front you their bills.
 

Remember those last few days of summer right before you had to head back to school? For me, they were days filled with total anxiety. I felt an enormous amount of pressure to fit in all the activities I didn’t get around to all summer long before returning to a regimen of academics.  De ja vu, for I’m feeling those same stressed out emotions as I watch my cousin, Greg pack his things and prepare to leave the valley for his new life in Georgia.

Although my cousin and I have done a ton together since he has moved here, I now feel intense pressure to have him experience all the good food and hot spots this place has to offer. Sadly, we take it all for granted. We say, “I’ll have to try that place sometime.” Forget the excuses of the poor economy; you have some living to do. Start your checklist. This list isn’t meant for events to be checked off, but rather checked to remember just how great they are so you’ll go back.

Since Greg and I only went to Thai Thai once when it first opened, I suggested this spot as our dinner location with my parents. As soon as my Pad Thai hit my taste buds, I remembered why I said I’d be back so very long ago. Their food is amazing, and my parents, who have never been there before, are now hooked. The Pughs will be back very soon. Check.

Greg and I then made walked over to the hottest new lounge, Luna in Midtown Village. Since Greg had never been there before, I told him he had to experience it before heading down to the South where catfish and sweet tea would become his main diet. Having done the Philly circuit a few times in our past, the first thing he said when he walked in was, “This place looks like a club in Philly or New York City.” I ordered a Grapefruit Goddess, a martini which I love for it uses basil as an ingredient. Check.

My cousin, who usually goes for the bottled beer was leaning towards a Blue Moon. I of course nixed that and told him to get a cocktail ( not that he’s 25 years old or anything and should be able to order what he wants) and he chose a cocktail called the “Blue Moon”. It was delicious – I know because I had to try it – and the best part was that it was pink. My only regret is that we didn’t leave enough room after dinner to get some Luna tapas because they’re presentation is flawless and the food is exceptional. It felt like old times at the lounge, Tangerine in Philly with Greg. So we didn’t experience the food this time, but at least we got to experience the ambiance we dig and before Luna coming to town, we haven’t been able to share that locally. Check.

I have three more days before I lose my relative to the Peach State. As my panic escalates while trying to fit in things I love about this area, I beg you; do not let this happen to you. There are little gems all over this valley but you have to get out and experience them. Don’t wait until later. Don’t wait for special occasions. This is your community and your checklist should be lengthy. You just have to get off your couch and share in the local pleasures. Go live it up.


 

About the Author

Rachel A. Pugh, a graduate of Penn State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in theatre, came to the Weekender in 2000 as a Marketing/Promotions Associate. She was then made an Advertising Sales Account Executive and went on later to become Senior Advertising Sales Account Executive, Advertising Sales Team Leader, Sales and Marketing Manager, and the position she holds currently, Weekender General Manager and fashion columnist.

Rachel also serves as the Vice President of Marketing for the Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company, overseeing the marketing of company initiatives and events.

A graduate of Leadership Lackawanna, class of 2005, some of her community involvement includes: Board for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind, Executive Board for the Domestic Violence Service Center, committee member for The American Cancer Society’s Endure for a Cure, a board member of the Wilkes-Barre YMCA and various volunteer duties for the United Way of Wyoming Valley.

Archives

• December 2009
• September 2009
• July 2009
• March 2009
• January 2009
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008