It’s has been scorching HOT around here this summer!

This past weekend, we experienced the hottest day of July so far — almost 100 degrees in many areas.

What are you doing to survive the summer heat this season?  It’s the perfect excuse to go to the mall, library, skating rink or the pool.

If you’re a squirrel, you don’t have as many choices.  Check out this little fella I found in the neighborhood, trying just to get through the heat wave. . .

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STAY COOL THIS SUMMER?

You can buy two Entertainment Books for $5 each with $1 shipping and handling.

And if Shop Rite is your grocery store of choice, you’ll find $5 off coupons at the front of the book, basically making the rest of the book free.  Actually, if you get the book in time, you might be able to use a 2nd $5 ShopRite grocery coupon before the expiration date (the coupon valid thru dates are scheduled basically one per quarter throughout the year)

Just think: If you use just one more coupon in the book, you’re ahead of the game.

Some big discounts can be had in the book, such as $15 off Radio Shack or buy one get one ski lift tickets, or $7.50 AMC Lowes movie tickets, etc.

This last-ditch promotional discount is scheduled to end August 2nd, so go ahead and spend that 10 bucks today, you’ll be glad you did after your first couple of discounts.

Or if you commute in and out of the city by the Long Island Railroad, you probably have memorized your normal commute options and carry around one of those nifty pamphlets that lists their train schedules for times when you need to get on a train outside of your normal rush hour commutes.

For the times when you’re on the go and you just want train schedule options you don’t have to search online at the Long Island Railroad website or dig and find where that darn printed (probably outdated now) schedule is.

Just pick-up your phone and within seconds, you’ll have your answers. It’s better than picking-up the phone. Faster, less hassle, no humans involved! ;-D

All you need to remember is 266266.

HOW TO GET LIRR TRAIN SCHEDULES BY TEXT MESSAGE:

• Send a text message in the following format to 266266
  • “LIRR Penn to East Hampton”
• You’ll receive a text with the next couple of train options.  If there is a letter at the end of the line (d=delay), there’s a note — JUST REPLY with that schedule’s letter to find out more details.
  

The service is completely free (expect for texting fees from your carrier as usual) and very convenient.  Now if only NJ Transit followed-suit and offered something similar, our daily commute would be that much easier.

QUESTION: How do you normally look-up commuting schedules (bus, train, etc)? By Phone? By Internet? By Paper Schedule? Share your answer in the comments below.

And actually, you’ll see what America *will* see because it will be for the TV show, America’s Got Talent.

They are doing a taping of the show here in New York next month and if you click over soon enough, you can score some free tickets to a taping.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see acts that are nuttin’ but strings. . .

Take a look at what I mean:

It’s your chance to be in the audience as the best amateur performers from around the country compete in front of Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan and Howie Mandel as judges. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with this show yet, it’s produced by Simon Cowell…)

Here are the tapings for America’s Got Talent in NYC that are still available:

The show is being taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom [Manhattan Center Studios: 311 West 34th Street]

View Larger Map

QUESTION: Have you ever watched America’s Got Talent On TV? Leave a YES / NO answer in the comments below!

Woke up this morning, yearning for the caffeine fix as usual.

And found this deal that makes we want to scratch my head. . .

Why is Starbucks discounting, setting up freebie promotions? Boy, have (economic) times changed.

Gone are the days when Starbucks can rely upon just straight-up coffee.   How can you tell?  Have you noticed their new line of *INSTANT COFFEE*?  How about the Instant Oatmeal now on their menu?  When I ordered it on my last visit, they literally open a packet of instant oatmeal just like the single-serve Quaker oatmeal packets we have at home — pour in hot water, stir it up and give it to you with premium packaged toppings that completely goes against any eco-friendly message they are trying to send out.

For me, I go to Starbucks for the high caffeine content in their coffee — one Starbucks Grande Cup has more than 4x the caffeine that 4 cans of Red Bull.

Drop by the Starbucks – whether on Mt. Pleasant & S. Livingston, or on Eisenhower Parkway or on Millburn Avenue in Short Hills/Millburn with this printable coupon.

You’ll get a free Starbucks pastry of your choice to go with your coffee.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch some of the best movies of the year, here’s your chance.

AMC theaters is hosting their annual Oscar movie-thon again this coming weekend.

Here’s the deal:

Pay one price and see movie after movie after movie after movie after movie.

Oh yeah, eat a lot of popcorn (because unlimited refills are included in the P.O.P. ticket option!

There was 2 Saturdays that AMC scheduled to show all 10 Oscar nominated films for an all inclusive 2-weekend, one price ticket.  The first weekend has come and gone.

Now on March 6th, you can see the final 5 movies for 1/2 the price of the full 2-weekend deal. . . for only $25!

The “Standard Ticketing Option”  One-Day Pass (February 27 or March 6) - is available both Online and at the Box Office for $30. But if you join the free MovieWatcher loyalty program, you can get ticketing for the One-Day Pass for only: $25

Check out the local theaters running this Oscar party on March 6th:

Theaters in the NJ/NJ area:

• New Brunswick 18:  March 6
• Raceway 10: March 6
• Rockaway 16:  March 6
  
• Kips Bay 15:  March 6
  
• Palisades 21:  March 6
  
• Stony Brook 17:  March 6
  
• Danbury 16:  March 6

If you think about it, with this $25-for-5-movies-price, once you watch the 2nd movie, you’ve broken even! And don’t forget the free popcorn!

BONUS: If you are willing to go to the NYC 42nd Street AMC theater, you can see all 10 films in 24 hours! Check on the insane schedule:

24-Hour Marathon Show Schedule

• 12:01AM:  AVATAR 3D
• 3:00AM:  A Serious Man
• 5:00AM:  Up 3D
• 7:00AM:  District 9
• 9:10AM:  Inglourious Basterds
• 12:00PM:  The Blind Side
• 2:30PM:  An Education
• 4:30PM:  Precious
• 7:00PM:  Up in the Air
• 9:30PM:  The Hurt Locker

Go! Run! Click over to join the free moviewatcher program to get your $25 price!

ARE YOU EVEN THINKING OF DIGESTING 5 MOVIES IN ONE DAY? Leave a comment and let us know of your movie madness and which one you’re most looking forward to seeing?

Check out the list of Tweeple below.

Some are businesses or service professionals in Livingston, others are students, residents and websites that call Livingston their home.

We’ve assembled the latest list of Twitter accounts along with their profile description and personal websites.

Go ahead, click on the Twitter link URL and start following your fellow peeps of 07039.

And Route 10 EAST and Route 10 WEST in East Hanover NJ via the Novartis sky cams:

Route 10 West:

Route 10 East:

If you’re going to hit the road on Route 280, here’s a cam east of the Garden State Parkway and on by Exits 16/17

This afternoon I was supposed to go to the gym. I belong to Lifetime Fitness in Florham Park and hadn’t been there is a while due to medical issues. I am getting ready to start my afternoon when I hear Apple’s version of “You’ve got mail.” A.k.a ding. I really should change that. I look at my inbox and it is my oldest and best customer. I have been supporting his computers forever. “What is my wifi password?” Ding again This one is from my wife. “We have to pay the mortgage today.”

Well, tickle me Elmo, but that is two things I need to do in Livingston today. It looks like I am headed that way. I am guest blogging here, so you guys don’t know this but I need coffee in order to function. Lucky for me the bank is next to the Starbucks in the center of town.

I order my coffee, pay and then feel bad that I don’t have change for a tip. On my way out I see a little wicker basket with some toys on it and a whole bunch of 8.5×11 handouts hanging off it with a binder ring. I tear off the top handout. It is already stained with coffee. “Perfect, this will be good blog material”, I say to myself and walk out the door.

Toy drives are blogger gold. Everyone loves to read about a good toy drive.

I head over to my #1 customers house and walk right in. I don’t need to knock because it is my parent’s house. Dad just upgraded to FIOS and a new Dell pc. I put my stuff down on the reception desk and spend the next couple of hours hanging with Pops, migrating his apps and data

Mom pokes her head in while we are wrapping up and sees the paper on top of my pile of junk. “Who’s is this?” She asks like she doesn’t know. “I have an extra doll still in the box that I have been meaning to donate.” (I laugh to myself because I know why it is surplus. Grandchild #8 came out a boy.) She is now going to donate the toy to the drive at Starbucks.

You see how easy it is to do something good and it can cause someone else to join in? All I did was grab the sheet of paper with the intent to blog about it, and leave it out for someone to see. That drop of good, led to a second drop. Now a local child will have a brand new baby doll this holiday.

I was going to type up all the information that was on that flyer so that it would inspire you to go drop off a toy. Instead, go grab a copy of the flyer for yourself, (and a coffee and tip the barista a little extra for me) and read it. Donate a toy. Then leave the flyer on your desk for a co-worker to see, or on the kitchen table for your teens to see. Give a gift to a child and give the gift of giving to a friend or loved one.

***
Scott Farbman is a graduate of Livingston High School and currently writes for BlogMorris.com.
***

• 1010am on the 1’s (01, 11, 21, 31, etc)
• 1030am on the 5’s (05, 15, 25, etc)
• 880 on the 8’s (08, 18, 28, etc)

XM radio has dedicated weather/traffic stations for most major cities that just go on infinite loops.

But these are all passive methods. You have to wait through commercials, or other content before you get the exact information you’re seeking.

Now, there’s another way (or two or three. . .).

• 511 info has set-up customized alerts which you can set-up online
• I subscribe to the 511 New Jersey specific Twitter account Other accounts based on georgraphy are also available
• DIAL 511 on your cell phone and you can go through the automated menus to get traffic or transit info the specific bridge, tunnel or highway you’re planning to use.

  Sometimes it’s better to be in the know. Now it’s just fingertips away.

  What do you use to get the scoop on traffic reports?

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