Less than two months ago, it was HGTV and the Food Network. This past weekend, it was WABC. TimeWarner Cable recently had a "close call" with Fox. Cablevision says "sorry, we haven't reached a deal. Programming will stop" -- and then blames it all on the network.

All I want to do is watch television. Yet, I am being held blatantly hostage to an open and public negotiation between duelin... More >>

Our recent week blogging about family and Nancy’s blog about her grandmother’s cherished recipes made me think about grandparents. I never knew any of my grandparents as they all died before I was born. In fact, I was given my first name to honor my grandmother Rose and my middle name Lee, to honor my grandmother Lena. Similarly, my brother and sister are named for my grandfathers Jack and Mor... More >>

The blog today is a riddle. Here is something to tease your brain on a Sunday morning.

You are in a room that has three light switches. There is an adjoining second room, and the two rooms are connected by a door. In the second room there is a wire hanging all the way down from the ceiling with a light bulb in it. One of the switches, and only one, in the first room, can turn on that bu... More >>

Awhile ago I purchased a Roomba for the house. My thinking was that since no one in our house likes to vacuum, why not buy a vacuum that does it by itself.

After having it about two years I can tell you that it's a unique experience. The first time setting it up and turning it on was quite interesting. I watched it for a half hour as it randomly criss crossed the floor doing its thing. It was q... More >>

I’m obsessed. I’ve always been intrigued by personalized license plates, ever since I designed my own back in 1984: JEWEL-2 (in the old orange and blue). Back in 2006, “Newsday” even published a short piece I wrote depicting some of the more clever tags adorning Long Island’s automobile population.

Well, I’ve been busy. Armed with a crisp notepad, a handy pen and discerning eyes... More >>

It was early and we were on the beach in Aruba waiting by an available palapa for an attendant to assist us in setting up the beach chairs for the day. A woman nearby was doing the same as she looked into her purse for a dollar to tip the beach attendant. You know how you can watch someone looking for something that you know they will never find? When she realized that there was no dollar to be f... More >>

I don't know if this is a Gotham first, but Sydney's blog was so important (and my second attempt at a comment so long, lol) that I decided to roll it into Wednesday. These are very important topics and we should be able to discuss them like decent human beings, without the vitriol that we so commonly see on TV these days.

I don't know Uncle Mark but if he's related to those involved, surely h... More >>

When you are a kid, there is nothing better than a snow day. Kind of like an unexpected birthday present. A whole day to just, well, be a kid. No homework, no chores, no fuss. Just lots of fun and hot chocolate.

Two weeks ago, my son started a new tradition to let’s say encourage the snow. It goes like this. Before you go to sleep at night a) throw an ice cube in the toilet; b) put a... More >>

Anyone who has read my blog knows that my 14 year old daughter, Sydney Kaplan, is my most reliable commenter. When I offhandlishly mentioned the possibility of her writing a blog, she had one written for me the next day. These are her words:

I feel strongly about a lot of things, but what I feel strongest about is children with special needs. I started working with kids with special needs in 6t... More >>