When I get away for vacation, I prefer familiar places -- places I've been to before and am comfortable with. When I drive off the ferry in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard, I pull into the parking lot across from the ferry, stroll down Main Street and I'm immediately transformed and on vacation. Although a year has gone by, it's like I never left. Nothing to get used to, nothing to explore an... More >>

What is it about a work of art that draws a viewer in? Attracts her attention? Keeps him looking? It’s just a piece of canvas, a sheet of paper, a wall of metal, a pile of stones. Somehow the successful artist imbues an inanimate object with the energy of thought and process, of beauty and intent, of life and creativity. From a personal viewpoint, I know I have succeeded when the burst of ener... More >>

As you know from my blog a few weeks ago, this was my family’s weekend for exploring New York City. We had a great time playing tourist and after three exhausting days felt as if we had barely dented what was available to us right here in our hometown.

On Friday, we visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage in lower Manhattan. We had never heard of the museum and found it in a tourist book. My... More >>

In the May 21, 2007 issue of The New Yorker, the “Comment” feature author, Louis Menand, discusses facts, statistics and his take on college graduates.

He points out that approximately 1.5 million people will graduate from college this year; the average annual tuition at a four-year private college is more than $22,000; and 22% of bachelor’s degrees are awarded in business.

Toward the... More >>

For years there has been a woman standing at the corner of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue preaching about Jesus Christ. I pass that corner every day, and there she is, at least a few times a week, yelling something into a microphone. The news is usually not good. Sometimes it is about abortion. She is almost always saying something about going to hell. It doesn't exactly make me want to stick a... More >>

She's majoring in English and wanted to experience journalism for the summer. Thanks to Norman, she got a paid internship at the Brooklyn Eagle. As I waited for her at the train station, I wondered what kind of activities she would be doing. She could become an expert coffee buyer, a wonderful proofreader or even a terrific receptionist.

As she approached the car I see her holding a newspaper ... More >>

All of Gotham knows The Judge, Howard Goldfluss, our most venerable (his 83rd birthday is 6/12) and unique member. For those in the hinterlands who have not as yet met him, he is a former New York Supreme Court Judge who left the bench to publish his first book, The Judgement, which is the tale of a Judge who murders his mistress and then presides at the trial of the wrongly accused (the Judge is... More >>

As Gotham continues to flourish and grow, we are ready for the next big step for our “family”. As I see it, Gotham is ready, and superbly equipped, to give back to the community that is its home. Many of us have our own charities and causes… which we support personally and encourage others to support as well. Now Gotham, as a whole, is finding its unique way to give back and take its pla... More >>

At Monday evening’s Gotham Golf Outing at Engineers Country Club, the weather was beautiful, the energy was good and the food was delicious. As a non-golfer, the highlight of the event was the happy crowd and familiar faces. People I talked with included the ever friendly jeweler to the stars, Ed Bienstock, who directed us to look at Ben Geizhal’s wife Flo’s beautiful new sparkling diam... More >>

Yesterday was Gotham’s 6th Annual Golf Outing. I played – well, I went out on the golf course. As usual, the outing was a huge success. Everyone seemed to have a fabulous day making new, and connecting with old, friends.

Personally, let’s start here. I am a TERRIBLE golfer, really an overall terrible athlete. After 6 years, however, I have come to the following realization.

With ... More >>

If you didn’t see it and don’t want to know anything about it – stop reading now. Otherwise, if you saw it, I would love Gotham’s take on a particular part of the movie.

At Fiona’s baby shower (yes, the lovely Fiona is pregnant with Shrek’s ogre-baby), Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and a few other fairy tale characters are showering the mom-to-be with gifts.

Fiona unwraps Sno... More >>

I really don't like to complain, at least not before noon on Sundays. But this has been a tough week. First it was the dry cleaner who put starch in my linen shirt. That kept me up at night. They claimed that it was my fault; I told them to wash and not dry clean it, they said.

I said no such thing. I don't know how to clean a linen shirt. That is why I bring it to them. It's their job. A... More >>

Yesterday my Friday lunch buddy asked me what I did this past week. I thought for a bit...let's see, Thursday...I was in bed, Wednesday...in bed, Tuesday got sick and went to bed, Monday...felt strange (now I know why) and Sunday was Mother's Day...I cleaned the entire house as part of my gift to my wife.

I looked at my friend and said "This week, I cleaned the whole house and got sick as a do... More >>

In my recent April 6th blog entitled "Standing Up" I wrote about my
upset and indignation concerning the discontinuance of the Summer
Program in my (Roslyn) School District. I ended the blog by
saying"'We the People' will hold those insensitive elitist Board
members accountable come election time. You can count on it!" Well,
we found a candidate and, as the saying goes, we put our... More >>

Those of you who have been following my blogs (and I do appreciate it even if you don’t post comments) are aware that the subject of the Holocaust has been mentioned on more than one occasion. My parents were both born in Poland and emigrated to the United States after the Holocaust. It is, quite naturally, an important part of who I am.
Inspired by the reaction of Gothamites to my blogs --... More >>

By the time anyone reads this I will be in Baltimore, hoping I packed the right clothing for the uncertain weather predicted. College graduation day has arrived for my younger daughter, Jennifer, and it is hard to believe that this day has come. As everyone predicted, her years in school have gone by in the blink of an eye. Only yesterday she was graduating nursery school and I was worried how ... More >>

I believe strongly in finding a seat on the train. I don’t really care where it is. The middle seat or the “knee knocking” seat are both fine for me since I dread the standing commute.

The seated commute offers so many more choices – reading, napping (my personal favorite), planning your day, putting on makeup (Ben, that one is in honor of your blog from a few weeks ago) and so many... More >>

Dear Gotham Blog Readers:

Good morning and thank you for taking the time to read my blog. This letter serves as a special request to all readers: what do you want me to blog about? I need some topics, badly! Here are some that I considered for today:

Family holiday dinner table discussions that lead to arguments ultimately awakening issues that have been lying dormant for decades.

H... More >>

Florence is a trip back in time, way back. Here, the 19th and 18th centuries seem old. In Florence, that's nothing. Just stand in the Piazza della Signoria and look up at the Palazzo Vecchio tower built in 1310. That is old.

I stood there last week in front of the Fountain of Neptune, looking at the marker on the ground showing where Fra' Savoranola was burned at the stake in 15-something... More >>

After reading Julie's blog on competition, I smiled when I noticed Reeboks new tag line - "I am what I am" with the one of teh campaigns "Run at he speed of chat. Run Easy."

They are trying to market to the Julie's of the world. On the other hand, Nike continues its Just do it campaign with "Hard work has its rewards - more hard work" and Gatorade "Is it in you?" These are clearly focussed on... More >>

On Monday Julie Klein, my daughter in law and fellow blogger mentioned a conversation we had concerning a 10K race she ran last Sunday and my reaction to her time. I love Julie as if she were the daughter I never had and maybe therein lies part of the problem or difference of opinion (David has often said I brought him up like a "Russian Athlete"). At this point, the best thing might be for the ... More >>

After spending a day with my daughter, Mea, in Washington, D.C. (the subject of last week's blog), Flo and I drove her down to Williamsburg, Va. to visit her school -- William & Mary.
As we walked through a crafts fair on Sunday morning, Mea pointed out a man walking across the street. "That's the President of the University, would you like to go over and meet him?" I declined. I respect ... More >>

This year I spent most of my working time making art. I have been drawing and painting, painting and drawing. Week after week, day after day, working from artists’ models, I have been painting and drawing, drawing and painting. I keep thinking that the last time I worked this hard I was in law school. It has made me consider the nature of work.

Whether you are writing a brief, talking to a... More >>

Each year, we vacation on Memorial Day weekend. It is always a local city vacation. We have toured Easton, Boston, Philadelphia, and other fantastic cities. This year, we had many lengthy discussions about where to visit. While exploring our various alternatives, it occurred to us that we did not really know our hometown. This is a particularly embarrassing admission since we lived on the E... More >>

For the first time the organizers of the Long Island Marathon/Half Marathon added a 10k race to the event. It was yesterday. I decided to run the new abbreviated version of the race with a friend.

This friend of mine and I have run a few other races together and we usually spend the first half of the course chit chatting and enjoying the excitement of the crowd while running to keep fit and... More >>

I was walking on the beach the other day with a guy I’m courting for his business network. It was a quiet, calm afternoon, perfect for a walkey-talk. Until I saw a flat stone. I picked it up. A little farther on, there was another one. I picked it up, to the quizzical facial response of my companion. “Sorry, but I love to skip stones, and these two are perfect.” Three minutes later, we had ... More >>

Every year at this time I'm amazed. Colors start to emerge, trees bud and our landscape fills with a burst of life. People start to explore their surroundings. They are happier, smiles seem to come easier and, of course, it's this year's spring rituals.

My wife tends to her garden, my son prepares for the sectionals and takes his SAT's, my daughter comes home from college and I play as much gol... More >>

Giving Back is an over-used, but under-utilized concept. We should all be more aware of the need to be conscious of the need to give back and just do it.

On Wednesday, Frank Brancato, the Principal of my High School For Leadership & Public Service, asked me to visit the school and address two classes in recognition of Law Day. Of course, I responded to our fellow Gothamite and, consistent wi... More >>

Last Friday I met my daughter, Mea, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Mea is a junior at William & Mary and is doing work in memory studies and, as best as I can understand, how we, as a society, commemorate and memorialize the deaths of war, human tragedies, and events. Her interest in the Holocaust is a personal one – her grandparents survived the Holocaust.
... More >>

Whether I am problem solving, writing or painting or just going about my daily life, I sometimes stop in gratitude when I have an especially creative idea. I have an active imagination and I am a creative person so I frequently wonder where my ideas come from – whether they are generated by information already coded in my brain or whether some spring forth from nowhere, from a well of creativit... More >>

Now it is protecting confidential information and unfair competition. What is it, you ask?

Today’s blog is written wearing my hat as employment lawyer. As a firm we each talk to business owners and human resource professionals daily about the problems that cross their desks. As a result, we are in a unique position to make observations about our clients’ collective experiences and notice... More >>