On April 20th 2007 I wrote a blog about blog comments, but it was really a thinly veiled solicitation of comments ( I scored 10) in a long ago competition for most comments amongst (or not amongst) my fellow bloggers) It also was a cry out to Gothamites to just comment so we know you are out there and reading our deadline labors. Now, however, we know the readers are out there, as Webmaster Mitc... More >>

Today is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday, or, as known in the Gotham World, "Promotional Friday". It is the day that Gotham allows its members to promote their businesses on Fredslist.
Over the years, the "powers that be" have tried to balance the desire of members to promote their businesses on Fredslist with the desire to not over-burden Fredslist and maintain its purpose and integrity. T... More >>

It was a mere two weeks after my return from Vietnam, and I was just recovering from jet lag when it was time for a two night sojourn in NYC. Months ago, an old college friend had used her Marriot miles to book rooms at the Renaissance Times Square – I was committed and I couldn’t back out.

The First Night

I’d decided to drive into the City, stopping first to pick up my friend Joann... More >>

Ennid's chronicles of her trip to Viet Nam inspired me to share a few observations from our family trip last week to the Orlando theme parks. First observation, this was clearly a different experience from Ennid's trip! I promise, though, if you ever had thoughts of making an Orlando visit, these are tips you will want to read.

Having not been to Orlando in seven (apparently very long) years... More >>

Most adults realize that time is precious. It ticks away so quickly. And as the cliché goes, time flies when you’re having fun. But as you get older, it flies no matter what you’re doing. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and then seasons skip by in a matter of minutes.

My nine year-old son reminds me not to waste any time. The kids were off from school last week for the winter ... More >>

Someone in Georgia apparently won two hundred-something million dollars in the lottery recently. I don't pay much attention to these things, so I don't know anything about this guy. But it seems that the lottery is won mostly by some middle class working person, or a pool of people from a steel factory. You don't hear that a heart surgeon from East Hampton is the winner, I suppose because they... More >>

In the middle of shoveling the 6-9 inches of snow yesterday, it struck me how special this was. Over the past few years we have been getting less and less snow. Some people think it's an extreme hassle and others (like myself) happen to enjoy the effects of this white blanket. Ever listen to a snow fall? It can be mystical.

I must confess I enjoy driving in snow as well. Having lived in Buffalo... More >>

The Gotham Book Club will have its third outing on March 17th when we discuss author Tom Perrotta's most recent book "The Abstinance Teacher". Perrotta's earlier book "Little Children" was a recent Kate Winslet movie. As in the case of Sara Gruen's "Water For Elephants" and Karen Abbott's "Sin in the Second City", Book Club founder Julie Klein has arranged for the author to interact with us on M... More >>

It started with an extension cord at my father-in-law’s house. He was having trouble with his telephone and when I went over to fix the problem I discovered a faulty extension cord. I wasn’t happy with the cacophony of wires, so I decided to really fix the problem with a nice new multi-plug outlet that eliminated the need for extension cords. And, with a steady flow of electricity, the telepho... More >>

Our trip to Southeast Asia is fading from memory as my jet lag recedes to manageable proportions. Our journey began in North Vietnam and continued to Central and South Vietnam and on to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where we met up with our temporarily ex-patriot daughter, Jenny, before returning with her to her home base in Singapore. The people we met shaped our time in Southeast Asia:

The guid... More >>

It's not on the list of polite conversation topics. Rage is a tsunami that rolls in for an unexpected visit, sometimes leaving very shortly after arriving and sometimes hanging around for a half a day. It leaves destruction in its wake, shame, hurt and sometimes a glowering, sanctimonious satisfaction. That was justified, right?

In a world rife with discussion on carbon emissions, rage is a har... More >>

Or something worse? Is it me or has this winter been chock full of germs, illnesses and various strains of the stomach flu?

We usually tiptoe around bad viruses and cases of strep throat, contracting one or two from December to March. This season, my son had strep throat twice, a stomach bug once, three or four colds (lost count) and we’re only mid-way through February. My daughter has h... More >>

The election is big news these days. I am happy to report that no matter what the outcome, I am feeling a little better than I did in Novermber 2004.
Here is what I wrote back then. If Fred can recycle his Elvis poem from a year ago, I can recylce this as today's blog. Here it is:


(Nov. 2004) Ever since late Tuesday night I have been green and short of breath and have had an urge to hurt ... More >>

I'm convinced I'm a mind reader. I have to be. Clients who want an image to represent their company usually have no idea what they want.

The conversations I have are, if anything, fascinating and funny. I talk about company's they like or respect. I note the color clothing they are wearing. How their office is set up and decorated. I listen for those little clues that give me ideas. I ask ques... More >>

I start this entry with the admission that last Friday I posted this intended blog on fredslist in error. I simply sent it to the wrong adress in my Blackberry, as I compose my blogs on my Blackberry in idle moments. Sometimes accidents are meant to happen and possibly the sad story reached readers who would otherwise have missed it. In any case, the residual benefit is that I received a number... More >>

A great story for Valentine's Day....and it's true.

I try to speak to Mom every few days. She might say that I don’t do a very good job of it, but I do try. By Sunday, the “few days” were up and calling Mom was on my mind.
Mom and Sidney are in Florida for the winter. Sidney has been Mom’s “significant other” for a few years and, I must say, they are quite the co... More >>

We are independent travelers, but the prospect of travel in South East Asia was daunting. So after weeks of researching, and deciding that Vietnam would be our primary destination, I tried to book a package tour. Much to my surprise, not only were the American based companies quoting twice as much money up front, but their agents weren’t returning my calls. Taking a leap of faith and as... More >>

I am often asked what I believe to be the “secret” to networking success. I love this question, mostly because I don’t believe there is any “secret” at all. Networking (in my opinion if done correctly) is just another name for getting to know someone and figuring out how you can help. Of course, if done incorrectly, networking is just another name for taking from others without giving... More >>

“Sin in the Second City”
by Karen Abbott

Three years worth of research went into writing “Sin in the Second City,” a richly detailed account of turn of the century Chicago and the most famous brothel in American history: the Everleigh Club.

The Club’s proprietors were two sisters, Ada and Minna Everleigh. The Everleighs set out to create an upper class establishment where “the... More >>

New York City has its hazards. Two days in a row this week I stepped in gum. "God damn it," I said out loud. I tried to look on the bright side, thinking that maybe it is good luck, like getting hit by bird droppings, but I doubt it. It takes awhile to scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe, especially if it is curled around the heel and you have to rub the side of your foot on the curb. Sid... More >>

In 1908 they must not have had a lot of clothes. My closet is so small I can only hang 7 suits, 10 shirts and 7 pairs of pants. What to do with my other stuff?.

I've collected clothes, mostly T-shirts throughout my years. This came to light because I really need to make room in my dresser draws for my golf shirts and shorts. As I rummaged through the draws, I realized it's hard for me to give ... More >>

Oenophile is a fancy word for "a lover of wine". As you can tell by some of the spelling in my blogs, I am not a dictionery kind of guy. I am more of a first impression-jump to conclusions type and to me the definition of oenophile is Bandit Group member Paul Napolitano, a self described "wine geek" who knows all one (at least me) will ever need to know about wine. And he's willing to share. M... More >>

During my years in Gotham, I have been one of the "go to" people on healthcare issues. As almost all of us know, from personal and anecdotal experience, the healthcare system is far from user friendly and is out-right hostile and threatening to someone entering into it, or confronting a particular issue, for the first time. I have had the pleasure of working with Susan Sajiun Fitzharris a... More >>

Vietnam Airlines has a monopoly on flights within the country, and as such, is prone to abuse of power. We left our luxurious hotel room at Hanoi’s Sofitel Metropole at 4am, and arrived at the airport to discover that we had been bumped, without notice, from our 6am flight to Hue. With five hours to sit on unpadded metal seats, listening to garbled announcements of further flight delays, I beg... More >>

My daughter's 6th grade class was given an assignment by their English teacher to create any form of writing with the theme "I Can Make A Difference". For my blog today, I thought I would share Jaclyn's creation (which went on to be selected for a district wide award). It is long, but all I ask is that you indulge me and read to the end.

A DAY IN MY LIFE... More >>

Today’s blog entry really should be written by a true Giants fan. Someone who genuinely and wholeheartedly appreciates the miracle in last night’s game. And I do appreciate the obvious: the Patriots perfect season, that the Giants were underdogs and foiled the Pats’ plan, that Tom Brady is dating Giselle, and that Eli, until now, existed in the shadow of his brother for quite a while.

... More >>

Certain events call for certain foods. If you are skiing, for instance, you must have a cheeseburger, and either chili or clam chowder for lunch, and a Snickers in the pocket for a mid-afternoon boost. Hot chocolate is good, though Gatorade is OK if it is not too cold a day.

A weekend at the beach of course means lobster, and clam chowder, again (I like clam chowder). At a ball game someone ... More >>

Everywhere you go there are colds. Head colds, chest colds, sinus colds...just about everyone I know has some kind of respiratory malfunction. Well, I finally caught whatever "it" is. Lovely.

What's funny about it is everyone's suggestions on what to do. Here's what people have told me so far.
1. Wash your hands
2. Take Sinus Buster
3. Have a hot toddy
4. Get yourself a nice bowl of chicken... More >>

I open by acknowledging my ignorance. I kept seeing this name Gurmeet K. Sodhi on fredslist and out of ignorance I thought Gurmeet was a man. Then, during the holiday season, I offered Knick tickets on fredslist and "Johnny on the spot" Gurmeet was the first responder both times and took a child each time and even mentioned that one child thought me "Fred Claus"

Well, last week I visited the ... More >>