Jake's blog from Binghamton

Blog-
noun
1. a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies; "postings on a blog are usually in chronological order" [syn: web log]

verb
1. read, write, or edit a shared on-line journal

I promised my dad a blog quite some time ago. Yes I may have been putting it off, but there is something el... More >>

Have you ever heard of the fabled "green flash" which supposedly occurs as the sun sets over the sea?

I first heard of it while at Club Med in the 70's and under the influence of that wild scene I imagined I saw it once.

However, since that time I have not experienced it and as a result came to believe it was apocryphal. Then we went to Hawaii and Joanne and I were standing over the ocean ... More >>

Great news. Jeremy gave Miranda the ring. Not that the ring was around for a long time before he gave it to her. As a matter of fact, it was on her finger within thirty hours of his getting it from the designer -- and he had to get from Brooklyn to Washington, D.C. and take care of all his remaining frog specimens from last summer in those precious few hours. No small feat.
In the midst of the ... More >>

Like a lot of people this winter, I am spending way too much time at my computer. I am having a relationship with my MAC, and I am convinced the MAC is superior to our former PC. If I weren’t cognizant of the problems computer overdosing engenders, I could possibly spend 24/7 at the keyboard. If I think about it, I may be just about at maximum load - I have to keep up with my own website, t... More >>

Here is today's "Miss Manners" question. You all remember the big bat mitzvah back over Thanksgiving. Well, the work is not over and we are in thank you note mode. (No, my question is not how much time we have after the party for the thank you notes to appear particularly since I fear we are already on the outer limits of appropriate. Any tips for getting a busy 13 year old to finish this projec... More >>

At a recent diner breakfast of eggs and toast, with moms that I met while my kids were in nursery school, we were discussing the positive (and not so flattering) attributes of Facebook. One mom even took out her laptop, weaving in and out of her “virtual friends’” lives while having breakfast with her “real” ones.

One woman mocked people who update their “Status” to tell us that ... More >>

In one swift rush, Caroline Kennedy appeared on the scene to be the next Senator from New York, and then in an instant, she vanished. Did I miss something? I hardly had the chance to decide if I thought she would have been a good choice or not.

She was not terribly impressive, and she can use a good makeover, but from a purely historical point of view it would have been interesting for Presid... More >>

A recent article talked about how our present state of the economy can turn around in six months if...

It's one factor that affects us all. It's ubiquitous. We here it, we see it and we read it everyday.

My drive to work is a bit longer now so I experience it for longer periods of time. If I expose myself to it long enough, I would probably turn around and go back home. It's quite depressi... More >>

In 1958, the Rev. Abernathy (MLK's right hand man) visited Roslyn High School. At the time, Roslyn was a Liberal bastion.

He addressed the student body in the gym and I happened to be sitting to his right in the first row of bleachers. He opened his remarks by recognizing he was in a haven and then turned to his right and gestured in my direction and said it did his heart good to see a white a... More >>

It's been three weeks since New Year's Day 2009 and I find myself still wishing people who I haven't spoken to recently a happy new year. Of course, I try not to extend those wishes to someone who I have already spoken to this year, which gives me pause in certain conversations as I try to remember whether I've spoken to them yet. (I realize that the memory piece is becoming increasingly challeng... More >>

When I look back at the Inauguration Ceremony of 2009, what will I remember? JFK was sworn in back in 1961 and my only vague recollections are of a white-haired Robert Frost squinting in the sun and reading wonderful poetry at the swearing in. This time I want to remember more. I took notes during the ceremonies, so that I could focus on what moved me the most:

What were the highlights?

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Over my lifetime there have been eight inaugurations. I do not have a clear recollection of any one of them. Although I think (I’m not sure) that I remember clips, there is nothing that stands out in my memory.

This inauguration is already different. Everyone I know, without exception, is paying attention. Business meetings are being cancelled or postponed left and right. The numbers of ... More >>

My children (especially my 8 year-old daughter) are excited for the historic event taking place tomorrow. Ever since Election Day ’08, Maggie has been increasingly chatty about Obama’s imminent presidency.

Yesterday, she was sitting next to me while I was surfing around Facebook when the image of Obama quickly caught her eye. There was an advertisement on the side of the page that said ... More >>

A year ago I bought a button that says 1-20-09. It seemed a far off date at the time. But now, here it is, just two days away. It is the date that George W. will be packing his toothbrush and heading back to Texas, and not just for vacation. He leaves with an approval rating, according to a New York Times poll, that is about the worst in modern history. Years from now, how will he be rememb... More >>

I'm sure all of us have heard by now about the plane that landed in the Hudson this past Thursday. It was an incredible event that has made newsreels around the world.

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger was the pilot and by all accounts, he made a heroic effort and safely ditched the plane 3 minutes after take off with, apparently, no engines. He is a former fighter pilot from Danville, Calif., w... More >>

Did ever read or hear something that touches you? Touches you somewhere that makes you cry, inspires you, makes you say to yourself "that's me" or better still "that's what I want to be". Well here are some such words which I have saved in my diary for this blog:

1) A man who's true to his inner flame doesn't speak to define himself through his work; he seeks to express who he already is. (... More >>

Last Friday was the tenth anniversary of my father’s death. As is my custom, and in keeping with tradition, I went to my synagogue on Friday evening for services and to recite the Kaddish -- the mourner’s prayer -- in honor of my father.
As I entered the sanctuary, my hope for an opportunity for pensive connection to my father gradually dissipated. The service was the ‘perfect storm’ of ... More >>

You can tell me a secret and I won’t tell a soul, including my husband, although sometimes it’s hard to avoid the, “I know something you don’t know,” teaser. Keeping a secret well makes me feel trustworthy and very grown up. The ability to keep secrets is not the same for everybody – some people can’t help passing on those little tidbits that are whispered into their ear with the a... More >>

Have you looked at our poll recently? The current question asks "How will your business in 2009 compare to your business in 2008?" As of this writing, 54% of responders believe that their business will do better, 27% projected no change and only 12% believe their business will be worse. [Note: The remaining 6% responded "What business?"]

This font of optimism is fascinating to me in light of ... More >>

As many of us sniffle and sneeze and dab our runny noses with the ubiquitous Kleenex, during this oh-so-cold month of January, I am reminded of one of my very significant sneezes.

I was fresh out of law school, not even sure yet if I had passed the Bar Exam, when the partner of the law firm at which I was working asked me to travel with him to Worcester, Massachusetts, to attend a client meet... More >>

I am in my hotel sitting at 8,000 feet in Little Cottonwood Canyon, one of three canyons that spills into Salt Lake City. I have fifteen free minutes on the internet here, so this will be fast.

I came with my two sons for five days of skiing on two of the best mountains in the world, Snowbird and Alta. They each get an average of 500 inches of snow a year, more than anyplace in the U.S., and ... More >>

I have immersed myself in the local cultural cuisine in and around my new offices. I only have to drive two minutes and I'm in Jamaica eating oxtail, jerk chicken, goat and chicken stew on a bed of rice with some cabbage and gravy. I make a left and I've gone south of the border to Mexico eating Chikyarone (phonetically speaking:) with a squeeze of lime, corn tamale, or chicken on yellow rice some... More >>

Gotham's bloggers have been slogging away for over two years now. I say slogging and not blogging in deference to those of us who grow long noses whining about the task and threatening to quit, forcing us to cajole and weedle to their needs. Could you imagine if we said "Okay, thanks for everything, don't let the door hit you in the tush, there are a number of eager Gothamites badgering to b... More >>

Last Sunday our family met for brunch at a local diner. At the next table was a nice family about halfway through their meal with two children - the younger a boy of about four. After we were seated for about ten minutes the young boy at the next table started getting agitated -- it appeared that he was ready to leave although his parents and a grandparent were still eating. He started to whine a... More >>

I’ve seen a lot of movies lately, mostly on DVD - “Wanted,” “The Bucket List,” “Mama Mia,” among others. Mama Mia has great ensemble musical numbers and it's the best selling DVD in the US of A. (Maybe other people are more inclined to overlook Pierce Brosnan’s incredibly bad singing voice). I watched Twilight” and “Slumdog Millionaire” in movie theaters. The energy flowe... More >>

My husband asks . . . where does the tradition of blowing out candles on a birthday cake come from?

In reality, as the birthday "blower" proceeds to extinguish the flames, he or she is simultaneously spreading germs all over the cake -- which tradition then dictates is cut and shared with the other celebrants. The rest of us then proceed to ingest this germ laden sugar coated petri dish (a/k... More >>

In 10 words (or a little more):

1. Tropical
2. Roosters
3. Art
4. Con leches (ok – that’s two words but means one very important thing)
5. Sunsets
6. Biking
7. Key Lime Pie (again, more than one word, but means one thing)
8. K.W. Airport (practically one big room)
9. Separate from the mainland U.S.A.
10. One Human Family (KW Philosophy)

Happy New Year Gotham!

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There is something else that comes with the New Year other than champagne and hangovers. Less money in your paycheck. Social security contributions start up again. What makes social security a little better though than income taxes is that at least there is a hope that you will someday get some of it back.

There was an interesting article by the chief economist of Business Week posing the q... More >>

Prior success not withstanding, I will forge ahead and make even more unbelievable predictions for '09. However, before astounding you with my clairvoyance, let's recap.

In 2007 I was 1 for 7. (my rookie year:)
For 2008 I was a perfect 1 for 1 (gutsy picking one but it was spot on)
Let's see what 2009 will bring...here they are.

1. The economy will turn around in the 2nd and/or 3rd quarter... More >>

It is Mother Nature's way that in Gotham (NYC) as the world turns the sun also rises and sets resulting in 4 seasons.

Do you remember the ""Howdy Doody Show" (puppets, Buffalo Bob Smith, early 50s TV) and "Princess Summerfallwinterspring"?

Well I rate the seasons as follows: 1) Spring 2) Summer 3) Fall and 4) Winter.

Winter sucks, so much so that I think my name should be Prince "Spr... More >>

Last week, on Christmas Day, a car lost control and crashed through the plate glass storefront window of a Chabbad House where Jewish families and children were attending a Hanukkah festival. Many, including children, were injured.
My first thought upon hearing this news was that on Christmas Day, when most businesses are closed, how could an out-of-control car find the one place on the s... More >>