If you spend any time with me you will notice that I often (like a broken record) say "Up is down and down is up" in reaction to many situations and use it as a means of seeing the bright side of an otherwise "down" situation.

You can all "think out of the box" or "make lemonade out of lemons", but I'll stick with my "flip it" mentality.

Try it. You'll find that it fosters creativity and su... More >>

As I approached my former running partner for some advice on the up-coming Long Island Corporate Challenge, I noticed that his shoe was off. He was nursing a bad foot. Ironic that I should be asking him advice about running. The Corporate Challenge was a 3.5 mile running race at Jones Beach this past Tuesday evening.
"So, should I go out and run until I can't run anymore and then walk...... More >>

I must say, it feels very odd to be out in the Hamptons in a business suit. But lately, I find myself doing it more and more. And what’s even odder, is more and more often, I’m surrounded by others similarly dressed. Today, in fact I had lunch in Southampton, overlooking a beautiful pool, on a steamy, sunny, summer day, with a whole table of folks, most of whom were in suits – and they were... More >>

This blog might have waited a few weeks but I was inspired by Julie as she reminisced about our entrance to the world of blogging three years ago. While it is not quite the anniversary of my first blog, it's close. So, I thought it would be interesting to repeat my blog from August 15, 2006. That first meeting was most definitely a little bit of magic.

At Gotham's Inception -- Our First Goth... More >>

The Gotham Blog page will be celebrating -- or at least experiencing -- its three year anniversary in a little over a week. What has been interesting to me is the blog’s evolution.

I quickly looked over some of the initial blog entries from August, 2006. Most of us wrote about networking or Gotham or business-like issues. As time went on, writers tackled personal stories (some trivial - so... More >>

A Guest Blog By Eve Belkin Jedda


Many rituals and traditions are passed down from our parents and grandparents. As little children we watch and make a decision at some point whether these are things that we will take with us as adults. We decide things we like, we decide things we don't.

There is one special ritual that my mom did every time we were getting ready to go on a family vaca... More >>

It's been 40 years since Neil took that step (kind of a jump actually) onto the moon. The lunar module they used had a computer that overloaded and was signaling alarms, they overshot the landing area and touched down with only 25 seconds of fuel left. Quite a ride.

Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had reached farther into space than any other human. Now they had to prepare to go outside. They p... More >>

Billie Holiday and David Alexander (Green Group)? Quite a strange hook up, but actually it was right on and to me bore strong fruit.

It seems that last Friday was the 50th anniversary of the death of the great "Lady Day". She was (and in many ways still is) my favorite female singer. We have a large sepia photograph of her and all of her CDs. She was the quintessential sad song singer who h... More >>

To paraphrase a line from Leonard Cohen, it was the hat after all that I first noticed adorning an older woman walking through the shops on Railroad Street in Great Barrington (Massachusetts) on Saturday. A straw hat with a hand painted design. There was something about the hat that intrigued me. I was to learn later that it was much more than the hat.
"Now there is an elegant woman," Flo sa... More >>

Let me tell you a bit how Gothamites cross-pollinate (yes, we really do!) and how it can really pay off.

Gotham in Connecticut is vibrant, growing, and full of great people doing very interesting things in their businesses. There are national award winners among us, recognized experts in their field, that want to help you be more successful, giving without expecting to receive.

Some brave ... More >>

Last week, my 13 year old daughter started a 2 week basketball program. She is good. Very good. She is a motivated player and, as described over years of play, really “coachable”. She is cerebral in her attack of the game, studying her moves and looking and listening for correction and the opportunity to implement a change.

That said, she was not enjoying this particular program. The he... More >>

Have you ever heard these words?

Several years ago, I was shopping for earrings at Fortunoffs. I’m fairly certain it was my 10-year anniversary and my husband was giving me diamond studs for a gift. The saleswoman standing behind the counter filled with glistening gems, promised me that no matter what size “carat” or portion of a carat-earring I purchased, it was Fortunoff’s policy ... More >>

So they say.

I was reading Road Bike magazine and when one rider was asked in an interview why he rides, he answered that "suffering leads to breakthroughs."

I tried to remind myself of this as I pushed and pulled as fast as I could up the hill on the northern end of the Central Park loop. My legs were catching fire when I stood out of my saddle and I felt that if I did not let up then w... More >>

Wal-Mart (yes Wal-Mart) has decided to go green. Not just recycle their plastic bottles or print on the back of their office paper, it appears to be a game changing effort. They are moving towards full product disclosure. Meaning all products will have a label showing their sustainability and their carbon footprint. Many have questioned whether a corporation should be entrusted with this task. How... More >>

Have you ever idolized someone, had an "Idol", or said "You're my Idol"?

Well, I am not prone to such idolatry, but there was this teacher at our high school, who we will call Mr. K, who proudly strode the streets reading books and taught our boys in advanced literature.

He knew every student's name, even those not fortunate enough to be in his classes. One year the yearbook was dedicated ... More >>

As we often do at Gotham meetings, at the end of a meeting a few weeks ago, we went around the table for "good and welfare" -- no business. My turn came: "I am in a second marriage, we have a blended family, four children and I don't like the word "Step".
Something has always bothered me about the word "Step" in relation to family members. It is awkward. I am not sure what it is really ... More >>

I’ve come to believe and also to find truth that much of what happens in your life is directly related to what you think and think about, though I didn’t always have this belief.

Years ago, I was the guy that would always say that I was unlucky, always had an unlucky streak, that it wasn’t in the cards for me, etc... you get the picture. And looking back, I was right but I didn’t kno... More >>

I have a terrible sense of direction.

There is a famous story in my family about the time I decided to run away from home. Our house in Brooklyn was attached on both sides to others, and they were attached and so on and so on. In the back, we all shared a community driveway the full length of a long city block. One day, angry for reasons that I cannot remember at all, I said goodbye, announc... More >>

A few days ago I finished reading our upcoming Gotham Book Club selection, “Sarah’s Key,” by Tatiana de Rosnay.

Because we only have but an hour to discuss the book with the author on July 22nd at 1:00 p.m., I am writing about it here to see how people felt about the novel.

Sarah’s Key is set in Paris, in 1942. Sarah is a 10 year-old girl Jewish girl who is taken with her parents ... More >>

Fred’s blog about sunshine on Friday mentioned the black dog, something I had been intending to use as the subject of a blog for awhile but never did. I commented to what Fred wrote but have more to say about it, especially since that old scoundrel has been at my side for a long, long time.

It is not my term, of course. Even though it has been with me so many years, nipping at my heels, I... More >>

So last week, I'm laying on the couch with my father, and he brings up his blog. He turns to me, and I hear the question before he asks it, "You wanna write a blog for tomorrow?"

I stop and think out loud about that question, "I don't know.... Not really in the mood."

"Thats interesting", he responds, "because you look blog."

This is a perfect example of some of the amazing little nuances... More >>

With all the rain we suffered and endured in June and early July one can not help but laud, herald and just enjoy this past week end's sun shine. The wonderful, cheery weekend got me to thinking about sun shine.

I know that light is supposed to have a beneficial effect on one's mood and I also know my mood was not good during our Seattle (ironic that they went over a month in Seattle without r... More >>

Perhaps she was kidding, but in a recent telephone call my daughter, Mea, expressed concern over my upcoming birthday in August. I played along -- telling her that I was looking forward to my "free senior beach pass”. She would have to pay to go to the beach for many, many years to come, while I had paid my dues and was receiving appropriate recognition by the Town of Oyster Bay.
But I... More >>

Have you met anybody at JFK’s Terminal 4 recently? We were there last week to pick up our daughter, Lauren, on her return from her “birthright” journey to Israel. The cavernous “international arrivals” building has not a seat in sight. People are forced to wait crouched on a ledge or, if they ‘re lucky, perched in the rent-a-car phone booths. So instead of sitting comfortably, every... More >>

In a fit of madness last January I signed up for a 5k in May. It seemed like a good idea at the time, with months to train. A few days later it was May and I was still 51, still out of shape and utterly unprepared. Dumb enough to have told a few people what I'd done, including my kids, I couldn't back out. I figured I could walk the course in an hour and that the only time I had to run was whe... More >>

Now that summer is in full swing, before the lazy, warm, watermelon-filled afternoons escape us, please take a moment to consider books that are on your summer reading list. And please share them with the rest of us!

They can be a list of recent books, of varying genres: classics, non-fiction, fiction, vampire books, whatever you like.

The Bryant Library in Roslyn, for which I am a truste... More >>

John Adams predicted that independence day would be celebrated with flag waving, parades and fireworks, but it is doubtful he could have foreseen another 4th of July tradition, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Yesterday Joey "Jaws" Chestnut broke a world record by downing 68 franks in ten minutes during the 94th annual event. The 25 year old from Vallejo, California beat out his arch rival... More >>

On July 4th, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson died at his Monticello home. In one of the most moving events in history, just a few hours later, John Adams, his fellow revolutionary and Unitarian, died.

It is incredible that they not only died on the same day but that day was July 4th. They were both intelligent and courageous men. J... More >>

Prior to hitching a ride on Sarah Palin (how could he resist latching on to her sun spot, quirky "Q Factor") David Letterman garnered much of his fame and entertainment value by cobbling together (actually his writers did the work) endless ridiculous, satirical, disrespectful, nasty, but sometimes clever "Top 10" Lists.

Not being of that nature, I will not venture my own Top 10 list (mine will... More >>

This past weekend, Flo and I were in the Berkshires at an event for glass collectors sponsored by the Holsten Galleries in Stockbridge, Mass. (don't miss the gallery if you're in the area). We met several accomplished artists in glass and enjoyed the company of many people whose interest in glass has taken them to levels far beyond my own.
One of the artists I met was Jon Kuhn, a world-ren... More >>

Do you believe in life after death? I am convinced that after people “cross over” they continue to exist on some sort of energetic plane. I don’t think of this as a religious belief – I think of it as more of an empirically based conclusion. I have had several amazing experiences with mediums who have been communicating with my parents after they had passed away.

One example – ye... More >>