Last week a woman and her child were inexplicably killed by a falling branch in Central Park. The tree was decidedly healthy and was covered with green leaves. An investigation is currently underway.

The other day, a 12 year old girl drowned out in Long Beach despite signs warning her of the dangers of swimming there. There is talk that the town should be held accountable. Again, an investi... More >>

"All stars illuminate the night, yet some shine so brightly that their light reaches far beyond the heavens." That is how it started.

When my daughter's 8th grade English teacher stood before the awards assembly Friday morning, the audience listened warmly. Ms. Johnson had been asked to present the Jeanne O'Donnell award, a character award given to one 8th grade student out of a graduating cl... More >>

As a professional woman, I have been fascinated lately with the case of Debrahlee Lorenzana. In case you’re one of the few people on the planet who haven’t read about her or heard her story on the news the case is simple to explain; Ms. Lorenzana claims that she was fired from a job she had held at Citigroup after, she says, she was warned repeatedly that her clothes were inappropriate and ... More >>

Emily graduated high school last week. Soon she will be going away to college.

The first time I met Emily she was a little girl and still tiny enough to crawl onto Eve's lap like a little pussycat. When we would go out for dinner she was afraid to go to the bathroom by herself. And she would sing in the shower or in her room, even if I was around. Now she has turned into a woman and wears sho... More >>

Stella Maris High School in Rockaway closed it's doors for the last time.

For 67 years, the School has been educating young women from all over the New York area. In fact you may have remembered in the 70's when three nuns were martyred in El Salvador. They were graduates who sought to help children.

In fact the population of the school was so diverse it students came from Belle Harbor, Bre... More >>

The above is one of my favorite expressions which, to me, covers and explains unusual twists on usual or apparently ordinary situations.

A perfect example occurred at the end of last week with the Friday and Saturday blogs. From the 2006 inception of Gotham's blog, I have blogged on Friday ("Fridays with Fred") and Mitch on Saturday.

Being of an ultra competitive nature, after the passage o... More >>

Last weekend we -- our family, that is -- were the only people on Shelter Island. We were there for Jeremy and Miranda's wedding...and the Island was ours. We paid no attention to the other four weddings on the island over the weekend. The annual Shelter Island 10K Road Race that went by during the wedding didn't faze us in the least. We didn't notice other people on the Island (although I m... More >>

“Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on” Simon and Garfunkel

A couple of weeks ago I wrote asking when kids should be held accountable. This weekend I got some unique and unwanted perspective.

As I sit thinking and writing late into the night before attending the funeral, I am mindful not to immerse myself in self-absorption, self-pity, self-righteousness, but most... More >>

Here is the controversy. If you read our blogs at all, you have undoubtedly noticed some well known commenters , the most prominent being Sarah Palin.

Upon reading, however, it quickly becomes clear that these comments are not posted by their claimed authors and instead someone, in most cases unknown to the Gotham blogosphere, has chosen to assume a personality if only for the purpose of our b... More >>

Mitch's blog this week and a fascinating story I saw on the news inspired me to think about the possibility of an afterlife. According to the news, there are numerous 9-11 widows who are recounting stories of visits from their departed husbands. Interestingly, many children who lost their fathers on that day are also reporting visits from their deceased parent. The children spoke about extensive... More >>

I am in Chicago for a wedding today. I flew out yesterday morning. The daughter of my closest friend from college is getting married this afternoon.

Do I sound upset? Well I am not. Not really. But it is Father's Day. And I like Father's Day. It is not easy to round up all three of my kids and have them together and all to myself for a whole day, and Father's Day is one of the few days o... More >>

It is bitter sweet to become famous or receive ultimate recognition after one dies.

A perfect example occurred recently when the great Joe Gordon (Yankee and Indians second baseman 1938 through 1950) finally made the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously last year. The same happened earlier for Leo (The Lip) Durocher.

Alas, it is not unusual for a "great one" to be under appreciated or ignor... More >>

If you didn't know, the World Cup (Soccer, Football to the rest of the world) is being played right now in South Africa. As I write this Uruguay just bested South Africa 3-0 (or as they call it three nil) and it could be the first time the host country does not make it to the second round.

To the rest of world, this is the penultimate game. The tournament is played every four years. Italy, b... More >>

As I prepare to pack for our long weekend on Shelter Island for Jeremy and Miranda's wedding (yes, the last of the weddings of our three sons), I must tackle my persistent packing dilemma: Do I take my camera? It's not one of those pocket cameras, rather a digital SLR, so it takes up room. If we were flying someplace, I wouldn't even consider taking it. But we're driving and we probably can... More >>

Two weeks ago I was dropping my roller hockey team's extra jerseys that I had collected from players down at the hockey rink I coach at (I coach 2 teams there, my son's and the older team I have been coaching for 14 years). It is a church league that has been around for about 50 years and is the best sports league I have been involved with. It is the only roller hockey league that has full check... More >>

If you know me at all, start laughing now. How could I possibly even start a blog with “another great year of golf”? In my first golfing experience many years ago, I acquired the nickname “Radar” because every time I hit a ball (infrequently) it hit a person. Quite a talent, I thought at the time.

Since then, I have golfed 8 times with Gotham (I missed one year along the way) and her... More >>

This is the day wherein we celebrate Gotham by attending the annual golf outing. Unfortunately as a result of work obligations, I can’t be at the golf outing (watch Fredlist for my post seeking a matrimonial associate). So, I decided to celebrate Gotham in my own way, by writing a blog. Last month I blogged about Nancy. This is my Fred story.

I am the type of person who doesn’t jump in the... More >>

My very smart and hard working daughter Hilary starts in her new position as principal of Achievement First, a charter school in East New York for first through fourth graders at the end of this month. She started there as a teacher after working for Teach For America in the Bronx for two years, then she became Academic Dean, and now will lead the school. I went to her school in Brooklyn last w... More >>

Picture this (literally) I'm at the Jones Beach Theater watching Jethro Tull take the stage. He comes on and kicks into a rockin song. I look around and see the faint glow of computer screens pop on all over the theater. People are using their phones to take video.

Here we are in 2010, and the audience is now experiencing a concert through their smart phone. The lady in front of me is involved... More >>

If you had one wish, what would it be?

If you could go back to the last year of college, which life defining decision would you reconsider?

If you could reverse one World event, fact or occurrence which occurred in your life, what would it be?

... More >>

We meet at the diner for breakfast every few weeks and sit at the same table. Same waitress. She knows our "usual" orders by now and knows the one of us to ask who sometimes changes his order.

The other morning, we noticed that she was tanned and one of us mentioned it to her. She told us that she was on the soccer field all weekend. The story then unfolded. She plays midfield on her team... More >>

The easiest thing in the world would be to just let it go, not risk even tiptoeing near the third rail. Yet if I want to write, what is the point to do so without courage.

After all, we're talking about a woman who I have disliked for as long as I've followed politics. Her ouster was led by a man, Ari Fleischer whom I met several months back at a luncheon and was lucky enough to speak with br... More >>

Reading the newspaper this morning on the train, I was particularly drawn to an article in the NY Times called "Attached to Technology and Paying a Price". Did you know that Americans are addicted to their technology with the resulting effect of losing the ability to be fully "in the moment"? Did you know that juggling all of the various explosions of information we tackle every day including em... More >>

Its that time of the year again-we are saying good-bye to some of our favorite television shows. This year the list includes, “Law and Order,” “Lost,” and “24.” Close friends of mine assume that I am a “Lost” fan and are quick to tell me their reaction to the final episode. Their response seems to be unanimous, disappointment. I truly have no opinion on it as I have never watched... More >>

About three years ago I changed my diet. I stopped eating meat and chicken. No more lamb chops or chicken fried steak for me. My diet is now restricted to fish, pasta, vegetables, fruit, and lots of nuts. And ice cream and cake, of course. A pescatarian is the proper way to describe it.

I learned a lot about fish since I eat it almost daily. For instance, I know now there really is just... More >>

I'm having a hard time with this. The oil gushing out of the blown valve in the Gulf of Mexico is shaping up to be one of the all time man made disasters. I am ashamed to admit that I find it very hard to listen or watch the news about it. Every time it comes on I get angry with an extreme sense of helplessness. We (humans) are pretty good at screwing things up.

I imagine in a few short months,... More >>

I'm honored to state that I was honored last night by my University and others.

Honored? What does it mean? What notions and feelings does the honor evoke?

According to the dictionary, it "implies popular acknowledgment of one's right to great respect as well as any expression of such respect...shown in praise, tributes..."

Well that's all well and good, but is the real, true, parent... More >>

For those of you who are following the weddings of our three sons…the third and final one is just two weeks away. Jeremy, the groom, and I have had a little thing about single malt scotch. I am in the market for a special bottle for us to share (with others) the evening before the wedding. So I went to the local liquor store in the strip mall near our home to see the selection.
I got t... More >>

Recently, had the unenviable role of playing judge and jury to an altercation that took place in my absence between two neighborhood kids and two young friends of the family. It was and will probably for some time be uncomfortable. Without getting into any details, two of the kids are ones who tend to start trouble, and the other two are worse. The latter were in my researched opinion responsib... More >>

Both my dad and my husband's dad served their country. Different wars, different times, different experiences.

My dad enlisted and served in the Korean War, while my mom waited at home for him to complete his service so they could start their lives together. The conflict was at the tail end and his service was largely teaching. My dad was an elementary school teacher and that skill set was s... More >>