One of my favorite things about going to a networking event is meeting someone new and seeing where the conversation goes. You start with “What do you do?” and somehow end up comparing pizza places or getting into a deep discussion.You walked in as strangers and leave looking forward to the next conversation.Now, if I could just remember their name.:-)

In preparation for the midterm elections and all the associated drama, we have recommenced watching the 3 cable news channels. We had stopped about 2 years ago and the first thing I noticed was the change in appearance of the familiar talking heads. The difference is stark!Their stance and point of view is much the same though.  One might think there could have been some evolution.  But no!Nonetheless, we needed some brushing up as we await the results. We plan to vote and encourage you to do so also.

For years, in fact for my entire professional life, I’ve had a pocket-sized calendar. As suit jackets were replaced, the calendar made its way from the breast pocket to a pants pocket, but it was always accessible and constantly referenced.Its importance was beyond question. And then came its nemesis— the smartphone - with its calendar, reminders, drop-downs, alerts and noises.

Have you ever noticed the Mugs you have sitting on your desk, in your kitchen cabinet, or displayed someplace else? I am not talking about a standard set of identical ones, I am thinking about the more unique ones. It’s a way of getting a message across, much like a T-shirt does, just ask Fred Klein. But there is something different here. It becomes personal ownership. Reasons for getting a mug can range from a special gift for a specific occasion (graduation, birthday, etc.) or just something or sometime that captures your interest. They become very special and very personal in ways.

This week’s small (okay, maybe not so small) frustration was trying to make a routine doctor’s appointment and getting caught in an automated phone-system maze. Press one for this, say a few words for that, listen carefully because the menu has changed.  And then, somehow right back where I started.I had one simple follow-up question that the menu could not anticipate. After several attempts to find a human being, I gave up and sent a message through the patient portal instead. Convenient? Maybe. Efficient?  Not at all. Immediate? Not quite.

I love making to-do lists because writing everything down makes me feel like I’m already getting things done.  Somehow, however, I then spend the day avoiding the list and doing other things.  In an effort to complete the tasks on my list at work,  I write them on post-its and put it on my computer screen so I can see it throughout the day. 

In a comment to Gotham webmaster’s blog on a topic unrelated to today’s commentary, I posted, “Participation Matters.”  That comment equally applies to this space today.  Whether you live in New York City, across the Hudson in New Jersey, in suburban counties north or east, or anywhere in the U.S.A. (or are an American abroad), your vote this (and any) year makes a difference. 

Monday and Wednesday evenings, I teach an entrepreneurship class at Hofstra University from 6 to 9 p.m.Teaching online is a tough challenge. Everyone can't talk at once, so people naturally disengage. It gets harder when some students (there are 27 in this cohort) don't have their cameras on. I’ll ask one of them a question and wait and wait and... Without seeing faces, it’s hard to tell whether students are considering their answers, checking their phones, or wondering when we’re taking a break.