I'm excited. Today is the first ever Gotham Oratorical contest and I'm one of the judges. Fred wrote about it in his blog on 10.18.13 If you're not familiar with the term, it's the art and skill of public speaking. Something I love to do :) This contest is for High School students only and even more impressive is that Nancy's daughter Jackee crea …
Last week My wife Joanne went away for a long weekend to a Woman's Film Festival and I was left home alone with our puppy Charcoal and my thoughts. Being a social animal I do not fare well in solitude. Thank goodness for the puppy and her walks where we could interact with other dogs and their owners. You might call this Old School Social Netwo …
That was the reaction of my wife and I in response to the diagnosis finally given to our daughter, 16 months of age at the time. That was also the reaction of all but 1 of the 50+ NYC and Long Island physicians of various disciplines that met our daughter. We had been seeking answers since she was 2 weeks old and finally at 16 months, thanks to the …
I am learning about a new phenomenon and it is a little shocking. Teenage boys buying and selling sneakers, very expensive sneakers, for profit. Sometimes these outlandishly priced shoes are even pre-worn. That’s right, sneakers that some young man has already worn sold at dramatic markup. How are they sold you might be wondering? Many ways. On …
While I have a self confessed fear of flying, I love travelling and have visited many cities. In doing so, I have come to realize that I am a Manhattan snob. Having gone to school in Manhattan, I love the city. I love just walking around the city, exploring and, ultimately finding new places. Wherever I travel I seem to find myself, unintentionall …
Did you know that right now, to be licensed as a Farm Brewery, any beer brewed in the State of New York must have 20% of its ingredients (besides water) grown right here? Apparently the current acreage devoted to growing the ingredients for beer cannot support the need. And...that the number of breweries being built in the NYC area alone are expe …
Upon the passing of Lou Reed this week I mentioned that I knew him and he had played my fraternity party in Roslyn on New Year's Eve December 31, 1962. This inspired Cayce Crown to nickname me Zelig. She references Woody Allen's Leonard Zelig a nondescript enigma who pops up everywhere. I don't know if I can live up to Zelig's ubiquity, but I …
I am happy that the Red Sox won the World Series and I'm happy that they won the final game in Fenway Park. It is more fun to watch sports if you'e routing for one of the teams, and, for that reason, I had to choose between the Red Sox and the Cardinals. I was routing for the Red Sox. I'm a Mets fan and after the New York teams ended their seas …
I heard Chuck Schumer on the radio today. This is not going to be a partisan attack on him (or an attack on him of any kind), as I believe that regardless of your political ideology, many could relate to his feelings on an emotional level. He made a statement pertaining to the (paraphrased) immorality of the premium increases for flood insurance …
It’s a little eerie looking back one year ago. Early in the day, we could not have anticipated what would soon be upon us. Sure, there were warnings and advanced preparation. All transportation had shut down as did the NYSE for a nearly unprecedented second day. But still, I don’t think anyone really understood what was coming. Seriously, how coul …
Fred, as he loves to do, wrote a comment on Erik’s blog this week that exasperated me. Fred wrote: “Single parent homes is one of our greatest problems.” I was a single parent for eight years. During that time, I was faced with many preconceptions about my children as a result of my marital status. Thus, I am very sensitive to Fred’s sentiments. …
As a younger man, ailments were nothing more than ailments, something to see a doctor about and treated without much fanfare. Closing in on 60 however seems to have created a more gloomy perspective. Now aches and pains appear to surely be the result of something fatal. The hacking and choking cough and chest tightness I suffered in August led …
Sometimes sleep comes easy and sometimes not. This night I'm up writing this blog and it's in the wee hours of the AM. My mind keep running...clients...projects...relationships... It's tough to shut off. I turn the TV on and hope that watching the machines that make pencils put me to sleep. The experts say that no matter what time you go to sleep …
The Gotham Film Festival featured some short films that featured some great short films that told some great stories. I get to see Fred Klein ooze some joy as the Film Festival becomes an Annual Gotham cultural event. Tuesday night brought many Gotham members, families, and friends to a wonderful display of young cinematic talent. This year's Go …
Seventy years ago, George Horner was a prisoner in Theresienstadt, a concentration camp outside of Prague. He was a musician and played the music of Karel Svenk, another prisoner. They played cabaret pieces, the Theresienstadt March, and “How Come the Black Man Sits in the Back of the Car?” for other prisoners. By some historical accounts, music, a …
