There was an eerie sense as I opened my eyes the other morning. Something wasn't right. As my eyes focused, I realized that none of the usual lights were on. No digital numbers on the clock radio, no telltale glows from the chargers plugged into the wall and no ambient light from the street. No power. I went to the window and confirmed the trou …
When it comes to social media, I am delayed. A few weeks ago, I would have said that I don't do social media. My change to “delayed” status reflects my recent experience with Kickstarter. I had heard of Kickstarter, but until our children, Alyssa and Jason, put their new project on Kickstarter, I had never visited the site...nor had much inclin …
As we settled into our seats at the theater, I opened the Playbill and read the insert asking that I shut off my cell phone. The request went beyond the usual reminder to “silence” the device. “PLEASE...turn off your cell phones...” the insert implored, followed by an explanation of how even silenced phones interfered with the theater’s sound syste …
So the question is whether the snow will melt before we are accustomed to the fact that it is now dark in the morning when we get up. I apologize to those who may live in parts where the snow was trucked out of sight long ago but some of us are left to endure the mounds of snow -- some natural and some the result of clearing and piling. (When will …
We got away from the cold last week. Sun, warm, beach, T-shirts. Lots of T-shirts and baseball-style hats. Almost all had something to say. In first place were those reminding everyone that we were in Aruba. Perhaps intended to be helpful to others who may have forgotten where they are, yet understandable only for those who may have forgotten t …
Recently, I was at a seminar in one of the midtown hotels. You know, a few hundred people in neat rows of seats behind narrow tables. Since this was a high-end seminar, coffee was served. I took a cup back to my seat and placed it on the table in front of me. No sooner had I done so when a women - seeking to find a seat in the row in front of …
I saw the headline in the Metro section of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal -- “The Politics of Apology: A Standoff”. On Tuesday, Victoria Drogin commented at the Long Island Women’s Group meeting that women tend to apologize, whereas men generally don’t. And I recall being instructed by a Senior partner at my first law firm never to apologize. A …
As I brushed the snow off the car the other morning, I thought of family and friends who have left New York for warmer parts. I am fond of kidding my Mother -- who spends the winter in Florida -- that the happiness of New Yorkers in Florida is inversely related to the weather: the poorer the weather in New York, the happier they are. (As any mot …
I have a date stamp on my desk in the office. The old- fashioned kind. You change the date, month and year with plastic wheels. Changing the date is part of my morning ritual. I’ve had such a stamp on my desk for many years. I use it to stamp mail. I don't use it as much now as I used to. Yesterday morning I checked to make sure that the stamp h …
Let's congratulate Gotham's Networkers of the Year -- Liz Saldana and Larry Sprung and this year’s recipient of the Red Bandana Award -- Cindy Somma. When someone asks me what the Red Bandana Award is about, I respond that it is our Gotham family's way of recognizing the best fulfillment of our mantra -- “It is better to give than receive...” I …
I can't remember the last time we were in a Buy Buy Baby store. But we found ourselves in one last weekend. Shopping for a status symbol. They only had one starter Scooter to choose from. A take off on the Flexible Flyer sled of old. We passed on the scooter -- for now at least. We were in search of status. So many choices. Some more versatile t …
A friend of mine was riding his bicycle, albeit in the “wrong” direction, in a bike lane in the City a few weeks ago. He was stopped by a policeman for riding the wrong way and was asked for identification. Unfortunately, my friend didn't have any identification on him or in his bike pack. One thing led to another -- although I have no reason t …
Well, they seem to be working. The cameras in school zones that generate tickets for exceeding the school zone speed limit. There is one such zone on a road that I travel very frequently. After the initial onslaught of tickets, and the publicity about the cameras, motorists being caught unaware and early flaws resulting in many, many unwarrante …
It's been a long time coming, but, to echo Ella Fitzgerald, “Bye, Bye, Blackberry”. Until recently, I’ve been in denial of the imminent demise of my Blackberry. In the face of those around me -- mostly former Blackberry users -- who scoffed at the device in my hands, I held on (literally) to my trusted Blackberry 9000. But loyalty and the ease o …
I was on line in the bagel store and noticed the fixtures in the ceiling. Video cameras in the bagel store. I wondered why. I hadn't heard of any robberies. Was the owner keeping an eye on the employees? Cameras tracking (and ticketing) red lights and speed in school zones. A good idea for safety, although I am skeptical of the motivation, espec …
