What goes around comes around — whether you know it or not. A few years ago I assisted a client of mine in resolving and terminating a long-standing business relationship. The attorney on the other side was a bit more aggressive than may have beennecessary under the circumstances — a point that was not lost on my client. A few weeks ago that sa …
As I was driving home from the office the other day, I glanced over at the car to my right and noticed the CNN logo on the car’s multi-media screen. He must also be listening to CNN. I listen to the news during my commute — when I’m not on the phone. I listen - and watch - the news far too much. I’m beginning to believe that it’s not good for m …
I blogged last week about that awkward moment when someone you don’t recognize greets you by name. Amparo and I continue to wonder how to handle that situation. Here is another situation spawned at a social event: I was introduced to a man at a wedding recently. He was from a small city and I mentioned the name of a friend of mine from there. …
It’s that awkward moment. “Hello Ben” she says as she smiles and extends her hand. I have no idea who she is. Several ideas quickly go through my head as I smile and extend my hand to hers. Do I pretend to know her without mentioning a name? Do I apologize and ask her who she is and how she knows me? All the while, I wonder when my puzzled …
This weekend we will be celebrating my mother’s ninetieth birthday at a small gathering of family and her friends. As the day approaches, I contemplate what few words I might say in her honor and I realize that the words of others would add immeasurably to the predictable words of a biased son. Many of you in the Gotham family have met Esther. …
Do you use straws? Do you like them? Do you care what they are made of? I ask these questions because I have been encountering a growing opposition to straws. We have actually converted to reusable hard plastic straws. The "last straw" was when I recently saw a restaurant’s admonition that “we only serve straws upon request”. But, somehow, it …
We were in Falmouth for the 47th running of the prestigious Falmouth Road Race — a 7.1 mile run from the drawbridge in Woods Hole to the British Beer Company tavern in Falmouth Heights. Our Inn was right on the path of the race about a tenth of a mile from the finish. The porch gave us a perfect view. Watching the runners was inspirational and a …
You’ve got to discard (recycle) things from time to time. Advice I've heard is that if you haven’t used it in a year or two, it’s time to clean it out. I have followed that advice as best I can...usually without regret. This year we’ll be in Falmouth Massachusetts on the weekend of the famous Falmouth Road Race. I’ve been to Falmouth many times …
It is a small theater in the Berkshires and we settled into our seats looking forward to the show. Soon after we were seated, a patron came in and sat behind us. The gentleman carried a portable oxygen concentrator that was providing air flow to the tubes leading to his nose. As he sat and the lights dimmed the noise - a whirring sound - comin …
It's summer and that means t-shirts and hats. I have too many t-shirts and too many hats. Many reminders of places visited. Something about probably being meaningful when I got them. Last weekend we were in the Berkshires and I donned a t-shirt from Tobay - the South Shore beach of the Town of Oyster Bay on Long Island --- and my baseball cap b …
How do you get to work? I’m thinking about this as I ride the Long Island Railroad for a day of meetings in the City. Over the years I have “commuted” for untold hours in almost every imaginable mode of transportation. I have read, sometimes with amazement, sometimes with admiration, about commuters who retire and celebrate forty years of conti …
As I do every morning, I opened the doors and looked out at the deck as the early sunshine foretold a very pleasant summer day. I gazed across and admired the large potted tomato plants which were progressing nicely for early July with buds abound and several tomatoes in the making. Then I saw it. There was a bee moving from flower to flower on …
We’ve eaten at several “No Tipping” establishments over the past few months, most recently at two bars with lite food fare in the City. I didn’t notice a significant increase in the prices of the food or drink, which was a bit of a surprise. The service was fine and the staff was friendly. There was, perhaps, a sense of relief from the burden o …
As I walked away from the recycling bin in our community, I pondered the sign that had recently been placed on the nearby fence. It advised that the recycling area was under twenty-four hour camera surveillance and enumerated the permitted and prohibited disposals. I considered who put up the sign and the cameras. Who looked at the tapes? I a …
Sitting at a playground in New York City… Observing. A playground not unlike hundreds in the City. Something for everyone between the ages of 6 months and the teen years and older. Swings for parents to push to the glee of their riders. Climbing and sliding challenges. Maybe not today - but there is tomorrow. By the end of summer, th …
