I won’t drink and drive, so why would I risk reaching for a smart phone to check for emails or text messages? The point was driven home last Thursday at the Gotham Long Island meeting by Mike Jakob. Mike, an insurance agent, talked about the problem and a new program that his agency is undertaking to educate the public about the hazards of smartpho …
Brooklyn Technical High School is one of the specialized high schools in New York City. It is in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Last weekend I went on a casual walk in Fort Greene and walked past my high school. When I went to Brooklyn Tech, you simply didn’t take a causal walk in the neighborhood. Most, if not all, of the students “commut …
When I finish a novel, I feel that I've said goodbye to a friend. There's a feeling of loneliness and a time to reflect upon the times we shared. I soon turn to finding a new book to put on the coveted spot on my night table that is reserved for my current read. There is always an abundance of books to choose from. (It seems that, with the bes …
Dan shaded his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight and he tried to fathom what he saw. There, on the far side of the courtyard was Duardo kicking a soccer ball as only a three-year old could to an unshaven man. But this was no playground. Dan looked up at the high walls surrounding the courtyard. The razor wire that capped the walls and the t …
It was a few hours before Passover and we were on our way to the family Seder. One of our many traditions is to call relatives who we will not be seeing and wishing them a “Sweet Passover”. Flo called her Aunt Lillie who lives in Florida. After exchanging holiday greetings, Lillie mentioned to Flo that it was a significant day for her and her s …
Fred keeps a diary and has for many, many years. I know this because Fred has shared some of his entries from years ago with me. Here is one that he shared and I must share. “4/9/80 - Had a life experience tonight running across 59th Street Bridge with Benj in near hail torrent getting soaked and running on water and splashing through streams.. …
It was in the personal section of yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- carrying two cell phones. For me, it started rather innocently. When Flo upgraded to a newer iPhone, her iPhone became available. I have always had a Blackberry (perhaps the subject of a another blog) which had increasingly become more of an office number. Our grandson had just …
I reached across the desk for the stapler, carefully positioned the papers, and squeezed. Nothing. The stapler was empty. So I reached into the drawer and took out the plastic box of staples. I was amazed that there were only five strips left. I checked the drawer. No strips had fallen out. There are 5,000 staples to a box. 210 staples to a …
I like to vacation in familiar places. We have a time share in Aruba and, at last count, have been back seven times (plus a few times before we got the time share). Our son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Alyssa have been with us seven times -- and their son, our grandson, Jackson, was with us for the first time (but certainly not last) two week …
Last week Fred blogged about "Menu Management" -- managing the food that his wife Joanne orders. If it turns out that she doesn't like what she ordered, Fred (gladly) switches plates. Flo and I have a similar arrangement at theaters. With few exceptions, Flo usually finds the tallest person in the theater to sit in front of her. And once that pe …
It was time for our grandson, Jackson, to take his nap. Our daughter-in-law picked him up saying “It’s time for me to put Jackson down.” A strange choice of words. While in context they made sense, they still struck me as odd. In veterinary circles, the words “put down” certainly convey a very different message. In social settings “putting …
As I write this, I am on vacation; albeit “turning the corner” on this vacation. As much behind as lies ahead. 13.1 miles into the marathon. It occurs to me that there is always a “turning the corner”. In everything we do, there’s a point at which we’re half-way through. Midway. Something behind us and something ahead. Sometimes turning the corn …
It seemed that everyone was doing it, so we gave it a try. Netflix that is. First “Breaking Bad”, then “House of Cards.” As late comers, we're still catching up with the old seasons. I can get as addicted as the next person. I was completely in to “24” and Monday nights were off-base for anything except watching the show. We were in Seattle for …
I was so relieved when Nancy blogged last week about enough snow for this season. I figured that, with the well-respected Power of Gotham, we would be free of the white stuff for the rest of the winter. I won't lose faith in the Power of Gotham. I must accept the fact that there are forces at work with the weather that even Gotham's might can't …
Recently, I've seen an increasing number of articles about minimizing one's life. Just yesterday there was a piece online about a man who, as director of operations for a telecom company in Ohio, was asked to submit a plan to close stores and terminate 41 employees. He submitted the plan, with his name of the top of the list. He left his job and st …
