The words of a schoolteacher of mine from many many years ago resonate for me. “We read the obituaries not to learn who died but to learn about those who lived.” I read the obituary of Haim Gouri, an Israeli poet, journalist, novelist, and filmmaker who died last week at the age of 94. He was a voice from the founding of the State of Israel. The …
Brene Brown is voice worth hearing. This is what it says on her website: "The official line: I’m a research professor at the University of Houston where I hold the Huffington Endowed Chair. I’ve spent the past sixteen years studying courage, vulnerability, empathy, and shame. I’m the author of four books: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, …
Over the last few days, the stock market has taken a tumble. I have lost count of the number of commentators advising investors not to panic, to stay the course, think long term. But I’ve also heard just ordinary people talking about being afraid of losing their savings. Last night on the LIRR, two commuters behind me were talking about chan …
It’s that time of the year again, the day after the Super Bowl. Every year there’s debate about whether to make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday since most people are sluggish the next day. My husband and I host a Super Bowl party every year, so it is a very long night for us. Last year, I had a court hearing scheduled the n …
I grew up loving football. Playing it. Organizing teams. Tackle. Touch. Flag. It did not matter. Strategizing (I'd argue none better!). And today we all – at least the ratings say so – gather to watch the big one. The Super Bowl. I recall watching my beloved Jets from a living room chair maybe four feet away from the set watching the gre …
If you want to buy a :30 spot on the Super Bowl you better open up your wallet because it now costs over $5million. That doesn't even include making the commerical which could cost anywhere from $1m - $5m. Last year the Super Bowl raked in over $419 million in air time Why so much you ask? Because the audience is over 100 million which is just ab …
Last Friday we went to a local theater production. Although all the contributors were professionals and the ticket cost not insubstantial, the experience fell far short. Thank goodness it was a two act play and we could look forward to bolting at the intermission. I say "we" because it was not just me who was disappointed. The main problem or d …
I usually don't participate in "chain" letters but this text message that I received the other day from a physician is, in my view, worthy of sharing. It may save a life. Please pause for 2 minutes and read this: 1. Let’s say it’s 7.25pm and you’re going home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. 2. You …
He took a few cups of love by Muhammad Ali He took a few cups of love. He took one tablespoon of patience, One teaspoon of generosity, One pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter, One pinch of concern. And then, he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith, And he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifeti …
There is something about old friends that well, just doesn’t get old. I had dinner tonight with a friend I haven’t seen in a long time. Nothing wrong, just busy times of life for both of us. But, when someone has been around in your life for that long, the conversation kind of just picks up where it left off. I highly recommend reaching out …
I love giving a good gift. Yesterday we attended my friend’s seventith surprise party. For a month I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what to get him. As of last week, all I could think of was a gift card. Finally on Friday, I found the perfect gift. My husband and I travel with the friend whose birthday it was. So, clearly …
Language matters. Words matter. It frames how we view things, events, people, ideas and more. We see pundits, politicians, PR pros, advertisers, marketers and other all use it. It makes great sense to use words to point out hypocrisy and inconsistency where we find it; I enjoy ther use -- frequently I hope. I prefer using it in a positive m …
Apparently in France people take their Nutella very seriously. Parisian's emotional connections to Nutella were on display when a French supermarket chain drastically cut the price of a 2 lb jar of Nutella on Thursday. This resulted in never before seen outbursts of violence between customers fighting to get their hands on the product. “They …
The other morning my day did not start well. As I was scrolling through the early morning emails I came upon my credit card bill and I was shocked to learn my balance due was double my norm. My first fear was that I had been hacked, but that was not the case. The problem was that my payment of the previous month's balance had arrived late. The …
The other day, I walked from my office on Broadway and 39th Street to “Ink48” (a wonderful boutique hotel with a great restaurant-“Print”) on 48th Street and Eleventh Avenue. As I walked north on Broadway, I left the old “garment district” which is gradually absorbing non-garment businesses with its people-friendly pedestrian mall on Broadway. I …
