As you may know, my son Alex has 2 bands: Tiajuana Caravan and, the off shoot, The Tall Boys. When Alex was in the crib we placed a toy guitar next to him and it took root. He now has more than 20 guitars and has become, to my taste, a very entertaining and talented performer fronting and writing songs for his bands. I know no greater thrill (kve …
When I go to a live concert I go to enjoy the music and the rapport with the artist. I prefer when the performer connects with the audience. We saw Barbra Streisand at Barclay's last week. A wonderful evening. She is a great performer and still has that great voice. And she certainly connected with the crowd in Brooklyn (where she grew up). B …
On this day in 1872, Victoria Woodhull became the FIRST woman to be nominated for the Presidency of the United States. In 1869, she and her sister Tennessee were the first women stockbrokers on Wall Street. In 1871, she was the first woman to address a Congressional committee. However, it was not all harmony among the suffragettes. Susan B. Anth …
It was a crowded morning on the LIRR. Once again, there were problems with the train and so as we proceeded through the stops, the cars quickly became standing room only. A woman boarded the train at Jamaica. She was likely my contemporary (no, I won’t tell you exactly here) but she was walking with a cane. She came up the aisle right alon …
I am unsure whether what I am about to write is currently politically correct but I was very saddened to read about the closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I have very vivid happy memories of going to the circus with my parents and then with my own children. As a child I loved the clowns. But one of my most enduring memories …
Gotham City Networking, Inc.® certainly connects its members (and others) for business and other reasons. The social parts remains secondary but that often forges the bases for the important business relations. We also might “join forces” on civic and non profit boards. In other cases we might get involved in some of the causes advanced by ot …
Looks like our education system will need to step it up a notch in an effort to stem tide of tech-related cheating. A Guardian investigation revealed that these cases have risen 42%. As an example, a British law student was caught red-handed using a James Bond style gadget to cheat in a university exam. The woman was found with 24 pages of note …
At my apogee, I was a tall 5'9 3/4" and could even leap to touch the basketball rim. Well, I just took my annual physical and, presently, I just managed to stand 5'7" small. Clearly, I'm shrinking and I have learned the shrinkage has something to do with my posture, gravitational pull on my spinal discs and the deterioration of the intervening …
Last weekend, we went to Washington to visit our children, Jeremy (and Stephanie) and Mea (and Charles), who live in the nation's capital. We like Washington and having family to visit makes the trips their even more special. But this trip was very special. We drove down to D.C. with a very special passenger. When she heard that we were drivin …
On this day in 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer prize for her first, and only, novel: Gone with the Wind. She wrote the book while recovering from an ankle injury and only showed it to a publisher's talent scout after initially saying she didn't have anything worth showing him. Second thoughts can be valuable. Being born and raised primaril …
At some point late in any afternoon, a 20 minute nap is restorative. It is a break and adds a little recharge to be ready to attack the rest of the day. On a quiet weekend day, napping plays a different role. It fits neatly with other types of relaxation like reading a book, watching a movie. It's not about that extra boost of energy. I propose …
I happened to turn onto a rerun of “Cheers” the other evening. It caused me to think about whether I have a place where “everybody knows your name.” And I realized that my husband and I do. We have a favorite small restaurant that we often go to where they know us by name, have excellent and bountiful Italian food, and will often make sure they h …
I enjoy teamwork. From playing basketball many a time, I see one or more players complaining about the sides we make. We really endeavor to balance things. I look beyond the sum of individual talents and the try to weigh the chemistry of the team; how they work together, find open players, make the right pass, set that monster pick, roll to t …
Another funny and true story comes to us from Michigan this week. A Michigan village clerk, Julie Glenn, sent a couple their water bill addressed to the woman "and the [expletive] who lives here too." (see below) Ms Glenn ended up sending a letter of apology to Annette Tolis and Kevin Barthel after they noticed the profane insult in the wate …
My son David and I have played on the Gotham Batmen softball team for many years. I am the Batmen pitcher and David plays alongside me at third base. Last week the umpire asked me my age and after telling him I then pointed out that my son was also on the team. At the end of the next inning the ump called David and me over and, surprisingly, put …
