Anyone who knows me would be shocked to find out the following about me: I do not go to any mall between Thanksgiving and New Years. Even when my children were much younger, and holiday shopping was more complex, I would finish all of my holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. My dislike of crowds is stronger than my love of shopping.

The title of the article is "What Lies Beneath."  The subheading reads "after years of razors, wax and lasers reducing pubic hair to the bare minimum - or nothing at all - there's a return to a more natural state."  I read on.  

Mandela's life and impact is an incredible story. The son of a tribal chief and imprisoned for 27 years, he was elected President of the country that put him in jail only three years after he was released.   He become a symbol of racial reconciliation around the world and an inspiration to millions of oppressed people.   What amazed me about this man is that when he was freed, he stated he bore no ill will toward his white Afrikaner jailers. If it were me, I think I would've have been a bit angry and probably wouldn't have elected President either.

Tuesday night we bestowed our treasured "Red Bandana" Award upon Paul Napolitano, Co Chair of our East End Group. The Award is in memory of Welles Remy Crowther, son of Jefferson Crowther, Co Chair of our Open House Group. Welles was an annonymous hero on 9/11 who perished after saving 18 souls while wearing a red bandana to protect his breathing against the smoke. It was only later that he was identified by his signature red bandana.

“It's better to give than receive, but what goes around comes around.” The Gotham mantra kept going through my mind as I watched us bestow the Red Bandana and the Networkers of the Year Awards, and make the grants to four charities from the Gotham Foundation on Tuesday evening at the Holiday Party.  

Tonight is our annual Holiday party and I am looking forward to seeing all of you there. Our response this year was so fantastic that I am sort of convinced that each and every one of you will actually be there!

One of Hallmark's ornaments for the holiday season has caused controversy following the replacement of the word "gay" while quoting "Deck the Halls."

It was just my birthday.  I got a new telescope.  It is a Maksutov-Cassegrain 90 mm reflecting scope, and the coolest part is that it has GPS.