Gotham City Networking, Inc.® - Listservs
Get talking and enjoy the fun!
Gotham City Networking, Inc.'s® has four terrific listservs:
Rock Rap
Sports Talk
Gotham Politics
Flicks List
Each with its own character and focus. You don't have to be a Gothman member to join the fun just be ready run with the topics. I asked a few members why to tell us about each one:
Tessa Marquis tells us about Rock Rap:
Everyone in Gotham Networking has led at least three lives. I am convinced of this.
It may not come out at the meetings, when we talk about our current incarnations as entrepreneurs of such-and-such or vice presidents of so-and-so or Leaders of the Pack...but eventually it comes out.
These other times/other lives bubble to the surface in the RockRap forum.
A great article is written about a musician or band, and that provides us with a cross-post, which triggers a memory.
"Wanna hear what Madonna was really doing at the clubs before the big hits..."
“Lemme tell you exactly how tall Mick Jagger really is…”
“Phil Spector (before he went insane) …”
“When The Turtles and We Five opened for Herman’s Hermits at the Cow Palace…”
"I know what the producers said to Springsteen before he went onstage at the No Nukes concert"
Of course, lately, it may be an obituary that gets posted but still and all we get a nice little flurry of remembered concerts attended and sometimes a back stage story or two.
And Still there’ll be More (Procol Harum)…
Join in on the fun – the news – and the memories at the Gotham RockRap list: RockRap@gothamnetworking.com
Gideaon Schein, MBA, PDMM tells us about Sports Talk:
Sports fans are addicts, at least some of us are. SportsTalk gathers together fans of almost all the NY teams and allows us in "real time" to "watch" the games together, commenting, complaining, and excoriating as we go along. In addition, the collective sports knowledge and wisdom, not always the same, is extraordinary. It is a joy to receive articles, opinions and facts that we would otherwise not have access to from a highly informed group of passionate people. March Madness Her We Come!
Josh Field adds:
I love being a part of Gotham Sports. I feel like Fred and others are so on top of their sports, that I get breaking news many times when it comes to my favorite local teams.
Everyone on the list is knowledgeable and has a strong opinion one way or the other. Lots of the comments people have are funny and entertaining.
Every time I check my email, I'm hoping for another Gotham Sports Update. It's a great place to be!
To join Gotham Sports Talk where the conversation flows only about sports send an email to sportstalk@gothamnetworking.com!
Vincent Chirico, Esq. discusses Gotham Politics:
One of Gotham’s best ways to network also provides a forum for exchanging opinions on a variety of member interests. Three of these list servs allow Gothamites free rein to opine on politics, sports and movies.
The Politics list serv in particular delivers considerable “enjoyment” in the free exchange of political viewpoints. Those of us who were equally entertained and frustrated by television’s old “MacLaughlin Group” will find that the frustrating aspect of not being able to thoroughly get one’s point across is removed, leaving participants with the sole frustration of sometimes having their position lambasted by differing opinions; fear not, however, since most often you will find allies to support you when your contention is on attack.
The group is comprised of a loosely equal number of “bleeding hearts,” “vast right-wing conspiracists,” and more than a few “imbalanced centrists.” We do warn that this group is not for the thin-skinned or the faint of heart: If you have the courage to participate, you’d better also have the courage to staunchly defend your position, and to be fully prepared to “take it” as well as “dish it out.” Fear not, however, since if (or when) discussion gets out of hand (or starts to encroach on the personal), Fred – our moderator extraordinaire – is usually successful at lifting the discussion out of the muck and back to reason.
In the end, however, two of the best benefits of joining this forum are (a) the realization that Gotham is replete with true patriots, regardless of their political viewpoints, and (b) more often than not, Gothamites are quite able to find common ground despite sometimes diametrically-opposing viewpoints, a refreshing result desperately needed in today’s political climate.
If Gotham’s Politics Forum is of interest to you, we invite you to : email:
politics@gothamnetworking.com
in order to join; we suspect you will find it more rewarding than CNN, Fox, MSNBC, Hannity or Meadow, and sometimes funnier than Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, Maher, Oliver or Bee (but maybe not Sliwa).
Last but not least Fred Klein comments about Flicks List:
Flicks@gothamnetworking.com is underutilized as one needs to be added to that list serve and I probably am the only one that expresses an opinion as to a movie that I just gone to. Then, sometimes, people chime in with their opinions. But only I seem to initiate.
To join Flicks List email: flicks@gothamnetworking.com
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Gotham Battle of the Bands© 2018
by
Odey Raviv, Ph.D.
Club Groove, the setting for the Sixth Annual Gotham Battle of the Bands(BOB), is in the heart of Greenwich Village. It sits on the legendary corner of McDougal St and West 3rd Street. As the bands arrived, the sense of their excitement was palpable. They were playing in the big time, not only for a chance for meaningful cash prizes, but for the opportunity to have their friends and families see them perform on the street where everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Bob Dylan got their starts.
The BOB is masterfully produced by Norm Spizz, Gotham's entertainment guru. Six bands are chosen by a committee of nine Gotham members led by Norm. The committee listens to 5-minute recordings of a band's best material. As the clock struck 2 the first band, PARKWAY SOUTH, took the stage. Featuring original music with a blues influence, the voices were powerful and emotive. Their musicianship and creative harmonies made the band a great kickoff to the event. The packed crowd at the Groove was responsive and enthusiastic throughout the afternoon. Following the afternoon's format of a 20-minute set and 10-minute break, BACK FROM ZERO took the stage with a hard rock sound. Led by a dynamic singer and a band that had many in the crowd shaking their heads to the beat of the original propulsive music, the band ended their set with the aptly named Come with Me and be Reborn.
The crowd peaked at around 3 as all the bands and their followers arrived. Gotham's own William Skody is a co-owner of the Club Groove. He made sure that the club's staff worked smoothly-both technically and in providing food and drink. Thanks to William for providing a home base that we hope will become our permanent home for the future Battle of the Bands.
The DAVE KOPPERMAN Band took the stage and quickly changed the tone to a sound that was musically intricate and featured the excellent guitar riffs and keyboard chords of folk and pop harmonies. The original lyrics had a political sensibility and their set ended with a Plea for Healing America. Our fourth band, MERCURY MAID, were rock and roll veterans. Their spirited lead singer had the crowd involved with his vocals which were interwoven with the punching sound of the lead guitar. It was creative, new grassroots music.
At 4 o'clock the crowd was still flowing in for the last two bands and most of the fans were hanging in. Of course, we were only one hour away from finding out who would be receiving the Big prizes.
PAPAJACK took the stage and their unique sound featuring two female vocalists took the crowd by storm. They took oldies and creatively constructed music that featured the excellent playing of a young Turkish guitar phenom, Evren Kaya. The music was driven by the veteran drumming and bass playing of the aptly named John Papa and Howard Jackson. Tara Weiss and Aileen Santiago reminded many of the Wilson sisters from the iconic Heart band. As they belted out the Janis Joplin classic, Another Piece of my Heart, the audience was won over.
The last band, LUKABRAZI, took the stage at 4:30. Another veteran band that featured terrific musicianship, they brought the crowd to a frenzy with their unique take on the classic Paul Simon song Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard as their last song. It was an appropriate wrap for a high quality afternoon of music by all of our bands.
The Judges: Stan Gilbert, Aimiee White, and Matt Lagle had the difficult choice to decide on the winners. Special thanks to them for their diligence!
They chose to award:
Third Place to PARKWAY SOUTH-$500.
Second Place to BACK FROM ZERO -$1,000
First Place to PAPAJACK-$2000 and a gig at Cafe Wha?
They were all very excited and appreciated the opportunity that Gotham had provided them!
Special thanks to Jason Greenberg of Phoenix Public Adjusters as our lead sponsor. We appreciate the 15 other sponsors who helped make the day possible. We could not do it without you! As a committee member, it is remarkable to listen to five minutes of music on a speaker and then to see the bands perform live. The transformation of just listening to seeing live performers give their all on stage cannot be duplicated. The Battle gives bands a chance to pursue their dreams, but also provides the Gotham community with a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of music for $10! Twenty-minute sets are a perfect vehicle for performers and listeners. Please consider getting involved in the event next year and certainly plan on attending. Fred your idea lives on!!
Norman Spizz adds:
Battle of the Bands was a tremendous success. This was because of the hard work of our committee and the generosity of our sponsors. I want to publicly thank our committee.
Corey Bearak, Michael Jakob, Fred Klein, Odey Raviv, Sonia Saleh, Shelley Simpson, William Skody. Mike Steger Aimee White.
Our Judges: Matt Lagle, Stan Gilbert, Aimee White.
Our Videographer: Cayce Crown
Our Sponsors :The Phoenix Public Adjusters Group, Inc. (Jason Greenberg)
Klein Zelman Rothermel Jacobs & Schess (Fred Klein)
Minuteman Press (Scott Levine & Fred Morante)
5th Street Advisors (Cesar Manent)
John Gallin & Sons (Tom Gallin)
Cafe’ Wha? (William Skody)
Skody, Scot & Co CPAs (William Skody)
Law Offices of Michael D. Steger, P.C.
Juice Plus (Shelley Simpson)
Law Offices of Phil Smallman
Corey Bearak/ Strategic Public PolicyNYC Admissions Solutions (Maurice Frumkin)
Uplifting NonProfits (Sonia Saleh)
S.C. Horn Associates, Inc. (Steven Horn)
Carriage Trade Insurance Agency (Michael Jakob)
Brainlink International (Raj Goel)
John Gallin & Sons (Tom Gallin)
You are the reason Gotham is so great.
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WINNERS OF GOTHAM GREEN AWARDS ANNOUNCED
by
Sherry Rivera
Presentation held April 19, 2018
We want to introduce the 10 Winners of this year’s Gotham Green Awards. For the past 5 years Gotham Networking has held these awards to recognize small to medium size companies for their contributions, inspiration and guidance in helping us all take better care of the planet and ourselves while often saving money and helping us institute more sustainable practices for our businesses and our lives.
The winners are:
Ace Natural is a service-focused, customer-driven natural and organic food distribution business located in New York City. Ace has a rich 20 year history providing superb service to the most discerning NYC Restaurants, caterers, food retailers and distributors. The company has a strong foothold and a passion for improving the lifestyles of New Yorkers. They were represented by their COO Alberto Gonzalez. www.Acenatural.com
City as Living Laboratory-Arts in City Responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing planet, Mary Miss founded CALL in 2009. CALL/City as Living Laboratory supports artists and designers in projects and programs, which engage local communities to raise awareness of the environmental risks that affect every day urban residents – concerns about the quality of the air they breathe, the threat of heat waves, flooding, storm surges, and food safety. By offering opportunities for experiential learning, discussion, and interdisciplinary collaboration, CALL provides a path for meaningful action – a means to bring about positive change. They were represented by Mary Miss and Olivia George. www.cityaslivinglab.org
Cornell University Sustainable group was represented by Anna Lawrence, a junior at Cornell. As the General Manager of Cornell University Sustainable Design she oversees all 11 project teams within the organization, searches for and develops new projects that align with CUSD’s mission, and communicates with current and new stakeholders. CUSD is an organization driven by passionate students who want to be the change they want to see in the world around them. Anna and Sustainable Design group has also completed an energy audit of the Smithsonian.
CO2logic is a pioneer in climate change and sustainability advisory. CO2logic specializes in calculating, reducing and offsetting carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. Today, more than 100 global organizations use CO2logic’s services to develop and implement their sustainability and low carbon strategies. Their main offices are in Brussels (Belgium) and New York. Co2 was represented by Arnaud Brohe www.co2logic.com/en-US
Foam Cycle is the first patent-pending Styrofoam collection and processing system specifically designed to be placed outdoors. This system enables municipal and county recycling drop-off centers along with colleges and universities the ability to effectively collect, densify, sell and ship the reduced foam to end user re-purpose manufactures completing a closed loop recycling process. They were represented by Lou Troiano www.foamcycle.com
Juice Plus - The Tower Garden by Juiceplus+is a vertical, aeroponic growing system that grows plants with only water and nutrients and without dirt. Plants grow three times faster and produce 30% greater yields on average using fewer resources. For over 5 years they have been working with schools, community centers, restaurants and individuals. Our programs enable kids to learn about growing, sustainability and nutrition and we bring healthy food to underserved communities. Towers allow people to control their food source, save money and have fun growing at home indoors or out. They were represented by Liz Saldana and Shelley Simpson http://esaldana.towergarden.com
One Earth Conservation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that, inspires and emboldens the people taking a stand for themselves, One Earth achieves its mission by combining work directed outward toward nature and other beings with work directed inward toward one's own human nature. Their outer work has proven successful in supporting people in on-the-ground parrot conservation projects in Latin America that involve endangered and threatened wild parrot populations. One Earth’s inner work has been organized into the Nurture Nature Program, which seeks to “empower the people who are saving the planet.” They were represented by Gail Koelln co-director. www.oneearthconservation.org
Premier Compaction Systems is a Subsidiary of Premier Facility Management. Premier designs and implements waste management programs using the most efficient equipment. Their products provide total recycling and eliminates the need for additional equipment, and labor while saving valuable interior space. Providing the right equipment encourages tenants to recycle and leaves the building with the ability to provide a more pleasing sidewalk appearance. They were represented by Lou Troiano www.pcs-green.com
SBM Management Services, an environmental leader within the facilities maintenance industry for over 25 years focuses on developing empowered associates, standardized processes, management systems, and reporting tools. They protect the natural environment, and their customers’ and employees’ health. Thus, SBM supports a different approach to janitorial services offering better environmental performance, and improved worker health and safety, while retaining the same sanitation quality as traditional, more chemical-intensive methods. SBM’s green cleaning program meets LEED® certification standards and assists in waste reduction, indoor air quality improvement, and resource conservation. Brain Martin is their representative. www.sbmmanagement.com.
SUNation Solar Systems provides and installs solar PV Systems providing clean, sustainable energy to Residential and Commercial customers in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens. They pride themselves on providing the best performing panels and their 24/7/365 customer service and support to keep systems running at their peak. They also provide EV charging stations for electric vehicle owners and connect that to the system. They were represented by Mike Bailis www.sunationsolarsystems.com
If you would like more information about this topic or Gotham Networking or how you can be present for the awards presentation, please contact Sherry Rivera at 516 594-1400 or email at Sherryrivera1@gmail.com.
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The Gotham Film Festival
November 17, 2017
by
In our new "Movie Palace" at the Club Quarters Midtown, film fans were treated to a night of filmmaking artistry.
They saw films that inspired, dreamed, celebrated, frightened, and pleaded.
The Audience Award went to Desde El Principio by Miguel J. Soliman. The director cleverly wove a love story of actors working on their craft as they sorted out their relationship.
Intense acting and editing kept everyone involved.
The Short Documentary winning Bum Bum by Ilya Slovesnik was a tribute to the legendary jazz great, Miles Davis. The director combined Davis music and fascinating New York scenes to
make a poignant film capsule.
The Long Documentary winner was Riccarda de Eccher Montagna by Riccarda de Eccher. The beautiful film captured the Italian artist and her love of home, the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy.
She convinced us that her painting and her mountainclimbing touched the same emotions. Her beautiful paintings and her heartfelt descriptions of the process made for a fascinating portrait.
The Short Narrative winner was Game Night by Joel Fendelman. The film told the story of a football night in Texas that brought a middle aged man back to his youth. The actor's work and the cinematography
made the night very real and extremely touching.
The Long Narrative winner was The Hobbyist by David Maire. The film brought the audience into a unique murder plot with twists galore. The acting, clever directing, and editing made for a thrilling watch.
The Business Film winner was a Public Service Announcement titled Don't Push Me Around by Paul Mahos. The film had a spirited anti-bullying message performed by a former bullying target. The teenager's
post film appearance and her joy that the message was appreciated was a highlight of the evening.
Gotham's own Judy Mauer curated a special program called the Up and Comers Award. Teens and Young Adults confronted by bias, showcased their short messages that pleaded for understanding and respect. It
was a moving part of the evening.
Special thanks to the Committee.
Norman Spizz, Chair and his team including Corey Bearak, Esq., Cayce Crown, Fred C. Klein, Esq, Judy Mauer, David Mack, Gideon Y. Schein, Sonia Saleh, Aimee White,
and Ben Geizhals, Esq. They did a great job gathering the movies and providing for a great setting with popcorn and pop.
And thank to our judges:Muffie Meyer, Joyce O'Connor, and Ted Raviv. They had tough choices to make.
Please check out the www.enterthegothamfilmfestival.com to see more info and take special note of our Sponsors. The Film Festival would not survive without your generous contributions.
Put the Festival on your calendar for next year.
It is a special evening of fun and excitement.
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