Being Jewish, I do not celebrate Christmas. But, my family  generally spends Christmas every year in the same traditional way. If we’re not on vacation, you can find us at a movie theatre and, thereafter, at home eating Chinese food. I love family traditions. I firmly believe that they give our children a stronger sense of family and a sense of stability. If you celebrate Christmas, tell me your most cherished tradition. If you don’t celebrate Christmas do you have a traditio...

As usual I've waited till today to do my Christmas shopping. I had a great excuse this year....the world was supposed to end yesterday according to the Mayan calendar. Unfortunately I don't know any Mayans so the world keeps turning (kind of like their calendar) Guess I'm going to the mall today and shop with my last minute brethren.There is a famous quote, not sure who said it, about the last minute. "If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done." According to a...

So, as is my compulsive pattern, I arrived early for a holiday party last week and was one of the very first on the scene. The problem with that was  no one I knew was there. Thus, there was no one to commune with (and hide behind). I know this is a business development, socializing, connecting "no no", but problem is, I'm shy. Painfully shy in new situations. In friendly, home field, familiar crowds I can float around and riff and connect with my guys and gals, but not as th...

My son came home from school.  It was Monday night...a week night...a school night.  Normally we would have just chilled out watched TV and went to bed.  I had an urge though (need?).  When I asked my son if we wanted to go to the movies, he got excited quickly.  I tried desperately to get my wife to go with us, but she was tired.  She insisted we still go without her.  Even though it was going to be a later night than an 11-year-old should have during the week, it seemed lik...

With an 11th grader in the house, we spend a lot of time talking about college, undergraduate programs and various career paths.  Putting aside for purposes of this blog my daughter's thoughts for her future, this process started me thinking about the college majors that we all chose (more years ago than at least I will admit) and whether in the end, they bear any resemblance to our professions. As for me, I graduated with a major in Rhetoric and Communication (I don't think ...

I have seen the term “birth order” mentioned a lot lately on the internet. Many psychologists say that birth order influences one’s personality. Other scientists state that there is no convincing evidence that links personality or behavior to birth order. I am a middle child. I have an older brother (the first born male "Prince") and a younger sister (the baby). I have told all my life that I am a “typical middle child.” I know that, at my core, I am a people pleaser ...

The news struck me like a shot to the gut. I felt sick to my stomach when I heard what happened in Sand Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. It is so senseless. Facebook and Twitter have been burning bandwidth with an outpouring of grief, sadness and anger. I've seen demands for stronger gun control and people defending the second amendment.   No matter what you think of guns, one cannot turn away from the fact that a 24 year old took the lives of 26 individuals, 20 of the...

Last week I blogged about how free, unfettered time is creatively fertile and raged against the "noise" of all our modern technology. However, being a lawyer requires one to be able to advocate either side of an argument, ergo, point, counter point. To be fair, the flip side of my last blog is that the technology, eg, internet is a free avenue for self expression and creativity. As my oracle recently blogged "You've got the tools. You've got the laptop with the built-in video...

For those of us who commute on the LIRR (or Metro North), we know all about the “quiet car” where heightened requirements of respecting your neighbors are expected and enforced.     But how about the quiet gym?  Is there etiquette around gym conversation?   Sunday morning I was working my favorite elliptical machine, happily humming to whatever tune was on my ipod.  I glanced over to two women riding bicycles nearby and noticed they were in a heated and very animated discussi...

No I'm not talking about Christmas or Hannukah...the new Gotham website! (you're on it!) It couldn't have come at a better time since the old one is limping along being held together with duct tape. (that's a story for another day:) This site has some pretty cool features. Here are just a few: One on one messaging One on one video messaging A chat room to chat online with lots of people An expanded book club with more features Improved events where you can see all the...

This past weekend I was with a group of friends that celebrate the holidays together.  The discussion about logistics quickly turned to a discussion about specific gifts. One friend insisted that the rules for gifting change this year to specifically exclude gift cards.  Gift cards, she argued, are an "easy out", a lazy gift that does not require any thought.  So, with the new rules, let the shopping begin!!  Definitetly a much harder project. What do you think about giving a...

This morning (Friday) I left my house and within a couple of blocks had found myself behind the town garbage truck. As I watched them throw bags of household waste into the back of the large vehicle I waited patiently. I was taught that every job is important and never should be taken for granted.As the men worked, one of them picked up a portion of a wooden fence that was being thrown out. It was obviously broken as he dragged it across the ground to the truck. As he did, tw...

Attending the GC summit in the City I had an experience which has caused me to ask you, What would you do?. Instead of my standard routine...park in LIC and take the subway...I drove all the way in so my car was easily accessible. There was a lot of traffic so I pulled in to a lot nearby by KZR. The pricing was for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and 8 hours. I figured no prob. I'll be only 3 hours. I go to the meeting (which was good) and then met some people at the KZR cocktails w...

I was driving to the train station last week listening to a talk show. The topic was the following.    A mother complained that her 9 year daughter, an avid girl scout, worked hard to sell the most cookies in her troop.  Every year, she and her mom went door to door and for several weeks, set up a cookie sale outside their supermarket.  Every year, however, she was outsold by a friend in the troop whose mom worked at a big company and brought the sheet to work where everyone ...

Fred shaves his off and grows it back several times during the year. A friend of mine wears a goatee and extends it to a full beard then shaves it back. I've had mine for a very long time...maybe 25-30 years. I can't remember not having a beard. I look at pictures of myself without one and they look weird. My photo next to this blog is a few years old because I've got more "blonde" hairs in my beard now...more than I ever used to have. I'll have a new one up soon but the qu...