Anyone who knows me knows that, my fear of flying notwithstanding, I love to travel. I love to experience everything different countries have to offer, the sights, sounds, and tastes. I believe that a crucial part of the experience is tasting the local cuisine.     As those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know, I spent last week in Scotland. In Scotland, tasting the local fare meant trying black pudding (blood sausage), haggis (“a savory pudding containing ...

It’s the name of a Neil Young compilation from 1977 covering 1966-1976.   A ten-year period that gives some meaning to a relationship many in Gotham believe spans a time much longer.   It involves Gotham and I did not even mention it at the Picnic which included a competitive softball game that ended on a controversial play: a ball rolling foul got picked up while still fair but ruled foul and being a third swing playing three swings, became the final out.   If fair, we scor...

Last night I was reflecting on my first memory. I belive it was the following...   I must have been 4 or 5 and my family and I were living in Bayside in a connected one story apartment around a communal square. The apartments were made of red brick and each had a very small area in front of it for a garden which my Mother used.   What I remembered is that it was a cold snowy day and I was dying to get outside and play. My Mother dressed me with as much clothing as she could p...

I first stepped foot on the Syracuse University campus in the Fall of 1959 when Ike was President.  It was that long ago!The Orange football team proceeded to run off an undefeated season, culminating in the National Championship with the great Ernie Davis as it’s Elmira Express engine. I joined the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity and among the many amazing brothers was Ernie himself (the first African American in the American Greek system). They were great formative years where I ...

I blogged last week about that awkward moment when someone you don’t recognize greets you by name. Amparo and I continue to wonder how to handle that situation. Here is another situation spawned at a social event: I was introduced to a man at a wedding recently. He was from a small city and I mentioned the name of a friend of mine from there. (At weddings, a little Jewish geography is acceptable.) Well, the man whom I had just met proceeded to disparage my friend - ac...

Never had I thought that it woud have come to this. The aftertaste of my afternoon coffee was still in my mouth. Bitter, a sprig of lemon peel seemed to have made it onto my palatte while I was drinking. Suddently, the average day became more beautiful than all the rest of my life. This sunlight today was more beautiful to me than the the light that hit me the day I was brought out from my mothers womb. Death is the greater cause of appreciation for life than birth.  The orna...

That time of year is upon us when there are new phones in the air. September is always the month that iPhones are born. I suppose there is no real surprise. It seems like there is a full year gestational period for the next iteration each year.   I have been in need of a new phone for a little while but I’ve been limping along to just try to make it to the day of ordering. But now I have to make up my mind.   Anyone out there have any advice for me in choosing my next iPh...

Most of you are my friends on Facebook. If you’re not, I invite you to friend me. Facebook is my social media of choice. I feel comfortable using it. I check it a few times a day and post often.   I have accounts on Instagram and Snap Chat. I generally use those accounts to monitor my kids, follow certain lifestyle or cooking accounts, or some celebrity accounts. But I rarely, if ever, post on Instagram or Snap Chat. My kids tell me that people "my age" do not use Inst...

With my daughter back in town, she took up offers to join me at Citifield and Madison Square Garden on successive days. The Mets, in an afternoon game without any input from their “Polar Bear” parked a record six shots over the fence; not bad to attend a record breaking game and of course a victory, 11-1 over the D-Backs. The next eve we took in a concert billed as “Peter Frampton Finale - The Farewell Tour” at the Garden. Marisa told me it was the best ever concert. It pleas...

There isn't a day goes by now that I don't get spam calls on my cell phone.    I must receive about 5-10 calls a day. And they are very smart because the calls look like they come from local towns around me. It's gotten to the point where I don't answer calls if the phone number is not in my contact list.   I even have my number on the Do Not Call list with the government. I'm beginning to think it's the DO Call list....

I usually wake up (without an alarm) before 5:30 and loll a while in bed. However, at this time of year it is far tougher to get out of bed as it is dark.  Pitch black. Hello darkness, you’re no friend.  No disrespect to the classic Simon and Garfunkel song. At least there is November 3rd Daylight Savings time to look forward to... ...

It’s that awkward moment. “Hello Ben” she says as she smiles and extends her hand. I have no idea who she is. Several ideas quickly go through my head as I smile and extend my hand to hers. Do I pretend to know her without mentioning a name? Do I apologize and ask her who she is and how she knows me? All the while, I wonder when my puzzled look will become apparent. My natural reaction is to smile and try to get through without the potentially embarrassing admissi...

Recently, I met a group of people that adopted the Go-Giver attitude toward business and personal relationships. Much like the Gotham mantra, this group shares our philosophy. It always amazes me that when we give, gifts come back With fall in full force, busy schedules prevail. My Go-Giver colleague invited me on an interview to chat about my passion. I hesitated for 1 full year. I finally gave in and I film tomorrow morning, to go live next week. Without hesitation the to...

  September always lights up with the excitement of going back to school. Although I haven’t actually gone back to school in many (many) years, that feeling is reminiscent of such good things. Now this time of year makes me feel like everyone is ready to get back to good networking. Summertime is fun but slower than the rest of the year. I say that in a good way – down time is important. But now that the fall is here, it’s time to get our connecting re-energized but thi...

  As I am writing this blog, I am sitting at my desk eating an apple. I’m not usually one for midafternoon snacks. I was at the Farmer’s Market,  at the courthouse on Tuesday and the apples looked so good. So I bought a few for home and left a few in the office refrigerator.     It's very surprising to me, how much I am enjoying these few moments, taking a short break, and eating my apple. So much so, that I felt compelled to write a blog about it.  This afternoon pick me ...