My cousin Helene, Norman's daughter, tragically passed away last Wednesday. As I reflect through this heartbreaking loss, my memories take me back to meeting her when Norman and Mara were married in my parents house. She was bright and beautiful with a big smile. Helene had a great voice and even sang at my wedding reception. When we had her over …
Being the guy in the hospital bed, you gain a unique perspective. A little over two years ago, I was that guy. Recently, my brother-in-law was that guy. He had a heart attack, got a stent and is doing fine. We talked about "being in the bed" when I saw him last weekend. We both had the same reaction. When you're in the bed it's your reality. Yo …
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 …
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 …
In honor of Earth day today, I thought I might share some interesting facts: • First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is now is observed in over 190 countries. • In 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphe …
As I prepare to celebrate Easter with my family, I am reminded how fallible we, humans, are. Even bible printers 300 years ago made mistakes. In New Jersey, a 300-year-old Bible at Christ Episcopal Church sits locked in a glass case, untouched since 1916. It's opened to Luke 20, and that is not random. There, on the heading of the left-hand page, …
After reading and commenting on Fred's blog, a thought occurred to me. Did you know that the average human's attention span has decreased over the past few years? According to a study by Microsoft Corporation, human attention span has supposedly dropped from 12 seconds in 2002 to only eight seconds in 2013. Do you know what animal has a longer …
I didn't know what to expect from the Gala. It was in a new place, new food and a bunch of new people. It was a great experience. It's unfortunate we could not have the entire Gotham family in attendance but nonetheless there were many exciting happy faces, conversations and cards exchanged. I imagined a lot of business took place. The Harmon …
The police in the United Arab Emirates are now using unusual means to prevent speeding -- signs that look like police cars. It's actually just a flat sign of a police car that appears from the front to be the side of a real three-dimensional car with its lights flashing at the side of a road. And apparently it's working as the person who cap …
Whether you’re Democrat, Republican or independent, the country’s unstable political climate, before and after the presidential election, has created political angst for many people. I stopped watching and reading the news for awhile because of the stress and anxiety I felt in listening and reading. However hiding from it won't make it go away. …
There are a lot of angry people in this country today. Unfortunately anger gets distorted. Handling it without destroying relationships is a skill that many of us need to learn. Here's a true story that illustrates what I mean..."One [of a therapist's] clients voted for Donald Trump for president, and the client’s daughter, who is gay, took her f …
This story gives new meaning to pizza on the go. Pizza Hut just released a limited run of 'smart' basketball sneakers that allow the wearer to order a pizza with the press of a button. The pizza chain created 64 pairs of the "Pie Top" sneakers, that feature a secret pizza ordering button in the tongue, to celebrate the upcoming NCAA College Baske …
Here's a real life story...think about who's on what side when you read this. A couple has been married for more than 30 years. They've always had political differences - she leans one way while he leans the other - but that never prevented them from amicably discussing polictics. However, this all changed during the recent presidential campaig …
My blog last week mentioned heroic conversations. Did you know that there is actually an heroic converstaions model? Adam Vane apparently created it or at least said he did. He describes it as "... a technique designed to reduce friction and increase productivity within an organization." I think all of us can benefit from less friction and confli …
It was an 8AM breakfast last Thursday that lead me to this. Maybe it was the effort it took to make the meeting or maybe it was the snowstorm that raged outside or maybe it was merely the fact we had nothing else to do...no pressure to leave. My friend, whom I love and respect, voted for Trump. I voted for Clinton and we started to talk politics. …
It's Saturday...and anything goes.
