Many years ago, we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with some friends. Our server came by and asked if we had any questions about the menu. Our friend said, “I’ve heard that the portions here are very small.” “Last time I’m ever going out to dinner with her” I said under my breath. That scene was in my mind the other evening when we were …
On August 14, 38 years ago, Lech Wałęsa led shipyard workers in Gdansk, Poland, in a successful strike to protest the dismissal of activist worker Anna Walentinowicz. Part of a growing campaign to gain political freedom and improve economic conditions for Poland’s labor force, the 16,000 workers secured Miss Walentinowicz’s swift reinstatement …
The other day, I pulled into a parking lot by a local store. Another driver and I approached an open spot at exactly the same time from opposite directions. How many of us have had that experience? The other driver looks angrily, honks, won’t move, etc. All because of a proprietary feeling over a parking spot. On this particular day, …
Do you find yourself, once in a while, daydreaming at your desk? This week I was working on a long difficult document and I really needed a bit of an intellectual break. So, for a few minutes I took a mental break and planned my dream trip. For me, that trip would be to Paris. While I was in Paris for one day while on a cruise, I would love …
We saw – and very much enjoyed – a musical last night at the New World Stages. Desperate Measures, very loosely (better to say barely) based on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, proved a delightful musical. Recommend you see it. Every time I glanced to my right, I saw Shelly smiling. Female lead Lauren Molina seemed to channel Lucille Ball with he …
There's a new trend called “Snapchat dysmorphia,” where people are seeking out cosmetic surgery to look like the filtered and edited version of themselves shared on social media platforms like Snapchat. If you're unfamiliar with Snapchat, you can easily make your face thinner, eyes bigger, nose smaller, etc. What's happening is that plastic surge …
One of my favorite pastimes or hobbies is to take pictures/record images and my new IPhone 10 has the best camera ever available to me. For instance, the other day I looked out the back door and observed vivid butterflies flitting through the flowers. I quickly grabbed my phone, ran out and clicked away. The best of those clicks is above. To me, a …
Our neighbors are fanatics about coupons — asking us to make sure that those hallowed sections of the newspapers are not sent to recycling without their review. I was somewhat skeptical about coupons until a few years ago when certain prescription medicines became over the counter and I noticed considerable savings being offered by certain drug man …
Yesterday I had the glorious experience of spending the day in Atlantic City. There is a wonderful bunch of us who do this annually and it is a very special time to connect in a carefree atomosphere. The great thing about AC is that you can gamble in the shiny casino(s), or go to the beach to sun & swim, or go to the outlet shops and find a gre …
I love my iPad – but last month I had to replace my phone and now I am obsessed with my iPhone X. My son is heading off to college and is emphatically switching from his Mac to a Dell laptop. He is insistent that the programs he will need will work better on a Dell. He is also longing for a Microsoft Surface tablet. Consequently, a li …
Before the internet and cell phones there were two ways to wish someone a happy birthday. You either called them or mailed them a birthday card. With people you are close to, you probably would have done both. With cell phones and social media, our choices are much more expansive. Currently, in addition to mailing cards and calling, one c …
At Gotham meetings we’ll mention the “Power of Gotham.” How through Fredslist which I have moderated since last fall, we find help for our needs, some rather difficult, place friends and relatives and some of us in new gigs. Many of us look good to friends, relatives – and clients who benefit from the introductions to the professionals in our Gotha …
Just yesterday, Reynolds Wrap announcedthat it's seeking a "Chief Grilling Officer" to be paid $10,000 to travel and eat barbecue. I'm not kidding (see link at the end of this blog) The company said the CGO would be sent to "some of the top barbecue cities in the country" to sample grilled meats and learn about grilling culture and barbecuing te …
When I was young I suffered from severe youthful irresponsibility which was best exemplified by being habitually late. It’s a fact that I was an hour late to my PSAT test. As a consequence, I really hated myself for this characteristic which forced me to flip into a person who hates to be late. One of our biggest disagreements in our long and bount …
She was standing in the empty parking spot in Lenox, Massachusetts. I signaled that I was pulling in and she waved me off. My gesture of “Are you kidding?” was ignored. I parked around the corner. Saving a spot. The kind of behavior that might be expected in New York City. Might also get you killed. Unexpected in a small town in the Berkshire f …
