My wife and I saw West Side Story (with only 1 other person in the theater) at a Monday matinee on a big screen with great sound, lounging on recliners. I remember being taken to the Robert Wise directed WSS by my parents in 1961 at the “old” huge Syosset Panavision Cinema. I remember enjoying the gang stuff and the fighting. The colors were v …
This is about masks. I wear my mask on the LIRR and subway as I am supposed to. The LIRR was crowded this morning. Not shoulder to shoulder, but no excess of empty seats. So, I sat down. These days I’ve learned to look at the mask status of the person sitting next to me beforehand, but for some reason this morning I just sat. It felt so p …
I am extremely lucky to have a very close “office family,” which includes Gotham adoption attorney extraordinaire Faith Getz Rousso. We genuinely all enjoy one another’s company, help one another, and look out for one another. We do have a prankster in our midst. While I was a way on vacation in October an elaborate prank was concocted against m …
Yesterday, the City (of New York) was to collect fallen leaves put out for collection in Paper Leaf Bags or open containers from residential. Originally there were two dates for collection but the one for the weekend after Thanksgiving got nixed with little fanfare. So I fulfilled my "obligation" to gather the leaves not yet bagged to put out for …
I'm not one to self promote. Growing up, our house was about doing the right thing all of the time, laugh, be humble and respect all who live. So it's a bit out of character for me to write this. Today is an unusual day. I'm not even sure if this has happened before. I looked and didn't find an instance but logic tells me it did - today is my bir …
Nothing personifies our Gotham mantra more than our Season of Giving initiative. It is truly Better to give than receive, but what goes around comes around and it did last night at our Holiday Party! The Party was a rousing ("Best Ever") success with over 60 Gothamites in attendance. So much transpired that space may not allow me to …
Last week, our grand-dog, Tonka, died.I think about his life. His adoption by Mea and Charles in Seattle twelve years ago. He watched as our children’s relationship flourished to marriage. The moves in Seattle, the move to Washington D.C. The birth of our two granddaughters.My daughter, Mea, shared: “About Tonka I would say he was with us day in an …
I have enjoyed Tony Bennett’s singing and his optimistic personality for many years. I saw him perform in person only once, but it was unforgettable. He was so full of joy and so connected to his audience. His deep feeling for the American Standards came through in every word he sang and every move that he made. Bennett was famous for doing a tw …
It does take a village. I’ve been thinking lately about my own village – both the people I consider to be in mine and those who I know rely on me for theirs. Without great surprise, there is not unexpected overlap for me in those two groups. I define village as those people to whom you would turn to celebrate the good times and share the b …
The past few years have seen a plethora of updates/remakes of some of my favorite television shows. Full House, Gilmore Girls, Roseanne, and Hawaii Five O, have all returned to our screens in recent years, with most of the original cast coming along for one last ride. Although Roseanne was let go from her own show after one season due to her racis …
In my pre-Thanksgiving blog, I heralded the then-impending announcement of the Gotham Green Awards® for this year. On November 23, 2021, GOtham GREEN®, which since 2007 provided a platform for businesses and professionals who seek to connect and promote sustainable business opportunities, practices and relationships, announced a lucky seven group o …
Power, according to author Olivia Fox Cabane, simply “means being perceived as able to affect the world around us, whether through influence on or authority over others, large amounts of money, expertise, intelligence, sheer physical strength, or high social status.” Being able to affect the world around us. Powerful people can get things done, o …
Thanksgiving is always a bountiful and enjoyable holiday, but this year’s was extra special as our immediate Family convened at (older son) David and Julie’s house. Yes, David carved the Turkey, but, unquestionably, the driving force was Julie. She did it all!Putting aside all her shopping and preparation while holding down a full time job, she ex …
I am sitting in the waiting room of a local urgent care center…waiting to take a COVID rapid test.We have been invited to attend the bar-mitzvah of the grandson of close friends this weekend. Although we’ve heard of people being asked to show vaccination proof and be tested before attending an event, this is our first.I wasn’t sure how I’d feel abo …
Stephen Sondheim died last week at the age of 91. His incredible career spanned six decades. He shook up Broadway by breaking the mold of the ‘Happy Ending Musical”. Sondheim was a believer that great art should explore characters and culture in a deeper way. He was never satisfied with his work and always looked at each revival of his many show …
