A couple of weeks ago, I was participating in a weekly Zoom. There were eight people who shared the same feeling about what is going on in the world and one did not.   The person that did not share the same feeling started to express his point of view using analogies. Within minutes he was viified and although we did move on, he subsequently dropped out of the group.  

Hopefully everyone in the Tribe is familiar with our Season of Giving initiative. In case you’re not, it is a year long drive to fund Gotham Foundation grants which we will be announcing on December 16 at our virtual/Zoom Holiday Party. The number of grants and the amounts thereof have not yet been determined, but it is clear that the amount dispensed will be greater than last year.

My father often said that, as a host, you invite people and put a roof over their heads — the rest is up to them.How true it is in our Gotham family. In person meetings, events, and now, virtual meetings.

My son and his handsome siamese son skim are on a James Bond streak; watching every James Bond movie while he enjoys a classic gin martini three oloves up... Shaken, not stirred. It is carefully selected to reflect the man-vibes Bond wants his viewers to feel. This evening’s pick, shows our hero Mr. Bond looking up and out of the window-well of a concrete basement. The handsome Bond is wearing a well-tailored, pale blue suit, while the rays of sunshine pierce their way down and thru the metal grates, onto his chiseled chin.

  I look forward to CyberMonday every year. True, it can sometimes turn into an expensive distraction but its fun nonetheless to look for the sales.

With respect to news, my habit has been the same for several years. At least twice a day, I click on CNN.com to get my news. Then, at home, I tape and then watch the NBC Nightly National News at 6:30 and the 11:00 local NBC News.    

Thanksgiving this year flipped the script a bit. We gathered smaller than usual and many use other means such as Zoom or FaceTime to connect with others who usually joined us. Something remains the same: our need to give. Many rose up to support causes we already support, and special associated appeals in light of COVID-19.

Our relationship with technology is continuously evolving. How we engage with our smartphones, fitness trackers, thermostats and our house is very different now than we did 10 years ago.   Imagine how it will look 10 years from now. You don’t have to look hard to find studies on how the use of technology impacts our mental health and well-being, particularly among younger people. There’s little that can’t be done with a swipe, tap, or click.