The stupid but often true cliché, “The more things change, the more things remain the same.”, carries some resonance this week. I fashion myself a strategist. It certainly involves messaging. So what occurred with Major League Baseball last week really bugged me. I lack the pertinent information to make an informed judgment but it remains clear that things went awry – again – for my baseball team. The excitement about the new manager -- #15 – evolved to anger about a failure to anticipate and respond to the investigation and results of the Astros sign stealing scandal.

This year is shaping up to be rather contenscious, so I’d like to remind us that it is more important than ever to listen and tolerate the differences that make Gotham such a unique place that inspires connections, business, opportunity and lively conversation.  

On October 3rd 1951 New York Giant baseball player Bobby Thomson hit a Home Run which is called “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World” to win the National League pennant against the Giants bitter rival Brooklyn Dodgers. Giant radio announcer Russ Hodges described The Shot in what is considered one of the best, if not the best, calls in sports history as follows: Listen to it by clicking here

This is about curiosity.

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal last week about Positivity and Negativity in relationships. Hearing the statistics a second time did reinforce what I already knew about words and their effect on relationships.

  Or maybe not.

 During this time of the year a lot of people talk about or write about their resolutions. Anyone who knows me knows that every year I make the same resolution, I’m going to watch my weight. This year I gave a lot of thought to my resolution and what propensities of mine I really wanted to work on changing. I came up with two.  

Had some friends over yesterday. The “gathering” centered around the need to review and update some membership records in my home Knights of Pythias Lodge. Since Bob needed to come in from New Jersey, the original plan was he’d come with his wife who’d join my wife for some shopping. The plans grew to include two other couples. Dinner was to follow. Interestingly, the girls just chose to socialize; their call.