No I'm not talking about Christmas or Hannukah...the new Gotham website! (you're on it!) It couldn't have come at a better time since the old one is limping along being held together with duct tape. (that's a story for another day:) This site has some pretty cool features. Here are just a few:

This past weekend I was with a group of friends that celebrate the holidays together.  The discussion about logistics quickly turned to a discussion about specific gifts. One friend insisted that the rules for gifting change this year to specifically exclude gift cards.  Gift cards, she argued, are an "easy out", a lazy gift that does not require any thought.  So, with the new rules, let the shopping begin!!  Definitetly a much harder project.

I overheard some people talking the other day as they were planning their shopping attack for black Friday. They were apparently going to start at 12 midnight (which is now late BTW). Black Friday has now started at 8P on Thursday. Maybe in the future they'll make it earlier...say around noon so Thanksgiving will be pushed back to Wednesday.  

This morning (Friday) I left my house and within a couple of blocks had found myself behind the town garbage truck. As I watched them throw bags of household waste into the back of the large vehicle I waited patiently. I was taught that every job is important and never should be taken for granted.As the men worked, one of them picked up a portion of a wooden fence that was being thrown out.

Attending the GC summit in the City I had an experience which has caused me to ask you, What would you do?. Instead of my standard routine...park in LIC and take the subway...I drove all the way in so my car was easily accessible. There was a lot of traffic so I pulled in to a lot nearby by KZR. The pricing was for 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours and 8 hours. I figured no prob.

I was driving to the train station last week listening to a talk show. The topic was the following.   

Fred shaves his off and grows it back several times during the year. A friend of mine wears a goatee and extends it to a full beard then shaves it back. I've had mine for a very long time...maybe 25-30 years. I can't remember not having a beard. I look at pictures of myself without one and they look weird. My photo next to this blog is a few years old because I've got more "blonde" hairs in my beard now...more than I ever used to have. I'll have a new one up soon but the question pops into my head every now and then... Do you think I should shave it off? Or leave it on?

Last Thursday I attended an awards lunch celebrating the achievements of the students who attended the Entrepreneurship classes I teach at Hofstra.Capital One had graciously awarded money to the top three winners who had the best business plan. Plus the Empire Development Corp. gave a scholarship to one of the students.