… Clinton last week. Another part of the American Express series of live music around the city. It is really a wonderful thing that they put on. Free music, great locations. There really is nothing quite like sitting outside, in the midst of a small forum that has large buildings looming above listening to live music …

… go a few times before writing up the experience. I was so disappointed the second time around. The sushi wasn’t as fresh. The bar had the music up so loud that it was hard to think. We tried two appetizers this time. Barbecued tuna on a stick. Sticky ponzu sauce, well done tuna and …

… on the music. Yoga studios will give you information on each type of yoga that a particular instructor teaches. Spinning studios should tell you what type of music an instructor plays. If the music isn’t your taste, I find it difficult to focus. All I want to do is get off the bike and …

… Stamford), was intrigued with the film. It gave her some insight into the whole thing. What was interesting is the amount of lefties in the film. Also, musicians and mathematicians were abundant. It is connected to how ones mind thinks.
The other documentary I saw this past week was The Heart of the Game. In …

… had a lot of airplay at our house. After all, our kids to go LREI where Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan are the lords of music. Part of the curriculum is learning all the anti-war songs starting at age 4. How could you not love this cd?
Bruce’s band was big …

… strives continually to create the best learning environment for our school’s mission, watching the kids graduate is the ultimate thrill.
Our school is diverse. There were musicians, comic writers, dancers, film makers, politicians, potential doctors, book writers, painters, chefs in this class. Many had already taken college classes and worked as professionals in their …

… to me.
The Jap Chronicles was written by Isabel Rose. She also produced, wrote and starred in the one woman musical play. She is obviously a talented individual. That is the one area I must give her credit. The play however is probably the absolutely worst thing I have ever seen in a live …

… is Fred on top of our weekend home checking out the races. Fred writes about this past weekend on his blog too.

Before we went to the main event which is the first race and watching the Chili Peppers play ( of course there was music – Train played earlier in the afternoon ), we had some excellent

… know longer have diaries, we have laptops. Our diaries are on line. We can have live conversations taped on line about our favorites topics, or our favorite music – podcasts. Our lives can be eternal in the world through the digital age. Even though we are not able to live forever, our lives can. What a …

… over this morning to catch up and do a podcast. It was really fun and great to see them both. All and all a good way to spend the morning of Mother’s Day. No music but great chat.
Enjoy. If you want Fred’s input, go to his blog. To listen live, click here.

Maybe because it has become relatively easy and inexpensive to produce music and movies at home it has created a plethora of new film makers. I was thinking about this when I saw all of the previews today. Certainly the huge amount of film festivals has filled a void for Directors, Actors and Producers to …

… panels showing surfing. Plenty of hanging can be done.
They serve food starting with breakfast thru late night. You can order anything on the menu anytime. The music was fantastic. They get a A plus for that. Modest Mouse, The Clash, The Killers. Someone knows their music.
We found it hard to decide what to …

It has been too long. The kids have bagged it but Fred and I are on our own. Great new music. Jazzfest and politics all in one..
To listen to it live click here.
For more info, go to Fred’s blog.
Enjoy…I did.

Through the wonderful world of the Internet, we have made friends everywhere. Fred and Josh took in a Suns game when were in Arizona due to someone that reads Fred’s blog. We listen to a podcast called Mass Hysteria which is a great show outside of Boston by Paul and Janine. Good music, funny …

… Town Hall on Friday night. I really like his music. I would classify the music as 21st century folk. I actually have a few friends that if music was their profession, they could be Josh Rouse.
The problem with folk singers live is that you might as well be at home listening to their music …

My sister was working for Sony Records when they signed Harry Connick Jr. He was a young kid from New Orleans from a well known political family in the Bayou. He had been playing the piano since he was a kid with various jazz musicians. He came to New York with his high school girl …

… restaurant in the city. The first location is in Murray Hill.
Nice simple restaurant. Bar has a tv, the NCAA final four was playing, no volume. The music is loud but not too loud. Everything from Elvis Presley to Chubby Checkers to Neil Young. Like a best of play list.
Burgers in abundance. Regular, cheese …

… Sure. We have a continual open conversation about My Space, email and anything related to the web and their life in general. Life in general covers school work, friends, music they are into, their take on politics, sports, books, movies, their thoughts and how they feel. Just liked we’d talk with our friends …

… Near the Mercer Hotel, is a great little record store called Rocks in Your Head. They have literally never steered me wrong when it comes to new music. We went in there and asked for a couple of suggestions. The guy who was there at the time recommended we pick up Belle and Sebastian..his …

… into a few stores which stay open until 8pm. It was all perfect timing.
We walked into Fatty Crab and you get into the vibe asap. The music is blaring. Think Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and White Stripes very loud. Many tables put into a small space. There is a bar in the back with …

This was a fun podcast. Good new music too. To listen live, click here. For more info, go to Fred’s blog.

You never know who will get on stage at a Coffeehouse. Some random act that is not worth watching or something absolutely amazing that nobody was expecting. We got the latter on Saturday night.
Our kids school, Little Red Elisabeth Irwin, has a coffeehouse a few times a year. It is great. Music, readings, anything …

Our first podcast of 2006 is up. It is entertaining at least if you don’t love the music. You can listen to is live here. You can download it here. For more information, just go to Fred’s blog.

… But the best place we went to was a store called Playground. Great name for a store. One large building with 3 floors. The first floor was music and 2 pastry cafes. The music store also sold magazines and you could listen to the music, like Tower Records. Upstairs was a large atrium that allowed …

… like music to our ears. It was the call because we didn’t get back until 5:30ish. We drove back in the standard people moving vehicle there. Small trucks that have horizontal seats covered by flaps in the back. No seat belts. They look like the vehicles you see in movies that move …

I’m a list girl. I have a list for everything. It is my organizational skills at work. So, no surprises that I love the end of year lists that appear everywhere. Best books, best music, best videos, etc. I have decided to compile my own book list. My favorites of 2005. I’m a …

… one of the big Accounting firms involved in the industry. He said that the vibe in the room was reminiscent of the early 70’s in the music industry. The minute he said that, I thought to my self, we just peaked. I was right. Times are now a changing.
Last night I went to …

The album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the first Wilco album we owned. We’ve been buying up anything that Jeff Tweedy does every since.
Jeff Tweedy is not only an incredibly talented musician and song writer, he’s smart and prolific. He’s always got something new going on. He was the first to make …

Weekly podcast is up. More new music. To hear is live, click here. As always, for more information go to Fred’s blog.

… with a few small tables around. One big bar that sets the stage and the kitchen. The smell is incredible when you walk in the door. The music is rocking from the bartenders ipod. We knew the minutes that we walked in that Little Giant was a find.
The meal was one of the best …

New podcast is up. We missed last week. Fred and I are solo this week. Good new music…Listen to is live..

… four years still feel connected to the city of New Orleans.
The money from the event went to the Tipitinas Foundation. This money goes to helping the musicians. I love that because the music was such a big part of her college years and is such a big part of what makes New Orleans special …

… been awed by the empowerment that a 10 year old kid can have in this town. Walking the streets, getting on a subway etc. going to see music, checking out museums, going to class, etc. Personally I think 10 is a tad young but what a wonderful film. Loved it. We all loved it. It …

The best laid plans aren’t always perfect.
This past weekend we were going to Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Hurricane Rita was certainly a distraction. We knew that we’d be OK weather wise and travel wise but should we take the possible risk of tornado’s? 20,000 refugees in …

Our weekly podcast is up. It is much better being back in the city. We have more to talk about. Between Coldplay, Bloc Party, art, movies, school starting and stuff coming up, our conversations were rolling. Good music too.
For other ways to listen and download, go Fred’s blog. He always has more details …

… to express the grief over the bombings. Lots of people from our kids school played. It was wonderful to walk through the park and listen to the music and reflect about what had happened to our city on the actual day 9/11/2001. I can bring up those memories of the days events and …

Positively 10th street is up again. Last week solo – no kids. Good new music. Click here. And always, for the more information just go to Fred’s site.
Enjoy!!

… out on his guitar. Every song sounded the same. I couldn’t make out any of the melodies so I wasn’t sure if he was playing music I was familiar with or not. It was a true bummer.
I turned to Fred and said “this is horrible, let’s go”. He said, “no, let …

We have been listening to the Eels for 5-6 years. I have always been a fan but never saw them in concert until the other night. Wow. What an event. I wouldn’t even characterize it as a concert but more like a performance art musical event.
There was no back-up band. Instead …

Keane played at Radio City Music Hall last night. They have put out one album, Hopes and Fears, which has recieved rave reviews and many awards. We were only able to get 2 tickets and since Emily and I are the biggest fans, we got them. Seems fair, right? You can see from the picture …

… the 6 month cleaning, then had pedicures and then went to the Palm on the West side for dinner which was near our final destination, Radio City Music Hall.
She loved the steak and got a kick out of all the celebrities pictures everywhere. But the ultimate was the chocolate cake. She couldn’t get …

… with the territory of success, but why are people so obsessed with the lives of people who have been successful at modeling or acting or sports or music?
I’ve never of the paparazzi hounding Bill Gates or John Irving or Lee Iacocca just to name a few other people who have been or are …

… or hear any better but seeing people pushing against each other when there was nothing to see struck me as pretty funny.
These guys are great in concert. Between the people we were with, the weather, and the music we really couldn’t have been in a better place on a Saturday night in NYC.

Our podcast is up again for the week. We have a definite groove going. Great music this week.
If you are interested click here…

… his time was up to get him off the stage. He played old songs and new songs. The guy is seriously talented. He probably thinks about new music all the time. I like his lyrics and his sounds. He is what, 22 years old if a day. He is from Texas and now lives in …

… sing and play guitar and piano. It is always a highlight of the evening to hang out with them and get everyone singing along. Their families are musical too. On occasion, and only on occasion, I have actually picked up the guitar and jumped in. Yes, many years of music in me, I actually taught …

Fun podcast this week. We had a busy week. Concerts, bat mitzvahs, movies, parties, food. The life around the town with a little music intertwined. Enjoy.
Click here to listen to the May 21st Positively 10th Street show.

… paint etc. It has been a fantastic experience. Jessica also has gotten to know Casey’s right hand man, Louis who is a very cool and talented musician. Not a bad experience for a 14 year old kid. Casey plays drums in Louis’ band and has been projecting her art on the stage during the …

… minutes than to undercook them by one.”As you are cooking in your kitchen, that is exactly the kind of hints that you need.
He is a music fan. “Antipasto can be as basic and yet sublime as a few slices of proscuitto or salami on a plate all by themselves, ringing in my head …

Sadly to say, we will not be attending the Jazz Festival in New Orleans this year. We have gone every year for the past 5 years and this year was not in the cards.
I will miss the music, I will miss the heat, I will miss the clubs at night, I will miss the …

… You can hear the influences. Electronica is subtle but there. There was a guitar and keyboard solos that showed how talented these guys were. They were so into the music and their command of their instruments was impressive.
All and all a great performance. I’m really looking to forward to watching these guys grow.

… takes off his ear pieces and waits for questions. The guy asks him how does that thing work? The rocker starts describing the virtues of down loading music into the gadget. He says that you can take your entire cd collection and download the music from it, you can download songs from Apple which cost …

… If is if the system is trying to create a void instead of filling a void. You can’t change the way people behave (such as downloading music) but you can create intelligent laws around the way people behave instead of just saying no. That has not happened.
Paul Holdengrabber, put the event on last …

… certainly have an appreciation for the art. I admit, I nodded off a few times, as did most of the audience, but it was really great. The musicians, the conductor, the chorus and singers were all wonderful. 80 minutes was perfect and it was really a treat to go see.
We walked out of the …

… large photographs are hung down the walk way on the left and right side. They hang over small white rocks. There is quite a zen feeling with music chanting in the background. We almost felt like we were waiting for our masseuses to appear. At the end of the boardwalk was an ongoing black and …

… breed – aren’t they? America has embraced the exploitation of the pop artist and hot actors of today. They can write books, have a clothing line, write music, go on tour, act in movies etc. Make a much as possible while the going it hot.
Can photographers or artists who hang their work in the …

… itself.
We intertwined these conversations with other books we read and interesting stories that related to our lives. Someone brought up how there are more books and music out there than there was 60 years ago. Because of this it is harder to connect with your community at large. For instance, in the office 60 …

… based on detention, skipping classes, etc. There were a few political advertisements. Some were poems that kids wrote and made a film about it. One was a music video of a rock band that happens to be playing at CBGB’s this weekend. Another was a documentary on the protests at the Republican convention this …

… rating because of the rock and roll being played but if you are going to work the room all night you might as well listen to the music you like…at least I would.
We begun the evening with pomegranate Bellini’s. My friend would have been happy to have the pitcher to herself. They …

… would have thought?
So, the first new CD of the year for me although it came out last fall, is this disc. The words are funny. The music is good. An older white man rapping. Ben Folds, Aimee Mann and Joe Jackson are some of the featured artists. I’m really loving it.
I still …

… wasn’t that interesting either. The shrimp/eggplant and the tofu dish almost tasted the same which was disappointing.
The place wasn’t busy. They played good music. It is basically a good local east village restaurant. I have a couple of favorites in the East Village that serve the same type of food that …

… this morning, so I figured that I would join in the action.
These are my favorite Cd’s of 2004, not necessarily in any order because different music for different moods.
Green Day, American Idiot – This album just rocks, period. I did a poll this morning and this is all of our kid’s fave …

… like to keep books of the exhibits I have been to over the year. I showed our 8 year old boy when we got home, he loved the work! The musician pieces he oohed and aahed over. I think another trip up to the Whitney might be in order before the closing on January 9th.

… loved it. He had the same reaction as I did from the onset, hmmm should we stay through this?.
The clowns don’t talk but perform around music. They interact with each other in a comical yet serious way. Their movements are clever. The music is intertwined with their physical acts. The whole show lasts …

… we are each hard wired. Our thought processes are individual.
I look at each our children. Each is a completely different kid through out. Let’s take music. They each recall every line from each song. I don’t. Even my favorite songs, I can not recall the words. I am turned on by the …

… group of friends come over until they went to a party, dressed of course, down the street.
Fred manned the stoop giving away treats and listening to music.
Around 6, we hung out on our stoop drinking wine and talking with friends and commenting on the costumes as they walked by. The Greenwich Village Halloween …

I have always been a fan of Eminem’s from his first album. He is an incredibly talented guy. His music has made a big impact on the music being put out today. I downloaded his new video last night called Mosh. It takes a while to get it going and I have big fat …

… feature. You are literally watching his life unfold over the course of the film. A true slice of America. The film was edgy, clever and insightful. The music that was used really brought the film to even a high level of trying to understand this young man.
He was raised in Texas. Grew up with …

… was making cd’s of his own and someone decided that he should be under contract somewhere. Personally, I loved his first album, Brushfire Fairytales. Perfect summer music.
Last night we sat in the bleachers, as always. Our kids came too. We talked about the music we saw there this summer. I happened to agree …

Last night was a big music night in our house. I took both of our girls to go see Joss Stone at Irving Plaza and my husband took our son to go see Franz Ferdinand at Roseland.
I have actually seen Joss Stone before but not Franz. I would have liked to go see Franz …

… kept on chiming in with their amens while they jammed out on their guitars.
We sat in the bleachers. I think this type of concert was more condusive to lying in the grass, watching the stars and listening to the music. Regardless, you can’t beat sitting out beneath the stars and listening to music.

There is nothing quite like seeing an outdoor concert. U can hear the trees rustling behind the music. The sky is lit up in your small area. It is really wonderful. I grew up going to Merriweather Post Pavilion which is located outside of DC. I believe I saw Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne, James Taylor …

… The lead singer, Isaac Brock, seemed to be a bit of an asshole on stage but he does have one helluva a good voice and makes great music.
For me, the biggest problem going to these concerts is being short. Now, in my 20’s, I certainly weaved myself to the front of the stage …

… I would find it hard to believe that parents today are not having the same conversations that their parents had and their parents had, etc. about the music, the sex, the drinking and the drugs that scare the pants off them. Although every parents generation experimented, it is now somehow different. We have to protect …

… Bit Torrents which took about 20 hours but he was able to put that into his MP3 player in 20 minutes. So, we were listening to the music in advance. I will absolutely buy the album to support the band and I want the studio version. But, through the Internet, we pre-heard the music …

… felt like I was doing the early bird special. The staff could not have been nicer. It is a real hipster neighborhood restaurant. Sarah Vaughn was the music of the evening. The bar circles around in the front so wherever you sit, you can pretty much see everyone in the restaurant. There is a blackboard …

… school ends.
This week has been quite the kids line up. One night we went to a school event to see our son perform the drums, his musical end of year presentation. We got to see all the kids. Some were really good, most were not but they were all very cute. Another night we …

… rambled around Soho and had some appetizers and wine at a cute restaurant at 41 Mercer called The Antique Garage. It’s got a nice vibe, live music. Mediterranean food. We ordered a few places of “mezes”. They were quick and very nice. We had Tzatzikiki which is a rich yogurt spread with cucumbers. Very …

… name of the 2nd band, although I am going to work on finding it. They were really good. Very Jonathan Richmanesque. The songs were hilarious and the music was beautiful sounding. He sang a song that poked fun at Jessica Simpson that was a good hoot.
The Strokes came on about 9ish. They rocked. These …

… to be younger, more astute and hip to their kids. The clothing styles are the same whether you are 40 or 15. We listen to the same music. We are involved in their education. There can be constant communication through cellphones. Parents of this generation did all the drugs and drinking, so perhaps they are …

… hot sauce on a white bun. It was unbelievable. Of course, had to get the strawberry lemonade to wash that down.
Now, it was time for the music. First stop, Rebecca Malope, the Gospel Queen of South Africa at the Congo Tent. She was ok. We did not love her so we kept on moving …

… knows. But, it was a definite older audience. The place was packed.
I consider the entire festival one big nosh. You can nosh on food, nosh on music, nosh on crafts. It’s a beautiful thing. You don’t have to commit to anything for too long. There are 10 stages of music playing all …

… worth it. This city is completely different than any other place in the U.S. The food is incredible with the influences from the cajuns and french. Music is everywhere at all times. Local art is abundant. But the real treat is this town is the walking party. To experience that first time you go …

… of the performers. She yelled so loud into the microphone, I wasn’t really sure what she was singing/saying. My daughter, who’s 13, knows her music and couldn’t make much out either. The thing that struck me about her performance is that it is more like watching a Broadway show. She had …

… give us the worst table in the house even though the place was empty. Reluctantly, they took our coats too. Our seats were situated right where the music was blasting in our ears but we’re still game. My husband attempted to order a bottle of cold sake. Out of the 5 bottles available, 4 …

… whiskey. My kids will love this room. It was really fun and clever.
I roamed down to other floors. The music time line by Dave Muller, which takes up an entire wall is great. Again, clever and certainly representative of art over the past but in the medium of music combined with painting. Really liked

… Watson. Tom is a journalist but he has also proven himself to be a pretty good business person which ranks high in my book. He writes about music, sports and politics. 2 of my favorite topics. Tom has really good insight and an interesting perspective. I enjoy reading his blog.
It is truly amazing as …

… set with white firs surrounding the stage, and an outdoor hill to the left of the stage which is used again and again for different purposes. The musicians are in the trees to the right of the stage, and the fiddler roams or sometimes sits above the stage is a makeshift roof. At times the …

My kids love and live for Jingle Ball. Can’t say that I do but I admit that I have always had a liking for pop music. I actually knew more songs than I care to admit. For me, I can’t decide if the best part is that the bands only get to play …

… Equinox because it is convenient and their facility is really nice. The spinning classes at my gym are just ok. The key to good spinning is fantastic music. My sister and I always lament that next to the spinning class there should be a post for the type of music played in that class. Regardless …

Every year we travel down to New Orleans for Jazzfest. The festival is fantastic. The music ranges from zydeco to the latest hot musician (counting crows, john mayer, ben harper) to gospel. You wander around at a huge racetrack going from stage to stage listening to music all for the entry price of (I believe …

… it was worth seeing. I am not sure about that.
Personally, I prefer dialogue theater. Something interesting and thought provoking. I am not a big fan of musicals but unfortunately have seen most of them because musicals are great introductory theater for kids.
In Avenue Q, the actors/puppeteers are on stage with the puppets …

… Nashville. She is a true songwriter. She is a grassroots type of gal. She plays a mean guitar, banjo and harmonica. There are not that many real musicians out there today like Gillian – and Dave.
Dave is the ultimate back-up man. He did one solo but she’s definitely the lead of the 2 …

… and because of that, you never move on to read something else. That book went under the “life is too short” category. I moved on.
On a musical note, I just got the new Dave Matthews album. Even if you aren’t a fan of his, this is really an excellent album. Can’t stop …

… of kids and friends and mega candy at the end of the night.
We all hung out on the stoop, had some wine, some drinks, listened to music and gave away candy to the parade goers as they reentered the village. The people passing us were so psyched that we were giving out candy. After …

… the show. The mixed media pattern/clothing seems to be new (at least I have never seen it before). The other artist was Elizabeth Clemons who painted musicians in b/w. Not wow but interesting.
Sarah Nightingale Gallery from Water Mill, NY had a really great video called “teaching my friends to fly” and also …

… and can’t make the performance, they try to accomodate you and sell them to another interested party.
Last night we saw Cookin’ which is a crazy musical kitchen with chopping, yelling, drumming and dancing. The performers pick a few adults from the audience to participate in their chaos. This production is from South Korea …

… what she sang. Truly refreshing to see a real talented star in the making, instead of a one hit wonder pop star. She even writes her own music. You go girl!
Cafe Luxenbourg was our final destination. It is a classic westside institution. Loud but good vibe. French bistro food. If you are up that …

… are always there at the same time as us. Actually, they are hardcore and stay for 2 weeks. More power to them. Each year, I discuss books, music, food, new york, etc. with their friend. This past year, she asked me if I was interested in joining a book group. Sure. Why not.
The best …

… film is that type A parents should chill out! Let kids be kids.
Although there are a variety of good films out there this fall, I highly recommend School of Rock to anyone who has ever loved music and still loves music. After all, who hasn’t ever thought about being the eternal rocker star?

… quite the individual, has slowly made New York his oyster. Everyone of his restaurants have a different vibe but there is a thread running through them. Great music is played, the service is solid, the food is interesting and delicious. You really can’t beat it. Also, for an added bonus, the sommelier, David Lynch …

The US Government paid for all our Covid shots once they were approved. Yes, there are plenty of naysayers, and yes, I know many have had post Covid issues, but the hospitals aren’t lined up with people anymore. The crisis has supposedly passed.

We all know the long tail of this. Some health providers …

Watching the House show the world how incompetent and vitriol our country has become makes it tough to be optimistic. It pains me. I also happen to be deep in the cannabis space. Watching the rules, regs, and the execution of an endless supply of checks and balances is mind-blowing. One day I will …

Over the past decade, we have seen more women at the top of the workforce. Perhaps it is just optics, but the push and conversation for diversity at every company level have elevated without question.

The onslaught of Covid has shifted the mindset, particularly for working mothers. The importance of having flexibility from mental health …

Someone said to me the other day, “you just love culture.” I never really thought about it, but he is spot on. My siblings are obsessed with culture too. I am not exactly sure why or where that came from, but it is one of our favorite topics to discuss.

We all do the crossword …

As one year closes and another begins, my mind wanders to the future. I am not one for “resolutions,” but I like to think about the year ahead.

This past year has not been easy, especially for many businesses, particularly those in the start-up sector. The inflated expectations, including the absurd amount of cash …

Cool Hunting posted this video in the past week. Fun and crazy fact, I have been reading Cool Hunting pretty much daily since it launched in 2003.

Something about this song that I grew up with as a teenager, just hit the spot. These Days by Jackson Browne. The title says it all.

I am …

I was at a holiday party this past week where I basically knew nobody there. That is one of the most amazing things about New York City. There are so many communities connected from all different angles. My friend is an incredible connector.

One woman recognized me from my blog, which is pretty cool, and …

I watched Amsterdam on HBO this week. The cast is stellar, and although the movie can be preachy at times and could have been so much better, there is a point swirling through the screenplay. History repeats itself, and people must be held accountable for change to happen.

The film is based on the mysterious …

I feel compelled to acknowledge how incredible my husband is on multiple levels. He is a fantastic partner in everything we have chosen to do.

What has worked for us is our respect, curiosity, zest for life, willingness to make changes, and a finger in each other’s careers hence what “we” have chosen to …

Term limits have been part of the discussion about Government forever. America restricts how many terms you can run for specific jobs in different states. The biggest reason for rethinking term limits is that people live much longer, so they stay in those Government positions for as long as possible. They are powerful jobs that …

I got a survey this week that asked various questions surrounding the responsibility of social media companies to monitor their audience. I thought about what that means, what expectations we should have, and who sets the rules.

On the one hand, I do not want Mark Zuckerberg to decide what is deemed acceptable content. What …

I am pretty sure there might be as many illegal cannabis stores as there are delis in New York City. It is crazy. It has become a free for all.

In the beginning, when NY State legalized cannabis, I would guess that many stores did not realize that they still needed a license to sell …

Countless people have had the same conversation with me. It starts with I got a great deal to rent an apartment during Covid. Then my landlord raised my rent by 70%. Yes, 70%. Can you imagine your landlord telling you they will increase your rent by thousands of dollars? It is so ridiculous that you …

There was a time when people worked for the same company their entire life. It was a safety net. They did their job, had healthcare, got an end-of-year bonus, were treated with respect, and had a community in their office. That world is over.

One of the reasons businesses can’t keep their …

I do not think I have the time or energy to name every corporation in America that needs to decentralize. Regulation is supposed to come from the Government, but many corporations in America are so substantial that competition is minimal. The frustration for the consumer is god-awful.

There is value in multiple businesses in …

Since she began, I have watched Deb Perelman, the woman behind Smitten Kitchen. Like everyone else in 2006, it started with a blog. I was watching the food industry change. Then in 2009, I invested in Food 52, and they would have an annual best food blog event. I don’t recall who won, but …

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is about giving thanks, hanging out with friends and family, eating the updated version of the same meal that has been served for generations, and, of course, the morning/afternoon prep.

This year we were in Los Angeles, the only thing different was the weather. I got …

Today’s high school and college-age students grew up in a highly connected technological world. They might live in Iran or China, where they have not had as much access as kids in the US or France, but they all know just enough about each other’s worlds.

People are living to be older …

When companies raise money, the founder only wants to give away a certain percentage of their equity. Makes complete sense. Founders would ask me all the time, how do I decide what we are worth? So if you raise $2M, you really would like the valuation to be at $8m with a post-money valuation …

These days I am taking in a fair amount of content around the cannabis world. I saw this headline the other day that Medical Marijuana Patients do not have Gun Rights. Not surprising there was a lawsuit. Nikki Fried, Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumers Services, brought the case to the Federal Government …

When we were in Paris, we had drinks with three people who started their careers during the mid-90s in Web 1.0. All of them are super smart and still deep in technology; interestingly, they all live abroad.

I started writing this blog on October 4, 2003, almost 20 years. One of the reasons …

I do not even know where to begin. Could it be that women’s abortion rights are being taken away? Considering the majority of men do even understand that the abortion procedure is not always about having an abortion. How many women have had a DNC, aka a “dilation and curettage procedure, also called a …

The anger that has taken over our country is frightening. Shockingly, one vile angry criminal was able to change the culture of America in four years. That is pretty much what happened in Germany before the rise of Hitler.

It doesn’t take much to look at the data, particularly in the full-on Republican …

I believe the Parrish Museum in Water Mill opened roughly ten years ago. An excellent addition to the east end of Long Island in a burgeoning artist community, but somehow we have never been. This past weekend, we went to a wedding there, and as long as you did not have a drink in your …

What a week! Admittingly we go out every evening. Luckily we started last Sunday with a meal at home before kicking off the week ahead. The delicata squash is perfect this time of the year. I roasted these slices at 400 for 40 minutes and then lightly tossed them with Frankie’s new Calabrian chili …

Artists share their work with other artists. Sometimes it is just a gift, and other times it is a form of payment. I have always loved this.

Recently, an entrepreneur told me that a few other founders had given each other stock so they could both lean on each other. I love this.

We are …

The Government has been giving students loans like credit cards regarding the debt they can incur. It has forced graduates to enter the world walking around with a weight on their shoulders. I know people still paying off their student debt into their 40s, and that monthly chunk of change takes its toll. As an …

History has shown us, as it repeats, that people look to leaders to create a culture of what they deem suitable for all to get in line, particularly regarding the war on drugs. There are so many players to blame, from Nixon to the media. Looking at old footage of the press interviewing anti-drug …

The High Line puts on two barn-raising dinners a year, the annual event and the art dinner. This past week was the High Line Art Dinner. On the one hand, I don’t love these events, but on the other hand, I do love the gathering even though I find myself lost on who …

As more transactions began on the web, data became a word bantered about. What kind of data should we be capturing? What are we going to do with this data? Can we sell this data to others? Does anyone even understand the information we are collecting? Was it time to get a Chief Data Officer …

Traveling is part of the narrative this fall and into the first part of next year. It feels good to see new spots and visit old haunts.

We went with our friends to Utah for a few days, including a stop at the Amangari. The Amangari is quite the experience, although the food is inedible …

This summer, I noticed a few things happening at the “elite” Aman hotels that made me wonder about the brand’s future. 

Amanpuri means place of peace. The first Aman, aka Amangari, opened in Phuket, Thailand, in December 1987 by Adrian Zecha. Zecha is the entrepreneur behind several hotels and supposedly had a particular strategy …

I am sitting outside at a Parisian cafe in the 11th arrondissement on the corner of a kid’s park. It is 730 and light out. One of the many things I love about Paris is the sun sets later. That changes the culture.

The park is filled with children playing games and sliding down …

When I was in high school, I worked for the Montgomery Country Department of Recreation in Maryland. When I was a senior, I realized that I only needed three classes to graduate, so I ran the office in the afternoons, and when school let out, I coached.

I loved this job. My car was filled …

This time every year, I begin to think about the year ahead. My head has never left the school calendar. September is a new start.

Perhaps it is age, maybe it is the moving parts of life, but these days I am looking at everything with a new lens. Taking a step back and looking …

Name an industry that’s running seamlessly right now. Travel sucks, restaurants are short-handed, stores are a mess, production is a disaster, the supply chain is backed up, etc., etc. The question is, where did everyone go?

Why did after ceasing life as we knew it for Covid completely screw up everything? Things appeared …

As summer winds down and the new season begins, many companies are thinking about who will return to the office. Instead of getting everyone back in one place, maybe we should think about how the balance between work and life might be better for everyone.

For the white-collar workforce, their head space has changed …

The other night we had a much-debated conversation around the question, “does capitalism work”?

Capitalism is a powerful driver of competition, wealth, innovation, and prosperity but can also create instability and inequality. Essentially capitalism works for some but not all.

I have always loved the saying “you can’t be what you can’t …

Over the past decade, the shaming of the advertising industry has created a fleet of new campaigns. No longer is everyone lithe and stunning. Ad campaigns are inclusive to all of us. It feels like the page in magazines that note celebrities shop just like us, they dress like us, they are us!

The venture …

Many businesses are struggling right now. It is a combination of weathering the economy, realizing the reality of each business that had been on covid cocaine, and the fact that funding right now can be expensive. There are plenty of bottom fishers out there taking advantage. We will more than likely see all of this …

Having health insurance is expensive yet needed. The average cost for an individual is over $7k a year and $22k a year for a family. The cost has doubled in the past decade. Healthcare is complex, and the administrative costs are high, making insurance even more expensive. Almost 50% of adults are not appropriately insured …

A recent study confirmed what all of us probably knew all along, kids who have wealthier friends than themselves benefit in the long run because they tend to earn a higher salary later in life. Who you know makes a difference.

It is no different than growing up with a positive role model in your …

Let’s begin with seat belts. How much money have we saved insurance companies for passing a law that we must wear a seatbelt? Enough that it was worth paying lobbyists to get this passed in our Government. Hate to be such a cynic, but what can I say? 

Law is passed, and it actually …

The esteemed Adam Platt did a Q&A with Flynn McGarry and wrote about their conversation for NYMag/Grub Street. If you haven’t heard of Flynn McGarry, he is the child prodigy who began cooking meals out of his kitchen at 11. He taught himself on YouTube.

The question and answer that kept me …

I have never been a fan of the concept that 40 is the new 30, but the reality is we are all living longer. Living older has an impact on other things besides ourselves. Living longer has fueled new medical breakthroughs and significantly drained the economic system. Unfortunately, the disconnect between Millenials and Gen-Z …

Suburban office parks and shopping malls have a few things in common. They are dying, but they have roofs, HVAC, and running water—Aka, housing.

Politicians continue to try and solve multiple issues, but if they can solve one big one, they will be applauded as a success. The biggest one is housing. The lack …

All the laws being made by the Supreme Court are religion-based.  Let’s think about religions and the havoc they have created on society. Shall we begin with the Catholic Church, which tried to sweep under the rug the countless priests who diddled young boys?  Yet somehow, the Conservative Christian Right sits as the …

I watched Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, this past weekend. It is a movie for women, older women. Emma Thompson is fantastic. Huge applause for her taking this role. This role represents a generation of women where many did not get pleasure, freedom, or equality. Many find themselves lost when their kids graduate college …

Urban cities are slowly returning to a time that was not that pretty. Yes, that is happening in NYC when people shoot up heroin in the streets. Where crime rose and scared people to flee their cities. Crime escalates when people can’t get food on the table, fill their addictions, or don’t have …

Prepping for the holiday weekend at the grocery store, I saw all the red, white and blue napkins, plates, and wrapped chocolates. Being festive is fun, but this year I could not bring myself to celebrate Independence Day as we have in the past. As a woman, I am beginning to feel less independent as …

The morning after Roe v. Wade was overturned, I got a text from my daughter. I hate this country. Sadly I was feeling the same way. What happened this past week was a gut punch. I am struggling to comprehend what just happened, even though it has been decades in the making.

Our Supreme Court …

Will parental roles ever change? I think about this every summer when I see friends navigate the end of school and what the kids will do this summer. Even if there are two female or male parents, one of them generally becomes the caretaker. Someone has to, and for some reason, the care falls typically …

We are living in a financial hurricane. Everything is swirling round and round, and it is still unclear where the pieces land. The valuations are plummeting. Companies in all sectors are rethinking their strategies. At least I don’t see those valuations heading back to nonsense land too soon, and I hope they don’t …

Patriarchy has been going on for a very long time. It has always been used for insults, sexual innuendos, and a comedic slant. How often do women ask themselves why do some men act like that? What is it? Sometimes it just comes down to the penis. It just represents something to give thought to …

Someone turned me on to Common Sense by Bari Weiss on Substack. Weiss is a journalist, writer, and editor. Common Sense was created with the thought that tens of millions of Americans who aren’t on the hard left or the hard right feel that the world has gone mad. Honest news for sane people …

Westbeth was conceived in the ’60s to provide affordable housing for the countless artists in the city. It is a non-profit run by the people who live there. Located in the west village on the block between Bethune, West, Washington, and Bank. It occupies the old Bell Telephone Labs headquarters.

Many things make Westbeth …

Women have all had a female breakup—a best friend who suddenly or slowly cuts out of your life. My sister noted that nobody talks about this, yet it has happened to many. Why?

Not talking about tough things from child-bearing to menopause to female breakups has been part of the narrative as far …

What is wrong with our country? What is wrong with us? How did we get here? What will it take to change our gun laws?

What will it take for the police not to be racists? To do their job and stop killing innocent people?

 It is pure politics, and the majority rule in our …

Freelance is on the rise in every industry. Companies are getting out of the business of paying for full-time people. They do not want to pay for healthcare or any over costs of having full-time employees.

When I think about food stamps, I assume it is more prevalent in underserved communities. Wrong. Professors …

As we move into the post-Covid world, it is becoming more apparent that more change has taken place every day than we realize. Smaller stores are popping up that strongly cater to each neighborhood. The bigger stores sit empty, priced at the same rent pre-Covid. Essentially, there is still a disconnect between commercial …

The other night we were driving up 8th Avenue, and there was a backup of cars down the street. It was a gas line. There are ten gas stations left in Manhattan, and one of them is on 216 Street. With development, the demise of gas stations in NYC has been accelerating for years. There …

I had drinks with a friend the other night who is working with Engage, a bipartisan nonprofit helping female politicians work with each other.  Agree to disagree.  Respect each other’s views.  Radicalism dies! Rachel Pearson, the founder, says, “Bipartisanship is the necessity of the new century. Instead of doubling down in anger, we must …

If you haven’t followed the Cooper Union story over the years, you have missed out on an extremely crazy institution’s story. I sat next to Laura Sparks, the President of Cooper Union, at a dinner the other night. She is intelligent, charming, and thoughtful with an incredible aura. She also gets shit done …

The math books in Florida. Mickey Mouse? Antisemitism in one of the most Jewish states. Anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion. Hostility towards Black, Asians, and Latinos. Complete disregard for Covid at its peak. How about that apartment building that fell down?

It is fascinating. How can Floridians let this guy be Governor and do …

There is such anger these days, and it continues to accelerate. I don’t understand why someone would get angry at a car coming them off to the point of grabbing their gun and shooting at the car and killing someone. That is no worse than robbing a store for $50 and killing the shop …

When politicians say, “we will take America back,” what exactly does that mean? Take us back to what? Where have we gone is what I want to know.

America loves the future; we are not ones to dwell on the past. Today’s news is old tomorrow. We read about the latest jello shot, compartmentalize …

The data was there a few years ago, and it has come to fruition. Wages for women are beginning to outpace men. Even though women make up 2/3 of the workforce, there is still a pay gap. Right now, it is impressive and changing generations coming up the pike, but what happens when all …

I love the saying you can’t be what you cant see.

When the Blacks moved Northeast and West in the diaspora, they showed up in white towns as free people. There is a great book I read years ago called The Promised Land: The Great Migration and How It Changed America by Nicholas Lemann …

I was a buyer for Macy’s at 25. I was responsible for a segment of Macy’s business. My biz was one of five that made up a department. That was run by a department head, a segment of 5-8 other department heads who reported directly to the four VPs who reported to …

23andme launched fifteen years ago. There were some bumps in the road, but they prevailed. It turns out that taking DNA and telling the consumer everything about themselves is a no-no. Regulation is a bitch.

The good news is the FDA agreed to let consumers know about ten medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease …

My Grandmother used to go to the bank to clip the non-taxable Government bonds that could be cashed in after holding on to them for twenty years. We would go into a vault to pull out her safety deposit box. She would take out these ornate antique scissors, flatten the book, and slowly and …

Yesterday Charles Entenmann died. He was 92. He was an incredible entrepreneur who understood the importance of a consistent daily treat.

Entenmanns products were a staple growing up. There was always the white box of one of the treats sitting on the counter. And being able to peer into the box without opening it was …

The only people who have genuinely been affected by any of the wars we have put our foot in or created have been the young men, women, and the families or our armed forces.

Watching the Ukraine attempt to keep being taken over by Russia is terrible. Seeing the families, particularly those with children who …

Vanity Fair asked Oscar de la Renta years ago, “what was his favorite purchase”? The answer is spot on, “well, of course, my last purchase.” I get it.

What is it about the allure of retail therapy? Many of my favorite stores have closed, and I have found a few things on Instagram, which were …

I keep wondering, “what is the real soul of America”? There are 330 million of us who live here. Clearly, there are multiple universes spread across the country from the South to the East to the Right to the Left to Suburban to Rural to Urban.

There was a point in our nation when we …

When I was a kid, the Olympics was so exciting. I could hardly wait to see Olga Korbut and Mark Spitz at the end of the day. It was a hot topic of conversation. Over time, it seemed to change.

Cynical as it may be, I can’t help wondering how much China paid off …

If you were wondering where I have been for the past week, I was out for the count. A chain reaction of infections accelerated through my body, creating sepsis, putting me in the hospital for four days. Not something I’d wish on anybody.

My first experience (and there have been more) with hospital stay …

We were back up in Utah, and Vail Resorts has still not opened a handful of lifts.  The ski lines are long, and the grievances and anger are just starting there. The bottom line is they are pissing off the community.  Getting back that trust will take a long time.

Many people out here, like …

The Janes is a documentary about seven women who were part of an underground network that provided safe, affordable abortions for women in the 1960’s, right before Roe v Wade when abortion became a constitutional right. They interviewed many of the women who were involved. I am thrilled to see this film and others …

I love movies, for that matter, I love books too. Films of all kinds tell stories. We have been watching the Sundance flicks for the past two weeks. Listening to the directors talk about why they made a movie is always insightful, just like going to a gallery and understanding the work in front of …

I have never actually used Facebook. I first got a page to see what our companies were doing, starting with Zinga and Farmville. I never got it or liked it, but Instagram, which FB purchased, is a whole other story.

Instagram is a tremendous resource. On Instagram, I can take in design, recipes, fashion, and …

Growing up, politics was a mainstay around the kitchen table. At one point, my brother asked my Mom before going to sleep why he needed to go to school or follow any protocol since WW3 was coming. God knows what was rattling around my brother’s head at night. Very scary for a little kid …

Los Angeles still sends out a monthly note when someone will come read the meter.  How many people are paid to do that? What would it cost to change the entire system, so nobody needs to show up at your door? 

The new approach would be simple. Manually reading meters should cease to exist. Every …

Although I might be a Jewish atheist, let’s all cross our fingers and plead to the gods that the global pandemic ends. Then life will become the new normal.

I was having this conversation with a friend about how clothes reflect the times. Everything reflects the times, but clothing is easy to see. Indeed …

Vail Resorts owns 40 mountain resorts in three countries. Three divisions oversee the lifts, hotels, restaurants, lodging, and golf courses and are developing even more. Starting around 2015/16 they began gobbling up resorts. They created the Epic Pass that enables the skier or snowboarder to ski at any of the resorts owned by Vail …

A few years ago, at Sundance, we watched the premiere of the Edge of Democracy. The director, Petra Costa, earned an Academy Film nomination for best documentary. The film is a personal political memoir growing up watching the unraveling of two presidencies.

What stuck with me is how the Brazilian constitution is set up. It …

There are certain events that I will remember where I was when it happened. We can all come up with them depending on your age. When John Lennon died, when Michael Jackson died, when Reagan was shot, 9/11, etc. January 6 is also one for the records.

I was at my friends’ house, hanging …

One of the companies I am invested in is doing a secondary, allowing everyone to sell their common stock at a fixed price to inside buyers. For many, this is an excellent opportunity to cash out early. I have preferred, and common stock in the company and am selling my common. That common was given …

In the mid-1990s, when the tech scene was beginning to take off in NYC, South America began to follow our lead. Fred started to do business in South America with a few people who only invested in that area of the world. South America is relatively lax on intellectual property laws and, at that …

The last two years were just strange. Life moved on, but the constant white noise hits home every time you have to put the mask on. It’s pretty incredible how we have adapted. At first, Trump appeared to be a nightmare that we would never wake up from (although we seem to still be …

We got to LA, dropped our stuff, and went to meet some friends for a bite. As the year comes to an end, someone said, do you think we have hit rock bottom yet? Damn, those are NYer convos, not Los Angeles words. No wonder people want to leave the workforce. Nobody wants to operate …

Few are talking about the end consumer as one of the most extensive problems in the supply chain clusterfuck. I will be the first to acknowledge that retail therapy is sometimes what the doctor ordered. I like to wear what is in fashion. I find myself buying less and better, but that was not my …

The return to a simpler life began a while ago. As we all know by now, Covid accelerated everything.

What is a simpler life? That is all up for interpretation, but from what we hear is getting off the fast track of working like a dog seems to be resonating with many under between 20 …

Covid finally caught up with me. My oldest daughter said this is never-ending. My friend said we were all going to get it. They might both be right.

We got out to LA last Tuesday. I wasn’t feeling myself. I started with the dry hacking cough, cold chills, and an achy body by …

In 2007, 23 and Me launched with the mission for people to discover their ancestors and genetic predispositions. The concept scared the hell out of most Governments, and of course, the worries over Insurance companies finding out information and dropping one’s policy. But the company has prevailed. As time passes, there will be a …

In 1986, in our early 20’s, we went to the first of our friend’s weddings. It was held at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, a private club founded in 1873. Not shocking, women weren’t allowed to join until 1980. It was a big event. The only thing I remember is the bathrooms …

As a rule, I am quite an optimist. I keep asking myself, how did we get here? I am dismayed, freaked, scared, shaking my head, and unsure what to do.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has announced plans to establish a state militia of trained civilians “unencumbered by the federal government.” Mr. DeSantis said the …

What is web 3.0? I have been asked that question countless times. You have to understand Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 to understand 3.0 truly.

Web 1.0 was the first blast of using technology to build on the World Wide Web. Many content-related sites and the beginnings of e …

Every day we are all touched by the supply chain. Many of our products come from somewhere else. No matter how they get to the final stop, that last stop is loaded onto a truck, and that is where the problems lie.

We can go back in history where lobbyists, and big money, ensured that …

A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that more adults report they do not want to have children — ever. About 44% of people ages 18 to 49 report it’s unlikely or “not too likely” that they’ll have children. In a 2018 survey, 37% of adults who weren’t parents shared those …

I had a procedure last week. This is not my first time going under anesthesia. The first time was at 13. I had dislocated my elbow at camp. It definitely shouldn’t have happened. Something that most would sue for but parents opted against. We are much more litigious now than we were then.

That …

What makes the blockchain and NFT’s so exciting is that these technologies give access to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are from Paris, Dhaka, or Iowa. Everyone has an equal chance to succeed and participate.

These technologies allow anyone to flourish based on their talents, period. Today’s tools give access to …

Our workplaces are changing. They were changing before Covid, but like everything, new office structure accelerated. Not only is meeting in person or going into the office in flex, but the ages inside the office are also changing.

The youth is entering corporate America, and they don’t love what they see. They understand technology …

Covid has exposed the fragility of everything. Our supply chain, paychecks, education, housing, and the need for human interaction.

I keep thinking about why is everyone so disrespectful these days? Obama posted the question, “I don’t know what happened to our culture…I don’t know when we began celebrating bullies instead of looking …

My friend Tracey posted this quote earlier this week. I kept the tab open and have looked at it every morning since. This quote from James Baldwin, a man way ahead of his time, sums up so many issues of today. Just sharing.

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so …

We are living in a new world. We are still living in a pandemic, and it is pretty unclear when it will indeed end. That would mean we could all go maskless, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon, at least in the urban areas that I hang my hat.

What we all …

We have a human work issue. It was bound to happen. The “fake” news has been spewed for years from the GOP and heightened about immigrants taking our jobs during the Trump administration. Those low-wage jobs from restaurants to anything at the bottom of the hospitality industry, including low-wage dangerous jobs in corporations …

I can’t decide which ongoing event is more upsetting these days.

Is it watching Dopesick, even though I already know the sordid details of the Sachler story? I know they got off for literally nothing based on their worth and the amount of money they made from OxiCotin. They should be in jail, and …

Maybe it is Covid, and perhaps it is the next generation, maybe it is just the shifting of time, who knows, but it appears that women are finally just taking over. There are a few things about women, we network differently than men, we tend to do something that nobody knows about, as in most …

Gotham Gives is Fred and my latest venture. I have written a few times about the organizations we have partnered with. Our tagline is, “we support programs that benefit NYC and the neediest of New Yorkers”. We have been doing this for years and have now made it a public organization. We hope to raise …

Painting by Todd Stone

The twentieth year of 9/11 still hangs in the air. Each year we acknowledge the date, but every time I read something or see something about 9/11, it brings me right back.

I had the pleasure of sitting on the LREI board, our kid’s K-12 school, with …

As much as I try not to dig too deep into the happenings around the world, I can’t help myself. The world right now is in a weird place. Currently, the average age of the Senate is 62.9; the Congress is 57.6, making it the oldest in the history of the United …

Birthday gift, piece by Sally Saul

Today I turned 60. That says plenty—sixty years of experiences. Sixty years of luggage continue to accumulate in my brain and body. Sixty years of relationships, some have come and gone, thankfully others have been around for a long time.

At my core, I have not changed that …

Motherhood is the state of being a mother. What does that mean exactly? The day your child is born, you become a mother for life. As your child gets older, your relationship with them changes. You can’t protect them every waking minute. They go to school, have friends, and have their own thoughts, and …

I am turning 60 in a week and digging into a new career. Still not sharing publicly until all the pieces connect, but it is fun, exciting and It keeps me happy.  I love having my fingers In multiple places, and perhaps at one point, I won’t.  But for now, I am going with …

What a breath of fresh air! Is she the woman we all wish we could be?

I could listen to Jen Psaki take questions all day long. She is articulate, sharp, and quick on her feet. Most importantly, she is in charge. I don’t have to be in the room to feel the confidence …

So where is content going?  Let’s begin with movies.  Guaranteed people particularly ones in the film industry are sitting around tables asking themselves “how do we get people back to the movies”?   The biggest question is what’s the next business model? How do you capture eyeballs without popcorn? 

There is so much content …

I have been trying hard to understand the hatred in America. Reading just what I believe in certainly doesn’t help, so I have been attempting to read and understand. It is not easy.

For some, on the right-wing of politics, it is about paying as little taxes are possible. Others want to feel …

Is it me, or has everyone else noticed that everything these days allows buying now and paying later? Affirm, a publically traded company is the bank that empowers online shoppers with paying solutions. I just don’t see this ending well. There are levels of living beyond one’s means. Sounds like a juicy rationalization …

The sky is as clear, and the air is as crisp as it was twenty years ago today. I am sitting in our kitchen looking out at the sky, hearing the roar of the cars coming up and down the west side highway. When I stepped outside this morning to walk Ollie, I turned left …

About six years ago, I was at a small event in Paris with mostly start-up founders. I walked out to the street to signal my desire to leave to Fred and struck up a conversation with a robotic maker. He was doing a deal with France Disney using his pizza robot to change the …

In the 50s and 60s, restaurants weren’t as abundant as they are today.  The socialization didn’t stop but took place in homes.  There were cocktail parties and dinner parties.  I love a good cocktail or dinner party. I was quite looking forward to entertaining heavily this Autumn, but it appears that is not …

I texted my friend the question I keep asking myself. “Ready for Fall”? Her answer sums up exactly how I feel “excited, scared, depressed, then excited again.” In other words, I am excited to return to the city and the beat of the street. I am scared of the masks, the ongoing pandemic, and the …

Remember the Jackson 5 lyric, “One Bad Apple Can’t Spoil the Whole Bunch”? Yet investors still look at female scientists building new technologies, wondering if they are like Elizabeth Holmes. You would have thought we were past that, but it appears we are not.

Adam Neumann took down a company and billions of dollars …

At the peak of my angel investing days, I was doing from 10-12 deals a year; in 2014 and 2015, I did 24 deals each year. I was in the thick of things. I loved it. But then I started not to like it so much. Perhaps I became jaded. I intimately saw and …

Yesterday I woke up cranky.

I got a few emails from friends who said the same thing I have been thinking. I am so over this pandemic. One of them is incensed that they woke up not being able to smell or taste. How the fuck did that happen? We all know the reason because …

There are abundant articles of changes taking place in our country, particularly around diversity. We have crossed the divide where the White population is receding and the Black, Latino, and Asian population is growing. There are still multiple challenges for many, such as buying a home, taking out a loan, not being treated fairly, and …

There is always a disconnect somewhere. The government takes time to catch up to the realities of the private world. Start-ups look to disrupt industries sometimes without having any true knowledge of the industry. I can point to several of those.

Starting in the mid-90’s one of the most frustrating things about …

Why do people cheer at a rally for being unvaccinated? They are so happy with themselves for not having Government in their lives? It just seems crazy to me that staying safe has become political.

I am vaccinated. Once I got vaccinated, I stopped wearing a mask. I realize that I can still get Covid …

Growing up, our back-end supply was limited. We were always buying the products needed when they ran out, such as Herbal Essence Shampoo. A throwback, right?

There have always been “notes to self” growing up when going to other people’s homes. I was talking to someone about this the other night. It sent …

The SEC approved Nasdaq’s proposal that would require companies listed on the exchange to hit certain diversity minimums for their boards.

I read this on one of the countless newsletters I read every morning. It seems like a much bigger deal than a few articles.

The target would be to have at least one …

We were wondering who the Lieutenant Governor of NY is? This person would be the next NY Governor if Cuomo is ousted or he leaves gracefully. The last time this happened, David Patterson became our Governor. He was definitely not equipped to be a Governor.

I told a story of a political player who went …

I don’t watch a lot of TVs, so my advertising investment is minimal.   Between the hospital and the Olympics, I have realized that the brands run the world—the large publicly traded food companies, car companies, and consumer products in general.  The narrative of all these ads is around saving the environment and being …

Think back to being a young kid. A young kid who had a home life with three other siblings that had been in and out of foster care at a young age. You find yourself drawn to a sport that you can personally excel. It is a place that makes you feel good. At this …

Technology has seeped into every industry. What happens when every vertical run on top of a tech platform? There is still plenty of room to go. How will that change everything else?

Will we be able to understand our individual bodies in a completely different way when prescribing drugs or plant-based medicines?  Will we …

In college, I took my first economics class. I loved it. It just made sense, particularly the law of supply and demand. Simply put, if the demand outweighs the supply, prices go up. We are seeing this right now, particularly in consumer products.

When I worked in the garment industry, we did business with Walmart …

With Covid, every day seems to be a shooting target. We are living through such strange times. Every meal, the discussion eventually moves towards what has changed, where are we going, when will this end, and how will our lives be different. The answers change daily.

The one constant is that people want to keep …

What happened in Florida shouldn’t happen, period. A building shouldn’t fall down. Someone said to me, who was not born here, said this happens in third-world countries where corruption is rampant. Remember watching the YouTube video of major buildings in China being put up in a few days. Would you want to …

Los Angeles has brought back the mask. I am pissed. Why should the vaccinated have to suffer because of the stupidity of others?

In France, Macron said enough is enough. It is mandatory to get vaccinated if you want to do anything, basically. A digital health pass would be required to get into a bar …

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) tweeted, “Heartened to hear that @SenSchumer and the Senate will soon take up marijuana decriminalization. Marijuana policy has long been used as an agent of racial discrimination, with its effects reverberating through nearly every sphere of American life.”

California’s attorney general said he thinks psychedelics policy reform is now …

Critical Race Theory has become a new topic of creating division in our country. I’d love to ignore the nonsense, but you can’t because people truly believe that we shouldn’t teach that racism has been baked into the foundation of this country. But it is.

These days we are watching an uprising …

There are a few game-changing post-Covid changes taking place. People are slowing down. Some people are deciding that they don’t really want to work. Unclear how that pays for the rent. It is how we want to live that is changing. It is about mental health. Pre-Covid, we were running at …

We spend time with lawyers.  Not shocking.  We are built on an extremely litigious society.  It is a huge piece of our economy. 

I truly enjoy the lawyers I work with.  Good people who understand the law, and I trust. I once got into a kerfuffle with a lawyer from one of the top corporate …

Years ago, we went to see the NBA All-Star games in Salt Lake City. I ended up sitting next to an NBA player who had played for the Bullets in 1979 and had gone on to be a recruiter for NBA teams. Super nice guy and I had zero ideas who he was so …

From the time I was ten, I lived in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. DC is a city built on a swamp. It is not so much about the heat; it is about the humidity. It is stifling.

When I went to college in Boston, it got hot up there, but it was …

A crazy thing happened during the pandemic, women (or one partner) took on the majority of responsibility for the kids’ childcare in the house. That includes laundry, school, meals, playtime, and the list goes on. The onus skyrocketed. It is 2021, and we still aren’t sharing the full responsibilities of raising a family inside …

Nobody is quite sure where the tax conversations will end up at the Federal level. But, one thing is clear; we need to fix shit. We should spend more money on the arts, education, transportation, public housing, and a medicare system that keeps everyone proactively healthy.

Why don’t we tax different asset purchases 1 …

A few years ago, I decided it was time for a new challenge, a new career per se. I was probably a chameleon in my other life. I am quite good at reinvention but always keeping the dots from my past with me. I started to think about getting on more mature private boards. So …

I would love to know who pulled the trigger and woke up over there at Victoria’s Secret. It is impressive. After all, they still own almost 20% of the lingerie market, stumbling down from about 35% five years ago. Countless DTC brands have been building in this space for the last 5 years. Could …

Violence is slowly escalating. Crime escalates for multiple reasons, but the biggest one has to be jobs. If you don’t have cash, even good people do crazy things. I fear that crime is going to become a huge issue for the next mayor. The choices they make will have generational repercussions. We have seen …

Maker:0x4c,Date:2017-10-25,Ver:4,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar01,E-Y

If you have Google photos, every day, they foist a montage of past photos at you. Sometimes I push the button, but most days, I ignore it. This past week I went on a trip down memory lane every day. Three …

Open-source software grants users the rights to use, study, change and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Take the concept and apply it to anything. What it can do is great better efficiencies. When it comes to non-profits, they should spend more timing thinking about the …

When I read that Naomi Osaka was fined $15K for not talking to the Press during the French Open, I thought I don’t blame her. Like an entrepreneur, she is a singular athlete, not part of a team who probably has in their contracts that they must give the Press access. I thoroughly understand …

Memorial Day kicks off Summer. It also a day to remember those we have lost serving our country. The first Memorial Day was in 1866. Today at 3 pm, a national moment of rememberance takes place, local time. I just read that today and honestly never knew that was part of Memorial Day. Considering all …

I got a good chuckle out of a story that Jason Calacanis told me when I was on his podcast a few weeks ago. It was something I said that kept with him throughout his career. It can be applied to anything.

We were working on growing Silicon Alley Reporter, a trade magazine covering the …

I have been working on a few projects where one of the conversations that continue to arise is about systemic issues in our country. How do we change systemic issues?

Companies start with an idea in the start-up land, and if all goes according to plan, of course, that would include a perfect storm …

Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks, and/or expressions that make a person (self-identity as emphasized in psychology) or group (collective identity as pre-eminent in sociology). … A psychological identity relates to self-image (one’s mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality.

We each have our own identity. Getting up every …

The only true check on more diversity is data.

We are beginning to see more women finally being added to the boards of S&P 500 companies. As men retire, there is pressure to replace that person with a woman or person of color. It is beginning to happen. Not as quick as I would …

Back in the olden days of 1983, there was one female VP at Macy’s. She was one tough cookie. She knew more information about her businesses than any of the other couple men at her level. She created a bit of a cult around her in the company, essentially keeping her people tight and …

I love the quote of the day in the NY Times. This past week, Diane Swonk, a chief economist, said, “It turns out it’s easier to put an economy into a coma than wake it up.”

Here in downtown NYC, it feels like things are rolling back to normal. The laws are loosening, and …

65% of women have school-age children work. Over 3m women have dropped out of the workforce compared to a quarter of that for men. Why? It’s the children. Someone has to take care of the children. Data proves that the majority of the responsibility still falls on a woman’s shoulders. The only …

The first time I met Bill Gates, and pretty much the only time, was in Arizona. We were on Ester Dyson’s tech boondoggle in 1995. Fred pointed him out. He was wearing green striped sweat knee socks that I wore as a teenager in camp with Clark ankle wallabies, polyester, slightly beige knee-length …

When I first began blogging, one woman reached out to me from across the globe. She is an Afrikaner. She knew I was going to be in London, and she was in Europe at the time. She flew in, and we had lunch, kept in touch, and had lunch again in London a few years …

Will the non-profit world ever figure out how to stop being fiefdoms? Why must they try and reinvent the wheel when others organizations are doing the same thing? For instance, some incredible internship programs are being run in NYC. Why doesn’t every non-profit that represents underserved teens in NYC partner with the …

Entrepreneurs have been around since the beginning of time. At the core, all human beings have an entrepreneurial spirit—some more than others.

I have said this before, The Social Network, which came out in 2010, had an impact on this belief that entrepreneurship is the savior of everything. Facebook created massive wealth for many …

Reading about Scott Rudin this week just made my stomach turn. There were too many “screamers” when I worked at Macy’s out of college. I’d hear the same thing from friends in other industries. People would be abusive, they would scream, they would take pleasure out of making you feel like shit. Why …

Seeing intelligent, artistic, articulate leaders rise to the top of each industry is a breath of fresh air for those who have left-leaning or even moderate views.  For the Trumpians, not so much.  They see nothing of themselves in these leaders. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the Trump crowd. The …

“Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” Benjamin Franklin wrote to Jean-Baptiste Leroy on November 13, 1789. We have been trying to figure out how to avoid both since then.

Biden is proposing to raise …

There is definitely something about living in NYC and walking the streets to get a feel for where things are going.

We were downtown at Orchard and Canal. One of my favorite neighborhoods in town. There is a grit and edge down there that reminds me of the city when we first moved here. It …

Judith Thurman wrote an article called The Eye of the Needle for the New Yorker.  It is one of the countless articles coming out that highlights people, mostly women, emphasizing black, brown, and Asian people.

Many people have lived hard lives but managed to succeed and put their mark on history, although we are just …

And NY legalizes cannabis. We are the 15th state to do so.

The best part of the bill is that all marijuana convictions are wiped from offenders’ records. It is an attempt to repair the absurd war on drugs. Another bonus is that 40% of all cannabis-generated tax revenue will be earmarked and distributed …

A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data on a digital ledger called a blockchain, where each NFT can represent a unique digital item, and thus they are not interchangeable. NFTs can represent digital files such as art, audio, videos, items in video games and other forms of creative work.

There is a …

My cynicism is raging.

Watching the NCAA’s this weekend was exhilarating. The advertisements are depressing. If you were an alien from another planet trying to understand America, all you would have to do is watch TV. Consumerism, stupidity, simplicity, and skewed reality.

Then take a dip into the news role. The Republicans seem to …

It is time to return to NYC. Seeing people randomly bust our dancing in the aisles of Balthazaar at dinner makes my heart sing. I want to bust out dancing too.

The past week has been a win. I spent Saturday night up in Ojai with two of my dearest friends. We took a three …

I went to staples to find lightbulbs.  No lightbulbs. Fascinating. Every time I walk into a Staples or Home Depot, I am just amazed at this amount of space. I wonder what the turn is on every item, how much does each aisle make, and does that amount of space even make sense?

The Big …

I love movies. I have been on a serious roll watching a film almost nightly through the pandemic. I can hardly wait to go to the theater again!

I watched The Father last week. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant and so is Olivia Coleman. He plays a British gentleman living in his elegant yet comfortable mid …

I think of myself as ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. Yet every time we return to LA, the entire system requires a reboot. Some companies build amazing seamless easy to use technology, but many companies don’t. Frustration is an understatement.

I always wonder about people who grew up with lights …

It probably started in the late ’90s when the disconnect began. It took 20 years, from the advances in computers in 1970, before technology began to take off and never stopped. The Government always seemed behind the curve. Even today, how many people really understand cryptocurrencies and NFT’s? These are products of our times …

Many of us have either been vaccinated, half-vaccinated or have an appointment on the books. It is game-changing.

I keep thinking about the rope drop. When there is a big snowstorm on the ski mountain, everyone gets up early and waits at the top for the rope drop. All is safe. The flares …

This past week I watched a film made in 1999 called Office Space. It showed the bad representation of the ’80s and ’90s office situation. Certainly brought me back in time. It also made me wonder why women put up with that shit for so long.

After graduating from an all-women school with zero …

When our first daughter was born, she was this amazing pure human.  And then, over the course of the next two years, she was vaccinated from pandemic-type threatening viruses.  Basically bad shit.  Things you do not want your child to get.

The whole thing fascinated me.  It was a brilliant learning experience in the …

When we were in NYC over the past few weeks, we had dinner a few times outside. The first night we went to a restaurant that had built a bunch of small enclosures with a sliding door on each where you could have dinner alone or with friends who had also tested negative or soon …

Statistics are key to making decisions. Data should be collected at every transaction, particularly in the medical world. Factual information can help others in future endeavors.

I am not sure why the Government did take the opportunity to collect data after a vaccination has been given. Everyone is given a piece of paper post-vaccination …

I did not read the book. I only saw the movie. From what I understand, the book focused a bit more on the Amazon labor pool’s misery. The movie, not so much. Regardless, I can’t get the film out of my mind.

As always, Frances McDormand is incredible. I am not sure anyone …

The power had begun to shift from department stores to the brand. The path began sometime in the ’90s when brands got tired of the cost to be in a department store.

In 1987, I was a buyer at Macy’s. I started out buying large-sized women’s denim. At that time, Macy’s …

This has been an insanely stressful, anxiety-ridden twelve months.  I have an ability to just power through things and pretend all is fine and dandy.  It was survival skills as a kid.  Now I’m more aware, thanks to therapy, that these past twelve months have sucked in multiple ways

We are seriously pliable …

We are living longer. We are also seeing people, way past the “supposed” retirement age, stay in power longer. It is happening in Government and business. Instead of spending the last years of life, and if you dipped at 70, that could be 30 more years; taking it easy, people continue to work. I get …

Perhaps it is age. Age seems to make me more realistic and perhaps a little cynical. It could be from a variety of things, including the slog of the past year. Maybe I am becoming a curmudgeon.

Last night we were watching basketball and on comes an ad from Adobe. The plotline is Mom makes …

We have been back in NYC this week.  My entire disposition changes when I am here.  I have not put on a pair of sweatpants which I admit feels insanely good

As the vaccines roll out, there is a feeling in the air that the shroud is slowly being lifted.  Businesses didn’t stop, but …

I never liked the chicken dinner events. There are possibly one a week during the fall and spring when galas are held for nearly every non-profit organization in the city. These are serious social events. Reality is some are really fun and others are torture.

Getting dressed up is always fun. I am dying …

In 1934, FDR said “I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad and ill-nourished. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much of it; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

The country was desperate …

There are many reasons to love the gig economy. It allows people to make cash on the side while pursuing other avenues in their lives. That side hustle can be the only way that some can pay the rent.

Massive companies have been built on the back of the gig workers. A classic investment strategy …

Admit it, you are spending a lot of your time watching shows and movies. Lots out there to binge on or go back in time and see movies you missed.

As a kid, I watched all the TV shows. They were part of my daily life: cartoons, old Shirley Temple movies, and The Partridge Family …

There is a scene in the movie Sci-fi movie Frequency when Dennis Quaid, who has been to the future and back, tells his buddy to buy Yahoo. Of course, I got a good chuckle out of that.

So now, what would we tell people about where the future is going? Life is certainly changing …

When I was in 8th grade, home economics was part of the curriculum. I also got to take shop but not as many women signed up for that one. I am pretty sure that no men that I know of did the home economics route either.

I just finished reading The Four Winds by Kristin …

Let’s admit it. Life is dull. My daughter tweeted that out this week and I couldn’t agree more.

We are following the rules. We are not leaving the east coast until we get vaccinated. We see few humans and the ones we see must take a test before connecting. Good news we have …

How do we change the tax code? We must continue to inspire entrepreneurs to build new businesses that employ. But at what point how do we rethink the system completely?

So much wealth has been created for certain companies and in turn the founders. I don’t understand why people who have made unfathomable amounts …

The amount of content I absorb on a daily basis is ridiculous. It isn’t a new phenomenon. At one point, I probably subscribed to over 25 magazines a month, not including the indulgent People magazine I’d read while having a pedicure. Cocktail party fodder. That fodder is probably why my investment portfolio is …

How many hours have entrepreneurs wasted with investors who ultimately pass? I would love to see the data.

I have heard countless stories from founders who have been in conversations with investors for hours and hours with tons of diligence only to be turned down. Did the founder see this coming? Generally not because they …

Every film that shows city life, be it 1960 or 2010, makes me ache for city life. Someone asked me, what would you be doing if you weren’t locked down in a pandemic? Where do I begin?

We’d probably be in LA right now. What I miss, as everyone does, is going out …

I am so over Covid and was over Trump when he began.Thank god he’s gone, but somehow his power still reigns over the Republican Party.  This man has thumbed his nose at democracy, yet they don’t seem to have the wherewithal to convict.  Trump was right when he said he could shoot …

The last four years have been stressful. I felt that I had to check daily to make sure that Trump had not done something like start a war. Not that I could have done anything about it, but I felt it was my duty to stay on top of it. Now, I can breathe a …

I remember the mall growing up.  It was an entire afternoon or day activity.  Then came changes in the culture.  Arts, cities, e-commerce, social media, and YouTube, but the malls’ owners didn’t change.  The stores in them might have changed, but their business plans remained the same. They held on to their golden …

It took until 2000 for all the states to recognize a day to observe and remember MLK. Reagan signed MLK Day into law in 1983. The difference of 17 years for all to recognize the day speaks to itself.

King’s activism for Civil Rights created a foundation for any of us to bring people …

We have all spent a ridiculous amount of time these past 10 months in our homes. We have created small communities for ourselves due to the pandemic. Our cities have struggled. Many have picked up and made moves to the suburbs or exurbs. How will all of these changes look when we get our get …

I have always been looking over my shoulder. Over the years, I have come to understand myself better so I get it. I have managed to keep that desire to give a peek and run at full speed tempered. I now take more time, go through several processes in my head, before really making sure …

We came back out east after a hot second in the city.  We have a cadence, and it works.  We leave at around 845am to drive back to the city, and it takes only two hours. On the way out, we leave at 1130am and stop at Katz’s to get a turkey sandwich to …

Net-A-Porter launched in 2000. I found it thrilling. What a smart idea of aggregating all of the designers online where I could go back all the time to see the latest and greatest. It was easier to find new merchandise there than going to a department store, particularly new designers.

I remember buying …

What is Jeff Bezos decided that in 2021 he would change the Amazon business model? Amazon would continue to be everything we love and hate about Amazon, but the model would shift for the employees.

Amazon employs more than a million people, with revenues topping around 300 billion. Amazon already has its own healthcare system …

I am going to take this straight out of David Lebovitz’s post today. Happy 2021. Happy to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. Let’s hope for happier days ahead.

What a long strange year it’s been. Closing the door on 2020 feels like a breath of fresh air. So much has happened this year it is difficult to recount the days. I remember skiing with some good friends reading about the virus in China and Europe knowing full well it would hit our …

I got up the Sunday after Xmas and had the house to myself. Everyone was sleeping and Fred was out getting breakfast goodies. I put on John Lennon’s Imagine.

Imagine there’s no heavenIt’s easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the people living for today

Imagine there’s …

There are countless towns that I have driven through wondering what were they like at different points of our history.

Over the last decade, the term “millennial” has become a verb. Each generation is impacted by the world around them. Politics, the economy, evolution, etc. It dictates how they live their lives.

Back in 2008 …

At one point in our past, the female role model was the perfect housewife. I just see The Dick Van Dyke Show in my head. Although, there was Rosemarie, so the pressure to show women in the workforce was slowly starting to change.

I have met so many incredibly smart women in the past 15 …

This time of the year is usually busy with parties, excitement, preparing for vacations and some family time. Instead, we have malaise.

I’m so bored. I don’t give a shit if you work l day or just sporadically. Life has become boring. I have gone through a variety of stages through COVID. There …

It is amazing how many people are living to be the ripe old age of 100. It is not as shocking anymore, it is becoming normal.

I took a socially distant walk with my friend and we noted that our grandchildren will live to be 100. Think about that. A world where we all live …

It definitely feels like we are coming to terms with the reality of our history when it comes to oppression, racism and segregation. Many have suppressed this for years by ignoring it and just painting over it. Eventually things crawl out of hiding. Many don’t want it to but you can’t move forward …

Hunger is a huge problem in this country and unfortunately getting worse.

A few years ago there were a bunch of people who launched companies where you could either sell or share the excess food that you had made for a meal. Conceptually a good idea. The issues came down to safety. The FDA is …

I am finally bingeing on The Crown. We had seen a few of the first episodes and never returned. When I read about the fourth season focusing on Diana and Charles, well I had to go back and see the whole thing through.

When I lived in London during college, I was obsessed with royalty …

It is starting to happen. The House voted to decriminalize cannabis. What happens when this gets to the Senate is up for grabs but this is a first step to a new mad mad cannabis world.

It was bound to happen and it’s about time. As Representative Hakeem Jeffries said, “Marijuana use is either …

We all have a relationship with money whether we want to or not. My relationship with money began at an early age. The knowledge that I could sell something and make money fueled my interests from a young age. Having my own cash to buy what I wanted made absolute sense. From lemonade stands to …

Change has been foisted upon us thanks to a worldwide pandemic. We are all acutely aware that we are living through a pandemic, one for the history books. Human beings, as a species, are quite adaptable, and the reality of what we are living through will not truly hit us until we get to the …

There is a variety of reasons and COVID is probably up there on the top but I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my past. Moments that I remember. Unclear what I am going to do with these moments except write them down and spend time with them….and share.

When I …

This Thanksgiving is a strange one in a strange year. One that will be for the history books. It will a year where so much changed but right now nobody really knows what that is going to look like. There will be countless challenges ahead but history has shown us that we are resilient and …

I can see and feel the desire for many in NYC to have a place that they can get out on the weekends or until COVID ends. Certainly not everyone can afford that but for those who can it is a joy even though it is bad for NYC’s economy.

As work environments change …

Where did the notion that freedom means being able to walk around without a mask during COVID with an AK47 slung over ones shoulder?

In NYC if you are pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt you can receive a ticket and get up to three points on your license. 50% of drivers who are …

I went for my annual dermatologist appointment this year and had quite an animated conversation with the doctor.

Not shocking, it was about sunblock. Sunblock in every other country is formulated to block UV-A that causes melanomas, cancer etc. Only one ingredient, avobenzone, is “proven” to block UV-A sunlight. Why don’t we …

My parents got divorced when I was 15. Not pretty. The reality of the cash to divide hits hard. My Mom, who was one smart business woman was pretty much in the dark about their cash. She drilled it into me that I should never lose sight or control of the cash. I never have …

I have begun to breathe again. I also feel no need to check my Twitter feed incessantly. I am hoping for less anger, less nastiness and more positive conversations and that means more agreeing to disagree.

I saw on Twitter this week that Rahm Emanuel said that Biden should tell people laid off from JCPenney …

Has COVID slid women’s progress back? A few reports have shown that in fact less women are getting funded and the initiatives to get more women funded hasn’t exactly worked either.

I can answer all the why’s starting with the faces on the other side of the table. Most VC firms are …

Just because we have not heard any uproar from women across the country about sexual harassment these days, does not mean it is ok to slip back into old habits. Was it that some couldn’t keep it in any longer and decided to opt for the same lurid behavior on Zoom? Did that seem …

Today will be an anxiety ridden day. People are surging to the polls and that is how it should always be. Many states have opened the voting booths for weeks before today. That is how it should always be. The more people engaged, the better.

Each vote matters and we should all be given the …

Where do you want to be in 5 years might seem like a difficult question or even trite but if you know the answer then it is about figuring out the path.

I was watching an Amazon ad this past weekend noting all the happy people who get excited about shipping someone an item when …

When we first got to NYC we got acclimated by walking everywhere. It was love at first sight and we dove in. That meant going to museums, theater, parks, different neighborhoods and most of all the restaurants.

We would treat ourselves on birthdays and anniversaries and go to one of the top restaurants like Le …

My sister and I were talking about the voting lines. She articulated exactly what everyone should be thinking, she said “and this is the beacon of democracy? Make America Great again? This is not great.”

The lines over the weekend were utterly ridiculous across the country. Yet, the countless people who have waited in line …

Is the US finally having an awakening about our past? Women are finally running some of the top companies in the US. Could this be the moment when we make amends and educate ourselves so we can have a more equitable society? One thing is for sure, there is a lot of change taking place …

One of the joys of the startup world is that anything is negotiable and nothing is standard as long as there are legal documents backing it up. There are no rules.

Standing in Long Island City this past weekend, I couldn’t help but think about the Amazon deal. The amount of development in this …

The inability to be spontaneous is definitely missed but we made the most of our week with a bit of planning. Out to dinner, friends for dinner, museums, and more. For all intents and purposes, it was a regular week in NYC but the backdrop of the pandemic always looms.

Had lunch with one of …

Everyone has a story. All of our stories are different regardless of who we are, where we come from or the color of our skin. Some stories make major impacts in our lives, ones that we will never forget. There are the ones that we return to over and over again. To remember the emotional …

I have been reading Cool Hunting daily since it began in 2003. Long time reader. They do a great job of aggregating a few articles daily that I am interested in.

The other day I read this in the headline. 24 Potentially “superhabitable” planets discovered. All in capitals. Needless to say I read on. The …

At this point, unless you have completely withdrawn from social media, we all know change is happening beneath our feet. Of course, if you had deleted all your social media (not that I would blame you), well then, you would not be reading me.

The leaders in the stock market are shifting. It wasn’t …

I admit I am so glad that we are past that time in our lives where our kids aren’t in school. Many of our friends are spending a big part of their day making sure their kids are actually doing the work, and on Zoom. It is torture.

I am not dismissing the many …

I was having a conversation about need. It is a word I probably don’t use often. I can want many things but to need something is to be vulnerable. Need emphasizes something that is necessary or essential. Where want is a desire.

I have managed to be self-sufficient on multiple levels my entire …

On Sunday I turned 59. As my brother so elegantly pointed out “fucked-up crazy, right?”. For sure.

Decades are used to describe stages of our lives just like historical references. This is the last year of my 50th decade.

My twenties were about figuring out how to be an adult which means pay my …

Have mask will roam. You must carry a mask with you at all times. That is the simple rule but what is the etiquette?

I walked down to the beach this past weekend, and everyone who was coming the opposite direction politely put on their masks and stepped off the boardwalk for me to walk …

Michael Jordan exited at the top. Brilliant move. Perhaps human nature but if he had continued to play we would have remembered that he held on too long when it was time to bow out gracefully.

What happens to the long standing Republican Senators who have outlived their time? The ones who have stopped representing …

I was educated in the suburbs in a few of the top school districts in the country. I glided through school until my teen years. That is when my parents had a nasty divorce. My father, for as brilliant and over-educated as he is, didn’t really give a shit about our education. My …

The longer this pandemic goes on paired with everything else going on, the more I wonder how the hell did we get here?

I watched this documentary on mushrooms called Fantastic Fungi and wondered maybe nature is telling us something. We are living in the post of an accelerated thirty years of technology that has …

I am that Jew that goes once a year to the high holiday services. I am ok with it. We always acknowledge the holidays as a family with, of course, a meal. For Yom Kippur, some fast, others don’t. But we do have the annual dairy meal of bagels, kugel, lox and the spread …

Since COVID hit, the cap rates deals with retail have been lower. Everyone who wants a brick and mortar space is looking for a deal. Some landlords are making it work. More than likely those are the ones that actually own their properties and don’t have to deal with the bankers. Other landlords are …

The divided states of America.  That’s what my friend calls this country.  I’d take it one step further which is the divided people of America. Remember Rodney King when he said, “why can’t we all just get along?”

Jon Stewart said something the other day that I can’t get out of …

No doubt this is a strange year. We got back to NYC wondering what the city will feel like particularly our neighborhood.

We have lived in NYC since 1983. There was a 5-year move to the burbs for the one reason only which is we couldn’t really afford to live here. Most of …

Watching the food world reinvent themselves was bound to happen. For a restaurant to stay in business when they can only accommodate 25% of capacity is not a win. Some have attempted to do delivery but many of them are not set up to do that or have the true skills to do that. Creativity …

What life will be in the post-COVID world is slowly beginning to reveal itself. There are tiny little glimmers of change in every industry. The level of creativity in times of uncertainty is inspiring. Human beings are insanely resilient.

Companies have realized that working from home can be a lot but there is a …

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

For me, Labor Day marks the end …

There this attitude from Trump which is yeah there is COVID but fuck it.  I’m going to be fine so you will just deal with it.  

I’m walking thru Sag Harbor this week seeing everyone person in a mask.  Kids on skateboards have masks.  People shopping have masks.  Some in masks enter your …

How many people really believe that every one of the large companies that have gone bankrupt over the past year deserves to write off their debt and restart the brand?

Read between the lines, or perhaps ignore the lines. J. Crew forced the bankers to come to the table and forgive $1.6B in debt …

Fall is coming. We will be returning to the city. I am beyond excited to return. I know it will not be the city I left but to me, that is the opportunity.

My friend woke up the other morning thinking about how many billionaires live in NYC. If each of them gave $2m to …

Media is a business. If there was no controversy or the election and it was a slam dunk, then nobody would watch the news. Fox inflames their reporting of the news because it works for them. It really doesn’t matter if there is truth to what is told. The same could be said of …

We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world and we have no support system. It is time.

When COVID hit Europe, they locked down. Life has changed but things are pretty much back although the travel industry has suffered tremendously and that has rocked the economy. What is worth asking is what is …

Five months have passed since the day we all remember, the weekend of March 13. By Sunday, the 15th, we were on lockdown. So much has happened since then it feels like another time.

The one thing that nobody is certain of is how this pandemic rolls into a pending recession. What will that look …

When this is over and it will be at one point. The reality of what happened behind those white doors of the White House will all come out.  More than likely it will be worse than any of us imagined.

A house can be burned down in minutes but it takes months if not years …

The longer COVID-19 rages through our country, the longer it gives all of us the gift of rethinking everything. I stress the word gift because this is the silver lining. People in their 20’s and 30’s are thinking more than any age about how they want to live their lives vs how …

For those who read my blog, you know that I am in the midst of figuring out what comes next for myself. It is COVID and the world is weird so I am taking my time until I choose to quickly ramp. In all honesty, I don’t see that happening.

I have been talking …

I was talking with my brother this weekend.  We always have a chat about the world at large.  He said that the world was bubbling.  He’s right.  We aren’t at war but there is this strange feeling that feels like we in the midst of a war. 

Trump is losing his grip and …

Not surprising but I am thinking a lot about the future of restaurants. Emily recommended Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin. A wonderful book that took me back to the days of life in Greenwich village when there was a bohemian community a bit different from the one we have today.

Tamara is the daughter …

Peloton made the rounds of several people I know, including my box, when they were looking for capital. I remember thinking that this is just another new-fangled piece of workout equipment that will sit eloquently in the corner and either collect dust or accumulate clothing.

I was wrong on that one. Timing can be …

So much needs to change. The buying and selling of companies at absurd valuations has never made sense to me. The majority of us work for some type of company even if we created the company ourselves. The responsibility to pay salaries, create an opportunity for growth, and have healthcare falls directly on the shoulders …

There are always good days and bad days. In the COVID world, the bad days just seem to be amplified. There isn’t a real reason why you wake up on the wrong side of the bed somedays but it just happens. It is so hard to wrap our arms around this invisible virus that …

So you graduate from college with debt. Keep in mind the loan is from the US Government. 

You move to a big city and take a job in the restaurant world to support your life while you write. 

Your parents breathe a sigh of relief because they can now afford to retire and be ok …

Speaking with students is probably my favorite thing to do. I was asked by a professor at the University of Georgia who teaches a course on early-stage funding if I would be willing to record a video for the class answering some questions.

We (my amazing team of two) did it this week. They …

photo from the New York TImes

Leadership would be nice. Remember the days when the Government was respected? We would all feel thankful, even if we didn’t agree, that the President would guide us. Wait, I think that was before I was born.

Last week the largest retailers finally realized that when we open …

I read this last week. During the pandemic, working mothers have reduced their hours spent working four to five times more than fathers, according to a new study. The trend is a troubling one for women’s career prospects after the crisis. New York Times. And then I read stats from multiple media outlets about …

Let’s be honest, we are all emotional wrecks right now even if we aren’t letting it all hang out.

I have been reading articles and books, listening to podcasts and movies, hanging out in Zoom rooms listening to events or conversations and the one thing that is missing is the emotional havoc that …

In the mid-90’s I began to get involved with politics within the tech community in NYC. I grew up around the kitchen table discussing the coming of WWIII but that is another story. Politicians were not only curious about this new industry but more than anything realized that we were all very early …

We continue talking about what the future will look like. No doubt we are all going to have to learn how to live again. The last decade climbed up a mountain at record speed. Then everything changed and the holes in the system that were gasping for air stopped breathing.

The road ahead will prove …

We lived in the east village for many years. B&H is an icon in the village. It is one of the many things I love about NY. A fun watch.

What we have learned during our time of lockdown is that those with young children are having the toughest time. Of course they are. If you work full time and are home with kids who were supposed to be in Zoom school or those with pre-school age kids, it has not been easy to …

In order to move forward, you have to understand where you came from. As a country, we have attempted to sweep a lot of our dark history under the rug. Those damn dust bunnies always seem to find their way out. At one point it is time, to be honest with ourselves and clean the …

As our kids and friends come back and forth from the city to the beach, the protocol is simple, get a COVID-19 test and get the results before you come out. That is how it should be across the country. Not only should we all be able to get a test with ease, for …

We are seeing people in different ways. We trust that they have been locked down and smart about navigating society. We can have dinner together at one of our homes, outside. We still don’t hug and kiss hello. I miss hugs and kisses.

I saw these gifs on my weekly email from California Sunday …

I loved a good craft project as far back as I can remember. I was about 13 when I took home economics and made a dress. I actually wore it to school (just once) even though it was far from perfect. I have never been one for exactness but have got a bit better with …

The longer I am out of NYC the more I crave it. The more I read about the protests, the changes coming from restaurants to the opening of the streets, and changing of the liquor licenses so you can walk around, the more I crave it. I have a burning desire to bear witness to …

I am thrilled to see VCs come out and commit to putting capital behind women and Black entrepreneurs. We can all hang our hats on this and champion change. But here’s the thing. Why do they need to create a separate fund for that? Why aren’t they each making a conscious decision in …

Life goes on even when everything goes upside down.

We are beginning to move forward into new phases of the virus wondering what is the new normal. I ran a bunch of errands yesterday donned in my mask of the moment and every time I do that I think how strange this all is.

Last …

There is so much change going on that it is hard to pinpoint where we are going? One thing is for sure, we are chartering new territories.

COVID-19 has pushed us all back on our feet and the numbers continue to rise, fall, and remain stable on different days in different locations around the …

There is something about Covid-19 that pulls and connects us even more to the friends and family around us. As crazy as these times are, the friend thing feels really good.

Last night for the first time since March 6th, we went out to a restaurant with friends. One of them was the first …

Fred asked if anyone in the commune had seen Cisco Kid? It was his fave show when he was about 7. Then I started chiming in with others like Josie and the Pussy Cats, Speed Racer, Scooby-Doo, and the Jetsons. Hanna-Barbera were genius.

How women were depicted in those shows that I glued …

These days more than ever we need role models. There have been too many female founders who have built their businesses with a lot of bravado. They have taken to the social media airwaves creating a brand for themselves and their companies.

Too many of these women have taken an unattractive tumble. It pains me …

I have not been out protesting but our daughters have. They are seeing their communities come together. People aren’t in offices so they are able to come out on the streets and rally together. It is exhilarating to just watch.

Landlords must rally around the community. It is time to rethink commercial leases on …

The protests are amazing.  The changes that politicians are now expected to take have been swift. They hear it.  The people are pissed off and want change. Changes in the police system are the protests right now but there is much more in those voices. They want fundamental shifts in how our country is run …

When a foundation cracks, the chances are that everything around it will eventually crumble. That is exactly what the world feels like now. Although our leadership across the globe has significantly deteriorated, people around the globe are joining people on the streets in solidarity to protest.

The foundation has been built by mostly white men …

If you have not seen this clip of Elmo’s father explaining to Elmo what a protest is and why people are protesting, watch it. It is so good.

CNN and Sesame Street came together to help kids understand what is happening. It also helps families talk to their kids.

I grew up watching Sesame …

I spoke to a female founder from Senegal this past week. A few times a month I find emails that pique my interest or inspire me and I set up the asked call.

This young woman who one of the 30 Senegalis to graduate from Harvard. I figured I might be able to give her …

Our house at the beach does not have mailboxes. If we want to get USPS then you need to get a PO Box. We had one when the kids were campers for their letters. I’d come back each summer after not using the box for 8 months and find the box filled with tons …

The pandemic has shown America’s cracks in our system but racism has exposed all of America’s flaws down to its core. We have reached a boiling point thanks to Trump fueling the fire and our streets have finally exploded. It was bound to happen. Colin Kaepernick took the knee it was peaceful yet …

Is it actually possible to have total privacy on the web? There have been very few times when I have done a search for someone and I come up with nothing. I admit I do not applaud that but it freaks me out.

So what is privacy? Can there be privacy anymore? Do we want …

I am longing for a personal car wash. The first time I had a pedicure was the night before my wedding. It was a revelation. Within a few years there was a nail salon on every other corner in NYC.

Personal grooming began in the Stone Age. The biggest advances kicked into gear during the …

Today is a day to remember the soldiers who have fought for our freedom. The ones who gave their lives no matter what state they came from to be part of the armed forces so our lives as we know it can continue.

I am going to spend today thinking about the 100,000 people …