We all get swept up in advertising, buying things because they promise to be the best or at least better than everything else out there. Most of the time our new purchase either outright disappoints or falls in the category…
I have tinnitus, that annoying ringing in the ears experienced by 20% of the world's population. Not a ringing in my case, but a persistent high tone reminiscent of television sets of the 1950s and 60s. There is no cure,…
An acquaintance recently turned 55 and was bemoaning his advanced age. Trying to cheer him up, I asked, “But how old do you feel?” I expected something like, “Oh, about 45,” your typical “I feel younger than my age” answer.…
You see them everywhere. “6 Best Places to Eat in New York.” “8 Clever Gifts for Teens.” “18 Worst Cars Ever Made.” In print media. On the Web. Even on television. I hate ordered lists. They absolutely drive me insane.…
Like millions of people everywhere, I struggle with a debilitating anchor that holds back my productivity and causes me no end of distress. As I’ve confirmed to myself and confided in others, I know what to do, I know how…
Ask any average American, at any time of the year, what the word “Christmas” brings to mind. An honest answer will include snow, Christmas trees, lights, gifts, Santa Claus, reindeer, sleigh bells, shopping and so on. You may come across…
You’ve probably never heard of idiosyncrasy credits and have no clue how important they are. Sure, you can Google them and get a fairly thorough Wikipedia definition that will leave you dazed and with a mild headache. I’ll spare you…
In kindergarten I was given a box of eight crayons, large ones with one flat side to keep them from rolling off the table. I had little problem making the necessary connections critical to the development of a five-year-old: the…
I had the pleasure of tackling a fairly Major project recently, one involving a good amount of research, organization, the shuffling of papers and filling out of tedious forms. As is my proclivity in handling such tasks, I had dragged…
I was stirring my morning coffee, that deliberate motion that is part necessity and part subconscious effort to delay the start of another arduous day, if only by a few seconds. That’s a time when the brain, not yet steeped…
A duck and a gecko sagely tell you all you need to know about insurance. A frighteningly precocious baby day trader packs a laptop and smart phone in his crib. Every product or service worth shilling has a hook, a…
We all have a bit of Walter Mitty in us. It’s human nature, irresistible. And nothing brings out the dreamer in us more than playing the lottery, be it scratch-off games with their promise of a $2 haul or participating…
The “D” word is not allowed in our home. We have two puppies, as the fur on our furniture attests, and they’ve witnessed their share of changing seasons: Archie is five, and little Zoey recently turned three. Anyone who doesn’t…
I started this blog with the intent of creating a hybrid site where I could engage my real estate clients while indulging my innate desire to put Stuff down in words. The real estate part is coming along nicely; it…
A boy stands on an elevated subway platform in New York City. At the Castle Hill Avenue station in the Bronx, to be precise. He’s about 15 years old, young in relation to the gathering masses of morning commuters slowly…
Three bottles of Châteaux Lafite-Rothschild 1869 were sold at auction by Sotheby’s in 2010 for a staggering $232,692 each. What completely boggles my mind is not the price—much more is routinely paid for artwork and automobiles by collectors and fanatics,…
