Cutting through the rain and darkness, I write this week’s entry aboard a train home to New York City from Philadelphia.  In Philly this weekend I was lucky to view and be inspired by the “Van Gogh Up Close” exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Prior to this weekend, I knew very little about [...]

Last week my gym membership expired.  Like many New Yorkers before me, I am now a “free agent” in the gym world.  Although this has thrown my morning routine for a bit of a loop, it’s been somewhat fun exploring the possibility of switching gyms.  My gym buddy Arthur and I have spent the last [...]

In his book, “The World America Made,” Robert Kagan makes a particularly unpopular argument about the current state of America: Everything is fine. I haven’t read the book yet (it’s on my list), but from the first time I heard Kagan’s argument it’s been stuck in my head. The reason it interests me so much [...]

The lilacs had just begun to bloom under the warm spring sun.  It was my sophomore year of high school and lacrosse season was about to begin.  Unlike prior years, my small high school was finally able to field both varsity and junior varsity lacrosse teams for the upcoming season.  One of the reasons we [...]

Giving an effective presentation is one of the skills I value most.  In fact, I would argue that being able to clearly and concisely communicate your thoughts to other people is the number one most important skill in business and in life. Like many skills, I learned how to give an effective presentation from my [...]

I spent a good deal of time this week looking at apartments in Brooklyn.  Come February 1st I will be moving in with my longtime girlfriend, Miranda, and in typical New York fashion, we were scrambling to find the perfect apartment with less than 30 days before we had to move. Manhattan real estate is [...]

It’s hard to look back on 2011 as a good year. -  Since the year 2000 the US National Debt has increased from $5 trillion to $15 trillion -  Unemployment rates have hovered between 8% and 10% for the past two years -  The S&P500 index began and ended 2011 at exactly 1,257 points – [...]

This coming year, my maternal grandparents will observe their 60th anniversary.  A huge milestone by any measure – the coming date will no doubt be cause for celebration.  Amidst the fanfare it is unlikely that anyone will remember that their union was originally, back in 1952, cause for religious controversy. Now, based on the picture [...]

What would you say is the key to living a happy, fulfilling life?  Some might say having close relationships with family and friends – which, I agree, is very important.  Others might say living a healthy life, eating right, or exercising – these things are also very important.  But at a very basic level – [...]

During a break in English class one day in high school, I was discussing after-school activities with a friend.  As I explained how busy I was with athletics, my friend expressed her opinion that sports were a waste of time and that our particular high school should not have sports teams at all.  This comment [...]