July 4, 2020. What a strange year thus far. I checked my Facebook and Twitter feeds yesterday morning. There were numerous references to Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to the slave is the 4th of July.” I don’t remember thinking about the issues raised within this speech as a younger man. How is that possible? My …
I remember times in grammar school when we discussed time capsules. I remember thinking the idea of putting aside contemporary “artifacts” was clever, but I never became excited about them. I wish I could remember the years we engaged in the exercise of choosing the items; Maybe I was in the fifth grade (1989). I …
I have been making efforts to periodically, throughout the week, choose an occasion to listen to a webcast on a topic different from my day to day business. This week, Penn State’s Smeal College of Business’ Institute for Real Estate Studies hosted a panel discussion on capital markets in the real estate business with some …
I have been wondering over the past months about the extent to which this time in history might plant seeds of interest for our children, and how those seeds might sprout. Will the ongoing discussions about the nature of the coronavirus and possible mutations lead children to become more curious about biology? Will public health …
May 23, 2020 was my 42nd birthday. As far as birthdays go, it was rather nice. The weather was pleasant in State College, and I enjoyed a nice Peloton ride after helping Becca with some gardening. In the morning, I read Michael Lewis’ Coach. Later in the early evening, I watched an NYU Faculty Insights …
It has been a pleasant Mothers’ Day, Covid-19 notwithstanding. Saturday’s weather arrived as a rude and unwelcome winter guest, unconcerned with whether we were prepared for his visit. Sunday greeted us with his prompt departure. Spring has returned. We celebrated as a family with games of fetch and soccer at the field near our home. …
While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize – sometimes with astonishment – how happy we had been. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis Our family traveled to Crete last year for a vacation. We visited …
Craig has always been a force of nature; I learned so much from him. Craig was the president of Hartman Employee Benefits (HEB) when I joined the firm and I was fortunate to work closely with him. He taught me a lot about business, including the importance of leadership, salesmanship, and, most of all, relationships. …
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Mark Twain April 12, 2020. It is Easter Sunday, the fourth day of Passover, and the beginning of the fifth week of the coronavirus-caused shutdown in Pennsylvania. We began the day with a brief note to my Uncle Knud in Denmark, with whom we spent last …
I turned CNN on last night and noticed two familiar faces: Don Lemon was interviewing Branford Marsalis, a leading jazz composer and brother to Wynton, another highly accomplished and recognized musician. Branford’s father, Ellis, has died as a result of covid19. I am not a musician, but I love music. In particular, I love jazz …