Gotham Gal

Biscotti

Good biscotti is not easy to come by.  Fred met with the Founder/Ceo of Eqentia.com last week who had told me at the Donors Choose event his wife had some biscotti to give me.  Of course, I did not catch Williams wife's name or where you can pick up her biscotti but hopefully one of them reads this blog and can share.  Fred mentioned that the biscotti was free of a few things like possibly sugar.  Obviously missing the information but the almond cranberry biscotti was delicious.  Big thanks.

Development

Development can be a bad word if isn't implemented properly.  Some people cringe at the thought of a development person calling them on the phone because it means that someone wants you for your money.  While others are happy to take a meeting with a development person because they care about the organization and are fully aware of why they are meeting.  Some people just write a check and say we don't need to meet, I know what you want and here it is.  But at the end of the day, development is a fine line between love and hate and it has to be done right for everyone to fall on the love side.

This past weekend we were at Wesleyan for Jessica's parent weekend.  The weather was perfect and seeing Jessica is always great and she is so happy that we are still feeling the after affects of pure joy.  She has embraced the academics, is enjoying the social life and all and all just seems incredibly happy, independent and thrilled.  We really couldn't ask for more. 

The 3 of us were invited to a cocktail party at the President's home on Saturday evening.  Probably about 20 maybe 25 families.  Interesting enough, Wesleyan's endowment compared to their peer schools, is less per student.  The event was only about an hour or so.  Gave us an opportunity to meet the President, the Chairman of the Board and other families at the school.  There is no doubt that this particular event was the first opportunity for the Development office to begin a relationship with us.  Believe me, I get it, I've been on the Development side and I have been pitched by many organizations while sitting on the other side of the fence.  You got to do what you have to do and I am fully aware of what they are doing.

Here are some key points in development.  Do your research and thanks to Google, research has gotten a helluva lot easier over the years.  You should know everyone in the room and their history.  It is all out there somewhere if you really spend some time investigating.  When someone is asked for money, if the Development office is good, they know exactly what range is suitable after all that is their job. So here are some finer points besides knowing who you are speaking to. 

If someone is partners with a Wesleyan graduate who is an involved alumni, don't feign surprise.  I know as well as you know that you knew the information before we walked into the room.  Don't suck up to the husband and ignore the wife or the student.  The saying is a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, well the way to a parents heart is through their kid.  Most important, in today's world, and probably forever, the wife or the partner might have a different role than a full time money maker, show them respect vs fawning over their husband/partner.  There isn't anybody who is called upon from the Development office that doesn't know why they were called.  Focusing on the money and ignoring the rest of the group will get you nowhere.  Just because that person presently brings in the cash doesn't mean they are the person making the decisions about how the cash gets spent.  After all, there is a thing called partnership.  Also, at everyone of these events, the President should say something to the group even it is for a few minutes...like hello, thanks for coming, we are thrilled to have your kids, something.  Don't just attempt to make conversation with random families and then sneak out the back door for your next event.  Embrace the moment.  That is a lost opportunity. 

Ok, that's my Development class today.  Needless to say, we love Wesleyan because Jessica is so thrilled to be there and we know so many people who graduated from Wesleyan that are still involved and just love the place but the Development end needs some serious fine tuning. 

Monsters of Folk

Last night Fred and I went to see the Monsters of Folk at the Beacon Theater.  The Monsters of Folk is a group of accomplished artists;  M. Ward (M. Ward) , Conor Oberst ( Bright Eyes and solo ), Jim James (My Morning Jacket)  and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes).  We listen to all of them and have seen them each individually in concert.  So, seeing them as a group performing together is a serious treat.

After seeing the concert, my guess is they not only enjoy collaborating together but performing together gives them an opportunity to play solo throughout the show just a few times vs an entire concert.  It is probably exhausting doing a solo show every night so this way the audience gets the best of all worlds and so do the artists. 

Today, I've got all of them in heavy rotation.  Sorry for the blurry pics...the lighting they used last night was not working with my camera.  Also, they were filming the show so cameras were a big no-no.

A Shout out to Frank Bruni

Friday night we walked over to Joseph Leonard, sat at the bar and had dinner.  Yes, we are one of a group of investors in JL but my favorite thing about it is the vibe and the bar.  It is great going there, sitting at the bar, drinking, eating and chatting with Gabe.  It is our local home away from home.  BTW, JL opens for breakfast this week.

 

Frank Bruni sat down next to us at dinner last night.  Of course, after a few glasses of wine, and Gabe introduced us, I couldn’t help but gush over his book and him.  I asked him what he was doing now. He is still writing for the Times but not on a constant basis.  Couldn’t help but put my 2 cents in and said he should write another book after all he is a brand.

 

The New York Times food column gave Bruni the platform to become a brand.  As our world is evolving through social networking, I see Bruni, if he chooses to embrace it, as the first real generation of personal brands that are really not so much connected through where he came from, The New York Times.  If he chooses, he could take himself and grow his brand without having to be connected to the Times, or he could do both ( if the Times lets him and they should).

 

Bruni can continue to write a food column on his own personal blog, he can continue to write another book about his experiences which based on the first book are not only interesting but he makes them fun to read about, he could use Four Square as a way for people to follow him through out his restaurant endeavors and Twitter to grow his audience.  People trust his experience.  Certainly there are many ad networks that will continue to figure out how to make money on all 3 of those platforms, they already have blogging down and Bruni could probably make a pretty good income on the ads on his blog alone.  Where that takes him, who knows.  Food books, travel books, political books ( which he had an interest in earlier in his career ), etc.  Maybe first chapters released on his blog as the book industry is figuring out what they will look like in 5 years. 

 

I saw Bruni in a question and answer forum with Ben Leventhal at the Food and Wine weekend and was impressed.  He is a smart charismatic guy.  So, here’s a shout out to Frank Bruni, take your brand, you, and show us what you can really do.  Be a early adapter of the brands that are being built around people.  You are a prime candidate. 

Tiny Cupcakes on Spring Street

On Spring Street between Mercer and Broadway, north side of the street, is a tiny store front that sells tiny cupcakes.  They are almost like the cupcake tops without the bottoms about the size of a quarter.  Baked by Melissa. 

There are eight flavors.  Mint chocolate chip, tie-dye, cookies 'n cream, cookie dough, peanut butter cup, peanut butter and jelly, cinnamon and sm'ores.  I believe the cost was $1 for 3.  You truly can't beat it. 

We had the peanut butter cup, cinnamon and sm'ores.  Each packs a powerful punch and are really rich.  All you need is that one bite and your sweet craving is cured. 

Clever idea, great product.  You can buy them in bulk for parties too. 

Last night wasn't my night

Last night Fred did a meet and greet for all the people who gave to his Donors Choose Challenge.  It was a really nice event.   Last night just wasn't my night. 

In general, I am quite the meet and greeter but for the first time in a very very long time I found myself sitting at a table just waiting out the event.  Very un-me.  It was a long time and an exhausting day on many levels.  It happens. 

So, to all those last night that I didn't get to speak to or I appeared to be disconnected from, sorry.  It just wasn't my night.  It happens. 

As for Donors Choose, which is a great organization, I'd like to see it be stickier.  What I mean by that is in the world that we live in, the world of instant gratification, it is so easy to press a button and donate.  That works for many but not for all.  Perhaps a good handful of the people there would have liked to take their donation to another level by getting involved.  In the early days of MOUSE, we had barn raisers on Saturdays where people who wanted to literally climbed through ceilings and wired High Schools.  Perhaps Donors Choose can figure out to have Meet-ups at actual schools on the weekends where people can plant a garden, set up the computers, go through the library books and organize them.  I am just tossing out some ideas here but as the teachers ( the only people who really met last night ) are teaching the next generation of leaders, maybe we can do more than just send cash. 

Throw the bums out

Over the last decade or so, I have been involved in politics in one way or the other.  We grew up discussing politics around the dinner table.  Policies, elections, candidates, etc. It has always been part of my life.  That is probably why when we started to have access to meet politicians at a very high level, I started to feel that we should support them financially and throw some muscle behind them. And, so we did.

Most of the time, our efforts were through fund raising.  Locally and nationally.  Perhaps stupid on our part but we really had these fund raisers not so much because we wanted to be part of the process as not once did we go to those access events we had invitations to because you gave so much money.  We raised money because we wanted the world to be a better place.  

Yesterdays election outcomes sends the signal, at least to me, of exactly how I have been feeling about Government in the past year.  I have lost faith.  I am a fan of Obama.  I do believe he wants to make the changes he talks about but it is like turning around a cruise ship.  Between the lobbyists, the corruption, the politicians who only vote in order to get money for the next election, to the layers and layers of political bullshit, it has to be impossible to say "the buck stops here and that's it".  Is it the checks and balances?  Perhaps. 

But at the end of the day,  I want new new new.  I am sick of the wealthy egotistical candidates that think just because they were successful in business they can be successful in politics.  Certainly there are exceptions to the rule.  I do believe Bloomberg has done a great job and in all honesty, regardless of the third term bullshit, nobody with a brain was running against him.  Bill Thompson, who is a nice man that I have met numerous amount of times, is a serious lightweight.  I'm sick of the extremists, on either side.  I'm sick of the layers of micro-management from a person in office who never gets shit done. 

The health care bill and the debacle of propping up Goldman Sachs and the banks, who have no interest in loaning money these days although they say they are, they are lying.  CEO's who are negotiating for millions and millions of dollars with huge payouts if they are fired before they even show the public traded companies  ( aka shareholders ) what they are made of.  When did this happen? 

How we can not pass a health care bill to take care of the uninsured and people who get screwed by their insurance companies when they get sick...or the kids who have no control over their parents ability to insure them.  How did we give money out to large companies from our federal taxes and not get a huge pay off for it if they did great in the long run.  Who the hell negotiated those contracts?  People who were doing a wink wink behind all of our backs?

Am I ranting?  Honestly, as much money as I have raised over the years, I am done.  I have lost complete faith in the Government on so many levels.  Yesterdays election, where barely anyone showed up in NYC to vote, didn't send out any anti-Democratic, pro-Republican message.  It just sent out the message which will continue to repeat itself until somebody makes a real change.  We want change, we want new and we will keep voting in new people until one of them actually does something.  

Japanese Beef Stew

This could go under the category of dinners made in less than 15/20 minutes.  We like that.  Tasty and easy.  This is for 4 people.

• 1 1/2 lbs. sirloin cut into small bit size pieces ( don't use beef that is for stew here )
• 1 Vidalia onion, sliced into 1" pieces
• 4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and sliced into bite size chunks
• 4 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced into bit size chunks
• 3 cups beef stock
• 4 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. white wine or sake
• 1 tbsp. mirin
• sliced scallions (optional)

In a pot, cover the bottom with vegetable oil, just cover.  Once it is hot, toss in the sirloin and brown.  Doesn't take long.  Add onions, potatoes and carrots.  Mix another couple of minutes until everything is completely mixed together.  Add the liquid ingredients, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are soft.  That's it.

I poured this over rice because everyone was so hungry I figured a little more starch wouldn't kill anyone. 

Change of seasons

Although I am not head over heels when the weather gets really cold, there is something to be said for the change of seasons.  I enjoy each season for what it has to offer.  It is so beautiful when the leaves change.  You really don't get to fully take that in when you live in downtown NYC.  We are getting out of the city this weekend and I do hope that the leaves are still hanging on in a myriad of colors.

This picture comes from a reader, and mother of a friend of ours, from her ranch in Northern Texas.  She is an artist.  The photo appeared in my email box yesterday and it was perfect timing as yesterday was starting to really feel like autumn. 

So loving this website...

Fred turned me on to nerdboyfriend this summer.  I am so loving this website.  I check in daily.  It is brilliant.  Old classic pictures that have current pictures of particular clothing items underneath the picture and then you can click on to the link and buy them.  For Woody, it's his shoes. Genius and fun.  Today's pic of Woody Allen was particularly nice.