Good Morning & Hello Friday!

• We kicked off the Holiday Season with a wonderful celebration at one of my favorite restaurants. By all accounts, it was a mega success for which I am grateful to both the staff and chef/owner of PEASANT and to my friends who showed up ready to party (see #1 below and make sure you watch Laetitia’s video!).
• Why do I say it’s complicated this year? Partly because of the economy and partly because of optics – check the CNBC article in #1 below on what party planners have been dealing with in Silicon Valley.
• Also, my take on gift giving – and why we’d all be happier and less stressed if we did a reset on that obligation (#3).
• And finally, 3 random (but very important) trends for 2023. They go a long way in explaining what’s been going on for the last couple of years and what we can anticipate going forward. (#8 below)

And with that please scroll down for this week’s blog.

Good Morning & Hello Friday

• RAVE reviews once again for the All-In Podcast. I’m besotted by it. Smart, articulate, and brilliant at connecting the dots to make sense of what’s going on around the world. Inspiring and energizing content (#1 below).
• This week I also stumbled upon Lex Fridman’s podcast. In the latest episode he interviewed (for almost 3 hours), Chamath Palihapitiya. I especially related to Chamath’s difficult backstory with his dad – very similar to my own – except that Chamath grew up to be a brilliant billionaire and I’m just regular folk. What Chamath’s story confirmed for me, however, was that an impoverished, immigrant childhood needn’t be a barrier to success. It can actually provide you with the impetus to tackle life and ascend in a way that kids who grow up in cushier circumstances, can’t begin to comprehend. Here’s the Fridman link. I’m going to be watching this a few more times – too much to absorb in one viewing.
• Also some amazing ART happenings this week including Jordan Wolfson’s animatronic sculpture at the Brant Foundation and Beeple’s very wry take on what was going on with Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX and Musk’s recent tumultuous days at Twitter. (#2 and 3).
• Next week is Thanksgiving. I will once again be dining at a restaurant with friends. Seems to be becoming the norm throughout the country although I have not been able to verify with solid data. Big shift from a few years ago when I distinctly recall how difficult it was to find an open restaurant. And yet here we are in 2022, with every NYC restaurant open for Turkey Day. (#4 below).
• Remaining on the topic of food, competitive high school culinary teams appear to be becoming a thing, e.g., varsity bbq pitmasters. Noticed in both Texas and California (#6 and 7).

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Good Morning & Hello Friday

• What a week! The Red Wave failed to materialize BUT the GOP (and all of us) may finally be rid of Trump, or at least see “hugely” less of him. I mean when everyone from the Fox News desk to Ben Shapiro feels free to mock him for being a “loser,” that’s a pretty clear sign that something major has shifted (see #1 below).
• Tech layoffs have come roaring back post-COVID. Important to keep in mind that just prior to the pandemic, tech was facing a major meltdown but those cuts were deferred when COVID threw tech a lifeline. However, instead of plowing that newfound money back into their coffers for the next rainy day, tech leaders squandered it on new hires and new office spaces. (See #2 and 3 below)
• And finally, several new social media and podcast recommendations. It’s how everyone is staying tapped in and getting their news and product info these days. (See #3, 4 and 5 below)

Please scroll down for more – including this week’s cool celebrity sighting (#8 below).

Good Morning & Hello Friday!

• Much to say about retail and inflation. (See #1 – 6 below)
• I’m also fascinated by the many Indian fashion boutiques popping up in NYC. I’ve written about it before but I’m picking up even more momentum for these brands and I need to learn more. Major thanks to my friend, Nisha Choksi (multi-disciplinary creative, focused on design, art, & fashion) for being such a great trend resource and for providing excellent insights and input on the market. (See #1 below).
• Another big trend: weight loss and sobriety. This week I caught an amazing interview with Billy Gardell on the Pete & Sebastian podcast (see #9 below). Gardell lost 138 lbs and his story is incredibly inspiring. It’s also heartbreaking to hear how being overweight restricted him from doing the many routine, small things we all take for granted. Highly recommend checking it out
• Finally, two museum shows that will influence fashion and design in major ways for years to come. I have not been able to find out if either exhibition is traveling but if you’re planning to be in NYC over the holidays put them on your to-do list. (#10 below).

And with that, please scroll down for more.

1. Another jampacked week. Highlights include my first visit to Rockwood Music Hall — fabulous, and only a 5-minute walk from my house, can’t believe I’ve never been. Also checked out two new restaurants on the Bowery (#2 and 3 below), and saw Chris Rock‘s SOLD OUT show at Radio City Music Hall. An epic week!!
2. What’s especially impressive about NYC at the moment is that it retains its vibrancy despite the uptick in crime. Entrepreneurs and companies are opening new businesses at a phenomenal rate. In my opinion, these business owners (small and large) get ALL the credit for keeping the city humming (certainly NOT the politicians, living in their rarified bubbles with security details). I say, take away the pols’ taxpayer-funded SUV’s and drivers and let them get around on the subway and the streets like regular New Yorkers and we’ll see how quickly order is restored.

Please scroll down for more on what’s happening in NYC as well as travel, entertainment, and a question about your favorite brands to see how they stack up vs. those of Gen Z.

Good Morning & Hello Friday!

• Most overheard convos these days? Young people proclaiming how much they miss lunch with co-workers. I even ran into several groups in Soho yesterday who were out, in the sweltering heat, getting their lunches (at CAVA and Sweetgreen) and bringing them back to the office for what appeared to be team lunches (#1 below).
• Also this week, two major Brooklyn discoveries – one at the Brooklyn Museum (#5), the other, a spectacular spot in Gowanus for drinks, food, and music (#6). Thank you, Joe Santos, for the introduction.
• Axios also gets another shout-out for reminding me of the importance of Smart Brevity, i.e., the preferred style of writing for today’s modern reader.
• And finally, USCIS still completely and inexcusably backlogged. Visa and green card processing now takes anywhere from 2-to-3 years. I find it absolutely galling that Biden and Buttigieg rail against the airlines for their hours-long delays but have nary a word of complaint about their own government agency’s utter incompetence. So, anyhoo, I guess I am now firmly locked into domestic travel and have booked another Austin trip to catch the September debut of Bruce Munro’s 16-acre Field of Light exhibition (#4, #10).

And with that, please scroll down for this week’s Top 10.

Good Morning & Happy Friday!

• Feels a bit silly to be so excited about the opening of a Target but I kid you not, nothing makes me happier than having a well-stocked household goods store within walking distance (#1 below). Going hand-in-hand with the opening of my new Target, I have also given up my Amazon Prime Membership. Not worth it for the money (#2).
• I also discovered a new fashion brand (not new, but new to me). It is way too pricey and completely inappropriate for me, but I LOVE it. I am going to check out their store on Howard Street this weekend (#9). Fingers crossed I make no foolish purchases, i.e., buy something that makes me look like a clown!
• Many of you have asked about the status of my green card renewal. There is no news and in this case, no news is not good news. I have sadly canceled all my upcoming international trips. USCIS wins!! However, I do have travel plans for Nashville later this month, Bozeman in October, and Miami as soon as the new Soho House in Wynwood opens.
• And finally, big shout out to my favorite news site, Axios for 2 very insightful, must-read stories. The first is about how overall news engagement has plummeted as we increasingly tune out hard news. The second is on the major demographic realignment going on within our two political parties. Fascinating — and true — based on my observations.

And with that, please scroll down for this week’s TOP 10.