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Eliot’s Halloween Photos
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Monthly Archives: October 2019
Everyone Still Shops In Traditional Stores
Just when you were about to give up on the future of bricks and mortar shopping, a Harris Poll says, “Not so fast.”
A survey commissioned by Coldwell Banker Commerical and conducted by Harris, showed that 99% of all consumers shopped in a physical store in the past 12 months.
Why?
1-To purchase a product they needed immediately (61%);
2-Experience a product before buying it (55%)
3-Browse and get ideas (50%)
4-Take advantage of in-store sales / coupons (49%).
Good news for traditional stores. Ninety-two percent of consumers said they plan to shop in a store for the holiday season.
The obvious reasons are:
1- Take advantage of sales / coupons (55%)
2-Experience a product before buying it (50%)
3-Look for unique gifts (49%) and to find something specific (49%)
For other revelations, click here. Chain Store Age published the information.
Congratulations Washington Nationals

Happy Halloween
Is The Nordstrom Family Betting Against The Odds?
Lying on the Beach podcast

Nordstrom’s 57th St. will alter your clothes for free (even those that you didn’t buy there) and serve you drinks (you pay, they deliver) as you shop.
Steve Greenberg, a TV personality, and Lois Whitman-Hess, a PR agent, discuss the ever changing retail landscape on their podcast called, “Lying on the Beach.”
They also talked about the ups and downs of starting a new company and why most fail.
Truthful Words
How Seniors Talk To Each Other In A Noisy Restaurant
Eliot and I binged on “The Kominsky Method,” starring Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas, this past weekend. Just like “Grace and Frankie,” with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, “The Kominsky Method” tells the story of the challenges seniors face today.
Sometimes, just sometimes, the truth makes us really laugh at ourselves. You must watch the above video to see a scene between Alan Arkin and his date, Jane Seymour. It’s not a spoiler. It’s just one scene that really has a great solution for hearing someone across the table in a noisy restaurant. We are still laughing every time we think about it. Enjoy!
This super yacht was docked near our Miami Beach condo in the Island Gardens Marina. It was built in 2018 by Kleven in Norway. It’s quite a rare beauty.
One Of The Best Things About Miami
When we first arrived in Miami about 25 years ago, new friends told us book stores couldn’t survive in this area of the country. Miamians said people who live in the land of sun and sand, just don’t read.
That may have been true then, but Miami native Mitchell Kaplan changed all that. For over 20 years, Kaplan has turned Miami into a reading town by establishing his book chain, Books & Books, as a cultural and entertainment center.
Eliot and I have built a social life around the main Books & Books in Coral Gables. We attend many of their hundreds of guest lectures a year, and often drop by for lunch or dinner in the cafe. It’s also a great place to spot all kinds of people from the creative world who rely on
Books & Books as a reliable destination to conduct research.
Watch the above video featuring Mitchell Kaplan as he gives a personal tour through his main branch. Kaplan is also the founder of the Miami Book Fair, the largest one in the country.
A Personal EKG For Frequent At Home Checkups
The first time I heard of Kardia Mobile, I said, “Where have you been all my life?” I know so many people who would love to monitor their heart activity. Friends in the tech industry told me about this product a few years ago, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it because I didn’t think it would work.
Now this mobile EKG machine has been perfected and it’s worth thinking about. It actually works with your smartphone. The most important consideration is to talk to your doctor about the validity of Kardia Mobile. I asked a few doctors who said nothing replaces a professional medical checkup, but for those who constantly feel like something is wrong with their heart, this might be a good solution. It’s nice to know everything is working well.
Watch the above video for a great explanation on Kardia Mobile. It is sold on Amazon.

Extra Protection Is Needed When You Cross An International Border
Peter Greenberg, the leading worldwide travel writer, just did a video and an essay that you must read immediately. It could save your life.
Peter explains, “This year, more than 1.4 billion people will cross an international border and most of them will travel unprotected. They may think they’re covered if they lose a bag or if their flight is delayed, but we’re talking about real emergencies – a life threatening illness, accident, crime, political disturbance or natural disaster.”
It’s very easy, as we all know these days, to fly just about anywhere you want to go in the world. But when an emergency happens, then the question becomes: how, when, where and how fast you get out?”
You must read more.
Is Journalism Dead?
Ray Elman (r) interviewing former Miami Beach Mayor, Philip Levine
“Lying on the Beach” podcast guest, Ray Elman thinks it may not be dead, but it might be on life support!
For the last 40 years, Elman, currently founding Editor in Chief of Inspicio, has been at the forefront of both the editorial and art worlds. Podcast Co-hosts, Steve Greenberg, a TV personality, and Lois Whitman-Hess, a PR counselor, interviewed Ray about the state of journalism and why it’s not getting the respect it so richly deserve.
To appreciate the comments Ray is going to make you have to appreciate the quality work he has done in his career. In 2015, Ray founded the Inspicio arts publication platform, which is sponsored by FIU | CARTA. Inspicio provides in-depth, high-quality insights into all arts disciplines with a focus on Miami and South Florida. The publication is famous for its video interviewing technique and for mixing famous authors with student writers.
Elman also co-founded Provincetown Arts magazine and Cincinnati Arts magazine. Ray was also a pioneer in the digital communication industry, first as the National Director of Creative Services at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and as the co-founder of Streamline Communications, which is now a public company called Bridgeline Digital. He was also a founder of Cambria Interactive at Cambria Consulting.
In addition, Elman has sustained a successful life-time career as a visual artist. Four of his large scale mixed-media portraits (Pulitzer Prize recipients Stanley Kunitz, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alan Dugan, & U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky) are included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. His work is exhibited in museums, galleries and private collections all over the world.
Listen to the podcast here – http://www.lyingonthebeach.com/2019/10/21/ray-elman/
Apple’s New AirPods Reportedly Have Noise Cancellation Features
I couldn’t wait to deliver the good news to you. My dream may come true. Those of us who use Apple AirPods will now be able to take advantage of noise-cancellation features — if industry rumors become real.
I just found out that the tech reporters at 9to5Mac magazine got a peek at design changes in future AirPods. They are pretty certain that noise-cancellation features are on the way.
I am very excited about this advancement because the more I travel, the more I want a quiet environment around me. I think the reason why Apple is introducing noise-cancellation AirPods at the present time is because other competitors are going down this path. Sony, Bose, and Huawei are a few of those working on state-of-the-art AirPods. Product designers agree that future AirPods will have to have traditional ear tips that extend out from the white stems for a good fit.
The present AirPods rest in the ears so ambient noise is always heard. The minute I see the new designs, I will share them with you.
DigiDame 