DiedinHouse.com

Posted on October 29, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Image: Journal 930.com

With Halloween a few days away, I have a question for you. Would it bother you if you found out that someone died in your apt/house before you moved in? I have some good friends who always check this fact each and every time they move. As they laughingly joke, “We are afraid of ghosts.”

The truth is that some people are just uncomfortable knowing that life ended in the space they call home. When Eliot and I bought the apartment next door to us in New York, we knew that our dentist neighbor was dead in the bedroom for a few days before his wife called the authorities. She didn’t want to give him up. The truth is another couple rented the apartment before we bought it, so it was kind of a second-hand death purchase.

In New York City you can’t be picky. Space is a premium and for the most part, death is not a deal breaker. The website, DiedinHouse.com, was founded in 2013 by a software development company based in Chapin, SC. They built a database that contains all the information you need to conduct a search.

I have no personal experience with the website, but I know a few satisfied customers. Mashable recently wrote a story about the company.

I’m Going To Try To Put Seniors Back To Work

Posted on October 28, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

I spend a lot of time talking to people my age about their desire to go back to work. “If I can only find something for 20 hours a week where I can use my brain,” said a friend of mine who has been retired a few years. For fifteen years, he was Vice-President of a pharmaceutical company.

His desire to work is not uncommon. Many retired business people and educators miss the action of their occupation. They don’t necessarily want to work full time, but they want to find a position where they are useful and appreciated. They are not interested in being a Walmart greeter or a Uber driver (even though there is nothing wrong with that).

While my contacts want to be involved with the decision makers, they can’t even get their job request phone calls returned. They send out resumes, go to networking parties, and even attend job fairs. Nothing ever materializes.

Huffington Post just issued a story, “Where Are All The Old People In Silicon Valley? It covers the fact that once older folks lose their job in the Bay Area, there is no chance of getting back in. The article quotes Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook who once offended 50-plus crowd when he said, “Young people are just smarter.”

I’m announcing today, that I am going to try to prove Zuckerberg wrong. I’m in the midst of contacting Facebook, Google, Proctor & Gamble, Amazon, Pfizer, etc about starting a program where they hire seniors to find solutions to major challenges. The qualified seniors can work flexible hours just as long as they meet deadlines and make significant contributions to the company.

When I outlined my intent on Facebook recently, the response was overwhelming. Lots of friends wanted more information. My job has just begun. I feel that I can start a trend where major companies take a chance on seniors. Now I just have to find the right senior candidate, for the right meaningful project.

Hazel Is Going To Chicago

Posted on October 26, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

This is the musical we are involved in. We were sworn to secrecy until the media announced that Hazel, the musical, will open next March 31th at the Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook, IL. Both Chicago newspapers ran the story today. Official opening is April 6th. We are thrilled for our friends Chuck Steffan, Ron Abel, Klea Blackhurst, and Lissa Levin. All this would not have been possible without the help of Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill.

Something As Simple As This

Posted on October 25, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Images: Mobstub and Amazon

Something as simple as this can save your life, and keep you warm at the same time. I personally like wearables that light up at night so moving vehicles can easily see you. As we get older, precautionary steps like this should be considered.

I’m not sure how long these types of knit caps have been around, but they are gaining in popularity this year. In fact, several friends have told me they are back ordered on Amazon. Mobstub, and Walmart.

I think I want one for myself even though I don’t plan to be in cold weather that much. This type of cap can come in handy anywhere, at anytime. The LED light on a tightly knit hat is perfect for airplanes whose ambient temperature is freezing. Have you noticed how cold some cabins are these days?

Friends who ride bikes first alerted me about these caps. Then I saw online advertisements for them. While there are a few different brands, most of them feature:
On/Off switch controls 4 LED lights
Knitted acrylic material, no itchy wool.

One size fits all.

Replaceable batteries.

Directional lighting

Price: Around $20.

If you find a store selling them, let me know.

This Is No Ordinary Video

Posted on October 23, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

I shot this video on the Periscope app. That means that while I was taping, other Periscope members were watching it live. The app is now owned by Twitter.

I tried to give you an easy explanation so that you completely understand that if you tape video footage on Periscope, you have become a live broadcaster. There are no second takes and no do-overs. As you are taping on Periscope, you actually see the list of people tuning in to watch your video. It can be a little intimidating.

Once my broadcast is over, the video gets posted on my Twitter account and I can choose to save it in my camera roll. If I do save it, I can then forward it to non-Twitter users. That’s you.

I encourage all of you to try Periscope. You have not experienced anything like it. You have watched your favorite commentators tell you a story about news event. Here is your chance to be the storyteller. By the way, most Periscope videos do not feature the broadcasters on the screen. We hear their voice explaining the video. It is really a lot of fun.

An Evening With Daniel Boulud

Posted on October 21, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Not sure how we got invited, but we spent the night celebrating the fifth anniversary of DB Bistro Moderne in Miami. We went with friends from the Murano and we ate everything this fine dining establishment had to offer.

A Closer Look At Jeff Bezos

Posted on October 20, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Jeff Bezos–Image: Business Insider

Charles Ardai –Image : YouTube

I got quite a surprise when I was reading The Everything Store by Brad Stone. The book is about Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos, (pronounced Bay-zos). I was only one chapter into the book when I learned that my former downstairs neighbor, in my Manhattan coop, was working with Bezos at D.E. Shaw, a financial company, when he got the idea to start Amazon. The year was 1994.

Charles Ardai, and his wife Naomi Novik, lived in the apartment right below us for years before they moved to a swanky place on Central Park West. I knew that they would eventually move because he was the guy who started Juno, the first free email company, in the early days of the Internet. Juno eventually went public.

Charles always fascinated me because his true love was writing mystery stories that were filled with graphic sex scenes. I used to stare at him and wonder where those thoughts came from. Did he actually experience those escapades or were they a figment of his imagination?

I decided to call Charles to find out what Bezos was like before Amazon and what Charles was involved in these days. Charles being Charles, one of the nicest guys you could ever meet, said he would be happy to talk to me. We had two lengthy conversations, one about Bezos, the other about his publishing company, Hard Case Crime, a line of pulp-style paperback crime novels.

Question: What was Bezos like when you first met him?

Ardai: Jeff is one of those people you might know who is extraordinary from the minute you meet them. He was exceptionally smart and exceptionally driven. He is capable of performing complex analyses in his head faster than most.

Question: How did Bezos get the idea of creating Amazon?

Ardai: David Shaw, the founder of D.E. Shaw, was very interested in exploring opportunities on the Internet. These were the days when we were all curious about digital possibilities. David asked Jeff to check out retail and e-commerce and I was assigned business solutions. Two weeks after we were given the assignments, Jeff decided that there was a huge market for buying books on the Internet. Of course, Jeff never could have imaged the enormity of Amazon today but he was one of the first to realize the potential of e-commerce. He was anxious to break out on his own and left D.E. Shaw on good terms.

Question: Do you think that Bezos will ever be revered like Steve Jobs?

Ardai: Amazon has made a major impact on all of us. Amazon is the most profoundly transforming invention in the world of commerce since the Sears Roebuck catalog in the previous century. Jeff’s vision made it all happen.

Look for my interview with Charles about Hard Case Crime in a few days.

For The Record…..

Posted on October 20, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

Russ Solomon, founder of Tower Records. He is now 89 years old and lives in Sacramento, CA. Photo: Gravitas Ventures/All Things Must Pass.

I just found out about this documentary on Facebook from recording industy lobbyist Hilary Rosen. “All Things Must Pass” is the new Colin Hanks-directed documentary about the rise and fall of the music, video and book retail giant, Tower Records.

Sex, Drugs, and (Selling) Rock and Roll: Tower Records Founder Russ Solomon Has No Regrets | NOISEY.

Check out this video. Credit: Resonance Project–The universe is connected and alive and we are a part of the metric of space.

Photo by: Eliot Hess. Just across the way from Monserrate, the mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia.

Facebook Memories

Posted on October 19, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

This could only happen on social media. You are reading about many different topics on Facebook, when all of a sudden you see your name. A friend from 30-plus years ago is recalling a story that involves you. In this case, I remember the story well.

I read the entire script and sat back and smiled. I was 34 at the time, now I’m almost 68 years old. I haven’t seen or spoken to the author, Susan March, for 25-plus years. She got married and moved away. Through Facebook, we reconnected online. We now belong to the same Facebook group page called CE Legends: The Unauthorized History.

Susan, “Thank you for that crazy, special story. That incident was unbelievable. Eliot says he remembers one of the train workers carrying the decapitated head in a plastic shopping bag. We could see the outline of the head in the bag from the window of the train. We were all aghast.”

If DigiDame readers are not on social media, it’s difficult to describe how connected you are to the people you follow, and to those who follow you. Its a different kind of family.

I’m glad I didn’t miss out on Susan telling this story. It’s comforting to know that the people I grew up with, still remember shared experiences so many years later.

Thank you Opulence Magazine For Inviting Us To Your Gala

Posted on October 18, 2015 by loiswhitmanhess

It’s good to associate with luxury. Eliot and I sailed on the Fisher Island ferry to get to the Vanderbilt Mansion tonight to attend the very exquisite party Opulence Magazine hosted for advertisers, readers and the rich and famous. Everything was done to the extreme. The fashion, the food, and the fabulous automobiles and yachts were over-the-top. They know how to throw a party. See for yourself.