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. 

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.

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.

Click here to take a look inside the brave new world of evacuation and repatriation, with the team at Global Rescue.

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/

Mark Zuckerberg Goes To Washington DC

In just a few days, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, will be explaining his digital currency intentions to Congress. Many DigiDame readers know just a little about virtual currency. I thought this would be a great time to “clue-in” the clueless.


I don’t completely understand the concept myself, (Haha) but I can tell you what I know. This is the second time Zuckerberg will be visiting Washington DC. Remember when he was being questioned about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal? That was the first time.


Zuckerberg’s PR people issued a statement about Mark’s visit before the House Financial Services Committee. “Mark looks forward to testifying before the House Financial Services Committee and responding to lawmakers’ questions.”


Facebook’s virtual currency is called Libra. Google it. There are other kinds of digital money, but this one could be very successful because of the loyalty of the social media’s fan base. Libra is a digital currency that can be used for billions of people all over the world. Digital money can be used to transfer to other people. or be used to buy something.


Zuckerberg wants to explain that Libra will be governed by the Libra Association, a Swiss group including 28 members – among them are: Facebook subsidiary Calibra, Uber, PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, Spotify, and many other household names in technology and finance. Our lawmakers are concerned about cyber crime and privacy.

Stay tuned for updates.

Congratulations California

Please tell your women friends that wearing fur coats doesn’t make them look like fashionistas. They look like fashionstinkas. Smart NYC women gave away their furs years ago.


Read this article. See how many luxury brands forbid fur anything. Many years ago, Albert Maysles. a client and famous documentary filmmaker, threw me out of his office when I showed up in a raccoon coat. I had to go home and returned with a cloth coat. That night Eliot and I gave away my two fur coats to two girl friends. Never wore fur again.


Weeks later I watched a woman get drenched in blood all over her so-called gorgeous mink coat in front of Barney’s. A group of PETA folks surrounded her in five seconds and then ran away to a waiting cab down the street. Congrats California.


California Signed the First State-Wide Ban on Fur Sales


Put On Your “To Do” Next Time In France

Centre Pompidou to Open 237,000-Square-Foot ‘Art Factory’ in Paris Suburb -ARTnews


Update On WeWork

SoftBank is reportedly prepping a roughly $5 billion financial rescue package for its least favorite child, WeWork


Cucumbers On My Mind

I have been thinking about Cucumbers ever since Rosh Hashanah. My holiday hosts, Jenn and Scott, served cut up cucumbers like they were potato chips. I like to nosh all day long. Cucumber chips are a great choice.


WHAT A LITTLE GEM THE CUCUMBER IS. I WILL LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY NOW.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.


2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.


3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.


4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.


5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!


6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!


7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.


8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks


great but also repels water.


9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!


10.Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.


11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.


12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the


shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.


13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!


Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life’s everyday problems

From Pen To Tablet

Wow, the Livescribe pen has come a long way. I was so surprised to find the NeoLab Neo Smartpen N2 Silver at the new Beta store in the Hudson Yards mall. I didn’t know that new digital pens existed.


It’s great to be able to take notes (and draw) and have it magically appear on smartphones, tablets, and PC’s.


Ok, it’s not magic. The NeoLab Convergence Neo smartpen N2 works with the Neo Notes app to transfer your work on paper to digital devices.


The NeoLab Neo Smartpen N2 also has a new feature that will make a lot of folks very happy. You can now add color to your notes and drawings. You can also choose various pen colors and thickness options for drawings.


The NeoLab Neo Smartpen N2 is priced at $169.00.


Let me know if you think it’s worth it.

The New “Beta” Store

The new “Beta” store in Hudson Yards, NYC, is definitely a model of what the future of retailing is going to look like. This is the set up: the product next to an iPad which gives you the name of the item, a description, the price and a “buy now” click bar.


The introduction to each product is clean and very simple. Everything is digital and the products are sent to your home after your made the purchase. Most of the products for sale are new to the market. Hence, the name “Beta.”


It’s a fun place to shop because your are guaranteed to be wowed. There is something for everyone. “Beta” is an updated “Sharper Image.”


I included new product photos below. I will talk about a few of them in the days to come. Stayed tuned.

Try “Channeling” To Cure Your Woes

Channeling Is Now A More Accepted Discipline To Help You With Life Challenges

I recently had a “channeling” session with Dr. Peter Wisch. It helped me understand certain conditions better and what choices I had to address them. Everyone needs clarity. High energies are all around us. All you have to do is believe in them.

Dr. Peter Wisch


Channeling is a discipline whereby information is obtained from more evolved and enlightened energies to help guide you with regard to various difficult issues and hardships you may be experiencing in life.


Many clients have reported positive results from these sessions.  


TV personality Steve Greenbergand PR expert Lois Whitman, co-hosts of “Lying on the Beach” podcast spoke to Dr. Wisch about the “channeling” process.


http://www.lyingonthebeach.com/2019/10/01/channeling-is-now-a-more-accepted-discipline-to-help-you-with-life-challenges/