Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

Marc and Alana Regroup

Marc and Alana went to visit Jen. Their kids sat in their strollers, under Ben’s watchful eyes. He was getting bigger and smarter. Like his mom and dad, he was friendly. Probably not a mean bone in his body. He’d never develop superpowers. That’d destroy his sweetness. He’d have to be always on his guard.

Morrissey was blasting on Apple Music as they sat down to eat and sip Pinot Noir from City Winery. Their conversation flowed as smoothly as the wine and Morrissey’s voice. Some people hate the Moz. He speaks the truth and is a great man and entertainer.

Marc and Alana discussed the mess with Christy A. Jen was still a little shaken from her run-in with them. She was still pleased that Jerry was there to keep them safe. She was amazed at how a little boy could be so strong. But she knows he’s Jay’s kid and Anat adopted him when Jay left him for dead. That kid had to be strong.

Jen’s a decent cook. She served skirt steaks with cauliflower and other veggies. She even baked a peach cobbler. Meanwhile, Christy A. was near the Conference House. She rarely goes to Staten Island. No one was sure why she left Brooklyn. Who would ever?

A band was about to play. They opened with “Rescue” from Echo & the Bunnymen and played a medley of tunes from the Cure, the Smiths, R.E.M., Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys. I guess a cover band can mix the Cure in with the Smiths. Imagine Morrissey and Robert being civil to each other?

They just finished playing R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” and launched into the Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry.” As soon as the vocalist got to the lyrics, “I try to laugh about it and hide all the tears in my eyes,” there were tears all over the Conference House.

Middle-aged adults, some with their young children, were getting smacked with semolina bread. The goths were hit harder than the others. None of the people who usually stopped Christy A. were anywhere near Staten Island.

Almost at the same time, Marc’s, Alana’s, Jen’s and Anat’s iPhones buzzed with an Apple News flash. It mentioned the NYPD was on the scene at the Conference House trying to stop an attack. They texted Dan to see what he knew. He wrote back that he was out in the park with Gili when he got the alert. His commander asked how fast he could get to the Conference House. He said he’d rush over.

Meanwhile, things were getting messier in Tottenville at the site of the Conference House. The emergency response unit was getting smashed. Dan dropped Gili off at his parents’ and jumped into his car and prayed that Anat and her Avenger-like friends were en route. He had no idea.

His Wi-Fi wasn’t working well. He was able to call Anat. She was home and said she’d do her best to get there. But the trip from the Upper East Side to the southernmost tip of Staten Island was not easy to make. She’s not Superman and couldn’t fly. She didn’t have a tie fighter. She would figure it out. She wondered where the others were.

My Watch’s Funeral

May It Bring Us a World Championship from Its Final Resting Place

By Mitchell Slepian

I love watches. I haven’t given them up because of my iPhone and do not own an Apple Watch. I’d never stop looking at it. I like traditional timepieces. They are classy. I dream of a few—Breitling, Panerai, and Patek Philippe—probably more.

At least a decade ago, my mom gave me a New York Yankees (NYY) watch as a holiday gift. She got my brother-in-law a New York Mets one. I guess a Boston Red Sox timepiece would have been worse. Sadly, my watch died.

About three weeks ago, I took it to the jewelry store thinking it needed a new battery. The jeweler is a big-time Yankee fan. Whenever I go there, we chat about the boys from ‘Da Bronx. I asked him to change the battery. He popped it open and inserted a new battery. He couldn’t set the time. He examined the watch like the trainers look at the injured players and declared it dead.

We were both upset. He said, time for a new watch. They always try to sell me watches. They have a nice collection. They did not have any NYY or novelty watches. Just nice brands, such as Hamilton, Longines, Seiko (not Grand Seiko, another dream), and Tissot.

I texted and called my mom about the death. She understood my despair. She told me I should bury it at Yankee Stadium.

I faithfully wore this watch during many seasons. Sometimes, I wore it to the Stadium. About a year ago, I got another NYY watch. I switched between the two. I want a World Series one. That’s another story.

As the Beatles sing, “Your Mother Should Know,” she knew. I had to plan a funeral. I knew it should be conducted the next time the Red Sox were in town. A few days ago, I carried my watch in its black case. Now it’s coffin, and took it to the Stadium. I was already going to the game. As usual, I got there four or five hours before they opened the gates.

I walked around Macombs Dam Park. That’s where the original Stadium was. I miss it dearly and wish it still stood. I used to walk by it when it was boarded up. I used to say prayers for it. I wasn’t the only one.

I got the Lou Gehrig sign, which has his famous “Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” quote. I took the watch out of its bag and went to the baseball fields that used to be the field. I gathered up as much dirt as I could put into the bag.

Final look at watch at its resting place

I placed the watch in front of the sign. I took a final look and sealed the coffin. I began to pray. I told it to RIP and asked the former greats, who watch over us, to welcome it. I included (George) Steinbrenner. We really need him.

I dumped the dirt out of the bag and placed it on top of the watch’s casket. My eyes teared. I said the mourners’ kaddish, took three steps back, and walked off to Stan’s. I sat shiva for it there. I did wash as one does when leaving a cemetery.

May it RIP and bring us #28. Then I can get my World Series watch.

What Does AI Really Know About You?

How Accurate Is It?

By Mitchell Slepian

I read on a social media platform to do a deep AI search of yourself. You should see what people find about you when they search for you. It’s a good idea.

These days, organizations do that as a pre-employment check, potential dating partners check you out and organizations do it to see if you’re okay to volunteer with them. This is only the top of the list.

Maybe you read my May 15 post, “Is AI Really That Smart?” I discuss its accuracy and your need to verify. AI is a great tool, and it is forging ahead. We are in the midst of a revolution. We are also at a learning stage.

The other day, I took the advice from my reading and did an AI search on myself. I used Google. I have found that it and X’s Grok offer the easiest and quickest searches. Was what I found about me accurate? Yes and no. Was it concerning? Not really. Was it funny? A little. Was it slightly misleading? Yes.

Let’s jump into it. It quickly found my employment records. All it did was search LinkedIn. It was fairly accurate. It didn’t pull up the timing I had for certain roles. But it was not terribly off. My LinkedIn profile is accurate as the platform allows. That’s the simple stuff.

I asked it about my interests. It quickly pulled up my loves: the Yankees, summer camp, and theater, particularly at Lincoln Center. I am in love with the fountain. I’d love to jump into it. That’d be way cooler than jumping into the one at Washington Square Park. I have been in that one when there was no water in it. I’d have no problem jumping it when the water was in it. People do it every day. Lincoln Center’s fountain is too classy. Maybe they can do a fundraiser and let people pay to jump in. I’d donate and jump.

I asked it some questions. It said I was an avid Knicks fan, and I do not follow the NFL. I only follow MLB. I am not a Knicks fan. Sure, I am rooting for them in the championship. I have never watched a basketball game in my life. I was once offered tickets in the area Spike Lee sits. I turned them down because I was attending a more exciting (at least in my mind) event at the Plaza Hotel. Google told me to I check the scores of their games. During the final game of the playoff round, I checked once while I was watching the Bronx Bombers. As a New Yorker, I felt the need to know. I was glad they won. Does this constitute me being a hardcore fan? No way.

I asked it about my family. It noted that my father passed away. It mentioned my mom was an RN. It said, “I am very close to my sister, and we travel regularly to Long Island for photo shoots.” I do a lot of photo shoots. My photography is mostly shot at Coney Island, Scout camps, my European vacations, and the East and Hudson Rivers. My first one on Long Island will be next week at Baiting Hollow Scout Camp. My sister will not be there. She has never been to any of my photo shoots. Oh, the ones I allegedly do on the Island are shots of the stars. I tried that once in Forest Hills. One day, I will try again. It also said someone who is not my sister is.

I asked it what music I like. It said the top of my lists are Sir Elton, Billy Joel, and it claimed I don’t like the Beatles. I love the Fab Four. It expanded to list my new-wave and punk loves – The Clash, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, and others. It left out my favorite band, U2. Was it right or wrong about music? I am not sure. Google pulled stuff from my blogs. In some of them, I mentioned what I listen to while I am writing or editing photography. All of these bands are in there. For the record, I am listening to goth right now. So, I guess AI was making educated guesses.

Rock Lake in Kunatah, Ten Mile River Scout Camps

It noted “Rent” is my favorite show. Hands down, it is. It pulled up my volunteer work and my role as chairman of the Ten Mile River Scout Museum. It mentioned my other volunteer work and attendance at religious services. It might have made me too religious. It is what it is.

It chronicled my Scouting America history. It noted that I was the chief of the former Aquehongian Lodge #112 and that I am an Eagle Scout. It got a few other things right and some things wrong. Funny thing is, I searched on the same terms two days in a row. One day it said this. The next day, it said that. It also pulled my fiction blogs and looped what my characters are doing as me. Most of the characters are based on me. That has never been mentioned. So maybe AI figured that out.

Bottom line, AI is getting there. Is it 100 percent accurate? Will it ever be? Probably not. But will it be really close? No doubt about it. Should you use it as your final check to judge a future hire or date? No. Should you still verify and check other sources? Absolutely.

Marc and Christy Finally Meet

By Mitchell Slepian

Marc was near Grand Central Station. He had just exited Metro-North and was heading towards Wollensky’s Grill. He needed a filet mignon. He passed by Midtown Comics and decided to stop in. He was happy he was not featured in any comic books. He, Alana, and Anat tried to keep it that way. Shocked they are that nothing has been printed. They figured they were strong with their versions of The Force that they were able to skate by.

Marc was reading an Incredible Hulk book and glanced at Wolverine. He walked up to the counter to purchase them. When a girl looking like the images sent by Anat of Christy was reading a book featuring Harley and Poison Ivy. Marc wasn’t sure if it was her. But sensed it was. He tapped his iPhone; his books were bagged, and he walked down the store’s steps and proceeded toward Forty-Ninth Street and Third Avenue. He was tasting the glass of Sauvignon Blanc they always poured him as he walked in.

He was a block away when he saw stale bread flying through the air. Remember, Christy killed the woman Marc hates. So, he still held her in somewhat high regard. But knew she was dangerous and needed to be stopped.

He saw her randomly hitting a family: mom, dad, and a girl about three years old. Marc fired pomegranates at Christy. He also backed them up with honey. Christy stopped for a second. Marc yelled out Why did you kill that woman?

Christy smiled and launched more bread. Marc shot back. The two volleyed back and forth for what seemed like an hour. It was about 15 minutes. Christy’s eyes started to stick from the honey in her eyelids.

Marc nailed her in the nose with a pomegranate. Christy fell. Marc got closer and checked her out. She was down for the count. Or was she? As he got slightly closer, her hands launched a huge piece of stale bread dripping with rancid butter. Marc deflected it, and it smacked Christy in the mouth. She bit into it and smiled.

A Great Opera

Marc and Alana loved “La bohème.” They knew they would. This was their thirteenth time seeing it. They knew the fourteenth and fifteenth viewings were on the way. The two turned their iPhones on as they exited the opera house.

Marc had his usual sports and market notifications from Apple News. But what caught his eye was that the woman who was attacked near Lincoln Center passed. Marc flashed his phone in front of Alana’s eyes. The two of them looked at each other and slowly cracked smiles. They would never want to hurt anyone. They only use their powers for good. Before Anat turned to their side, they never sought to kill her. All they did was slow her down. But this woman was so evil and did vile things that they always believed the world would be better off without her. They decided they would toast Christy when they got their beers.

The two got into the restaurant and ordered PJ Clarke’s proper fish chips with mugs of Stella Artois. They raised their glasses and saluted Christy. But they also knew they needed to keep close watch on her. She was deadly. She could go after decent people. They texted Anat to check in on their kids and inform her of what happened.

Anat knew of the not-so-dearly departed beast. She knew she’d raise a glass as soon as her babysitting duties ended. She would never drink while minding the children.

When Anat fought, she would never have killed anyone. This holds even when she was evil. She just wanted control and to put her enemies in their place. She and Jen even made up for what happened in camp when they were kids. Christy is a different character.

But they were pleased that the woman she took out is dead. They would have never killed that slob. Odds are, they would have never even attacked her. That is, unless she did something to them. The beast hated Marc the most. But she had issues with the others. She had issues with everyone. The world was now a better place. But they would have to stop Christy.

The Art of Being Thankful

By Mitchell Slepian

Is saying thanks over? Is an auto thank you note received from organizations that you donate to in memory of someone or to help someone fundraise for a cause enough?

We all know that as soon as you donate online, most organizations send you an automated thank-you message. Yes, I donate to a few places that do not do that. They do not even send out traditional thank-you notes or acknowledge it when they say ‘you’. I am not talking about a small donated. But even that deserves it. I recently did the NY AIDS Walk. People donated anywhere from $10 to $100 to help my fundraising effort. Yes, the GMHC, which sponsors the walk, sends the automatic email to the donor and to me as the fundraiser.

I personally thanked everyone as soon as I saw they donated. In most cases, I did via a personal email. I made a few calls or did it in person. After the walk, I sent a few pictures and wrote a cheesy thank-you note quoting my favorite show, “Rent.” I included a few images from the walk and noted the total. Some people wrote back and congratulated me. I hope to do better next year.

Recently, I attended a few or two. I made donations to the places the deceased’s family asked mourners to donate. I got the note from the organization in the mail fairly quickly. All noted that they told the families. They never wrote back.

Years ago, a co-worker of mine gave birth to a girl. I sent a Baby Gap gift card. She sent an email to thank me. Some people mentioned that she should send a traditional note. I said, thinking she probably thought it was a waste of paper. For the record, I hate using stamps. But do when I need. I used to wait in line at the post office and buy one stamp. I know how to buy books of stamps. I usually lose them. Lo and behold, a few weeks after she sent the email, she sent a personal thank-you note via snail mail. Class.

As technology forges ahead, some remain traditional and classy. Some forget to.

Christy Gets More Violent

Christy was near Lincoln Center. She was not on the campus, certainly, nowhere near the fountain that Marc loves so much. The usual crowd heading to the theaters was round and about. She was watching them.

She noticed a disgusting woman, who was about 5’2 and slightly overweight, and was wearing glasses. The woman was texting on her phone using Siri. The sound of her voice nauseated Christy. She made herself sound important. At least she tried to. Christy heard such arrogance in this heinous specimen’s voice. She stood there waiting and listening. She knew she had to attack. It was a matter of timing.

The woman put her phone into her purse. As she was zipping it, stale, moldy bread landed between the zipper’s threads. All of a sudden, pieces were flying all over. They were smacking her in the head. They got caught in her eyes. One piece belted in the back. Christy just wouldn’t let up.

Turns out Marc and Alana were on their way to the opera. They were only a few blocks away and in their own world. Their twins were at Anat’s, smiling as they were eating baby food. Anat has turned into quite the mommy.

Marc and Alana were excited to see “La Boheme” for the 12th time. They couldn’t get enough of it. They knew they’d keep seeing it every opera season. Sometimes they’d see it more than once. They were heading to the brunch at the Smith before the matinee. Once it concluded, they’d wind up at PJ Clarke’s.

Christy was still attacking this woman, who was now wheezing around on the concrete and barely able to breathe. People were gathering around her. Christy was now perched atop the roof of David Geffen Hall. She was no longer slinging bread.

Sirens were blaring as Marc and Alan approached Lincoln Center. They saw pieces of bread all over. They knew what happened. They sensed Christy was nearby. They saw the EMTs pull up and lift the woman onto a gurney. Marc froze.

He knew the woman Christy attacked. He did not like her at all. The two used to fight at an old job like cats and dogs. Marc never wanted to see people get hurt. But in his mind, he was not upset that this woman was being rushed to the hospital. He overheard the EMTs say she was not breathing and had a lot of blood loss. They weren’t sure if she was going to make it. Tough as it was for him, he cracked a smile. This woman was the beast from hell.

What Do People Want to Read?

Where Do Their Interests Lie?

By Mitchell Slepian

We all know we are swamped by too much copy. Whether it be news, fiction, non-fiction, or social media posts. We can agree that social media falls between fiction and non-fiction. We all know people who swear by it and believe everything that’s posted.

Some of you know, for many years, I have been working on a graphic novel. It is taking too long. I need an illustrator. For those of you following, Marc, Alana, Anat, and the rest of the bunch, I thank you. There will be more soon enough.

The questions on my mind are: What are people interested in reading, and how can I get them to read it? As a PR professional, I was taught that when pitching a journalist, I need to explain why a story is newsworthy and why readers will care. I remember creating the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) Economic Outlook Survey Index. The AICPA had an economic outlook survey. No one cared about it. Duke University and CFO Magazine partnered on one. Several other universities had a survey I wanted ours to reach new heights. At the time, we did it with North Carolina State University. I spoke to trusted reporters at Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires, and a few other media outlets. The journalists told me to create one index. I got approval and did it. I offered embargoed data to Bloomberg, Dow Jones, and The New York Times. All of them ran it. That was in 2011. The survey continues to run and gets top-tier media coverage. I have long left the AICPA. But now I was able to create something that people wanted to read.

I have been writing blogs on many topics, including but not limited to AI and how it is shaping our future, Coney Island, how people try to sit anywhere at shows and games at Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, and other venues, the Staten Island Ferry, etc.

The Drop on the Cyclone, Luna Park, Brooklyn, NY

My blog about Coney Island and the Ferry got many clicks. The AI blog got several comments on LinkedIn. But one person read it. Weird. I wrote about LinkedIn. People did read it. Did it reach the numbers of Coney Island and the ferry? Not even close. I know from my PR work that certain industry trades carry a lot of weight. Their circulation numbers are not high. But consistent placement in those outlets leads to top-tier media, such as The Wall Street Journal.

The Ferry Sailing By the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge

I know my blog posts are not at the level of the top trades and media. But I have a small but growing following. My AI post would have opened up new areas. Maybe we haven’t gotten there with AI yet. Or we are over exposed, and people are taking a break from reading about it.

The question remains: are people more interested in things that are changing and reshaping our world? Or, would they rather read about the things they grew up with and are closest to?

Is AI Really That Smart?

Or Is It Just a Tool?

By Mitchell Slepian

We are all using AI. We are all worried about it. Will it cancel our jobs? Will it take over? How useful is it? Will we see AI-created art the next time we visit the Guggenheim?

We are the beginnings of a new phase. We could be a little further into it. The questions raised are is it smarter than us? There are many answers. To begin, we have seen so many industries change. At one point, there were a few news stations we’d watch on our TV sets. Then came 24-hour cable news programs. Now they stream and it is all over social media. We used to listen to music on records, reel-to-reelss, 8-track, the trusty old cassette, and then the “modern” CD. Now we listen to it digitally on our phones, laptops, Alexa, etc.

I just completed working on a video for an organization I chair. The producer used Speechify for the narration. Did it solve our needs? Did it create more work? Yes and No. Sure, it took the voice narrative and created a transcript. It saved time. Did it spell things right? No. Con Edison became “Khan Edison.” We didn’t have Star Trek characters in our video. I wish. Did it spell people’s surnames right? Yes and No. A few times, it spelled a name correctly at the beginning of the video and butchered it elsewhere. Did it pronounce things right? Yes and No. It can’t capture ethnic accents. It certainly provided a lot of help. But we wanted our video to sound authentic, with that Brooklynese and Staten Island sound. Was it useful to our process? Totally. What did we learn? The apps are super helpful. Are they foolproof? No. Should we continue to use and expand our use? Yes.

There are tools like Grammarly to do grammar checks. Word does it. Do they get everything? No. These tools often make mistakes with proper nouns and trademarked names, and they are obsessed with the Oxford or serial comma. Some style manuals (APA and Chicago) use it. At the same time, some (AP) does not. Wordsmiths will continue to debate this. Do we need the clarity it provides, or should we save space? Will AI learn this? Will it make suggestions to steer you in the right direction? I bet it will.

These tools suggest other words than what you wrote. Are they accurate? It is a mixed bag. You can run the same copy through the app multiple times. Try using different apps. It is like looking at multiple weather apps. One says rain. The says heat wave. These apps have similarities. It often gives different grades and suggestions each time. You can get a 100 on round two and a 94 on round three. I doubt that in the span of five minutes, it is being reprogrammed to catch new things. But it does clean things up and gives you a good idea of what needs improvement. It is up to you to use the tools to fix things.

AI works great when building press lists for PR pros. It can do a deep dive into a media outlet and pull up key contact information, deadlines, and submission requirements. It is great when doing research. It is great when doing background information on companies you want to do business with. Sometimes, using Google’s Gemini or X’s Grok, you get quicker results than searching a corporate website.

But when using it, you must verify. Do some quick research to make sure things are accurate. Proof it. Do not trust it 100 percent. It will always get better and become a more useful tool. Of course, we need to remember it is only as smart as those who programmed it. But in many ways, we are getting smarter by challenging ourselves to be more innovative.

Is LinkedIn Worth It?

Has It Helped You?

By Mitchell Slepian

LinkedIn officially launched on May 5, 2003. I remember joining it shortly after. I worked at Vonage. I was at my desk when someone called to do business with us. The caller mentioned she found me because she saw I was connected to a colleague of hers on LinkedIn. That was part of the platform’s original purpose – to provide connections. I really didn’t know the person she mentioned, whom she connected me with. But my eyes opened.

I began connecting with more and more people. I am careful with who I connect with. Many people probe your profile and try to scam you for money. They say they are recruiters and resume writers, and that they hold various professional credentials. They impersonate legitimate employees at companies such as Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and many others. Those companies often post notifications on their websites to alert users to these fraudsters. They tell how they will write your corporation’s content and provide a fake copy as an example. They always ask for your credit card. I have never fallen prey to these shenanigans. Yeah, Facebook, Instagram, and X have scammers. But in my experience, LinkedIn attracts more.

I know many people who are obsessed with making new connections and are posting routinely. I do both. I always hope it’ll lead to bigger things. We all want that. Has it? Not yet. I hope.

Companies post. Of course, those who do it right build their business. It can be great for that. For the last year or two, I have had a Premium membership. I did that a few years ago and canceled. I decided to try it again. It gives you first dibs on its job board, InMail, and other good things, but only in limited ways.

But the question raised is, is it worth it? My views have increased. I post my blogs and corporate content, and I’m a top poster on the Nikon Z users’ page. For the most part, the same people like and comment. The bigger question is, do people read what you post? Meaning, I add links to things. I can pretty much see who is clicking on them. For the most part, the LinkedIn audience does not. I do better with emails, Facebook, and Instagram.

People write about how to do better on LinkedIn. People talk about it all the time. Have I gotten any interviews by applying to roles on its job boards? Yes. Has it helped me land a job? No. Other job boards have worked better. Much better.

Bottom line, it is important to use LinkedIn. But one must not rely on it as much as some do. The key things are to use many of its competitors and be careful who you connect with on LinkedIn. The same goes for other sites. Will I renew Premium? Probably. It does offer some pluses. Is it the best platform? No.

But I am sure I will see ‘ya on LinkedIn and the other sites.