One of my main goals for The Guide is to share the things that excite me, and my “digital footprint” provides an interesting resource: the photos I I take, the movies I watch, the links I save. As I look back at the things I’ve saved just in the past month, they paint an interesting […]
A Declaration of Interdependence!
We are all members a wondrous, dysfunctional family. It’s called the human race. Unfortunately there are, and have always been, those that would mislead us for personal (or corporate) gain. We must have none of this. The goal of The Real Life Survival Guide is to shed some light on the truths that aren’t always so self-evident. Let us […]
The Real Life Survival Guide Podcast: Episode 1, The Westville Project
I’ve been driving my friends and family nuts over the past few months, ranting constantly about choice paralysis and the need for human curation in a world of limitless options. (Apple Music came out yesterday, and its curated playlists are amazing.) At the same time, our house is in a weird state of limbo due to […]
A Brief History of Smith and Barber
I woke up at the Howard Johnson’s Long Wharf, and showered. It was March 4th, 1985, 30 years ago last spring. I had clawed my up to the the position of morning show co host at 97 Rock, but had been fired in a format change at the beginning of the year. A guy named Neal […]
Regrouping and Recharging – At Chick’s In West Haven
The Real Life Survival Guide has been operating on “radio silence” lately. Every once in a while you just need to stop, take a breath, regroup and recharge. I was totally stressed the other day when my wife – “Dr J” – appeared at the door of my home office and suggested a trip to […]
Episode 72: Parenting College Aged Kids
As we concluded this series of conversations for WNPR, we turned to Parenting College Aged Kids”. Joining me for this episode were an expert in the field – Dr. Alan Kazdin from Yale – and several parents: Duo Dickinson, Susannah Bailin, Susan Jacobs, and Jon Crane. We met over wood-fired pizza at Da Legna, a new […]
Episode 71: Grief and Loss
In Episode 71 we talked about “Grief and Loss”, an issue we all struggled with following the unthinkable violence in Newtown on December 14th. Joining me at the beautiful new restaurant Indgo by the Water in Milford were Jocelyn Maminta, Jud Smith, Raeleen Mautner, Holly Adam and Licensed Professional Counselor Amanda Romaniello. Over her distinguished 20-year […]
Episode 70: Germs
For our 70th “in person”conversation, we’ll be talking about “Germs”, which came to mind because we’re having a really bad flu season, and because experts are now talking about the highly contagious (and extremely unpleasant) norovirus. Gathered around a table at the newly opened Lenny and Joe’s A Fish Tale‘s new Long Wharf restaurant (over some […]
Episode 69: Healthy Eating
As we rounded the corner in to 2013, my thoughts turned from the food I had been eating during the holidays to the food I’ve been eating during the football playoffs, and I figured it was a good time to talk about what we put in our bodies on a daily basis. For this conversation, […]
Episode 68: Volunteerism, Charity and Giving Back
I try to be a happy person, and I’m becoming more and more aware of the fact that to be truly happy, you have to look beyond yourself. (This seems particularly true when you consider recent events.) So I decided to pose the question “what role should things like “volunteerism, charity and giving back” play in […]
Episode 67: Holiday Stress
For episode 67 of the RLSG, we decided to talk about “holiday stress”. This was before our perception of the world changed – just two days ago – as the heartbreaking series of events played out in Newtown. There will be more than the normal level of stress during this holiday season, and for too […]
Episode 66: Conserving Energy In Your Home
This time I decided to focus on extreme temperatures and money – two things I have a problem with. For this conversation, I invited Duo Dickinson (who happens to be an architect with a passion for such matters), writer Bob Tedeschi, animal rescuer (and farm gal) Kathleen Schurman, travel industry goddess Katie Gerhard, and our […]
Episode 65: Getting Along
The holiday season has me thinking about parties, decorations and family togetherness… and the way people freak out when things don’t live up to their expectations. So, in honor of this “emotional minefield” of a time of year, I decided to convene a group of the usual suspects for a conversation about the broader subject of […]
Episode 64: Holiday Cooking with Jacques Pépin
The great paradox of the holiday season for me has always been the way joy and stress walk hand in hand as we traverse the short days of November and December. In our never ending quest to find “joy”, our intrepid producer Cindy Papish Gerber suggested we reach out to legendary chef Jacques Pépin to see […]
Episode 63: Family Finances
When you look at the degree to which families are worried about money these days, we’re talking about something of fairly epic proportions. College tuitions have risen faster than Apple’s stock price, while our economy has caused widespread belt tightening across a variety of social and economic lines. What to do? Go to a fun […]
Episode 62: Parenting
Out of all the things that confuse me (and there are many), parenting has to be at the top of my list. It’s something I really, really, really don’t want to screw up… but the correct path often seems so murky. To narrow down the list of parenting topics that we might explore in the […]
Episode 61: Dating, Divorce and Marriage
We’ve been focusing on the specifics of some of our “chapters” lately, and in the area of relationships, based on the fact that there are many difficulties associated with the process of coupling – and uncoupling – in 21st century life, it seemed ike a natural topic for the Guide. We invited Susan Jacobs, a divorce mediation […]
Episode 60: Civic and Social Responsibility
With the election season bearing down on us, we thought it appropriate to feature a conversation about our what our civic and social responsibilities should entail in what has turned out to be a pretty contentious time. I invited Ed Sabatino, Suzanne Cahill, Christopher Korenowsky and Justin Gill to talk over chicken wings and a […]
Episode 59: Organizing Stuff
“That’s meaning of life isn’t it – trying to find a place for your stuff.” George Carlin. The man is a genius. Our family downsized about three years ago, and, after we donated/sold/pitched out box after box of junk, it occurred to me that “stuff” might be a good topic for the Guide. I invited my architect […]
Episode 58: Buying Stuff
Having just arranged for the payment of a rather large college tuition bill (“arranged” meaning we borrowed most of it), the topic of “buying stuff” has begun to occupy a lot of my attention. Not only do I question the usefulness/necessity of some of my past purchases, I wanted to get an idea of what criteria others use […]
Episode 57: Educating Our Children
When the calendar switches from August to September, I can’t help but think about the various ways I have felt about fall over the years: nervousness and corduroys, preseason soccer, returning to college, and now, taking my son to college! Remembrances aside, it seems to me that any “manual for living” must contain a section on […]
Episode 56: Vacations
The goal of the Real Life Survival Guide is to explore common mistakes by sharing advice and expertise, and this week I decided to to focus our conversation on the summer ritual known as “the vacation”. I invited Sarah Kyrcz, who’s just back from Martha’s Vineyard, daddy and serial entrepreneur Ryan Duques, broadcaster and devoted single […]
Episode 55: Working
This week we gathered at The Rib House in East Haven Connecticut, to brainstorm ideas for the chapter on “working”, and in keeping with my self-congratulatory nature, I’m proud to report that I was able to feature several musical interludes in the episode, none of which is a far-too-obvious choice by Huey Lewis and the […]
Episode 54: Food and Cooking
Having spent an afternoon with some of New Haven’s most notable chefs, I got sense that the biggest mistake we make when selecting our food is a lack of mindfulness. Jason Sobocinski of Caseus (and of host restaurant Park Central Tavern) spoke about moderation – and the need to “…be focused on what you’re putting […]
Episode 53: Etiquette
Just before our brainstorming session on etiquette, Guest Editor Joanne Kahan sent me an email that read “Pretty sure etiquette is dying a slow death. Perhaps, we should do a Memorial”. That’s when I realized we were in for an interesting afternoon! Joining Joanne at The Winchester, a great new spot in Woodbridge, were our “Memorial” participants: architect (and […]
Episode 52: Redefining Friendship
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about which chapters to include in this “guide to modern living”, and one of the obvious choices is – and always has been – a chapter on ‘Relationships’. With this in mind, I convened our weekly brainstorming session at Zinc Restaurant on Chapel Street in New Haven. (Thanks to […]
Episode 51: Self Care
Welcome to a new phase in the development of The Real Life Survival Guide, as we focus our efforts on brainstorming ideas for the Guide around a single theme or “chapter“. For our 51st session we gathered at the amazing Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar in New Haven – to talk about the chapter on “Self Care”. Our guest editors […]
Episode 50: We Celebrate at Lyric Hall
I’ve been working on the concept for The Real Life Survival Guide – in one form or another – since the mid nineties. The idea was to create a radio show that was helpful and funny, and to use the Internet to extend the conversation. Having celebrated (and recorded) our 50th Episode, I do believe […]
Episode 49: Work, Health, Luck, and Kids Activities
As we near an important milestone in the evolution of the Real Life Survival Guide, our location selection for Episode 49 – as suggested by Gerry McGuire – was fitting. We gathered around a sunny table with stunning mountaintop views at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. Our guest editors included the aforementioned Mr. McGuire, as well […]
Episode 48: Boundaries, Down Time, and Getting Off The Phone
This week’s editorial meeting for the RLSG was recorded just before Mother’s day, so OF COURSE we met at chocolate shop! Big thanks to Jane Tamarkin, Danyel Aversenti, Susan Campbell, and Harlan Brothers for joining the conversation – and to Christian, Fritz, and everyone at the AMAZING Chocopologie in New Haven for hosting us. According […]
Episode 47: Unexpected Roaming Charges, Elderly Parents and Spring Allergies
Our guest editors are getting really good at choosing interesting topics, and this week was no exception; we held a lively meeting at Mikro (pronounced micro – as in brewing) in Hamden. Around the table: Tod Harris, Barbara Oliver, Joel Sachs, and Raeleen Mautner. Todney Harris is a teacher, and throughout his career he has shared his passion for […]
Episode 46: Friendships, Entitled Kids and DIY Projects
I don’t want to say that serving adult beverages makes for better conversation, but in Episode 46, recorded at Nini’s House of Tapas, the conversation flowed – and so did the vino! Joining the party; guest cohost Gerry McGuire (sitting in for Duo, who’s back next week), Barbie Douglas, Katie Gerhard, Mary Elliot and Jon […]
Episode 45: Personal Space, Interpersonal Assessment, and Graduation Gifts
I’ve known News 8 anchor Ann Nyberg for years now, and always describe her as “the whole package” – kind, generous… and drop dead gorgeous! Needless to say, when Ann offered to host Episode 45 of the Real Life Survival Guide, we couldn’t say “YES” fast enough! Joining Ann and her boutique-mate (and great friend) […]
Episode 44: Man Caves, Smartphone Fun and Empty Nests
We’ve been hearing great things about Olde School Saloon and Bistro in New Haven from some of our News 8 friends, and decided to record Episode 44 during their jazz brunch on a recent Sunday afternoon. The next thing we knew, Chef/Owner Jeff Arnold was showing us a 19th century basement space that proved irresistible […]
Episode 43: Home Gardens, Handling Money and Computer Hacks
It was a pretty raucous discussion at Caseus Fromagerie Bistro as we were joined by Owner (and Cooking Channel star) Jason Sobocinski who treated us to some great insights – and some incredible food and drink. (Mad props to Chuck from Chucklettes as well!) No less insightful were our AMAZING group of guest editors; Susan Bailin, Janice […]
Episode 42: I Thought It Was Episode 41
The great thing about co-hosting (and producing) your own radio show is that you have a great deal of the coveted control. The problem, at least in my case, is that this means that I control the errors as well, and you’ll hear a GLARING one about a minute into this week’s effort. Fortunately, the […]
Episode 41: 99 Percent Junk DNA
For the 41st meeting of our (extremely) informal “editorial board”, we gathered, in the company of four *amazing* women, at Carmine’s Tuscan Grill in New Haven. (Duo and I providing the “junk DNA”.) Over delicious (and healthful!) appetizers, we talked about embarrassing moments, guilty pleasures – and choosing activities for summer vacations – with Deborah Pan, Kathy […]
Episode 39: Happiness, Wealth, and Reasonable Self Promotion
We recorded Episode 39 at a lovely corner table at Carmen Anthony Steakhouse in New Haven – over their award-winning chopped salad and crab cakes – with our guest editors, Laura Campbell, Scott Feinberg, Jud Smith, and Gerry McGuire. We talked about correcting people, our infatuation with the rich, and navigating the DMV… Gerry McGuire took his love […]
Episode 38: The Silly Season
We chose O’Toole’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in New Haven as our venue for the 38th Real Life Survival Guide editorial board meeting, knowing that the show would air at the end of St. Patrick’s Day weekend. (What we didn’t know was the fact that the date would also mark the end of what the […]
Episode 37: Spring Springs Prematurely
We were thinking about flowers budding way too early in this week’s editorial board meeting for The Real Life Survival Guide, featuring Julie Braun, Lee White, Ryan Duques and Fred Lyle. (Lee says she has “stopped wearing socks, thinking that might spur spring up a bit”. Fred was concerned about his crocuses and rose bushes, and […]
Episode 36: The Man Show
Episode 36 was a bit of a college reunion; joining us my were fellow Hobart grads, New York Times Tech columnist Bob Tedeschi and ESPN producer Steve Petyerak. Rounding out this manly conclave: cohost Duo Dickinson, software engineer Justin Gill, and rugby coach and new media man John Broker. We met in a great spot […]
Episode 35: Ladies of the Connecticut Shoreline
We laughed a lot in Episode 35, recorded on a bright sunny day at the recently reopened Stone House in Guilford. The Stone House took a direct hit from Irene but is open for business and looking better than ever. The views – and the food – were SPECTACULAR, and we had conversations about about […]
Episode 34: Love Is In The Air
We recorded Episode 34 about a week before Valentine’s Day, so “love” was on the minds of our guest editors, dating coach Ronnie Ann Ryan, entrepreneur Danyel Aversenti, media personality Matt Scott, and freelance writer Sarah Kyrcz. Making matters even more romantic was the fact that we recorded our gathering at John Davenport’s on the 19th floor […]
Episode 33: Renovations, Commuting and Life Long Friendships
We had a lively editorial board meeting over delicious Mediterranean cuisine at The Greek Olive in New Haven’s Long Wharf section. (They’re a neighbor to the renowned Long Wharf Theater!) Our guest editors this week were Erika Horne, Gaye Hyre, Sallie Kraus, and Paul Schatz, and the conversations ranged from coping with family dramas caused by aging […]
Episode 32: Politics, Projects and Parties
We recorded this week’s episode at Bentara in New Haven’s Ninth Square (thanks to Niza for hosting us!), and our guest editors were Mary Elliot, Amy Nawrocki, Eric Lehman, and Paul Sessions. Mary is a stay-at-home Mom with four children, one husband and no pets unless you count that ant farm on the dresser in her […]
Episode 31: Food!
This week’s conversations took place at one of our favorite restaurants in New Haven: Union League Cafe (thanks Jean-Pierre!), and our guest editors were Cynthia Lyon, Susan Jacobs, and Cynthia’s sister, food critic Todd Lyon. Cynthia is the founder and leader of Eight To The Bar, where she is also the primary songwriter and arranger. She […]
Episode 30: Warmth, Email, Books and Relationships
We gathered to record Episode 30 at Cafe Romeo, the hip, delicious East Rock coffee shop. We were joined by Anne Witkavitch, Kristin Huffman, and Mark Branch, and hosted by Chris Mordececai. After getting her MFA, Anne Witkavich left Corporate America and started her own communications & change management consulting business. She also compiled and edited the […]
Episode 29: Vices, Heat, and Civic Duty
Episode 29 was recorded on a busy Sunday afternoon at the incredible Modern Apizza on State Street in New Haven. Our guest conversationalists were Debby Wan, Cristin Siebert and Ted Koppy. Debby is a Connecticut native but has recently moved to the New Haven area. She’s a mechanical engineer by trade and is also the […]
Episode 28: Social Networking, Tasty Food, and New Years Resolutions
Episode 28 was recorded on December 28th, 2011, as we dined on sustainable seafood at Miya’s Sushi on Howe Street. (Thanks, Bun!) Our Guest Editors were Kristen Cusato, Gary Choronzy and Ed Bartlett; As this new year begins, Kristen Cusato begins a new gig. No longer on News 8 in the morning, she is now following […]
Episode 27: Returns, Thank-yous, and Christmas with The McGuires
Episode 27 of The Real Life Survival Guide was recored at historic Lyric Hall in the Westville section of New Haven on December 18th. We were hosted by Colin Caplan – the creator of the Taste of New Haven eating and drinking tours – and joining the conversation were Marcia Simon, Holly Adam, and the aforementioned McGuires, […]