G’mar chatima tova! Welcome to Friday, intrepid innovators, and not just any Friday but the Friday before Yom Kippur, Judaism’s annual Day of Atonement.
Lest you be confused, followers of the faith – like Christians and practitioners of other religions – do confess their sins to God throughout the year (in fact, many Jews do so daily). But on Yom Kippur, it’s more of a communal thing (“we” instead of “I”), acknowledging that sins against other people (and true forgiveness for them) require direct apologies.
There’s also specific (and repetitive) prayers and 25 hours of total abstinence from food and drink (including water), bathing, lotions/oils/deodorants/perfumes on the skin, leather shoes and sex. The holiest day of Judaism’s year begins at sundown Sunday and runs through sundown Monday … like we said at the top, “a good final sealing” to you all. (More Yom Kippur-ness below.)
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Back here on Friday, we’re kicking off our week-in-review edition with a nod to National Respect Day, a Sept. 18 love-in when differences of the religious, political and all other varieties should be tempered by an extra dose of tolerance and understanding. (And with that … please put your hands together for the immortal Aretha Franklin!)
Healthy? It’s a stretch: But Rice Krispies Treats are certainly tasty, today and any day.
We’re also jumping in (with both feet) on World Water Monitoring Day, which is all about the critical importance of protecting the planet’s limited H20 resources – exactly the opposite of what the current presidential administration is doing with boneheaded anti-environmental orders like this and this and this and this. But hey, show a little respect.
Unless you got buns, hun: Whatever god (or false idol) you pray to, be thankful you’re not fasting today – not on National Cheeseburger Day, when mouthwatering all-beef patties set the tone (special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame-seed bun are all optional).
And be sure to chase that Whopper, Wendy’s classic or other burger of choice with a sweet and chewy delight – National Rice Krispies Treats Day is always served warm and gooey on Sept. 18.
Precious commodity: Not gooey, but always sweet, is top-tier jeweler Tiffany & Co., which opened on this date in 1837 in New York City (as fancy stationery store Tiffany, Young and Ellis, for those keeping score).
Essential reading: Also in New York City, The New York Times – despite sensational attacks from the right, still a bastion of rigorous fact-checking and investigative journalism – rolled out Vol. 1, Issue 1 on Sept. 18, 1851.
Good night and good luck: What would the great Edward R. Murrow say about the death of CBS Radio?
Bad news: Speaking of historic news outlets, the CBS Radio Network – a once-proud enterprise that became a defunct relic of the Digital Era when it shut down in May – first hit the airwaves on this date in 1927.
Best defense: Creating the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, the United States Air Force and other cornerstones of the U.S. National Military Establishment (later solidified as the U.S. Department of Defense), the National Security Act of 1947 took effect 79 years ago today
…and the world laughs with you: And on a much lighter note, three of television history’s most beloved sitcoms debuted on Sept. 18.
“The Addams Family” premiered on the ABC Television Network in 1964, with two NBC Television Network hits – “Get Smart” and “I Dream of Jeannie” – bowing in 1965.
Il capo di tutti capi: American actor and producer James Gandolfini Jr. (1961-2013) – a beloved gentle giant who menaced, amused and racked up awards as mob boss Tony Soprano – would be 65 years old today.
Actually, she’d make a great G.I. Jane: Yeah, we said it.
Also born on Sept. 18 were French physicist Jean Bernard Léon Foucault (1819-1868), an accomplished 19th Century experimentalist remembered best for his Earth-rotation-confirming pendulum; German Austrian inventor Siegfried Marcus (1831-1898), an oft-forgotten pioneer of gasoline-powered automobiles; Swedish American actress Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, 1905-1990), arguably history’s most influential screen actress; American physicist Edwin McMillan (1907-1991), the Nobel Prize-winner who introduced the world to transuranium elements; and Portuguese professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, 1985), rightfully ranked among this century’s greatest soccer stars.
Slapdash: And take a bow, Jada Koren Pinkett Smith! The multitalented, Emmy Award-winning American actress, talk show host, author, musician, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist and cancer survivor – not to mention focal point of the slap heard ’round Hollywood – turns 55 today.
We admit it – we can already hear “keep my wife’s name out your f@¢&!₦₲ newsletter,” and it’s making us a bit nervous. So hurry up with those birthday wishes, news tips and calendar events, all welcome (quickly) at editor@innovateli.com.
About our sponsor: New York Institute of Technology’s 90-plus undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral degree programs incorporate applied research, real-world case studies and professors who bring decades of industry knowledge into the classroom. The university’s student-centered approach, academic support programs, generous scholarships and career-oriented programs support its mission to provide all qualified students access to opportunity – while its community of doers, makers, innovators and healers empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st Century challenges and reinvent the future. Learn more here.
BUT FIRST, THIS
In a jiff: The species that brought you Jiffy Lube, Jiffy Pop and Jiffy mix (that’s “America’s favorite” corn muffin mix, for the record) has now brought Jiffy Knee to Long Island.
Specifically, Catholic Health’s St. Joseph Hospital has brought the muscle-sparing knee-replacement procedure to the Island, with the first Jiffy Knee surgery performed in August at the Bethpage-based facility (with a tip of the cap to the hospital’s Mako robotic-arm surgical technology). While traditional knee-replacement surgeries often slice through the quadriceps tendon and surrounding tissue, Jiffy Knee’s unique technique accesses the knee joint and introduces the appropriate implants with less cutting, enabling a quicker recovery.
According to Catholic Health, 68-year-old patient John LaMarca was hobbling along with a walker within hours of the procedure – and was literally dancing on his new knee in about a week. “We’re focused on preserving the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint, while Mako gives us another advanced tool in the operating room,” noted St. Joseph Hospital Chief of Joint Replacement Eric Lepkowsky, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the procedure. “The goal isn’t just to replace a knee, it’s to help people get back to their lives.”
Good to the last drop, and beyond: Organizers hope the Coffee Bar & Learning Center in Nesconset will have long-lasting positive effects.
Medium iced vanilla Americano with oat milk and one pump of entrepreneurship: Long Island youth have a new chance to soak up some important business fundamentals – and knock back a few lattes along the way.
Causes For Kids, a Nesconset-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people through business and financial literacy, has raised the curtain on the Coffee Bar & Learning Center at 260 Smithtown Boulevard. Open to the public, the shop serves organic coffee and homemade pastries while creating direct opportunities for community members to support youth education, with proceeds funding Causes For Kids’ educational resources and outreach efforts – and, for younger customers, a full menu of real-world lessons in entrepreneurship, professional communications, customer and community service, and workforce readiness.
Causes For Kids is inviting local business owners, entrepreneurs, community leaders and corporate partners to support the Coffee Bar & Learning Center through sponsorships, educational partnerships and other collaborations. “We want young people to understand that ‘financial literacy’ is more than something they read about in a classroom,” noted Causes For Kids Founder Aleta Love. “Young people benefit from hearing real stories from people who have built businesses, developed careers, overcome challenges and learned how to make responsible financial decisions.”
TOP OF THE SITE
The children shall read: From the Hicksville-based Book Fairies to late, great Dolly Parton’s global Imagination Library, Voices Social Services Anchor Jeffrey Reynolds weighs the educational importance – and socioeconomic criticality – of nonprofits dedicated to childhood reading.
Free and clear to innovate: Innovate Long Island is on a mission to bolster your professional development with loads of actionable socioeconomic intel in our newsletters, on our podcasts and across our website – all for free. Please help us keep it that way … even the smallest support pledge goes a long way.
ICYMI
With extreme weather events, cyberthreats and demand on the rise, Stony Brook University’s new Digital Twin Studio lurches to the lead in the race to fortify power grids.
BEST OF THE WEST (AND SOMETIMES NORTH/SOUTH)
Innovate LI’s inbox overrunneth with inspirational innovations from all North American corners. This week’s brightest out-of-towners:
From Texas: Waco-based orthotic-footwear originator Revitalign showcases its newest outsole technologies with an advanced lace-up walking sneaker.
From Illinois: Bolingbrook-based protein-centric frozen-foods force The Real Good Foods Company reinvents the corn dog for a nationwide Walmart rollout.
From New York City: Social video app Giggle relaunches with a ground-up redesign featuring an in-app points system, digital collectables and new interactivity options.
ON THE MOVE
Michael Dowling
+ Michael Dowling has joined the Board of Trustees at Garden City-based Adelphi University. He is the former president and CEO of Northwell Health in New Hyde Park.
+ Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler has announced several new hires:
- Lauren Moskowitz has joined the firm as an associate in the Banking Practice Group. She was an associate at Lawrence and Walsh in Hempstead.
- Rachel Propis has joined the firm as an associate in the Surety and Construction practice groups. She was an assistant district attorney in the Office of the Bronx District Attorney.
- Christopher Spinosa has joined the firm as an associate in the Insurance Coverage Practice Group. He was a senior court attorney with the New York State Court of Appeals.
- Stephanie Besen has joined the firm as an associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group (pending bar admission). She was an intern in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York.
- Alexa Miller has joined the firm as an associate in the Corporate Practice Group (pending bar admission). She was a legal intern for the Filmmakers Legal Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City.
+ Joseph Greco has been appointed chairman of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council Board of Directors. He is executive vice president and chief of hospital operations for NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island in Mineola.
+ Takaaki Tanaka has been promoted to chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance and accounting at Melville-based Canon USA. He was general manager of the Finance Division.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask New York Tech). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Days Of Awe Edition)
Hate to disagree: But Macklemore’s comments were not antisemitic or any kind of hate speech, according to one Jewish scholar.
Metabolic: How the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can affect Yom Kippur fasting.
Hyperbolic: Amidst these High Holy Days, a Jewish reflection on the Macklemore mess.
Parabolic: Atonement is on the calendar, but this Hadar Institute instructor says true forgiveness must come from the heart.
Symbolic: Please continue supporting the impressive institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including the New York Institute of Technology, which perfectly combines science, creativity and diversity to stand as an ultimate champion of the Long Island innovation economy. Check them out.
Be the first to comment on "No. 1088: In which we read kids’ books, seek atonement, show proper respect and enjoy tasty cheeseburgers"