Daniel Medina, 11/30/11

Columbia Graduate School of Journalism student

The customers are gone. Empty red steel chairs line rows of computer desks where they once sat. A tall stack of bills lies on a cracking, worn-out wooden desk that cannot be repaired until business is good again, if that is anytime soon.

Erica Abeel, 11/30/11

Author, 'Conscience Point'

Loosey-goosey and festive, the event not only kicks off awards season -- its awards are often a bellwether for bigger trophies down the pike come Oscar night.

Steve Rosenbaum, 11/29/11

CEO, Magnify.net; Author, 'Curation Nation'

Over the past three years New York has shifted from being a sleepy backwater of tech innovation to a red hot center of startup activity.

Teri Karush Rogers, 11/30/11

Founder and CEO, BrickUnderground.com

If you are feeling more like an ATM than a person lately, check to see whether any of the descriptions below fit your agent. It may be time for a switch.

Steve Nelson, 11/29/11

Head of the Calhoun School in Manhattan

You high school seniors, applying to or waiting to hear from colleges, ignore all the nonsense about top tier schools. And especially ignore the ridiculous notion that your SAT score or grade point average defines who you are.

Ellen Sterling, 11/29/11

Award-winning journalist and editor

For so many of us, Thanksgiving is a special day. For Tiger Martina Thanksgiving 2011 was a most special day, and an estimated 45 million people shared it with him both in person and via television.

Len Berman, 11/30/11

Emmy Award winning sportscaster and New York Times Bestselling Author

Bobby Valentine will be the new Red Sox manager. That should inject an extra dose of fun into the Yankees/Red Sox wars.

Steven Cohen, 11/28/11

Executive Director, Columbia University’s Earth Institute

We do not yet have the technology we need to create a renewable energy economy. Someday we will. The question is how fast can we get there, and how much of the planet's ecosystem will remain intact when we do?

Steve Fraser, 11/29/11

Visiting Professor, New York University; Author, 'Wall Street: America's Dream Palace'

In 1729, Jonathan Swift's idea was simple: the starving Irish should sell their own children to the rich as food. I want to suggest that we put in motion a similar undertaking. The basic idea is that we offer ourselves up as a sacrifice to the bond markets.

Andy Ostroy, 11/29/11

Political & pop culture analyst

There's only one thing that can actually make Newt Gingrich's history of marital infidelity seem trite, and its name is Herman Cain. The man who gave us bad pizza and an even cheesier tax overhaul plan is once again at the center of a new sex scandal.

Larry Hirsch, 11/29/11

Former Democratic State Committeeman

Reading the arguments for and against the Living Wage Bill currently before the City Council, there seems to be a logical way to move it forward that will both help workers and protect small businesses.

Eric Peterson, 11/29/11

Brooklyn-based writer and designer

While some may utilize appealing rhetoric and claim to work in our name, it is clear that no one else is going to create the city we imagine for us, this is our job.

Rozanne Gold, 11/29/11

Chef and author

In a frenzied and scholarly approach, the team scoured the country for the best sommeliers from coast to coast, where they gleaned insights and secrets from dozens of cellar zealots who cumulatively represent decades of training and experience.

Tracy Shaffer, 11/29/11

Writer/Realtor/Thriving Artist Alliance Founder

On my recent trip to New York City, I found an undeniable theme running through the New York/new play scene: a place called Denver.

Regina Varolli, 11/28/11

Freelance Writer

The Chocolate Show returned to NYC this year with more vendors than you can count, an extravagant Chocolate Fashion Show, and dessert demonstrations from some of the best pastry chefs in America.

Toni Haber, 11/28/11

Real Estate Broker

The terrace was 800 square feet. I didn't take another sip of wine -- I immediately ran down to my doorman and asked him to give me the keys to the empty apartment. I needed to see it right away. It was love at first sight.

Ed Koch, 11/28/11

Former Mayor, New York City

Protesters in the streets often shout the slogan, "Power to the People." The people already have the power to change and improve our society by removing from office those elected officials who have failed in their obligations.