NYT-1201: STATE OF THE ART A Thermostat That's Clever, Not ...

eing honored at the 21st annual Broadcasting & C
able Hall Of Fame awards. She left around 5:15 a.m
., presumably after a solid night of sleep. I was
still typing.
Clinton passed through after a Nov. 8 player meeti
ng at the Sheraton. He stopped long enough to shak
e hands, hug the union president Derek Fisher and
hand out copies of his book, before heading to a “
Daily Show” taping.
Along the way, I learned that the Cole Porter pian
o, in the Waldorf lobby, is a major tourist attrac
tion. (We resisted the urge to plank it.) I learne
d that the Lowell, a boutique hotel on East 63rd S
treet, makes amazing chocolate-chip cookies. The L
owell also provided my back rest, as I sat on the
63rd Street sidewalk on the night of Oct. 4, and w
rote that the N.B.A. had just canceled the first t
wo weeks of the season.
The hotels were chosen, often at the last minute,
based on the availability of conference rooms. N.B
.A. officials had a particular affinity for the Lo
well, which had a tiny lobby, forcing us to wait o
utside.
Passers-by, many of them walking tiny dogs, often
asked if we were waiting for someone famous. No, w
e told them, just David Stern.
During one of the early stakeouts, Popovich, the S
an Antonio Spurs coach, jogged by and seemed start
led to find N.B.A. reporters on the sidewalk. He c
laimed to have no idea that negotiations, which in
volved the Spurs owner Peter Holt, were going on n
earby.
On another night, I watched a man surreptitiously
videotape a couple having dinner at the French bis
tro across the street. Apparently, someone was abo
ut to get divorced.