The Ground Zero Mosque

I couldn’t have said it better myself….

“President Chooses Wrong Side – Again”
by Charles Hurt

Ultimately, politics is all about priorities.
Whose defense a politician rushes to first tells you whose side he is on. And will always be on.
No amount of backpedaling and obfuscation later by even the most magical of politicians can erase the colors he has chosen.
So, after weeks of his administration’s repeatedly dodging the scary issue of whether a mosque should be built within sneering distance of Ground Zero, President Obama decided to pick a side.
In a roomful of Muslim-Americans observing a religious feast at the White House, Obama once again embraced them first over the victims, survivors and rememberers of 9/11.
With our soldiers still fighting wars overseas and atrocities still committed regularly in the name of Islam, Obama did not-standing there in the White House-see the opportunity before him to demand that Muslim leaders do more to scrub away the blight in their religion.
Nor did he see the opportunity, given his personal legitimacy among Muslims, to demand that the Islamic world practice the tolerance and love of freedom that is the hallmark of the very civilizations that the terrorists want to obliterate – again, in the name of Islam.
Instead, in the sea of pain and agony that lingers from that horrible terrorist attack nine years on, Obama determined once again that it is Americans who must do more.
Survivors of 9/11 need to just get over it.
They really need to be more tolerant.
Just as Obama always seems to side against Israel in Middle East matters, Obama has once again sided against a massive group of Americans on this issue.
If we have learned nothing else from the plotters of the Ground Zero mosque, it is that they certainly are not tolerant of those who justifiably feel maligned by their designs.
At the very least, they are provocateurs willing to insult those innocents upon whom hell on earth was unleashed nine years ago – in the name of Islam.
In a speech to the Muslim world last year in Cairo, Obama made the astonishing assertion that “it is part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”
You cannot say you were not warned.

The Best Little Whorehouse in….Congers??

Summertime in Congers is a time of community gatherings. We meet at parades, carnivals, circuses, fireworks displays, the town pool, backyard barbecues and picnics. We have several playgrounds, 2 elementary schools, ponds, lakes, parks, houses of worship, pubs and restaurants. We live here, work here, play here. And now we can also pay for sex here. Somebody had the bright idea that the only thing missing from this idyllic town is a brothel. The Congers Lake Wellness Center located in the Dunkin Donuts strip mall on Route 303 opened its doors in June to the dismay of the people that live here. Under the disguise of a massage parlor a customer can enter through a discreet back door and buy a half hour or an hour of fornication with the woman or transvestite of their choice. The cops have supposedly raided the place once and claim there is nothing they can do to shut it down. The only recourse they have is to impose a fine with the fines increasing with each raid. Oh, now I get it, it’s all about the money…

Hey, last time I checked prostitution is illegal in the state of New York so whether you are a Congers resident, a Clarkstown resident or just a decent human being who doesn’t believe in the lawful exploitation of people who are possibly under-aged, illegal aliens, coerced or forced to perform, it is your responsibility to voice your concerns…LOUDLY! This is just a stepping stone to the demise of a wonderful town. Only worse things can follow.

The Clarkstown Town Supervisor is Alexander J. Gromack (also a resident of Congers). Please contact him. DO NOT sit idly by and think if you ignore it, it will go away!

Town of Clarkstown
Office of the Supervisor
10 Maple Avenue, New City, NY 10956

Office: 845-639-2050
Fax:  845-634-5456
Email: a_gromack@town.clarkstown.ny.us

Hospice Home Becoming a Reality

As Entertainment Chairperson for the annual Hospice Gala, I would like to mention an ambitious project underway at United Hospice of Rockland – the Joe Raso Hospice Home! Read on for more information about this amazing and essential home.

Since 1988, United Hospice of Rockland has cared for thousands of our neighbors in Rockland and lower Orange Counties, providing the essential care and services that enable those who are seriously ill to remain in their own homes, and offering them comfort, dignity and control over the important decisions that impact their end-of-life care.

In recent years, a large and growing number of people who would benefit from United Hospice of Rockland’s care and services have not been able to do so. There are those who live alone, with no support system in place to complement Hospice’s program of care, live with an elderly or infirmed partner whose own condition prevents them from being able to provide adequate care or support, come from institutional settings or return from having spent time outside the community, who have no home to which they can return, or have families who are fearful of caring for their loved ones at home during their final phases of life.

United Hospice of Rockland’s answer to this considerable gap in services is to build a Hospice Home.  The Home will offer a residential environment, together with the full complement of Hospice’s comfort-oriented care and services including expert pain and symptom management, nursing care, assistance with the tasks of daily living, friendly visiting by volunteers, spiritual and psycho-social counseling for patients and their loved ones, and bereavement counseling and support groups for surviving family members.

The Hospice Home, consisting of approximately 10,000 square feet, will be situated on 11 beautiful acres in New City, amidst a peaceful setting of streams, woodlands, wildlife, and a pond. We anticipate serving 70-93 patients a year. The residence will be as home-like as possible.

The Hospice Home is the most ambitious undertaking in our 21 year history, and its success depends on the endorsement and support of the community we serve. Through a successful partnership between our community and our Board and staff, United Hospice of Rockland will be able to build the Home, adding this important and much-needed component to the programs and services Hospice offers for our patients and their families.

Help Hospice out by contributing to our wish list: Currently we are looking for materials for building, decorating, furnishing, equipping and landscaping our new Hospice home. For more information about investing in the Hospice Home, please contact Lanie Etkind, Director of Development at letkind@hospiceofrockland.org or 845-634-4974.

Go Listen To Some Feel Good Blues!

Sometimes the best things come along when you least expect it. On Friday night my husband & I decided to grab a bite to eat at a pub in Valley Cottage called the Smokin’ Bull. We were delighted to hear from our waitress that a live band was scheduled to play that night. With a mechanical bull, stage coach booths and cowboy boots as far as the eye could see we were expecting a country band. My husband, an avid country music fan, was thrilled! When the band arrived and started setting up it was obvious by their smooth black clothes and beret’s instead of Stetson’s that it wasn’t country we were gonna hear but blues. Hey, all great music has it’s roots in blues so while my husband was a little disappointed he quickly got over it. Johnny Feds & Da Bluez Boyz were pure blues & pure magic (www.johnnyfeds.com). A fantastic multi-talented five man band including drums, bass, keyboard, sax/harmonica/vocals, guitar/vocals. With the bull as a backdrop they began to jam and they sounded sooooo good. The acoustics were amazing, the sound clear and not too loud, vocals were great and best of all the band played well together and were having a genuinely good time! The songs were well known tunes such as Crossroads, Pride and Joy and Hoochie Coochie Man. My husband said the song was an old Allman Brothers Band song and I said it was from Eric Clapton. Turns out Hoochie Coochie Man was written by Willie Dixon in 1954 and was first performed by Muddy Waters. The song has since been covered by no less than 25 artists including the Brothers and Clapton. Johnny Feds & Da Bluez Boyz gave the song its due and played a kick ass version of it.  The coolest thing about this band is that they play “Chicago Style” which they explained means that anyone from the audience could join in. If you can play the guitar, sax, sing or whatever. An amazing woman joined in on the harmonica and played along with the band. Jeez that woman can play! Unbelievable!. So if you play the spoons or possess any other musical talent stop on in at a Johnny Feds set and play along. They’d love to jam with you!

“CAN I SEE YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE PLEASE?”

On a recent visit to my ear, nose and throat doctor for a recurring ear infection I was asked to present my insurance card and then, to my surprise, my drivers license. Wait, why do they want to see my identification? Should I be outraged that my id was requested? After all, I’ve been visiting this doctor on a regular basis for about 15 years and have never had a problem. I pay my co-payments, show up for appointments on time and answer truthfully when asked how much I weigh so why do they want id? With recent controversy over laws in the southwest that require citizens to produce identification I couldn’t help but to wonder, am I being discriminated against? Does my raging ear infection somehow put me in a targeted group that is being singled out? Do people with nose and throat problems have to show their id too or just those of us with ear issues? My curiosity peaked, I decided to ask the receptionist why I needed to show my identification and he said it is too help to prevent identity theft. Really? Identity theft at the ear, nose & throat doctor? Well, yes actually. He explained to me that insurance cards are often stolen or “borrowed” with the patient claiming to be someone their not so when the bill comes in to the real cardholder it gets disputed and the bill goes unpaid and insurance rates increase. Hmmm…interesting. So I decided that since I was not about to commit any insurance fraud, and am in fact who I claim to be I gladly handed over my id and congratulated the receptionist for doing his due diligence in preventing the rise of insurance costs. Maybe I’m just being cranky because of this throbbing pain in my ear but I really don’t see why being asked to show id is such a big deal.

Love My Stainless Steel Water Bottle!

Whether it’s for the health of the environment, the health of your body or the health of your wallet switching from plastic disposable water bottles to re-usable stainless steel bottles is the way to go.

At first I thought I was going to have a problem replacing the convenience of little .5 liter bottles of water sold in 24 packs. They were portable with a nice screw on top to prevent leaks and fit nicely in a cooler. It always nagged me a little thinking about how many of these bottles my family of 4 went through in a week so I got a few plastic re-usable bottles. I filled them with ice and water. They leaked and sweat so much that I had to wrap the bottles in paper towels to absorb the moisture that they sweat out or I would have a puddle on my desk! We only used them occasionally and stuck with the disposable ones until the State of New York decided to add a five cent bottle deposit to all water bottles under a gallon. Well now, Albany already sees enough of my hard earned cash and I was in no rush to give them more. So I began to search in earnest for the perfect water bottle.

What I found was a company called Pure-Hydration (pure-hydration.com). They make insulated stainless steel water bottles. They claim that the bottles will not leak, even if upside down, and will not sweat. After much emailing between myself and a company representative, I decided to give it a try. I bought 4-25oz bottles and used them as stocking stuffers at $27.99 a piece. They also have a 17oz bottle for $24.99 and a 12oz for $17.99 (prices quoted from Amazon.com).

Here’s what I found:

• Double wall construction for MAXIMUM temperature retention.
• Stainless Steel Interior & Exterior.
• Polypropylene Spout, made from BPA free material, that is non-leaching and non-toxic.
• Wide mouth accommodates even the largest ice cubes, and is easy to clean.
• 2 internal screens. One to reduce blockage created by ice, and the other to strain loose and herbal tea.
• Outside of bottle remains at room temperature despite the temperature of its contents.
• No inner liner, so water tastes like water.
• Ergonomic shape makes bottle easy to hold.
• Convenient carrying handle.
• Reusable, recyclable, reduces landfill waste. 

Most importantly for me was the bottles did not leak and did not sweat. Being insulated was an added bonus and one that I’ve come to appreciate. Living in the Hudson Valley means terribly hot and humid summers. I can spend the day running errands leaving the bottle in the hot car and have a nice cool drink every time I got back in. No need to buy a cold drink at every other stop.

Don’t even bother buying a cheaper bottle. You will be unhappy and will end up buying one of these anyway!

ELEANOR GRACE MILLER

Opening Reception:

Sun., March 7th, 2-5pm

Catering by Mimi’s Plate

 Wines by Piermont Fines Wines  

 

The OUTSIDE IN will exhibit works from the series of Black and Still Life oil-on-board paintings by Eleanor Grace Miller this spring.  There will be an opening reception on March 7, 2010 from 2-5PM.  Both Miller’s Black and Still Life works have strong color, design, and assembly elements that were influenced by early Aboriginal, African, and Mid-Eastern cultures, incorporating graphic elements reminiscent of Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, and Kurosawa. 

The works are dominated by brilliant reds and gold within the architecture of a flattened black.  So dark and rich are Miller’s colors, that there is an almost surreal sense of depth that infuses each carefully arranged scene.  Although realistic and fully representational, it is not about rendering reality here but rather deliberate construction.  The still life subjects are extravagant fabrics that weave complex landscapes of saturated undulating colors.  Their abundant folds are mitigated by the sharp lines and abrupt edges of ornate pottery, fruit, or fields of black.  The painter often appears to be suspended above the scene.  Actually, in Eleanor Grace Miller’s still life paintings both our position and subjects are fabrications that do not exist in ordinary life – they were created by the painter.  Her still life is not a collection of cultural fossils interpreted by the artist, but instead an original, crisp and insightful vision generated by the artist herself.     Miller engages the still life with a “constant internal discourse on balance, complexity, rhythm, mood, nuance, pattern, flow, inflection, and color…the sound.”  The Black and Still Life works are composed of stunning images abounding in a strangely beautiful world; compressed, symbolic, the vestigial remains of a civilization. The end result is brilliant – a golden view of her apparently simple world. 

Eleanor Grace Miller resides in the lower Hudson Valley region and has been a painter for over 40 years.  Initially a figurative painter, she advanced toward still life, both traditional and non-traditional, after she realized she predominately attended to color, shape, and reflection when approaching the subject.  Ms. Miller is the recipient of numerous awards, among them, “Best in Show” from the Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, MA, and the “Anna Hyatt Huntington Medal” from the National Arts Club in New York.  She has exhibited nationally and extensively throughout the Metropolitan area.  Her paintings are in public, foundation and private collections.  She teaches painting at the Pelham Art Center, Rockland Center for the Arts and Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

Adam’s favourite Cranberry-port wine reduction sauce

This is a great sauce for a multitude of applications to various poultry and meat. It’s easy to make and has a great citrus/spicy flavour. Enjoy.

Chicken, turkey, or pork

Flour seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc.) 1 can whole cranberry sauce (or fresh with a little sugar) 1 jar brown turkey or beef gravy (or make your own) 1 cup Ruby Port wine 1 tbs cracked black pepper corns (Slightly pound between wax paper or in a small zip-loc bag to crack)

Remove as much membrane from meat as possible, Use chicken Breast filets whole or cut turkey or pork across the grain into medallions and lightly pound dredge in flour mixture then brown in butter in a hot skillet remove meat from pan add cranberries, gravy, port wine, and peppercorns to skillet bring to boil while stirring well to mix and melt cranberry sauce add meat, turning to totally coat with sauce, and decrease heat to simmer until reduced to a nice thick sauce

This hearty meal goes well with a baked potato and a California Cabernet.

Something Very Special Happened Last Night…

SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT…..I FELT GREAT, as I bundled up about to depart the Hot Nyack Yoga studio….Was it an aberration? A momentary phenomenon?  No…could it be the cumulative effect of about five or six weeks of visiting the hot yoga studio,,,, maybe?  And not every night mind you, perhaps a few times a week. I’ve experienced their various types of yoga (Hatha, Bikram, Vinyasa and Forrest) with little or no expectations but with an open mind and a strong willingness to try my best.  In the very beginning, I went through the motions (poses) at times feeling lost, few times as a pretzel want-to-be and other times, as teetering idiot, yet, there were no times when I felt any of the instructors (followers, believers, amazing people, I’ll call them) sharing my embarrassment or guilt, as an underachiever you see, -it isn’t about that at all.  I’m reminded of having gone to an awesome restaurant and having an exceptional dinner, only to be served by a less than compassionate waiter – the dining experience loses a lot.

Here at Hot Yoga of Nyack the opposite happens.  This IS an exceptional staff, not only because of their individual expertise but because their enthusiasm and support, bridges the gap between the “experience” and “getting it”…get it?  It is a practice that perhaps never gets truly mastered, however, these instructors never make you feel less than a ‘trying master’.  The teachers that I have experienced thus far seem to me to be exceptional, yet with some subtle differences and emphasis in the blending of the spiritual with the physical.  For this writing, I would be remiss if I didn’t in particular point out one such instructor, that being Erica Mather (Director of Forrest Yoga).  Last night, as every night, she is the epitome of that perfect blend of mind, body and spirit and done so, withperfect grace, no exception.  Yes, I think they are all great, but it was in her class that I departed last night with that certain extra special feeling of well being.  I realize it is a cumulative effect of all my yoga visits but I do think she adds that unique mystique that is quite captivating – so thanks to her (et al) and thanks to yoga, that I still feel great this morning…..

Meet Erica at:  ericamather.com  or at: www.hotyogaofnyack.com

Editor Note: Every few weeks we will ask a novice yoga “pupil” to comment on their perception of the class they take.

Paul’s Award Winning Marsala!

 

MARSALA

 

Here is a quick, easy meal that is as good with chicken as it is with beef.

 

Poultry or Meat

Porto Bello mushrooms…sliced

Bella white mushroom…sliced

Marsala wine

chicken broth

flour seasoned to taste

(salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc.)

 

Remove as much white membrane as possible from meat,

cut across the grain into medallions,

Lightly pound then dredge in flour (do not dip in liquid first) and set aside

Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter until light brown

remove and set aside

add more butter to same pan and sauté medallions until golden brown

add cooked mushrooms

cover with 2/3 Marsala, 1/3 chicken broth mixture

bring to boil then lower heat to a simmer

cook until liquid is reduced by half

 

Enjoy fowl with a nice mushroom risotto and crisp white wine, and beef with egg noodles and a nice merlot

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