George Zimmerman threw Sanford, FL police department for a loop when claiming the “stand your ground” law enacted in Florida was his reasoning for shooting unarmed, 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Martin was shot dead by Zimmerman who claimed he saw a suspicious teenager on his street. Zimmerman said, “Something’s wrong with him. Yep. He’s coming to check me out. He’s got something in his hands. I don’t know what his deal is. Send officers over here.” Martin, after being followed for some time, became frightened and ran, he was pursued by Zimmerman and then shot.  Zimmerman was not arrested for his actions by claiming he was...

Our staff and team of journalists proudly welcome world traveling-adventurist and Rockland County aficionado Liz Craig. Ms. Craig will be Rockland Lifestyle’s guide to the unsuspected hidden places that are truly pleasurable and illustrate Rockland County in a completely different light. Her unique insight doesn’t just encompass intriguing destinations ensconced through our local grounds, but sensational food delicacies offered by local chefs, boutique markets carrying items you can’t find in your conventional grocery, and mini-getaways, all in our backyard. Allow Ms. Craig to take you off the beaten path, introduce the...

Two stories making headlines this week got me thinking about that old age debate, nature versus nurture. The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as tabula rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate. According to this notion, everything that we are and all of our knowledge is determined by our experience. The first story that got me thinking about this debate...

There has been a dramatic shift in relevant news in America these past few weeks. The parties have put away the economic issue bantering and have exploded forth with a nuclear level, social issue war. When the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced late in January that they would be pulling their funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood, as per the decision of the new conservative head of the company, the backlash was enourmous and furious. The decision was made because of anti-abortion lobbyists pressuring the Foundation and appointing the conservative, Nancy Brinker as the new head of the company. After the tremedous, and...