InsideOut Magazine

Holidays on Ice

2009-12-17T23:27:00.000-05:00

$8.99 at Amazon.com

ISBN: 0316779237

Has the stress of the season been getting you down? Are you the kind of person who responds to holiday pageantry with a cynical eye-roll and a Bah-Humbug? If so, then Holidays on Ice is most definitely the book for you!

David Sedaris, in case you're not familiar, is the best-selling author of some outstanding memoirs such as Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. This is a collection of some of his essays and short stories, all related to Christmas in some way. It's unbelievably funny, and is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud like a mental

patient.

In Merry Christmas to Our Family and Friends!!!!, David writes a Christmas newsletter from a suburban family which becomes more outrageous with each passing line. It seems the Dunbar family is giving mixed reviews this holiday season. Their father's tour of duty in Vietnam produced a daughter he never knew he had. When Khe Sahn comes to live with her father's family, she hardly speaks a word of english, and arrives dressed like a southeast Asian prostitute. The long-suffering mother, who is also the narrator, becomes exasperated by her new Vietnamese step-daughter and by the rest of her outrageous clan. It's an unforgettable holiday greeting card.

My favorite essay, and probably the most notable in the collection, is an account of Sedaris' time working as an elf in Santaland, where New York City tourists come to see Santa Claus at the Macy's in Herald Square. Anyone who's ever worked in customer service will soon be rolling on the floor laughing as David describes the outrageous antics of the customers who file through his cue to see Santa. One woman instructs her young son to pee in a corner (of a department store) so they don't lose their place in line. Another sprays Santa in the eyes with hairspray, causing him to wince in pain as he's nearly blinded.

The unreasonable, mentally unstable, retarded, and self-absorbed all line up like refugees to enter Santa's snowy, fiberglass world.

I've posted on a couple of Sedaris' books before, I truly consider him a genius and a national treasure. This book is short, light, and not too expensive, making it an ideal stocking-stuffer for everyone who's sarcastic and jaded on your list. Don't forget to get one copy for yourself.

This book is too funny to be missed, and no holiday is complete without it.

Orion

2009-12-17T23:16:00.001-05:00

During the winter months, the constellation of Orion dominates the northern sky. This group of stars is among the easiest to recognize because of the three bright stars in a straight line that make up his belt. Orion and the surrounding area contains a number of remarkable stars and other celestial objects.

In Greek mythology, Orion was a mighty hunter who fell in love with Metrope, daughter of the king of Chios, and sought her hand in marriage. The king constantly deferred his consent to the marriage, and eventually had Orion blinded. Orion consulted an oracle who told him he could regain his sight by going to the far east and letting the rays of the rising sun fall on his eyes. His sight restored, Orion went to live on the island of Crete, where he was killed by the sting of a scorpion. After Orion's death, he was placed in the heavens as a constellation.

The orange star at he top left is the star Betelgeuse, 400 light-years from Earth and shining more brightly than 10,000 Suns. This is a star in decline, pulsating in the red supergiant stage. The color of a star gives information about its temperature, size, and life expectancy. Stars change color like a piece of heated metal, becoming progressively red, orange, yellow, white, and blue. For this reason Betelgeuse appears to flash red, contrasting with the pale blue of the surrounding stars.

Orion also contains a number of notable nebulas. Until 1610, nebulas were thought to be stars. Now they are recognized as giant clouds of gas and dust, sometimes luminous and other times dark. Nebulas fascinate astronomy enthusiasts because of their wispy, spiral shapes.

Clearly visible to the naked eye as a bright fuzzy patch, the Orion Nebula is the closest nebula to Earth (1,200 light-years away). Its location in Orion's sword, just south of the leftmost star in the belt, also makes it easy to find. Several thousand stars were probably born here. A few of the youngest are still inside the nebula, and they heat the ambient gas to over 18,000^oF.

The Horsehead Nebula is one of the most admired objects in the sky, first observed at the Harvard University Observatory in 1888. The familiar horse head shape is actually a small extension of a much larger cloud, invisible against the night sky's black background. Stellar winds are gradually eroding the magnificent scrolls of this famous nebula, so that the head will lose its familiar shape over the next several thousand years. Enjoy it while you still can.

Adjacent to the Orion Nebula is a cloud of microscopic, bluish gas known as the Witch Head Nebula. The color is derived from the reflected light of the blue supergiant star Rigel, which shines more brightly than 40,000 suns. The nebula is actually a more vibrant blue than the star itself. Like the particles in the Earth's atmosphere, the nebula reflects more blue radiation because it absorbs blue less than other colors.

Next to Orion is the constellation Taurus, which contains the Pleiades, the most visible open cluster in the night sky. Single stars like our sun are relatively rare: stars usually come in groups of two or more that orbit one another. The Pleiades appears to contain seven stars in tight formation, although there are actually more than seven. They have been celebrated since ancient times: Homer's Odyssey mentions the Pleiades, as do the Old Testament books of Job and Amos. The cluster will dissipate over the next few million years, and each star will follow its own path through the galaxy.

All these objects near Orion are visible during December and January. For a clear view, use a telescope, but most can be spotted simply by looking up at the night sky on a clear night.

If you're interested in outer space, check out Astronomy: A Visual Guide, by Mark A. Garlick, and Cosmos, by Sylvia Arditi and Marc Lachieze-Rey. Both contain fascinating astronomy facts, along with lots of gorgeous glossy pictures.

For my previous posts on outer space, click here.

Sponge

2009-11-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Sponges were once thought to be plants because they spend their entire adult life fixed to the sea floor, unable to move around. On land, animals must move around in search of food. In the ocean, water currents carry an abundant supply of food in the form of microscopic plankton. Fixed animals can take advantage of this by filtering their food from the water, without having to move from place to place.

When it is time to reproduce, they shed sperm and eggs into the water. Currents distribute them to new area, where they can settle and grow.

The anatomy of a sponge has no symmetry, nor do they have distinctive body parts. A sponge consists of a cooperating community of individual cells, which surround a system of canals through which water is pumped. As water passes through, plankton and particles of organic matter are trapped inside. Rigidity is provided by a skeleton of tiny, bony splinters called spicules, scattered throughout the body.

Some sponges grow to about 6 1/2 feet tall. The largest may be hundreds of years old. There are more than 15,000 different types of sponges in a breathtaking variety of colors. Grays and browns predominate in deeper waters, brighter colors in the shallows.

Six species of sponges are considered commercially marketable, especially a type called demosponges, whose populations are now badly affected by over-collection. Mediterranean sponges are the softest and best. These are gathered by divers and then cut into the familiar blocks seen on supermarket shelves. Fortunately, most kitchen and bath sponges are now synthetic, and were never really living sponges at all.

The elegant branches of the tube sponge are easily torn, so this variety is found only in very deep water where wave turbulence is minimal. Tube sponges are most common in the tropical waters of the south Pacific, and they typically grow to about 3 feet in length. It is sometimes seen as a single tube, but more often as a series of branches joined at the base. When this sponge releases its sperm into the water, it resembles a smoking chimney.

Most sponges need a hard surface for attachment, although a few can bore through soft sediment. For this reason they often form beautiful "gardens" in shipwrecks and on coral reefs. The largest populations exist where tidal currents are strong, which brings extra food. Other animals such as crabs and worms sometimes live inside of sponges.

There aren't too many interesting books just about sponges, but there are lots of good ones about all kinds of animal life. Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide, by David Burnie and Don Wilson is a good first step for an interest in animals in general. Ocean, by Philip Eales, David Burnie, and Frances Dipper is a good one about sea life. Both are filled with interesting facts and lots of glossy pictures, perfect for yourself or as a holiday gift.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

2009-11-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

Tyrannosaurus Rex and its subgroup, the Tyrannosaurids, were some of the largest land predators the world has ever known. They were several times larger than the largest land predators of today, such as the grizzly bear, which weighs less than one metric ton. Tyrannosaurus Rex weighed more than five metric tons. The mouth was wide enough to swallow an adult human, and the bite was three times as powerful as that of a lion. Possibly the best known of all dinosaurs, it was considered the "king of the dinosaurs" until the discovery of larger allosaurids, such as gigantosaurus in the 1990s.

About 20 skeletons of Tyrannosaurus Rex have been excavated, so the appearance of this dinosaur is known with some confidence. It was present at the mass extinction event, 65 million years ago, which ended the ended the age of dinosaurs.

It was first discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, probably the best record anywhere on earth of life at the end of the Cretaceous era, just before and during the mass extinction event that wiped out 35 percent of all species including the dinosaurs. This formation has yielded thousands of fossils, including the T-Rex skeletons in the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution. During the Cretaceous era the area was warm and humid with open forests and rivers. It was not swampy.

Scientists debate the lifestyle of Tyrannosaurus: was it a fearsome predator, as has always been portrayed? Or was it a slow-moving animal, living as a scavenger on the corpses of animals that had died or had been killed by more active hunters?

Evidence for the first theory includes the position of the eyes. The fields of vision overlap, so the animal had good depth perception, essential for a hunter of fast-moving prey. The teeth and skull certainly seem very strong, able to withstand the stress caused by struggling prey. Although they are much larger, the teeth are almost exactly the same shape as those of monitor lizards, the most vicious predatory reptiles of modern times. The ear structure is like that of crocodiles, which have good hearing.
Marks that match Tyrannosaurus teeth have been found on the bones of Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus teeth have been found wedged in the bones of the duck-billed dinosaur Hypacrosaurus.

On the other hand, animals as big as Tyrannosaurus might not have been capable of much sustained speed or activity. Once up to speed the animal could stumble easily, resulting in a crash that might have been fatal.

It is very likely that both theories are true to a degree: Tyrannosaurus was probably an occasional hunter when threatened with starvation, but did not pass up the chance to devour any corpse it came across. Trackways suggest that it might have followed great herds of plant-eating dinosaurs, preying on easy victims such as the young and the injured.

The small arms of Tyrannosaurus Rex have always been a mystery. What good is a pair of arms that is too short to reach the mouth, or anything else?

There are three main theories: First, that they were used to pull prey toward the chest so that the jaws could reach it. Second, that they were used to grasp the female while mating. Third, that they could help the animal get up from a lying down position.
The arms were surprisingly powerful: the same length as a human arm, but three times as thick. Still more peculiar, the arms end in only two clawed fingers, useless for grasping.

No one can explain any of this for certain, and it's a good example of how some aspects of dinosaur behavior cannot be solved by the fossil record.

There are a lot of terrific books about dinosaurs, perfect for holiday gifts. A few of my favorites include the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, by Dougal Dixon; National Geographic Dinosaurs, by Paul Barrett; and Dinosaurus: The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs, by Steve Parker.

For my previous posts on dinosaurs, click here.

The Philadelphia Civil War Museum

2009-11-02T17:15:00.001-05:00

There are wonderful treasures to be discovered in Philadelphia, for those with a passion for the turbulent time of our heart-wrenching split between North and South. One treasure is open for all to see; the other has gone underground until a new home can be found, to display this fascinating relic of national significance.

Key players in the war have called Philadelphia home, such as General George Gordon Meade, the commanding general at Gettysburg. The equestrian statue to honor him is in Fairmount Park on Lansdowne Drive, directly behind the Memorial Hall, which is now the Please Touch Museum. The sculptor was Alexander Milne Calder, famous for his William Penn statue atop City Hall.

The statue is magnificent, yet challenging to get to and therefore largely unnoticed. The General Meade Society has a petition to move the statue to a more prominent place by City Hall. The petition is on the Society's website at www.generalmeadesociety.org

The other intriguing treasure is the precious head of General Meade's favorite war horse, Old Baldy. He was previously displayed with deep respect in the front room of Philadelphia's Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum at 1805 Pine Street.
The museum closed in August 2008, preparing to move to a fine location on South 3^rd Street. Unfortunately, the funding was suddenly cut by the Pennsylvania government, leaving the museum in limbo, the collection in storage.

Hopefully a new location will be found, so Old Baldy and their excellent collection can be on display in time for the national events commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War, beginning in 2011. Information on the museum and updates on the search for a new location can be found at www.cwurmuseum.org

The Moon

2009-10-18T20:43:00.001-04:00

Most people heard that NASA launched a missile at the moon's south pole last week, followed by the LCROSS spacecraft. The experiment was designed to search for the presence of underground glacial water, which scientists have suspected might be found beneath the Cabeus A crater. The LCROSS spacecraft flew into the plume of dust left by the missile's impact and measured the properties before also colliding with the lunar surface.

The experiment cost $79 billion, cheap in the world of space travel. Millions gathered outside with binoculars and telescopes on the early morning of September 9 to observe the impact. It therefore seems like a good time to post a few comments on the moon, our nearest celestial neighbor, and the only body with details visible without a telescope.

As far as we can tell, it's unusual for a satellite and its host planet to be so close in size as the Earth is to the Moon. Mercury and Venus have no moons, and Mars has two, but they are very tiny. The diameter of our moon is about one-fourth that of Earth (3480 Km, 2160 mi.); but its volume is one-fiftieth of Earth's, and the Earth's mass is 81 times greater than the mass of the moon. Thus the pull of gravity on the lunar surface is only one-sixth of what it is here.

A rocket trip to the moon takes 60-70 hours. If you drove to the moon by car at a steady speed of 75 miles per hour, it would take 135 days to reach your destination. Twelve men and no women have walked on the moon, and the Apollo missions have collected 842 pounds of moon rocks.

Although the strength of the moon's gravity is one-sixth that of Earth's, the gravitational field itself is uneven. There are patches of unexpectedly high gravity , called "mascons", or "mass concentrations" on the lunar surface. Nobody knows for certain what causes them, but they are found in high concentrations where there are thick layers of lava from volcanic activity. Surprisingly, not all areas which were once volcanically active host mascons. In 2011, NASA will send a probe to study the moon's gravity in minute detail. This will not only allow us to learn more about the moon, but also about how gravity can work here on Earth, and throughout the universe.

Things hardly ever change on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong's footprint will be visible for thousands of years, and it is still possible to find rocks on the surface from when the Solar System was created. The astronauts from the Apollo 15 mission found a rock that is 4.5 billion years old. Called the Genesis Rock, it is now on display at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The moon is a very quiet, stable environment, which makes it a terrific place to mount astronomical instruments. In fact, the moon is a perfect observatory, completely free from noise, light, and atmospheric interference such as we have here on Earth.

Some day its craters might be used as dishes for massive radio antennae. It's also an ideal launch pad for deep space exploration. If bases could be established on the moon, deep space exploration would become much easier. To exploit this potential, first we'd need to work out how to live there and build construction facilities. This is where water, native to the moon rather than shipped from Earth, would come in handy. Then we would have to find a way to launch space vehicles in a lunar environment.

No doubt it's a big job, but we're working out the details all the time.

For more information, I recommend checking out the Book of the Moon, by Rick Stroud.

For my previous posts on outer space, click here.

Japan: The Early Centuries

2009-10-08T20:25:00.001-04:00

There are 4,223 islands in the archipelago called Japan. Six hundred of them are inhabited, but only five are of any considerable size. The largest, Hondo or Honshu, is 1,130 miles long, averages about 73 miles wide, and contains 81,000 square miles, more than half the land area of the nation.

Population: 127,463,611
Total area: 145,882 sq. mi. (slightly smaller than California)
Capital: Tokyo
Prime Minister: Yukio Hatoyama (since September 2009)
Constitution: May 3, 1947
Language: Japanese
Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other religions, including 0.7% Christianity
GDP: $4.018 trillion, $31,500 per capita

No other nation is so afflicted by earthquakes. In the year 599, an earthquake swallowed entire villages. Comets streaked across the sky, asteroids crashed into the earth, and Japan was mysteriously blanketed in snow in mid-July. Drought and famine followed, and millions of Japanese died. In 1703 an earthquake killed 32,000 in Tokyo alone. In 1923 earthquake, tsunami, and fire caused 100,000 deaths in Tokyo. Kamakura, so kind to Buddha, was nearly totally destroyed. All modern Japanese buildings are now constructed to withstand seismic activity as a result.

Research has shown that the Ainu, a tribal people whose origins are unknown, were the first inhabitants of the Japanese Archipelago. They may have populated the islands from the 2nd and 1st millenia BC. Invading peoples from nearby areas in Asia began expeditions of conquest to the islands, forcing the Ainu to the northern portions of Honshu.

About AD 360 Empress Jingu, who would eventually be considered a goddess, took over the government after the death of her husband, Emperor Chuai. She led Japan to invade and conquer a portion of nearby Korea. During the next several centuries, cultural influence passed between Korea and Japan. Chinese writing, literature, and philosophy became popular.

The most important event of the period was the importation of Buddhism. This is usually dated in 552, when a king from southwestern Korea sent Buddhist priests to Japan, together with religious images, scriptures, and calendars. The imported culture soon became deeply rooted in the islands, and while contact between the two countries weakened after the Japanese were driven out of Korea in 562, by the early 7th century Buddhism had become the official religion of Japan.

In 604, the first Japanese constitution was drafted. A great council, the Dajokan, ruled alongside the emperor through local governors sent from the capital. Nara in Yamato became the first fixed capital in 710. In 794 Kyoto was made the imperial residence and, with few interruptions, remained the capital until 1868. By the 9th century, the emperor and Dajokan ruled all of the main islands except Hokkaido.

During the 9th century the emperors began to withdraw from public life, delegating the affairs of state to subordinates until they came to be regarded as abstractions in the national life rather than its directors. This political void was filled by the rising power of the Fujiwara, the leading family of court nobles. In 858 the Fujiwara became virtual masters of Japan, maintaining their power for the next three centuries.

The period of Fujiwara supremacy hosted a great flowering of Japanese culture; influenced, but no longer dominated by China and Korea. Wealth accumulated, and was centered on a life of luxury and refinement. Kyoto became as elegant as Paris in poetry and dress, setting the nation's standards for learning and taste.

I've stopped trying to summarize the Nations of the World in a single post. My short history of Japan will be continued...

For my previous posts on the Nations of the World, click here.

Virginia Luppino: Virginia Creeper

2009-09-25T16:48:00.003-04:00

photo: D. Derbyshire/2007
On the trail

The first sign of summer's end is the red blaze of Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). The native woody vine can easily reach hights of 30'. It can easily climb smooth surfaces using small forked tendrils tipped with small strongly adhesive pads. The creeper can kill vegetation it covers...witnessed by the red foliage climbing dead trees.

Vikholrabirginia creeper can be used as a shading vine for buildings on masonry walls. Because the vine, like its relative Boston ivy, adheres to the surface by disks rather than penetrating roots, it will not harm the masonry but will keep
a building cooler by shading the wall surface during the summer, saving money on air conditioning. As with ivy, trying to rip the plant from the wall will damage the surface; but if the plant is first killed, such as by severing the vine from the root, the adhesive pads will eventually deteriorate and release their grip.

SPONSOR OF THE DAY: MSL PLUMBING AND HEATING

2009-09-16T13:59:00.008-04:00

Get free consultation from Matt Levine about your energy saving plans for your home or office. Matt can project manage your energy efficiency as well as be on site immediately to assist you with your household or office plumbing and/or heating issues - AND at the best prices in the Hudson Valley.

Visit Matt's website HERE:

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Olana Celebration: October 24

2009-09-11T12:09:00.003-04:00

SECOND ANNUAL HISTORIC VIEWSHED TOUR PLANNED FOR OLANA

On Saturday, October 24 2009, The Olana Partnership and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, will join with neighboring landowners to celebrate the beauty surrounding Olana's 250-acre landscape.

Like last year’s very successful event, the 2009 self-guided tour focuses on the
farms and privately owned landscapes within the Olana viewshed. Visitors will stand high above the Hudson River Valley in rarely-seen locations: they’ll walk across meadows, beside ponds and streams, through orchards and gardens, often looking back at Frederic Church's Olana. They will experience first-hand the variety and magnificence of the region Frederic Church called "the center of the world."

Often referred to as the “crown jewel” of the Hudson Valley, Olana was the home of Frederic Church, one of America 's most important artists, a student of Thomas Cole and a major figure in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Church, also a contemporary and colleague of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, designed Olana's Persian-style house amidst a 250-acre landscape and working farm.

When designing his landscape, in the 19th century Picturesque landscape style, Frederic Church intentionally integrated his setting within the surrounding landscape, revealing and framing exceptional views. The grounds, now under restoration, constitute a masterpiece as important as any of his paintings. In creating this 3-dimensional work of art, Church used the principles he used in his paintings – with a foreground of house and environs, middle ground of woodland, parkland and farmland, and the panoramic background of the Catskills, Taconic Ranges and the Hudson River.

Today, many believe the Hudson River School to be the beginning of the American Conservation Movement, and the Olana Viewshed is a unique manifestation of those historic ideals. While the celebration of views was integral to the philosophy of the Hudson River School painters, the idea of recognizing them as something to be protected is new. Throughout the country, efforts are underway to protect views, from California’s Napa Valley, to areas surrounding Civil War sites, and in the environs of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia. In New York State, landscape historians, environmentalists, community members, art patrons, and land conservation organizations have all joined forces to protect the spectacular viewsheds throughout the Hudson Valley, of which Olana’s is preeminent.

This year’s tour captures the excitement of last year’s successful event. The ten unique private properties featured are located along the Hudson River and the foothills of the Catskill range, and include an 1870’s Calvert Vaux designed home, the former estate of the famous landscape painter Charles Herbert Moore, a biodynamic farm, and a restored 1743 barn perched above 436 protected acres. Additionally, members can ascend to Olana’s seldom-visited Bell Tower, with its unparalleled river and mountain views. Following the tour there will be a party at an 1850’s farm with 180-degree views of the Catskill range. The Viewshed Tour is a benefit to support the restoration of Olana’s historic landscape. (The tour is from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, tickets are $50, $40 for members; the party, from 4:30 to 6 pm, is $100 and $75 for members. Bell tower tours, from 10AM to 1PM, are $50 and free for members.

Two other organizations integral to the preservation of Olana’s viewshed will be represented during the introductory part of the Viewshed Tour. Scenic Hudson, a non-profit organization that has been a crusader for the Hudson Valley since 1963, will send representatives to discuss their work to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and as a vital resource for residents and visitors. So far, Scenic Hudson has protected 1,248 acres in the Olana Viewshed, largely through conservation easements with private landowners and working farms. The group’s campaign to Save the Land That Matters Most—a collaboration with fellow land trusts, governments, individuals and businesses—seeks to protect 65,000 acres of great scenic, ecological and agricultural significance throughout the Hudson Valley. Also on hand will be representatives of the Columbia Land Conservancy, a local non-profit land trust which works with the community to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and rural character of Columbia County, and which has also made great strides in protecting Olana’s viewshed.

About Olana:
Olana State Historic Site, one of seven historic sites and 13 parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), Taconic Region, is a designated National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited sites in the state. The Olana Partnership, a private not-for-profit education corporation, works cooperatively with New York State to support the restoration, development and improvement of Olana State Historic Site. To learn more about Olana, please visit www.olana.org.

Worst Fashion Since Parachute Pants

2009-08-24T11:57:00.001-04:00

Every decade, a fashion enigma surfaces. This one, "winkers" will be remembered as fondly as the polyester leisure suit and parachute pants.

Virginia Luppino Fine Landscapes: Tip of the Day

2009-08-19T12:11:00.001-04:00

On the trail

Tree ripened peaches are here.
Seek them out at small orchards on back roads in Germantown and Clermont...at orchard stands like Montgomery Place in Red Hook.

Heads up:

How to pick a peach

Ripe fruits will be golden.
Mature fruit that has hung on the tree long enough to develop the sugar will have a distinctive orange cast.

Above all. . . let your nose be your guide. Ripe peaches are deliciously fragrant.

Consider planting one in your yard or neighborhood.

Cool Morphing Video of Leading Men in Film

2009-08-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

Via Slog

Whole Foods Slammed with National Boycott

2009-08-14T10:55:00.005-04:00

The CEO of Whole Foods wrote an op ed article for the Wall Street Journal this week, decrying that health care was not an intrinsic right and something reserved for the wealthy - oops, not the smartest move for a company that claims it is a progressive corporation committed to the good of the community.

The fallout has been substantial, and now there is a national boycott of the company, via facebook:

Whole Foods is NOT a company that cares for communities and they have built their brand with the dollars of deceived progressives. No more. My $ will no longer go to support Whole Foods' anti-union, anti-health insurance reform, right-wing activities.

John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on 8/12/2009 quoting Margaret Thatcher and suggesting that healthcare is a commodity that only the rich, like him, deserve.

The national debate about health care has become complicated and vicious, and it seems that not even the Iraq war caused such alarm or stir.

New Study About Storms and Global Warming

2009-08-13T11:07:00.003-04:00

The New York Times reports today that a recent study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that there are not bigger storms and hurricanes today, but that modern sophisticated tracking has improved. The concern is that with high tech tracking of storms, data comparing storm activity over the centuries is skewing information about global warming and the increase of "big storms."

The NOAA believes that todays environment is very similar to the years 900-1200.

In findings reported this week in The Journal of Climate, the NOAA researchers, led by Christopher W. Landsea, say that several disturbances logged in 2007 and 2008 as tropical storms would never have been identified without satellite observations and new analysis techniques.

The researchers studied storms that played themselves out at sea, either in a day or two or over a longer period, from 1878 to 2008. By the late 19th century, they estimated, meteorologists missed perhaps two of the larger storms each year, and by the 1950s they were picking up on average all but one each year.

Yet the researchers estimate that a century ago, as many as 80 percent of short-lived storms came and went without ever being officially noticed.

Over all, they conclude, storm counts have not changed in the last century.

Read the NYT article HERE

Yesterday's Released Documents Show Cover-up

2009-08-12T11:21:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, over 7800 pages of documents regarding the Bush White House were released, and already more disturbing information is being uncovered regarding Carl Rove and staff's role in the firing of U.S. attorney's for political reasons. Also, the documents indicate the White House cover-up of the firings.

The Huffington Post is requesting that their audience assist them read through the newly released documents and email relevant ones to them.
The Huffington Post has already forwarded numerous documents to U.S. prosecutors.

This Weekend in Columbia County

2009-08-12T11:08:00.002-04:00

Thursday-Sunday, August 13-16

Walking the dog Theater's production of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - Directed by Adrian Locher (Theatre of the Word, UK) - Information at 392-6121 or www.ps21chatham.org - 8 pm - NO PERFORMANCE ON FRIDAY - PS/21, 2980 Route 66, 1 mile north of Chatham

Film - The Beaches of Agnes - directed by Agnes Varda - A cinematic self-portrait - 5:30 pm - Time & Space Limited

Film - Under Our Skin - "Investigates the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS" - Thurs/Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 3:30 & 7:30 pm, Sun at 3:30 pm - Time & Space Limited

Theatre - Crazy For You - Gershwin plus tap dancing. What could be bad? - Reservations at 392-9292 or www.machaydntheatre.org - Thurs at 2 & 8 pm, Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 4 & 8 pm, Sun at 2 & 7 pm - Mac-Haydn Theatre, 1925 Route 203, Chatham

Friday, August 14

Music at Sunset series - Long Neck Band - 7 pm - Information at 828-4656 - Greenport Town Park

Free Outdoor Movie - Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window - Bring a chair - After dark - PARC Park, across from the Opera House - Presented by Time & Space Limited

Friday-Sunday, August 14-16

Ancram Community Days - A weekend of activities including a "dive-in" movie at the pool, a dunking booth featuring town officials, chicken barbeque, the Local Bluegrass Jam Band, a potluck picnic, and an ice cream social - Who could ask for anything more?

Saturday, August 15

Gallery talk - Carolyn Marks Blackwood talks about her Hudson River photographs - 2 pm - Hudson Opera House

Badila family Community Celebration - Bring a picnic and join in the games from 2-7 pm - Performance including Lady Moon and her band Eclipse (fresh from her performance at Club Helsinki in Great Barrington), Young Paris, and Diata Diata from 7-10 pm - Henry Hudson Riverfront Park

Wine Tasting/exhibition opening - A retrospective of works by Lou Stettner, a seminal photographer of the 1950s and 1960s, best known for his photographs of Penn Station commuters. The wine tasting is curated by Michael Albin of Hudson WIne Merchants and will compare French and Hudson Valley food and wine - 6-8 pm - Athens Cultural Center

Chatham Improv - Bud Godfroy, Richard Lapo, Prudence Theriault, John Wallace and Mark Wilson - 8 pm - Space 360, 360 Warren Street

Saturday-Sunday, August 15-16

Napoleonic Brigade Re-enactment - Battle skirmishes! Military encampments! Information at 392-0062 or www.oldausterlitz.org - Battle times : Saturday at 1:30 pm, Sunday at 11:00 am - Austerlitz Historical Society, Old Austerlitz Site, Route 22, Austerlitz

Sunday, August 16

Rip Van Winkle's Wacky Raft Race - Information at 1-800-355-2287 - Starts at 11 am at Athens Riverfront Park and ends whenever at Dutchman's Landing, end of Main Street, Catskill.

Music - A faculty/student concert presented as part of the Hudson Jazz Workshop with Armen Donelian, Marc Mommaas and David Liebman. Information at 822-1640 or info@armenjazz.com - 3 pm - Hudson Opera House

Bruce Molsky - Traditional American music by an "old-time fiddler" (Also plays guitar and banjo) - Has played at Lincoln Center and on "A Prairie Home Companion," and has been nominated for a Grammy - 3 pm - PS/21, 2980 Route 66, 1 mile north of Chatham

2009-08-11T16:23:00.002-04:00

MARS: Population 1
Writer: James Allerdyce
Director: James Allerdyce
Utter isolation. Limitless exploration. As he runs out of air, the first man to land on Mars comes face to face with his own sanity, humanity, and SPACE-MADNESS, in this innovative Sci-Fi experience that will awe your imagination.
0h 45m Local Miami, FL Solo Show FringeHIGH
Staycation:Outer Space Zombie Adventure Time Traveler
www.JamesAllerdyce.com Share Show
VENUE #9: The Players Loft
Sat 15 @ 7:15 Thu 20 @ 3:30 Sat 22 @ 12 Mon 24 @ 5* Wed 26 @ 7 Sat 29 @ 11

Kathy Griffen Last Night on Larry King

2009-08-11T14:28:00.001-04:00

When Kathy Griffen is on fire, she is hilarious.....and you got to love the way she pampered Levi Johnston, giving him his best on air appearance ever.

Quest Conference in Phoenicia, NY August 24-28

2009-08-11T13:19:00.001-04:00

Quest Conference taking place in Phoenicia, NY August 24-28. For more information about
the conference please see www.EsotericQuest.org

Name of Event: An Esoteric Quest for Inner America, The Songs of Woody
Guthrie and Pete
Seeger, An Evening of Folk Music performed by Judy Gorman
Time: 8:30PM
Date: Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Location: Menla Mountain Retreat Center,
Phonecia NY
Phone: 212-219-2527x101
Admission: $20

Description: Part of the Esoteric Quest Conference
(www.esotericquest.org). As America reawakens to social justice and equality as core
values, its great folk music tradition conveys countless stories of
struggle and triumph in this cause. Woody Guthrie may be our greatest songwriter of the people's America and Pete Seeger is his worthy heir. This rousing evening takes us into the heart and soul of the America of the common man and woman.

Name of Event: An Esoteric Quest for Inner America, Blessings at the Threshold, Elizabeth Street, New York City, 1905, An Evening of Stories told by Gioia Timpanelli
Time: 8:30PM
Date: Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Location: Menla Mountain Retreat Center, Phonecia NY
Phone: 212-219-2527x101
Admission: $20

Description: Part of the Esoteric Quest Conference
(www.esotericquest.org). This is an evening of stories and back stories of
Sicilian and Jewish Immigrants working in the garment industry in New York City in 1905. Coming out of great necessity, the immigrants from Sicily and Russia in 1905 came with few material goods but with their cultures intact. This evening will include some folk tales and spiritual stories about Saints and Holy Fools.

Name of Event: An Esoteric Quest for Inner America, Wade in the Water, an
Evening of
Gospel Music performed by Chanda Rule
Time: 8:30PM
Date: Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Location: Menla Mountain Retreat Center,
Phonecia NY
Phone: 212-219-2527x101
Admission: $20

Description: Part of the Esoteric Quest Conference
(www.esotericquest.org). Led by singer/songwriter and international
performer Chanda Rule, Wade in the Water melds spirituals, blues, and gospel, taking listeners on a musical journey from the southern-most parts of Mississippi to the slick streets of Northern urban metros, and back again. The songs, lyrics, and arrangements connect the dots of the history of African American spiritual music, drawing a smooth line from early Negro Spirituals to contemporary gospel.

Poem for the Day (by Greg Howell)

2009-08-11T13:07:00.004-04:00

Death won't meet me face to face
He stays 10 steps behind on diligent chase
A dark cold shadow nipping my blistered heels
Teasing taunting my soul for total embrace

He knows I laugh I am dead in haste
A dark numb spirit walking arrogantly in space
Little reward for Death to capture a spirit chilled
Dead man walking at a sprinter's pace

American Psychiatric Association Report

2009-08-11T11:02:00.004-04:00

After a two year study, the APA has notified the psychiatric community that gay reparative therapy, a religious-based attempt to change sexual orientation, does not work and should not be used in therapy. The APA's report states:

"Practitioners can assist clients through therapies that do not attempt to change sexual orientation," the report read, "but rather involve acceptance, support and identity exploration and development without imposing a specific identity outcome."

The report also underlines previous findings that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality and expresses concern for teens and young adults that are placed in harmful reparative therapy programs. By the way, the above painting is a popular Christian image merchandised across the country to Christian bookstores and giftshops.

The Huffington Post has a new article about the APA's report.

The Edge Reports: AIDS at 25

2009-08-11T10:54:00.004-04:00

The Edge has a a new article about the AIDS epidemic. Officially named 25 years ago, the disease first begin to surface in the late 1970s and was essentially not reported in the press for years. Almost 20,000 people died before Ronald Reagan even acknowledged the epidemic.

Read The Edge article

Rachel Maddow Does Her Homework!

2009-08-07T18:33:00.000-04:00

Brad Pitt Stands By Gay Marriage Again

2009-08-06T10:52:00.005-04:00

Last year, Brad and Angelina announced that they would never get married until all people in the GLBT community have the same rights to marry as heterosexuals. This week he again goes to bat for the gay community in an interview with the rather conservative PARADE magazine, the national insert magazine that appears in many Sunday papers across the nation. In the interview, Pitt asserts:

"I have love in my life, a soul mate absolutely. When someone asked me why Angie and I dont get married, I replied, Maybe well get married when its legal for everyone else. I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it [and] hate mail from religious groups. I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, Ive had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment.

It's ridiculous that Prop 8 took away gay people's right to marry! I have no understanding of that kind of hatred. Maybe it's fear of difference or of the unknown. If you feel belittled, maybe you need someone else to belittle to feel powerful. It's the only way I know how to explain it. You've got religion telling you what to think about homosexuality, about marriage. They say homosexuality is a choice, a lifestyle, something you can be cured of, and that isn't true. But if you're tucked away and have no friends who are gay, you'll believe what the preachers say. Just think of it in terms of being in love how would you feel if someone told you that you couldn't be with the person you loved?"

Via WickedGayBlog

Ugly Betty Transformation?

2009-08-06T10:35:00.005-04:00

Several sources report that ABC's Ugly Betty, saved from cancellation despite continued decline in viewers the last couple of years, is getting a make over - literally. Three season's ago, Ugly Betty was the breakout hit of the year, but viewership has eroded quickly despite winning several Emmy awards. Rumors are spreading through the media and leaked photos that the fourth season will see a transformation of the lead character.

FringeNYC Festival Spotlight

2009-08-05T11:38:00.001-04:00

FAR OUT--the New Sci-Fi Musical Comedy
Supreme Eyeball Productions
Writer: Brian Breen and Michael Chartier
Director: Kimothy Cruse
Choreographer: Justin Boccitto
Boy meets girl, boy gets girl...boy fights singing-eyeball-alien-diva?! Keep an eye open for this rollicking spoof of classic 1950's grade-B-alien-invasion movies, the sock hop teen scene, and the cold war. It's outta sight!
1h 50m Local Manhattan, NY Musical Comedy
Staycation:Outer Space Zombie Adventure Summer Camp(y)
www.faroutthemusical.com Share Show
VENUE #10: Minetta Lane Theatre
Sat 22 @ 7:30 Wed 26 @ 8 Thu 27 @ 4:15 Sat 29 @ 5 Sun 30 @ 2:45

Last Weekend at Hudson Stage WorksCAR TALK

2009-08-05T11:18:00.001-04:00

CAR TALK
by Lucile Lichtblau
directed by Laura Margolis

starring
Bonnie Black ..................Larry Sharp
Melissa MacLeod Herion.......Abby Lee

WORLD PREMIERE......JULY 22 - AUGUST 9
tickets $24 - $29 (senior/student/grp discounts avail.)
www.stageworkshudson.org

A frank and hilarious look at the endangered institution known as marriage ...

Millie and Ed, a middle-aged, middle-class Jewish couple, have just learned that their only child, Rosalie, is gay and seriously involved with a taxidermist named Zoe. They take off to visit Rosalie to scope out the situation, not knowing that on their journey they will confront the skeletons in their own closet as Rosalie comes out of hers.

CAR TALK skewers our traditional definition of family as it explores love - the type of profound love that makes it possible to cross all boundaries, and the humor that comes along with it.

Virginia Luppino Fine Landscapes: Plant of the Day

2009-08-04T14:24:00.001-04:00

Woody Plants 2.0

Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum
Doublefile Viburnum

We defer, once again, to
Michael Dirr:

"A garden without a viburnum is like life without music and art."

The Queen of flowering shrubs.
A true, rare four season plant.
Abundance of flowers, berries, fall color along its horizontal branching which holds the snow on those still snowy winter days.

Pete Seeger Meets Gay Icon Jimmy Somerville

2009-08-03T09:42:00.004-04:00

The lastest release from Jimmy Somerville, the iconic gay singer that brought us such classics as "Smalltown Boy" and "Don't Leave Me This Way" is folk singer Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"

InsideOut Magazine recently interviewed Pete Seeger (July/August Issue). Click HERE to read the interview.

Summer Art Activities at Hudson Opera House

2009-07-31T13:12:00.005-04:00

Integrarte

Mondays 4-6pm
Wednesdays, 10-noon
Fridays, 2-4pm
(children ages 6-10 +up welcome at this session)

August 3rd through 28th
Integrarte returns to HOH! The series of workshops will be held throughout August with artist Bruno Pasquier-Devignes. All work is crafted from found materials including newspapers, cardboard, plastic bottles, grocery bags, fabric, corks, wire and more! The workshops are free.

Found Fashion
with Perri Katzman

Tuesdays and Thursdays
August 4 - 27
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Design and construct your own outfit to show off while strutting down the runway. The only rule: no fabric allowed! Artists can build their creations using found objects, such as feathers, gum boxes, or board game parts, just to name a few. The possibilities are endless. Photo courtesty Zoe Cohen, Anna Baryshnikov and Dinah Decker. Free!

Creative Writing for teens
with Kathe Izzo

August 10 - 13
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Student writers ages 13 - 18 will explore their own voice and style as well as various characters and points of view using guided exercises. Led by poet Kathe Izzo.

Hudson Community Book Group

Mondays, through August 17
4:00 - 5:30 for 8-10 yrs. old
5:30 - 7:00 for 11 & up
In collaboration with the Hudson City School District, students ages 8 and up and their parents are invited to participate in literacy activities at HOH.

All workshops are FREE for youth!
Registration may be required.

To Register: Call HOH at 822-1438
or e-mail joe@hudsonoperahouse.org

FringeNYC Festival Spotlight

2009-07-29T13:11:00.003-04:00

America's Next Top Bottom: Cycle 5!
Celebration Theatre
Writer: Created by Efrain Schunior. Based on an idea by Michael Matthews, Jason Moyer & Efrain Schunior
Director: Efrain Schunior
Do these boys have what it takes to be America's Next Top Bottom? Watch as these 7 ass-piring bottoms attempt to outdress, outbitch, and outsass each other for the crown. Who will get it in the end? YOU decide!!!
1h 0m National Hollywood, CA Improv/Sketch/Stand-up Comedy
Staycation:Celeb-reality TV in Hollywood
www.americasnexttopbottom.com Share Show
VENUE #11: The Actors' Playhouse
Sun 16 @ 8:15 Mon 17 @ 5:45 Wed 19 @ 2 Fri 21 @ 10:45 Sat 22 @ 2:15

www.fringenyc.org

Gay Games Internationally Reporting Bashing

2009-07-29T13:03:00.003-04:00

Seattle's Gay Games have reported that small bombs have been thrown and detonated on the track, injury numerous athletes. Since the games have begun, there have been numerous threats and reports of harrassment. The Edge reports:

A Seattle-area athlete needed medical treatment Tuesday after small bombs were thrown onto the track at the start of a relay run at the World Outgames. This attack is the second to take place against on attendees since the global LGBT multi-sport event opened last weekend. Three men have been detained as a result of the incidents and police said they are looking for a fourth suspect.

It was not known at press time whether the attacks were related or what the motives were, but police were treating the weekend incident, in which two Danish men reportedly punched and kicked three men from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway in a gay-bar district in Copenhagen as they returned from the opening ceremony on Town Hall Square.

I've said this before and I say it again, leaders such as The Pope, U.S. Senators, and even Obama have this on their hands as they have allowed, even encouraged, an environment of hatred toward GLBT people to continue and thrive. This would be top headline news with immediate government intervention should this happened to any other minority group.

Schwarzenegger Cuts AIDS Funding

2009-07-29T12:58:00.002-04:00

Gov. Schwarzenegger today signed to cut out massive amounts of funding for HIV Positive and people living with AIDS. This is probably the saddest day of the year, thus far, for California......and the state has had many, many embarrassing and sad days over the last 12 months!

From the Health AIDS Foundation comes this statement:

Today’s cuts to HIV/AIDS programs include: an 80% reduction in funding for Education & Prevention, a 70% cut in HIV Counseling and Testing, a 50% cut for Early Intervention (that provides primary medical care), a 100% cut in Therapeutic Monitoring Program (the program that monitors the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS drugs administered through the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program), a 20% cut in Housing and more than a 50% cut in funding for Home and Community-Based Care.

“With a single stroke of his blue pencil, Governor Schwarzenegger has terminated the state’s AIDS programs and, along with it, the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “The Governor’s heartless act is not only deadly, but guaranteed to cost California taxpayers millions more in the future. With HIV testing programs sidelined and the state’s ability to prevent new infections stymied, new infections in California will increase—each new infection can mean up to $600,000 dollars in lifetime health care costs. A 100% cut to the Therapeutic Monitoring Program is the definition of penny-wise and pound-foolish—with the ability to monitor the effectiveness of lifesaving AIDS drugs hampered, the state’s already cash-strapped AIDS Drug Assistance Program will only end up spending more for drugs.”

“Governor Schwarzenegger’s unilateral decision to essentially dismantle the state’s lifesaving HIV/AIDS programs will cost lives, endanger the public’s health, and constitutes negligence,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Director of AHF’s Public Health Division. “The state’s ability to identify people living with HIV is now severely crippled—creating an enormous obstacle to the prevention of new infections and linking those who need it to treatment. Not only will the Governor’s callous funding cuts devastate those living with HIV/AIDS who rely on the services the state provides to stay alive and healthy, but today’s cuts also pose a serious threat to our shared responsibility to combat the spread of HIV in California.”

Dow Above 9000!!!!

2009-07-23T13:26:00.001-04:00

Enough said!

FringeNYC Festival, Manhattan

2009-07-22T07:57:00.004-04:00

I'm back! Perhaps our regular viewers have noticed that the last few week's postings have been...well, sparse. This time of year for me is an intensive marathon for preparing the program guide for the FringeNYC Festival in NYC. If you are not familiar with this festival, one might consider it the Sundance of international theater.

Each year over 200 international plays, including musicals, drama, comedy, and children's theater, are performed at 18 venues in the heart of Manhattan. This years festival runs from August 14 - August 30 and covers 3 weekends.

For the next month, now that I am intensely familiar with all the upcoming productions, I thought I would spotlight some that have caught my eye and would be recommended to our InsideOut Blog readers:

PIE-FACE! THE ADVENTURES OF ANITA BRYANT
Kangagirl Productions
Writer: David Karl Lee
Director: Kenny Howard
Before Miss California, there was Anita Bryant, the original scandalicious beauty queen turned orange juice promoting, Jesus-loving, homo-hater. "A Tank in Taffeta!- Orlandocitybeat.com. "Inspired Hilarity!"- Orlando Sentinel. "Tastes suspiciously like a banana cream surprise...Delicious!"- Orlando Weekly.
1h 0m National Orlando, FL Comedy Multi-Media
Staycation:Summer Camp(y) In Someone Else's Shoes
www.kangagirlproductions.com Share Show
VENUE #11: The Actors’ Playhouse; FRI 14 @ 5:15; SAT 15 @ 10:45; WED 19 @ 3:45; SAT 22 @ 7:45; SAT 29 @ 2:15

For more info about tickets, events, scheduling, and programming, visit:

http://www.fringenyc.org

Findustry in Hudson

2009-07-22T07:53:00.002-04:00

click image to enlarge and read:

Recession Hits Hudson NY Antiques Market

2009-07-22T07:49:00.002-04:00

Hudson antique dealers struggling
Recession thinning city's antique market

HUDSON Warren Street in Hudson is well known for its dozens of
high-end antique shops, and dealers are feeling the pinch as the recession
tightens its grip on the nation's consumers.

Sales in Hudson are down around 20 to 30 percent, according to Hudson
Antiques Dealers Association president Frank Rosa. Though few, if any, shops
have closed this year and dealers say things aren't as bad as they could be.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2009/07/19/news/doc4a6269eac0f460180018

Tomato Blight: Hudson Valley Garden Confidential

2009-07-22T07:41:00.002-04:00

The Tomato Blight seems to be the issue most on everyone's mind these days and I thougth it best to pass this along.

I've decided to go back to the old Biodynamic recipe for Equisetum Tea.

Equisetum tea is a common plant tonic used in Biodynamic agriculture. It comes from the Horsetail Herb. The plant is very high in silica which is a vital element in plant growth. Equisetum tea is used to prevent aphids, fungus, blight, mildew etc. The dried plant is brewed by lightly boiling in water for an hour to create a potent tea. The tea helps to dissolve the silica into a form that plants can very quickly absorb. This tea can be used fresh on plants or fermented for a few weeks in an earthenware container for an even stronger brew. When applying the tea it should be diluted (10 water to 1 Equisetum) and stirred in water for at least twenty minutes and then sprayed on plants.
Repeated applications over several days are effective in strengthening plants. A little bit goes a long way.

If you decide to give this a try please let me know what your results were. On the other hand, if you have found something else that is helpful... please share your experience and I will pass it along.
Contact Virginia Lupino

Verdigris Art and Tea Presents

2009-07-22T07:36:00.001-04:00

click image to enlarge and read:

Iran

2009-07-18T00:22:00.003-04:00

I run a regular column at Hansisgreat.com about the Nations of the World. Today's posting is especially timely, as the Islamic Republic of Iran has been much in the news lately, on account of disputes surrounding their presidential election.

As is often the case for Americans watching news stories about other countries, I was surprised at how little I knew about Iran. One blog post won't make up for everything, but it's a start...

The Islamic Republic of Iran:

Population: 66,688,433
Land Area: 636,294 square miles (slightly larger than Alaska)

Languages: 58% Persian, 26% Turkic, 9% Kurdish

Religion: 89% Shi'a Muslim, 10% Sunni Muslim, 1% other

Monetary Unit: Iranian rial

President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (since August 2005)

Until the 1930s, the country was known abroad as Persia. Most of the terrain is rugged, and geologic instability has caused frequent earthquakes which have resulted in much property damage and loss of life throughout the region's history.

Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, conquered nearby Lydia and Babylonia (546-539 BC), and established Persia as a preeminent power in the world.
Darius I, who ascended the throne in 521 BC, pushed the Persian border to the Indus River, earning the title Darius the Great. From 499 to 490 BC, he led a crushing invasion of Greece until he was historically defeated at the Battle of Marathon.

Alexander the Great added Persia to his realm in a series of battles between 334 and 331 BC. His death resulted in a long struggle among his successors for the Persian throne, eventually resulting in the Parthian Empire, Rome's greatest eastern rival. The Roman Empire actually enjoyed relatively good relations with Parthia, although many emperors may have dreamed of conquering it.

After the conquest of Persia by the Arabs in 641, Iran became part of the Islamic world. The old Zoroastrian religion gradually vanished, and Iran became a Muslim country. The area soon became a major center of Shi'a Muslim culture.

In the early 13th century, Iran was conquered by the Mongols, and was ruled by them until 1502. Ismail I (1486-1524) founded the independent Iranian Safavid dynasty, and established the Shiite doctrine as the official national religion. He was regarded as a saint by Iranians, who proclaimed him the shah.

The story of modern Iran begins with the Qajars, a Turkic speaking tribal confederation which conquered the country piece by piece in the late 18th century. It's real power was restricted to the capital, most authority rested with local magnates. During this period, Britain and Russia struggled for hegemony in Iran.

The rise of foreign influence and weakness and corruption of the country's rulers led to the development of a nationalist movement in the early 20th century, which demanded a constitutional government and an elected Parliament. In 1906, shah Mazzafar ad-Din was at the center of a ring of corrupt officials, and had borrowed millions from European leaders. The Iranian economy was in shambles, inflation was rampant: in 1906 the cost of bread rose 90%.

Shah Mazzafar was forced to acknowledge the first Majlis, or national assembly, which drew up a liberal constitution. His son and successor, Muhammad Ali, attempted to destroy the constitutional movement by force, but was defeated and deposed. Meanwhile, a treaty between Britain and Russia divides Iran into "spheres of influence": between the two countries, challenging the nation's independence. Following World War I, Persia was recognized as an independent country, but was virtually a British protectorate.

US and British forces, anxious about their access to Iran's rich oil fields, deposed the democratically elected Majlis and restored power to the autocratic shah. Resenting his absolute power, financial mismanagement, and excessive use of his military secret police, Iranians ousted the last shah in 1979. Iran's dominant religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, came to power after years of exile in France.

After toppling the shah, Khomeini, supported by the clergy and the large conservative element in Iran, presided over the establishment of an Islamic republic. The regime ended the country's close ties with the US and Britain. Hundreds of the shah's supporters were executed. When the shah came to the US in 1979 for medical treatment, militant Iranians stormed the US embassy, taking 62 Americans as hostages.

The hostage dispute with the US dragged on: they were finally released on January 21, 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration. The next day the Ayatollah Khomeini took executive power. Another wave of executions followed.

Meanwhile, war with neighboring Iraq from 1980-1988 severely crippled Iran. Casualties are estimated from 450,000 to a million dead on both sides, and the war consumed nearly all of Iran's revenue from oil exports, leaving it bankrupt. In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini died.

Iran remained mired in economic and social stagnation, with evidence of popular discontent for years. In 1997, religious authorities gave voters their first genuine choice for a presidential candidate. They overwhelmingly chose moderate reformer Mohammed Khatami. Despite clerical opposition, Khatami reopened diplomatic relations with "the Great Satan" of the US.

In 2005 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the popular mayor of Tehran, was elected president. He immediately began attacking Israel's existence, the US occupation of Iraq, and began pressing ahead with Iranian plans to develop a nuclear program. Ahmadenejad remains in power after an election of highly suspect authenticity in June 2009. Mass protests have followed, demanding a new election and an end to police attacks on peaceful protesters.

Few countries have advanced as quickly as Iran from wooden plows to a nuclear program. In 1900, the country had a population of less than 12 million, with a 5% literacy rate. Now its population is over 66 million, with an 84% literacy rate and 1.6 million enrolled in college.

For my previous posts on Nations of the World, click here.

Rachel Maddow Roasts Sarah Palin ...Like a Burned Marshmallow

2009-07-08T12:16:00.002-04:00

NY Government FINALLY Does Something Right!

2009-07-08T12:03:00.002-04:00

Thomas DiNapoli, the New York state Controller, announced today that no paychecks or expense reports would be paid to any NY Senators! Hurrah!

Senators, can you spare a dime? Thirty-one days into their stalemate, do-nothing warring state senators are having their salaries withheld Wednesday - for the first time since the infamous June 8 Republican-led coup. State Controller Thomas DiNapoli last week ordered the biweekly paychecks of all 62 senators held until the Senate wraps up its fight. Wednesday is the first payday since the order. Payroll for 62 senators amounts to some $190,000 - or $3,049 per senator, every two weeks. "The controller didn't want to interject his office in what's an internal dispute, but he just felt he couldn't continue to process payroll as if everything was normal," DiNapoli spokesman Dennis Tompkins said.

Our Place In The Universe

2009-07-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

Astronomers have come a long way in their understanding of the heavens since ancient times. 4000 years ago, people pictured the Earth as unmoving, floating at the center of the Universe in a celestial sea. All the stars were believed to be located at the same distance, pinned to a gigantic heavenly ball of unknown size which they called the celestial sphere.

Our ancestors found it hard to reject the notion that Earth was at the center of the Universe, and that in fact there may be nothing special about our planet. In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicas proved that the Earth goes around the Sun, like the other planets, and took a giant step toward redefining the truth about the nature of the Universe.

It's unusual for the truth to have so much evidence against it, while the widely believed falsehood seemed so obvious: the Earth seems solid and unmoving, and doesn't appear to be spinning around in space at thousands of kilometers per hour. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Copernicus realized, correctly, that the Earth is a small part of a much larger Solar System, with the Sun at its center. Still stranger was the notion that the other planets revolved around the Sun, and in fact weren't controlled by the Earth at all. The discovery of moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn was an important first step, since it established conclusively that there were satellites revolving around other planets, and that the Earth wasn't the center of rotation for the entire heavens after all.

More surprising still: the Sun is only one of millions of stars in our galaxy. There are unimaginable distances between stars, which makes them appear to be moving very slowly across the sky. Ancient astronomers could not possibly have anticipated how far away the other stars are. This prevented them from realizing that their apparent motion around earth is in fact an illusion, and that they actually don't circle around our planet at all.

Still more vast are the distances between galaxies, to the edges of the known Universe itself. Light from these ares of space has taken millions or even billions of years to reach our planet. For this reason, when viewing the most remote parts of space, we're also looking back at a very distant time.

The first map of the known Universe was devised by the French astronomer Charles Joseph Messier (1730 -1817), and included a catalog of 45 celestial bodies. The map at the left is much more recent, although our knowledge of space is constantly expanding.

Additionally, galaxies are being created and destroyed all the time. Every day hundreds of millions of star systems, just like ours, are flashing out of existence. The explosions create massive turbulence, which in turn causes the conception of new stars and planets, which will reach maturity long after our own tiny planet has been annihilated.

So just how "big" is the Universe? It's unimaginably huge: light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second, and yet even at this speed it hasn't had time to travel across the known Universe since the beginning of creation. And evidence seems to suggest it's expanding: growing bigger all the time.

For my previous posts on space and astronomy, click here.

If you're interested in a terrific coffee table book about outer space, including lots of breathtaking photography, check out Astronomy: A Visual Guide, by Mark A. Garlick.

In a Sunburned Country

2009-07-07T11:48:00.001-04:00

In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson

$10.17 in the Hansisgreat Gift Shop

ISBN: 0767903862

Travel memoirs have always been a favorite of mine: they're a way to experience the fun of visiting some exotic location but without the inconvenience of a trans-Pacific flight. Bill Bryson has written several, and since I know very little about Australia, it was the first one I picked up.

Most of the world, apparently, knows little about Australia. In fact, its Prime Minister drowned in 1967 and virtually no one outside the country was aware it had happened.

Australia is the only country that it also a continent. It has more deadly animals than anyplace else on earth: poisonous snakes, jellyfish, scorpions, ants, and even giant worms. It has a population of only 18 million (China grows by more than this amount each year), so that most of its territory is largely unexplored and uninhabited.

It hosts the largest living thing in the world: the Great Barrier Reef. Its major railroad, the Indian-Pacific, stretching from Sydney to Perth, travels through parched 120^o temperatures for hundreds of miles without so much as a curve in the track.

Bryson begins his journey in Sydney, and divides his time between big cities, small towns, and regions of untouched natural beauty. He writes very briefly on Australian politics, history, art, and culture, but most of his time is spent exploring just as a tourist might. He has a delightful visit in a town called Surfer's Paradise, renowned for its outstanding beaches and reputation for attracting daredevils. There's also a lot of time spent in microscopically small towns with surprising stories. The first solo flight across the Pacific was performed by an unheard of Australian, just a few years after Charles Lindbergh. Adelaide was a well-known haven for great artists and intellectuals.

In a Sunburned Country was an exciting odyssey which got me wanting to visit Australia myself, something I'd never considered before. Bryson has a gift for charming anecdotes which keep the reader engaged, and informing without becoming boring. He constantly stressed how big and dangerous the country was, but that it was interesting and beautiful enough to be worth the disadvantages. If you're not too familiar with this magnificent country and would enjoy a casual introduction, this book gets top marks.

Ruth Madoff: No More Life of Luxury

2009-07-06T10:25:00.003-04:00

After being removed from her luxury $7M NYC penthouse, Ruth Madoff with only her purse and the clothes on her back, had to ride the subway, as reported by the New York Post.

Ms. Madoff probably thought about a lot of things as her wealth crumbled, but somehow, one can't help but wonder, this subway ride of shame was probably not one of them!

Marriage Equality Flag

2009-07-06T10:12:00.003-04:00

Joe.My.God reader "Mark" came up with this concept last year. From Joe's blog:

The flag is based in the custom of 19th century suffragettes. At their annual convention they would add a star to the flag for each state that had adopted a women's right to vote. Although there is no official order - the stars are generally read right to left in the order they were admitted to the Union. Represented are - Massachusetts and Connecticut.

And now, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Iowa.

(p.m.) wine bar - Hudson

2009-07-06T10:00:00.003-04:00

Events planned at (p.m.) for July!

First, is the Spanish Dinner Series

Our guest chef, Tim Meyers, will be doing a series of Spanish Dinners at (p.m.) beginning next Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 and go forward for the next two Wednesdays, July 15th and 22nd. We will only have seating for twenty people, so please make your reservations early to make sure you have can enjoy his fabulous cooking.

This week's menu

Sopa Berenjena Asada - roasted eggplant soup with sumak and wild mushrooms.
Ragout de Melillones - light coastal stew of mussels and fresh tomato
Trucha a la Kaller con Paella - trout sauteed with serrano ham served with saffron-wine sauce and classic vegetable paella.
Helado de Chocolate - a rich Spanish take on Italian gelato.

We will have a wine suggestion for each course, but you can always order what you prefer to go with your meal.

The price is forty dollars per person, plus beverage selection.

Second, is Tuesday's Game Night!!!!

Yes, I have decided to re-open on Tuesdays...after many requests. And to make it special, I am finally adding GAME NIGHT!!

I have Scrabble, Life, cards and even Monopoly, and will bring more games in...any suggestions? Just let me know.

Does anybody know the game "GREEDY"??

And Lastly...

I am still looking for musicians that want to play at the bar, so if want to play or if you know of anybody that wants play, I'd love to have live music any day of the week..except Mondays. The poor piano is still sitting waiting to entertain.

Upcoming Olana Programs & Events

2009-07-02T09:55:00.002-04:00

Sunday, July 12, 1-4PM at Olana
Making a River: Interpreting the Hudson, Then and Now
In recognition of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, The Olana Partnership, Olana State Historic Site, and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site are proud to collaboratively offer this education
al program for families that will explore the Hudson River of the past and today. We will discuss the environmental implications of the Hudson River School paintings, view the new gallery exhibits at the home site, and make our own works of art inspired by our real Hudson River views!

Monday, July 13 - Friday, July 17, 9AM-2PM
The Journey (Session 1): Olana's Summer Arts Program
Fee: one week class:$165 per child; $125 for members of The Olana Partnership
Children ages 6-12 work in small groups as they "journey" to one of the locales visited by Church in the 19th century. Through art, music, movement, history, nature walks, poetry and other hands-on activities, children experience the life and travels of this landmark artist.

REGISTRATION MANDATORY - Olana.org

Salon Magazine - Letter to the DNC

2009-07-02T08:19:00.002-04:00

Joe.My.God posted this letter to the DNC from Salon Magazine and it is worth spreading around.......

Dear DNC

I truly "support" Democrats being elected in 2010 and 2012. I am a "fierce advocate" of the Democratic Party after all. I know that I have promised you my support over the past few decades and have done my best to follow through.

Even now I am "working towards" a financial donation to the Party. I do have to ask for your "patience" though, because as a gay man, my family and I are still second class citizens and are having to funnel our resources towards causes that protect and honor our basic civil rights. "We have a lot on our plate."

We are "proceeding" towards lifting the denial of funds to the DNC and are "developing a strategy" that will get us there by the end of Obama's time at the White House. As a matter of fact, my family has planned several "meetings" to discuss these very important donations and will be sending out a press release shortly to announce our "cocktail party" celebrating Democracy.

Thanks for understanding. And hang in there!

Sincerely,

Liam

What Happen to Wacko Jacko?

2009-07-01T11:40:00.017-04:00

THE DEIFICATION OF MICHAEL JACKSON
I reserved posting about Michael Jackson's death. It is difficult to examine a phenomena at the peak of hysteria. And, Jackson, from his earliest television performances to the media frenzy surrounding his death, is certainly a phenomena. But the job of journalism and the free press, including blogging, is to reveal the hidden layers behind emotional swelling as much as disdain. So now, while Micheal is not yet buried in the ground, seems the first appropriate time to examine this sensational global response to Jackson's death.

What surprises me most, and it shouldn't, but it does....is the reaction from the African-American community. Hearing Al Sharpton sermonize and sanctify him at yesterday's memorial at the Apollo Theater in New York defies logic. To hear Sharpton and a host of others declare that Obama is President of the United States because of Michael Jackson would have been an inane comment just a week ago. If I upset some reader, then I apologize in advance, but placing Micheal Jackson above Martin Luther King, Jr. is absurd. Michael Jackson has no more to do with the ascendancy of Barrack Obama than does Elvis Presley, both equally notorious for breaking down barriers between the races. Bill Cosby has much more responsibility for closing the racial divide than Jackson! Obama owes more to Bill Clinton for breaking the race barrier than certainly a pop star, no matter how great he was.

To hear recent comments from the media, Michael Jackson was the first global star; but, this is not true either. Elvis and The Beatles certainly were global superstars. There was no place they were not known. Even Donna Summer, perhaps the first true black global music superstar to release music that immediately hit around the world, deserves credit here - as does Aretha, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross and Madonna - and so many other people that ascended racial and sexual barriers on a global scale. Honestly, in terms of Michael Jackson, where would he be without Quincy Jones, anyway? So why then, all the fuss about Michael changing the world and paving the way for Obama?

In two words, the "O.J. Syndrome." When people, whether by race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation - are oppressed, it becomes second nature to suspect that allegations are just another attempt to grind down humanity into class structure. For all the oddities of Jackson, from the elephant man bones to dramatic changes in skin tone, those seemed often just clever publicity stunts. But, when Michael Jackson appeared on national TV, holding hands with a minor, cooing and announcing how beautiful it was for two people to share a bed..well that crossed a line. Child abuse is unacceptable, even if it is only in appearance. It really doesn't matter if Jackson was innocent of molesting children, he fed the appearance that something was amiss and attempted to present that it was just fine, innocent, and normal. That is a dangerous game, even if ultimately a publicity stunt or presented out of naivety. So, truth be told, Michael Jackson - if he actually was any type of bridge to our African-American president, could also be viewed as a road block to progressive racial attitudes.

Thus, I am not buying the hyped hysteria surrounding his passing. Jackson was an innovator. Thriller was a huge success because of the videos, even more than the music. He was a perfectionists, and he changed show business; but, so did Quincy Jones. When I listen to Dr. Dre or Justin Timberlake, yes I hear that influence, but it is music, not politics. As a solo artist, he dropped 5 albums? Maybe that is a testament to his power as a musician and pop icon, but certainly had no influence in my decision to vote for Obama. In fact, had I based my decision to vote for our great and current U.S. President on the life and standards of Michael Jackson (and his crotch-grabbing antics), I very well might have thought Sarah Palin wasn't such a bad choice after all!

Dinosaurs Attack!

2009-06-30T12:49:00.003-04:00

Because there have never been dinosaurs living on Earth with humans, there are aspects of dinosaur life which will always remain a mystery. Most of what we have to study them are bones and teeth. Occasionally, other fossils, such as footprints, skin impressions, and even dinosaur droppings can help us understand how these creatures behaved. Fossilized skin impressions show that many dinosaurs had scaly skin, similar to that of living reptiles. A few fossils found in China show that some actually had coatings of fluffy down, or even feathers! These findings are helping to redefine our picture of Mesozoic life.

Knowing what an animal eats is extremely important, since eating takes up so much of an animal's time. Fossilized feces, called coprolites, contain bits of the last food a dinosaur was eating. A surprising number of coprolites have been found. In a few cases they were discovered inside the dinosaur's skeleton, but in most cases there is no way of knowing for certain which coprolites belong to which dinosaur. Carnivore dung is more common than plant-eater, probably because of the high proportion of bone in their food.

Other kinds of dinosaur fossils give scientists additional insights. A single animal leaves millions of footprints in its lifetime. If any of these footprints are preserved, it can give lots of information about the animal's lifestyle. Footprints were the first clue that many dinosaurs lived in large groups. They also show whether an animal walked on two legs or four, and can be used to calculate how fast it moved.

Sets of footprints, called trackways, tell us if an animal was traveling alone, in a pair, or in a group. Sometimes we find different sizes of the same footprint, telling us that some dinosaurs raised their young. Some trackways have been traced for hundreds of miles!

It had always been assumed that dinosaurs laid eggs, as all large reptiles do. In the 1920's, an expedition into the Gobi Desert uncovered several nests and skeletons of the Protoceratops. Most dinosaur eggs have been found in nests. These were usually holes in the ground without much preparation. The total number of eggs in a single nest is usually about 22. The eggs themselves came in all shapes and sizes. Some were circular and the size of a tennis ball, others were up to 21 inches (53 cm) in length.

For the dinosaur-enthusiast, this summer...

National Geographic Dinosaurs, by Paul Barrett has lots of great information on dinosaur behavior, and includes some interesting parts on marine life. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, by Dougal Dixon is the book you wanted as a kid that had every kind of dinosaur in it. It has the dossier on 355 varieties. Both have awesome artwork, naturally!

If you happen to be shopping for a child under 12 who likes dinosaurs, check out Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs, by Eric Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. It's a pop-up, and it's cool as hell!

My previous posts on dinosaurs are here.

Hans Is Great

2009-06-29T21:50:00.004-04:00

A Lion Among Men, by Gregory Maguire

$17.79 in the Hansisgreat Gift Shop

$23.95 in iTunes Store Audiobooks

ISBN: 0060548924

This is the third book in a series that began with Wicked, telling the story of Oz from the perspective of the Witch of the West. In my opinion, A Lion Among Men is the best in the series so far. Its hero is Brrr, known to Dorothy and her friends as the Cowardly Lion.

Brrr is abandoned in the forest as a cub and forced to grow up in hiding, as the newly appointed Wizard passes aggressive laws restricting the rights of Oz's talking animals. His first contact with the Wizard's regime occurs when he encounters a dying soldier, befriends him briefly, and agrees to carry a message to his platoon, stationed in an outpost near the Lion's forest.

When the Lion arrives, he is given a position in the Wizard's administration even as his fellow talking animals are politically suppressed. Considered a turncoat by his own kind, he is soon labeled "cowardly" by the citizens of Oz.

Our story begins when Brrr visits a dying oracle named Yackle, whom he believes has information about the Wicked Witch of the West. In exchange for what she knows, Yackle demands to hear the story of Brrr's own life: his childhood, and the path that took him from being a lonely lion cub in the woods to one of the Wizard's most trusted

advisors.

It's an exciting story. There is a colony of ghosts, and a community of talking Bears living in hiding until the Wizard's reign ends and they can return to polite society. Maguire has developed the Land of Oz very well, and by now many of the neighborhoods into which the story takes us are familiar and comforting. The Wicked Witch herself never actually appears, but her influence is felt in many corners.

It's interesting: in the first book, Maguire considered whether the Witch in Oz really was "wicked", or simply misunderstood. Here he's managed to do the same with the lion. Is he "cowardly", selling out to the brutal despot who oppresses his people; or is he simply a practical minded collaborator who accepts that the Wizard is here to stay, so it pays to be on the winning side?

It's probably best to read this series from the beginning, and Wicked really is outrageously enjoyable so you won't regret it if you do. Even if you're not familiar with the first volume or its sequel, Son of a Witch, however, you should be able to follow this volume independently. A modern classic enjoys a renaissance as a terrific new fantasy series that's both original and creative.

Sports Pic of the Day: Jeremy Bloom

2009-06-28T13:15:00.005-04:00

Jeremy Ryan Bloom (born April 2, 1982 in Loveland, Colorado) is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian and National Champion snow skier. In 2005, he won a record six straight World Cup Races, the most in a single season in the sport's history. He was an All American football player at the University of Colorado and has played professional American football as a wide receiver and return specialist with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Wikipedia)

Sunday Music: Michael Jackson

2009-06-28T12:43:00.003-04:00

Stonewall Celebration in Hudson NY

2009-06-27T11:46:00.001-04:00

Parlor at 742 Warren St. (formerly the Muddy Cup) will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion tomorrow, Sunday June 28th.

Arrive in drag and get a free cup of coffee!

Also, I will be baking bite-sized cream puffs and distributing them FREE between 2-4pm.

Please stop by!

Love ya,
Trix

Save the Date...

2009-06-27T11:43:00.001-04:00

The Harvest Ball

The 16th Annual Gala
to support the
Hudson Opera House

September 12, 2009

at the
Henry Hudson Riverfront Park
in Hudson

Our Harvest Ball gives you a chance to join the celebration and savor great food, meet some of the most talented (and adventurous) people in the region, listen to great music, and dance the night away on the beautiful Hudson waterfront. The Harvest Ball is HOH's primary fundraiser and the major source of support for community programs and ongoing restoration.

Last year's gala helped make those 1025 programs possible; performances, readings, exhibitions, after-school programs, workshops, and large-scale public events like HOH's annual Winter Walk-truly something for everyone!

Dinner tickets begin at $175 per person, to make a reservation, please call HOH or e-mail info@hudsonoperahouse.org.

Taste of Columbia County

2009-06-26T11:03:00.002-04:00

2009-06-26T10:35:00.003-04:00

Friday, June 26th
Stageworks on the Hudson Presents; Forbidden Broadway; Hudson, NY @ 8pm

In the explosively funny off-Broadway smash hit that irreverently pokes,prods,teases and lampoons the Great White Way's most famed musicals and celebrities... and always with love! Stageworks is one of the first regional theaters to produce this celebrated panoply of parodies spoofing Barbra Streisand, Mandy Patinkin, Liza Minelli and so many more from Fiddler to Hairspray! FRIDAY and SATURDAY:800pm, SUNDAY:200pm.

Quote of the Day: John Kerry

2009-06-26T05:51:00.000-04:00

“Too bad,’’ Kerry said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’

Farrah!

2009-06-26T05:24:00.005-04:00

Farrah was a legend, an underrated actress, and I recommend rented The Apostle. Farrah nailed the role of a abused southern preacher's wife. Her role was overshadowed by Robert Duvall's Oscar-winning performance, but she deserves more credit for adding a needed layer to the movie.

Her other great performances included "Extremities" and "The Burning Bed", but she also had nipples and a mane of hair that changed the world in 1976, still the biggest selling poster of all time. Maybe her legacy is that she refused to be typecast as a Charlie's angel nor be pigeon holed as a two-dimensional poster.

Timed & Space Limited, Hudson

2009-06-24T06:53:00.005-04:00

Helen Mirren in the National Theatre's live broadcast (via satellite) of Phedre in high definition on the big screen - Reservations at 822-8448 - Interview with Mirren at 6:45 pm; broadcast of the play at 7 pm -
Time & Space Limited ...Sunday, June 28 / Encore performance - 2 pm

Bronx Senator Diaz Threatens "Something BIG"

2009-06-24T06:30:00.005-04:00

Today, the New York Senate will vote on the marriage equality bill pushed forward by Governor Paterson's special session. Sen. Ruben Diaz, the loudest opponent of marriage equality, is rumored to be preparing to stop the bill:

Even though the Senate has so far only passed five of the 55 bills the governor put on today's agenda, the new proclamation includes an additional 10 bills, and same-sex marriage is No. 1.

I asked Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., who has pledged a rebellion if gay marriage comes to the floor of the Senate, what he will do tomorrow if this comes to pass. He said he will do "something," and assured me it will be "big."

"Tomorrow we will have a good time," Diaz Sr. told the DN's Glenn Blain. "Maybe I'm not upset. Maybe I solve the whole the problem tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we come to an agreement and decide who's really in control."

Asked if that means he might switch sides and join the Republicans, the Bronx senator balked. "Maybe tomorrow...Maybe. I don't know. I'm not saying anything...Who is asking me that? I don't know. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow is always uncertain. Tomorrow may never come." To which Blain, to his credit, replied - completely deadpan: "I'm pretty sure tomorrow will come."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/06/paterson-puts-gay-marriage-on.html

UPDATE: TYPICAL OF NEW YORK GOVERNMENT, THIS DID NOT HAPPEN, AND LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED AFTER 5 MINUTES.

Virginia Luppino Fine Landscapes: Plant of the Day

2009-06-23T14:30:00.004-04:00

Woody Plants 2.0
Lindera benzoin - Spicebush

Lost on Planet China

2009-06-22T23:46:00.002-04:00

Lost On Planet China, by J. Maarten Troost

$13.77 in the Hansisgreat Gift Shop

ISBN: 978-0-7679-2200-5

This is a new and outstanding travel memoir by the charming and handsome author of Getting Stoned With Savages. He spent several months visiting one of the largest and least understood countries in the world, and reported back the experience.

China is home to 1.3 billion people, one fifth of the entire human population on Earth..

For most of us in the western world, knowledge of Chinese culture ends with Chairman Mao, who emerged in 1949 as the last man standing after a long and bitter civil war. At the time, China was a

land of farmers still recovering from decades of poverty, and yet Mao believed that his country should rule the world. This period is often referred to as the Great Leap Forward, and it was somewhat a mixed blessing. Roughly 70 million people are believed to have perished during his reign.

On the positive side, it does seem to have prepared China for its role as a superpower. Today business, finance, and manufacturing all revolve around China, and for the first time in its history, an average citizen has the opportunity to get rich. Prosperity finally seems to be coming to people who've suffered long and horribly.
So what's been happening since then? Troost didn't know much more than anyone else when he set off to find out. On the plane, we find him frantically reading Chinese for Dummies, unable to make much sense out of it. There are thirteen main languages and hundreds of dialects, so it's of little use in any case.

He visits the Great Wall, which he says is like a jagged stone snake, impervious to all obstacles. No one really know how long the Great Wall is. Some say as much as 4,500 miles, others a more modest 1,500 miles. They are still finding parts of it, in 2002 another 360 mile section was excavated.

There are a lot of places I'd love to visit after reading about them here: the sacred mountain of Tai Shan sounds lovely, an arduous but picturesque 6,600 step climb past hundreds of ancient temples and pagodas. The Forbidden City (shown above) has always tempted me.

There's an awful lot about the terrible pollution: power plants, hydroelectric dams, chimneys with billowing plumes of smoke. China burns more coal than the United States, Japan, and Europe combined. Troost says the air is so rank and dense with pollutants that even a Republican would be hollering for clean air.

Overall, it sounds like a fun trip in a fascinating and diverse country. Especially timely with the Olympics still in recent memory, Lost On Planet China is a truly enjoyable introduction to this great nation you may know almost nothing about.

Stories about one's travels are always fun, full of lost luggage and insane taxi drivers. The writer is funny and informative, and the destination mysterious and exotic. Highest marks to a surefire winner.

Another "Hookup Murder" With Craigslist Connection

2009-06-22T07:29:00.007-04:00

There have been an alarming rise in murders from the online hookup community this year. The latest suspected murderer is a Bronx man that utilized both Craigslist and MySpace to make sexual connections. According to NY1:

Alexys Fermaintt, 30, allegedly stabbed Mike Pecora, 38, who was found dead inside his Forest Hills apartment Wednesday. As of Saturday night, police did not know how Fermaintt and Pecora knew each other. Sources said Pecora's family called his cell phone, which was in the hands of a Queens cab driver. Police said the driver then led authorities to Fermaintt. Fermaintt was being held Saturday without bail and is due back in court on July 2. Joe.My.God is researching this case, with the help of his web community, for more information. Joe tipped his readers to the alleged murder's Craiglist photo profile (below):

InsideOut Recommends: Jeffrey & Cole Casserole

2009-06-22T07:07:00.004-04:00

Tonight on Logo, at 11 pm, is the premiere of Jeffery and Cole Casserole (1hr). The YouTube VGL Boys come to television, bringing their hilarious web series and characters for an even bigger audience - hopefully! Over the last couple of years, these NYC actors/writers took the gay community by surprise with their take on everything from gay marriage, Bernadette Peters, Barbara Walters, and Sex in the City. Using the same webcam and tripod ensures the same raw, intimate, and topical vision web viewers are accustomed to on the computer screen.
If you haven't seen Jeffery Self and Cole Escola, here are a few videos that caught fire last year.

The Case Against Pluto

2009-06-16T18:24:00.001-04:00

Pluto's existence is dark and lonely, on the distant fringes of our Solar System. With a diameter of 2300 Km (1429 miles), Pluto is only 18% the size of Earth and much smaller than our own Moon.

For various reasons, Pluto is no longer even considered a planet.This is because it inhabits a section of space known as the Kuiper Belt, which is filled with objects like Pluto. In fact, Pluto isn't even the largest object in the Kuiper Belt. Downgrading its status from "planet" to "object" has created a storm of controversy.

In spite of this diminished status, scientists will soon be learning more about this mysterious body as the New Horizons spacecraft approaches its dark, frozen surface.

The planets from Venus to Saturn are visible to the naked eye, and have therefore been known since ancient times. The discovery of Uranus (in 1781) and Neptune (1846) heralded a search for other planets in our immediate neighborhood, and a quest for a better understanding of our region of space.

Pluto was first identified by American astronomer Clyde William Tombaugh in 1930, using the Lowell Observatory (left) in Flagstaff, Arizona. Variations in the gravity of the outermost planets had suggested to scientists that there was a ninth "Planet X" in the vicinity. After years of painstaking observations, he was able to photograph Pluto and its tiny moon, Charon. The dwarf planet was named by 11-year-old Venetia Burney, after the god of the underworld who had the ability to make himself invisible.

But Pluto was strange from the beginning: not only is it much smaller and more distant than the other planets, its satellite Charon is almost half the size of its host planet. In fact, the two bodies are almost like twins orbiting each other.

It's also a renegade because of the eccentricity of its orbit. While none of the planets' orbits are perfect circles, for the first eight planets the eccentricity is very slight. Pluto's orbit is actually egg-shaped; making it 7,380 million Km (4,586 million miles) from the Sun at its apogee, and only 4,447 million Km (2,763 million miles) at its nadir. In fact, its orbit is so unusual that for much of its life it actually orbits closer than the planet Neptune.

The Kuiper Belt is composed of debris left over from the formation of the Solar System. Scientists have discovered several other objects in the Kuiper Belt which are the same approximate size as Pluto, including the whimsically named planetoid "Xena", with its own satellite "Gabriella". This is what ultimately caused Pluto to be dropped from the most exclusive club in the Solar System.

If it is indeed a "planet", then there are at least five (and possibly dozens or even hundreds) of other "planets" on the edge of our system beyond Neptune.

The image to the right is a photo of Pluto and Charon taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and is our clearest picture of Pluto to date. In January 2006, NASA launched the New Horizons probe, about the size and weight of a baby grand piano. It's the fastest moving space vessel ever built, passing the Moon only 9 hours after launch (the Apollo missions took 3 days to reach the Moon).

New Horizons will reach Pluto after traveling for almost ten years, and will hopefully send us exciting new information about our distant, icy neighbor. Planet or not, Pluto has earned a place in the public imagination, and will soon be teaching us more about the most distant reaches of outer space.

For more information on Pluto and the New Horizons voyage, check out NASA's homepage. Included is a dazzling fly-by of the planet Jupiter.

Hans Is Great

2009-06-14T14:52:00.015-04:00

Whatever Makes You Happy, by William Sutcliffe

$11.70 at Amazon.com

ISBN: 1596914955

Those of you who are looking for a fun beach read that's light and funny while retaining some substance will enjoy this terrific new novel about mothers and their sons.

It's set in the beautiful and exciting city of London. Matt, Daniel, and Paul were boyhood friends. Now in their thirties and all still bachelors, they've lost touch with one another; but their mothers meet each month to talk about their children, as mothers will do. When Mother's Day passes without so much as a phone call or a card, the three women decide it's time to reestablish the bonds with their sons.

Carol's son Matt works for a men's magazine called Balls! He spends his nights visiting posh night clubs and bringing home girls who are half his age. No grandchildren on the way here. Meanwhile Gillian's son Daniel is on the mend from a heart-wrenching breakup. He lives in squallid isolation, feeling sorry for himself. She used to dream that he'd marry a nice jewish girl, but now absolutely any girl would be encouraging.

My favorite of the three is Helen. Her son Paul's door is answered by a handsome man in his early twenties:

He was wearing a tight, short T-shirt and a pair of jeans so low and loose-fitting that they appeared to be held up only by his genitals. A good five inches of midriff were on display, though it was more low-riff than midriff, since the revealed band of flesh started at the navel and descended to what was unmistakably a frond or two of pubic hair.

The clothes, even to a woman who was no expert on these matters, said very clearly, "I am gay." The way he stood said, "I am gay"; the hair said, "I am gay"; even the way he opened the door somehow succeeded in saying, "I am gay."

He was gay.

None of the three guys have any idea their mom's are coming to visit; and they've been out of touch for a while, so the moms don't have a clear picture when setting out of what they're grown-up son's lifestyles are like.

Naturally there's a bit of generational humor in all three cases, as "clueless" mom tries to reconnect with the modern British man. There's a terrific scene in which Helen follows her playboy son Matt to a launch party for a new aftershave. The two are ambushed by a paparazzi-style reporter, and awkward attempts are made to cover the fact that a major Balls! reporter goes to circuit parties with his mother. Hilarity ensues.
There's nothing complicated or challenging about Whatever Makes You Happy, it's simply a pleasant and diverting short novel. Parts of it were quite touching: since my own mother has passed away, it was interesting to contemplate how it might be if she came to visit me as it happened in the book. If your mother is living, it will make you want to call her and tell her you love her.

This book strikes the perfect balance of melodrama and clever British wit, and is sure to be the feel good hit of the summer.

Despite the Rain, Hudson Valley Celebrated this Week

2009-06-14T06:18:00.009-04:00

The rain didn't stop the party.......the flotilla arrived in Hudson and Athens this week in a rainy mist, and yesterday's Flag Day Parade in Hudson ended in a downpour, only to be topped by an all-out torrential rain for the fireworks, yet somehow, the show went on...

So this Sunday, after a week of celebrating our past through clouds and rain, let's dedicate Sunday Music to our late spring showers.

Singing in the Rain, Gene Kelly

Rainy Days and Mondays, The Carpenters

John Lewis and Billy Taylor - Jazz Piano Masters

David Coleman - Drown My Heart

Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain

Sports Pic of the Day: Bobby Hull

2009-06-13T11:55:00.005-04:00

Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the fastest shot, earning him the nickname "the Golden Jet". He possessed the most feared slapshot of his day. In his 23 years in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association, he played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers. (From wikipedia)

World Record: 3000 Smurfs

2009-06-13T11:26:00.005-04:00

A university in Wales decided to break the world record for the most people dressed as smurfs. 3000 students raided the blue dye stock in local stores and gathered for this photo. Guinness World Records was on hand to tally the smurfs and verify the record. Let the smurf jokes flow.....

Are We Left-Leaners Forgetting Our Own Anti-Bush Sentiments

2009-06-12T13:28:00.009-04:00

Rachel Maddow usually makes a very good case for her remarks, but of late, I sometimes wonder if she is conveniently forgetting the entire Bush administrtion. I think this is a tough issue that both sides need to evaluate. To be fair, we left-leaning (more intelligent hee) people must remember that we also made as many allegations about Bush. "The country had been overtaken by a stolen election", and "George Bush allowed 9-11 to happen so he could go to war" and "the twin towers were hit by missles and was an inside job". And let's not forget the greatest over-reaction of all that "Bush is the anti-christ."

So, in truth, the far right attacks on Obama are essentially the same principal. We protested Bush at all types of rallies, but we believe that we are correct in our beliefs. Just think, how many of us believed - and our gut instinct backed us up - that Bush/Cheney would find away to stop last November elections and stay in power. Many of us did fear this?

And then there is a more far reaching truth. In the time of American crises, we tend to become profoundly patriotic and trust our leaders. George Bush, post 9-11, was unprecedented in his manipulation of United States constitution and principals. Obama's crisis is not military related, but the very nature of our economic crisis requires government intervening in failed deregulation. How much divide is there between George Bush's national security measures and Barack Obama's national financial emergency? Just today, Obama is receiving a bill for the government to take over control of the tobacco industry, placing under the umbrella of the FDA. But, when is too much government control against the very principals of the United States? Are we on the left really paying attention to the steps the government and Obama administration are taking to resolve the financial crisis? Honestly, I don't think we are.......and again, it makes us much like those we are accusing and ridiculing on the right.

So, it is expected that those on the far right will do much of the same toward Obama. However, there does seem to be a serious issue about the increase of violent activity.......but didn't we all on this side pray for the death of Bush and Cheny. It is a tough issue about which is fair and what is too far in political postioning. The truth in the situation with these Obama protests is the the Republican party is in shambles, and no intelligent leader has risen from the ashes to stand against this type of far right behavior and the swelling violence and hate. Even so, I truly, to the deepest parts of my mind and soul, despised the Bush administration and spoke publicly about it. We must be aware that free speech works for all, and the beauty of free speech is that each side can speak openly and also reply.

HANS IS COMING, HANS IS COMING!!!!

2009-06-12T10:05:00.011-04:00

InsideOut Blog is very pleased to announce our first guest blogger, Hans the Great! Join us each Monday as Hans delivers his insightful review of books and discusses various topics ranging from the origins of the Universe to the history of civilization.
Get ready for some heady blog entries that are peppered with a little, tasteful eye candy as well. Even better, Hans has a gift shop. You can purchase the spotlighted book in a matter of minutes.

Here is a little preview, from Hans' blogs, "Hans Is Great" and "The Great Hans":

The Road to Jerusalem: Book One of the Crusades Trilogy
by Jan Guillou
$17.15 in the Hansisgreat Gift Shop
This is an exciting and easy to read new piece of historical fiction. It takes place in Sweden during the 12th century, in the middle of the Crusades.
Arn Magnusson is our story's young hero. Born into an aristocratic Swedish family, Arn seems touched by God from birth. As a boy he falls from a tower in his father's castle and is pronounced dead, only to be miraculously revived thanks to his mother's prayers and a promise that, if Arn lives, she will dedicate his life to God's service.
Soon Arn is sent to a monastery for training as an oblate (a boy monk). It's interesting that, although Arn has very little to say throughout the book, his character is still developed surprisingly well. The monks charged with instructing Arn quickly notice that he has some unusual talents: he's ambidextrous, for example. He also soon becomes a gifted archer and soldier while still keeping his monastic vows.
All this is set against the backdrop of the crusader army losing in the war for the Holy Land, as the Islamic empire reasserts is power over the cities on the Mediterranean coast. Additionally, war among the Scandinavian kings who are fighting for dominance brings added instability and intrigue to the story.
Guillou does a truly masterful job of explaining the history of the Crusades to those of us who are interested, but don't know too much about them. It's not a history book at all: entirely fiction, but it still manages to keep the facts straight.
We never get to the Holy Land in this first volume of the trilogy. Arn's talent for swordplay earns him a place in the hugely respected Knights Templar, whose mission is to protect religious pilgrims traveling from Europe to Jerusalem, so a visit to the blood soaked land of history's most disastrous war is imminent for volume two. The Road to Jerusalem takes place entirely in Europe, mostly in medieval Sweden, which is interesting in its own way: full of violence and intrigue while still outside the hotbed of European politics.
If you enjoy fiction about war and medieval history, you'll love this book. It's engaging from the first few pages, with frequent surprising plot twists and endless adventure. Arn is highly sympathetic as the male lead, with a terrific cast of supporting characters. Fans of the Da Vinci Code and its ilk are especially encouraged to check this one out.
The Road to Jerusalem offers the entire panoply of medieval Christendom: brave knights, treacherous royalty, pious monks, seductive maidens, and one of the most gruesome wars of all time. This is a surefire winner, certain to become the thrill-ride hit of the summer.

And, as usual, Hans offers up a mix of "eye candy", just because, let's face it, we all love a little beauty in our life.

Mother Fletcher @ Jason's Upstairs Bar

2009-06-12T09:12:00.002-04:00

"Mother Fletcher @ Jason's Upstairs Bar" tomorrow.

Event: Mother Fletcher @ Jason's Upstairs Bar
What: Concert
Host: Mother Fletcher
Start Time: Saturday, June 13 at 9:00pm
Where: Jason's Upstairs Bar

Let It Be in Sight of Thee

2009-06-12T09:05:00.001-04:00

June 13 through August 15

Hudson River Photography
byCarolyn Marks Blackwood

Opening Reception
Saturday, June 14 from 6 - 8 p.m.

Carolyn Marks Blackwood has spent many hours on the river photographing aboard the Riverkeeper and the Coast Guard icebreaker Penobscot Bay. She has discovered it is a river of changing moods, and she captures those moments in her photography. "You can take a picture of a lighthouse, and it can look different every minute," she said. "In the fog it looks different, in the sunshine, the fall and the spring."

In addition to her many representational photos, several are also abstract, including images of broken river ice. The exhibition is presented as part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration of 2009.

Blackwood, who shows at the Alan Klotz Gallery in Chelsea, in New York City, will also exhibit works there as part of the Quadricentennial Celebration. In addition, she represented the Alan Klotz Gallery at the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), one of the most prestigious photography events in the world. Carolyn has also exhibited her Hudson River Photography at The Lascano Gallery, and The Paul Rodgers 9W Gallery, NYC.

Carolyn Marks Blackwood was born in Anchorage Alaska and raised on Long Island, NY, overlooking Long Island Sound. Water has always been part of her life. While pursuing a PH'D in Sociology, she found herself spending more time in music classes and practice rooms at the Jazz department than studying Sociology. After being discovered by the great Bass player and studio contractor Bob Cranshaw, she left school to become a singer and songwriter in NYC. She sang "backups" with some of the greats in Rock and Roll, and with Jazz greats- in the Joe Newman Quartet and the George Coleman Quintet. After becoming a mother, she wanted to get off the road and began writing screenplays. She lived in Paris writing for television for five years, and then returned to NYC. She met Gabrielle Tana, and partnered with her in Magnolia Mae Films, and went on to produce The Moth Storytelling evenings for television, and the film The Duchess.

Check out Drew Coffey's HOT BOOKS

2009-06-11T09:17:00.002-04:00

Read Coffey's recommended reading for Popular Culture's global warming.

Schwarzenegger Claims that "He Has No Choice" ...But to Kill People

2009-06-11T08:12:00.005-04:00

Protesters gathered in Sacramento to protest Gov. Schwarzenegger's cuts to AIDS drug funding. The proposed cuts will cut tens of thousands off from needed medication, medication that saved their lives now is being taken away. Just how shameful and low can California go? Gov. Schwarzenegger, at least the way he appears from the East Coast, is a mess. He first opposed marriage equality, then after the vote for Prop 8, suddenly "came out" against Prop 8. His support most likely would have swayed enough voters to keep marriage equality in the state. Now, he is taking thousands of people of their life support system, essentially shoveling dirt for early graves.

From San Francisico Chronicle:

California's lawmakers are considering Schwarzenegger's proposal to eliminate $80.1 million in HIV/AIDS programs. The cut would eliminate nearly all direct state funding for AIDS programs and services through the state Office of AIDS. An exception is the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program that provides medicine to Jackson and about 35,000 other low-income state residents. That program would take $12.3 million reduction from the $96 million the state spends now and would result in less drugs available and increased costs for some.

The proposal is part of Schwarzenegger's plan to fill a $24.3 billion hole in the state's budget and a key legislative committee will likely vote on the extent of the cuts to HIV/AIDS this week.

A Schwarzenegger spokeswoman said the Republican governor understands the consequences of the cuts but said the size of the deficit leaves no good options.

Ahoy! Where Lies Henry Hudson?

2009-06-10T11:29:00.002-04:00

2009 Byrdcliffe Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
June 13 – October 12, 2009

16 Hudson Valley architects are designing and constructing “memorials” to Henry Hudson who never received a proper burial because his body was lost at sea after his crew mutinied. The outdoor installations are constructed at the historic Byrdcliffe Arts Colony on Upper Byrdcliffe Road, Woodstock. Each installation interprets Hudson’s historic voyage, updating and shedding light on its significance. Programming throughout the summer will elaborate on this theme through popular song, poetry, dance, puppetry, and scholarly discourse.

Drawing by F. Davignon of Henry Hudson's abandonment by his crew on June 11, 1610

Drawing by F. Davignon of Henry Hudson's abandonment by his crew on June 11, 1610
Participating Artists

Tobias Armborst (with Charles Warren), Poughkeepsie
Byron Bell, Saugerties and Les Walker, Woodstock
Matt Bialecki, Gardiner
Matt Bua, Catskill
John Cetra and Nancy Ruddy, Clinton Corners
Solange Fabião, Rhinebeck
Randy Gerner, Lake Hill
Nicholas Goldsmith, Athens and Gisela Stromeyer, Tillson
Michael McDonough (with Andrew Neal), Stone Ridge
Barry Price, Bearsville
Todd Rader and Amy Crews, Germantown
Evan Stoller, Chatham

70% of Americans Say Overturn DADT

2009-06-10T09:24:00.006-04:00

A recent poll found that 70% of Americans think that DADT should be overturned. This has surprised many, in both the conservative and progressive community.....and it has left many GLBT activists confused at President Obama's snail's pace response to his promises to the community for gay rights. Where politics are concerned, doing the right thing very often requires strategy. DADT was a strategy devised by Clinton to ease the topic into the mainstream and allow gays and lesbians to serve; however, it is a policy (or strategy) that has run its course. Gays and lesbians are not telling, not asking, but the rest of the military has been doing a lot of asking and telling. Thousands of GLBT military, following the policy and serving honorably, have been discharged because others are not following the policy. Yet, there are no indications that straight soldiers are being discharged for both asking and telling. The DADT strategy has collapsed. President Obama needs to pick up the pace.

Shaker Museum Preview Party

2009-06-10T08:25:00.003-04:00

The Great Stone Barn
Built, Burned, & Beyond

Free Preview Party

June 12, 2009, 5 to 7 pm

150 Years of America's Largest Stone Barn
Built in 1859 at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village

The Granary at the North Family, Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, Shaker Road, New Lebanon, New York

A Limited Engagement Exhibition. Chronicling the Shakers' ingenuity that raised the barn, the tragedy that almost demolished it and the plans for its future. Open Saturdays and Sundays, June 13 to 28, 10am-5pm, Admission: $5, Free to Shaker Museum and Library Members

*please note that because the historic site is in the process of restoration, public facilities are limited.

For additional information please go to www.shakermuseumandlibrary.org or call 518-794-9100

Garfunkel and Oates: Sex with Ducks

2009-06-09T16:57:00.002-04:00

This musical comedy team, hailing themselves as "Garfunkel and Oates," takes on Pat Robinson and Bill O'Reilly and their juvenile, ridiculous arguments against marriage equality. And their video has been so popular that CNN has picked it up.

Here is the actual video, which in just a few weeks has already generated over a quarter million viewers.

The Rhinecliff: Restaurant Review by David James Robinson

2009-06-09T09:24:00.004-04:00

In these days of repairing, reusing, recycling, and redirecting, is there a more noble calling than restoring a beautiful old hotel and filling it anew with people, music, and laughter? The Rhinecliff, built in 1854right outside Rhinebeck, within spitting distance of the Rhinecliff train station, originally serviced Hudson River Railroad travelers andthe Rhinecliff-Kingston Ferry traffic. A few years ago, brothers David and James Chapman—British-born, now Hudson Valley expats—decided to restore this down-on-her-heels dowager, a process with more surprises, plot twists, joys, intermissions, and high drama than an Italian opera.

Read the full InsideOut Review HERE

River Day! 400th Anniversary Sailing Up the Hudson

2009-06-08T07:36:00.001-04:00

Stewart House, Athens, NY - JUNE 11!

2009-06-08T07:02:00.004-04:00

Spend the evening by the river, drinking martinis as the sun sets over the Hudson River. I did this past weekend, and it was honestly the most enjoyable evening for me so far this season. The new menu is very good, and the service staff is excellent. Let me reiterate, THE SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT. I enjoyed chateaubriand and the best calamari in this part of the Hudson Valley.

This week, you can enjoy the Hudson River celebration and watch the boats sail past the Stewart House garden. There is no better place to be.

Sunday Music: Madonna

2009-06-07T11:11:00.007-04:00

Since 1983, and every year afterward, critics have cried the death nell for a superstar named Madonna. "She'll never last," they have written. But she is still here, and there are those that still suggest that her days are over. Meanwhile, Madonna did the impossible. She overtook Elvis Presely with the artist with the most top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Elvis had been so far ahead of everyone, including Elton John and the Beatles, it just couldn't possibly happen. Well, Madonna has surpassed Elvis Presley with 37 Top Ten hits. Quite an amazing feat. So, for this week's Sunday Music, a look back at some of her milestones:

Her 37th Top Ten Hit: 4 Minutes to Save the World

Rain, a song that just missed the Top Ten Charts

Bedtime Stories, one of Madonna's many video masterpieces

And if you think Madonna's Top Ten accomplishment in America is staggering, in the U.K., she has tallied.......are you ready.......62, yes, that is correct, sixty-two top ten hits. Here is one of her big British hits, Love Profusion (note: when Madonna came out publicly against George Bush and the Iraqi war, Fox/Clear Channel owner Rupert Murdoch pulled her -as was also done to The Dixie Chicks - from American radio (and that hasn't even stopped the hits, but did slow her chart success in the U.S. for a few years)

And one of Madonna's dozen #1 hits, Music.

Findustry in Hudson

2009-06-05T12:15:00.002-04:00

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Catskill Pride Event: June 20, 2009

2009-06-05T12:01:00.005-04:00

RIVERPRIDE WELCOMES ALL

Catskill, NY
The inaugural celebration of RiverPride will take place on Saturday, June 20, in this historic community on the west bank of the Hudson River. The event-packed day of festivities is being organized by residents of Catskill and Greene County to herald the diversity of all the communities who are part of the renewed energy in this 200-year-old Hudson River village.

An exciting day is being planned. A parade will formally kick off the schedule of events at 11 a.m., leading from Church and Main Streets, in the business district, to Dutchman's Landing overlooking the Hudson River, the spectacular Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and Olana Historic Site, on the eastern shore. Dutchmen's Landing will host artists, vendors and an all-day music festival with a minimum of six bands performing. The event is free and open to the public. Ample free parking will be available.

Community groups of all persuasions, sharing the same goals, are invited to participate in this community event, held rain or shine. Other highlights of the day include a guided Kayak Paddle, sign up required; shops and art galleries along Main Street staying open throughout the day and evening; a variety of restaurants and cafes serving a diversity of cuisines; and entertainment at participating nightclubs.

Catskill, like many other Hudson River towns, has experienced a dramatic renewal over the past decade. Catskill is easily accessible from exit #21 of the New York State Thruway, midway between Albany and Kingston. The historic city of Hudson is only 10 miles away. Driving distance from New York City is 112 miles.

Fore more information or to participate in the Inaugural Parade, community-based groups can call (518) 943-0420.

New Hampshire Officially Welcomes Marriage Equality

2009-06-04T09:37:00.003-04:00

New Hampshire is the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Maine. Of course, California is no longer in that group, but other states have enacted domestic partnership and civil union laws, such as New Jersey and Nevada. Hopefully, these states will up the ante and make it marriage, because truthfully, it isn't equal until it is marriage.

And equality is the bottom line for this issue. Not every gay person wants to get married, and unfortunately, there are too many in the GLBT community who shrug off the entire marriage debate solely because they will never marry.

This is not just about the right to marry, it is about being equal. With the right to marry also comes the right to be gay, to not be fired from a job for being gay or lesbian, and the right to affordable health care benefits for GLBT families, as well as the right to NOT be tossed out by landlords who are homophobic. When everyone has the right to marry, so many other legal protections against discrimination fall into place. Marriage equality is essential for the GLBT community.

Rethinking Reagan

2009-06-02T14:18:00.012-04:00

Ronald Reagan has been held in the highest esteem for U.S. Presidents, from both republicans and democrats. The current financial disaster, however, is refocusing attention on the Reagan administration and his role in our economic downturn. As the NYT recently pointed out in an op ed piece by Paul Krugman, Reagan's economic principals may very well be the worst financial decisions possible. From deregulation of banks and other institutions to the unhealthy increase in the national deficit, the Regean legacy is not what it used to be. Here are but a few problematic issues with the Reagan administration that we are still dealing with today:

1. Prior to Reagan, only in times of war or national emergency, was the national debt increased. The Republican blindspot to this problem - despite it being contrary to their core fiscal beliefs - has created a national debt over ten trillion dollars.

2. Reagan increased the size of government by 90% - another complete turnaround in the usual republican stance, but usually overlooked since the bulk of it was spent on increasing the military.

3. Declared "The War on Drugs," a policy which by almost all accounts has failed miserably, wasted billions of dollars, and put hundreds of thousands impoverished people in prisons without rehabilitation. In 2003, government was spending 23 billion dollars a year, yet drug use is higher than ever.

4. Sold missles to Iran! Oh, and he funded Bin Laden, giving him his start that led to 9-11.

5. Despite the national health crisis of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, Reagan did not even mention the word AIDS until October 1987! Imagine if Obama waited over 6 years to contain the Swine Flu outbreak! Tens of thousands died in this country due to Reagan's refusal to do anything about AIDS and AIDS research.

6. Deregulation of banks and other institutions in 1982 put America on the road to economic disaster. Continuation of these theories, even by Clinton, but especially by the two Bushes, delivered the bulk of the problems facing the country today that led to so many bank failures and bailouts.

7. Tax cuts to the rich and to corporations, dubbed "trickle down economics," initiated the era of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

There are many books on Reagan, one of which is spotlighted in InsideOut Books:

Folly: The Man Who Sold the World

Obama & Hillary LGBT Statements

2009-06-02T06:56:00.003-04:00

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

And yesterday, Hillary Clinton released this statement:

Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City, as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which all people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead. At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide.

American Health: Mark Hyman

2009-06-01T17:33:00.002-04:00

Dr. Mark Hyman is the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Mass., which offers patient- rather than disease-centered, approaches to medicine—called “functional medicine”—by focusing on how core systems in the body can become imbalanced, and then restored, to prevent or cure chronic illness.

Dr. Hyman, who spent nearly 10 years as co-medical director of Canyon Ranch resort in Lenox, has authored four New York Times Best Sellers; is the editor-in-chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, the most prestigious journal in the field of integrative medicine, and the medical editor of Natural Solutions magazine; and is a frequent guest on TV programs like “Good Morning, America” and “The View with Barbara Walters,” and on CNN, PBS, and NPR, too.

Owen Lipstein spoke with him about the body-mind relationship and his latest best seller, The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First (Scribner, 2008).

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

International Fame Gets The Best of Susan Boyle

2009-06-01T09:32:00.007-04:00

Susan Boyle was admitted to a psychiatric care clinic yesterday when hotel staff reported strange behavior. Reportedly Ms. Boyle was breaking down through the week, and there were a few strange incidents including quitting the show prior to the finals. Ms. Boyle, the 48-year old dowdy virgin who shocked the world with her voice on Britian's Got Talent, came in second place to a dance troop.

Ms. Boyle is doing fine, according to the show's producers, AND, she is already on track to make 8 million pounds this year. The hospital reported that she is suffering from exhaustion due to the new pressures of fame, the show, and the final show.

Historic Victory for GLBT Community

2009-06-01T08:27:00.002-04:00

When the governor of Nevada vetoed the domestic partners bill, most believed it was over. With only one weekend to rally enough votes to overturn Jim Gibbons veto, it seemed an impossible scenario......

But thanks to Harrah's and other gaming organizations, who initially pleaded with the governor that a veto was the wrong message for the state, the state legislature overturned Gibbons' veto.

Certainly, the GLBT community need to get out to Vegas as soon as possible and dump a little cash into their economy.

Sunday Music: k.d. lang

2009-05-31T10:19:00.002-04:00

There are few words to describe k.d. lang's vocals on this Leonard Cohen cover, Halleluhah......

InsideOut's Amanda Schmidt interviewed ms. lang for our most recent issue.

Read the full interview HERE

or

Listen to the audio interview HERE.

Sunday Music: For those working too hard!

2009-05-31T10:02:00.000-04:00

If you are a regular InsideOut Blog reader, there can be no mistaking that "WE" love the under-appreciated and versatile Donna Summer here. So, being a slow news day and feeling overworked.......here's a little Sunday Music from the stellar Summer.

Budget Crisis: Affordable Hygiene Alternatives

2009-05-31T07:54:00.014-04:00

The economy, the shrinking paycheck.......the dilemma! Has your tightened budget cut into your bath product budget? This spring, folks are cutting back. That $495 Tiffany and Company razor will just have to wait until Mr. Obama's second term.....or at least second year. InsideOut researched the web to find the top, affordable products for good hygiene.

A good budget razor:
The Gillett Power Fusion Phenom comes with a sleek design and a trimmer for those hard to reach places.......only $11.95

Tom Ford does not know the word budget, but for those who love the $20 bar soap for the shower, we recommend the new Dove Cool Moisture Body Bar. You'll love the minty cucumber fragrance so much that you may never pick up another bar of Clinique.
And the best news.....Dove......only $2.95 for 2 bars!

OK, admit it, there is something wonderfully decadent about spending $50-$100 a tube for body and face moisturizer, but something has got to give. Every Man Jack has the product for you. It helps protect and heal razor burn, and also includes sun protection and a formula the reflects UV B rays.......only $4.99!

Go Smile's $30 package price for teeth whitening a little too steep, we recommend the latest classic from Crest. It works, and at only $4.95 a tube, it works on a budget as well.

Body Scrubs.....Bliss's new $40 Blood Orange + White Pepper Scrub nearly empty in your shower? Try Sephora's macadamia seed oil scrub.....only $16!

And finally, less money means you are probably working harder and still bringing in less money. Nothing screams "life of luxury" more than a soft golden tan, but all that hard work is keeping you indoors. The best way to have that sun-kissed glow without spending $30 on the latest Jean Paul Gaultier tanner is the $12 Micro-Mist tanner from Neutrogena. The continuous spray feature means even coverage and the color looks natural.

Historic Hudson Lecture Series - May 31

2009-05-31T06:26:00.001-04:00

HISTORIC HUDSON presents

Beyond the Hype Rediscovering Our Tradition of Sustainable Preservation

A Lecture by Walter Sedovic, AIA LEED Certified Architect & CEO of Walter Sedovic Architects, the firm guiding the restoration of 400 State Street, the Hudson Area Association Library’s historic 1818 building
4 p.m., Sunday, May 31, 2009 Stair Galleries, 549 Warren Street
Suggested donation: $10
R.S.V.P. 828.1785
Photo © Walter Sedovic Architects

Susan Boyle Loses

2009-05-31T06:14:00.001-04:00

The internet sensation, Susan Boyle, lost the top spot on Britians Got Talent to a dance troup. Here is here performance from last night.

On The Cover of Rolling Stone..........

2009-05-30T13:25:00.006-04:00

Wicked Gay Blog has a nice blog entry this morning about reports of Adam Lambert. The circulating story has it that Lambert is the next cover of Rolling Stone magazine. One source, The New York Post, claims Lambert is clearing up those rumors about his sexuality - as if it was a secret.

This seems to be the first time Rolling Stone has put a musician on the cover who hasn't even released their first single. It seems premature, but again, it could be the sheer power of this next superstar, Adam Lambert.

Kris Allen, remember him? I believe he will have a terrific first album, but I think everybody knows, including Kris, that Adam Lambert is a bolt of lightning!

Here is a video of the top two American Idol winners: