Review: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker

Author Beth Hensperger is not kidding: "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two" stands out as a practical, highly informative cookbook with a very different collection of tasty recipes from the standard chicken roast or beef stew that so often dominate other books of the genre.

And it's loaded with bits of information I've not read elsewhere.

For example, we get an explanation of what slow cooking is and isn't, how a crockpot operates, the best sized cooker for single or two-person use, a time conversion chart between regular oven and crockpots, and, my favorite, "panic proof pantry," a guide to ingredients and foods to have on hand for any occasion and to head off a last-minute rush to the store.

She explains the basics of cooking, noting that there are two ways to heat: moist or dry; dry heat includes roasting, baking, broiling, girlling, toasting, pany frying and deep frying, using microwaves, toasters and conventional ovens.

Moist-heat cooking means stewing, braising, steaming or poaching and uses appliances such as microwaves ovens and stovetops. But the crockpot trumps all the other moist-heat methods and allows for tasty food preparation on a smaller scale. Not to mention that it can be a huge time saver.

It does certainly add time to the cooking process--it's not called slow-cooking for nothing-- but it's the perfect way to prepare a meal while doing something else: start the cooking before you head out the door to work or have other projects to tackle; and voila, when you return, the meal is ready.

The slower process translates like this:
conventional oven: 15 minutes-crockpot: 1 1/2 to 2 hours
conventional: 60 minutes-crockpot: 6 to 8 hours

and so on, to 12 hours or more. I remember my then-little one freaking when we got our first crockpot--"you mean it's going to take LONGER??," fearing, I suppose, she'd starve to death in an afternoon. But she quickly got over it when she realized delicious meals were ready when she wanted them, and now we live off our two pots. Her recipes range in time from 3 hours to 10.

Hensperger explains the workings of a crockpot, while noting newer ones are better than those made even just five years ago:
"The slow-cooker's low wattage, wrap-around heating coils are sandwiched between inner and outer metal walls for indirect heat; the heat source never makes direct contact with the stoneware crock; the coils inside the walls heat up and the space between the base wall and the crock heats, transferring that heat to the stoneware insert. Food cooks at a temperature between 200 and 300 degrees."



The recipes are outstanding:
For main-dish soups, she walks readers through ways to create tasty broths, then moves on to such delights as zucchini soup croutons, butternut squash soup, fennel potato leek soup and chipotle black bean vegetable soup.

Under "The Great American Chili Pot," she offers "Pushpa's chili," old-fashioned beef and mushroom chili, overnight chicken and bean, texas chili, Steve's Poker Night Chili, turkey chili mac, hominy and zucchini chili and turkey chili with baby white beans.

For grains, pasta casseroles and sauces, she gives us 20 recipes, including steelcut oatmeal with raisins, risotto with pancetta and potatoes, slow-baked macaroni and cheese, vegetable polenta with mascarpone cheese and marinara and mozzarella lasagna.

We also are offered plenty of the scrumptious meals involving crockpot standards chicken and turkey, beef and veal, and, with an extra dash of flavor, recipes from around the world for pork and lamb, such as braised pork chops with turnips and apples; lamb korma; country pork ribs with suaerkruat and pears, tagine of lamb, tomato, green beans and sesame; lamb stew agrodolce and Mexican pork chops.

Cooking times and recommended pot size are clearly stated at the beginning of each recipe. And while some of the recipes call for some rather unusual ingredients, most rely on items found in a well-stocked kitchen. This book includes no photos of foods or anything else, except on the cover, so food junkies who love to pore over those pictures may be disappointed. But for the rest of us, this book is a true gem, spilling over with great information and ideas.

In addition to the kid and me, we've switched over to preparing food for our Labrador, because of the pet-food mess. A dog breeder and pet columnist I know uses her second crockpot to prepare foods for her dogs, which I think we'll do, too, as some of the recipes include ingredients, such as onions, that are bad for dogs.

First published at epinions.com

Where Leaded Toys Die

So those toys we didn't buy, or returned, had to go somewhere:

Chinese town where old presents go to die

By Richard Spencer in Guiyu
27/12/2007
The Chinese town of Guiyu is the graveyard of Christmas past.
It is where presents - game consoles, laptops, mobile phones - come to die.
It is also where they are reborn. In this giant scrap-yard, so dangerously polluted that its children are being clinically poisoned, the electronic objects of desire, a million tons of them a year, are broken apart, melted down, and washed in acid to be recycled into a new flood of imports for Christmas future.

Let Kids be Kids

Fingered by the Feds

I've been stewing about this since Christmas Eve, when I first read this story. Among other things--the employer/database connection--I am deeply bothered by the discovery that I could be in the Department of Homeland Security database because I adopted a child from overseas 11 years ago.

The United States requires Americans who are planning to adopt overseas to have a thorough police check, which includes, among many other requirements, submitting fingerprints to the FBI. I always figured the fingerprints were sitting somewhere, unused but if I should, say, turn up dead on federal property, someone might think to look me up. But that's a different matter from having moved, wholesale, everyone's fingerprints into a database used to run down terrorists. It is, I fear, yet another step into the collecting of vast amounts of personal information by the feds, to be used who knows how and by whom. We can't catch Osama bin Laden but, by God, we know about those adoptive parents!

Two elements, in particular, bother me:
the adoptive parents angle:

The DHS already has a database of millions of sets of fingerprints, which includes records collected from U.S. and foreign travelers stopped at borders for criminal violations, from U.S. citizens adopting children overseas, and from visa applicants abroad. There could be multiple records of one person's prints.

and this:

The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law.

What? Where's the line between corporations and the government? And what constitutes "Brushes with the law"? A protest? So someone notifies your boss? What kind of nonsense is this? For people who bitch about the Democrats' and their alleged "Nanny State" some people sure are interested in trading it in for a police state.

Teen Reflexes

Just in case you wondered, a 14-year-old athletic girl has better, MUCH BETTER, reflexes on video games than I do. Like 12 different Wii wins to 0. I particularly enjoy how teenager, who controls the settings, created my character as a gray-haired, slightly decrepit old lady.
Oh, wait.

Cold at Christmas

I was in a Home Depot earlier today, looking for materials to temporarily repair a leaky shower pan and saw several notes saying that the store had few if any generators because they'd been shipped out to the Midwest families who were without power because of the recent snowstorms.

What a shame and what a commentary it is that while we all run around freaking out about terrorism, we're really unprepared in this country for even the most routine natural disaster. How close are we to a real breakdown, again, in this country, if multiple disasters hit simultaneously? I don't know. I just have this feeling that, years ago, people weren't left without power for weeks at a time because of weather. The infrastructure is not strong. We are not ready for much of anything.

Maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, I hope all those without power bounce back soon and manage to still have a decent holiday.

Counterfeits

No matter how tough your holiday schedule may be, it's probably not as stressful as what these families are going through.

Three Suffolk teens snared in counterfeit scheme

BY JONATHAN STARKEY
Newsday
Three Walt Whitman High School students and a Huntington Station man made bogus cash in the back of a pickup truck and circulated it through Huntington-area businesses for about two years before the counterfeiting ring was broken up, Suffolk police said yesterday.

Green in All Directions

The Los Angeles Times' green blog has some good information on LED holiday lights:
Why they are safer--they're cooler

They are popular

They make the best lights

Throw away the old ones

The Right Thing to Say

Forwarded by a friend.

Adam wakes up with a huge hangover after attending the Staff Christmas Party.
Adam is not normally a drinker, but the drinks didn't taste like alcohol at all.
He didn't even remember how he got home from the party.

As bad as he was feeling, he wondered if he did something wrong.
Adam had to force himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is
a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table.
And, next to them, a single red rose! Adam sits up and sees his
clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the
room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean.

So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye
staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. Then he notices a note hanging on the corner of the mirror written in red with little hearts on it and a kiss mark from his wife in lipstick:
"Honey, Breakfast is on the stove, I left early to get groceries to make you your favorite dinner tonight.
I love you, darling!
Love, Vicki"

He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast,
steaming hot coffee and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table,
eating. Adam asks, "Son, what happened last night?"


Well, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and out of your mind.
You fell over the coffee table and broke it, and then you puked in the
hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door.

Confused, he asked his son, "So, why is everything in such perfect order
and so clean? I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?"

His son replies, "Oh THAT! Mom dragged you to the bedroom,
and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed
"Leave me alone!!, I'm Married!!!"

Broken Coffee Table $239.99.
Hot Breakfast $4.20.
Two Aspirins $.38.
Saying the right thing, at the right time, ---Priceless

'Christmas in Fallujah'

Written by Billy Joel, sung by Cass Dillon, from Long Island.

Speaking of things like this, I was very surprised to see something from my school district the other day--a short rundown on how to get loans for college, ending with a note about how the military provides college funding. It's not that the military DOESN'T offer funding; it's what precedes the opportunity that is disturbing. But more important, it was the quick leap from figuring out how to fill out college loan forms to joining the military that was so startling.

Looking for Youth Counselors

Counselors Wanted for Off-site School Age Child Care.

The Huntington YMCA is looking for part time counselors for the off-site school age child care program. The program is held at the Countrywood School in South Huntington. Perhaps you or someone you know is looking for a part time job. Position requires an organized, punctual and patient individual. A love of children and the desire to help them grow in spirit, mind and body is essential.

Responsibilities Include:
Supervision of youngsters in grades K-6
Participation in curriculum development
Assist Site Director
Employees must be first aid and CPR trained
(Y will provide training)
Must be 16 year of age or older
Hours 2:00 - 6:00pm
Location Countrywood Primary School, 499 Old Country Road, Huntington
Be a part of a team that builds strong kids, strong families and strong communities. For more information contact Diane Harvey at 421-4242 ext 117 or fax a resume to 421-5807.

Verizon on the Line

Ah, the way to start the day--my neighbor had Verizon FIOS installed recently and to accommodate him, Verizon came and stuck a large box on the wires running over my front yard, which is interfering with the replacement tree I want to plant on my property. Then, twice, the box started beeping all night and could be heard literally half a block away. Last night, in a little wind, as huge chunk of cord, maybe 30 feet and wrapped in a big ring, got detached and is now swinging over my property. There's a tag on the ring that says to call Verizon but of course, there's no phone number. How does the phone company not include a phone number? Ditzes. I called, got someone somewhere else in the country who wants a ZIP code and an "exchange" on my phone but because I have a cable phone, the exchange makes no sense. I am now really irritated and tell the guy what's going on, that I want it removed and that I plan to cut the cord to get if off my property. "You're telling me you're going to damage the cord?" is the reply, a couple of times. The testy exchange continues, he puts me on hold a while and comes back to tell me that he's told repair that I plan to damage the cord. No, dear Verizon. Just get this damned thing and the beeping box off my property. We shall see.
End of rant.

IQ and Race

There's a good piece here about IQ and race, and helps explain how a genius like James Watson stepped, unnecessarily, into a minefield. We do have these prejudices built into our society--my Asia-born daughter is often assumed to be a math and science natural (only partly true). I have heard a couple Asian-American parents complain that that assumption about their children works against them when they're actually struggling in a subject. On the other hand, that assumption isn't as bad as the opposite, that, based on their skin color, kids can't achieve.

From the article:

There should be no great mystery about Asian achievement. It has to do with hard work and dedication to higher education, and belonging to a culture that stresses professional success. But Flynn makes one more observation. The children of that first successful wave of Asian-Americans really did have I.Q.s that were higher than everyone else’s—coming in somewhere around 103. Having worked their way into the upper reaches of the occupational scale, and taken note of how much the professions value abstract thinking, Asian-American parents have evidently made sure that their own children wore scientific spectacles. “Chinese Americans are an ethnic group for whom high achievement preceded high I.Q. rather than the reverse,” Flynn concludes, reminding us that in our discussions of the relationship between I.Q. and success we often confuse causes and effects. “It is not easy to view the history of their achievements without emotion,” he writes. That is exactly right. To ascribe Asian success to some abstract number is to trivialize it.

Catching Up

Back again. Been a little busy and a tad under the weather.

I've just signed up to a volunteer enforcer of sorts for the town. (Can't say what but it should be fun and it's a good cause.)

Teenager is doing fine, about to get her first chance to fence for her school.

I continue to be impressed by our school district--very responsive to questions. Even if I don't get what I want, at least I usually get an answer. Met several of her teachers the other night and all went well. The best part was discovering that her account of how things were going in the classroom was quite similar to that of her teachers. After meeting the teacher in her toughest subject, I sought out the bubbly elective-course one, just for balance. (Not that the first teacher was nasty or anything at all but we're talking hardnosed teacher and not great, great grades to moving over to artsy, effervescent life-is-wonderful, your-daughter-is-a-star! instructor.) Those teachers and administrators pulled some mighty long hours that day/night.

My Lab is still out of control; her latest stunt is trying to leap, joyfully, on the LIPA meter reader, so now I have to call in meter readings. That's not as bad as when she chewed the fuel sensor under the car and cost me $500; or ate the cable on the side of the house or broke the neighbor's door, or chewed through the cord to the steam iron or...well, what can I say? She's a Lab.

The front end of the car appears ready to fall off (loose bolt, bad workmanship). I need Jeano! (he's the car-repair master at the Getty station on Pulaski Road.)

Library Programs

Saturday night programs are returning to the South Huntington library on Pidgeon Hill Road.

During the winter months, the library will once again be open from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday
evenings to offer patrons access to audio-visual materials and the use of laptop computers.

We also return with our popular Saturday Program Series, which will include hit
movies, concerts, theatrical productions and family programs.

Laptops for Kids

What a fabulous idea this is.

Accessory Apartments

I have what's known as an accessory apartment in my house in Huntington, one of the few, but much-contested, ways of increasing the number of apartments available on Long Island. And, while the whole process is annoying, the women in the inspection office are unfailingly helpful and polite. And I love inspector Nucci. :)

South Huntington Scholarship FundRaisers

A South Huntington schools clothing drive raised $2,500 for scholarships, with 18,880 pounds of clothes donated. Congrats to Lynn Judd and all her helpers.

The PTA Council is also selling giftcards for the holidays, also as a scholarship funder. Order forms are available on the PTA section of the disrtic's web site, www.shufsd.org, or at the main office of the high school.

Hall of Fame

The South Huntington Hall of Fame is looking for nominees. Candidates must:
have graduated at least 10 years ago
have graduated from South Huntington or Walt Whitman High School
have attended high school in South Huntington for at least 2 years
be worthy of permanent recognitionin any field or endeavor

Nominations will be accepted until March 1.
Forms are available at www.shufsd.org, and questions can be sent to : halloffame@shufsd.org

Clinton at the Book Revue

Him, not her.

Bill Clinton is coming to Huntington:

At the Book Revue

Sunday, December 2nd, 2:30pm

Former President Bill Clinton will be signing his new book Giving: How Each of Us Can Change The World at Book Revue on Sunday, December 2nd, beginning at 2:30pm.


Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World is an inspiring look at how individual endeavors can save lives and solve problems, and it offers compelling examples of citizen activism at work in the world today. A portion of President Clinton's proceeds from the book will be donated to charities and nonprofits that are doing their part to change the world.

PLEASE NOTE:

President Clinton will sign one copy of Giving per person. He will not have time to sign any other books, memorabilia, etc.

Bags and other personal items will not be permitted in Book Revue during the event.

This includes, but is not limited to, cameras, pens, photos, other books, gifts, phones, etc.

Please leave these items at home or in your car.

Important details regarding the organization of the event will be posted on our website, www.bookrevue.com, later today.

For further clarification, call Book Revue at 631-271-1442.

Walk Off The Holiday

walk for family, fun and fitness at the Huntington YMCA on Friday, November 23rd!
National Family Week Walk
Join the Huntington YMCA's final event of National Family Week 2007. A post Thanksgiving healthy walk. Not just for members - bring your family, friends and neighbors! Meet at the Camp Pavilion at 11:30 on Friday, November 23rd. Walk at your own pace, open to all ages and fitness levels.

Puberty's Early Onset

An Ithaca College professor has written a disturbing report about the early onset of puberty in girls. Not only is it arriving earlier in many girls; puberty is being extended.

As if growing up weren't hard enough, a new report published by San Francisco's Breast Cancer Fund says girls, particularly African American girls, are hitting puberty earlier — and it's lasting longer.

Environmental toxins, obesity, and psychological stressors are all cited as possible reasons for the trend in the report written by Ithaca College profesSsor Sandra Steingraber. It was commissioned about a year ago to put together what she calls "pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle."

YouTube Takes On Bullying

I found this on the BBC site; I don't know how it might work in the U.S.

YouTube tackles bullying online

The government is taking a 'zero tolerance' approach to bullying
The first online anti-bullying channel has been launched to encourage young people to denounce the intimidation.

YouTube has set up a site where youngsters can post their own videos and messages.

It follows growing concern about the increase in persecution by e-mail, mobile phone and on social networking sites, known as cyberbullying.

The scheme is being launched at the start of anti-bullying week and is run jointly with charity Beatbullying.

The Beatbullying YouTube channel aims to revolutionise how young people access information on how to avoid being bullied and importantly on how to avoid being the person who does the intimidating.

It is the first anti-bullying partner channel on YouTube and aims to enable young people to post their own messages and videos as part of a wider campaign to stamp out the abuse.

Grades Are Out

Ah, report card arrived. Did reasonably well under regular circumstances but especially given the horrendous schedule we unintentionally created. Better next quarter but there are some excellent to good grades here, so the beating* won't commence any time soon. She's trying out for some winter sports but the schedule won't be nearly as bas as with soccer.

*I'm joking!

Meningitis in South Huntington

Huntington Station child may have bacterial meningitis
BY DEBORAH S. MORRIS | deborah.morris@newsday.com
Parents and guardians of students in the South Huntington School District were notified by letter yesterday (Thursday) that a student at Stimson Middle School in Huntington Station has been hospitalized with a suspected case of bacterial meningitis, school officials said.

The letter also said the infected student has siblings in Walt Whitman High School and Birchwood Intermediate School. The district also alerted parents and guardians of students who were absent from school yesterday through an automated phone system that leaves a message.

Read the letter. Note, it's a pdf.

Democrats and the Environment

Three Democratic presidential candidates, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, are going to be discussing environmental issues at 5 p.m. Eastern today.
I tried the video link a little while ago but it wasn't working but if it's up and running later, you'll be able to see it at Going Green

I wonder where Mr. Interior, Bill Richardson, is? And Obama?

Grist also has a breakdown on where the candidates, Democratic and Republican, stand on environmental issues.

Caroline Kennedy at the Book Revue

Caroline Kennedy will sign copies of her new book, A Family Christmas, at the Book Revue on Saturday, December 8th, beginning at 6pm.

Kennedy shares some of her favorite Christmas poetry, prose, lyrics and scripture, drawing on a variety of authors including Harper Lee, Billy Collins, Charles Dickens, John and Yoko, and Martin Luther King Jr. Also included is her own childhood Christmas wish list, and a letter from John F. Kennedy to a child concerned about the well-being of Santa Claus.

Please note: this event is a SIGNING only.

Caroline Kennedy will only have time to sign her new book.

Schools and Education

From TED (Technology,Entertainment,Design), Sir Ken Robinson talks about education and creativity.

See a Pumpkin, Throw a Pumpkin

But bring your own trebuchet.

Pumpkin Flinging Contest
Pumpkin Fling was postponed from October 27 due to inclement weather. It will be held on Saturday, November 17, starting at 11:00 a.m. This is Cornell Cooperative Extension’s fifth annual Pumpkin Fling! Community groups from all over Suffolk County are invited to participate. The catapults (trebuchets) may be entered in either adult or youth categories. Sizes and designs range from a simple rocking mechanism to full-scale trebuchets with dumbbell weights or sand for counter-weights. They must be designed to be able to launch 3-5 pound pumpkins.

The public is invited to attend to cheer competitors on. The Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank is open year-round, at no charge. Call 631-852-4600 or go to www.cce.cornell.edu for an entry form, safety guidelines, and official competition rules.

Huntington Y Needs Food Donations

From the Y:

Dear Friend of the Y,

The Thanksgiving Food Drive will continue until Friday, November 16th. We really need your help! Please help us to provide disadvantaged families in our community with a plentiful Thanksgiving.

Bring non-perishable food items (from the list below)to either the Rauch Family Center lobby, the Nursery School lobby or the Blauman HEC lobby.

If you would like to volunteer to pack, deliver or both, please contact Diane Cowitt at 421-4242 ext.113.

Thank you for helping us build strong kids, strong families and strong communities.
Items Needed
16oz. Carolina Rice
10oz can tomato soup
10oz can vegtable soup
1 lb can cranberry sauce
1lb can coffee
16oz can greenbeans
16oz can of peas
16oz can corn
40oz can sweet potatoes
16oz can of peaches
16oz can of applesauce
turkey gravey
stuffing
5lb bag of flour
medium jar of grape jelly
macroni & cheese box

Taking On Bullying

This mom has been writing about bullying issues for a while now. Looks like she and her husband have had it. Watch for more.

Action at the Book Revue

Wow, I guess I missed all the fun at the Book Revue last night. Looks to me as if some people think the Suffolk Police Department can be summoned and misled, at the expense of peaceful assembly. Maybe the creeps who caused this problem shouldn't be invited back?

Huntington Y Events

Family Bingo, Family Swim or a Healthy Family Walk!


Groups across the nation will host National Family celebrations to honor the children and families in their communities. Here at the Huntington YMCA, those events include Family Bingo Night at 7pm on the 16th(sign up at the member services desk in the HEC Building,) Family Swim at either 1:15 or 2:30 on the 17th (this event requires a free ticket which will be given out on the 17th at the Rauch Lobby desk starting at 1:00pm) and a Family Healthy Walk on Friday, November 23rd at 11:30(leaves from the Camp Pavilion.)

All of these events are open to members as well as the general public and are free! Bring your family, relatives and friends.

Tough Penalties for Teens

Methodist Fund-Raiser a Success

Several Methodist churches raised funds for Habitat for Humanity last week.
From the Rev. Chuck Van Houten at Centerport UMC:

This past Sunday was our Building on Faith United Methodist Choir Concert to raise funds for the Habitat for Humanity project. And what a concert it was. We had the joy of hearing eleven choirs from around the Long Island East District of The United Methodist Church perform. The diversity and fellowship of seeing and hearing these different choirs was quite an amazing experience. Let me say as one of the participants, I was truly amazed and humbled. And the experience of hearing all the choirs sing a final piece together arranged and conducted by our own David Bishop was awesome. It was truly a great day. You should also know that our choir shined in their performance and that our Cherub Choir, singing, "You Don't Need A Phone To Call Jesus" was the hit of the afternoon. Congratulations to our Choir and our Cherubs. You Rock!

The good news is that not only was it an amazing experience for all involved, but we also raised over $4,000.00 for the Habitat project. We should all feel great about that! Hats off to Ethel Abbott, Joanne Utley, Linda Avallone, Margaret Burr, the entire Habitat team, members of our Youth Group and the District Youth Council, as well as our Choir and their fearless leader, David Bishop for making the day such a great success.

Guy Gets Away

We just had a little excitement here. Since the plates were stolen off my neighbor's car two weeks ago while it was parked in front of my house, I'm trying to keep half an eye of the street. About 11 tonight, I heard a metallic bang right near the car that had lost its plates, stood up and peered out the window just in time to see someone duck down behind the car. So I called the cops; within a few minutes, two cruisers, followed by an unmarked car carrying plainclothes cops, showed up. Do we get police attention or what?

Meantime, the guy had run off--I saw him dash away across Park before the cops came but after my watchdog(!) barked. Nothing came of it but maybe we've scared some people away. She's now forgiven for having chewed to pieces the cord needed to operate the steam iron and having caused the circuit breaker to pop when I flipped the switch, not knowing what she'd done. Dog is a whole series of postings all by herself.

Book Swap

The folks at Paperbackswap.com are going to be expanding their offerings to include DVDs, possibly by the end of the year. This is a wonderful site for readers who don't want to spend a fortune. Check it out. There's a little more information here on how it works.

A Moment of Calm

Finally, an almost-peaceful weekend--soccer is over, marching band ended at the football game (go, Whitman!) and we have a couple of weeks of relative calm. Now the private flute teacher starts showing up, along with the algebra tutor who is helping us make the conversion from last year's curriculum in another school system to this year's--there are some gaps but nothing horrible.

2nd Annual Restaurant Week

Long Island Restaurant Week Begins Sunday
The Second Annual Long Island Restaurant Week begins tomorrow, Sunday, November 4th and runs through Sunday, November 11th. If there's a restaurant you're dying to try this is the time to do it. Visit a participating restaurant and get a three-course prix fixe dinner for $21.95 all night, except Saturday when it will be offered only until 7 p.m.

Flutes, on eBay

Child Safety Day

Child Safety Day is Nov. 3, from 9am-Noon.

All Children Receive an Operation Safe Child Card* provided by the N.Y.S. Division of Criminal Justice Services

The whole family is invited to come down to 300 Long Island bowling alley for fun, music, bowling and valuable safety tips. Learn what you can do to create a happier, safer environment for your children.

300 Long Island (Formerly AMF Melville Lanes) 895 Walt Whitman Road Melville, NY 11725 631-271-1180

Activities Include:
Long Island Lizards Defensive Superstar Nicky Polanco will appear for autographs & pictures courtesy of our friends at NY Physical Therapy & Wellness and The Long Island Lizards Lacrosse

Cold Stone Creamery of Melville- FREE Kids Creation Ice Cream Cups

Computer & Internet Safety information for parents and children

Electrical Safety demonstration courtesy of Keyspan Energy

Fire Safety information courtesy of the Melville Volunteer Fire Department

Non-traffic Motor Vehicle Safety Information from KidsandCars.org

Infant Car Seat and Motor Vehicle Driving Safety Tips by EACinc.org

Women’s Safety Issues courtesy of StylishSafetyInc.com

Music and MC Services courtesy of DJsUnlimited.com and much more…

New York Life Insurance Company
For more information contact: Vinny Ventura 631-391-2907 or Rich Echevarria 631-391-5800
*Children must be accompanied by a Parent or Legal Guardian for download into the DCJS system.
All children under 18 may receive a card courtesy of N.Y. Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Child Safety Day is hosted by 300 Long Island and New York Life Insurance Company.

Missing the Show

I'm missing the big band competition at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse because of an injury. Darn it!

MRSA

Holiday Cooking

The South Huntington Library has scheduled a cooking program called Happy Healthy Holidays, starting Wednesday, November 28.

Online registration for South Huntington Public Library cardholders only begins 11/7/2007 at 10 AM.
Non-district residents may register in person begining 11/14/2007 at 10:00 AM.

You don't have to bust your diet during the holiday season. Chef Charlie will show us some fabulous recipes that are kind to our waistlines but still delicious! There is a $5 fee, which includes recipes and tasting samples.

South Huntington Fund Raiser

This looks like fun: the South Huntington Council of PTAs is raising money through the sale of gift cards--the PTA gets a percentage. Seems like a great idea for picky teenagers or others who are hard to buy for.

Huntington Is Grand

I like Huntington a lot. Previously, I rented in Northport for a long time but find Huntington more fun for its diversity and slightly more blue-collar ethic found in many areas.

People don't stand on ceremony so much here.

After looking for two weeks for someone to help me, I gave up and rented a U-Haul truck, went up to Depot Road where the day laborers hang out and was swarmed by men looking for work. Took two of them, Willie and Santo, over to Northport to pick up a refrigerator in really great shape to replace the old disgusting one we'd tossed out on the curb last night (yes, we removed the door).

The two laborers hauled the refrigerator out of the Northport garage, up my stairs, struggled to get it through my narrow doorways and put it into place. They made $50 each for about 90 minutes work but it was intense. And they were good guys. They were happy; so was I.

And about 10 minutes after I dropped them back at the job site, two other guys arrived in a beaten-up truck, gathered up the various pieces we'd set out and then took the old refrigerator itself. They were collecting scrap metal and my junk was the mother lode today. They were pleased to take the stuff and so was I since the refrigerator wasn't going to sit on the curb, waiting for the town to pick it up.

Of course, sometimes things get picked up too quickly and inappropriately--we have twice lost these kinds of safety signs to thieves, and about a month ago, the guy up the street lost his carved dog to a thief about the same time someone else lost his license plates.

But I'll take Huntington any time.

The Newsday Band Show

Lots of bands turned out. Here's my favorite picture, for obvious reasons.

The show brought together a mix of bands--those that compete at shows around the Island and state and those that essentially serve as school boosters at football games and parades. There's a real difference in attitude between the competitive bands and others. Parents from one school, which I won't name, treated the show, which wasn't competititive, as if it were a football game, cheering its name while bands from other schools were being introduced or coming onto the field. Really tacky, rude behavior, from folks who ought to know better.

Blog Action Day: Cleaning Green

It’s time to get rid of the unhealthy cleaning products in the house and use such natural items as borax, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, salt, washing soda (sodium carbonate), also known as soda ash, and lemons. Note that most of these products are readily available. We had trouble finding Borax for a while. I went to seven supermarkets over a period of weeks, looking for Borax but was met by blank looks by the 20-somethings.

I did find one manager who knew what I was talking about but said that Borax, like other products, such as Brillo and Spic-and-Span, had pretty much disappeared. (Stop and Shop, in particular, seems determined to reduce the number products it offers).

Then, suddenly, Borax reappeared on the shelves of the Waldbaum’s store near me, so I’ve been scooping up the boxes as I can.

If it’s not available in your nearest store, try Soaps Gone Buy, which offers Twenty Mule Team Borax, Fels Naptha and other seemingly lost products.

If you need convincing that shifting to these products is a good idea, study the labels of your commercial soaps. One day, when I had an especially ugly, sticky spill on my kitchen floor, I used bleach and a little dish soap and immediately felt sickened by the fumes. It turned out that the dish soap contained ammonia, and mixing it with bleach is a terrible idea.

I was further surprised to discover ammonia in some shampoo! So read those labels or just switch; it’s easy.


Here are some uses:

Lemon juice: We’ve also used lemon to clean the inside of the car. I frequently found myself coughing hard in the car, especially when the heat came on. Just spraying the air didn’t help; we keep a lot of papers and clothing in the car for different reasons and so the air is frequently dusty from those items. So applying some lemon to clean off the dashboard, reaching into the air vents and sprinkling some baking soda and then vacuuming it up helped the air quality a lot.

It also can dissolve soap scum. We have hard water in our neighborhood and soap scum remains on the bathtub. It works well to remove it, especially if mixed with vinegar or baking soda. You can also let it soak in the kitchen sink and pour it down the drain to remove odors. It also works to clean the kitchen floor.

Borax: all kinds of cleaning: countertops, laundry, floors. Boosts cleaning of clothes—will definitely brighten your clothes. We didn’t realize how dingy our bed covers had gotten from the dog—we washed the covers, of course, and they looked fine. Then we used Borax to supplement laundry soap and things looked much, much better, almost new.

Baking soda: Use about a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar, as a drain cleaner. Those over-the-counter drain cleaners are about as toxic as you can get in a household product. It’s far less abrasive than commercial products.

Hydrogen peroxide: mix with water, spray on grout and areas subject to mold; let sit for an hour and then wash off with water. Kills mold and germs.

Vinegar: We use this for all kinds of projects: we use a bit to clean the dishwasher to kill germs, to kill mold or mildew, as a fabric softener (add a little during the rinse cycle), countertops, kitchen and bathroom floors. There may be a strong smell when first used but it dries and the scent disappears very quickly. And the temporary smell is nothing compared to the odor of bleach or ammonia, and there’s no harm remaining from using it.

Band Show

The Whitman band show was wonderful! All the bands from around Long Island were terrific. After the show ended, the seniors were honored and then the Whitman kids did their show again for the parents, many of whom were unable to see the show because they were busy selling, doing security or whatever during the regular program.

Hat tip to Mr. Vecchiano, the director, and all the parents and staff who really worked hard to make the show succeed.

Some Honor Society kids were there to help out, which was nice, and the ground crews, maintenance and security people were all great. And of course, the tireless principal, Jim Polansky, was there for the entire production.

It was also was great that Suffolk County legislator Lou D'Amaro showed up to congratulate the bands. He also took out big ads in the journal congratulating the bands that are in his district.

It's unfortunate that there weren't more public officials there--lots of voters certainly turned out and it would have been really terrific to see a few more officeholders. Oh, well.

Today, we're off to Huntington for an afternoon show.

Saturday Lab Programs

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has a full lineup of fall Saturday DNA sessions open to kids of varying ages. These are great programs; check them out. My daughter and her friend did one of these sessions a few months ago. Although some of the material was a bit beyond their reach (they were the youngest ones there), they had a great time and learned a lot about DNA.

October 20:

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Audience: Ages 10-13, with chaperone

All organisms are composed of cells, the basic units of life. These essential elements not only provide structure and organization, but also enable living things to carry out necessary life functions. With the instructions from DNA and help from organelles, cells perform a variety of fundamental tasks, including the production of new cells. Mitosis, one type of cell division, allows organisms to grow and repair themselves.




and
The Ins and Outs of Cancer
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ages 14-adult, chaperone for participants under the age of 15

Cancers are a group of diseases where cell numbers increase out of control and damage normal tissues. Although cancers come in many different forms, affecting different parts of the body, researchers have identified common mechanisms that lead to malignancy. Come learn the hallmarks of cancer, and how science is helping us diagnose and treat these diseases.



Saturday, November 17

Yeasty Beasties
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Audience: Ages 10-13, with chaperone

Have you ever wondered what makes your favorite bread rise? For thousands of years, humans have used yeast in food and beverage production. The unique physiological properties of yeast make it useful for more than just baking bread.

and

Beyond DNA...
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ages 14-adult, chaperone for participants under the age of 15

From microbes to mammals the central dogma of biology is DNA to RNA to Protein. In the wake of the human genome project all human genes have been sequenced. These genes are responsible for encoding proteins essential to life. A field of research that has boomed as a result is proteomics. Proteomics is the study of gene products and their function. Different organisms express different proteins reflecting changes in the gene pool, but what about organisms that are closely related? If you’re interested, come and learn about the exciting discipline of proteomics.



Saturday, December 15

Iceman
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Audience: Ages 10-13, with chaperone

In September of 2001, a body was discovered protruding from the ice near Hauslabjoch in the Ötzal Alps. Our journey begins as we examine the story of the “Iceman,” one of the most exciting discoveries of the 20th century. Who is the Iceman? Where does he come from? How did he die? How is he related to us? We will discuss some of the mysteries that surround him and try to answer them by studying the evidence and by using bioinformatics for DNA comparison.


The Buzz on Bees!
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Ages 14-adult, chaperone for participants under the age of 15

Explore the fascinating life of the honey bee! Although scary to some, the honey bee is an interesting and integral part of the agricultural industry, vastly contributing to the commercial pollination of crops and honey production. Sadly, their numbers are on a steep decline. Learn about the unique behaviors of this elegant species and how current research is explaining their mysterious disappearances.

Awards Breakfast

LIFWG Annual Awards Breakfast

The annual and highly attended Women Achievers Against the Odds Breakfast Fundraiser is held each November. At the Nov.7 breakfast, the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls invite and honor special Long Island women who we feel have achieved against the odds professionally and/or personally, as well as girls who have excelled in educational areas such as the Sciences, Sports, Performing Arts or Technology.

In addition, the group highlights and present this year's Recipients of our Grants Program. Our program also introduces this year's Commemorative Tribute to Women Journal.

For additional information or assistance please call 516.396.9857 or email

Action on the Environment

It's Blog Action Day Monday--check this out. Oh, yeah--congratulations to Al Gore. Peace starts with having enough food, water and decent living space.

Beating Up on a Kid

A Washington Post columnist takes on the attacks on the boy who stood up for S-CHIP.

Meanies And Hypocrites
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, October 12, 2007; Page A17
Conservatives claim to be in favor of stable families, small businesses, hard work, private schools, investment and homeownership. So why in the world are so many on the right attacking the family of Graeme Frost?

Frost is the 12-year-old from Baltimore who delivered the Democrats' reply to a radio address by President Bush in September. The seventh-grader pleaded -- in vain, it turned out -- that the president not veto Congress's $35 billion expansion of the children's health care program known as SCHIP. A car crash in December 2004 left two of Halsey and Bonnie Frost's children comatose, Graeme with a brain stem injury and Gemma, his sister, with a cranial fracture.

The kids were treated, thanks to SCHIP. The Frosts spoke out so the public would know that real people lie behind the acronym.

Their reward was to be trashed on right-wing blogs and talk radio as if they were multimillionaires ripping off the system. The assault on the Frosts apparently began on the Free Republic Web site and quickly spread to National Review Online, Power Line and Michelle Malkin's blog, as well as Rush Limbaugh's radio show.

Overbooked!

Soccer tonight and band rehearsal; football game performance tomorrow; soccer, book sale, home band show Saturday; another band show Sunday. What is wrong with this schedule?

Helping the Little Critters

My friend over at Grey and Red discusses how to properly care for squirrels. Her advice on how to distract them from taking up residence in the attic is especially wise.

How can we care for them? Can we care for them without drawing an army of them to our property?: Is this a project for a Girl Scout troop or some other service organization?

It isn't all that hard to care for squirrels in the wild, particularly because most of them are self-sufficient and, for the most part, they don't really need us. But it's nice to help, where we can.

A good project (yes, for the Scouts or any other community groups) would be to build squirrel nest-boxes. These are rectangular-shaped wooden boxes that can be hung securely in the trees, providing squirrels with extra warmth and shelter particularly during the winter months.

Nest-box patterns can be found online, including this very good one.

The squirrel entry hole should be on the side, as noted.

Shelter is a big deal and a fine way to care for squirrels because building these boxes means they won't take up residence in someone's attic. Squirrels would rather live in the trees, anyway.

Setting up squirrel feeding stations doesn't hurt either. Platform feeders are nice (although be careful here, you could end up attracting pigeons, rats and feral cats too). Better to skip the feeding stations and instead plant shrubs and care for trees that provide squirrels with leaves, berries and other natural foods.

One final thought: If you find a baby squirrel you should always first try to reunite the baby with its mother (making sure to keep the baby warm and wrapped and out of harm's way if it is an eyes-closed, hairless baby that cannot control its own body temperature). If the baby's mom cannot be found, it is important to find a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible; by no means attempt to feed the little one, you can do more harm than good by feeding the wrong thing, or feeding improperly and aspirating the squirrel too.

Baby squirrels are born as early in the year, here in New York, as late February (for the spring season) and sometimes, in the fall, as late as October.

Demonstration at the Hatchery

Hatchery Trout Eggstripping, Annual Fall Event
Egg Stripping Demonstrations, Presented by the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium October 20, 21 27, 28th 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Cold Spring Harbor
Learn about trout reproduction. Observe the process of egg and milt stripping from live trout
Free with general admission fee
516-692-6768

On the Road Again

We're halfway through the field band competitions. No one's killed anyone yet. The band did well but ended up penalized for length of performance. It'll be interesting to see how that turns out.
The buses coming back from upstate Arlington took a wrong turn at the Tappan Zee, adding about 90 minutes to the return trip. No one was happy with that.
So today was a big nap day. So much for Christopher Columbus!

Pregnant and a Target

There's a good blog on the issue of pregnancy, moms and the inclination of others to try to tell moms-to-be what to do. It's definitely worth a read.
Should pregnant women ...?
by Natasha Chart, Sun Oct 07, 2007 at 10:58:50 PM EST
Should Pregnant Women Eat More Seafood?
So asks a headline in the New York Times, but some similar question is always a perennial favorite. Should pregnant women eat more, eat less, eat something else, have maybe a drink a day as the British do or none as American society would have it, do some kind of exercise or another, lift anything, do too many stairs, or yadda, yadda, yadda.
A woman gets pregnant and she stops being an individual adult in many people's eyes.


Newsday had a similiarly informative piece on the rude and sometimes bizarre questions strangers ask of pregnant women.

The Mom Song

Seems about right.

Whitman Open House

There's a community open house at Walt Whitman High School from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The marching band will be practicing and performing on the football field.

Various clubs and organizations will be on site to hand out material.

YMCA Limits on Sunday

Huntington YMCA Limited Hours on Sunday

Huntington YMCA and Parking Lot will be open for recreational use only from 7 to 9 a.m. to accommodate the Huntington Columbus Day Parade.

Band Shows

Don't forget: Walt Whitman and Huntington High are having their home band shows Oct.13-14. If you've never been to a competitive band show, now's your chance. Details are coming.

Squirrels 3, Me 0

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. I cleaned up the yard, removing about a half a trash can worth of yard detritus, mostly those annoying acorns. There's still enough acorns to feed an army of critters. Having read something about blood meal keeping squirrels away from buried bulbs, I planted six tulip bulbs, covering them carefully. I went out early this morning and discovered three bulbs on top of the dirt; the other three are gone.

Nut So Fun

My friend over at Grey and Red tells us the etiquette of dealing with those one million or so acorns that have crashed onto your roof and then your sidewalk, porch, steps and everywhere else.
Personally, having captured and released several squirrels from my attic, I'm inclined to make a midnight run to her house and drop off a wheelbarrow full of them. In a friendly way, of course. We've got so many everywhere, including on the lawn, that we can't walk around the yard, sidewalk, porch or driveway without stumbling on them. And the dog, who will eat anything, including the fuel sensor under the car, won't touch them. (or the squirrels.)

Hmm. Maybe I can drop them off on the property of the neighborhood crank...

Security Over the Top

And I thought the New York City school cellphone ban was stupid. An upstate school system goes berserk in the name of security.

'The Question' causes furor at local high school
Did security gaurd violate girls' privacy?

By Heather Yakin
Times Herald-Record
September 28, 2007
Grahamsville — Several television news crews from New York City are camped outside the Tri-Valley Central School following the story in today's Times Herald-Record about what question a school security guard asked a 14-year-old female student.

The girl was called out of class by a security guard during a school sweep last week to make sure no kids had backpacks or other banned bags.

Samantha Martin had a small purse with her that day.

That's why the security guard, ex-Monticello cop Mike Bunce, asked her The Question.

She says he told her she couldn't have a purse unless she had her period. Then he asked, "Do you have your period?"

Samantha was mortified.

She says she thought, "Oh, my God. Get away from me." But instead of answering, she just walked back into class.

At home, she cried, and told her mother what happened.

It appears that at least a few other girls were also asked the same question.

Pickled on Park

I almost forgot about this: Greenlawn's having its annual pickle festival Sunday, and it's right nearby: 900 Park Avenue, corner of Little Plains Road and Park Avenue.

Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association's annual pickle festival features homemade pickles, jams, jellies, farm-grown vegetables, baked goods and family activities.

I'm threatening Teenager--she cleans up her room or she goes to the pickle festival, which no doubt would be humiliating. For some reason.

I don't know if they actually have this but you never know:

At the Book Revue

The Book Revue
has scheduled a talk with Beth Holloway, mother of missing teen Natalee Holloway. She will be speaking about and signing her new book, Loving Natalee: A Mother's Testament of Faith, Hope and Love. The event is scheduled for Tuesday at 8p.m.

When Beth's 18 year old daughter Natalee disappeared in Aruba during her high school senior class trip, Beth's life was sent into a tailspin. This book is an account of her search, the obstacles she faced, and how her faith carried her through it all.

Conservative Young Bloggers

A number of conservatives and libertarians have combined to offer prize money to college student bloggers.

Why People Hate LIPA, Part II

They didn't shut my power off yesterday; they rolled back into the neighborhood today, two hours earlier than yesterday. They pulled up and blocked my driveway and went around knocking on doors, announcing they were about to shut off the power. I jumped into the shower, got ready for work, went out and asked them to move the truck so I could pull out of the driveway, finished getting ready, went outside again and the driveway was still blocked. I yelled over to the first to ask him again to move the truck. A second guy came along and apparently misunderstood and told me to leave the van on the street (It was in the garage) and added, "we have to do our jobs!" Yes, and I have to GET to mine and you don't have to block my driveway. God. Where is LIPA's customer service?

Reading Choice

The One Island, One Book committee has selected Chang-rae Lee's "Aloft" for 2008.

Why People Hate LIPA

So I go out this morning to get something from my car and run into a LIPA guy walking across the lawn. On the street are four gigantic LIPA trucks. He says casually that LIPA is going to be rewiring my street and the power is going to go out. Roughly, here's how the conversation goes:
Me: Out? When?
Him: Now. For a couple of hours.
Me: What? Why doesn't LIPA give us some warning?
Him: I just did.

He then says the power might go out soon or maybe in a couple of hours because they're behind schedule. He doesn't know, he can't tell me. I note that I'm working at home, won't have a phone because it's a Cablevision phone dependent on power. I don't mention that I'd put a piece of beef in the crockpot a couple of hours earlier and that will now be lost.

I retreat to the house, cursing. I do a few things around the house, take a shower, notify my tenant that the power will be out, tell her that I'll give her a ride somewhere, get ready to leave and notice that the truck is still running in front of my house but the workers are several houses down the street. Another LIPA guy walks over, I ask him if he can turn the truck off and he says, "Why? Aren't you leaving?" And I say, yes, but it's stinking up the neighborhood.
Then I get in my car and leave because absolutely nothing good will come from this conversation continuing.

Getting to Brentwood

Another Sunday, another band show. This was a tough one. First, it was in Brentwood, coinciding AGAIN with Central American Day, meaning it was wall to wall people and cars waving mostly Salvadoran flags, jamming up traffic. Got there just in time Teenager’s show. Had to leave immediately to go do other things. Show was okay but it wasn’t the kids best—they’d just added a major element to the show the day before and it was obvious. But they worked hard.

Getting out of Brentwood was tougher than getting in but on my way out, I got a call from Teenager, frantic, asking if I was still there. I was jammed in traffic. The bus driver, who was supposed to remain at the field, had decided to enjoy Central American Day festivities, and left with the kids’ stuff, including their money (She didn’t steal it, just left the field with all their stuff, returning much later.) Kids with inhalers or other medicines were particularly upset. Everyone survived but it was a cranky, cranky day.

SAT Not Required

I'ts never too early to start freaking about college admissions and costs, is it?

Over at fairtest.org, you'll find a list of colleges that don't require the SAT or ACT for admission. Some use the scores for research purposes, others don't use them at all. Along with a lot of no-name colleges are some pretty good ones--Holy Cross, Bates, Bowdoin, etc.

Get Working With eBay

If you're interested in starting or building your eBay business, here's a way to do so.

From eBay:

See you at eBay University September 28 - 30!

The day is fast approaching when eBay University will be in New York City. Don't miss your chance to learn to sell and increase your efficiency--no matter what your eBay selling experience. Choose from 3 course levels--taught by the experts on eBay.

Only $59! Choose the track that's right for you.

Attendees will also receive free admission to Digital Life -- the ultimate consumer technology, gaming and entertainment event.

eBay University Program includes:
3 tracks to choose from - Selling Basics, Beyond the Basics, and eBay for Business
Classes taught by eBay University Instructors who are experts in their field
An opportunity to network and share best practices with other eBay sellers and PowerSellers
Meet Jim 'Griff' Griffith, Dean of eBay Education and author of the Official eBay Bible

Register Now for just $59 for one day and bring a friend for free!*

Multi-day passes are available as well. Attend 2 days for $89 or 3 days for $119.



Jacob K. Javits Convention Center:
655 West 34th Street
(11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets)
5801 Southfield Freeway
New York, NY

Band on a Roll

Photos by Cornel Ghiban

The toilet-paper crew
from Walt Whitman High School's marching band
struck about 3 a.m. today. Freshmen got the welcome
from seniors. :)










The bear gets it.

Band on the Run Run Run

Zowie, our big day is coming tomorrow. The first band show, at Sachem.

The schedule has changed a few times but doesn't really matter--the kids are locked up for most of the day, practicing, reviewing, for the show and then performing. I had foolishly believed that she could get some soccer in earlier in the day because it was several hours before performance time. Ha!

But it's all working out. The seniors are coming over to toilet paper the house tonight, their way of welcoming freshmen to the band. I'm sure Teenager will help clean it up later. Yeah.

I'm Such a Failure

Teenager is nearly mute. I lost the photo form and yesterday was picture day. Called the school office, was told she could pick up the form in the morning and there'd be no problem. She was all dolled up. Got there, got her picture taken and then was told she'd have to take it again today since she didn't have her form.

So today, dressed in her soccer uniform for a game later, she has to go get her picture taken again during lunch. The form says that the company won't print a picture until the form (and more important, money) are in; she says she has to have her picture taken again and she, of course, is no longer wearing her favorite outfit. Oh, the shame.

UPDATE: Oh, my, clobbered by West Islip, 5-0. Yikes.

Remembering Sept.11

Ah, Sept.11 is a sad day, sad day, even as people turn to other things.

It's impossible to wipe away memories, even if we wanted to. Every time I pass the nearby house of one of the firefighters who died, I offer a little salute. His house, on a street near mine, always has an American and a Fire Department flag out on holidays.

And I remember, too, the day that Terry Farrell's funeral procession came past my street. Park Avenue had suddenly gotten very quiet, no traffic in either direction for a while. So I went out to see what was going on, and could see his cortege coming up the road. As it drew near, I could only cover my heart with my hand until it passed by. There seems little to do in response. I wish so much we'd figured out a way to pull together and actually accomplish something, instead of being told to go shopping.

The kids are having red-white-and-blue day at school, something of a tradition, apparently. We're new to this school, so I don't know. Seems like a good idea.

But there are other issues about 9/11 which have to be addressed, in particular the constant evocation of the date in political speeches, and the Rude Pundit reminds us of the many ways 9/11 has been abused.

And then, there are these morons.

Go See Bart!

Newsday reporter BART JONES will be speaking about and signing Hugo!: The Hugo Chavez Story, From Mud Hut to Perpetual Revolution Wednesday 8pm, at the Book Revue in Huntington. Based in part on interviews with key people in Chavez's presidency, this political biography details episodes from the history of Venezuela's infamous leader that have never before been told in full, from his impoverished childhood to his decade-long conspiracy in the military to the 2002 coup in which he was kidnapped and nearly killed.
Bart's a good guy, smart and well informed. If Venezuelan politics, or issues revolving around the oil supply, interest you, go listen.

Lunches

Is it possible that a school cafeteria is so bad that teenagers would rather take their lunch? That they don't get plates, just trays (I'm guessing they're sectioned) like you see in prison movies?

Man, I've been out of school for so long. In the good old days, kids couldn't wait to be able to buy lunch instead of take it in a paper bag.

Whitman Marching Band Show

Walt Whitman is having its marching band show Oct.13. I've never been to one but it's a huge, competitive production, featuring the following bands:

Garden City
Division Avenue
Malverne
Brentwood
Walt Whitman
Deer Park
Lindenhurst
Roslyn
Mineola
Huntington

Huntington High School is having its show the next day. Stay tuned; we'll have more details on both shows here.

I've been invited to help with the parking lot. This should be fun since I have less than zero sense of direction and may wind up directing buses to Syosset. But really, what an adventure! I can't wait to get my own walkie-talkie.

New-School Gossip

One of my favorite pasttimes the last couple of weeks has been discovering new parents, new issues and getting to learn new things from them.


Eavesdropping makes the time go by and oh so much fun. I got an earful this weekend about children who are supposedly afraid to ride the bus because of one little 6-year-old monster who is alleged to be threatening to kill people; the bus driver refused to take him home and instead drove him back to the school and the kid had to be accompanied by the school psychologist. Don't know the facts; but what a story. In the process of listening, it became clear that some parents thought they wouldn't be heard if they complained about this situation.

I hope it's not true, either the part about the other kids being scared or that there's a child with that many problems already.

First Soccer of High School

Well, Teenager had a great time with her jayvee soccer match, against Half Hollow Hills West. Whitman won, 1-0. Then she dashed off to band practice and I did laundry all afternoon. Whoo-hoo, we're having a blast! I get tired just watching those girls, though.

From the principal's announcement:
Girls JV Soccer: The team won its first game of the season by a score of 1-0 over Hills West. Sarah Tully recorded her first shut-out of the seaon in goal. The defense of Alexandra Roldos, Caitlin Clemente, Jacky Wurtz, Paige De Rosa, Anna Robinson and Erin Scanlon helped secure the win. The team looks to improve its record this week against West Islip.

Very nice to recognize the girls by name.

Huntington's School Districts

In Huntington, we have 195,289 people and eight schools districts.

The Melissa Database locates them:

Cold Spring Harbor Central School District

Commack School District

Elwood Union Free School District

Half Hollow Hills Central School District

Harborfields Central School District

Huntington Union Free School District (map not available)

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

South Huntington Union Free School District

The Sound of Choppers

Of course, I would never do this but for the rest of you... :)
From the Wall Street Journal's blog, The Juggle raises a good question for competitive Long Islanders, among others:

Many parents I know don’t want to become a “helicopter parent,” who hovers over and advocates for his or her child on the playground, at school events, or even when the child starts business school, as we posted about here.

But if a parent wants to adapt a more hands-off approach to parenting, is he or she putting the child at a disadvantage in an increasingly competitive environment? Readers have pointed out how some homework assignments are so tough they practically require parental involvement, as does the challenging college application process....

The First Day of School

Apparently things went well the first day for Teenager. Had a little trouble getting to each classroom in time but she'll learn. Likes most of her teachers so far, though one class seems intimidating. Didn't care for the cafeteria--like that's a surprise--but enjoys the freedom of being able to go outside at lunchtime and to walk to a nearby store when school is over, a big change from her last school.

She is overbooked for the fall; we'll have to be very organized for the first couple of months.

Oh, boy, just spent 49 minutes standing in line--just in line, not counting shopping time-- at Staples trying to buy supplies for the second day of school. It would be really terrific if schools with active web sites would list supply requirements in advance. We were shopping in Staples over the weekend and could have bought things then.

TeacherTube

There's a new YouTube-like site called TeacherTube where educators and their students can post educational material. Here's one from a Canadian French class, singing an original song. Cute!

Here's another on censorship, just in time for Banned Books Month.

Long Island Mozart Festival

Went to the Long Island Mozart Festival at Old Westbury Gardens to see Teenager perform with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra under the direction of John McNeur. This is the group that went to New Zealand and Australia earlier this summer.

What a marvelous concert in a beautiful setting. She was surprised to discover she'd be playing the piccolo part solo on Stars and Stripes Forever. She did just fine. And it was another chance to hear Josh Feldman, a terrific young pianist who just went off to Yale. You're going to be hearing more about this fellow.

The festival, sponsored by Chamber Players International, continues Monday with the Gemini Orchestra of Suffolk County performing during the youth concert. Other activities include a carriage ride, glass harmonica performance and more.

Da BAND!

This is Walt Whitman High School's marching band, performing Saturday for parents at the school.

Avoiding Lolita

From Slate, a good article about the difficulty of shopping for clothes, especially girls, keeping them stylish but not trampy. Good luck!

Lolita's Closet
Unbearably trampy back-to-school clothes.
By Emily Yoffe


Emily Yoffe was online on Aug. 30 to chat with readers about this article. Read the transcript.
Illustration by Nina Frenkel. Click image to expand.

My 11-year-old daughter and I just did her back-to-school shopping. Shopping for a 'tween is a little like being a presidential candidate—you try to find some middle ground in a world of clamorous extremes. I want her clothes to reflect the fact that she's still a girl, but I'm willing to let her hint at the young woman she is about to become. What I don't want her to bring home from the mall are clothes—and there are plenty of them—that inspire this sort of paroxysm: "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins."

Fortunately, my daughter shares my goals: She wants to look stylish while still sweet, trendy but not trampy. The designers at Limited Too, a shrine to 'tween fashion, and I differ on how to achieve this. The chain, which has about 570 stores in the United States, sells clothes to girls ages 7 to 12. According to a Limited Too spokesman, Robert Atkinson, the company was instrumental in creating the 'tween fashion category 20 years ago. This year, 'tweens of both sexes are expected to account for $13 billion of apparel sales.

In our house, we keep rules to a minimum but verboten for sure are belly shirts and anything with writing on the butt. C'mon, there's only one reason to put lettering on your butt and that's to draw attention. Nope, unacceptable here. And while we're at it, is there a reason to wear clothes bragging about how you're high maintenance or spoiled? Grownups?

Orientation +

Teenager is at freshman orientation at Walt Whitman High School, having gone to sports stuff at 6:30 this morning.

School hasn't even started yet but her weeks are packed with activities. Tomorrow should be a real blast: Soccer in the morning, then off to Herricks High School for Metropolitan Youth Orchestra practices for Sunday's concert at Old Westbury Gardens.

They're Off!

I can't believe The Kid is heading to Australia with MYO! updated, with photos.

Shopping,of course

Touring Sydney: Audrey,

Erica, Anna, Vickie

and Natalie.