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School wasn’t out for long last spring before you ran out of things to do. On the last day of classes, you had a list in your head of fun ideas but you were bored. So bored, in fact, that you actually paged through Dad’s old history books.

And while looking through those books, you began to wonder what life was really like long ago. If people didn’t have bathrooms, what did they do with their doo-doo? This fall, you can learn the answer to that, and other yucky questions in the new book Poop Happened! by Sarah Albee.

Humans have eliminated since the beginning of time, of course, but they didn’t write about it until kind of recently. We know that the Harappans built the first sewer systems five thousand years ago in Pakistan. In Henry VIII’s time, waste went straight into a river.

And that was a big, messy problem. Because most people didn’t care much about where their waste went, it usually went into water sources, which became contaminated. But over time, humans learned and by 1776, inventors were going with the right flow.

Still, things weren’t perfect. The White House has only had running water for about 150 years. Even your grandma might have used an outhouse as a kid, since just half of US houses had indoor plumbing in the 1930s.

Ain’t that the pits?

Does your child have a number-one interest in the history of going Number Two? Then Poop Happened! will satisfy his inquisitive mind in three different ways.

Without descending into coy, cutesy language, author Sarah Albee presents delightfully icky information to her audience in a way that will make them laugh as they learn, but that won’t shock adults who read it. And read it you will, because Albee’s childlike interest in little-known (but interesting) history is contagious for both you and your child. Add in a heavy dose of the Eeeeuuuuw Factor, and you know this is a book that curious kids (and adults) will love.

If your 9-to-14-year-old wants something unusual to read for fun, Poop Happened! just happens to be a good choice. Anything less would be flushing his time away.

As the days turn shorter and a hint of fall is in the air, thoughts turn to the beginning of a new school year. These products help smooth the transition from lazy, careless days to ones that require a more structured routine.

Kids Desk Organizer
If your kid is like most—toting a laptop to and from class and trying to juggle his supplies—the Kids Desk Organizer can control the chaos of a messy workstation. Essentials fit inside while the laptop can rest on the whiteboard side. When he’s back at home, it hangs up for easy retrieval before class. $24.99; kangaroomstorage.com.

Summer Bridge Activities
Summer Bridge Activities workbooks prepare preschoolers through eighth graders for the coming school year with fun, age-appropriate lessons in reading, writing, math, science and more. Whether you have an eager beaver who loves to learn or a laid back student who needs a gentle nudge, these books aim to motivate kids of all abilities. $14.95 each; carsondellosa.com.

The Yubo Deluxe Lunchbox
Got a kid who’s fussy about brown-bagging it? The Yubo Deluxe Lunchbox might be just the ticket to getting her to bring lunch more often. The BPA-free box comes with an interchangeable faceplate in edgy graphics, plastic sandwich container, two smaller containers and an ice pack. You’ll appreciate that it’s dishwasher-safe, too. $29.95; getyubo.com.

Road Trip Gadgets

Airport Express $99
Stop racking up $9.95 a day wireless charges in hotel rooms and bring your own wireless Internet connection. Apple’s Airport Express plugs into an Ethernet cable that plugs into an unoccupied outlet wherever you are. When you fire up your computer, the transmitter shows up ready to be configured to your own private Wi-Fi domain.

Tumi Ultra Slim Universal Power Adapter Kit $195
When we travel we want to travel light, but these days it’s nearly impossible with all of the electronic devices that each require an individual charger. However, those days may be in the past with the Tumi Ultra Slim Universal Power Adapter Kit, which comes with an array of tips that fit just about any laptop computer or USB device. The adaptor is light and sleek, perfect for a road trip.

Reef stash sandals $20-$60
Stash sandals are exactly what the name infers: stash sandals. Instead of carrying around hotel keys, credit cards, crumpled $20 bills and waiting for them to get lost or stolen, why not stash them in your sandals? The secret tray in the sole slides out to hold personal items and slides back in to make sure no one knows they’re there. Stash sandals are comfortable enough to wear on the beach or around town, but their real utility is as a mobile safe.

Sharper Image Travel Sound Machine $89.99
When you’re traveling, it can be hard to sleep in a strange room. The Sharper Image Travel Sound Machine boasts 17 sounds or white noise to help you catch Z’s on the road. There’s also a full-featured alarm clock, the ability to record voice memos and a headphone jack to further surround yourself with the sleep-inducing sound.

Travel Apps

Travel Booking Organization
iPhone: TripIt
Blackberry: WorldMate
Droid: FlightStats

Coupons
iPhone: Groupon
Blackberry: Valpak Local Coupons
Droid: The Coupons

Recommended Things to Do and Places to Go
iPhone: Nextstop
Blackberry: Urban Tours
Droid: Where

Restaurants and Menus
iPhone: MenuLizard Mobile
Blackberry: LocalEats
Droid: LocalEats

Vacation Blog
iPhone: miniBlogs.mobi
Blackberry: Bloglive
Droid: Trip Journal

Traffic Info
iPhone: iTraffix US
Blackberry: Beat the Traffic
Droid: Google Maps

Playlist: 5 songs you’ll love humming along to (without the campy “family singalong” feel).

“Runnin’ Down a Dream”—Tom Petty (actually the entire Wildflowers album is great driving music)
“Turn the Page”—Bob Seger, not Metallica
“On the Road Again”—Willie Nelson
“Truckin’”—Grateful Dead
“Possum”—Phish

Picnic Basket
If you’re driving west on the LIE past Exit 39, take a quick exit north on Glen Cove Road and make a quick stop at Kitchen Kabaret. You can load up on hot and cold food, drinks, coffee, pizza, pretty much anything you can think of—and it’s all quality food.

Sandwiches
Water (in your own vessel, not a bunch of bottled water)
Fruit salad
Energy or granola bars
Popcorn
Mints
One bar of dark chocolate
(don’t leave locked in sun)

Talk about a place that’s all chill and no pretense: Block, the closest of the eastern seaboard archipelago, is also the smallest and thankfully, the least hyped. That’s good news for those seeking to get away and make time stop for a few days; the island is understated, laid back and quiet. About ten square miles total, a great afternoon is renting a bike and taking a ride around this quaint old whaling port (it’ll take you a few hours). Visiting the various beaches, either lighthouse or just taking in the quiet scenes will instantly hit the reset button.

There is no bridge to this island; access is either by boat or plane. Drive to Montauk and take the Viking Ferry—the high-speed will take about an hour. Block Island State Airport is open to general aviation and services New England Airlines from Westerly State Airport, RI. Once on the island, taxis abound.

Water Street, the main drag, hosts a handful of interesting shops featuring art, handicrafts and other wares you can bring home. Several boutiques make for good fall shopping for ladies and gents. And the homemade fudge and taffy shops, bakery and ice cream store will sate your sweet tooth (yes, they package “to go”). For dinner, the Spring House, a favorite of the Kennedy clan, is a large, stately beauty, whereas the Hotel Manisses offers a more intimate, romantic (but not stuffy) alternative. Cuisine around the island is predictably seafood based and as fresh as it gets.

At night, there are a few options, but the best is taking in the cool Atlantic breeze and listening to the crickets. The movie house usually has at least one current film playing and the experience of sitting in the small “theater” keeps with the relaxed feel of the island. But if you’re looking to blow off some steam, there are a few honky-tonk like places (follow your ears).

If it is lodging you seek, B&B’s are the way to go and few are bad. Our recommendations include a few from the Block Island Resorts group. All are professional, clean and close to the village, but this writer’s favorites include: Hotel Manisses, a sweet, 19th century romantic Victorian, the 1661 Inn, boasting picturesque water views in a smaller setting, Dewey Cottage, a restored farmhouse very close to the village. For a larger experience, try historic Spring House Hotel, where the Kennedy’s have held weddings and tend to stay.

Duly Noted:
The 1661 Inn (800) 626-4773 blockislandresorts.com
Block Island Chamber of Commerce (800) 383-2474 blockislandchamber.com
Block Island North Light (401) 466-3200
Block Island Resorts (800) 626-4773 blockislandresorts.com
Block Island Southeast Light (401) 466-5009
Block Island State Airport (401) 466-5511 pvdairport.com
Hotel Manisses (800) 626-4773 blockislandresorts.com
Dewey Cottage (800) 626-4773 blockislandresorts.com
Spring House Hotel (800) 234-9263 springhousehotel.com
Viking Ferry, Montauk (631) 668-5700 vikingfleet.com
Westerly State Airport (401) 596-2357 pvdairport.com

Life Lesson #6: The best way to hold onto control is to not be afraid to let go of it.

To watch eight men fly at forty miles per hour across thirteen acres of field on roughly eight thousand pounds of world-class equine is a lesson in control—the players’ over the horses, and the horses’ over the players.

As a sport, polo is difficult, fast, endurance-based, addictive and expensive. As a social event, it’s beautiful, elegant, nuanced, addictive and expensive. Players love it because it’s exciting and challenging, spectators love it because it’s exciting and easy—a beautiful outdoor setting, gorgeous weather, sophisticated crowd, sponsors displaying haut fineries and the vibrant backdrop of formidable horses and athletes moving across the field.

Meadowbrook Polo Club, nestled in historic Old Westbury, is the country’s oldest club, operating since 1881 (though it was first a hunt club). The exact origin of the game is unknown—there is evidence of Persians playing as early as 2,000 years ago but it was the British who popularized the sport for Europeans after “discovering” it in northern India and what is now Pakistan.

The club is currently under the stewardship of Luis Rinaldini, horse lover and self-proclaimed anachronism. “If you’re riding horses when you’re forty, you’re a traditionalist,” he said over breakfast. Rinaldini, an investment banker who started playing polo later in life, acquired the club in 2003 from Al Bianco, an eccentric Italian cowboy who came to the club from Brooklyn, by way of Wyoming, and kept the property somewhat low-key during his time.

Rinaldini acquired the club as much for a love of horses as for a love of tradition. (He is co-owner with Bryan Lazarus.) His intention is to “have a nice and fun club nearby because I play and my wife plays and our daughters play…To establish it and set up a rhythm and have it known if you come to NYC and you ask someone, ‘where can I play,’ our name comes up.”

To this end, the club is engaging the public by staging more high-profile events, like last month when famed player and Ralph Lauren Polo model Nacho Figueras came out with his Black Watch team for a game. Argentinean-born Figueras started playing at the age of nine and like many aficionados, polo is more than just a game for him, “In Argentina,” he said, “Polo is more common…Polo taught me about life responsibilities. Focus on horses requires attention daily. We ride, we play, it’s a lifestyle.” He also appreciates the philanthropic connections the game could make. “Polo is about people and families getting together to help others and to just have a good time.” Thus, the Meadowbrook game served as a fundraiser for his pet charity, Fundación Cruzada Argentina, which benefits the development of rural communities in Argentina. As Figueras explained, “Cruzada is helping a school in Corrientes [Argentina] where 90 kids were sharing one small room…they were going to school in shifts.”

Celebrity appearances notwithstanding, keeping a club thriving is no easy task, one that takes as much passion as it does means. For one, the grounds have to be maintained. In order to have desirable playing fields, it’s necessary to have conditions similar to a golf course. After each match, the field is perforated with divots raised by the horse’s hooves as they stop or turn. So every morning after a match, it takes a crew of six to reset the chewed turf—smoothing the divots back into the ground and reseeding, feeding, watering, cutting and currying as necessary. And they do this by hand. Plus, there’s daily nurturing of the greens from February through December.

Then there’s the space needed. And let’s face it, keeping people on Long Island is challenging enough, but keeping stables and ample roaming area for horses is a feat in dexterity (oh yeah, and a little more money). Increasing the Meadowbrook’s member base might offset some of the costs, but that’s not easy either.

Players are not easy to come by—again, because the commitment is as much one of passion as it is of cost. One game can run a player $10-30,000, and depending on the number of games played, as much as $1-million per month. But the time and planning needed to coordinate the entourage of bringing 6-7 horses with you, a handful of mallets, 2-3 saddles, bridals, grooms, gear, drivers, a truck and trailer… And then there’s the weather.

Which is why Rinaldini points out the affair is not a stroke of deliberate elitism: “We’re not trying to be snobs, it just costs a lot to do it.” He likens the sport to skiing in that there are die-hard skiers who range from affluent to ski bum. The latter will go without clothes to buy his gear, but the range of people enthusiastic about the sport is what makes it real and keeps it interesting. “There are people who will go without shoes to shoe the horse, they won’t eat to get the feed…99% of the time, people care more about the horses than themselves.”

Figueras echoed this: “The most important thing is the horses—every player would agree—first you have to love horses…the most thrilling thing is having a horse you bred do well.”

The tradition surrounding the horses is in fact no small part. The infrastructure of the sport traces back to the 17th century and has changed very little over time. Care and development of the animal requires countless hands providing constant attention. More than that, to be a great polo player, you have to be a great horseman, which requires patience and a special kind of intuition. Breeds that make for great polo horses are known for endurance—small thoroughbreds, Argentines, quarters—they need strength and speed, flexibility and a good temperament.

And finding the one who’s your match is one in a thousand. Synchronicity with a horse is crucial. As Rinaldini put it, “The horse is your partner. You have to be able to understand each other…you don’t have a lot of that in the 21st century—it’s a great antidote to the office!” He added, “The horses can usually do a lot more than I can…it’s like Michael Jordan carrying you on his back.”

Despite all the challenges, Rinaldini is optimistic the sport will go on, even another one hundred years from now. He believes people will continue to become fascinated by the thrill of the sport and pursue joining teams. And society, in general, will continue seeking natural panacea to manmade development—open space initiatives to correct suburban encroachment and spending time outdoors to offset high-tech worklives are just two facets of what attracts polo enthusiasts. Plus, spectators don’t need to be polished in understanding the rules to enjoy the event. As Rinaldini puts it, “You don’t have to watch the game—the magic happens at many levels. It’s fun, festive, people are dressed up, you can picnic…What’s going on in the background [the game] is like a pretty painting. It’s always going on, so you can watch, not watch, watch, or not watch, and it’s still going. And the magic works.”

Ideal for a weekend getaway, Newport offers an array of attractions that keep tourists coming back for more. The picturesque New England city is home to a thriving waterfront, three local vineyards and its famous Gilded Age mansions. Newport’s year-round calendar of events ensures that there is something for everyone, at any time.

Newport is rich in history, famous for being part of a colony founded on religious freedom and later on, a summer playground for socialite families such as the Vanderbilts. The Museum of Newport History will give you an understanding of the city’s past but for a more hands-on learning experience, walking and boat tours are abundant.

Newport’s miles of scenic coastline appeal to beach-goers and sailing enthusiasts. Meanwhile, less outdoorsy visitors can enjoy a drive down Bellevue Avenue to admire the extravagant mansions, many of which are open to the public. The famous estates, built in the 19th century, are also visible from the winding Ocean Avenue. Perhaps the most impressive of the Newport mansions is “The Breakers.” Once home to the legendary William Vanderbilt, this 13-acre estate is named after the extraordinary water view of waves crashing against rocks.

Newport boasts a wide selection of culinary treasures with seafood being the main attraction. Fresh lobster, mouth-watering crabcakes and steaming bowls of clam chowder are staples in this city’s many eateries. Simply take a stroll down the cobblestone streets of Broadway Avenue, known by locals as “restaurant row.” Tucker’s Bistro, a romantic and funky Parisian-style restaurant, is a local favorite for dinner as well as White Horse Tavern. The White Horse, open for lunch and dinner, is famous for being America’s longest operating tavern, opened in 1673, and it continues to shine. An afternoon walk through Newport’s charming downtown should not be missed. The area is home to antique shops, clothing boutiques and unique galleries. Don’t forget to stop by the Newport Visitor’s Center to pick up the official Destination Newport Coupon Book for savings throughout the city.

The drive to Newport will take you roughly three and a half hours from LI, depending how far out on the Island you live. For those who would prefer not to drive around, you can hop on the Cross Sound Ferry in Orient Point to cut driving time. After about an hour onboard, the ferry will drop you off in New London, leaving you with an hour’s drive to Newport. The easiest way to make a reservation is to visit the ferry’s website and sign up online. 

Duly Noted:
Cross Sound Ferry, Orient Point (631) 323-2525 longislandferry.com
Fort Adams State Park (401) 841-0707 fortadams.org
The Museum of Newport History (401) 841-8770 newporthistorical.org
The Museum of Yachting (401) 847-1018 moy.org
Newport Mansions (401) 847-1000 newportmansions.org
Newport Visitor’s Center (800) 976-5122 gonewport.com
Tucker’s Bistro (401) 846-3449 tuckersbistro.com
The White Horse Tavern (401) 849-3600 whitehorsetavern.us

Best known for its skiing and winter activities, the Poconos is often overlooked as one of the Northeast’s fall destinations. In fact, in the late summer and fall it is an ideal vacation spot for everyone from adventure seekers (skydiving, whitewater rafting) to those who prefer a quiet lakeside cabin or even the complete camping experience for the type looking to “rough it.”

Only an hour and a half from New York City, this region caters to tree lovers and town goers alike. Shop at specialty shops, farmer’s markets and factory outlets (there’s no clothing sales tax in Pennsylvania) or dine at one of the many family-oriented or fine dining restaurants. Try the French Manor Restaurant in South Sterling for an exquisite dinner by candlelight.

For camping, bring the family, a tent or camper and s‘mores to the Delaware Water Gap/ Pocono Mountain Kampgrounds of America, open year round and half a mile from the Shawnee Mountains, it offers organized sports games, bonfires, and entertainment for the whole family.

Resort accommodations, lakeside cabins, hotels, and bed and breakfasts are scattered in and about the area. Try Brookside Lodges, which is surrounded by a trout stream and has newly built cabins. Tanglwood Resorts offers a variety of views from their condos, including Lake Wallenpaupack, which is on the border of Pike and Wayne counties.

The Poconos might be under the radar when it comes to planning a fall trip, but its abundance of diverse activities make it a worthy and fun destination.

Duly Noted:
Adventure Center at Whitewater Challengers, Weatherly (800) 443-8554 whitewaterchallengers.com
The Boat House Restaurant, Hawley (570) 226-5027 the-boathouse-restaurant.com
Brookside Lodges, Weatherly (570) 427-8433 brooksidelodges.com
Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain Kampgrounds of America, East Stroudsburg (570) 223-8000 poconokoa.com
Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort 205, Hawley (800) 678-5907 ehrhardts.com
The French Manor Restaurant, South Sterling (570) 676-3244 thefrenchmanor.com
The Gem and Keystone Brewpub, Shawnee on Delaware (570) 424-0990 gemandkeystone.com
The Inn at Starlight Lake, Starlight (570) 798-2519 innatstarlightlake.com
Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mt. Pocono (877) 682-4791 mountairycasino.com
Skytop Lodge, Skytop (800) 345-7759 skytop.com

Sitting on the eastern shore of the historic Lake Champlain and nestled in the majestic Green Mountains, Burlington, VT is nothing short of a breathtaking scene. The city is where country vibe and city vibe meet—it’s equal parts crunchy hippie and cultural hipster—making it a fun, unique, natural and interesting way to spend a few days.

Take the relaxing route and enjoy the spectacular scenery on the Spirit of Ethan Allen boat cruise around the lake. The cruise is an hour and a half long guided tour on the water covering the history of Lake Champlain, the city and its inhabitants as well as a prime location for sightings of “Champ,” the local lake monster. Stroll around the Shelburne Museum, about seven miles south of the city center, known as one of the nation’s most diverse and unconventional museums of art, design and Americana. Located on 45 acres of land, there are 39 historic exhibition buildings, many of which are historically significant. The Shelburne is home to masterpieces by Impressionists Monet, Cassatt, Manet and Degas as well as more than four hundred 18th to 20th century artifacts.

If you want to explore the more adventuresome side of Burlington, the city also offers copious physically challenging activities such as biking on Burlington’s charming 20 mile bike path around the shore of Lake Champlain. The Burlington bike path offers dozens of rest spots at beaches and scenic points to help you catch your breath on the way. Don’t have your own bike? That’s okay, there are plenty of bike shops right in town such as Local Motion and the Skirack where inexpensive bike rentals are available.

The historic Church Street Marketplace is an unavoidable must-see. It is the happening spot, featuring the majority of the city’s restaurants, shops, bars and events. Street performers are never sparse on Church Street and neither is its lively vibe. One of the best restaurants not located on Church Street (but it does have a vending cart there) is the Skinny Pancake, a local crêpery located on the waterfront with outdoor patio seating.

Duly Noted:
Church Street Marketplace (802) 863-1648 churchstmarketplace.com
Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center (802) 864-1848 echovermont.org
The Essex Culinary Resort and Spa (802) 878-1100 vtculinaryresort.com
Higher Ground (802) 652-0777 highergroundmusic.com
Local Motion (802) 652-2453 localmotion.org
Northern Lights Adventure Center (802) 316-3300 northernlightsvt.com/nlri/
Shelburne Museum (802) 985-3346 shelburnemuseum.org
The Ski Rack (802) 658-3313 skirack.com
Spirit of Ethan Allen (802) 862-8300 soea.com

Leave the vicinity of NYC for the Hudson Valley and the urban jungle transforms into rolling mountains and small communities that make up the beginnings of upstate New York. Nestled next to a portion of the Appalachian mountain chain and not far from the Catskills is the oldest of these communities—New Paltz. Known for its progressive and diverse SUNY School, wherein one can find much culture at its art museums and numerous theater venues, being a college town is but one dimension of this area.

Founded in the 1670s by French-speaking Protestants, some of their first houses still remain, pristine examples of 17th and early 18th century architecture. These are preserved on what is known as the oldest continually lived-on street in North America, Huguenot Street. Tours of the houses run from May-November, but even in the offseason, a walk through this historic district makes for a nice afternoon, coupled with a venture onto the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, a former railroad line transformed into a beautiful woodsy nature path. The extensive apple orchards in the area are also a nice walking (and picking) destination.

For farther afield adventures, head to what are known locally as the Gunks, the piece of the Appalachians known as the Shawangunk Range. Learn how to scale the range—even if you’re a novice from the New Paltz location of Eastern Mountain Sports. Mirroring the diversity of the college, there are plenty of small-scale boutiques and restaurants on New Paltz’s main drag. For eats, check out the Zagat-rated 36 Main for an elegant dinner and extensive wine list or Main Street Bistro anytime of the day for a more casual ambience. But for a real decadent experience, head to the top of the Gunks and visit Mohonk Mountain House. A hotel/resort from a bygone era, it provides excellent views of the surrounding highlands along with golf, mountain climbing, plenty of hiking trails, mountain biking, boating and fishing, diverse gourmet dining, a spa, and other amenities.

Duly Noted:
36 Main (845) 255-3636 36main.com
Apple Hill Farm (845) 255-1605 applehillfarm.com
Dressel Farm (845) 255-0693 dresselfarms.com
Eastern Mountain Sports (845) 255-3280 emsclimb.com
Huguenot Street (845) 255-1660 huguenotstreet.org
Main Street Bistro (845) 255-7766 mainstreetbistro.com
Mohonk Mountain House (845) 255-1000 mohonk.com
SUNY New Paltz (845) 257-7869 newpaltz.edu
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail gorailtrail.org

Sleek and handsome, the 2011 Mercedes CL600 Coupe won’t make you think twice about making a grandiose car purchase. Built like a stallion, accompanying the capability of a sports car and the craftsmanship of a cruise ship, I am the Supercar that strides from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

Stealing a line from an Eminem song, “will the real Mercedes please stand up,” here I am. Even Slim Shady, in all his financial glory, would seek the option to purchase me, the epitome of a luxury vehicle that mixes innovative technology with world-class handling.

The 510-horsepower, 5.5-liter biturbo V-12 engine is enough to keep my engine purring like a mountain lion. With my driver-adaptive automatic transmission, harnessing 612 pounds of torque is seemingly too easy at times.
I’m going to get dirty now, er, technical I mean. My system’s low-end torque, which stems from two compact turbochargers help eliminate turbo lag and create a smoother sensation with thrust and acceleration. Then there’s the driver-adaptive design that adjusts its shift points depending upon a driver’s own style. Imagine that, a car that fits to your own distinctive feel.

My 5-speed automatic transmission was designed to handle heavy torque and dynamic differences in sport and comfort modes. Touch Shift technology helps with this. The CL’s command system offers control of audio, climate, telephone and navigation features. It does everything but, well, I won’t say it, but you can guess. The display, which can light the front seat at night it’s so bright, is lined perfectly with the driver’s sight line, creating a sense of safety and, yes, command.

Feel free to utilize the hands-free communication system via voice control or the entertainment system that allows you to watch DVDs. And thanks to a splitview functionality on my screen, the driver can use navigation features, while the passenger can enjoy that sitcom they’ve been laughing about for the last 20 minutes. My sound system picks up the audio and plays clearly throughout the vehicle. A remote control and wireless headphones are included so the passenger can keep to him or herself while you’re trying to enjoy the ride.

If you’re wondering about safety features, Mercedes has you covered. From my audible signal that warns you when a car is close on a potential turn, to an 11-way, 9-air bag program and unique radar system for parking, it’s like riding in a padded room.

In keeping with the Mercedes Benz look, the CL600 possesses an uninterrupted sweeping line that treks from the front grille to the taillights. I have one of the crispest physiques of any car on the market. From NBA superstars to quietly successful Wall Street executives, I’m the right fit for all breeds. Whether you think I’m an aggressively shaped muscle car thanks to flared wheel wells or dual chrome exhaust pipes, or a weekend cruiser to be utilized as a pleasure mobile with the explosive power that might only be tamable once in a blue moon, it all fits.

Once you sit inside my invigorating interior, or brush the palm of your hand on the hard shell of my out-of-this-world exterior it would take an army to keep you from taking me home.

MSRP: $154,400
Turbocharged 5.5-Liter, 60-Degree V12, 36-Valve, SOHC, SEFI Engine
Front Mounted With Horsepower of 510 at 5000 RPM
Torque of 612 at 1,800 RPM
5-Speed Electronically Controlled Manually Interactive Adaptive Automatic Transmission with Overdrive
0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds
Fuel: City 14 mpg, Highway 17 mpg

In the future, space historians will note that the final space shuttle mission, designated STS-133, of the orbiter Discovery launched on the 16th of September, 2010, marking the end of a more than 30-year-long era of space shuttles. They’ll also tell you that Mission STS-133 delivered spare parts as well as a robot—the Robonaut (R2) to the International Space Station and that, after the historic mission, the remaining shuttles found their way to museums across the country.

The Autumnal Equinox, ushering in the first day of fall, takes place on September 23rd. It is one of the times (the other being the Vernal Equinox) when there is an equal amount of night and day. Many holidays and celebrations are associated with the Autumnal Equinox: In England, the traditional harvest festival took place on the Sunday after the full Moon closest to the September Equinox. Not surprisingly, Wiccans and other neopagans celebrate “Mabon” or “Harvest Home” at this time. The Ancient Celts celebrated the September Equinox with a mock sacrifice of a wicker figure representing the vegetation spirit—the film The Wicker Man, a cult classic, was based upon this Celtic tradition. On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, the Japanese celebrate “Shobun no hi.” Even Christians honor the Equinox: In Medieval times, the Church replaced some of the old celebrations with Christianized observances such as Michaelmas. Michaelmas, the feast of the Archangel Michael is, in fact, a celebration of the Autumnal Equinox. By Michaelmas, the harvest had to be complete, leases had to be renewed and accounts had to be settled.

This September will be a great time for viewing the giant planets of our solar system, specifically Jupiter and Uranus. Jupiter will reach opposition on the 21st of September; this means it will be directly opposite the Sun, from the perspective of the observer, and hence fully illuminated and close to Earth. Jupiter makes a great target for a telescope. A modest telescope should enable you to see several of its moons; a good telescope will allow you to see the storm bands that run parallel to the planet’s equator and, possibly, the giant red spot.

Uranus also reaches opposition this September, just one day after Jupiter. Appearing as a small blue-green disk, Uranus is best seen through a large telescope. Also requiring a large telescope is Neptune, another gas giant that will be high in the sky throughout September.

Venus remains a bright “evening star,” setting about an hour after the Sun in the western skies. However, despite the recurrent Internet rumors, Mars will not be visible in the night sky.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

The first time I ever heard Andrew Cuomo on the phone, I thought it was his old man calling. Andrew sounded shockingly like Mario Cuomo, one of the great orators of our time. Like a kid playing dress-up in his father’s closet, however, it was quickly obvious that the son didn’t fill out the clothes. Although I don’t remember exactly what we talked about, Andrew was about to announce his first run for Governor—in 2002.

Yet, even after a term in Washington as Housing Secretary in the Clinton Administration, he still sounded callow and smug like he did when he served his father as a $1 aide in Albany. It was as if he was a prince—which, of course, he was—and all he had to do was show up to claim his father’s lost crown. But that was then, as they say, and now is now. And while Andrew will never have Mario’s searching intellect, the son has grown enormously since that embarrassing excuse for a political campaign that was followed by the public break-up of a marriage supposedly made in Camelot. Andrew showed personal and political toughness in 2006 winning election as Attorney General after many people, including me, proclaimed his career was kaput. And then he served with distinction. Andrew brought his office more aggressively than any of his storied predecessors into the local arena, challenging wasteful spending and corruption at the village and school district level. It is his resume, not his family resemblances, that have pushed his approval ratings well above the anti-incumbent roil. Barring an almost unimaginable turn of events, Andrew will be the next Governor of New York. And he has a chance to succeed where his father failed—to change Albany’s culture of dysfunction. Recently, Andrew agreed to answer questions from me for Long Island Pulse readers.

Candidates for public office have a style of campaigning. If they’re elected and stay in office long enough, these men and women develop a style of governing that’s a blend of the personal, political and professional. In this context, who is Andrew Cuomo? What is his philosophy of governing? And what has most forcefully shaped it?
Andrew Cuomo: My philosophy about governing is simple: The job of Governor is not about me…I want to be the candidate—and the Governor—of the people. I achieved this goal at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where I brought competent management to a $30 billion bureaucratic mess and I achieved this goal as Attorney General, exposing abuse, waste and corruption and getting results. I know that I can bring that same focus, determination and expertise to the Governor’s office on behalf of all New Yorkers.

As Attorney General, Bobby Abrams saw himself as a champion of the consumer and an activist for the environment. Eliot Spitzer played Sheriff of Wall Street. You seem to have embraced the roles of your Democratic predecessors but expanded on them aggressively in significant ways.
AC: I am proud of the work we have done in particular to expose corruption within the student loan, mortgage and health care industries. Our work has translated into real results for real people—more than $3 million refunded to New York’s students who rely on loans to pay for college and more accurate and transparent doctor ratings by health insurers. I am also deeply proud of our expansion of the Civil Rights Bureau within the Attorney General’s office and the launch of Project Sunlight—a website designed to maintain government accountability and uphold public integrity.

What does the job you’ve done as AG tell us about the job you’d do as Governor? What does it tell us about how you’ve changed or grown, certainly from your early days in Albany when you were a $1 a year aide to your dad?
AC: My work as Attorney General and my exposure to state government during my days as an aide to my father have instilled in me a deep…desire to make government work for all New Yorkers. As Attorney General, I established key priorities and stood up for the people no matter how difficult the fight. As Governor, I plan to do the same. I am running my campaign­—and I will run the Governor’s office—the way I have run my office for the past three years: Working directly for the people. We must reorganize our government, reform its ethics and restructure its finances. 

Do you favor a property tax cap to help Long Islanders and others cope with one of the most oppressive burdens in the country? And are you concerned about unintended consequences that would hurt the quality of education, particularly in poor districts?
AC: Tough and decisive measures are needed to address our fiscal crisis. I strongly support…the implementation of a local property tax cap to apply to all school districts and local governments, set at the lower of the inflation rate or two percent. While others have proposed a cap on just school property taxes, the fact is that all local property taxes are going up at a rate much faster than inflation. My plan would work as follows: Any property tax levy increasing above the inflation rate would be prohibited, unless endorsed both by the local governing board and by a 60 percent majority vote. For schools, this would be part of their regular budget voting process. Only limited exceptions would be allowed for the cap, such as one-time needs for legal settlements or extraordinary capital expenditures. Counties would also be covered, but with appropriate exceptions for state mandated social service programs that are not capped and which represent a major share of their budgets. All local governments would be covered.

One of the most unusual uses of your power and influence as AG has been to examine Long Island’s oft-lamented system of small, overlapping government entities and to promote legislation aimed at making it easier to consolidate them. What are some of the solutions?
AC: The simple truth is that New York’s state and local governments have become too big, too expensive and too ineffective. To restructure and rightsize the current bureaucratic tangle at the state level, my administration would establish a gubernatorial commission, called the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (SAGE) to conduct a comprehensive review of every aspect of State government. The SAGE commission will be charged with reducing the number of agencies, authorities, commissions and the like by 20 percent in the interest of saving taxpayers’ money, increasing accountability and improving the delivery of government services.

At the local level, there currently exists overlap and duplication resulting in high taxes, inefficiency and waste. In fact, there are more than 10,500 local government entities imposing taxes and fees across New York State. New York has the nation’s highest local taxes with our local tax burden over 79 percent higher than the national average. That is why, this past year, I authored a law that was overwhelmingly passed by the Legislature entitled the Government Reorganization and Citizens Empowerment Act. This Act helps restructure our antiquated system of local government and as a result will reduce the tax burden and uncover greater efficiencies. As Governor, my administration would take the following additional actions to ensure that such an Act is utilized: Make available Citizens Re-Org Empowerment Grants to cover all or part of the costs of merger studies; create the Citizens Empowerment Tax Credit program mandating that a portion of the increased Aid and Incentives to Municipalities funding be given directly to taxpayers for immediate tax relief; create a Local Reorganization Knowledge Network to help local communities use the new Empowerment Law; work to eliminate legal barriers prohibiting certain local government entities from undertaking key government functions and standardize elections for local governments and school districts.

Does the fact that LI’s 124 school districts are overseen by elected board members who often lack basic skills in management and finance leave them especially vulnerable to waste and fraud—such as the theft of millions by officials in Roslyn?
AC: As Attorney General, I investigated and vigorously rooted out waste, fraud and abuse—especially on Long Island. For instance, my office investigated and uncovered fraudulent employment arrangements in which lawyers improperly placed on school district payrolls were able to collect significant pension benefits normally reserved for public servants. As a result I authored a law—the Government Accountability and Fraud Stop Act—to make sure it doesn’t happen again. However, public service is the foundation of our democracy and many who choose to run for school boards often do it to serve their kids and community. Like any elected position—from mayor to judge—it is important to elect quality people. I don’t think the system of governing schools is the problem, per se, and laws…will go a long way in stopping waste, fraud and abuse in the system.

Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue on LI, as it is in many communities. Whatever their status, many of the low wage workers, especially Latinos who often speak little or no English, are victimized by employers who sometimes withhold wages or don’t pay taxes themselves. Tell us how you’ve approached the immigration issue, especially on LI.
AC: My office is receiving more and more complaints regarding immigration issues. We’re hearing about hundreds of very trusting people who are trying to do the right thing and end up getting scammed. They pay a lot of money in exchange for promises of legal help dealing with green cards, visas and citizenship. In reality, those promises are false: The lawyers are often fake and their cases are not being handled correctly. We have shut down numerous companies, including several on Long Island that bilked people out of thousands of dollars. We have also served more than 100 subpoenas resulting in court judgments awarding millions of dollars to victims. More importantly, my office is joining forces with some of the best immigration lawyers in the state to work pro bono to help some of the folks victimized by these schemes.

Why shouldn’t Long Islanders vote for a Long Islander, such as Rick Lazio?
AC: We need to get the state’s economy running again and to do that we need to make the government function again. That means capitalizing on Long Island’s innovation economy, natural resources and entrepreneurial endeavors while simultaneously working to bring businesses back to our upstate communities that have for too long suffered. It means reining in local property taxes and consolidating local governments in the suburbs while embracing our agricultural industries. 

This election—and my campaign—is not about upstate versus downstate, Long Island versus Westchester. It is about all New Yorkers who share a common desire to build a better life for their children. I share those desires and want to live in a state that works for my own three daughters the way it worked for me when I grew up. I want to leave my children and all of our children with a home that is fairer, stronger and safer.

The Hampton Classic, being held from August 29th to September 5th on Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton, is one of the biggest seasonal happenings in the Hamptons. Since the early 1900s, there has been a yearly horse show, but since the late 70s, the scope has greatly expanded, now featuring, over 60 acres, thousands of horses, numerous equestrian events with horses galloping and leaping through complex courses, guided by some of the world’s top riders. Fifty thousand spectators are expected.

Estimates for The 2010 Hampton Classic:

More than 1,600 horses will be on display.

Between spectators and participants, the Hampton Classic contributes more than $13.6 million to the Hamptons economy per year.

Around 50,000 spectators will attend.

In its 35 years of existence, the Hampton Classic has contributed more than $1 million to Southampton Hospital.

More than $600,000 in prize money will be offered.

The direct ancestor of the Hampton Classic was a small-scale local horse show first held in Southampton in the early 1900s.

There are 6 show rings across the 65-acre site.

In space history, August seems to be the month of Mars. For instance, on August 27, 2003, at 5:51am, Eastern Standard Time, Mars was 34,646,418 miles from Earth; this was the closest the red planet had been to Earth in 60,000 years! One day later, Mars was at opposition, directly opposite the Sun (and thus maximally illuminated), when seen from the perspective of Earth. Then, as now, stories suggesting that Mars would be as large as the Moon circulated on the Internet; however, even during the planet’s close approach in 2003, Mars appeared to the naked eye as nothing more than a bright, orange star with details only to be revealed by a powerful telescope.

The Viking I Mars orbiter powered down on August 17, 1980 after 1,400 trips around the red planet. Everyone has seen the “face on Mars,” the most famous image captured by the spacecraft.

Also in August, August 9, 1973, to be precise, the USSR launched the Mars 7 interplanetary lander, which consisted of a fly-by bus and a descent module. The descent module was designed to perform in-situ studies of the Martian atmosphere and surface; it was even equipped for soil activation experiments. Sorrowfully enough, a malfunction caused the lander to miss the red planet. It is sobering to consider that the Mars 7 interplanetary lander preceded the Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity by several decades.

Most of the planets will be on display this August. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn will be visible in the early evening, just after sunset. Later in the evening, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and even Pluto—the “no longer a planet” planet—will grace the skies. There will even be a triple conjunction on August 13; look west just after sunset to see Venus, Mars and Saturn riding near the crescent Moon. Neptune will reach opposition on August 20.

Finally, after observing the conjunction, sit down, relax and take in nature’s fireworks—the Perseids. The Perseids reach their peak between August 12th and 13th, but meteors may be seen from July 25th through August 22nd. The crescent Moon will be down early, bringing dark skies and great viewing. Best viewing is towards the northeast after midnight.

Move over SL 55, hello me. The 2011 Mercedes SL 63 is a more powerful and larger model of the already stunning roadster.

I read somewhere that I offer a ride equivalent to “perfection in motion.” Quite true. As one of the most technologically sound vehicles on the market and especially of the SL series, there’s a fine line between luxury and performance with me.

Go ahead and choose between the breezy, wind infused ride with the top down—it goes up or down in 16 seconds—or the quiet, calm glide of being enclosed. I dare you. I am the epitome of an open-air roadster. With my new AIRSCARF system, top-down driving in colder temperatures is now a possibility. The feature provides a built up heating system in the driver and passenger seats and a button on the door allows for heat to whip around the head restraints, literally like a scarf.

Then there’s the engine. The one that revs to the point of pushing 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. The one that has power ratings of 518 horsepower at 6,800 rpms. The one that is now 6.3 liters, instead of just 5.5 (that’s how I get the 63 moniker).

I’m also the first Mercedes to receive the new AMG-developed Speedshift Multi-Clutch Transmission—a seven-speed automatic transmission that makes it effortless to change gears when cruising, featuring four shift patterns from comfort and sport to sport plus and manual. The new feature allows for more expedient shift times, less lag and healthier performance at higher speeds. Think Formula 1, but on the conventional road.

If you feel like treating yourself to the Performance Package you’ll be blown away by ceramic front brake discs, paddle shifters on the steering wheel and wider rear tires than normal.
My Intelligent Light System gives five settings ranging through various driving conditions to make for a safe voyage. Be sure to check out the bi-Xenon bulbs for headlamps—they look snazzy and make me see better at night.

With the AMG body, I’m always a step ahead. Even other roadsters can’t match-up. From my alloy wheels, a single-bar grille that draws the eye to the width of my body and a gearthier appearance than the SL 55, I’m overall one of the most formidable looking cars on the market.

The true test of a well-made sports car—especially a roadster like myself—is the ability to adapt to the dawdling crawl of a residential community or a swift paced highway. With the SL 63, there’s no major distinction. It’s one velvety ride with stability that could put a baby to sleep—even at triple-digit speeds.

Little will offer the same sensation you get as when you push the start button; a growl that captures even the mightiest lion. You’ll be hooked. Trust me.

MSRP: $140,000 Engine: 6.2 liters, 8 cylinder
Horsepower: 518
Max Horseposwer: 6,800 rpm
Zero-60 mph in 4.5 seconds
Torque: 465 ft-lbs., Max torque: 5,200 rpm
Fuel: 21.1 gal tank/ 19 mpg highway

If your kid’s ready to rock, make sure she’s got the right gear. From a jamming guitar and drums kit, to a musical dress-up skirt, to gig bag with gusto, there are plenty of choices for inspiration.

Acting Out Country Western Musical Skirt
Got a little kid who’s a little bit country? Then the Acting Out Country Western Musical Skirt will really let her kick up her heels. The cowgirl-themed skirt has a hidden musical device inside that plays “Cotton Eyed Joe” and “The William Tell Overture” when your child twirls around. Yee-haw! $40; actingoutdressup.com.

Paper Jamz
Because Guitar Hero is so five minutes ago, cool kids can make music whenever they like with Paper Jamz. Available as a guitar, drum or amp, these musical instruments work via circuit-embedded paper (no strings attached—literally). Simply touch the paper surface and they’ll be jammin’ in no time. Each instrument comes with three songs to practice or kids can play freestyle. $24.99; wowwee.com.

Pink Zebra Guitar Sassy Sillo Sack
Fashionable little ladies can strike a chord with the Pink Zebra Guitar Sassy Sillo Sack. Decked out in hot pinks, blues and black-and-white, this bag is the next best thing to carrying a true gig bag…but hey, their friends will never know it. $20; douglascuddletoy.com. 

You’ve got big plans this summer. You’re going to ride your bike everywhere you can, all the time. You might be able to pick up a few dollars by mowing lawns or babysitting. Oh, and your family has that big camping trip coming up and Mom said you could bring a friend.

You love to go camping but sometimes it gets a little boring. Not any more, if you’ve got Mac King’s Campfire Magic by Mac King (illustrations by Bill King) in your backpack.

In his introduction, Mac King says he firmly believes everyone should know “at least one cool trick or stunt.” But you can’t just try it once or twice and expect to perform in front of an audience right away. Becoming amazing won’t happen fast because there is no such thing as a (decent) trick that doesn’t take practice.

Warn everybody now. You’re about to become awesome…

You might have some rope in your knapsack; if you don’t, you’ll undoubtedly be able to find some lying around the campground. There are five rope tricks in this book, from easy to complicated-but-cool, including one where you cut an adult “in half.” Pack a deck of cards, by the way, because there are card tricks in this book, too.

But let’s say you forgot all your special props. Now what?

You’re still in luck. Mac King’s Campfire Magic includes stunts you can do with things in the forest, tricks that use everyday objects your parents will have around (like coins and pencils), cool things you can do with recyclables and stunts that only require your powerful, wonderful, magical brain!

Got a kid who treats any light—even campfire—as limelight? Then you’ve absolutely got to pack Mac King’s Campfire Magic in the camper next time you head out.

Even kids who have never practiced prestidigitation before will find things they can do in this book, all with easy step-by-step directions and pointers to ensure they don’t get frustrated. The best part—for kids and adults alike—is that many of the tricks author and performer Mac King includes here are fresh and very un-stale.

If your 7-to-12-year-old loves camping and the spotlight equally, and if you need an “in case it rains” diversion for your next outdoors trip, you’re going to want Mac King’s Campfire Magic in your knapsack. Give your kids this book and watch time disappear.

Launched on July 28th, 1964, the Ranger 7 spacecraft provided mankind with the first close-up photographs of the lunar surface. Apollo 11 took off for the Moon on the 16th of July, 1969, just five years later. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins were aboard this historic third lunar voyage. Four days later, on the 20th of July, the Lunar Module “Eagle” landed in the Sea of Tranquility despite an overloaded computer (shades of Hal in Kubrick’s 2001) that threatened to abort the mission. Neil Armstrong took manual control of the Lunar Module about a thousand feet above the Moon’s surface in order to avoid boulders the size of cars. Once safely down on the Moon, the module’s crew collected Moon rocks, took photographs and planted the American flag. This is the historic mission where Neil Armstrong was heard to say the now-famous phrase, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

It should be noted that space is of interest not only to the curious, adventurous or scientifically-minded, but is apparently also of great interest to wealthy history buffs, collectors and businessmen. Just last year, on July 16th, 2009, Bonhams’ first space history auction became the highest grossing space history auction ever. Among the items on the block were Apollo 13 flight plan sheets, charts, photographs and surface equipment.

There will be a new Moon on the 11th of July. A total eclipse of the Sun also falls on the 11th; however, we will not be able to see it from Long Island. The Full Moon graces the skies on July 26th.

On the 28th and 29th of July, the Southern Delta Aqaurids meteor shower will peak, with a rate of around 20 meteors per hour, but the view this year will be less than optimal as a result of the nearly-full Moon. Look for the meteors in the eastern skies after midnight. Some meteors associated with Delta Aquarids can be seen anytime from July 10th through August 18th.

Venus, Mars and Saturn will be early evening planets during the month of July. Look for Venus around dusk and for an hour or so thereafter; it will be one of the brightest objects to be seen setting in the western skies. Mars and Saturn set a little later on, trailing not far behind Venus. All three planets are worthy targets for a telescope.

It’s the high-season for music: You could see a great show almost every night of the week. But if you must choose, these shows are sure to please even the most fickle music lovers.

Nikon at Jones Beach Theater,
Wantagh
(516) 221-1000
livenation.com
Santana/Steve Winwood, July 18, 7:30pm, $143.50, $89.90, $69, $57.85, $47.35, $35
John Mayer/Train, July 21-22, 7:30pm, $79.50, $49.50
Sting, July 27, 8pm, $233.50, $107.50, $73.50, $43.50

Sting’s tour, which began in early June, is in support of his new Symphonicities CD. The album features symphonic reinterpretations of some of his most popular solo and Police songs. A battery of arrangers was enlisted to come up with the orchestral setting for these new recordings, including Michel Legrand. The tour will feature Sting’s long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, bassist Ira Coleman, percussionist David Cossin, and vocalist Jo Lawry, along with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Maroon 5/Owl City/VV Brown, August 11, 7:30pm, $89, $59, $39, $25
Phish, August 17-18, 7:30pm, $50
David Gray/Ray LaMontagne, August 19, 7pm, $75, $55, $35, $25
Crosby, Stills and Nash, August 20, 8pm, $151, $86, $51, $28.50, $20.75
Jimmy Buffett, August 31, 8pm, $156, $96, $56

The Theatre at Westbury
(516) 334-0800
livenation.com
Hot Tuna/Steve Earle, July 17, 8pm, $50 (see our interview with Jorma Kaukonen on page 56)
Dion/Kenny Vance, July 24, 8pm, $50, $40
Little Feat/New Riders of the Purple Sage, July 30, 8pm, $44.50
Counting Crows/Augustana, August 4, 8pm, $80.50, $60.50

YMCA Boulton Center,
Bay Shore
(631) 969-1101
boultoncenter.org
Mat Kearney, July 25, 8pm, $22
Moya Brennan, August 5, 8pm, $35, $30
Dan Hicks, August 19, 8pm, $40, $35

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
(631) 288-1500
whbpac.org
Amos Lee, July 2, 8:30pm, $50, $40, $30
Joan Armatrading, July 10, 8:30pm, $95, $80, $65
Rufus Wainwright, July 11, 8:30pm, $140, $100, $60

Rufus Wainwright continues to challenge himself and his latest project may be his most ambitious yet. Wainwright is touring behind All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (Decca); a Shakespearean concept album that draws from a theatrical production for which Wainwright wrote songs and was produced by Robert Wilson in Berlin in 2009. Wainright keeps expanding his appeal beyond being a singer-songwriter and, with albums such as Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall and Milwaukee At Last!!!, he is fast becoming one of the most electrifying performers in music today.

Diane Birch, July 16, 8:30pm, $35, $25, $15
Brandi Carlile, August 1, 8:30pm, $70, $55, $40
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, August 14, 8:30pm, $200, $150, $125

The Great South Bay Music Festival
July 9-11
Shorefront Park, Patchogue
(631) 331-0808
greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com
Confirmed acts: Robert Randolph & the Family Band, War, The Felice Brothers, James Maddock, John Gorka, Maura Kennedy, Anton Fig, Artimus Pyle, Susan Cowsill, Aztec Two-Step, Kerry Kearney Band and many more.

Madison Square Garden,
NYC
(212) 465-6741
livenation.com
Jack Johnson/G. Love & Special Sauce/Animal Liberation Orchestra, July 14, 7pm, $70, $49.50, $35
Tom Petty, July 28, 7:30pm, $134.50, $103.50, $79.50, $54
Tom Petty keeps trying to retire from the road, but he just can’t seem to do it. Rejuvenated by the 2008 Mudcrutch side project, Petty quickly ventured back into the studio and recorded Mojo, an album of stripped-down rock, released in June, that is a perfect record to take on the road. Easily one of the best live American rock bands of all time, Petty and the Heartbreakers may at some point soon call it quits, so catch them now, while you still can.

Radio City Music Hall,
NYC
(212) 307-7171
livenation.com
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, July 7, 8pm, $84.50, $69.50, $54.50, $44.50
Widespread Panic, July 22, 8pm, $59.50, $44.50
Willie Nelson/Levon Helm, July 28, 8pm, $129.50, $89.50, $69.50, $59.50, $49.50
MGMT, August 17-18, 8pm, $39.50

Ever get that feeling when a sports car breezes past you on the Long Island Expressway? A feeling of annoyance? Of injustice maybe? Of, well, let’s call a spade a spade: Envy? It’s ok, it’s not your fault: I can’t help pushing my 6.3 liter, 563-horsepower, V-8 beast of an engine in your face.

The brochures don’t just say 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds for nothing (197 mph top speed, by the way). I’m the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG and I’m here to create a revolution.

Originally known as the Gullwing because of my unique door configuration, I’ve been making my name on the sports car scene since the 1950s. From ‘54-’57 I was the crown jewel.

Perhaps my most lovable feature is the doors that swing up 70 degrees. This requires less effort than normal coupe doors and they can be opened inside a garage if you’re wondering.

I know you’ve seen my older model before. Just because I have a new edition out in 2011, it doesn’t mean you’re not familiar with my evolving capabilities. Where was it that you first saw me? Movies? Magazine covers? Auto-show carpet? It doesn’t matter really, because every time you see me your breath squeezes from your lungs slowly, exhaling in ceremonial jubilation like it’s the first.

Picture yourself opening my door. Looking around with that devilish grin as you crouch in slowly. Don’t worry. It happens to everyone, this guilty rush of pleasure that pumps through your veins. The same kind as when you think about—well you know.

My exhaust acts as a key component to the engine and the steel-pipe fan-type mechanisms help with cylinder charging. With a long wheelbase, short rear and extendable rear spoiler, my design speaks modernism in every language.

Then there’s my dry sump lubrication.It helps with the lower positioning of the engine, which has proved to provide elements of efficiency in driving dynamics. Wheel location and suspension function separately thanks to my double-wishbone axle.

As for my interior, it’s smooth and crisp and complements my dashing exterior. It’s dominant yet sleek. My gill-like sides protrude throughout my design and carve an identity.
I’m a car with the distinct personality you can’t find in most humans. Drive me. Live me. Love me.

6.3 liter, front-mid V8 engine
563 hp at 6,800 rpm
Rated torque: 479 lb. –ft. at 4,750 rpm
Operation: Automatic/manual
Top speed: 197 mph
0-60 mph in 3.7 sec
MSRP: $183,000
Available at Rallye Motors, Northern Blvd, Roslyn

My Father’s Place, “The club that wouldn’t die.” Four decades ago, a kid from Rockville Centre had a vision. This vision became a reality for Michael Epstein (aka Eppy), who at the age of 22 was one of the founding fathers and owner of the now famous My Father’s Place, which was based in Roslyn. As a 15 year old, Eppy was in several bands as a guitar player in the Borscht Belt (the Catskills) before opening up a boutique in Roslyn.In 1971, Eppy and Richie Hersh along with Jay Linehan and his son Jay Jr. converted an old bowling alley in to what was to become one the most famous clubs in the country for developing and showcasing new talent. After an incredible run of 16 years, My Father’s Place closed its doors in 1987. Since that day, Eppy has produced and promoted many shows and is still quite active as a promoter and booking agent.

Jeff Krasner: Why did you decide to open up a club to begin with?
Eppy: Being a musician, I decided to work behind the scenes and develop new talent. I also thought it would be a great way of meeting women.

Jeff: What did you look for in the way of talent to play at the club?
Eppy: Back in the seventies, we looked to promote and develop talent that would get some airplay. Once the public was able to hear the bands on the radio, it was easier to drive them to the club. After a few years, WLIR broadcasted many of our shows live, hosted by Denis McNamara. This put My Father’s Place on the map. That was avant-garde radio at its best.

Jeff: Do you remember the first act you wanted to book?
Eppy: Yes, I actually called Lou Adler who at the time was a huge promoter and manager. I knew he managed Carole King at the time and asked if she would play my club. After laughing for several moments, he hung up on me. My first show when the club opened Memorial Day Weekend was Richie Havens who I knew from playing on the Cape. Richie opened the club and that’s when we got noticed.

Jeff: What are some of the major differences in the club scene from then to now?
Eppy: How much space do we have? In brief, the drinking age was 18 back then, so we attracted not only a younger crowd but a lot of concertgoers who wanted a place to drink and hear new bands that were just breaking. Today, that atmosphere doesn’t exist anymore. Back then besides My Father’s Place, there was CBGB’s, The Fillmore, and many other clubs that showcased upcoming talent. There was a large pool to draw from. Today we have some great new talent, but there aren’t many places to promote them.

Jeff: What changes do you see in the near future as far as the club business?
Eppy: Well, not too much in the immediate future. Most of the acts that play the smaller venues are cover bands and tribute bands. The radio stations have a totally different agenda in what they play, and because of downloads you can’t even find a record store anymore.

Jeff: What, if any, are your plans to continue promoting concerts today?
Eppy: Well, we are coming up on our 40th anniversary and are planning a concert series this summer. We will start with one or two shows a month and see how it goes. The public is very much behind us.

It started as a tent in a field just north of the Northern State Parkway. When they thrived to the point that the permanent building standing there now was built in 1966, it took Jack Benny to settle a union strike on opening night so he could do his act. He actually negotiated back and forth from workers to management in a golf cart.

How appropriate for the legendary suburban entertainment venue where real-life Mad Men could take their wives (or office secretaries) to see the giants of the cocktail music world like Johnny Mathis, Steve and Eydie or the brash new stand-up comics from the home screens such as Rickles, Cosby and Newhart. This was the legacy we know still affectionately as the Westbury Music Fair, now named the Theatre at Westbury.

I remember, back in the 70s when I was programming WLIR, Westbury was way too “middle of the road” for a progressive rock radio guy like me. However, heroes of my youth, the Four Seasons, were making a rare live concert appearance. You see, among my first precious vinyl 45s of the Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, Temptations and Rascals were the Four Seasons. Their arrangements, drum sound, usage of bells and incredible angelic vocals still fascinate me. So, my wife and I went to the Music Fair. I had already heard of the circular stage, which I found disconcerting (as I did when both Cream and later Blind Faith used one when I saw them at the Garden). However, I was amazed at how close we were to the stage, that there really were no bad seats and that I was the only person in jeans in the joint! The Four Seasons were great. So, I left that bizarre concert world, a universe unlike what I was accustomed to, to go back to my live music life of coliseums and clubs like the great My Father’s Place.

Fast forward to earlier this year. I was invited to Westbury to see one of my all time favorite singer songwriters, Mr. Ray Davies. What an amazing show! Ray hit the stage and it was a singalong of the Kink’s greatest hits for an audience of young and old, long haired and balding, evenly split male and female, and devoted fans who knew the words to every song, some of which were quite obscure. The set up had changed—the stage didn’t move and every seat seemed better.

That night, I took a fast tour of the facility. In the basic, functional VIP room, I saw Mick Foley, the wrestler, hanging in the crowd and immediately determined he had good musical taste. In the lobby, the crowd mingled or shot through the express food lines, happy, friendly and talkative. So, I left that night realizing that this is a great venue that takes good care of the ticket buyer.

Westbury is a precious time capsule of the music of our lives. Johnny Mathis will be back soon and Ringo makes it a regular tour stop. (Even the Doors, the Who, Springsteen and the Monkees graced its stage). Suddenly, all kinds of music possibilities in live concert exist for all us Mad Men, from then and now. Jason Stone, the venue’s VP of booking, tells me that this is the direction he will continue to steer their entertainment offerings, saying, “we continue to look for artists that lean towards a young audience.”

May The Fair reign on for decades to come. I know I’ll be back to see shows there again soon.

Best Cuts

Porterhouse = 2 steaks in one
Sirloin strip = juicy, flavorful and tender
Rib steak = richest in flavor
Filet mignon = most tender

Prime steaks usually don’t need much seasoning. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and cook ‘em high and fast. For some of the other cuts—London broil (round), skirt steak (flank), etc.—a longer/slower cooking may do best to break down the toughness. But don’t be afraid, those cuts can be just as appetizing. Always be sure to slice against the grain for the tenderest bites.

Prime Steaks

Recommended by Gillis and George Poll, owners of Bryant & Cooper Steakhouse.

First and foremost, porterhouse steak. This steak encompasses two of the most desirable cuts which are filet mignon and the sirloin strip. If cut thick enough (2½ inches equals approx. 40-45 oz.), this steak offers a perfect portion for two. The sirloin strip is a perfect choice for an individual steak—juicy, tender and rich in flavor. The rib steak is the richest steak in flavor and is the choice for individuals who want a real barbecue steak experience. Last but far from least is filet mignon, the most tender.

When choosing your steaks, Anthony, our master butcher recommends looking for marbling in the muscle tissue. Marbling is the term used for defining the amount of fat in the muscle. The more marbling, the more fat to keep the steak moist and tender when grilling. USDA Prime has the highest amount of fat content and USDA Choice has a lesser amount. Bryant & Cooper Steakhouse and Market only uses USDA Prime.

When grilling your choice of steak, Roberto, our Executive Chef, recommends a very hot grill. If using gas, preheat on high and if using charcoal or wood, it is ready when the embers are glowing red. Once the grill is ready, sprinkle the steak with Kosher or sea salt, and place on grill.

Chef Roberto recommends using tongs instead of a fork, this way the meat is not punctured, releasing its natural juices. Our chef suggests turning steak every 4 to 5 minutes until the desired temperature is reached. Once the temperature is reached, let meat stand a minute or two so the juices can be reabsorbed.

Now, for an authentic steakhouse barbecue use a splash of clarified butter over the steak, serve and enjoy.

Best Burgers

As told by Bobby Flay, renowned Chef, TV personality and owner of Bobby’s Burger Palace

Chop meat
“My cut of choice for burgers is ground chuck, preferably Certified Angus. I like chuck because of its relatively high fat content—when you look for it in your market, check to see that it is listed as 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat. There is one thing you can’t deny: Fat carries flavor and moisture. So if you want a juicy, flavorful burger, chuck is definitely the way to go.

Forming burgers
When forming your burgers, try to mold the meat into uniform, fairly flat patties that are no more than ¾ inch thick. Don’t overwork, squeeze or compress the meat as you shape it or you run the risk of ending up with dry, tough burgers. Once the patties are shaped, make a deep depression in the center of each burger with your thumb. This does two things. One, it prevents flying saucer-shaped burgers—you know the ones I am talking about: all puffed up and bulging in the center. What’s the thing you want to do when you see one of those? Press it down with a spatula as it cooks. And what happens when you do that? All the juices run out and you end up with a compacted, dry hockey puck. Two, making the indentation in the patties helps keep your reflexes in check and ensures juicy, moist burgers. As the meat cooks and expands, the depression magically disappears, leaving you with beautifully shaped and cooked burgers.”

To season or not to season?
I season my burgers with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and that’s it. Although I will occasionally crust the exterior of a burger with a spice rub (i.e. BBP’s Dallas Burger), I never mix any spices, herbs or condiments into the meat itself. Nor do I add ingredients such as onions or garlic or fillers such as eggs or breadcrumbs. My reasoning for this is pretty simple: Do all of that and you’ll have a meatloaf. And if you wanted meatloaf, well than you should just go make that instead. What I’m talking about here is a burger, pure and simple.”

Cooking
You can make the perfect burger just about anywhere, inside or out. Grilling is a great method; the large surface of a grill area makes it especially useful when feeding a crowd. My favorite way to cook a burger indoors is on cast iron, either in a skillet or grill pan, or on a griddle.”

How to tell when it’s done
To me, a perfect beef burger is pink and juicy in the middle and cooked somewhere between medium-rare and medium, which is an internal temperature of about 145 degrees F.”

Cheese
Personally, I am a cheese fanatic. I want cheese on my burger and lots of it. I am almost always game for a cheeseburger made with American cheese—I just love how it melts— but there are other cheeses that can bring a lot more flavor to your burger, such as: Blue, Cheddar, Feta, Fontina, Gruyere/Swiss, Manchego, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Provolone and Queso Fresco.

Buns
My perfect bun has to be soft, either with or without sesame seeds. I also think the taste and the texture of buns are best when lightly toasted.

For more tips like these, check out one of Bobby’s many cookbooks, Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes Cookbook.

Quick French Fries Tips

As told by Aziz Yosofi, Owner, European Republic, Huntington

1. For best tasting fries, go with Idaho potatoes, preferably Eagle Eyes, if you can get them.

2. Be sure to remove the skin. Slice potatoes into equal sized wedges.

3. Heat canola oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Cook twice, 3 minutes each time.

5. Salt after frying, then serve.

Salads

Mixed together by John Robertson, Owner, Sexy Salad, Hauppauge, thesexysalad.com

This is the year 2010. We have come a long way since the best we could do was a good potato salad. We have the availability of fresh ingredients in every town. There are great salad dressings available that can go as far as your imagination will take you. Want to keep it even simpler? I love salads that are prepared with as few ingredients as possible that have a lot of flavor, color and texture. Be careful of using the right amount of dressing in your salads. A drenched salad is anything but sexy. Be sure to have a variety of salad categories at your party. The world is not built on pasta alone.

I make a Greek yogurt dressing that I mix with cucumbers for a flavorful and light cucumber salad. Add wasabi for a nice zap that no one sees coming. For an even easier time, you can pick up a pint of this yogurt sauce at your favorite Greek restaurant.

Fresh tomatoes at the local market? Chop a little garlic, mince a taste of red onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), salt and pepper, your favorite vinegar and you’re ready to move on to your next project.

Everyone these days seems to love chic peas. Rinse a can with cool water. Add fresh local tomatoes, spinach, finely crumbled feta, a little EVOO and red vinegar and you’ve just made another outstanding side salad.

I also love spring asparagus. Quickly blanch them with some sautéed garlic and onions with teriyaki glaze, add them to a salad with almonds and roasted red peppers for additional color, and the applause will come in.

It’s very important to make these types of salads the day they are to be consumed. I know there are people out there who say a tomato salad that is marinated for a day is better that fresh made. But considering the acid of vinegar or lemon juice will start breaking down the integrity of produce immediately, I wouldn’t do it.

One thing you need to be sure of is keeping your salads and the ingredients as cold as possible while you are preparing and storing. This could be critical in giving that real fresh, clean, homemade taste. We say, “cold as a cucumber” for a reason. They’re supposed to be cold!

Seafood

Dished up by Jean Mackenzie, Owner, Clamman Seafood Market, Southampton.

Lobster
When you walk into a seafood market that has a lobster tank, look into the water to see how they look. If the lobsters are moving around, it may indicate the water temperature is too high. Nice cold water makes the lobster hunker down and stay put. Lobsters that come from cold water (Canada, Maine) and are housed in cold water have the firmest and sweetest meat. The lobsters also may have long antennae that wave at you from the lobster tank. This means that they haven’t been tanked for a long period of time and they are fresh and meaty. If you like big claws, then ask them to pick out a male lobster for you—they have a larger crusher claw than the female; however, the female has a beautiful wide meaty tail in comparison to the skinny tail of the male. Make your choice!

There’s been a lot of talk about large lobsters being tough. That is an old wives’ tale. If a big lobster is tough, it’s because someone cooked it too long. I personally love a 2 1/2 -3 lb lobster.

When cooking a lobster or lobsters, take a big pot and put only a few inches of water in the bottom. Steam the lobster, don’t boil them. Boiling introduces a lot of water into the meat and can remove flavor. Add some celery stalks, a splash of beer or white wine and turn up the heat. When the water is boiling and producing steam, remove the top and place the lobsters into the pot tail first. Cover and wait for the steam to again sneak out from under the cover and then start timing. For 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb lobsters, time 12-15 minutes; for 2-3lbers, time 17-23 minutes; for 4-6 lbers, time 30 minutes total. The lobster will turn a bright red color and when done the antennae will pull out easily if tugged upon.

Most people think of melted drawn butter when eating a lobster and that is yummy. We also offer a lemon mayo sauce and a mayo mustard sauce. They are all fabulous and my favorite is just a spritz of lemon juice from a sweet juicy lemon. Cole slaw on the side and a slice of garlic bread, glass of white wine or champagne.

Shellfish
Raw shellfish is heavenly, the feel of an oyster in the mouth is truly exquisite and the briny aftertaste can create memories! Oysters can be found locally and also can be found coming from many different countries, Belon, Kumomoto, Gigamoto, Mecox.

Steamers are best steamed; their meat is soft and sensitive and bursts in the mouth. Be sure to rinse them in the cooking juices to remove any sand left in the “neck.” Hard clams (little necks), the smallest of the hard clams, are great both raw on the half shell with a little cocktail sauce or steamed in a splash of olive oil, red pepper flakes and parsley (never add salt). As they steam open, they drizzle their juices into the oil and herbs creating a wonderful broth for dipping your crusty bread into.

Fish
Spring and summer in the Hamptons brings, bluefish, whiting, porgie, mahi, tuna, swordfish, tilefish among many others especially fresh grey sole, the Cadillac of fillets.

Cooking fish whole is easy and fun, grilling or frying. It takes a little practice to learn how to avoid the bones, but it’s well worth the effort.

What To Bring

LI Pulse Staff Picks:

Beer
BYOB is a good thing, but seriously, don’t show up with a case of Bud cans. Get beer with some flavor. A mixed case of specialty beers is a great choice. Keep with the neighborly feeling of bbq—beer made right here in our own backyard, especially Blue Point and Brooklyn—are both found easily at supermarkets and beer distributors across the Island.

Liquor
Of course there should be the usual rum, gin and vodka for mixed and frozen drinks, but don’t forget tequila to mix or drink on ice. Another good and versatile party-starter is Rumple Minze, peppermint schnapps at it’s best. Old standbuys include mudslide, margharita and other frozen drink mixers.

Non Alcoholic
Not everyone needs booze to have fun. And some of the partygoers may be just too young. Try a homemade ice tea or lemonade.

Food
Grilled corn on the cob (Long Island corn of course)
Watermelon
Fisherman packet on the grill (1/2 corn cob, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, scallops, mussels, baby clams, butter and spices all rolled up for individual servings in tin foil)

Games
Wiffleball
Volleyball
Horseshoes
Ladderball (you may have to look that one up)
Twister

Beer
Blue Moon
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Guinness
Anything Brooklyn Brewery or Blue Point Brewery

Drinks
Vodka Gimlet
Pisco Sour
Strawberry daiquiri
Wasabi bloody mary

Don’t forget
Bug spray and tiki torches
Towels (for pool party)
Umbrellas for shade
Unobtrusive music
Everyone agrees: firepits are cool

Last Licks

Beer

Choices:
For a good summer beer try Brooklyn’s Pennant Ale ‘55 or Red Stripe. You also can’t go wrong with Blue Point’s Toasted Lager. And no matter the time of year, a pint o’ Guinness is always tasty. Need more? Find yourself some Magic Hat No.9, New Castle Brown Ale or anything you can find from Sixpoint Craft Ales.

Find your next favorite:
NoFo Craft Beer Fest
Aug. 14 at Martha Clara
Vineyards, Jamesport

Pisco Sour

Ingredients:
3 measures of pure Quebranta
1 measure of gum syrup
1 measure of key lime juice
1/6 of a measure of an egg white
4 ice cubes
3 drops of Angostura Bitters

Directions:
Place all the ingredients, except for the Angostura Bitters, in the order listed above in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15 seconds. Strain and serve in a chilled, 8 oz. cocktail glass. Decorate the top with 3 drops of Angostura Bitters.

Recipe courtesy of perumuchogusto.com

Patchogue is a unique LI situation: A thriving community of bars forming the anchor for much of Suffolk County’s music scene. Arguably, the two that created this happy bit of adult fun are the Brickhouse Brewery and Bobbique. Facing off across Main Street, they complement each other and provide needed diversity in a respectful and non-competitive relationship based on differing models of operation.

Bobbique is foremost a barbecue joint featuring a great Southern experience that has people coming back time and again. It’s also LI’s best room for roots, blues and special comedy nights. Eric Rifkin is the owner and host, and he strives to “create a fun neighborhood joint to eat, drink and hear music.” His idea is to bring Beale Street to LI with true Americana, food, craft beers and Blues, and that seems to be the key and has been for 4 years. A gourmet chef and sommelier by trade, Eric keeps his myriad of taps and bottle selections diverse, interesting and features many craft breweries from the local Blue Point Brewery guys to a whole host of great nationwide offerings. Luscious smoked meats and grilled offerings are the best this side of Memphis. This open ended and fine selection fits into the music from national acts to local superstars and there was even a short series of Monday night blues movies. The tunes continue to pour out of the poster bedecked stage that has played host to Magic Slim and Sam Taylor, Kerry Kearny and Toby Walker and more that its share of charitable events and fundraisers.

The Brickhouse started as a brewpub and still brews many of their offerings within the venerable brick walls of the former Shand’s Hardware store. Brewmaster Mark Burford makes hoppy and malty ambrosia here and around the corner at Blue Point Brewery. The music is the purview of the Right Reverend Jimbo (aka James), who strives to bring the energy and freshness of Williamsburg to the club. He’s constantly on the lookout for original acts with new, fresh flavors like the urban/Brooklyn scene that is thriving to our west. The atmosphere of the House differs dependent on the night and as Jimbo explains, “It has a life of its own.” Efforts to expand and widen the varieties of offerings while simultaneously making everyone happy is difficult but “this project in self expression has resulted in the creation of a scene that people naturally gravitate to” and is reinforced by the emphasis on original bands that show expansive creativity with maybe a few covers to whet the appetite. Many special nights have passed on the black and white tile floors of the House from the traditional Sunday kickoff jam with bluesman Jim Coleman, to hanging and rubbing shoulders with local politicos, and even to the gospel karaoke night, which turned into a holy roller crusade against demon alcohol! More often than not, the sidebars and little interactions that happen during an event is what makes attending so special because a “delicate balance exists between those who simply watch and those who play and those who become part of the show by their partnership with the performers.”  No slouch when it comes to fine food including a selection of stellar burgers, standout raw clams and oysters and erudite and unusual barmen, the Brickhouse isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile, no it ain’t!

Photos by Kait Gorman

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) may have opened only 12 years ago, but the theater itself isn’t a new space. In fact WHBPAC was built in 1932 as a grand movie palace, and operated as such until 1995 when its owners decided a large single theater facility wasn’t financially viable anymore. The building was set to be demolished when several Westhampton residents stepped in and proposed the theater might make a feasible small community arts center instead.

What Westhampton Beach got as a result of this community effort was a beautifully restored 425-seat theater thanks to generous donations of money as well as services of local architects, builders and designers. Everything that could be salvaged was, according to Executive Director Clare Bisceglia, and whatever needed to be replaced was meticulously replicated to fit in with the center’s vintage interior. Bisceglia relates the center’s builders even “wore down the marble in front of a new ticket booth in the same way it was worn in front of the old one.”

Clearly no detail was overlooked in the theater’s beautiful restoration, but it is actually the center’s state of the art Vertec linear sound system that has attracted the attention of world renowned musicians such as Patti Smith, The Neville Brothers, The B52s, k.d. lang and Lyle Lovett. This system ensures that every seat in the house hears exactly the same thing.

WHBPAC’s Executive Director explains that when she started working at WHBPAC about eight years ago, she had to use her contacts (gained through years of working in the entertainment industry) to lure artists out to the center’s small and seemingly out of the way stage, but now the theater’s reputation among musicians makes it easier to book the big names. She recounts, “Emmylou Harris actually stopped in the middle of her concert and said to the audience, ‘I hope you appreciate what a rare jewel you have here’” in reference to the center’s perfect acoustics.

Although Bisceglia is thrilled to feature famous entertainers at the center, she is equally motivated to showcase newer talent such as Rufus Wainwright and Melody Gardot.

“I love the icons of course, but I also like to bring in young artists and introduce them to the audience.” she clarifies.

WHBPAC’s public relations and artist coordinator, Jodi Giambrone smiles as she walks up to the center’s balcony, explaining, “Our last row in the balcony would still be considered center orchestra at Carnegie Hall.” She adds, looking down at the classic proscenium stage, “ I love it up here. It’s the party area. This is where all the dancing happens, but even from back here you can still see the artists’ face and eyes as they perform.”

For those looking for an intimate concert going experience out in the Hamptons, WHBPAC’s 2010 summer season will feature performances by Cyndi Lauper, Los Lonely Boys, and George Thorogood among many others. For the full schedule go to whbpac.org or call (631) 288-1500.

There are many cases in cinema where the car makes the man. I can’t take all the credit, but James Bond wouldn’t be nearly as “James Bond” if it weren’t for my sleek bullet-like persona. The way I shot through the scenes of Casino Royale reminds one of the devilish days of heroes from Aston Martin’s past. It started in 1964 with the DB5 in Goldfinger, progressed to the DBS in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and while others were used before the V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day, nothing matches the DBS Volante V12 Convertible.

I am the call to every man’s vehicular dreams. My 510-horsepower, all-aluminum V12 power will keep you spoiled with the thrills of open-air motoring. My exterior is not only architecturally significant, but modern enough to be suitable for both the distinguished gentleman of taste and the young man flashing his new dime.

With me you’ll feel young again and invigorated with the open-air swoosh of the outside elements. Aston Martin says it best on their website—and I’m flattered—“This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether an exhilarating jaunt on favored roads or cruising on lengthy journeys.”

If you succumb to your indulgences and drive with me for even one day, you’ll be changed. It’ll happen once the wind rushes around my aerodynamically crafted carriage and breezes your thoughts away.

In case you’re wondering, Volante means “moving with light rapidity,” and it’s a sensational nickname I might add. Along with many fine vehicles, I’m built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire in England.

For music enthusiasts and those who appreciate the senses, the Bang & Olufsen’s highly-touted “BeoSound DBS” accounts for the in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as the standard.

And if you like it rough, my sport mode can be activated by a button on the center console, engaging a sharper and more forceful gearshift.

There’s something about timeless names and cars that keep the legends of the past alive forever. While I’m just an infant and my predecessors are the real traditionalists, I am the James Bond of sports cars. Cocky? I think not. You can call me zealous.

Whether on Sunrise Highway out to the Hamptons or cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll turn heads if you’re driving a DBS Volante. I’m not just a car…I’m a lifestyle.

5.9L V 12 DOHC engine
0-62mph in 4.3 seconds

Max speed: manual 191mph
510bhp at 6500rpm
420 lb.ft at 5750rpm

The first live, international, satellite TV broadcast took place on June 25th, 1967. It was called Our World, was seen by an estimated 400 million people and was the broadcast on which the Beatles first aired their song, “All You Need Is Love.” Four years earlier, on June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to fly into space. Carolyn Shoemaker discovered her 14th comet in June of 1988, making her the most successful comet hunter alive at the time. Finally, sometime in June this year, the Japanese asteroid probe Hayabusa will collide with Earth after jettisoning rock samples collected from the asteroid Itokawa. The idea was to use the craft, not only to deliver the samples (via a parachute and capsule), but to simulate an asteroid impact; the collision will help Japanese scientists improve the mathematical models used to determine an asteroid’s trajectory and probable location of impact.

Summer will be here on the June 21, the day of the Solstice. This day is the longest of the year and the day on which the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky.

During the month on June, Venus will be one of the brightest objects in the early evening skies. Look to the west just after sunset. Along with Venus, Mars will be visible during the early evening hours. To the naked eye, Mars appears to be a bright orange star; look for it slightly above and to the left of Venus. Saturn and Uranus are also planets to examine this June; however, these planets are best seen through telescopes, so why not visit the Custer Institute one fine Saturday evening? Even Pluto, the “no-longer-a-planet planet,” will be putting on a show. With the aid of some imaging gear, one can actually watch this planet move against a backdrop of distant stars! This June, the new Moon falls on the 12th, and the full Moon on the 26th of June.

The June Lyrids fall between the 14th and 16th of June. This is a slow shower, with only about 10 meteors every hour, but, thanks to the almost new Moon, the skies will be dark and viewing conditions good. Look for blue and white meteors originating in the constellation Lyra. The June Lyrids were discovered on the evening of June 15, 1966, by S. Dvorak while camping in the San Benardino Mountains.

This June even offers a partial lunar eclipse for those in Asia and on the West coast; however, the eclipse will not be visible from our region.

If there’s one thing you’ve learned in your years as a kid, it’s this: Never say “I’m bored” in front of an adult.

You say “I’m bored” and you’re gonna be put to work. And guaranteed, it’s not going to be fun. But summer’s coming and you know you probably will be bored at least once or twice. What can you do?

Grab Kids’ Container Gardening by Cindy Krezel, photography by Bruce Curtis. With this book, a few easy-to-find containers, and some inexpensive garden seeds, you’ll weed the boredom right out of your entire summer.

To do container gardening, you’ll need a few things…like, containers, duh. You can use real garden pots, but old bowls work, too. You can even use a fancy glass, if you find one. Anything will work, as long as you remember the Drainage Rule.

You’ll also want some peat pellets, potting soil (a bag of real potting soil, not just dirt you dug out of the ground) and water—for you and for your new plant.

Ready? In this book, you’ll find seventeen great gardening projects, including some that are just for fun. You’ll learn to grow things you can eat, give as gifts, or just to put on your bedroom windowsill. Some projects require the help of an adult and some are things even your little brother or sister can do. Every project in this book is designed for a kid like you, so you can put a little leaf in your life.

In her introduction to adults, Long Island author Cindy Krezel speaks to the gardener in all of us, reminding grown-ups about the soul-soothing memories you make when you “get in touch with the earth.” This book makes it easy to pass that joy along.

I liked the relative simplicity of Kids’ Container Gardening and its kid-friendly language, but keep in mind that nearly all the projects in here will require at least a little adult guidance and some are probably well beyond what the audience for this book is capable of doing themselves.

Still, if you love gardening or are just fascinated with what it can do, this is a good introduction for your 6-to-12-year-old. Kids’ Container Gardening will plant the seeds of a fun summer for them.

From the pool to the beach, from the backyard to the park, playtime in the summertime is all about being outdoors. Below are some of the latest playthings that make the most of those sun-soaked days—and a rainy day boredom buster, too.

Optrix 3-D Bubbles
Feel like you’re seeing stars? Well, you might be. Optrix 3-D Bubbles take bubble blowing to the next level—or should we say, dimension? Put on the special shades, dip your wand in the bubble solution and watch the most amazing things come to life before your very eyes. Everything you need comes in four different themed sets: Hearts, lightning bolts, butterflies and, you guessed it, stars. $9.99; http://imperialtoy.com.

Adirondack Set
If your kid is so excited about this month’s release of Toy Story 3 that he can’t sit still, have him take a seat—literally. This adorably furnished Adirondack Set, featuring two chairs and a table adorned with Buzz and Woody, will look perfect on the patio. Mini movie fans won’t have to cry over spilled milk because the surfaces are washable. $29.99; http://jakkspacific.com.

Tote and Towel
Even if your teen won’t be summering in the Hamptons, a tote and towel from The Geography Collection of catstudio might make her feel like she’s there. The canvas tote has an extra wide shoulder strap, so it’ll stay put as she treks across the sand. The beach blanket is extra soft and, like the bag, sports a whimsical geographic design of the entire Hamptons area. $48 and $78, respectively; http://2catstudio.com.

The Look Out World, Here I Come!
A rainy summer day is something you have to contend with at one time or another. But just because your kids are stuck inside doesn’t mean they can’t be transported to another place. The Look Out World, Here I Come! New York DVD and activity book is the perfect panacea for the rainy day blues. Kids can experience the sights and sounds of New York City, like building their own Empire State Building and making an authentic New York City pizza, without leaving home. $21.95; http://lookoutworldhereicome.com.

Splash Darts
Darts in the pool? Now that’s cool! Splash Darts includes a floating target ring and three brightly colored darts that beckon players to prove just how good their aim really is. Because the darts float upright, scoring is a cinch. $25; http://primetimetoys.com.

The Camp Bunk Box of Questions
Don’t send off your camper without a way to help her make friends with her bunkmates. The Camp Bunk Box of Questions contains 52 cards of engaging questions like “What is the best part of being away from home?” and “How many days do you think you could go without showering?” that are bound to elicit giggles and groans from players. $19.95; http://amazon.com.

Sky Diving
Long Island Skydiving Center, East Moriches
(631) 235-9968
http://longislandskydiving.com
Skydive Long Island, Calverton
(631) 208-3900
http://skydivelongisland.com

Flying/Gliding/Ballooning/ Pilot Lessons
Academy of Aviation, Pilots Haven, Farmingdale
(631) 777-7772,
http://academyofaviation.com
Mid Island Air Service, Shirley
(631) 281-5400
Mid Island Air Service, Ronkonkoma
(631) 588-5400
http://midislandair.com
D’angelone Aviation, Bayport
(631) 472-4747
Helicopter Flight Training, Inc., Ronkonkoma
(631) 467-2232,
http://helicopterflighttraininginc.com
Heritage Flight Academy, Ronkonkoma
(631) 471-3550
http://heritageflightacademy.com
Long Island Flying, Ronkonkoma
(631) 807-1373
http://longislandflying.com
Sky Sailors Glider School, Westhampton Beach
(631) 288-5858, http://skysailors.com
glider lessons and sightseeing, hot air balloon rides, parachuting and airplane lessons

Fireworks
Bay Fireworks
http://bayfireworks.com

May 30, June 5 &12 Brookhaven Fair, Farmingville
June 19&July 3 Nassau Coliseum Fair, Uniondale
June 23&26 St. Anthony’s Feast, East Northport
June 26 Town of Hempstead, Point Lookout
July 1&3 North Sea Fire Department, North Sea
July 3 Massapequa
July 3 Amityville
July 3 Carnival, Wading River
July 4 Municipal Center, East Hills
July 9 Boardwalk, Long Beach
July 14-16 Peter Nelson Park, Huntington Manor
August 7 Bethpage Fire Department, Bethpage
August 12&14 Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, Holbrook
August 20&21 Port Jefferson Greek, Port Jefferson
August 28 Cedar Overlook Park, Town of Babylon
August 28&September 5 Mother Cabrini Festival, Suffolk Community College, Brentwood
September 25 Massapequa Fire Department, Massapequa

Grucci Fireworks
http://grucci.com

June 11, July 3-4, 6, August 7&23 September 6&10 Long Island Ducks, Citibank Park, Central Islip
July 1-3 Carle Place Fire Department 100th Anniversary
July 2 Point O’Woods Fire Department
July 2 Southampton Fresh Air Home Benefit, Shinnecock Bay, Southampton
July 3 TD Bank Celebrates America, Eisenhower Park, Uniondale
July 4 Boom Over the Bay—Grucci Style, Patchogue
July 4 Brookhaven Star Spangled Blast, Bald Hill, Farmingville
July 4 East Islip Fire Department Carnival
July 4 Fund In The Sun Foundation, The Pines
July 4 Stars Over Montauk, Umbrella Beach, Montauk
July 10 Oyster Bay’s Salute To America, John J. Burns Park, Massapequa
July 14&17 Terryville Fire Department
July 17 Long Island Philharmonic Concert, Heckscher State Park, East Islip
September 25 CDM Chamber of Commerce Music Festival & Carnival, Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai

It’s open season for our region’s brightest concert stages. Here’s a quick look at some upcoming highlights—for a concert calendar to live by, check out our expanded preview of select summer shows in the July issue.

Theatre at Westbury
(516) 334-0800
http://livenation.com

Larry Gatlin/Crystal Gayle/Andy Cooney, June 3, 7:30pm, $65, $50
The Turtles/The Grass Roots/Micky Dolenz/The Buckinghams/Mark Lindsay, June 5, 7pm, $51.50
Gladys Knight, June 12, 8pm, $75
Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, June 26, 8pm, $69.50, $49.50
Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band, June 30, 8pm, $79

Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh
(516) 221-1000
http://livenation.com

Jethro Tull/Procol Harum, June 11, 8pm, $79.50, $59.50, $25
Foreigner/Styx/Kansas, June 19, 7pm, $99, $79, $49, $29, $19, $10
Scorpions, June 22, 7:30pm, $79, $59, $39, $25
Yes/Peter Frampton, June 26, 7pm, $79, $49, $29, $19

The Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett
(631) 267-3117
http://stephentalkhouse.com

Toots and the Maytals, June 3, 8pm, $100
Loudon Wainwright III, June 12, 8pm, $35, $50
James Hunter, June 18, 8pm, $50, $65
Ingrid Michaelson/Matt Morris, June 19, 7:30pm, $50, $65
Trombone Shorty, June 23, 8pm, $40
David Johansen, June 25, 8pm, $25, $40

Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
(631) 288-1500
http://whbpac.org

The Taj Mahal Trio, June 4, 8pm, $85, $70, $55
Bryan Adams, June 12, 8pm, $180, $150, $120
Los Lonely Boys, June 19, 8pm, $100, $85, $70
Angelique Kidjo, June 26, 8pm, $75, $60, $45
John Hiatt & The Combo, June 27, 8pm, $100, $80, $60

YMCA Boulton Center, Bay Shore
(631) 969-1101
http://boultoncenter.org

Chuck Negron, June 3, 8pm, $65, $60
Constantine Maroulis, June 9, 8pm, $30, $25
Bernie Williams, June 18, 8pm, $175, $170, $75, $70
Dan Bern, June 26, 8pm, $25, $20

Long Island Cars Custom and Collectible Car Show
June 6, Aug 1, 8am-5pm
Flowerfield Fairground, St. James
August 21&22, 8am-5pm
Belmont Racetrack, Elmont
(631) 567-5898
http://longislandcars.com
Will feature cars and car parts for sale and cars on display.

44th Annual Spring Meet
June 6, 11am
Old Westbury Gardens
(718) 217-2220
http://oldwestburygardens.org
Antique/vintage cars, hot rods and trucks will be on display along with a celebration of the 50th year of the Greater New York Region Antique Automobile Club of America. Rain date: June 13.

New York Autofest
June 13, 8am-5pm
Eisenhower Park, East Meadow
July 18, 8am-5pm
Sears, Hicksville
August 1, 8am-4pm
(516) 620-5212
http://nyautofest.com
Each event will feature cars on display, music and vendors with proceeds going to various charities.

Antique & Classic Car Show
July 11, 11am-3pm
Sagtikos Manor Grounds, Bay Shore
(631) 834-5308
http://sagtikosmanor.com
With fair, food, and a wide array of classic cars from the early 1900s to today.

3rd Annual Thunderbird And Ford Show 2010
July 18
Syosset Ford
(631) 724-3756
Rain date: July 25.

6th Annual Rocket Rally 2010 Car Show
August 8, 9am-4pm
Hagerman Fire Department Complex, East Patchogue
(631) 208-9444
With music, food and a competition for vehicles from 1986 or before.

All American Car Show To Benefit MS
August 29, 9am-4pm
Tanger Outlets At The Arches, Deer Park
(516) 652-7174
http://nationalmssociety.org
A benefit for The Multiple Sclerosis Society—Long Island Chapter.

Step out in support of The Island’s nonprofits. Philanthropy is fun, glamorous, and attending any of these events is sure to be both—not to mention it’s a great way to meet good people.

June 3
Mercy Haven’s 11th Annual Golf Outing & Spa Day
Island Hills Golf Club, Sayville
T. Carlton Spalon, Smithtown
(631) 277-8300
http://mercyhaven.org

“Under the Sea” Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities Inc.’s Annual Dinner Dance
Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury
http://acld.org
June 3, 6:30pm
Tickets: $350; ACLD employee/Individual supported by ACLD: $250.

June 7
Dominican Sisters of Amityville Dominican Golf Classic
North Shore Country Club, Glen Head
(631) 842-6000, ext. 238
http://dsaopdev.org
Tickets: $500; dinner only: $125.

20th Annual Cleary School Golf Classic
Island Hills Golf and Country Club, Sayville
(631) 588-0530
http://clearyschool.org
A benefit for this school for the deaf. Honoree: Marian Conway, Executive Director, Roslyn Savings Foundation. Tickets: $250; dinner only: $75.

June 9
Eastern Long Island Hospital Golf Classic
11:30am, Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, Shelter Island
(631) 477-5164
http://elih.org
Honoree: Frank J. Adipietro, Jr. MD, an ELIH Interventional Pain Management
and Anesthesia specialist and Medical Staff President. Tickets: $295; dinner only: $100.

June 10
2010 Long Island Elite Wonderland Masquerade
6:30pm, Oheka Castle, Huntington
(516) 719-7100
http://liemasquerade.com
With an Alice in Wonderland theme. Honorees: Amerisc Corp., James A. Johnston, Director of Real Estate, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. and Monique Zorn, Director of Employee & Customer Relations, Zorn’s. Net proceeds will benefit a number of LI non-profit organizations. Tickets: $350.

June 13
11th Annual Hounds on the Sound 3K Dog Walk and Adoption Event
10am-3pm, Save-A-Pet, Port Jefferson
(631) 473-6333
http://saveapetli.net
Will feature live music, food, vendors, contests, raffles, prizes and animals available for adoption. Fee: $30.

June 14
Arthritis Foundation, LI Chapter’s Annual Golf Classic
North Hempstead Country Club, Port Washington
(631) 427-8272
http://arthritis.org
Honoree: Alan Kaell, MD.

Tilles Center for the Performing Arts Swing for Kids Golf & Tennis Tournament
The Creek, Locust Valley
(516) 299-3825
http://tillescenter.com
Will benefit arts education at Tilles Center. Guest of Honor: Donald M. Eversoll.

North Shore Land Alliance “Fore the Love of the Land” 2nd Annual Golf Tournament
7:45am, Piping Rock Club, Locust Valley
(516) 626-0908
http://northshorelandalliance.org

Children’s Medical Fund 35th Annual
Golf & Tennis Charity Classic
8:30am, Glen Oaks Club, Old Westbury
(516) 352-3344
http://cmfny.org
Golf: $650; Tennis: $400; dinner only: $250. Will benefit the Pediatric Orthopedic Program at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.

Ronald McDonald House of LI’s Lloyd Frazier Memorial Golf & Tennis Outing
9am,Tam O’Shanter Club, Brookville
(718) 343-5683
http://rmhlongisland.org
Proceeds will benefit the RM House. Honoree: Dr. Fredrick Z. Bierman, Chairman of Pediatrics at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. Golf: $575; Tennis: $300; dinner only: $250.

New Ground Inc.’s 15th Annual New Ground Golf Tournament
10am, Hamlet Golf & Country Club, Commack
(516) 564-4764, ext. 125
http://newground.org
Proceeds will go to this organization that helps homeless families. Tickets: $500; dinner only: $150.

June 19
7th Annual 5K Shwachman-Diamond
Dash For a Cure
7am, Sunrise Drive Elementary School, Sayville
(631) 218-8813
http://dashforacure.org
A benefit to find a cure for this rare pancreas/bone marrow disorder. Fee: $18; day of race: $20.

June 21
American Heart Association’s 22nd Annual Golf Corporate Classic: A Joel Hamroff Memorial Tribute
The Meadow Brook Club, Jericho
(516) 450-9129
http://americanheart.org

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Long Island Chapter 12th Annual Golf Outing
Muttontown Club, East Norwich
(631) 414-1126
http://jdrf.org

Tyree 30th Annual Golf Outing
Wheatley Hills Golf Club, East Williston
(516) 671-1253, ext. 113
http://sco.org
A benefit for Madonna Heights, an organization that helps adolescent girls, women and overcome poverty, neglect and abuse.

Education & Assistance Corporation Aloha Golf Classic & Tropical Paradise Evening
7:30am, North Hills Country Club, Manhasset
(516) 539-0150
http://eacinc.org
A benefit for this organization that assists children and families in need. Honorees: Barbara Shaheen Alesi, Esq. Partner, Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn & Terrana, LLP and Jeff Frayler, President, Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association.

June 26
American Heart Association’s 14th Annual Heart of the Hamptons Ball
6pm, The Hayground School, Bridgehampton
(631) 734-2804
http://americanheart.org
Honorees: Dr. Karl Krieger vice chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center and Philip H. Geier, Jr., a healthy heart transplant survivor. Tickets: $500.

June 27
30th Annual Firecracker 5K Run
5pm, Brady Park, Massapequa Park
(516) 796-1900
http://massapequaroadrunners.org
A benefit for Interfaith Nutrition Network Food Bank. Non-perishable food items will be accepted. Fee: $16, discounts available; Day of race: $30.

July 8
The Center for Developmental Disabilities, Inc.’s 11th Annual Golf Classic    
Muttontown Club, East Norwich
(516) 921-7650
http://centerfor.com

July 12
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Jonathan Krevat Memorial Golf Classic
9:30am, Engineers Country Club, Roslyn Harbor
(516) 626-1971, ext. 337
http://northshorechildguidance.org

July 18
12th Annual Thunder Run 5K Run/Walk
9:15am, Hidden Ponds Park, Hauppauge
(631) 730-2861
http://rtsnp.org
Proceeds will benefit Rolling Thunder, an athletic program for individuals with special needs. Fee: $18-$25, depending on time of registration.

July 25
The Lustgarten Foundation’s 10th Annual Long Island Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk
8am, Nassau Community College, Garden City
(516) 803-2304
http://lustgarten.org
All proceeds will go to pancreatic cancer research. The walk will feature 2- and 4-mile routes to choose from. Fee: $50; Day of: $60.

July 29
Huntington Hospital’s Bash on the Bay
Thatched Cottage, Centerport
(631) 351-2000
http://hunthosp.org

Aug 3
United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk’s Kathleen O. Maul Memorial Down Under Scramble
The Hamlet Wind Watch Golf and Country Club, Hauppauge
(631) 232-0011
http://ucp-suffolk.org

Aug 14
Eastern Long Island Hospital Summer Gala 2010
Home of Lou and Luba Corso, Cutchogue
(631) 477-5164
http://elih.org
Proceeds will benefit the Eastern Long Island Hospital Emergency Department. Tickets: $175.

Aug 16
Sunrise Day Camp’s Samuel Levine Memorial Golf Classic
Seawane Country Club, Hewlett Harbor
(516) 634-4148
http://sunrisedaycamp.org
A benefit for this camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Honorees: Paul Brensilber of Jordan Cooper & Associates, Roddey Dowd, Jr. of Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Co. and Jordan A. Ziegler of Pasternack, Tilker, Ziegler, Walsh, Stanton
& Romano LLP. Tickets: $750; dinner only: $200.

School for Language and Communication Development’s 11th Annual Golf Outing & Steak/Lobster Fest
The Creek, Locust Valley
(516) 609-2000
http://slcd.org

Monday Night Concerts on the Green
June 28, July 5, 12, 19, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 29, 6-8pm
Montauk Green
(631) 668-2428
http://montaukchamber.com

July Fourth Parade
July 5
Main Street, Southampton Village
(631) 283-0402
http://southamptonchamber.com

The South Fork Craftsmen Guild’s Fine Arts & Craft Show
July 10
St. Mark’s Church, Westhampton Beach
(631) 726-0402
http://southforkcrafts.com

17th Annual House and Garden Tour
July 16, 11am-4pm
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
(631) 288-1500
http://whbpac.org
Tours of spectacular homes and properties in Westhampton Beach, Quiogue and Quogue. Tour and lunch: $100; Tour only: $75.

Super Saturday 13
July 31, 12-6pm
Nova’s Ark Project, Water Mill
(212) 268-1002
http://ocrf.org
Will include a Garage Sale with items from 200 different designers, food, a kid’s carnival and lots more. A benefit for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Admission: $650 for exclusive shopping privileges; general admission: $450; children 5-16: $150; children under 5: free.

38th Annual Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce Mary O. Fritchie Outdoor Juried Art Show
August 7-8, 10am
Village Green, Westhampton Beach
(631) 288-3337
http://whbcc.org

62nd Annual Artists & Writers Charity Softball Game
August 14, 3pm
Herrick Park, East Hampton
(631) 725-1294
http://artistswritersgame.com
Will benefit local East End charities. Suggested donation: $10.

35th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show
Aug 29-September 5
Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton
(631) 537-3177
http://hamptonclassic.com

64th Annual Shinnecock Indian Powwow
Sept 3-6
Shinnecock Indian Reservation, Southampton
(631) 283-6143
http://shinnecocknation.com
Will feature traditional ceremonies, crafts, food, music, raffles and prizes. Tickets: $12; Kids, seniors and handicapped: $10.

With the summer comes a different kind of summer camp, not for children, but for film lovers—Brett Sherris’ Summer Camp Cinema. This is not your average modern day movie experience but a throwback to the classic double feature, where you can watch two movies for the price of one including coming attractions, cartoons, and other surprises. All movies are presented properly as 35mm prints, some of which are quite rare and loaned by private film collectors. The camp is every Saturday night from May to August, beginning at 11pm at the Cinema Arts Centre.

Double feature movie combos include the time traveling epics Twelve Monkeys and The Terminator on June 5, The Big Lebowski and Kingpin on July 3 for bowling fans, Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead on August 14 if you like zombies, just to name a few. Brett Sherris, the brain behind this operation, and his wife Peg have also produced a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast, where The Unconventional Conventionalists perform the movie on stage, while the movie is playing on screen.

Last, but definitely not least, this summer camp culminates with its annual twist—The All Nite “Pay-to-Get-Out” Horror Marathon. This event challenges film fanatics to sit through five full length movies, including trailers and cartoons from 11pm to 6am, where those who leave pay full price, while those who endure pay a discounted fare. Survivors are also rewarded with, as the Cinema’s Co-Director (and Pulse film columnist) Dylan Skolnick puts it, “a puffy, boiled bread product smeared with white goo (bagel with cream cheese), a scalding, inky, black liquid (coffee), and the satisfaction of having proven themselves to be true cinephiles.”

Summer Camp Cinema is a labor of love for everyone involved, with the vibe of a private club, but is open to anyone who loves movies. For more information, check out the program’s website, summercampcinema.com, which has a complete schedule of coming events and prices.

Buckley Country Day Camp
Roslyn
(516) 365-7760
http://buckleycamp.com
A 4-6-8-week day camp known for its extensive swimming facilities, along with the usual summer camp activities. Divided in ages from toddlers to teens to counselors in training. Tuition: $4,200-$6,800.

Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck
Center Moriches
(631) 878-1070
http://camppaquatuck.com
A sports and recreation camp specifically for physically and mentally challenged children of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. With weeklong and/or weekend sessions for 6-14 year olds, 6-21 year olds, 15-21 year olds, 15-25 year olds from June-August.

DayJams Rock Music Day Camp
HANC Plainview Elementary School
The Academy of St. Joseph, Brentwood
(800) 295-5956
http://dayjams.com
A 5-day camp with rehearsal and performance of rock music on either guitar, bass, drums keyboards or voice, for ages 8-15.

John W. Engeman Theater 2010 Summer Programs
Northport
(631) 261-9700
http://johnwengemantheater.com
Acting, singing and dancing lessons/rehearsals leading up to a performance on the Engeman stage. Classes, between June 28th and August 27th, are for ages 4-6 or ages 7-15. Tuition: $300-$850 depending on age and choice of session.

Park Shore Country Day Camp and School
Dix Hills
(631) 499-8580
All kinds of summer activities and athletics in the water, on the field, in the woods and even in the air. Divided into a 4, 6 or 8 week session with separate groups for 2-5 year olds, 6-7 year olds and 8-10 year olds.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts
Wheatley Heights
(631) 643-7900
http://usdan.com
A legendary 4 or 7-week summer camp for K-12th graders that has a few notable alumni. The structure of the camp is based on a major and minor interest with a plethora of creative programs to choose from. Tuition: $2,675-$3,575 plus bus fees.

Port Washington HarborFest 2010 Craft Fair June 6 (Sunday)
(516) 944-5387, Main St at Shore Rd,
Port Washington
20th year of HarborFest, 15th year for the craft fair. Variety of events held on the Port Washington town dock: Cruises on the Bay, Rides on Wells Fargo Stagecoach, Model Boat Regatta, Nautical Museum Exhibit, Children’s Fun Park and more. Expect between 90 to 100 vendors with homemade clothing, jewelry, ceramics, carved wood art and other assorted gift items.

10th Annual Arts Festival by the Bay
June 13 (Sunday)
(631) 665-7003, Main St, Bay Shore
Performing arts extravaganza presented by the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bay Shore.

Model “A” Ford Day
June 13 (Sunday)
(516) 572-8400, Round Swamp Rd (Old Bethpage Village Restoration), Old Bethpage
Historic Model “A” Fords on display on the Village Restoration fairgrounds. Run by the Model A Ford Club of Long Island.

56th Annual Mattituck Strawberry Festival & Country Fair
June 18-20 (Friday-Sunday)
(631) 298-2222, CR 48 (Strawberry Fields Fairgrounds), Mattituck
Strawberries! For three entire days! Fundraiser hosted by the Mattituck Lions Club, with strawberry shortcake, “virgin” daiquiris and chocolate-dipped treats for sale. One berry-induced coma, coming right up.

32th Annual Thunderbird
American Indian Mid-Summer Pow-Wow
July 23-25 (Friday-Sunday)
(718) 347-3246, Little Neck Parkway (Queens County Farm Museum), Floral Park

County Farm Museum), Floral Park
New York City’s oldest/largest pow-wow. Over 40 Indian nations will be represented at the three-day event held on the Queens County Farm grounds. Native American art, crafts, food, dance competitions, games and more.

East End GreenFest
July 24-25 (Saturday-Sunday)
(631) 734-5894, CR 48 (Strawberry Fields Fairgrounds), Mattituck
Learn about the latest in clean, green living. Organic and natural products, wineries, food, earth-friendly fashion and more.

31st Annual Sayville Summerfest
August 6-8 (Friday-Sunday)
(631) 567-5257, Gillette Ave (Gillette Park), Sayville
Three-day activity-thon (see: international foodfest, classic car show, four-mile run, health and safety fair, sports and leisure expo, etc.) held at Gillette Park and its surrounding area.

30th Annual Paumanauke Pow-Wow and Native American Living Arts Festival
August 14-15, 2010 (Saturday-Sunday)
(631) 587-3696, 200 East Sunrise Highway (Babylon Town Hall), Lindenhurst
Promoting the preservation of Native American cultural heritage on Long Island. Traditional Native American dancing, food, contests, guest speakers, craft vendors and more.

19th Seafood Festival & Craft Fair
August 28-29, 2010
(Saturday-Sunday)
(631) 447-8679, West Ave (Maritime Museum), West Sayville
Two-day fundraising festival held on the Long Island Maritime Museum grounds. Indoor/Outdoor museum exhibits, local music, nautical arts and crafts, and of course, fresh seafood!

Amusement Parks and
Entertainment Centers

Adventureland, Farmingdale
(631) 694-6868, http://adventureland.us
Bayville Adventure Park, Bayville
(516) 624-7433
Boomer’s Family Fun Center, Medford
(631) 475-1771, http://boomersparks.com
The Country Fair, Medford
(631) 732-0579, http://countryfairpark.com
Fun Station USA, Lynbrook
(516) 599-7757, http://funstationfun.com
Fun Zone, Farmingdale
(631) 847-0100, http://funzoneamusements.com
Splish Splash, Calverton
(631) 727-3600, http://splishsplashlongisland.com
Tiki Action Park, Centereach
(631) 471-1267, http://tikiactionpark.net

Arboretums
Bailey Arboretum, Lattingtown
(516) 571-8020, http://baileyarboretum.org
Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Great River
(631) 581-1002, http://bayardcuttingarboretum.com
Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury
(516) 333-0048, http://oldwestburygardens.org
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park Oyster Bay
(516) 922-9200, http://plantingfields.org

Batting Ranges
Baseball Plus, Freeport
(516) 378-6570, http://baseballplusny.com
Batter Up Batting Range, Bethpage
(516) 731-2020
East Coast Sports Academy, Oceanside
(516) 208-7168, http://eastcoastsportsacademy.org
Five Towns Batting Range, Lawrence
(516) 239-1743,  http://5townsminigolfbatting.com
Fun Depot Batting and Go Karting, Selden
(631) 732-9144
Long Island Baseball Academy, Ronkonkoma
(631) 366-4899, http://libaseballacademy.com
Long Island Batting Cage, New Hyde Park
(516) 742-8559
Matt Guiliano’s Play Like a Pro, Hauppauge
(631) 342-9033, http://playlikeaprobaseball.com
Paul Gibson’s All Pro Sports Academy, Bellport
(631) 286-5144, http://allprosportsacademy.com
Sportsplex, Bellmore
(516) 785-8855, http://sportsplexonline.com

Bike Trails
Alfred E. Smith/Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park
(631) 269-4333
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
(631) 667-5055
Bethpage State Park Path, Bethpage
(516) 249-0701
Camp Hero, Montauk
(631) 668-3781
Cathedral Pines County Park, Middle Island
(631) 852-5502
Caumsett State Historic Park, Lloyd Neck
(631) 423-1770
Eastport Trail, Eastport
(631) 444-0273
Edgewood Oak Brush Plains
Preserve, Deer Park
(631) 444-0273
Eisenhower Park, East Meadow
(516) 572-0348
Heckscher Park, East Islip
(631) 581-2100
Jones Beach Bike Path, Wantagh
(516) 785-1600
Long Beach Boardwalk, Long Beach
Sea Cliff, Glen Cove
Stillwell Woods, Syosset
Trail View State Park, Huntington
(631) 423-1770
Valley Stream State Park
(516) 825-4128

Bird Watching
Arshamomaque Preserve, Southold
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, Smithtown
(631) 265-1054
Cedar Beach, Southold
Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
(631) 581-1005
Dam Pond Maritime Reserve, East Marion
Dune Road, Fire Island
Elizabeth Morton National Wildlife Refuge, Sag Harbor
(631) 286-0485
Fort Corchaug, Cutchogue
Hunter’s Garden, Eastport
http://huntersgardenassociation.com
Hussing Pond, Mattituck
Massapequa Preserve, North Massapequa
(516) 541-2461
Mashomack Preserve, Shelter Island
(631) 749-1001
Merrill Lake Sanctuary, East Hampton
(631) 329-7689
Moore’s Woods, Greenport
Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Quogue
(631) 653-4771
South Shore Nature Center, East Islip
(631) 224-5436
Stony Brook Harbor, Stony Brook
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Shirley
(631) 286-0485, http://friendsofwertheim.org

Campgrounds
Battle Row Campground, Old Bethpage
(516) 572-8690
Blydenburgh County Park, Smithtown
(631) 854-3712
Cathedral Pines County Park, Middle Island
(631) 852-5502
Cedar Point County Park, East Hampton
(631) 244-7275
Cliff & Ed’s Campground,
Cutchogue (631) 298-4091
Eastern Long Island Kampgrounds, Greenport
(631) 477-0022
Heckscher State Park, East Islip
(631) 581-2100
Hither Hills State Park, Montauk
(631) 668-2554
Indian Island County Park, Riverhead
(631) 852-3232
Meschutt Beach County Park, Hampton Bays
(631) 852-8205
Nickerson Beach, Lido, Long Beach
(516) 571-7724
Sears Bellows County Park, Hampton Bays
(631) 852-8290
Shinnecock East County Park, Southampton
(631) 852-8899
Smith Point County Park, Shirley
(631) 852-1313
Southaven County Park, Brookhaven
(631) 854-1414
Wildwood State Park, Wading River
(631) 929-4314

DOG PARKS
Your dog is probably bored sniffing around the same yard every day. As the weather gets warmer, why not take your dog on an adventure to the nearest dog park. But first, a few ground rules: 1) SCOOP THE POOP; 2) Keep Fido on a leash at all times, except where indicated; 3) Don’t let your pooch greet another dog without prior clearance; 4) Basic obedience training is a plus; 5) Pay attention to what your dog is doing; 6) Posted park rules may vary, such as whether spaying or neutering is required to obtain a pass.

Dog Parks/Runs
Bay Park, East Rockaway
(516) 571-7245
Has separate dog runs for big and small dogs.

Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
(631) 667-5055
No dogs allowed inside picnic areas, walkways or buildings, and they must be kept on leashes not more than 6 feet long.

Blydenburgh Dog Park, Smithtown
(631) 854-3713
There are trails for hiking, lakes, fields, and campgrounds. Also, a place where dogs can play off-leash.

Brookhaven Dog Park, Middle Island
(631) 451-9101
midislanddogpark.org
Features separate runs for big and small dogs. Pooch Pass required ($25 for Brookaven residents, $45 for non-residents).

Cedar Creek Park, Seaford
(516) 571-7470
An enclosed, no-leash dog run with separate sections for big and small dogs is available here, but owners are responsible for clean-up!

Christopher Morley Park, Roslyn
(516) 571-8113
A great dog run where Fido can run free, but s/he must be leashed from the car to the run.

Dog Park at Robinson Duck Farm, Brookhaven
In December 2009, a 2.6-acre unleashed dog run was opened to the public in Brookhaven Hamlet. It’s in the central northern part of what was once the working Robinson Duck Farm. Please remember to clean up after your dog.

Eastern Long Island Kampgrounds, Greenport
(631) 477-0022
Dogs must have proof of rabies shots, and some breeds are not allowed. There is a designated dog walk area.

East Northport Dog Park, East Northport
(631) 754-8722
Must be a Huntington Village resident to use this park and you will need a free permit from the Huntington Dog shelter located on the property. Pet must be neutered, up-to-date on vaccinations, collared and leashed. Limit of 2 dogs per person.

Fire Island National Seashore Headquarters, Patchogue
(631) 687-4750
Dogs are permitted, but must be kept leashed and are not allowed in public buildings, on lifeguarded beaches or near areas closed for endangered species.

Gardiner County Park, West Bay Shore
(631) 854-4949
Great place to bring your dog down by the water. No park, but lots of trails to bring your leashed dog on.

Heckscher State Park, East Islip
(631) 581-2100
Dogs are only allowed in undeveloped areas of the park on a leash no more than 6 feet long.

Montauk Point State Park, Montauk
(631) 668-3781
Dogs only and they must be kept on a leash no more than 6 feet long.

Hither Hills State Park, Montauk
(631) 668-2554
Dogs are not allowed in camping, bathing, or picnic areas.

Brookhaven Wildlife & Ecology Center, Holtsville
(631) 758-9664, http://brookhaven.org
Has over 100 wild and farm animals on view, most injured and non-releasable, including mountain lions and eagles. Also, food is available to feed the ducks and goats. Admission is free, but group tours have a suggested donation of $2 a child and advanced scheduling is necessary. Open 7 days a week from 9am-4pm.

Mud Creek County Dog Park, Patchogue
450 Roe Ave, Patchogue
Called Mud Creek County Park, for the creek that runs along the eastern border of the site, the off-leash area is the first new dog park created under the Five New Dog Parks initiative, which LI-DOG championed and was signed into law in May 2007. The beach is also the first new Natural Borders Dog Park created in Suffolk County. The new off-leash beach has no amenities—no trash receptacles, no poop bag stations, and no dog water fountains. The beach is considered “carry-in, carry-out” where people will have to pick up after their dogs and take away the waste themselves. It’s up to dog owners to take good care of this park and keep it clean.

Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach
(516) 571-7700
Has a protected dog run, but owners must clean up after their pets and a leash is required for transport.

Old Bethpage Restoration Dog Run, Old Bethpage
(516) 572-8400
On Oct 1st, 2009, Nassau County opened its 6th dog run at the Old Bethpage Restoration on Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage. The new dog run has two areas—one for small dogs and one for large dogs. It also features “green” water systems—collecting and filtering rain water for the dogs to drink. The Boy Scouts donated benches for dog owners to sit on. Hours are the same as for Old Bethpage Village Restoration—Wed—Sunday 10 am until 5 pm There is no fee for using the dog run.

Southaven County Park, Brookhaven
(631) 854-1414
Dog-friendly with lots of trails, but lacks a dedicated dog area.

Southold Town Recreation Center Dog Park, Peconic Lake
(631) 765-5182
A small dog park in the back of Southold Town Recreation Center on Peconic Lake, dogs can play off-leash. Small dogs have their own area away from the larger ones.

Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park
(631) 269-4333
Dogs are only allowed in undeveloped areas of the park.

Tanner Park Dog Park, Copiague
(631) 893-2100
This dog park is for use by Town of Babylon residents. Dog park is located behind the baseball fields at Tanner Park.

Wantagh Park, Wantagh
(516) 571-7460
Fenced-in dog run where dogs can roam freely. Bring a leash.

West Hills County Park, Huntington
(631) 854-4423
Dogs must be kept on leashes here while walked, but there is also a designated enclosed dog run where dogs can play without one.

Driving Ranges
Cherry Creek Golf Links, Riverhead
(631) 369-6500,  http://cherrycreeklinks.com
Family Golf Center, Commack
Indian Head Golf Park, Kings Park
(631) 269-4100,  http://indianheadgolfpark.com
Island’s End Golf & Country Club, Greenport
(631) 477-0777,  http://islandsendgolf.com
Island Green Selden
(631) 732-4442
North Woodmere Park Driving Range, Hicksville
(516) 571-7814
Oakdale Golf Center, Oakdale
(631) 244-8570
Poxabogue Golf Course, Bridgehampton
(631) 537-0025,  http://poxgolf.com
Rock Hill Golf & Country Club, Manorville
(631) 878-2250, rockhillgolf.com
Sky Drive Golf Center, Farmingdale
(631) 694-4666
Smithtown Landing Golf Course, Smithtown
(631) 979-6534
Southampton Golf Range, Southampton
(631) 283-2158
Spring Rock Golf Center, New Hyde Park
(516) 739-0167, http://springrockgolf.com

Horseback Riding
Angels Horseback Riding Academy, Ridge
(516) 754-1385
Babylon Riding Center, West Babylon
(631) 587-7778
Bethpage Park Stables, Old Bethpage
(516) 756-7980
Deep Hollow Ranch, Montauk
(631) 668-2744
East End Stables, East Hampton
(631) 324-9568
Hillcrest Stable, Riverhead
(516) 768-5989, http://hillcreststable.com
HorseAbility, Melville
(631) 367-1646, http://horseability.org
Islandia Farms, Islandia
(631) 348-1948, http://islandia-farms.com
Knoll Farm, Brentwood
(631) 435-1880, knollfarm.com
Lakewood Stables, West Hempstead
(516) 486-9673
Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, Islandia
(631) 348-1389, http://pal-o-mine.org
Paard Hill Farms, Shelter Island
(631) 749-9462, http://paardhillfarms.com
Rita’s Stables & Petting Farm, Montauk
(631) 668-5453
Saddle Rock Ranch, Middle Island
(631) 205-0432, http://saddlerockstables.com
Sweet Hills Riding Center, Huntington
(631) 351-9168
Thomas School of Horsemanship, Melville
(631) 692-6840, http://tshcamp.com

Lighthouses
Fire Island Lighthouse, Fire Island
(631) 661-4876, http://fireislandlighthouse.com

Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, Huntington Bay
(631) 421-1985, http://huntingtonlighthouse.org
Horton Point Lighthouse, Southold
(631) 765-5500
Long Beach Bar (Bug Light) Lighthouse, Orient Harbor
(631) 477-2100, http://eastendseaport.org
Montauk Point Lighthouse, Montauk
(631) 668-2544, http://montauklighthouse.com
Old Field Point Lighthouse, East Setauket
(631) 941-9412

Nassau County Museum of Art
Roslyn Harbor
(516) 484-9337, http://nassaumuseum.com
Situated on a sumptuous Gold Coast estate formerly owned by Frick family, the majority of this museum’s collection and exhibitions are 19th-20th century art. There is also a children’s museum on site. Admission: $10; seniors 62+: $8; students and children 4-12: $4; museum members: free. Hours: Tues.-Sun., 11am-4:45pm. The museum offers guided tours and is available for birthday parties.

Nature Walks
Garvies Point Museum & Preserve, Glen Cove
(516) 571-8010, http://garviespointmuseum.com
John F. Kennedy Wildlife Sanctuary, Massapequa
(516) 797-4111
LI Pine Barrens Trail, Rocky Point to Shinnecock Canal
(631) 852-3449
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside
(516) 766-1580
Shadmoor State Park, Montauk
(631) 668-3781
Theodore Roosevelt County Park, East Hampton
(631) 852-7879
West Hills County Park, Huntington
(631) 854-4423
Westhampton Management Area, Westhampton
(631) 444-0273

Paintball
Cousin’s Paintball, Hauppauge & Coram
(800) 352-4007 http://playpaintball.com
High Velocity Paintball, Coram
(631) 242-2096, hivipaintball.com
Paintball Arena, West Babylon
(631) 694-2707,  http://islandpaintball.net
Wild West Target
Shooting Range, Lawrence
(516) 239-1743, http://targetpaintball.biz

Visual Arts
Artists’ Woods, Amagansett
(631) 267-7910, http://artistswoods.com
The Crazy Monkey, Amagansett
(631) 267-3627
Gallery North, Setauket
(631) 751-2676, http://gallerynorth.org
Hillwood Art Museum, CW Post Campus, Brookville
(516) 299-4073, http://liu.edu/museum
Shelter Island Sculpture Park, Shelter Island
http://enstudio.com
The Long Island Museum of American Art, Stony Brook
(631) 751-0066, http://longislandmuseum.org

Zoos
Animal Farm Petting Zoo, Manorville
(631) 878-1785, http://afpz.org
Benner’s Farm, East Setauket
(631) 689-8172, http://bennersfarm.com
Brookhaven Ecology Site, Park & Animal Preserve, Holtsville
(631) 758-9664, http://brookhaven.org
Long Island Game Farm, Manorville
(631) 878-6644, http://longislandgamefarm.com
Suffolk County Farm & Education Center, Yaphank
(631) 852-4600, http://ccesuffolk.org
White Post Farms, Melville
(631) 351-9373, http://whitepostfarms.com
Long Island Game Farm Manorville
(631) 878-6644, http://longislandgamefarm.com
The Game Farm houses hundreds of animals, most not native to LI, including a giraffe, buffalo, zebras and monkeys. There is also a petting zoo area, carnival and pony rides. Admission (through Sept 6 and plus tax): $17.45; senior citizens and children 3-11: $15.45; handicapped: $9.95. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10am-4:30pm, Sat.-Sun., 10am-5:30pm.

So, Sport, what’s your favorite sport?

Are you a nut for a net or goofy for golf? Do you go bats for baseball? Bonkers over biking? Passionate for the pommel horse?

Are you a basket case for basketball, totally sunk over swimming, screwy over soccer or do touchdowns tickle you?

Are you cuckoo over cross-country running?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need a copy of A is for Amazing Moments: A Sports Alphabet by Brad Herzog, illustrated by Melanie Rose.

Ever since you were a really little kid, you’ve loved your favorite team or athlete. You don’t miss a minute of any game they play. You’ve hung posters of her in your room. You have one of his jerseys and the team’s colors are on your notebooks. Someday, you’re going to be a famous athlete, too. But in the meantime, learn more about your favorite sport and others by reading this book.

B is for baseball and basketball, of course, but B is also for Battle of the Sexes. Billie Jean King (a woman) beat Bobby Riggs (a man) in a big tennis match in 1973.

More than sixty years ago, baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson became the first African American major league player. It wasn’t easy being such a first and his bravery is why C is for Courage.

Is there a future Tiger Woods in your house or maybe a young Michael Jordan? Perhaps you know a kid who’s simply silly for sports. If you do, this is a great book to have around.

While so many alphabet books are meant for babies and toddlers, A is for Amazing Moments is a nice surprise because it’s written for older kids. Each letter is assigned to a monumental moment or figure in sports history. Author Brad Herzog includes a short verse and a backstory to accompany illustrator Melanie Rose’s full-color pictures. Best of all, this book includes a huge variety of sports, both amateur and pro.

Although it has a target audience of 6-to-10-year-olds, I think a pint-size sports fan would definitely enjoy paging through this book before the big game. Pick up A is for Amazing Moments—and run with it.

On May 5th, 1961, one month after Yuri Gagarin achieved the distinction of becoming the first human being to enter space, Alan Shepard Jr. became the first American to venture into the beyond; this happened when his Freedom 7 space capsule reached an altitude of 116 miles in a suborbital flight that lasted 15 minutes. The Soviets ratified a treaty banning nuclear weapons in outer space on May 19th, 1967. On May 15th, 1963, Major Gordon Cooper, the last American to fly in space alone, told the tracking station at Muchea (near Perth, Australia) that he could see a green-colored, glowing object—an “unidentified flying object” or UFO—quickly approaching his Mercury capsule. The object seen by Major Cooper was also detected on the tracking radar at Muchea. Other astronauts have also reported seeing UFOs while on missions in outer space.
The International Sidewalk Astronomy Night comes around again on May 19th. On this night, many amateur astronomers bring their scopes and imaging gear to parks and other public venues. The idea is to enable the non-astronomer or “man in the street” to share in the wonder of our incredible universe.
There is a meteor shower this month: The Eta Aquarids. It is generally a light shower, with about 10 meteors being seen in an hour. As with most showers, best viewing is after midnight. Look for the meteors in the eastern skies just before Moonrise, which takes place on May 5th at 1:28am.
The new Moon falls on the 14th of May and the full Moon on the 27th.
Throughout May, Venus will be very bright in the early evening skies. Look for it in the west just after sunset. Mars will also be in a good position for viewing, especially in the early evening, shortly after dusk. Mars is a wonderful target for a telescope; with a good scope, you may even be able to see the planet’s polar icecaps. Once you have examined Mars, slew over to Saturn. You will see that Saturn’s rings are back! Like Mars, Saturn is most interesting when seen through a telescope. What if you have no scope? Then take advantage of International Sidewalk Astronomy Day and let some enthusiastic amateur astronomer show you the wonders of the night sky!
Finally, we are gaining about 1.8 minutes of daylight with each passing day as we hurl towards summer.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that childhood obesity has become an epidemic that is growing to alarming proportions. Now that the weather has warmed up (finally!), it’s high time to get the kids off their iPods and have them recharge their own batteries with one of these fitness-focused toys.

Woody’s Run-Around Roundup
If your kids are all fired up about next month’s Toy Story 3 release, let them test their movie smarts with Woody’s Run-Around Roundup. Masked as an electronic tagger, that crazy cowboy will call out clues about different characters that prompt players to run and tag their targets. For a real workout, bring this toy outside and set the targets as far apart as possible—even to infinity and beyond. $25; http://shopwildplanet.com.

GoGolf

Golfers-in-training can improve their handicap on—or off—the green with GoGolf. This on-the-go game lets players set up a simulated golf course anywhere and doesn’t require any special set-up or even a club. Simply throw the disc to make a hole and then throw the ball and try to hit the target in as few throws as possible. $15; http://digginactive.com.

Ready, Set, Go! Trike
If your toddler is ready to ride, let her practice big-kid bike-riding with the Ready, Set, Go! Trike. There’s a removable handle that lets you guide her on the path when she’s just starting out, plus a fetching canopy top that shields her from the midday summer sun. The removable head rest and secure seat belt keep her in place, and once she’s up to speed, you can fold up the footrests, pull up the clutch and watch her go! $199; http://alextoys.com.

In the world of make-believe, real estate is always primed for play. Whether your kid is in search of a castle or a dwelling of modest proportions, these toys invite them to set up house however they choose. After all, there’s no place like home.

Mini designers will delight in fashioning their own furnishings with the MoMA Modern Play House. Pop-out nesting boxes and furniture make for an inviting setting that kids can mix and match to suit their taste. Add some dollhouse friends and let the party begin! $19.99; chroniclebooks.com.

Outdoor house play just got a whole lot more cheery. The Home & Garden Playhouse looks like the real deal, complete with a working door, mailbox with flag and kitchen area with pretend stove and faucet. Kids can celebrate spring by planting live flowers in the window box. $159.99; littletikes.com.

Here’s a home to which Islanders can aspire. The Suburban House boasts plenty of space for a family of four (included) and has attic windows that tilt, a garden, grill and working doorbell. Individual room playsets are sold separately. $154.99; playmobilusa.com.

It started small, with a pack of gum or a candy bar.

When you didn’t get caught, you moved to larger things—a can of soda or a game in your pocket. Most times, you didn’t need whatever it was you stole but it really wasn’t about the thing, anyhow. It was about getting away with it.

In the new book Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers, a young man admits that he took something that wasn’t his. So can’t somebody give him a break?

The food in Progress Juvenile Center was edible, but barely so. Fourteen-year-old Maurice “Reece” Anderson ate it, but it wasn’t the same as when Icy cooked. Icy, who was just nine, tended to burn things but that was okay. Icy was Reece’s sister and his heart, and whatever she did was all good.

It would be awhile, though, before Reece would taste Icy’s cooking again. Two years ago, he broke into some doctor’s office, stole a few prescription pads and sold them to a drug dealer. When the dealer was caught, he squealed. Now Reece was serving two calendars and then some.

Living in a cell was scary at first, but Reece had come to like solitude. Yeah, he was shut off from the world but the world couldn’t get in, either, and he could think in his cell. Once he got out, he was going to make something of himself. He was going to save up and send Icy to college. He just needed to keep cool.

But keeping cool wasn’t easy. Reece wanted to go home. He missed Icy and his friends. While he knew he had a little work to do on himself, there was no way he was up for more lockdown.

Author Walter Dean Myers doesn’t glorify crime in this book, nor does he pander to his fans. Instead, his characters speak like other teens and live in a world that kids can understand. I liked this book for what it says and the way it will ring true with young readers.

Meant for 12-to-17-year-olds, Lockdown is also a quick and satisfying read for any adult with a kid in the house. It promotes the best kind of theft—stealing time to read.

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to travel into space; the flight took place on the 12th of April, 1961, and lasted 103 minutes. The first space station was the Russian Salyut 1, which launched on a Proton rocket on April 19th, 1971. April was certainly a month for Russian firsts in space. America did, however, make major space history on April 24, 1990, when the first real space telescope, the renowned Hubble, was launched from the space shuttle Discovery; the Hubble has contributed more to our understanding and vision of the universe than any other human space endeavor to date. April is also significant in that it has just been designated “Global Astronomy Month” by the Astronomy Without Borders organization.

A new Moon is due on the 14th of April. The dark, moonless skies will make this a good time to hunt for galaxies beyond our own Milky Way. Come to Custer and view these distant objects through our telescopes and imaging gear.

Dark, nearly moonless nights will still be with us on the 21st and 22nd when the Lyrids will streak across the sky. The Lyrids will be an average shower, with about 20 meteors per hour, but they are known for their unusually bright dust trails. Look up after midnight towards the constellation Lyra, which can be found by its principle star, Vega. Vega, which had a prominent role in the film Contact, is the second brightest star in the sky.

Several planets will be up in April. Look westward for Venus and Mercury just after sunset. Venus will be easy to spot since it will be one of the brightest objects (other than the Sun) in the early evening sky. Mercury will be harder to see being dimmer and possibly obscured by the lingering sunset. Saturn and Mars will continue as nighttime planets.

In April, the day will last about 13 hours and 20 minutes. We will be gaining about 2.5 minutes each day as we head towards summer.

Finally, several months ago I suggested that we might be witnessing the onset of a deep solar minimum—a period during which the Sun loses its spots—and predicted a colder, snowier climate ahead. This winter, so far, certainly qualifies as snowier and colder than usual, consistent with my expectations. Although the sun has gained a few spots, longer-term solar activity remains very low and moderate cooling continues to be a real possibility.

American Economy: Fact or Fiction

1. Minimum wage (adjusted for inflation) is higher than 40 years ago.
Fiction: The current federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr, in 1970it was $1.60/hr (nearly $10/hr with inflation).

2. The amount allocated in the federal budget for unemployment is up this year.
Fiction: It’s down 35%.

3. US currency is backed by gold.
Fiction: Dollars are “fiat currency,” which means that their value stems from their ability to be exchanged for valued goods and services. FDR ended the gold standard in 1933.

4. The oft-heard and much maligned earmarks are a major contributor to the federal deficit.
Fiction: Eliminating all of the earmarks would cut the deficit by less than 1%.

5. George Washington insisted his portrait be on the 1-dollar bill.
Fiction: He resisted, thinking it would be a typical move made by the hated European monarchs. His portrait first showed up on the $1 bill in 1869.

6. On average, Americans spend more on healthcare than on housing.
Fiction: Per US household, average annual healthcare costs are approximately $2,853 and average annual housing costs are approximately $16,920.

7. If you’re self employed you only have to file taxes once per year (April 15) just like normal folks.
Fiction: Quarterly estimates are required.

8. As a US citizen you are not required to include offshore income on your personal income tax returns.
Fiction: The United States is one of the few countries that requires international income made by US citizens to be taxed.

9. In some cases, you are not required to file a federal tax return.
Fact: There are actually a few very specific occasions in which filing an IRS income tax return is not required.

10. 44 US states have filed for bankruptcy.
Fiction: No state has ever filed for bankruptcy, but 44 US states have deep budgetary shortfalls, bordering on bankruptcy. Texas, Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are not among them.

Bonus Question:

US defense spending is:
A) $663.8 billion
B) $708.3 billion
C) $750 billion
D) All of the above, depending on the source

The minute you touch down on the Hawai’ian island of Maui, it is clear you are somewhere special. Romantic, exotic and welcoming, Maui offers sun-drenched beaches, lush rainforests, steep volcanic craters, historic towns, posh resorts and plenty of “Aloha Spirit.” Here American culture is infused with traditional Hawai’ian, Polynesian and Asian cultures creating a foreign yet familiar experience for “malihinis” (newcomers). It is an enchanting combination and it will not be long before you slip on a lei, order a Mai-Tai and kick back and enjoy.

Maui has distinct geographical sections, each offering visitors something special. The western and southern regions are mostly dry and sunny year-round and it is here that you will find the majority of the beach resorts. Lahaina, the former whaling town that has spent over 200 years showing visitors a good time, is the fun and funky hub of West Maui. It is a good area to stay in if you want to be close to a variety of restaurants, nightlife, shops, galleries and boating activities.

Along Front Street, Lahaina’s eclectic main drag, high-end boutiques share space with t-shirt joints, while art galleries intermingle with trinket stands—but somehow it works. There are all manner of eateries, from fine dining to tiki-huts, serving up regional favorites including plenty of fresh seafood. With its cultural mix, Hawai’i put culinary fusion on the map so don’t be surprised to also see Spam sushi, macadamia nut pancakes and elk burgers. Do try the shave ice though, which puts mainland snow cones to shame.

For a special dining experience, there is the upscale Lahaina Grill where the sautéed mahi-mahi and the tequila shrimp are a culinary delight. For something more casual, try the traditional Lau Lau (pork with Hawaiian salt wrapped with taro leaves) at Aloha Mixed Plate and there is always the “original” Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Lahaina Harbor is where you book fishing charters and sightseeing trips but from December through May, make sure you schedule a whale-watching trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Every year, thousands of endangered Humpback whales and their calves winter in the warm waters off Maui. Their return is celebrated island-wide and if you are lucky you will see one of these gentle giants in full breach.

Lodging in town includes a few B&Bs and historic inns, but if you want an indulgent vacation experience, stay in the upscale beach front resort area of Kā’anapali just to the north. Hotels here pull out all the stops including the Westin Maui Resort & Spa whose stunning lobby features a cascading waterfall, live flamingos and parrots. There are five beautifully appointed pools, including one for adults only, and watching the sun slowly sink into the Pacific at Tropica Restaurant & Bar is sublime.

Meanwhile, the Hyatt Regency Maui hosts a full-fledged nightly luau, “Drums of the Pacific,” featuring Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Fijian, Tongan and Maori songs and dances—including some pretty fancy fire dancers. And don’t miss the nightly cliff diving ceremony off of Puu Kekaa (Black Rock) at Kā’anapali Beach. It commemorates the ancient Hawaiian belief that Puu Kekaa was the “jumping off” place to the next world.

Needless to say water sports and activities abound in Maui from surfing, windsurfing, snorkeling, kite boarding, parasailing, sport fishing, kayaking, diving and more. Along the South Shore are some of the best beaches you’ll find anywhere, and the town of Wailea offers high-end shopping and three legendary golf courses. If you have kids in tow, stop at the Maui Ocean Center, The Hawaiian Aquarium on the way to Wailea. It’s a first class family attraction and try the “Shark Dive” if you dare.

When you are ready for adventure rent a car and journey back in time along the fabled “Road to Hāna.” A full day’s excursion on the North Shore, the Road to Hāna is only about 50 miles in total but includes 600 hairpin turns and 54 narrow bridges. It takes on average three hours each way, but you will see some of the most spectacular scenery ever from wondrous waterfalls to tranquil rainforests and steep ocean cliffs. This is a slow drive through unspoiled Maui, so relax and shift into “Hawai’i time.” Note: Set out early in the morning to beat the crowds and make sure you fill up the tank in Pā’ia, the official start of the journey. There are no gas stations along the way, but plenty of fresh fruit stands and opportunities to stop and explore.

No vacation is complete without visiting Haleakalā National Park in East Maui, home to the mighty 10,023 foot Haleakalā, the world’s largest dormant volcano. You will be treated to an otherworldly experience if you time your ascent to the summit just as the sun rises.

The fertile area to the west of Haleakalā is affectionately called “Upcountry” and don’t be surprised if you run into “paniolos” (Hawaiian cowboys) working the vast cattle ranches. While Upcountry make sure you visit Ali’i Kula Lavender an utterly charming spot where you can sip lavender-infused tea and take a leisurely tour of this lovingly managed farm featuring 45 varieties of the flower.

Spend any length of time on Maui and the “Aloha Spirit” will become part of your psyche. Bring it back to the mainland but think to yourself “Ā hui hou” (until we meet again). For all the information you will need to plan your trip visitmaui.com is the webspot of choice. Aloha!

Lanai “The Pineapple Island”
By Karen Jones

Island hopping is easy throughout Hawaii but if you want to experience really laid back, unspoiled “Old Hawai’i” take a 45 minute water ferry from Lahaina over to the tiny island of Lāna’i (18 miles x 13 miles). A former pineapple plantation, over 98% of the island is privately owned. It has few paved roads, one small village, Lāna’i City, and only 3,000 inhabitants all of whom live in Lāna’i City. However, it does have two lavish resorts, Four Seasons Resort

Lodge at Kō’ele Bay and Four Seasons Resort Lāna’i at Mānele Bay each with acclaimed golf courses and all the amenities. A shuttle runs between both resorts and stops in Lāna’i City, which is little more than two streets with small gift shops, quirky art galleries, a few eateries and a park, but it is has a low key charm. Case in point: Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates choose Lāna’i for his 1994 wedding and bought all the hotel rooms on the island to keep the press at bay.

Hello once again! Despite a US State Department travel warning, best wishes from Syria! Refuting State Department admonitions is a distraction made easier by sampling Syria’s lemon-infused hummus while peering at mesmeric Crusader ruins. Smiles and greeting nods abound, not danger. The birthplace of the alphabet invites you to reassess gloomy Middle East stereotypes.

The easternmost point on the Mediterranean shoreline, Syria huddles with Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Israel—interesting neighborhood. True, there are human rights disgraces here, including Facebook and YouTube Internet blockades, immodest indoor chainsmoking, and (Did I hear this right?) some rape convictions being overturned if the rapist marries his victim. Every country has festering sores that don’t represent its entire reality—in the US, news of school shootings trumps the work of angels volunteering in homeless shelters.

Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site playground, bleeds history, not American tourists. The highlight of Syria’s ruin hall of fame is The Krak of the Knights, the prevailing French translation, Le Krac des Chevaliers, hisses a feminine ring that castrates the most famous Crusader castle in the world. The regional epicenter of several Christian Crusade missions, the Castle of Horsemen, has dozens of 200-foot overlooks without pedestrian railings—you can roam anywhere in the same multilevel mazes once trudged by thousands of soldiers. Surrounded by the olive tree version of Napa Valley, semi-forested terraced mountains showcase this implausible muscular goliath. The clever layout included gardens, stables, and a ping pong room (not really). From the fort’s wholly preserved towering gothic ramparts, hot oil was poured over would-be attackers to help them rethink battle plans. In peacetime, the castle housed over 2,500 people; it was inhabited until 1934 via onsite shanties.

A few hours away, Aleppo’s majestic 200-foot high Citadel gets all the attention, probably because unlike the Christian nerve center, the Krak, it was an enduring Muslim stronghold. Construction of this headquarters of the war against the Crusades was initiated by 1000BC Aramics and completed by 15th Century Islamic warriors. Construction surrounding the citadel continues—the city of Aleppo, a maze of timeless cobbled streets and unexpected alleyways, is also a World Heritage prize. In 1138, an earthquake killed 230,000 people here, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes on record. They’ve managed to pick up the pieces.

Before the Crusaders battled Islam, Romans ran things here. Bosra’s Roman amphitheater, uncannily preserved by recently dismantled structural add-ons, was designed for 15,000 spectators. Strategic exit placements still allow the arena (if sold out) to be cleared in 15 minutes—an amazing feat by architects born in the 200s. Syrians lived continuously in Bosra’s 2 square-km walled city until 1980 when UNESCO tapped their conservation wand.

The Roman ruins in Palmyra (an underground spring nourishes palm trees in this otherwise desert zone) won’t disappoint. The property brought via the Silk Road caravan trade was reflected in the importation of marble sculptures to Palmyra. As marble is not to be found in the Near East, these imports were extremely costly. They also demonstrated the prestige of classical art in Palmyra. Nearly all ancient quarries were close to the sea or on a river. Stones were transported on ships carrying 200 tons or more from the coast to Palmyra. Blocks of stone had to be carried on carts drawn by oxen. An average daily stage was about 10 miles and animals had to be changed frequently, making land transport very expensive.

Some travel writers are merely brochure barkers, ass-kissers who regurgitate catalog copy. I attended a UN-style tourism conference in Aleppo. After an inquiry about the Facebook block, after some deliberation, Minister of Tourism Dr. Saadallah Agha Alqalah cited a study declaring that people spending six hours or more a day on Facebook are unable to do their jobs. That’s the only propaganda I’ll deliver.

Soon after the Syrian government sagely and righteously protested Bush’s 2002 Iraq war, excepting humanitarian food and medicine, US sanctions blocked trade, supported isolation and prevented American carriers from flying here. Are these sanctions behind my ATM card being eaten? As in Cuba, another country suffering a now misguided US embargo, Syrians extend warm hands to all foreigners. Their intelligence allows them to separate people and politics. On several occasions while mingling on sidewalks, shopkeepers crossed streets carrying plastic chairs and set them out for our comfort.

How does a country like Syria maintain good relations with Iran and the West? 50,000 Americans visit each year and that number is increasing. Lebanese-born Wafa Kanan, publisher of ALO Magazine, the largest US-based monthly for Arabs and Americans, insists that “humanity has no nationality.” Kanan, a Los Angeles resident, also runs the ALO Cultural Foundation, which supports orphanages and major medical needs for poor children throughout the Middle East. Kanan brings severely disabled Middle Eastern children to California, raises the money for their costly surgeries, and returns them home to prosper.

Damascus, a cosmopolitan hub, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its quaintcient city squares and narrow alleys defy other textbook World Heritage City examples of tourism run amok. Bargain restaurants serving gourmet meals inside Bible-aged stone buildings line every street. Freestyle, jeans and t-shirt clad women outnumber those cloaked in traditional hijabs.

Still, Syria’s aggressive, pass-everyone-despite-the-risks cabbies are worthy of having a shoe thrown at them. Notorious drivers aside, Islam frowns on booze, so drunkenness is rare. I saw one street fight in Damascus, no women in sight. (What’s the fuss, fellas?) When I wandered into a hardware store to discuss China’s tool manufacturing takeover, the owner kindly put me on the phone with a university professor to evolve the conversation.

Obesity is rare here, probably because every meal opens with a fresh organic jumble of hummus, tabouille and babaganoosh. Cheese fries and fried chicken wings haven’t landed on menus yet. I’ve endured every variety of travelers’ diarrhea, a few cases manifolding into simultaneous digestive inlet and outlet explosions—with a blame range from a Mumbai curry to a Long Island McDonald’s—but this was the first time my digestive track was taken down in an Arab country. One never knows, but a few other travelers I met were also walloped by something they ingested—so an upset stomach seems to be the only real danger here.

US Department of State, don’t get me wrong, I respect America’s role in this world and believe that patriotism is defined by improving your country—that’s why I encourage insulated Americans to reach beyond their borders to grasp that so-called unstable regions have happy citizens too, despite being poor. (PS, Abraham Lincoln was poor.) My road to Damascus aims to increase my neighbors’ chances of visiting this magnetic haven of ancient human monuments and contemporary human grace. Cross Syria, the heart of the Silk Road and a cradle of Christianity, off the blacklist.

One exposure to Syria’s hospitality swarm will create a seismic shift in perceptions about this corner of the “axis of evil.” Fittingly, Aleppo’s imposing citadel is adorned with stone relief snake sculptures. While Christianity portrays snakes as devils, that chapter of Islam celebrated their cunning genius. It’s all about perception.

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Visit syriatourism.org. Emirates Airlines (emirates.com) flies to Damascus via Dubai.
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Bruce Northam’s wandering show, American Detour, is on americandetour.com. His book, Globetrotter Dogma, shares 100 canons for escaping the rat race. Next tale in Long Island Pulse: Portugal’s Azorean Islands.

It may seem like your entire life is on a budget these days, but you don’t have to let the economy put a crimp on playtime. Here are three toys for $20 or less that will put a smile on your kid’s face—and a little money back in your wallet.

Rainy days are right around the corner. What better way to greet them than with a one-of-a-kind umbrella? Color A Glambrella comes in a preprinted cheery design of sunglasses and hip accessories, along with six weatherproof markers for making a unique umbrella. $18; http://www.alextoys.com.

Now that your kid has rescued that creepy crawler from outside, what more can he actually do? The Bug Playground takes winged creatures from the grass to their own funhouse, where they can slide, crawl and move about like they’ve never done before. This action-packed environment beats the backyard any old day. $14.99; http://www.smartlabtoys.com.

Too much Facebook time in your household? Break your teen away from the virtual world with some old-fashioned board game play. 25 Random Things About Me lets players try to match fun facts on the game cards with their opponents by guessing yes or no to the cards read aloud. Whoever completes 25 things on their list first wins. $16.95; http://www.winning-moves.com.

Every year, at the beginning of summer, your best friend’s mom buys her a special charm for her bracelet, to celebrate another successful school year. It’s a tradition, she says, and you completely understand. Your family has lots of those.

Some people celebrate Hanukkah, while others have Christmas. Your family might have a special vacation spot you visit each year or a celebration to mark a significant day. Or maybe your traditions are stories about Corn Husk Dolls, coyotes or salmon.
In the new book, A Kid’s Guide to Native American History, by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder, you’ll read about customs, history-making people and the truth about the many nations who live in this nation.

Wait, you’re saying, “What? America is just one nation, right?”

Yes and no. There are many nations in this country. The word “nation” signifies a group of people who share a culture and are united under one government, which perfectly describes American Indians. In each of our fifty states, you’ll find many people of the First Nations, as they sometimes prefer to be called. Even New York City has a large population of Native people.

Don’t think for a minute, though, that you can lump all Native Americans together! Each nation has different cultural traditions. The Oneida, for instance, tell stories of a protector who lost her face because she became selfish and Native Hawaiian tales explain why naupaka look like they’re broken.

Were your kids completely wowed by the dancing and clothing worn at the Winter Olympics’ opening ceremonies? Give them this book and take the learning a few steps further.

Authors Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder start with the basics by pointing out what are disrespectful actions and by smashing old stereotypes. From there, they divide the US by region (including Alaska and Hawaii), relating history, cultural highlights and ceremonies, crafts and oral traditions from some of the major Nations along the way.

While the projects in this book are appropriate for kids of all abilities and there are games that even younger siblings can enjoy, A Kid’s Guide to Native American History will be best-enjoyed by children ages 8 to 12. Giving them a book like this could be the start of a beautiful new tradition.

March is a month of many space-related births. Albert Einstein was born in March (on the 14th, in 1879) as was Wernher von Braun (on the 23rd, in 1912). Wernher von Braun, of course, is widely recognized as the father of modern rocketry and as a major figure in the US space race. Albert Einstein, with his theory of relativity, created the foundation for modern cosmology and astrophysics; among other things, Einstein is responsible for the concept of a “black hole.”

Spring is almost here; it officially begins with the Vernal Equinox on the 20th of March. The Vernal Equinox marks the moment when the increasing period of daylight finally equals, and then overtakes, the decreasing period of darkness. After the Vernal Equinox, our days are longer than our nights, and the world around us warms to life after the dormancy of winter.

Many calendars base their first day on the Vernal Equinox. It is also a time when many holidays are celebrated. For instance, the Persian (Iranian) New Year begins with the Vernal Equinox. Passover is celebrated on the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. And, on the Sunday that follows the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, we have Easter.

The planets up this March are Mars and Saturn. Mars will ride high in the sky in the early evening. Although no longer at opposition, the red planet will continue to be well illuminated by the Sun, from the perspective of Earth, and appear relatively large (although certainly not Moon-size as some rumors may suggest) even in modest telescopes. Later in the evening, one can examine Saturn, the ringed planet, which will be at opposition (closest to Earth and illuminated face-on by the Sun) on the 22nd of March. This year, Saturn’s rings will be minimally visible given the edge-on view. The thin, faint rings, however, will make it easier to see the planet’s usually hidden moons. Why not visit Custer and see both planets through our telescopes and imaging gear?

March is a great month for galaxy watching since, when looking up, we observe out of the plane of our own galaxy, which will thus not interfere with our view of faint and distant objects. Why not take a look at M81 and M82, both of which may be found off the cup of the Big Dipper? M81, “Bode’s Galaxy,” is a spiral galaxy not unlike our Milky Way. It is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky although it is 1.2 million light years away!

M82 is an active galaxy in which many stars are rapidly forming—a starburst galaxy—that is especially bright in the radio spectrum. Both galaxies can be seen with a modest telescope and are good targets for astrophotography.

Once you’ve experienced it, the feeling of coursing through curving European roadways is one that will stay with you forever. When you drive a Porsche, this is the feeling you get every time, no matter where you are. The carmaker is internationally lauded for producing vehicles that are profound, not brash, sophisticated, not fussy. The leader in roadsters and racing vehicles branched out in recent years with an SUV and now they are storming a new field of models. Think it’s blindly ambitious for a sports car maker to pursue developing a 4-door premium sedan? This is Porsche: Ambitious yes, blind, no. But then again you’d have to know one. The new Panamera is so distinctive, well, it speaks for itself…

I am the response to those who want performance in a premium sedan, but the elegance and sophistication of an estate car. My designs are not just beautiful, they are also functional. This is the essence of the harmony you feel between the power of my engines and the ease of my handling.

I hail from a specific mold: Ferry Porsche believed that “for something to endure, it must be unique.” This is what makes Porsche timeless. And the same is true of me. My wings are higher than my hood but my proportions are low, streamlined and muscular, iconic, no gimmicks.

Extraordinary aerodynamics gives me a sleek look, but my shoulders are braün. That’s European for an automobile that has the character to handle cliff-high hairpin turns, but the style to park astride a classic villa. This is how we live in my part of Europe. I am part of a tradition that dates to the earliest of racing history. Modernity, technology, innovation…these words are not contrary to my litany, they are part of it.

Once seated in my embossed leather, you become my pupil. Superior engineering gives you confidence—you sense my racing heritage—gears change smoothly, the flow of power is seamless under even the most accelerated scenarios. And despite ill-cared for Long Island roads, you won’t feel a thing thanks to my unique steel spring suspension—it comes standard.

This is not about driving; it’s about an automotive experience—around the block, into the city, out to the country. Emotional? Perhaps. But I have the muscle to back it up. And besides, women love me.

Stats:
4.8-liter, naturally aspirated V8
400 hp @ 6,500 rpm
Performance: 175 mph Top Track Speed, 0-60mph in 5.2s
Fuel: 24mpg (highway)
Wheels are light and open for aesthetics and also for enhanced
performance and break ventilation
MSRP: $89,800—$132,600

Don’t keep cash in one basket
Stage your cash: Keep only a small amount of cash in your pocket.
ATMs are everywhere, even the most remote places.

Good Things in Small Packages
Small and boutique hotels are no less elegant or sophisticated than the large American chains. Venture into new territory and be rewarded with personal attention, intimate settings and best of all, you’ll have an authentic experience mixing with locals and international jetsetters.

Jet Lag
The best thing is to get into the destination time zone before you leave. Example: New Yorkers going to Europe (6 hours ahead), get into your rhythm the day before by going to sleep and waking up earlier. Then sleep on the plane.