Remembering John Patrick Salamone
…his most significant contributions were the type of person he was, the way he cared for his fellow man, and the love, devotion, and loyalty he exhibited to family and friends. ~John P Salamone Memorial Foundation
COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret
Why doesn’t The Sierra Club, Oceana, Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, and Amazon Watch loudly communicate about the number one environmental problem in the world?
News outlets recently reported that Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, Jerry Yang, and Jessica Powell are investing in Hampton Creek – a small company based in San Francisco focused on developing new ways of utilizing plants to replace eggs and animal products in a variety of different foods. Why would the co-founders of Microsoft, PayPal, Yahoo, and Google invest in a company promoting plant-based foods? The answer is surprisingly simple: there is one single industry that is destroying the planet more than any other: animal agriculture (which includes animal livestock and fishing). Hard to believe? It’s true but it’s one of the best kept secrets on this planet because no one wants to talk about it. Why? That’s a good question. Read more 
ThanksLiving 2014: Woodstock, NY
Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is all about showing thanks for what we have been given but what about celebrating a day where we give thanks for the living?
If you happen to be in the northeast (NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, or NH) and are looking to see the Fall foliage leaves, enjoy a delicious meal, and spend an afternoon with family, friends, and 300 very sociable animals, consider driving to Woodstock, New York on Sunday, October 12, 2014 when the 9th annual ThanksLiving will take place at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Read more
Ten Books Not to Buy For Kids
Freedom of speech in the United States is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution and is a right we take very seriously in this country. It’s why the NRA can heckle the parents of slain 5 and 6-year olds from Sandy Hook Elementary School when they speak out for gun control or why members of the Westboro Baptist Church are allowed to protest at funerals for serviceman and servicewomen who gave their lives protecting our country. Distasteful, disrespectful, self-righteous, and judgmental but allowed. Read more
Why Health Insurance Should Not Be Tied to Employment
On our nation’s birthday, we have much to celebrate in the 238 years since our country was founded: we’ve come a long way with regards to religious freedom and equal rights but we still have a long way to go. This past week the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 that the government cannot require for-profit, closely held companies to provide certain birth control drugs and devices because the provision goes against the owner’s religious beliefs. Whether you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court ruling, this case never should have been entertained by the high court because health insurance should not be tied to employment, and here are the three reasons why: Read more
6 Indie Bookstores to Patronize NOW
A quiet battle between Amazon (the behemoth bookseller) and Hachette (the giant book publisher) has been waging on for years but the lid was blown off this past week by a combination of factors that many observers are predicting will lead to the The War To End All Wars in Bookville.
At the 2014 Book Expo of America (the largest annual book trade fair) in New York City, a few brave authors spoke out against the giant retailer for its strong-arm tactics of notifying customers that pre-orders of books published by Hachette are no longer being accepted. In addition, Amazon notified customers of delays in book shipments and that certain books by authors whose works are published by Hachette are not available, bringing the industry issues to the public’s attention. But, I am getting ahead of myself so let’s take a step back.
The Changing of the Guard
Sometimes seemingly normal events have a way of putting people in their place, which is what happened to me this past Sunday. During the week, my subscription to the Wall Street Journal arrives Monday through Saturday but on Sunday I buy the New York Times and spend the morning reading all the sections (except Sports and Automobiles) with special attention given to the Real Estate, Metropolitan, Styles, Business, and Sunday Review sections. Both newspapers provide a different perspective (read: conservative and liberal) on the events of the week with the Sunday Times providing a lighter, more entertaining read on the most relaxing day of the week. Read more
A Prom Dress Registry?
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
-Gibran Khalil Gibran
Decades ago when I was going to proms, finding a dress was as simple as going to the mall and buying a gown that would match a date’s tux (yes, it was the 70’s). Nowadays, my daughter tells me things are different. Girls buy a dress and immediately post a picture of the dress on-line (usually a Facebook page set up for this purpose) so that no one else even thinks about buying the coveted frock because there really can’t be anything more catastrophic than two or three girls wearing the same dress to a prom. And, if an independent-minded teen dares to defy her peers and not conform, she is criticized, shunned, or runs the risk of subjecting herself to a fashion face-off of “Who Wears it Better?” Read more
Boys-Only Golf Clubs
With the Master’s Tournament taking place at the Augusta National Golf Club this week, the conversation surrounding boys-only golf clubs is heating up again. Although Augusta left the dark ages and officially joined the modern world by inviting two females (Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore) in August, 2012 to join its estimated 300 member male base, some say Augusta still has a long way to go. After all, women represent less than 1 percent of club membership at the well-known Georgian golf club. Read more
“My Gentle Barn”
At the core of every human being is a resilience that buoys us back to the surface of life. With every painful loss or setback that brings us crashing to our knees, we find some way to keep breathing and move forward.
My Gentle Barn is the story of how one young girl made her dream come true. Ellie Laks grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family whose members didn’t understand who she was or what made her tick. Told to be quiet, help her mother, and subjugate herself to adults and males in particular, Ellie was a lonely and angry child who didn’t know why her family put her in a box where she didn’t belong and blamed her when she was victimized. Turning to animals – and especially those who needed help – Ellie found solace, compassion, and understanding in the creatures she shared a special connection with. Looking back as an adult, Ellie writes:
Paddock Post 