Rum is an alcoholic beverage distilled from the fermented juice of sugarcane, sugarcane syrup, sugarcane molasses or other sugarcane byproducts. It is bottled at not less than 80 proof (except for flavored rum). Some rums are bottled at a staggering 151 proof.
More than 70 countries produce rum, although it is produced mainly in Caribbean, Central and South American countries.
Although rum is generally used as a mixer in cocktails such as piña colada, daiquiri, rum and cola, mojito, Long Island ice tea and others, there are many well-aged rums suitable for sipping without the fruit juices. If you enjoy sipping rum, my recommendations will most certainly satisfy your cravings.
Owney’s Rum (New York City), started in 2012: Clear color with hints of grass, citrus, mint, black pepper and clove. Dry and strong tasting with an aftertaste of molasses.
Puerto Angel Rum (Mexico): Just a hint of color; bouquet of coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, butterscotch, nutmeg and vanilla. Some bitterness, but smooth with “no bite.”
Brugal Añejo Extra Rum (Dominican Republic): Amber colored with a bouquet and flavor of citrus, molasses, cinnamon, grass and lime. Very complex smoky taste, almost of a fine brandy.
Don Q Gran Añejo Rum (Puerto Rico): Amber color with overtones of lemons, grass, toasted oak, citrus, burnt sugar, banana and butterscotch. It is aged in used sherry barrels.
Ron Abuelo 12-Year-Old Rum (Panama): Amber colored with a complex nose of caramel, nuts, toasted oak and molasses. Fruity with flavors of orange, heather honey, dark cherries, molasses and toasted nuts. Superb, smooth rum.
Bacardi Reserva Limitata (Puerto Rico): Amber colored with hints of citrus, honey, tobacco, vanilla and maple syrup. Full flavored with a long, pleasing, almost sugary aftertaste.
Pyrat XO Reserve Rum (Antigua): Amber colored. The rum smells like an orange liqueur with hints of nutmeg. Full flavor of candied orange peel, lemon, lime and butterscotch. Quite refined; fantastic served over ice.
Appleton Reserve Blend Rum (Jamaica): Amber colored with a bouquet of molasses, burnt butter, nuts, clove, allspice, mace and oil of bergamot. Dry with a pleasing smoky, burnt-wood aftertaste. One of the finest Appleton rums I’ve tasted.
El Dorado 12-Year-Old Demerara Rum (Guyana): Amber colored with a bouquet of allspice, black pepper, caramel and toasted marshmallows. Flavors explode in the mouth with sugarcane, oranges, dates, prunes, orange peel and toasted nuts. Very well made and so delicious.
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum (Venezuela): Dark amber colored with a refined bouquet of citrus, toasted vanilla, nuts, prunes, toffee and orange zest. Flavors of orange, toffee, maple syrup and honey. The rum is aged in used PX sherry barrels, which accounts for the fruitiness in the mouth. Superb!
Fun fact: The Andrews Sisters, a famous female singing group, recorded the song, “Rum & Coca-Cola” on Oct. 18, 1944, for Decca Records.
Bob Lipinski, a local author, has written 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Gin, Vodka, Rum & Tequila” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR [email protected].
Members of the Long Island Accordion Alliance, from left, John Custie, Joe Campo, Phil Prete, Phil Franzese, Ray Oreggia, Franco Ruggiero, Dominic Karcic and Mike Zeppetella performing at Campagnola Restaurant, Commack, August 2010. Photo from Dominic Karcic
By Dominic Karcic
From my very early childhood I have been exposed to the accordion, accordion music and dancing to accordion music. In my Croatian and “quasi-northern Italian” culture and upbringing, the accordion was the musical instrument of choice — “the accordion was king.”
Accordion music was always part of every major social event that I ever attended; so it was no surprise when at the age of 10 I started taking lessons. Eventually my love for the accordion became the catalyst that helped direct me to a career performing music and also a lengthy career as a music educator in the Long Island public school system.
From left, Ray Oreggia, Phil Prete, Joe Campo, Charlie Fontana, Dominic Karcic, Bob LaBua, Greg Zukoff, Joe DeClemente, Frank Scardino at the LIAA’s 7th anniversary celebration. Photo by Dominic Karcic
As a longtime resident of Long Island and an active performing accordionist, I knew that there were many people who either played the accordion or used to play the accordion and that there was a vast group of people who just loved accordion music and its culture. I always felt that there was a void and lack of activities and events for the accordion locally.
Being a “dreamer,” I have always felt that a periodic accordion event if structured properly would succeed. I started to bring my dream to reality when in July of 2010 I began calling various accordionists that I knew. Everyone that I contacted agreed to participate and the rest is history.
On Aug. 3, 2010, the very first meeting of what became the Long Island Accordion Alliance, LIAA, took place at a Commack restaurant named Campagnola. This very first meeting included Joe Campo, John Custie, Charlie Fontana, Phil Franzese, Dominic Karcic, Emilio Magnotta, Ray Oreggia, Phil Prete, Franco Ruggiero and Mike Zeppetella. In January of 2011 we moved to our current home at La Villini Restaurant in East Northport.
The LIAA, made up of both professional and amateur accordionists, meets on the first Wednesday of the month with members performing solo, in small ensembles and as an orchestra. Every month we usually have a featured guest artist(s).
From left, Bob LaBua, Frank Scardino, Joe DeClemente, Santo Endrizzi, Phil Prete, Greg Zukoff, Dominic Karcic, Ray Oreggia, ( La Villini Restaurant, East Northport, NY – October 2017 )
We are so proud that periodically some of the finest accordionists perform at our monthly event. Some of these artists have been USA and even world competition champions. These include Beverly Roberts Curnow, Mario Tacca and Mary Tokarski. Some other artists that have performed for us include Manny Corallo, Angelo DiPippo, Don Gerundo, Emilio Magnotta, Paddy Noonan, Frank Toscano, the Scandinavian group Smorgas Bandet and internationally acclaimed vocalist Mary Mancini.
Patrons come in to have dinner and listen to our music. Those who play the accordion are invited and encouraged to participate in the open-mic portion of the evening.
Our aim is to promote a love for the accordion and accordion music, bring former accordionists back to the instrument, create an environment where aficionados can attend and “celebrate the accordion and its culture.” We strive to create an atmosphere where accordionists can perform, grow musically, meet regularly, network and, in our own way, further the aims and goals of the American Accordionists Association.
On Jan. 3 of this year we were honored by a visit from Dave Anthony Setteducati, the host of “Italian America Long Island,” a Cablevision program that airs every Wednesday on Channel 115. He videotaped our event and created a very interesting and informative program that contains personal interviews with LIAA members and guests, many segments of member accordionists performing individually and also segments of ensemble playing. This program is scheduled to be featured on his Cablevision program on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.
The current alliance nucleus consists of nine accordionists including Joe Campo of Wantagh, Joe DeClemente of Bellerose, Santo Endrizzi of New Hyde Park, Dominic Karcic of Commack, Bob LaBua of East Northport, Ray Oreggia of Syosset, Phil Prete of Bethpage, Frank Scardino of East Northport and Greg Zukoff of Bellmore.
In August 2018 we will be celebrating our eighth anniversary. We feel so proud that the formula we created works. We hope our success is an incentive to “other dreamers” out there to take the plunge and create their own local “accordion club.”
The LIAA usually meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at La Villini Restaurant, 288 Larkfield Road, East Northport. Reservations are highly recommended. For more information, call 631- 261-6344.
Aneurysms are universally feared; they can be lethal and most times are asymptomatic (without symptoms). Yet aneurysms are one of the least well-covered medical disorders in the press. There are numerous types of aneurysms, most of which are named by their location of occurrence, including abdominal, thoracic and cerebral (brain). In this article, I will discuss abdominal aortic aneurysms, better known as a “triple-A,” or AAA. Preventing any type of aneurysm should be a priority.
What is an AAA? It is an increase in the diameter of the walls of the aorta in one area, in this case, the abdomen. The aorta is the “water main” for supplying blood to the rest of the body from the heart. Abnormal enlargement weakens the walls and increases the risk that it may rupture. If the aorta ruptures, it causes massive hemorrhaging, or bleeding, and creates a substantial likelihood of death.
The exact incidence of aneurysms is difficult to quantify, since some people may die due to its rupture without having an autopsy; however, estimates suggest that they occur in 4 to 9 percent of the population (1).
The cause of AAA is not known, but it is thought that inflammation and oxidative stress play an important role in weakening smooth muscle in the aorta (2). The consequence of this is an abnormally enlarged aorta.
People who are at highest risk for aneurysms are those over age 60 (3). Other risk factors include atherosclerosis, or hardened arteries; high blood pressure; race (Caucasian); gender (male); family history; smoking; and having a history of aneurysms in other arteries (4). Some of these risk factors are modifiable, such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and smoking.
Men are more than four times more likely to have an AAA (5). Though males are at a higher risk, women are at a higher risk of having an AAA rupture (6). So, gender is important for differentiating the incidence, but also the risk of severity.
Is it important to get screened?
The short answer is yes it is important, especially if you have risk factors. You should talk to your physician. Although some people do experience nondescript symptoms, such as pain in the abdomen, back or flank pain, the majority of cases are asymptomatic (4). A smaller AAA is less likely to rupture and can be monitored closely with noninvasive diagnostic tools, such as ultrasound and CT scan.
Sometimes cost is a question when it comes to screening, but a recent study showed unequivocally that screening ultimately reduces cost, because of the number of aneurysms that are identified and potentially prevented from rupturing (7).
What are the treatments?
There are no specific medications that prevent or treat abdominal aortic aneurysms. Medications for treating risk factors, such as high blood pressure, have no direct impact on an aneurysm’s size or progression. But the mainstay of treatment is surgery to prevent rupture. Two surgical techniques may be utilized. One approach is the endovascular repair (EVAR), which is minimally invasive, and the other is the more traditional open surgery (8). A comparison of these approaches in a small randomized controlled trial had similar outcomes: a mortality rate of 25 percent. This was considered a surprisingly good statistic.
The good news is that surgery has resulted in a 29 percent reduction in rupture of the AAA (9). When using the minimally invasive EVAR technique mentioned above, the specialist who performs the surgery may make a difference. A study’s results showed that surgeons had better outcomes, in terms of mortality rates and length of hospital stay, compared to interventional radiologists and cardiologists (10). This was a retrospective (looking in the past) study, which is not the strongest type of trial.
When to watch and wait and when to treat is a difficult question; surgery is not without its complications, and risk of death is higher than many other surgeries. AAA size is the most important factor. In women, AAAs over 5.0 cm may need immediate treatment, while in men, those over 5.5 cm may need immediate treatment (11). Smaller AAAs, however, are trickier.
The growth rate is important, so patients with this type of aneurysm should have an ultrasound or CT scan every six to 12 months. If you have an aneurysm, have a discussion with your physician about this.
Lifestyle changes
One of the most powerful tools against AAA is prevention; it avoids the difficult decision of how to best avoid rupture and the complications of surgery itself. Lifestyle changes are a must. They don’t typically have dangerous side effects, but rather potential side benefits. These lifestyle changes include smoking cessation, exercise and dietary changes.
Smoking cessation
Studies have shown that cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use appear to increase your risk of aortic aneurysms.
Smoking has the greatest impact because it directly impacts the occurrence and size of an AAA. It increases risk of medium-to-large size aneurysms by at least fivefold. One study found that smoking was responsible for 78 percent of aortic aneurysms larger than 4 cm (12). Remember, size does matter in terms of rupture risk. So for those who smoke, this is a wake-up call.
Impact of fruit
A simple lifestyle modification with significant impact is increasing your fruit intake. The results of two prospective (forward-looking) study populations, Cohort of Swedish Men and the Swedish Mammography Cohort Study, showed that consumption of greater than two servings of fruit a day decreased the risk of an AAA by 25 percent (13). If you do have an AAA, this same amount of fruit also decreased the risk of AAA rupture by 43 percent. This study involved over 80,000 men and women, ages 46 to 84, with a follow-up of 13 years.
The authors believe that fruit’s impact may have to do with its antioxidant properties; it may reduce the oxidative stress that can cause these types of aneurysms. Remember, the quandary has been when the benefit of surgery outweighs the risks, in terms of preventing rupture. This modest amount of fruit on a daily basis may help alleviate this quandary.
So what have we learned? Screening for AAA may be very important, especially as we age and if we have a family history. Surgery results to prevent rupture are similar, regardless of the type. However, keep in mind that surgery for AAA has a significant mortality risk. At the end of the day, lifestyle changes, including smoking cessation and increased fruit intake, are no-brainers.
Dr. Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
LEISURELY FOG Arthur Bell of Huntington Bay submitted this photo of the Huntington Lighthouse from Wincoma Beach. He writes, ‘[My family] loves hearing the Huntington Lighthouse horn on foggy days. On Jan. 12, we walked down to the beach to see what the fog looked like over the bay.’
One of my earliest social occasions as a young married woman was the coffee klatch. Recently graduated from college, a new mother and far away from home, I was lonely and bored. The only people around were my grumpy landlady and the tenant in the apartment next door who spent eight hours every single day cleaning her three-room apartment and screaming at her husband.
I would walk up and down the hill where we lived or sit on the one bench in town, rocking the baby carriage and hoping to meet someone, anyone. But I met no one. Then one day as I was sitting in the laundromat, the woman who owned it invited me upstairs to her apartment to pass the time and chat over coffee and a cake she had just taken out of the oven.
That was my first coffee klatch and the beginning of my one and only friendship in that forsaken little town. It taught me the value of what can happen over a cup of coffee and a slice of warm cake. When I moved, a year or so later, I lost no time in inviting my new neighbors in to coffee klatch, and it soon became a regular Tuesday morning ritual as each of us took our turn hosting and baking, sharing stories, gossip, outgrown baby clothes, radical ideas (it was the ’60s) and, of course, recipes while our babies napped. Here are a few of those recipes, including the one from Christine, my laundromat friend.
Christine’s Buttermilk–Brown Sugar Coffee Cake
Christine’s Buttermilk-Brown Sugar Coffee Cake
YIELD: Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS:
1⁄3 cup room temperature butter
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup sifted flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄3 cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: Grease an 8-inch square or round pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar. Beat in the egg until completely blended. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and half teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir dry mixture into the butter mixture, alternately with the buttermilk until thoroughly combined. Spread evenly in baking pan. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of batter, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 40 minutes or until cake tester or knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea and good friends.
Liz’s Blackberry Coffee Cake
Liz’s Blackberry Coffee Cake
YIELD: Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup milk
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1½ cups flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
11⁄3 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed
½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3½ tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch square or round pan with butter, then dust with flour. In medium bowl, beat together the ¾ cup milk, ½ cup melted butter, vanilla extract and egg. In another bowl, combine the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Stir dry mixture into wet mixture and half the blackberries. Turn mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle top with remaining blackberries. Bake 30 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, tablespoon butter, 3½ tablespoons milk and almond extract. Whisk until well blended. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm with coffee or tea, friends and neighbors.
Naomi’s Pecan-Crumb Coffee Cake
Naomi’s Pecan-Crumb Coffee Cake
YIELD: Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup room temperature butter
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
1¼ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup butter, cut into half-inch pieces
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8- by 13-inch baking dish. Cream the butter and cream cheese. With mixer on medium speed, add sugar, a little at a time, until mixture is light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time and beat just until yolks disappear. Stir together next three ingredients and add to first mixture, alternating with the milk and making sure the flour mixture is first and last. Finally, stir in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the half cups of flour, sugar and pecans with the quarter cup of butter; stir or whisk vigorously until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with flour and pecan mixture. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until an inserted tester comes out clean. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving with coffee or tea and new and old friends.
From left, Brenna Henn and Meng Lin at a conference last year in New Orleans. Photo from Meng Lin
By Daniel Dunaief
The story of the genetics of skin pigmentation in humans may have even more layers than the skin itself, depending on how close people live to the equator. The conventional wisdom for skin pigmentation is that it is a relatively simple trait, with a small number of genes accounting for almost half of the variety of skin tones.
That, however, isn’t always the case. Pigmentation genetics likely becomes more complex in populations near the equator or with greater variation in pigmentation, like with the Khoisan living in southern Africa.
Above, Brenna Henn, right, with an elder in the Khomani San community who gave her a book on the language formerly spoken in the southern Kalahari Desert. Photo from Brenna Henn
“As you move further toward the equator, the distributions are wide,” Brenna Henn, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, said about the results she, along with collaborators from her lab and from Stanford University, recently published in the journal Cell.
Exploring the genetic determination of skin can serve as a model to understand the broad implications for various genetic variations for different populations as they confront a range of health challenges.
Henn has also worked with tuberculosis studies in South Africa. About one in three people in the world has a latent tuberculosis infection. Researchers have conducted studies to see which genes might be responsible for the different reactions to this disease. Tuberculosis susceptibility studies indicate that different genes may be responsible for infection in different populations, in areas including Russia, West Africa and South Africa.
According to Henn, scientists need to study and understand the disease in different populations to identify, through gene interactions, who will benefit from specific treatments in a vaccination campaign.
When Henn, who is a native of California, started the pigmentation study seven years ago when she was a graduate student at Stanford University, she had considerably different expectations. “When I was a post doc at Stanford, I expected the project to be quick because the genetics of pigmentation in Europeans was relatively well understood,” she explained in an email. When she started analyzing the results, she found that her hypothesis “was not true at all. There are so many different things involved.”
Calling this analysis the “tip of the iceberg,” Henn said she discovered many new genes beyond the ones scientists already knew contributed to skin pigmentation. She estimates that there are 50 if not more genetic sequences involved in skin pigmentation near the equator.
The range of skin pigmentation in South African populations reflected this increased genetic blueprint, with people in these areas demonstrating about twice the variation as people might encounter in a western European population.
These studies require the analysis of considerable data, through a field called bioinformatics, in which researchers analyze and process information through programs that search for patterns. “There’s a huge computational component” to this work, Henn said. “We don’t know where the genes are. We have to sample the entire genome” for as many as 500 people. “This blows up into a computational problem.”
Above, from left, Meng Lin and Brenna Henn at Lin’s graduation ceremony where she earned her PhD. Photo from Brenna Henn
Meng Lin, who worked in Henn’s lab for four and a half years and recently earned her doctorate, performs just such analyses. “We were hoping we’d be able to find some signals that had never been found before, to demonstrate the difference” in the genetic architecture, said Lin, who is now applying for postdoctoral research positions. “Given the prior studies on skin pigmentation traits, the complexity of the genetic architecture we found out was unexpected.”
People near the equator would likely need to have pigmentation that balanced between producing vitamin D from sunlight with protecting their skin from too much exposure to ultraviolet light. In areas such as in Africa, the ultraviolet light can be so strong that “the primary selection factor would be to avoid the photo damage from the strong UV, which favors melanin enriched dark skin pigmentation for photo protection,” Lin explained in an email.
Generally, people further from the equator, such as Scandinavian populations, have lighter skin because they need to process the limited vitamin D they can get, particularly during the darker months. That, however, isn’t the case for the Inuit people, who have darker skin in an area that gets limited sunlight. “Anyone who lives there should be under pressure for light skin,” Lin said. The Inuit, however, are darker skinned, which might be because their diet includes fish and fish oil, which is a rich source of vitamin D. “That would relax the selection force on lighter skin color,” she said.
With people able to travel and live in a wide range of regions across the Earth, selection pressures might be harder to decipher in the modern world. “Travel across continents is a recent” phenomenon, Lin said. The history of such travel freedom is “way too short for changing the genetic components.” Selection pressure occurs over tens of thousands of years, she added.
Diversity and the intake of vitamin D interact closely with each other. They can have impacts on the balance point. Using vitamin supplements could relax the selection on lighter skin, so the balance might shift to a darker population, Lin explained. Other modern lifestyles, such as wearing clothes, staying indoors and consuming vitamin D could complicate this and relax the strength of selection in the future, she added.
A native of China, Lin lives in Port Jefferson Station and enjoys applying math and computer skills to biology. “It’s great fun to solve the questions we have by developing and applying computational methods to existing data,” she said.
After five years at Stony Brook, Henn is transitioning to a position at the University of California at Davis, where she hopes to continue this ongoing work. “We want to follow up on how quickly these selective events occur,” Henn said. She’d like to discover how long it takes for the genetic average of the population to shift.
Thank you for lending me your book last weekend. While you were off skiing with the rest of the family, I was totally absorbed reading your high school homework assignment, “A Raisin in the Sun,” in front of a crackling fire in the lodge. Lorraine Hansberry wrote the play, you know, in 1958, which was the year I graduated from high school, so I can tell you how remarkable her characters and themes are for that time.
The story takes place in Chicago, on the city’s gritty South Side, and tells of a poor black family living in a three-room flat with a bathroom in the hall that is shared with others. The grandmother, Lena, whose apartment it is, sleeps in one bedroom with her daughter, Beneatha, who is in college. Walter, Lena’s 35-year-old son, is a chauffeur for a wealthy businessman, and he shares another room with his wife, Ruth, who works as a cleaning woman in different homes. Travis, 10, is their son and he sleeps in the living room/kitchen on a sofa that is made up for him each night, which means that he doesn’t get to sleep until any visitor leaves.
When we meet them, the family is excited about the imminent arrival of a “big check,” that turns out to be the proceeds from an insurance policy on the life of Big Walter, Lena’s late husband. The value is $10,000, which in today’s money would be about $160,000. The introduction of this money into the plot is the fulcrum around which the characters, their roles in the family dynamic and their situation in society are defined.
Walter desperately wants to start his own business with the funds, viewing entrepreneurship as a way to rise above a humiliating life stretching out before him as a chauffeur. There are tense exchanges between him and Lena, as he passionately explains to his mother that he can go into partnership in a liquor store with a shrewd friend who has figured out the financing, but they need startup capital.
Lena, for her part, thinking back to their not-so-distant ancestors of slaves, values freedom more than financial success, and certainly doesn’t appreciate the prospect of selling liquor to their neighbors. However she wants to see her son as the prideful head of the family and recognizes his despair at the life in which he feels trapped in mid-century America.
Ruth, who is pregnant, loves her husband and understands that his grind, as they enter middle age, is eroding their marriage. She is the life-giving mother of the next generation and it is she who ultimately urges optimism after Lena makes her pivotal decision. I hesitate to tell you what that decision is because I don’t want to ruin the plot for you. This is a play well worth reading if you have the chance, if only for the messages that continue to be so relevant today.
Beneatha is a most interesting character, attracted by the romantic allure of the distant continent from which her people originally came, albeit unwillingly, yet determined to make her own way through education, the upward mobility ladder presumably offered by the American Dream. She eschews the idea of advancing herself through the traditional female strategy of marrying rich, much touted for her by Walter. At a time when most medical schools were admitting only one or perhaps two women in each freshman class, she is planning to become a doctor. She will need money to pay for that education, and Lena recognizes that fact.
The play is about poverty, masculinity, femininity, opportunity, integration, honor, tradition and especially racism in American, and looks into the future with remarkable prescience. Has much changed in our country over the ensuing 60 years? In 1959, the play received standing ovations and critical acclaim. It was, after all, the first play offered there by an African-American woman, only 28, that purported to tell the truth about black lives. Hansberry came from a wealthy family and could present her initially optimistic message of a different life.
In answer to the question, it could be said she at least started the conversation on Broadway. Racism discussed is, however slowly, racism destroyed. It is up to your generation, Adam, to continue the fight.
He was so close and then, poof, everything he’d worked for and imagined for 13 years disappeared in an instant.
John Daly, a Smithtown native who hates the cold, was competing in his second winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and was in fourth place, in the hunt for a medal after three of the four legs of his skeleton race.
In skeleton, athletes sprint at top speed hunched over with their hands on the sleds for five seconds, then dive headfirst on the sleds, navigating around the curved icy track by shifting their weight while traveling at speeds of more than 80 miles per hour.
And then, in the fourth race, at the top, where he needed to generate the kind of speed that would allow him to race against his rivals and the clock, Daly’s sled popped out of the grooves in the ice, slowing him down and sending him back to 15th place.
After such a crushing defeat, Daly decided to move on with his life, retiring from a sport where he’d won numerous other medals and where he was one of the country’s best sliders.
For two years, he stayed retired, taking a job in Virginia at medical technology company Smith & Nephew.
Then, a funny thing happened in retirement. Daly missed the sport. He didn’t have the same passion for other parts of his life, the bitter cold from mountains around the world notwithstanding, that he felt when he was racing.
He spoke to numerous people about what he might do.
People his age, he’s 32, could understand the hesitation about throwing himself back into a sport that required physical and mental commitment. To get back into prime condition, Daly would need to make nine hour drives from Virginia, where he was living, up to Lake Placid, a familiar training ground and site of the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
People older than he is, however, couldn’t understand the agony of the decision.
“Why wouldn’t you go back?” they asked. When you’re older, they argued, “Do you want to look back and say, ‘I might have gotten a little further ahead at work,’ or do you want to go back for one more Olympic games?”
Unlike other competitions, the Winter Olympics only occur once every four years. And, unlike the World Cup competitions, a global TV audience seems to pause to watch the games.
The Olympics can make the improbable possible, including the unexpected warming of tensions between North and South Korea, who are marching together in the opening ceremony and sending a combined women’s ice hockey team to the games.
As we age, we don’t always spring out of bed the same way and we may lose a step or two in our reaction time. We gain, however, the benefit of each year of life experiences, observing how we, and the world around us, change.
Daly decided to return to the sport, where he has made his third Olympic team. The poet Horace, who published the immortal Latin phrase “carpe diem,” meaning “seize the day,” would be proud.
No one knows how Daly will do in a few weeks. Could he medal? His coach Tuffy Latour thinks so.
Latour said that Daly “never really lost it.”
Sometimes, Latour said, the time away helps athletes better prepare for the next Olympics, allowing them to gain a fresh perspective.
Coming back, however, may prove equally important for Daly, who is hoping to rewrite the final chapter of a sliding odyssey. Many years from now, he hopes he may one day offer the same kind of support to his kids that he received from his parents James and Bennarda, whom he jokingly called “sliding enablers.”
Regardless of the outcome, that older version of himself may thank him for giving it one more try.
MEET RILEY! Currently available for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter is Riley! What a story this dog could tell if only he could talk. This supersweet 2-year-old Shepherd/Lab mix was rescued in Texas where things weren’t so good. Now he’s ready to leave the past behind him and start over in New York.
Once he knows you, he just loves you and won’t leave your side. Due to his hard life in Texas, he does have an old injury to one of his hind legs that is not able to be fixed. However, he still LOVES to go for short little walks. All Riley wants is a home where he will be loved and cared for — is that too much to ask?
Kent Animal Shelter, located at 2259 River Road in Calverton, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. For more information on Riley and other adoptable pets at Kent, visit www.kentanimalshelter.com or call 631-727-5731. Photo courtesy of Kent Animal Shelter
MEET CAROL! Waiting for you at Kent Animal Shelter is this black beauty Carol! She’s a very sweet and affectionate 4-year-old cat who would make the purrfect lap warmer for these colder months. So if you’re looking for a new friend to hibernate the winter away with, Carol’s your girl! She comes spayed, microchipped and up to date on vaccines and is ready for a fresh start. Kent Animal Shelter, located at 2259 River Road in Calverton, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.. For more information on Carol and other adoptable pets at Kent, visit www.kentanimalshelter.com or call 631-727-5731.
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