Ode to a Carbonated Beverage

By Michael Watt

I attended my first college fair as a parent earlier this week and quite frankly I went in there thinking, “If nothing else, I should be able to get a column out of this.”

Alas and alack: After hours of trying the only thing I can come up with is, “Boo hoo my kid’s going off to college. Now I feel old because it seems like just last week I was going off to college and blah blah blah.” Nobody wants to read that and I certainly don’t feel like writing it.

As I contemplated what else I might want to write about, however, I poured myself a tall glass of seltzer. Now there’s something worth writing about: seltzer. It just sounds funny.

I love my seltzer. I can drink it all day and it doesn’t make me nauseous or jumpy or stupid like so many other beverages I can name. Right now under my desk is a case and a half of the stuff and I don’t have to count the bottles after I’ve been out of the house for a while to determine if my impressionable young sons got the urge to “experiment” and “explore” in my absence.

It’s fun to drink, too. If I drink a big glass quickly, for instance, I can almost always count on a huge belch ensuing. Sometimes all you need to break up your day and/or lighten the mood is a good belch. As my son Max likes to say, “Some things never get old.”

It can be a pain in the neck to order in restaurants, though, especially when I’m out with a group of friends (like that ever happens) or at a business dinner (more likely). Most folks order something cool or adult sounding, like “I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay,” or “I’ll take an unsweetened Iced Tea.” When it comes around to me I order my seltzer and for some reason I almost always have to repeat myself. Sometimes I think they think I’m saying salsa, which wouldn’t make any sense for obvious reasons. It doesn’t matter, though, because invariably they bring me club soda anyway.

Now, not too many people know that there is a difference between seltzer and club soda, primarily because not too many people care. I know I didn’t know, or care, until I was in my late teenss. I was filling in as a bartender at a Bar Mitzvah when one of the party attendees asked me for a seltzer. Not knowing (or caring) I poured him a club soda. He called me on it and when I asked – probably in a not-very-nice-way – what the difference was, he was kind enough to explain that seltzer has no sodium in it while club soda is rife with the stuff. He also explained that seltzer is Kosher and club soda is not. Unfortunately he explained this to me after several other party patrons were served club soda thinking it was seltzer.

Is that a big deal? Let’s put it this way: You don’t know guilt until you’ve discovered that several very nice folks may have to spend a few extra days in whatever it is Jewish people consider hell because their paths crossed with a brash, unthinking Gentile.

Seltzer can also be a pain because it’s not something most folks have on hand. I have gotten into the habit, therefore, of bringing my own seltzer with me on those rare occasions when I get invited to someone else’s home. You can just imagine how impressed my hosts are when I whip out two liters of “Vintage” or “Zazz.” Nothing screams “cheapskate” and “oh, this ought to be a laugh riot” like store-brand seltzer. (Don’t even get me started on what it’s like to show up at an all-night poker game packing a night’s supply of seltzer when everyone else is lugging in 12-packs of beer. Let’s just say I’m lucky they let me sit at the table).

Being a seltzer aficionado beyond the tri-state area can also be problematic. Anytime I go away on a business trip, for instance, the first thing I do when I get to my destination city is head to a local convenience store to stock up on the stuff I forgot to pack – a toothbrush, matching socks, a re-charger for my cell phone, etc. I also like to buy the basic food staples - bananas, chocolate and cookies - I need to get me through the next couple of days. I would get some seltzer, too, but for some reason seltzer does not exist west of the Hudson. I am sure it is just a coincidence but my rule of thumb is, “If you can’t find any good bagel places in the neighborhood then there’s not going to be any seltzer on the supermarket shelves, either."

Drinking seltzer does have its advantages. There are no calories, for instance, and I have never consumed excessive quantities of the stuff and then surrendered to the urge to call an old friend collect in the middle of the night. My only hope is that my older boy embraces my passion for seltzer when he goes away to college because it seems like only yesterday I was going off to college and I can tell you now the carbonated beverage I wrote odes to back then was definitely not seltzer.

Thank for you for reading this column.

Storm Damage at Davis Park, Fire Island

I just thought you might like to see some photos of the recent damage to the Davis Park area on Fire Island.

Although none of the homes were totally swept away by the waves, many were damaged and need to be moved or reinforced. Some may have to be torn down.

Here above is just one photo, but you can follow the link to see a slideshow of addtional photos.

Slideshow of a recent Davis Park.

Our First Storm Scare of the Season

BY AARON STEIN

This past weekend, Long Island and the surrounding areas got our first scare of this season. For those who don't realize it, we are already in the beginning weeks of what is considered hurricane season for our part of the world.

Here in Nassau and Suffolk counties, we got pretty lucky this past weekend. New Jersey was not so lucky and they continue to dig out of the mess. This was a nor'easter, as opposed to a tropical storm. There are a couple of things that were different. One is that it came from over the middle of the country, as opposed to tropical storms and hurricanes, which originate (strangely enough) in the tropics, out over water.

So that means that our deluge of rainfall was preceded by a bunch of snow being dropped on the middle part of the country. Usually they are laughing at us when we get hit by a tropical storm, because those rarely make it far inland. Once they do go over land, they quickly lose much of their strength.

The other thing that makes nor'easters so treacherous, especially here on Long Island and in the sort of inverted coastal corner that is the New York metropolitan area, is that the wind comes from a different direction than what is normal for us. Typically, our winds are the 'prevailing westerlies'. (Wind is named for the direction where it originates). That's why our weather patterns usually run from west to east. So if it's raining in central Pennsylvania, most times you can watch as the weather forecasters tell us how long it will be until that reaches us.

Even in this nor'easter, it came from the west relative to us. But the wind is from the northeast instead of the usual west. That means that to a certain extent, these high winds are blowing water in towards our south shores as they circulate around the storm's center! That's why nor'easters can cause heavy flooding even though it might not seem, walking out into our back yards, that things are all that horrible.

Let's hope this does not portend a more active hurricane season here on Long Island. In the past few weeks several more major insurance carriers have stopped writing in Suffolk County. The markets that are open are getting more expensive. And a couple of bad storms could really cause a crisis. We shall see.

As always for more information please visit our web sites at www.NYInsuranceWithService.com and www.FloodInsuranceNY.com.

Just a reminder...

photos by Alida Thorpe

Just a reminder to stay off the dunes while visiting Fire Island.

The dunes protect the beaches and the shores of Long Island. If you walk on the dunes or let your children play on the dunes, the grass is disturbed, and the sand will blow away in a storm.

Fire Island is our barrier beach and protects us in many ways!

Learn more about it!

Important Information About the Pet Food Recall

By Dennis Leon, DVM

As everyone probably knows by now, there is a nationwide recall on specific canned dog & cat foods manufactured by Menu Foods and sold under various other brand names. Affected pets seem to have signs and symptoms of kidney disease, including, but not limited to anorexia, lethargy and vomiting. A complete list of foods currently affected by this mass recall can be found at:

http://www.menufoods.com

Most of the foods affected are cheaper "supermarket brand" foods, but included on the list are a few manufacturers who sell "premium" foods: Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet and Nutro. Not all of their foods are affected by the recall -only specific canned foods produced at a specific plant in Kansas within a certain date range. More specific info can be found at the following sites:

http://us.iams.com/iams/...

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/...

http://www.nutroproducts.com/menufoods.asp

Menu Foods says they have narrowed down the culprit to wheat gluten, an ingredient used in the affected foods. They had a "new" distributor for wheat gluten at their Kansas manufacturing plant between 12/3/06 and 3/6/07. It is unclear at this time what other foods were manufactured in this time range using wheat gluten from the same source. Other manufacturers and brand names of food may or may not be recalled as more information is gathered.

If you have any of these affected foods with matching date and plant codes, discontinue feeding them immediately. Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet and Nutro all carry a 100% guarantee, so you will get refunded for the food. I have also been advising clients to discontinue feeding (or eating?) ANY food containing wheat gluten until the food companies and FDA sort out this whole issue.


For more information, contact:
Dennis Leon, DVM
Levittown Animal Hospital
2703 Hempstead Turnpike
Levittown, NY 11756
516-796-2266

----------
Dr. Dennis Leon is the owner and chief veterinarian at Levittown Animal Hospital. After working in a variety of small animal practices since 1992, he earned his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2001. Following his veterinary education, Dr. Leon worked in a busy multi-doctor practice in Hayward, CA, where he also served as a veterinary consultant to the City of Hayward Animal Services Bureau, Hayward Animal Shelter, Alameda County Animal Control and San Leando Animal Shelter. His professional interests include preventative medicine, anesthesiology, pain management, kidney disease and and obesity treatment.

Fire Island

photos by Alida Thorpe

First day of Spring and the snow is melting!
As the temperature rises, people visit the beach for long walks and fresh salt-air.
This photo was taken just east of Parking Field 5 of Robert Moses State Park.

Snow and the Lighthouse

Photo by Alida Thorpe

The Fire Island Lighthouse in the snow.....Spring begins on Wednesday!

Fire Island in Winter

A panoramic view of Fire Island, today, after the snow of the last two days.

It was a beautiful day!

Many people were walking the walkways and along the beach for fresh air, exercise and sunshine.

Beautiful...in winter or summer!

Click on the photo to see the larger version.................photo by Alida Thorpe

The Homeowners Insurance Adventure Continues

BY AARON STEIN

These days, the insurance industry, especially in catastrophe hurricane exposed areas like Long Island, is changing very quickly. This is very different from not too long ago. Insurance companies and their employees tend to be very conservative, resisting changes sometimes for years before caving in. Agents tend to be the same, because our job is to protect against risk of loss, as opposed to many other business and personal models, where taking risks is part of the fun.

These days, change is fast and drastic. I have not posted here in about a month and a half, but in that time, several more carriers have stopped or severely cut back on writing home insurance on Long Island, especially within a half mile of the water. The latest one I heard about was State Farm, who stopped writing new policies within 2500 feet of the Bay. Adirondack Insurance recently severely limited their new policies in all of Suffolk County regardless of distance to water, and New York Central Mutual is not only limiting new policies, but they recently became part of the group that is actually canceling people.

Allstate continues to cancel thousands of policyholders, though they have made some efforts to bring other companies to the table so that their Long Island agents still have something to sell. There are almost no new players coming in to the New York market, except for some 'excess lines' carriers such as Lloyd's of London and Lexington Insurance Company. These carriers write policies at a much higher price, but at least they make coverage available.

If it turns out you are forced to seek insurance from one of these non-standard companies, be sure the agent you are dealing with has experience with them, especially with waterfront home insurance issues, and knows what to look for. We have seen policies that COMPLETELY EXCLUDE wind damage! What is the point of having insurance if you are not covered for a hurricane, which is just a big windstorm with a name? Some of these policies also carry exclusions for pets, underground oil tanks, and other unusual clauses. We have also seen policies that offer 'actual cash value' coverage on the structure itself, which takes depreciation based on age, as opposed to a 'regular' homeowners insurance policy which insured at replacement cost.

Of course, these policies still do not cover flood damage even though they may cost 2-3 times more than what was considered normal for Long Island home insurance only a couple of years ago. Flood insurance continues to be available through your local agent via the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, and excess flood insurance is available from a number of companies, when the $250,000 maximum building coverage through the FEMA program is not enough.

Remember also that if your policy is through an excess and surplus insurance company, you are NOT protected by the New York State Guaranty Fund. That fund provides up to $1,000,000 in coverage if an insurance carrier defaults or becomes insolvent. Lloyd's prides itself on never having defaulted on a claim in over 100 of years of existence. And Lexington is part of AIG, the world's largest insurer. Still, the fact is they are not subject to regulation by the New York State insurance department, nor backed by the Guaranty Fund.

Another solution that is being used is the New York Fair Plan, otherwise known as NY Property or NYPIUA. That is a state-run operation that was designed to provide basic fire insurance for properties in blighted areas or which have other problems. But the policies provide NO liability insurance, no theft coverage, no coverage for burst pipes, and have many other restrictions. Again, in some cases, this may be your only practical option, but you need to be aware of just what you are buying. We have come across insurance offices here on Long Island telling their clients that they are getting a homeowners policy from NY Property, and nothing could be further from the truth.

As always, for more information, visit our sites at www.NYInsuranceWithService.com or www.FloodInsuranceNY.com.

Help Keep Internet Radio Online

Dear Senator Schumer:

On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board announced new royalty rates for all Internet Radio stations, with the new rates retroactive to January of 2006. These new rates are significantly higher than expected and are many times over what is being paid now. In fact, if they remain unchanged, many or perhaps most online radio stations will have to cease operations after having had to declare bankruptcy due to the retroactive-to-2006 aspects of these new rates.

Internet Radio is treated differently than Terrestrial (broadcast) Radio. While both Internet and Terrestrial Radio pay royalties to BMI, SESAC and ASCAP, when it comes to record labels and artists, Terrestrial Radio pays no royalties -- none at all. It is only Internet Radio stations that must pay royalties to Sound Exchange at a rate is set by the US Copyright Board.

In 2002, Congress passed the "Small Webcaster Settlement Act," that forced Sound Exchange to offer to small Webcasters a rate based on a percentage of revenue.

Last year, a new round of hearings was held by the Copyright Royalty Board to determine new rates for the 2006-2010 periods. The hearings lasted several months. Then, three judges retired to deliberate and render a decision, which decision was announced on Friday, March 2, 2007. The surprise in their decision was the elimination of the "Small Webcaster Settlement Act." This meant all small Webcasters could no longer make Sound Exchange payments based on a percentage of their revenues.

The new rates essentially levy a fee of $0.0011 per performance per listener in 2007, escalating to $0.0019 in 2010. Since each hour, the average radio station plays 16 songs, that's about $0.0176 per hour, per listener in 2007. An Internet Radio Station with a 500 listener average would now be required to pay $211 per day, $6,336 a month or $76,000 for the 2007 year!

This amount of money is beyond the resources of the small independent Internet Radio Stations, many of which are run by enthusiasts and hobbyists. These small stations are the ones bringing new music and old favorites to us every day, with their playlist fine-tuned to their listeners' choices by their listeners themselves. Music like this can not easily be found on the corporate-owned mega stations, Internet or Terrestrial.

As royalty rates were 8% of gross revenues, a $76,000 fee under the new rates equates to gross annual revenues of $950,000 under the old rates. Yet the "gross annual revenues" enjoyed by a station with 500 listeners on average, are more in the $15,000 range; most of which are derived from listener donations with the station run on a "break-even"
basis.

To expect these stations to increase their donations five-fold to cover this additional cost in 2007 is folly. To expect them to also "find" over $50,000 to pay the retroactive 2006 fee is more than a little unreasonable.

The Copyright Royalty Board must have known this.

Without your help to repeal this unfair Internet-Radio-only "tax,"
re-instate the more equitable Small Webcaster Settlement Act, or perhaps even to extend the "Act" to also include Terrestrial Radio stations, March 2, 2007 will be added to February 3, 1959 as yet another... "day the music died."

Very truly yours,
Walter C. Schmidt
383 Second Ave
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
(516) 799-8300
waltsdorsai@gmail.com

The Elizabeth A. Morton Wildlife Refuge

This photo was taken at The Elizabeth A. Morton Wildlife Refuge.

Click here for more details about this wonderful place to hike!

Long Island's Neediest Dogs and Cats Need Help Now!

Little Shelter Food Pantry Barren
Poor and Homeless Animals May Go Hungry In The Cold

Winter’s bitter cold and icy storms have claimed more victims. 4,000 pounds of food donations to Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center’s Animal Soup Kitchen (ASK) could not be delivered. Major highways in New Jersey were snow and ice covered and were closed down. Therefore, the truck with its precious cargo had to return to a Pennsylvania warehouse. Countless homeless cats as well as dogs whose impoverished owners are part of the ASK program rely on Little Shelter’s stock of provisions for their very lives. At this time of the year – when biting winds and killer storms take their toll on all of us – these poor dogs and cats face starvation. Little Shelter desperately needs your help to feed the hungry who are already suffering because of inadequate shelter.

Little Shelter director Maryann Chernovsky implores New Yorkers: “Frigid weather is upon us; many of these dogs and all of the cats must bravely face the cold. Don’t let them be hungry as well. Please do whatever you can to help them have the comfort of a full tummy. Please do not hesitate; act now. The situation is desperate. ”

Dog and cat food donations may be brought to Little Shelter at 33 Warner Road in Huntington between 1PM and 7PM on weekdays and from Noon until 5PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Monetary donations are also welcome and may be sent directly to Food Pantry at Little Shelter.

On behalf of all the innocent animals who need help, Little Shelter thanks you from the bottom of their hearts.

For more information about donations, please call 631-368-8770 Extension 230.

For more information about this release, please call or email:
Maryann Chernovsky, President
Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center
631-462-6062

I Want My NANA

By Michael Watt

Much has been said about the first of the Baby Boomer Generation turning 60 this year, lead by such stalwart citizens as President Clinton, Steven Spielberg and Cher. Sixty is the new 30, they say – which should come as no surprise because nobody deludes themselves better than members of the Woodstock Generation. The folks on Yasgur’s Farm who were going to change the world through peace, love and rock ‘n’ roll are the same people who gave us pre-schoolers under pressure to excel, gas-guzzling Hummers and New Age music. Go figure.

But there is one social trend I would love to see the Boomers usher in: the universal acceptance of nap taking.

Think about this: Why can’t we put our heads down on the desk for a quick snooze during the workday? Why is five minutes of refreshing shut-eye frowned upon but it’s okay for a worker to take a ten minute break from his or her job to go outside, ignite a toxic-spewing product that makes your clothes, breath and hair smell bad and then toss the un-smoked remnants amongst the hundreds of other similarly dispensed butts? Why is the “coffee break” a built-in part of the workday but God forbid an employee should study the inside of his or her eyelids for a few minutes?

Actually I do the cause a disservice by associating nap-taking with age. John F. Kennedy was famous for taking naps in the afternoon, despite his relative youth. Lincoln took naps. Churchill took naps. Ronald Reagan took naps. I’m only guessing here but I’m thinking Carter didn’t take any naps and the current Bush should.

Here’s the deal. We’re all working harder and later than ever and getting out of bed earlier than ever, as well. (This Ever guy has it made, by the way). Doesn’t it make sense for us to re-charge the batteries easily and naturally – the way nature intended? Even God rested on the seventh day, for Heaven’s sake. I know when I take a nap I feel better and am ready to take on the world. When I have had too much caffeine, on the other hand, I get a little zippy and perhaps a little cranky, if you can believe that.

It is going to take more than just one simple humor column to get this done, however. I’m not even sure if we can rely on a good-old fashioned grassroots movement, either. No, my friends, we have to take matters into our own hands. We have to rely on something that delves even deeper into the nation’s fabric.

That’s right. Americans who nap – or at least Americans who would nap more often if doing so did not subject us to more ridicule than the Anna Nicole Smith situation – have to form our own lobbying group.

Not being the bashful type I am willing to serve as group leader, and suggest that we should call ourselves NANA – the National Association of Napping Americans. We could raise money and then, eh, spread that money around to convince legislators to enact legislation that would ensure and safeguard each and every American’s right to take a little snooze during company time. We could work to make sure “nap time” became an OSHA regulation and that teams of inspectors employed by the federal government would focus solely on whether our nation’s employers provided clean and safe napping facilities.

We would also have to endeavor to remove the stigma associated with nap taking by striving to strike from our vernacular such phrases as “caught him napping,” “he was asleep at the wheel” and “he played that like he was asleep the whole time.”

We could get Oprah to dedicate one of her shows to the benefits of napping – maybe even convince her to take a nap on stage during the show! Letterman could do a Top Ten List of benefits to taking a nap in the afternoon and Conan O’Brien could have Triumph The Insult Comic Dog put to sleep. Wait – strike that (note to self – add “put to sleep” to list of phrases that need to be dealt with).

As someone once said, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” And what better way to dream something than while taking a nap. To paraphrase that noted philosopher Country Joe McDonald, "Give me an N! Give me an A! Give me a P! What's that spell!?!

Thank for you for reading this column.

What is a Hurricane/Wind deductible and why is it on my Homeowners Insurance policy?

BY AARON STEIN

If you are a resident of the Long Island area and have not looked at your homeowners insurance policy lately, you probably should. One of the big changes that has come about over the last couple of years is the addition of a special, higher deductible for hurricane damage. Sometimes the higher deductible is for 'wind and hail', not just specifically hurricane. It depends on the insurance company.

So what does this mean? Quite simply, it means that if Long Island is hit by a hurricane, instead of your standard policy deductible of $500 or $1000 (the amount you have to pay in a property loss, after which the insurance company pays) may instead be tens of thousands of dollars! Usually, the deductible is a percentage of the amount of insurance on your house, ranging from 2% to as much as 10%. By law, the insurance companies must put both the percent and the dollar amount on the face of your policy.

These are being dictated by the reinsurance companies, the place where insurance carriers go to protect themselves againts catastrophic losses (those that affect large numbers of policy holders at the same time). These are your giant off-shore companies, many based in Bermuda or in the London market. They are not subject to the same state regulation as our 'domestic' carriers, and so they can decide what they want to charge and what coverages they will provide, and our Long Island homeowners insurance carriers pretty much have to live with it or assume more risk themselves, which they don't want to do.

As an example, if your house is covered for $400,000 and you have a 5% hurricane deductible, you would have to shell out $20,000 after a hurricane before your insurance company would be involved. And one of the biggest problems is that there is no standardization among the insurance carriers. Some have deductibles that activate with ANY hurricane that hits Long Island, some for category 2 storms, some just for any wind or hail whether or not it's associated with a hurricane.

There has been some talk in the state legislature about allowing a tax deductible savings plan that people can put money into each year to prepare for paying these large deductibles if a hurricane hits. The Small Business Administration (SBA) may also get involved in offering low interest loans but that is not guaranteed at this point in time. You can also buy an insurance policy to cover the deductible, from Lloyd's of London, for about 10% of your deductible. So in our example above, it would cost $2000 a year to cover your $20,000 deductible, not a very good bet.

This is an evolving area and as insurance agents here on Long Island, and in particular in Suffolk County, we need to be paying attention. But as consumers, readers of this article need to look at their own policies and make sure you understand what coverage you have so it doesn't come as a surprise when the inevitable storm hits.

Here’s to the New Music, Same as the Old Music

By Michael Watt

This past New Year’s Eve my family and I spent the holiday with our friends across the street from us, as we have for the past couple of years. There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple and low-key on New Year’s Eve. For one thing, I saved a bundle not having to dry-clean my tuxedo, and there can be no denying the benefits of only having to cross the street back to your house when all is said and done.

But this past New Year’s Eve was also a learning experience for me. After midnight I found myself watching the musical performances on the Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve program. (I was also taken aback at how uncomfortable I felt when – just prior to the ball dropping – somebody changed the channel and put something other than Dick Clark’s program on. Even though Dick’s presence on the program was minimal, it just felt oddly un-American to watch anything BUT his show – just like it felt wrong back in the day to watch anything but Uncle Walter on CBS when the nation was in the midst of a crisis.)

Anyway, as things settled down at my friend’s house I watched the musical performances. I fully expected to not know who any of them were and my expectations were realized in spades, with one unfortunate exception.

Take this Fergy person, for instance. Up until recently when I heard people on the radio referring to “Fergy” I swear I thought they meant the woman who used to be married to one of the princes over there in England. Now I know they are referring to a woman who is on the verge of becoming the flavor of the month, which means it is only a matter of time before she becomes passe and has to go out for the night sans undergarments to get people to pay attention to her. (As this is being written, somewhere out there the performer known as “Pink” – remember her? - is coordinating with her record company and agent as to which public event she will…oh, never mind. There’s a really funny joke here but decorum prevents me from going any further. If you want to know what I was going to write, you’ll have to contact me directly).

So this Fergy performed her first musical number while wearing what appeared to be a Catholic School uniform. This amused me to no end because based on what I remember from my time served at St. Williams in Seaford the girls there chafed at having to wear such clothes because they felt the uniforms were painfully unattractive. I guess it’s all in how you carry yourself.

Then someone named Ludacris – aptly so, I might add – appeared on stage and sang. I guess you can call that singing. He really just seemed to be extremely angry and anxious to express that anger by ranting into a microphone kept so close to his mouth that I would imagine none of the other singers would want to use it when he was finished. As he stalked from one side of the stage to the other, however, the camera panned to the audience and, amazingly enough, I could see members of the audience mouthing the lyrics along with Ludacris as he performed.

This was quite the epiphany for me. I mean, I suppose I realized these songs had lyrics but it never occurred to me that anyone would make an effort to listen, much less memorize, them. I was under the impression that the whole point of rap and hip hop was to annoy people of my ilk and that this goal was accomplished simply by playing the music at a volume level capable of raising the dead. Lyrics – much less lyrics of any significance – were merely an afterthought, I figured.

That said, I should also point out that I find it amusing when people my age – you should pardon the expression – lament that the reason they detest rap and hip hop so is because, “the songs don’t have any real meaning.” I just think back to what my father must have been thinking when he heard Bruce Springsteen singing “Blinded by the Light”:

“Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer

with a teenage diplomat

In the dumps with the mumps

as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat

With a boulder on my shoulder feelin' kinda older

I tripped the merry-go-round

With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing

the calliope crashed to the ground

Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for the hot spot

snappin' his fingers clappin' his hands

And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot

with a whatnot in her hand

And now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot

and throws his lover in the sand

And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers daddy's within earshot

save the buckshot turn up the band."

Uh huh. And, you know, Bruce was SO clean cut back in those days. What goes around comes around, my friends.

Perhaps the most disturbing image from the night, however, was old friend Meat Loaf reprising his hit song “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” Unfortunately for the Meatster his former in-concert duet partner Karla DeVito was not available – rumor has it she was stuck at home babysitting her granddaughter for the evening. Instead they paired the Meat Man - who turns 60 this year - with a female singer who seemed, ironically, to be “barely 17” and, I might add, “barely dressed.” The contrast was striking and creepy. Instead of “Let me sleep on it” I half- expected to hear his Meatness sing, “Young lady, you behave yourself or you’ll be grounded for a month.”

Time marches on, I suppose, and the music world continues to march right on by me. That’s all right. I can always keep Dick Clark company should he ever decide to pack it in completely on New Year’s Eve. Just as long as I do not have to wear a tuxedo while doing so.

Thank for you for reading this column.

Happy New Year, 2007!

Photo by Alida Thorpe

Happy New Year!

I usually like to wake up early on New Year's Day and take a photo of the sunrise.

There is something so magical, so ethereal, about seeing the first light of the first day of a new year.....a new beginning. The promise of something wonderful.

Well, if you were on Long Island today, you know how the rain poured, non-stop.

So, I am giving you a photo taken a few days ago, in black and white, but you can see the shadows cast from a glorious sun.

I wish you a Happy, Healthy New Year for you and your families!

______________________

Click here for a photo of the sunrise, January 1, 2006.

Controlling Car Insurance Costs - The Big Picture

BY AARON STEIN

Car insurance in New York is a highly competitive business. You can't pick up a newspaper, listen to the radio, watch TV, or drive by billboards without being assaulted by cute little lizards with Australian accents, companies urging you to honk, etc... As we all know (or at least think we know) competition is very good for consumers, resulting in lower rates and better service as companies trip over each other trying to win your business.

Or does it really work that way? In theory, it should, and certainly we as agents have experienced rate reductions with our carriers, as well as new programs that have lowered costs a good amount for many people. But in a report by New York City comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., as reported in the Insurance Advocate, an industry trade magazine for the tri-state area, it seems like the competitive process is not working well enough or fast enough to be fair to the end consumer.

Now it would be pretty obvious that Mr. Thompson has a particular 'bias' towards his constituents, the residents of New York City. The city tends to be a difficult place for insurance companies to do business, with a high concentration of values, a lot of traffic congestion, and pockets of massive fraud. Still, his statistics apply to the whole state and present a picture that suggests insurance companies have a long way to go to get to rates that are fair to all.

He points out that in 2005, premiums of $10.5 billion were reported, against losses of $5.1 billion, leading to record profits among auto insurers. (Did you think they were doing all this advertising because they just like us a lot as people?) Those premiums are up 29% since 2000, while losses are down by over 20%!

In fairness, he notes that premiums have dropped somewhat and continue to drop. Insurance companies tend to be very conservative, and they are very careful because one good year does not make for a trend in lower costs. In addition, because of injuries that take a long time to treat, and lawsuits that can take years going through the courts, as well as insurance department rules that cause it to take time to process rate changes, we can't expect rates to change this month based on last month's claims.

Still, five years is a long time, and he makes very valid arguments for lower rates and more scrutiny from regulators and municipalities in trying to get the best rate for the buying public. Insurance is not an optional purchase, it's more like a tax on people, with private companies given the right to collect that tax. In that sort of situation, maybe not totally unlike rail, gas, and electric utilities, it's part of the government's job to make sure that private companies are not taking unfair advantage.

You can view Mr. Thompson's full report at http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/.

Letters to the Editor: Long Island Progress or Destruction?

What have they done? The answer is nothing. The animals, trees, and wildflowers have done nothing wrong. We have. They just want to live as God designed them to. What has a small box turtle that eats berries, fruit and insects done wrong to us? or a chipmunk, or a little rabbit? What have the magnificent trees done so wrong to us? or the songbirds we hear each day? Nothing at all. They don't steal, lie, cheat, have a need for money, or demand their way. Man does though.

Nature is a God given creation that deserves and suppose to be here. It has a right to exist. But many have proved they don't see it that way. They, instead, see and open field or woodlands full of trees and wildlife as money. Pure and simple. They will build on it until it is exhausted of every inch of earth. They do not see beauty in nature, they see it in money and materialism. They destroy acres of land that were homes to all kinds of species, just to build another complex, or office building. Then they call it progress. I call it destruction.

Wildlife is insignificant to them; only the land they live in and on is of value. Then they make the buildings pretty by planting flowers and new trees, to cover up and hide the destruction they caused in doing so. They even build their own man-made ponds, yet neglect the natural ones that are full of garbage and debris. They're completely selfish. Man has ruined, and continues to ruin, so much goodness and beauty that God has given us.

We've ruined bays, lakes, streams, ponds, estuaries and creeks. We pollute them until one day they will not be able to sustain life in them anymore. Then one will blame the other, or else blame some species for all of it. The little children will have to resort to parks, zoos and public aquariums to see nature. The one's responsible will care little. Wildlife was insignificant now as it was then to them. They will leave here saying, "So long, your on your own."

One day people will yearn for what their parents or grandparents saw while wildlife was still to be seen around them. Their effforts to bring it back will be in vain. It is up to the property owners not to sell to the builders to begin with. It is up to the government to clean up the bays, creeks, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and streams, and not allow motorized leisure boats on them. As long as money is the only motivator, it won't happen. This is all an inconsiderate, selfish act, that mankind alone is responsible for. It will be irreversible one day, unable to sustain what was once full of life. - Ed Vermeulen

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This email was sent to the editors of LongIsland.com by a concerned Long Island resident. The views expressed are those of the author. The comment has been published as a courtesy, in an effort to open a public discussion. You are welcome to leave your comments and/or feedback about this post.

Holiday Decorations, Sayville

photos by Alida Thorpe

Holiday Decorations, Sayville

Winter on Long Island

Photo by Alida Thorpe

Winter on Long Island