Our Town March 8, 2012 by Our Town

NEWS: Lappin bill hits brakes on e-bikes March 8, 2012

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RUN, DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T CRAWL CB6 TRIES TO STOMP OUT PUB WALKS P. 6

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UES PROSTITUTION RINGLEADER CHARGED Upper East Side mother of four Anna Gristina, who was arrested late last month, was charged with promoting prostitution in the third degree earlier this week, according to court documents. The charges allege that Gristina “knowingly advanced and profited from prostitution by managing, supervising, controlling and owning, either alone or in association with others, a prostitution business and enterprise involving prostitution activity by two or more prostitutes.” DNAinfo reports that prosecutors claim to have tapes on which Gristina brags about the millions she made running a high-end escort service over 15 years. Gristina is being held on $2 million bail awaiting her next court date, May 3, when the judge will make decisions on motions in the case. If convicted, Gristina could face a maximum of two and a half to seven years in prison as well as the possibility of deportation, since she is a British citizen.

CONTENDERS FOR LAPPIN’S SEAT EMERGE

seat representing the Upper East Side, should Lappin vacate to run for the borough presidency, as is looking increasingly likely. Attorney and consultant Benjamin Kallos announced his bid by emphasizing his work to bring transparency to politics—he founded the Open Government Foundation and touts using technology to improve government. The other candidate, Hill Krishnan, is an adjunct professor of global affairs at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and has spoken of how his experience as an immigrant from India influenced his passion for politics. So far they are the only official contenders, but it’s early in a race that will quite probably remain wide open leading up to 2013.

GARODNICK EYES SHADY USED CAR DEALERS Upper East Side City Council Member Dan Garodnick introduced several bills aimed at used car dealerships to the Consumer Affairs Committee, which he chairs, last week. The Department of Consumer Affairs has been keeping tabs on the over 800 used car dealerships in the five boroughs since an investigation in 2010 showed that half of the dealers

advertising in major newspapers regularly trumpeted vehicles in their ads that weren’t actually for sale. The bills would create a standard contract and a buyer’s bill of rights and would require dealerships to keep electronic records. Garodnick said he wants to make purchasing a used car a simpler and more straightforward process for consumers and diminish concerns that buyers are getting snared into unfair deals.

UES ARCHITECT COMMEMORATED The Historic Districts Council and the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center will join to commemorate the architect Edward Durrell Stone, Thursday, March 15, 12 p.m. at the site of his home at 130 E. 64th St. The prominent architect designed the concrete screen façade of his own house, reflective of work he did designing the Museum of Modern Art and the General Motors Building, where a commemorative medallion will attest to his legacy.

IRISH MUSIC MEETS BLUEGRASS The American Irish Historical Society and the Glucksman Ireland House join to sponsor a most unusual-seeming St. Patrick’s Day event at

Symphony Space Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. Irish musicians Mick Moloney and The Green Fields of America will come together with musicians from Virginia bluegrass band Crooked Road to play a one-night concert entitled Celtic Appalachia. The musicians will celebrate and explore Irish and African influences on the music of the American mountain region through a night of singing and dancing to traditional music that most people have no idea is actually a fusion. Special guest Cheick Hamala Diabate, a storyteller and master of a West African instrument that preceding the modern banjo, will also join the crew. 2537 Broadway, tickets are $18 for students to $45. For more information, visit SymphonySpace.org or call 212-864-5400. CORRECTION: Last week, we reported on the city’s plans for Tavern on the Green and noted that Community Board 8 disapproved part of the RFP that calls for a casual eatery on the premises. Nick Viest, chair of CB 8, set the record straight for us and confirmed that the board did not in fact take an official position on the RFP, but that they did vote overwhelmingly in favor of the city’s plan to redesign the exterior and renovate the space.

CELEBRATING THE FESTIvAL OF PURIM

Last week, two candidates officially declared their intentions to run for City Council Member Jessica Lappin’s

Community

meeting Calendar Monday, March 12 • Community Board 8 Youth and Education Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Lenox Hill Hospital, 131 E. 76th St., Einhorn Auditorium. Tuesday, March 13 • Community Board 8 Environment and Sanitation Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m., Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center, 415 E. 93rd St., Dining Room.

• Community Board 8 Land Use Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m., New York Blood Center, 310 E. 67th St., Auditorium.

andrew schwartz

Wednesday, March 14

Dressed as Queen Ester and a maiden, a couple of youngsters listen to a reading of the Story of Esther during the Purim Carnival at the 92nd Street Y on Sunday, March 4.

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March 8, 2012

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Fire Escape Burglar

You’re Fired!

An unknown wall-crawler has been scaling fire escapes and making his way into apartments from First to Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. The perp began his breaking-and-entering spree Feb. 6 and has since broken into three more apartments over the month of February. Day or night doesn’t seem to have an effect on his schedule; many apartments were broken into in the middle of the day. He once even pilfered a residence while the owner was in the other room. The common factor in all of the robberies is that victims all left their windows unlocked.

In a tough economy, it is heartbreaking to be fired from a job. It can lead to depression, substance abuse or, as is the case of one man, threatening to bring a gun to work and shoot his old boss. Thursday, March 1, a man was let go from his job on 59th Street and vowed that he was going to return with a gun later in the day. He followed through with his threat and was seen entering his old place of work with what seemed to be a gun. After raising a ruckus, he proceeded to exit the store and has not been seen since.

Aiming High

Bus Stop Beatdown

While stray bullets may be common in a war zone, it is much more surprising to have one careen through your 40th floor apartment. Last Wednesday night, a couple were enjoying a quiet night in their apartment high above 72nd Street when a loud bang perforated their silence. When they went to investigate, they discovered a hole in their window facing FDR Drive and a bullet hole in their wall. The police have not determined where the shot originated, but believe that it may have been fired from a moving vehicle on FDR Drive.

It’s common to see a mother waiting with her child at a bus stop to ensure that he or she makes it to school. What is not so common is when another kid randomly attacks that child while the mother attempts to get her son to safety. Thursday, March 1, at 2:30 p.m. on East 88th Street between Lexington and Park avenues, an 11-year-old child was attacked without provocation, according to police reports. The child sustained several cuts, bruises and a chipped tooth. The offending youth has not been heard from since.

Mama Always Said... Growing up, most mothers tell their children not to trust strangers. This life lesson is a bit harder to follow when said stranger is posing as a DEA agent. Thursday, March 1, a resident of the Upper East Side was called by a random person who not only claimed to be a DEA agent, but told the victim, “I have a package of illegal drugs. If you pay a fine of $500 dollars, this will all go away.” Instead of paying for a crime the victim did not commit, the person instead contacted the police. So far, no arrests have been made.

Shotgun Wedding While some cultures still maintain the tradition of giving a dowry for a wedding, a couple on the Upper East Side decided that they wanted to have the father of the bride give some monetary support to their union—through force. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, the new husband assaulted his fatherin-law while the daughter stole her father’s credit cards, money and jewelry. The husband took the money and ran, but daddy’s little thief was apprehended by police.

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Run, Don’t Crawl Away CB6 attempts to do away with raucous pub walks By Megan Bungeroth

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March 8, 2012

Megan Bungeroth

here are certain dates every year that bring huge crowds and a scandalous amount of alcohol consumption to the streets of Manhattan. Upcoming St. Patrick’s Day is a big one, followed by Cinco de Mayo. Independence Day is up there, but it’s not nearly as boozy as Halloween or New Year’s Eve. Local residents usually either join in the fun or batten down the hatches and prepare to spend a weekend battling roving packs of jolly drinkers. But residents of Community Board 6, which encompasses the area east of Lexington Avenue from 14th to 59th Street, are taking a different route and actively trying to staunch the flow of beer taps in their neighborhoods on these revered holidays. They’re not against drinking and they’re not against business, they say, but they are hoping to cut down on activities that promote excessive amounts of the former while not really helping the latter; one of those activities, according to the board, is the pub crawl. “We’ve had a growing problem with organized pub crawls and they’ve been getting larger and larger in time with the growth of social media,” said Mark Thompson, chair of Community Board 6. “Last year, it was pretty disastrous for our neighborhood.” What used to be a fairly small ritual of groups of locals migrating from one watering hole to the next has ballooned into thousands of people from all over the city—and some from farther away— swarming the neighborhoods for an entire weekend. Pub crawls don’t just bring in revenue to the participating bars. Companies like JoonBug Productions, which owns BarCrawls.com, make a chunk of change by organizing, promoting and charging patrons for tickets to the drinking routes. Their St. Paddy’s Day Shamrock Shuffle features 17 bars, 11 of which are in the Community District 6 neighborhoods of Murray Hill, Gramercy and Kips Bay. To get drink specials at each bar, customers need to have a ticket. BarCrawls. com sells a $15 ticket for the St. Patrick’s Day crawl or a $20 all-access pass for the entire weekend. That ticket buys a wristband, a cup and the privilege of buying $2 draft beers, $3 bottled beers, $4 mixed drinks and $5 shots, though the specials vary by place

and time throughout the day. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., which is typical of most organized pub crawls. A representative for Joonbug refused to disclose the number of people who bought tickets to last year’s Turtle Bay pub crawl or answer questions about where the ticket sales go or if they have ever reached out to the community to listen to concerns about what the pub crawls might bring to a largely residential area. A competitor’s site, PubCrawls.com, sells tickets for a massive, Manhattanwide crawl of 115 participating bars, but a representative said that many are concentrated in Midtown and on the East Side. Last year, they had over 2,000 participants sign up for one or more of their St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl events. While the pub crawls are obviously many people’s idea of a good time, neighbors complain that cheap booze plus throngs of tourists plus drinking from morning ’til night creates an intolerable atmosphere. “Pub crawls have become a major issue; last year, the police department had to shut down several streets” over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, said Toni Carlina, district manager of CB6. “The majority of this district is residential. There are many bars on the com-

Revelers enjoying a St. Patrick’s Day event in the city. an extension of that effort. Bar owners are now presented with a Change Agreement from the Board when their license comes up for review, something that only happens, Carlina said, if it’s a new license or a renewal where the establishment has a record of complaints through 311 or the NYPD over the past four years. The agreement stipulates that bars won’t participate in organized pub crawls (though no one can stop self-organized groups of pals wandering about, of course), and when it’s signed, it becomes a legal document and part of that establishment’s state license when the SLA approves it. Some area bars have agreed to the “no pub crawl” mandate voluntarily. “In the past, obviously, we’ve done it because it does get people through the door,” said Erin Linfonte, the marketing manager at Turtle Bay NYC, a large pub on 52nd Street and Second Avenue that regularly advertises parties and specials. She said they’ve agreed to stay out of organized crawls. “We always like to comply with the Community Board,” she said. “It’s not really hurting us that much [to stay out of pub crawls]. It just promotes daytime drinking in the neighborhood, and it’s a really a family neighborhood.” “For the most part, people have been very compliant,” said Thompson. “However, it’s a very difficult thing to control.” If a bar that has signed the agreement violates it, they might have to go

“Pub crawls have become a major issue; last year, the police department had to shut down several streets,” Toni Carlina said. mercial strips, and the commercial strips wrap around the residential blocks, anywhere from 100 to 150 feet, with an average of 125 feet.” According to data from the State Liquor Authority, there are about 120 bars on Third Avenue alone within Community District 6. Second Avenue boasts about 86 bars, and there are dozens more on side streets and other avenues. CB6 has worked diligently in recent years to curb excessively loud and boisterous drinking along these popular avenues by only approving liquor licenses if certain bars agree to close at 2 a.m. The move to reduce organized pub crawls is

before the SLA for a hearing and risk a suspension of their license. Some bar owners are baffled as to why the board would try to stifle pub crawls. “I don’t know why CB6 would want to block bar crawls,” said Tony Mykon, manager of Duke’s on Third Avenue. “It brings clientele into restaurants, hopefully gains future business. It’s a good day for most bars, but it’s more marketing, getting the name out, getting new people in.” When bars participate in organized crawls, they get promotion from the companies sponsoring the event, which some say is a small price to pay for offering reduced drink prices. “We are always going to get revenue, but the bar crawl opens the door to new patrons who normally would not come around here,” Mykon said. So far, the board has officially got 17 bars to sign the change agreement and opt out of pub crawls, which doesn’t include others who may voluntarily opt out. But with hundreds of bars in the district, it’s a small wedge in a booming celebratory tradition, and locals are still bracing for the upcoming crawl weekend. Thompson said St. Patrick’s Day is especially tough because the NYPD is stretched thin covering the parade that day. “Second and Third Avenue are big areas [for bars]. It’s great for them to draw a larger crowd in. Everyone wants to go out on the special day,” Thompson said. “When there’s such a high concentration of people and bars when it’s normally pretty quiet, it just gets out of hand.” N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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Lappin bill Slams Brakes on E-Bikes should make pedestriway streets.” ans safer in their own Residents of the Upper neighborhoods.” East Side, who are already Lappin’s office conplagued by increased ducted a constituent traffic and construction survey in the middle of from the Second Avenue February to see just how Subway, said that the much of a danger these bikes are just one more bikes posed to Upper safety hazard that they East Side residents. Of must endure. 1,305 respondents, 72 “People find themselves percent said that they walking on the defensive had been hit or had close here as much as driving on calls because of callous the defensive,” said Sandra operators. The report Bertrand, an Upper East also stated that 70 perSide resident. “There is so A driver delivers food on an cent of those questioned much that you have to be electric bike. believed that the NYPD aware of now.” did not enforce the existing $500 fine for The law currently states that if a driver operating one of these bikes and 69 perusing an electric bike in a professional cent said that the city should increase capacity is caught breaking the law, he or fines to curb the usage of the bikes. she will be held accountable for the tick“What gets me is when they go the et, not their place of business. Upper East opposite way on one-way streets,” said Side State Sen. Liz Krueger plans to introRobert Alfieri, a father of two. “There duce legislation of her own that would have been times when they have almost ticket both the employer and the rider. hit the stroller because they will make Juan Martinez, general counsel turns coming from the wrong way on one- and policy analyst for Transportation andrew schwartz

By Sean Creamer Electric bikes have become a ubiquitous presence on the Upper East Side over the past few years. It’s common to see delivery drivers charging down streets, bags flailing in the wind, as they head toward their destinations at speeds of 20 miles per hour or higher. These drivers, under the crunch of the delivery clock, take to the sidewalks, travel the wrong way down one-way streets, shoot through red lights and generally disobey traffic lights in order to ensure that the food is delivered in a timely manner. City Council Member Jessica Lappin recently introduced legislation that she hopes will put the brakes on these reckless drivers. Currently, operating a motorized bike is a violation of New York code and carries a $500 penalty. That would be raised to $1,000 under Lappin’s measure. “My office constantly receives complaints about electric delivery bikes speeding down our crowded streets and sidewalks,” Lappin said in a press release. “They travel at high speeds and are incredibly dangerous. We need higher fines and better enforcement, which

Alternatives, an organization that lobbies for increased bike use, equates the law to a health inspection at a restaurant. “If a kitchen get inspected and one of the chefs is not wearing gloves, the business is penalized, not just the worker,” he said. Evan Chen, a manager at Ging Asian Bistro, located at 1564 3rd Ave., said electric bikes were an invaluable tool in the delivery business. They have allowed the restaurant to increase their delivery area as far as 110th Street. “We are able to deliver to a much larger area and we can get the food there faster because of the speed of the bike,” Chen said. While some of the restaurants in the area see the bikes as a way of increasing their operating area, many restaurants in the Upper East Side have opted out of using the bikes in favor of focusing on their immediate neighborhood. “We already use regular bikes and no one complains about food not being delivered on time,” said Hassan Daud, a manager at Two Boots pizzeria at 1617 2nd Ave., who employs six delivery men. “Our delivery area is nearby, we are not going far.”

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Q&A

East Sider Heals Through Art By Anam Baig Eliette Markhbein, an artist who lives on the Upper East Side, suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2004 that changed her life. A speeding car rear-ended her vehicle, leaving her with frontal lobe damage and spinal injuries. During her rehabilitation at Mt. Sinai, Markhbein turned to painting to deal with her intense pain. Not only did she realize that painting alleviated her suffering, she also discovered she was good at it. WHACK’ed...and then everything was different is the name of her upcoming exhibit, running from March 15 through the end of April at the MSB Gallery at NYU Medical Center in honor of TBI survivors. Among the portraits in the exhibit are those of Keith Richards and Trisha Meili, the Central Park Jogger. Together with the Brain Injury Association of America and the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, Markhbein plans to auction off the portraits to fund the development of a pilot artist-in-residence program to serve people with TBI. Markhbein sat down with Our Town to discuss her injury and the healing

power of art. OT: What was your life like before your accident? Markhbein: I was a journalist for 25 years, living at high speed, traveling all over the world. Before, I never questioned myself about anything I did and it all came naturally. I was very good and successful at what I was doing, and I was probably at the height of my career when bang! All of it disappeared. How did your life change after the accident? At first, when you are recovering from brain injury, you cannot do anything or you do one thing a day; either balancing your checkbook or your therapy session or doctor’s appointment. The functions you used to do seamlessly, the transitions and the brain patterns of receiving information, do not work anymore. You have to rewire your brain so you can go from A to B, but you can’t do it directly because of the damage. At what point in your rehab process did you start painting? When did you realize you wanted to help other

patients through frustrations, pains, happiart? ness. And I wanted to share I started painting that. on my own a year into rehab and felt What inspired the something incred“draw/cut/paste” techible. One of the bignique in the upcoming gest things about it exhibit? was that it helped me This process is a parcommunicate to a lot allel to the three phases of people what I was of traumatic brain injury, feeling because I was which are fractured, reashaving a hard time sembled and whole. I took with words. Also, I a black-and-white photo of was in tremendous myself, and from the photo pain during my rehab Upper East Sider Eliette Markh- I did a drawing. It was rainand when I painted, I bein learned to paint after a ing that day, so I folded it didn’t have any. up and put it in my bag. traumatic accident. It became totally And the next day when I addictive. I ended up painting maybe six opened it and saw all the creases, I was or seven hours a day, and for those six like, ‘Oh, cool, this is like a grid!’ so what or seven hours, I didn’t feel anything. I I did next is I colored some of the grids wanted to give this feeling to other TBI and thought, this is really the way I feel: patients in Mt. Sinai, so I proposed doing fractured, disassembled with TBI. But it a therapeutic arts program and it went was not fractured enough for me. So I very well. I did it for four years. cut every square and reassembled it on The thing about painting is it gave me a a black background, kind of messed up, distance from which I could look uncon- and said, ‘Wow, this is my self-portrait, sciously at the TBI, at my life, challenges, this is how I truly feel at this point.’

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“I saw that the challenge was greater than they understood or appreciated,” the former Manhattan resident says. “So we thought we would build a ‘house that works’ that accurately and intimately parallels the emotional and architectural feedback that an old house provides.” Since then, the company has completed more than 100 homes with $32 million in sales. Homes range from around $300,000 to $500,000, starting at 1,300 square feet on five acres of land. Prices have stayed stable, with slight increases due to additional features like security systems, surround sound speakers and on-demand hot water. The majority of Catskill Farms’ homeowners are metropolitan professionals from Manhattan and Brooklyn, with an increasing number coming from New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut. By using classic materials like cedar, local stone, plank walls and ceilings, the company not only emulated older neighbors, but exceeded them with energy efficient utilities and features. “We also use salvaged barn beams, locally harvested blue stone and reclaimed metal roofing materials,” Petersheim says. All homes feature high-efficiency heating systems, and on-demand water heaters that eliminate the wasted energy of storage water heaters. “We have small footprints, which keeps the impact low; we use very enhanced soy-based insulation, which results in energy savings of 50 percent; we use on-demand hot water heaters so zero energy is being used to store hot water (especially nice on a weekend home where it’s not being used that frequently), and we use high-efficiency gas boilers,” he explains. Petersheim adds that the scenic Sullivan and Ulster counties provide the perfect backdrop for those who want a break from hectic City life.

compassionate care. affordable excellence. We know the anxiety you feel when your girl is crying, you can’t seem to comfort her, and you’re worried about what it will cost to make her happy again. We can help. ASPCA® Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital offers high-quality specialized and general medicine to the public. Our emergency, specialized, and wellness care is provided by licensed and board-certified veterinarians and specialists.

“These localities provide privacy without isolation,” he says. “Their close proximity to New York City allows homeowners to come up for a weekend after a stressful week in the City and have some ‘downtime.’” And, perhaps, best of all, you can get a lot for your money in both areas. For more information about Catskill Farms, contact 845-557-3600 or www.thecatskillfarms.com

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O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

March 8, 2012

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Sin-sational

NYCB mixes Brecht and Balanchine altogether. Seven Deadly Sins is unlike anything else in NYCB’s repertory, or any other ballet company’s, and it was riveting from beginning to end. Brecht’s lyrics curdled as they dropped from LuPone’s lips, while Whelan was vulnerable to a degree that was almost painful. That meant, of course, that she as a ballerina had studied with a dispassionate eye exactly how to position her body so that it registered as an avatar of unguarded revelation. Ballet is an outside-in sort of art form: putting herself in the positions, the ballerina triggers an appropriate emotion in herself and the audience. At the same time, a ballerina who can move her audience emotionally usually knows how to generate within herself a palpable simulation of those emotional conditions. Whelan’s performance registered as the most sophisticated kind of appraisal fueled by devastating emotional honesty. Taylor-Corbett’s choreography included adept people-moving, vignette delin-

eation and, for Whelan, the occasional extended sequence of dance. These combined the elongated, abstracted language of classical ballet with the crumpled and contracted emotional viscera of modern dance—made possible, or at least more viable, because Whelan was not en pointe. Also at NYCB this month, two performances of Balanchine’s simultaneously austere, athletic and curlicued 1941 masterpiece Concerto Barocco brought out the best in first-violin ballerina Teresa Reichlen and both Abi Stafford and Sara Mearns, who alternated as her second-violin ballerina co-star. Stafford maximized the possible length of her compact body without flailing in an attempt to make an authoritative statement; it was the best performance I’ve seen from her in a long time. Reichlen sometimes has trouble getting her exceptionally long limbs where they are supposed to be in requisite Balanchinean double-time without losing expression. Mearns knows how to keep her muscles

PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK

By Joel Lobenthal Thought-provokingly revived at New York City Ballet earlier this month, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s 1933 The Seven Deadly Sins is mercilessly unsparing of its audience’s feelings. It parades before us every act of compromise and hypocrisy, both individual and collective, of which we—spectators, society—may have been guilty. Just as when it was new last year, in Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s staging, the conflicted heroine was sung by Patti LuPone and danced-pantomimed by Wendy Whelan. The dancing Anna—Anna 2— is nearly the final repository of human impulse, her stagemates reduced to money-grasping automatons. She is continuously brutalized by her doppelganger’s froggy-voiced insistence that she acquiesce to the ways of the world. In Brecht’s masterly inversion, the sins Anna 2 is accused of are often her manifestations of morality and idealism. Finally, Anna 2 and her humanistic propensities are defeated

Patti LuPone and Wendy Whelan in Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s The Seven Deadly Sins. breathing but is also sometimes flustered by speed. Here, both were varsity players and glamorous space-cushioners. When the ballerinas stood still, they were majestic. And when the symmetrically tall Mearns and Reichlen suddenly pivoted into a series of piqué arabesques in perfect unison—think of an extremely refined eggand-spoon sprint—they were electrifying. Read more by Joel Lobenthal at Lobenthal.com.

FILM

Occupied Comedy Marino waxes, Rudd wanes in ‘Wanderlust’

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George visits his successful older brother Rick (Ken Marino) making money in the potty business and living miserably in Southern middle-class suburbia, the jokiness sharpens and Wanderlust momentarily becomes about something tangible—sibling rivalry, class delusions, marital tension, parental neglect, plus racism and sexism as spiritual fall-backs for pathetically disillusioned Americans. All this is performed with incisive, pulse-raising conviction and psychological accuracy by Marino and Michaela Watkins, who not only achieve Brooks’ depth but steal the movie from Rudd and Aniston. The best scenes in Wanderlust are actually grounded in middle-class quicksand, a specialty that Marino (who co-wrote the film with Wain) also displayed during a brief scene in Role Models and was the subject of the under-recognized Diggers. In Wanderlust, Rudd and Aniston are adrift in post-hippie jokes; some are funny but most are so petty they keep losing the thread of class anxiety. Wanderlust might have been an ingenious satire of

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL

By Armond White Wanderlust starts with an idea borrowed from Albert Brooks’ 1986 Lost in America—a yuppie couple responds to career setbacks by embarking on a crosscountry journey that tests their mettle. Here, George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) leave their tiny, expensive Manhattan studio apartment and fall in among a collective of retrograde slackers in an off-the-grid Georgia commune called Elysium. Where Brooks revealed Reagan-era acquisitiveness (climaxing symbolically in the existential absurdity of Las Vegas), Wanderlust drops metaphysics to oddly parody Clinton/Obama nostalgia about drugs and communes. It also seems like a retread of “it” director David Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer, similarly fully of bland, self-amused in-jokes by inoffensive comic performers who enjoy each other’s company more than any audience will. But then something unexpected happens: in only a couple of scenes in which

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston in Wanderlust. the Occupy Wall Street mentality, where an idealized Utopia clashes with the economic realities of self-interest—that’s surely the essence connecting George to his brother and the sexy, terminally nostalgic cult leader of the Elysium commune, Seth (Justin Theroux). Imagine how Marino could lift contemporary comedy out of its current smugness if he was allowed to escape the

trend toward self-flattery that now traps his bankable colleague Rudd. The pettiness of Wanderlust hides an instinctively accurate satire of contemporary smugness; it could have been the Zuccotti Park satire we need, trading Elysium for Psychotic Park. Follow Armond White on Twitter @3xchair. N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER?

S I M

N O SI

SATURDAY, MAR 10, 2012 Downtown Grace Church School 86 4th Ave 12PM - 3PM SUNDAY, MAR 31, 2012 Upper East Side St. Jean Baptiste School 173 E. 75th St. 12PM - 3PM

Renee Flax, the director of camper placement of the ACA NY & NJ, will be on hand to answer parents’ questions and help guide them in their search for the right camp!

SATURDAY, MAR 11, 2012 Park Slope Union Temple 17 Eastern Pkwy 12PM - 3PM SATURDAY, APR 1, 2012 Upper West Side Congregation Rodeph Sholom 7 W. 83rd St. 12PM - 3PM

Pre-register for a chance to win NJ Nets Tickets! New York Family magazine and the American Camp Association, NY & NJ are teaming up for their final fairs! Meet dozens of different camp directors from local DAY CAMPS and SLEEPAWAY CAMPS from across the region. Great for children ages 3 to 17! pre-register at:

Newyorkfamilycamps.com For more info on summer camps:

TheRightCamp.com

O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

March 8, 2012

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Dining

Montalcino’s More Affordable Cousin A terrific wine that mimics everything about a great brunello By Josh Perilo Every Friday night I make homemade pizza, which sounds much more involved and fancy-shmancy than it actually is. I started doing this because I’m the kind of cook who wants to try to make everything at least once, and I continued because it was cheap and better than the stuff from the pizza joints in my neighborhood. I tend to go inexpensive and ordinary with the wine I get to pair with it, too. I have gone the cheap chianti route many times, but I’ve found lots of great southern Italian wines that have also worked well with my tangy sauce. Nero d’Avola and aglianico are great go-to wines that have a lot of fruit but also a good balance of tannic and mouth-watering bitterness to balance out the pizza’s many flavors. Several Fridays ago, though, I had a special request from my wife. “Let’s do a special bottle this week,” she said. “Something fancy!”

I got pretty excited. I hadn’t bought a really nice bottle of wine in months. I hopped across the street to our local wine merchant and started perusing the Italian section, ignoring the quaint, local varietals from Calabria and Apulia. I went straight for the really, really good stuff: brunello di Montalcino. Then reality set in. There wasn’t one price tag under $50. My heart sank. I couldn’t afford to blow that kind of By Josh Perilo dough on an ordinary Friday night. Thankfully, however, Italians don’t blow that kind of dough any just any Friday night either. They have a sort of built-in tiered system for the great wines of their many famous wine regions that allow regular Joes like me to enjoy fantastic wines from a great region at a fraction of the cost. In the area where brunello di Montalcino is made (in Tuscany, not far from where chianti comes from), pro-

ducers make the famous and expensive wines from that bear the brunello name. But the grapes that they don’t use for the brunello di Montalcinos they use for their rosso di Montalcinos. These wines are made from the same grapes in the same exact style; the only difference is that the grape selection is a tad more lenient and the rosso, once fermented and bottled, is not aged quite as long as the brunello. The result is a terrific wine that mimics everything an Italophile loves about a great brunello. And at a fraction of the cost, you can afford it on a regular Friday night. With that in mind, may I recommend to you the following rosso di Montalcinos that I have tasted myself and enjoyed with many a pizza. If you love brunello because of the heft, tannin and drama of a massively full-bodied Italian red, the Poggio Il Castellare Rosso di Montalcino 2008 ($18.95 @ Sherry-Lehmann Wine and Spirits, 505 Park Ave. at 60th St., 212838-7500) is the rosso for you. It tastes

like you could stick a fork in it and it would stand straight up. Starting with wet earth and raw meat scents on the nose, the palate gives up plum skin and steak au poivre notes on the front of the palate. The finish is rife with mint, more wet earth and bracing tannin. This is a food wine, all the way. On the other end of the Montalcino spectrum there’s the Collosorbo Rosso di Montalcino 2009 ($29.99 at 67 Wine and Spirits, 179 Columbus Ave. at 68th St., 212-724-6767). It still has many of the hefty qualities you would expect from a full-on brunello, but it’s a tad more user-friendly right out of the bottle. Vanilla-laced pipe tobacco is the major scent here, and on the palate, the main event is fruit. Bright bing cherry pie filling is balanced on the finish with darker baked raspberry and smoky oak flavors. This is a generous wine that needs no companion but works great with pizza! So if you’re looking for a special treat for an ordinary night, don’t settle for a bargain bin quaffer. Look to Tuscany for affordable luxury and you’ll never be sorry! Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

Spring 2012

L’Heure Verte 227 E 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 [212] 794-4950 WWW.LABSINTHE.COM

Easter Sunday | April 8th Celebrate this rich tradition at L’Absinthe with your family and friends amidst our authentic turn of the century Parisian décor with an exquisite menu prepared by Chef Jean Michel Bergougnoux. Easter Brunch Menu from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm 3 Course Prix Fixe $41.00 per person Each table will receive a chocolate centerpiece designed especially for L’Absinthe by famous chocolatier Jacques Torres Easter Dinner from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm Our a la carte menu will be available

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To start or finish your meal, enjoy a glass of absinthe served in the traditional manner.

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O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

March 8, 2012

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Dining

Preserving Culturally Relevant Food—At What Cost? The debate about banning the sale of shark fins should be a non-starter applies to those fisheries under U.S. jurisdiction. The only way to have a real impact and protect the global ecosystem, legislators say, is to forbid the trade altogether, regardless of provenance. But the real question is not whether the fins should be banned—plenty of endangered or malevolently acquired animal products have been banned before, and there’s no scrimshaw lobby pushing for the return of the ivory trade—but why it’s up for debate in the first place. Unlike other uses for endangered animals, culturally significant foods are uniquely protected in the political sphere. It’s incredibly difficult to decry the practices specific to a single cultural group without deriding the group itself—but the risk needs to be taken. Across the board, opposition to the ban consists of restaurant owners and small business associations whose members include importers and specialty food shops and politicians who fear the perception of bias—during Toronto’s debate on the ban, which ultimately passed, City Council Member Doug Ford said, “I’m a big sup-

porter of the Chinese community. If that’s part of their culture, we shouldn’t interfere in that.” Like many traditional Chinese dishes with less-than-quotidian ingredients, shark’s fin soup remains popular for two reasons: perceived healthfulness and prestige. Chinese culture places a great emphasis on the medicinal qualities of foods, and shark fins are believed to aid kidney function, nourish the blood and boost sexual potency, among other benefits. While a perfectly reasonable purpose, there’s nothing a shark’s fin can do that other noted healing foods like oysters or ginseng can’t. The real value of the soup is its cultural capital. Fins are rare—each shark only has one, after all—and they’re expensive. Their gelatinous, cartilaginous texture is unique, making it hard to pass off cheaper substitutes as the real deal. Serving the soup to others shows that you’ve got plenty of cash to throw around; more importantly, it shows your guests that you think enough of them to spend your hard-earned cash on them. Grand Chinese banquets are amazing displays of generosity and creativity, with

Photo courtesy of the humane society of new york

By Regan Hofmann A recently proposed bill would make New York the latest state to ban the possession and sale of shark fins, joining Hawaii, California and a handful of others. The Chinese delicacy shark’s fin soup is the only common application for the appendages, which has led to those who object to the bill calling its proposition culturally biased. The bill is sponsored by Assembly members Grace Meng of Flushing, Alan Maisel of Brooklyn and Linda Rosenthal of the Upper West Side, all of whom point to the cruelty of the way in which fins are acquired—by cutting them off, then tossing the dying, fin-less animal back into the water to save room on the boat, known as finning—and the ecological danger of depleting the world’s shark populations. “The quest for shark fin so that restaurants can sell shark fin soup is something that is doing dramatic damage to our oceanic system,” Rosenthal told the West Side Spirit’s Megan Bungeroth last week. Federal legislation exists that prohibits the practice of finning, but of course it only

A celebrant at Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Festival expresses her support of the ban. courses numbering in the double digits and an emphasis on intricate, time-consuming dishes not feasible for everyday fare. There are enough other big-ticket ingredients that are de rigeur for any traditional celebration—abalone, lobster, dried scallops, to name a mere few—to more than make up for the lack of one soup tureen. Preserving traditional foodways is an important endeavor, one to be supported and lauded. But that work is meant to preserve the spirit and culture of the food, not exact recipes. Chinese banquet cuisine is not in danger of extinction—but sharks, as they are currently used, are. You do the math.

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N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

Come Together

Six key ways to create a great parenting partnership By Matt Schneider and Lance Somerfeld

hether it’s out of a desire for an equal and supportive relationship or out of necessity, families are recognizing that life is a lot more manageable when both parents are competent, caring and willing to share the load. Parenting in partnership isn’t always easy, of course. It requires regular communication and flexibility and usually involves a few moments every now and then when you have to bite your tongue. But in our experience as the co-founders of the social and educational group NYC Dads Group—and particularly in our weekly New Dad Boot Camps—we’ve found that there are certainly best practices—for moms and dads—that produce better partnerships at home.

enting is all on her shoulders and Dad doesn’t feel left out.

2. Parent as a Team When both parents are competent, they have a better opportunity to parent as a team rather than as master and apprentice. For example, nursing is a struggle and often a time when moms feel like they are in it alone. Dads can be very supportive in the nursing process. Bringing the baby over at feeding time,

new york family their own way and more can get done. In both of our families, we are the primary caregivers and we’ve both been known to give a skeptical look or comment when our wives don’t feed our kids the “right” snack or follow the “right” nap routine. We’ve recognized that doing this deprives us of the opportunity to have a capable parenting partner and deprives our wives of having the loving, caring relationship that they want to have with their children. Bite your tongue, leave the room…and let your partner be a parent!

4. Use Your Benefits Maternity workplace benefits have been in place for a long time and most new moms use them. Many companies

up to birth doing things you enjoy together—go to the movies, eat dinner out or see friends. After your baby is born, try to fit your new baby into your routines rather than imprison yourselves in a cocoon of worry and to-do lists. It may take several weeks or even a few months, but try to take back some of those moments that are just about the two of you, rather than the baby. For example, use the time your baby is napping in the stroller to take a walk, grab a cup of coffee or get a bite to eat together. Better yet, set baby up in a rocker next to the kitchen table and sit down with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. Babies don’t require our attention constantly, and they’re often happy just sitting and watching you interact.

1. Beware the Gatekeeper Tradition, popular culture and unwitting parents have conspired for decades to make moms feel and act as if they are the only ones who can properly take care of the baby, pushing everyone else away—a phenomenon often called “gatekeeping.” In the earliest weeks especially, parenting is about practice more than instinct, and both parents need opportunities to change diapers, comfort the baby when she’s upset and enjoy the quiet moments when she’s sleeping on your chest. This is the time for Dad to assert his role, express his willingness to learn and to demonstrate some competence. When both parents develop a skill set, Mom doesn’t feel like the weight of par-

Hot Tip of the Week

Sleeping Beauty Goes to the Ballet Rounding out the New York Theatre Ballet’s family series, Sleeping Beauty takes to the stage this weekend for three one-hour performances. Prepare to be mesmerized by Tchaikovsky’s classic score while 14 dancers dazzle in a magical fairy kingdom setting. Find out what happens in Princess Aurora’s story! Tickets begin at $20. For information, visit nytb.org. And for even more family fun, visit newyorkfamily.com.

O u r To w n NY. c o m

changing the baby’s diaper and getting the baby back to sleep are all ways in which dads can be intimately involved. More generally, the spirit of the idea is this: team players take initiative, they are generous to one another and they have a plan, so they’re not always debating who does what. If there is a sink full of dishes, a pile of laundry and a baby to put to bed, you’ve got to divide and conquer. Developing a plan to share the to-do list at the end of the day gets you a lot closer to the moment when both of you can sink in to the couch together with a glass of wine and the remote control.

3. Be Flexible When both parents have the flexibility to parent in their own way, it’s much easier to have each other’s backs when things get overwhelming. Relinquishing control does mean things might not always be done your way. However, if both parents are capable, each can get things done in

are starting to offer new fathers benefits like paid paternity leave, flexible scheduling and telecommuting, but dads generally haven’t been taking advantage. We need a cultural shift in the workplace that allows mothers and fathers to be the parents they want to be while still being serious about their careers. As companies slowly institute family-friendly policies, we need more pioneering new fathers who can demonstrate that a two- or four-week leave has a huge impact at home and a minimal impact in the grand scheme of a 40-year career. Dads, figure out what benefits you have and use them! If you don’t have any, start asking for them. Companies are much more likely to consider instituting familyfriendly benefits when those of us with families step up and say we need them.

5. Enjoy Your New Family Parenting isn’t all about dirty diapers, feeding schedules and naptime. Expecting parents should spend the weeks leading

6. Remember Your Goals The transition from life as a couple to life with a baby may be the hardest road any of us will ever take (and we’re supposed to do it with a lot less sleep!). An awareness of these issues and an effort to engage in lots of communication will go a long way towards the three big goals: a happy child, happy partners and a happy partnership. Matt Schneider and Lance Somerfeld are the co-founders of the NYC Dads Group, a community of active fathers in the New York City area. Recently, they launched their New Dad Boot Camp, a three-hour workshop for expecting dads to learn from veteran dads. Find upcoming dates at nycdadsgroup.com. For more on the NYC Dads Group, check out the article “Moving Beyond Mr. Mom” at newyorkfamily.com. March 8, 2012 •

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Greene Space Grows Artists By Lonnie Firestone WNYC is beloved by New Yorkers. For loyalists, the success of programs like This American Life, Fresh Air and The Brian Lehrer Show is measured not only by their reportage but also by their ability to inspire contemplation and conversation. The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC and WQXR is the public sphere, live performance manifestation of both radio stations. Executive Producer Indira Etwaroo weighs in on this year’s most in-demand events, the performers on her wish list and how The Greene Space is changing its neighborhood.

What has been the most in-demand event this year? That’s difficult to say. The Battle of the Boroughs and the 75th anniversary celebration of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God have been enthusiastically received, as well as WQXR’s China in New York Festival with pianist Lang Lang and WNYC’s event on women boxers in the Olympics hosted by Rosie Perez.

Mattthew SeptiMuS

The Greene Space is said to embody WNYC’s mission “to make the mind more curious, the heart more tolerant and the spirit more joyful.” How do live events enable this goal differently than radio? The Greene Space creates a visceral experience. It is powerful to hear Cornel West on The Brian Lehrer Show or hear the stars from Broadway’s Porgy and Bess with John Schaefer on-air at WQXR.

lifetime experience.

Indira Etwaroo. And yet, to sit in an intimate venue and experience these world-class artists and thinkers as up close and personal as you can in The Greene Space is a once-in-a-

How was the Battle of the Boroughs created? I was looking for a way to elevate the conversation of emerging artists in NYC. I also knew that we wanted to create deeper roots in communities throughout New York and reflect the exquisite diversity of the city. I was sitting with my pro-

Saturday & Sunday April 28th & 29th, 2012

Skylight SoHo, 275 Hudson Street, NYC 10am-7pm

The venue’s full title is The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, but the notion of a “green space” conjures a variety of ideas. What do you hope it evokes for audiences? It is not a coincidence that The Greene Space sounds like a place of growth, because that’s just what it is: a kind of hothouse for artists, thinkers and newsmakers to reimagine and cultivate new ways to relay information, report news and tell stories. In addition, we were awarded Gold LEED certification for our environmental efforts with the structure of the space: a bamboo stage, LED theatrical lighting system and programming that focuses on the environment and sustainability.

m @ .co or LE howe do SAikes at th ON b 0 X am $2 TI new ine, w. onl ww $15

PRESENTED BY:

duction manager, Nikki Johnson, and production coordinator, Brianna Stimpson, and we all started tossing around ideas about a contest and the five boroughs, and the brain meld happened. I received tremendous feedback from the host of the Battle, WQXR’s Terrance McKnight, and we’ve been building on that for the last three years.

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ARE YOU BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT A FALL/2013 PRIVATE SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN PLACEMENT FOR YOUR CHILD? ANNOUNCING TWO EVENTS BY ROBIN ARONOW, PH.D. LIFE AFTER NURSERY SCHOOL: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSION PROCESS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH AND

LIFE AFTER NURSERY SCHOOL: A PANEL OF PRIVATE SCHOOL PARENTS TUESDAY, APRIL 24TH THE WEST SIDE YMCA MARJORIE S. DEANE LITTLE THEATER 5 West 63rd St. between Central Park West and Broadway

Subways: 1 to 66th or 59th; A,B,C,D to 59th; Buses: M5,M7,M10,M11,M20,M66,M72,M104

TIMING FOR BOTH: 6:00-6:25 SIGN IN; 6:30 TO 8:45 PRESENTATIONS EARLY COST FOR OVERVIEW WORKSHOP AND PARENT PANELÐ $95 Per Family EARLY COST FOR OVERVIEW WORKSHOP ONLYÐ $70 Per Family EARLY COST FOR PARENT PANEL ONLYÐ $55 Per Family Included in the cost of one or both events is one $15 information packet containing valuable articles, directories and worksheets for those beginning both the private and public school process.

Private School Workshop Presented by Robin Aronow *Getting Started; Valuable Resources *What to Look For When Touring *Private vs. Public *Applications and Interviews *School Reports

*Admission Facts, Procedures & Timelines * Coed vs. Single Sex; Progressive vs. Traditional *ERBs *Essays *Recommendations; First Choice Letters

Private School Panel Moderated by Robin Aronow

20 parent panelists will present the special features of the schools their children attend. Represented will be private schools that are co-ed & single-sex, progressive & traditional, urban & campus, established & new, with a sampling from the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Riverdale and Downtown schools.

To register visit www.schoolsearchnyc.com

Registration Deadline is March 13th for Overview Workshop and April 23rd for Parent Panel For information on Public School Overview Workshop and Panel visit www.schoolsearchnyc.com

Questions: 212-316-0186 or robin@schoolsearchnyc.com

Robin Aronow is an educational consultant in private practice, as well as a consultant to many nursery schools, elementary schools and the Blackboard Awards. O u r T o w n N Y. c o m

March 8, 2012

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Healthy Manhattan a monthly advertising supplement

Eat Your Way to Better Sleep Bananas, almonds and oatmeal are natural ways to end insomnia

sleep. Foods that are high in tryptophan are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt and turkey. Remember how sleepy you were after Thanksgiving dinner? That was tryptophan being released into your body and creating a relaxed state. There are other sources of food you can take to help promote sleep.

By Dr. Cynthia Paulis

t is a well-known fact that you are what you eat. It’s also true that what you eat throughout the day can affect your sleep cycle. If you have been staring at the ceiling counting sheep and finding ways to turn them into tasty treats, you may be suffering from insomnia—but you are not alone. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Some of these problems are related to weight, sleep apnea, anxiety or depression. And many of these issues can be resolved by eating the right foods. Koala bears have mastered the art of sleeping without any pills. They sleep close to 20 hours a day and eat eucalyptus leaves when they’re awake. The leaves are extremely hard to digest, which slows the koala’s metabolism to the point where they sleep all the time to conserve energy. The key ingredient for the human body to run at optimal capacity is sleep, and the recommended time is eight hours. Unfortunately, many of us can’t achieve this goal and often rely on sleeping pills, which come with a long list of side effects and can even cause death. The better option is to eat foods that will promote sleep and avoid the ones that lead to insomnia. There are two hormones for promoting sleep in the body: serotonin and melatonin. Tryptophan is the amino acid the body uses to make serotonin, which slows traffic to the brain, inducing

20 

TOW NN TOWN • March O•U ROUR TOW N D OW | MA 8, R C 2012 H 8, 2012

Foods to Aid sleep Bananas. This is one of the best sleep-inducing foods. Not only are bananas loaded with melatonin and serotonin, they also contain magnesium, which helps your muscles relax. Loaded with potassium and low in salt, bananas can help lower your blood pressure. They’re also a high source of vitamin B, which aids in calming your nerves. Bananas are also a great food to take for heartburn. Cherries. This pint-sized fruit is a powerhouse. Cherries are loaded with melatonin. Studies have proven that eating cherries lowers the risk of heart disease and inflammation, body fat and cholesterol. They have antioxidants that help fight cancer and improve memory and have been used to help with people suffering from arthritis. Tart cherries are the best ones to eat for sleep. Almonds. A handful of almonds pack a double punch of both tryptophan and magnesium, calming both the mind and the muscles. Almonds are also a good source of monounsaturated fats, which help prevent heart disease. Taken in moderation, almonds help regulate your blood sugar and can aid in weight loss. Peanuts. Unsalted peanuts are high in niacin, which helps release serotonin into the body, promoting sleep. This legume (peanuts are not actually nuts) has fats that are good for your heart. But keep in mind: they are also loaded with calories, so limit

Not just for breakfast anymore, oatmeal and bananas can help you sleep if eaten at bedtime. your intake to just a few at bedtime. Oatmeal. Thought of as just a breakfast food, oatmeal works well in promoting sleep because it contains melatonin. It’s an excellent source of soluble fiber, which slows down the digestive process, making you feel fuller longer. Oatmeal is loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It can help reduce your risk of heart disease and works to prevent diabetes. Add some milk and bananas and you have the perfect sleep potion. Many high-end hotels are sending up warm oatmeal cookies and milk to help their guests have a good night sleep. The key to a good night's sleep is not to go to bed hungry. Having a light snack before you go to bed will prevent you from waking up in the middle of the

night. Avoid having large, high-fat meals late in the day. Make your biggest meal at midday and have a lighter dinner. Also, steer clear of spicy foods, because they can keep you up all night with heartburn. Foods that produce gas, such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green peppers, can cause you to lose sleep. Limit your caffeine intake. It can take as long as eight hours for the stimulating effects of caffeine to wear off. And restrict your alcohol intake. At first you may feel sleepy, but alcohol interferes with the REM stage of sleep. You will wake up feeling tired and exhausted. If the sandman still hasn’t come for a visit, have a nice cup of chamomile tea before bedtime. This tea has a mild sedative effect. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous, so leave them for the koala bears.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

T:10”

T:5.541”

Neighborhood { find } World-class care is now right around the corner from where you live and work. NYU Langone Medical Center’s expanding footprint offers convenient access to all your healthcare needs, from routine office visits to outpatient surgery and specialized testing. To find a multi-specialty group practice in your neighborhood, or to see a full list of our group practices, visit www.NYULMC.org Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health | Upper East Side 646.754.3300 Trinity Center | Wall Street 212.263.9700 • The Miller Practice | Midtown 646.778.5555 Columbus Medical | Queens 718.261.9100 • NYU Langone at Great Neck | Nassau County 516.482.6747

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_DSC6913_snap_neighborhood_purple.tif CMYK You may be eligible if you: 276 ppi • Are overweight, without recent weight loss • Are a non-smoking adult, age 18-65 The Rockefeller University is seeking overweight men for • Have a personal or family history of high blood pressure, Document Path: study NYC-Creative:Volumes:NYC-Creative:Studio:MECHANICALS:NYU MEDICAL:2011:Masterbrand:Newspaper:Our Town:NYULMCP2054_Neighborhood_10x5.5.indd a new that could lead to new diabetes, or high cholesterol treatments for cancer. • Are not taking pills or insulin for diabetes

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The study includes a 32-day inpatient stay at our research hospital in Manhattan. Work and school are allowed during the study. Volunteers will receive: • All food and drinks during the 32 day stay • A private room with cable TV and DVD player • Compensation

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3/5/2012 12:14:14 PM

OUR TOWN

•

Women’s Healthcare Services Returns to Tribeca Following the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital, many physicians came to New York Downtown Hospital so they could continue to serve their patients on the West Side. With the opening of a new Center on 40 Worth Street, we are pleased to welcome two exceptional physicians back to the community. They will be working in collaboration with physicians from Weill Cornell Medical Associates.

Dr. Zhanna Fridel and Dr. Vanessa Pena are board certified obstetricians and gynecologists utilizing leading diagnostic and treatment methodologies across a broad spectrum of women’s health issues. • Normal and High Risk Obstetrical Care • Complete Well Woman Care • Diagnosis and Treatment of Gynecologic Conditions • Laparoscopic Surgery • Osteoporosis Detection and Treatment • Urogynecology (female urology) • Cord Blood Banking • Cervical Cancer Vaccination • Menopausal Management • Contraception

For an appointment with Dr. Fridel and Dr. Pena,

call (212) 238-0180

40 Worth Street, Suite 402, New York, NY 10013

The MoodyÕ s Foundation Center For Cardiovascular Health At New York Downtown Hospital

Through the generosity of the MoodyÕ s Foundation, New York Downtown Hospital created a comprehensive, state-of-the-art center that focuses on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular disease through a holistic, integrative approach. Our team of physicians works with you to assess your cardiovascular risk and design individualized treatment plans that allow you to live a healthier, more active life. Our cardiovascular specialists can also perform procedures at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Ð Weill Cornell Medical Center, allowing our patients access to innovative treatment options. Our Cardiac Rehabilitation Center has been recognized for its high level of service, and we offer Cardiovascular Wellness Evaluations designed to attain a multi-faceted approach to achieving your best health. We are committed to providing a superior level of care and patient service, and invite you to learn more about the services we offer. Consultations and testing services are easily scheduled with a single phone call, and in most cases can be arranged and performed within 24 to 48 hours. Most major insurance plans are accepted, and convenient appointments are available, including early morning and late afternoon visits.

Wellness & Prevention Center

170 William Street, New York, NY 10038 Telephone: (646) 588-2526 www.downtownwellness.org

www.downtownhospital.org

22•

OUR TOWN

•

March 8, 2012

NEWS YOU LIVE BY

Resources to Beat Stress April is a National Stress Awareness month and no one knows stress better then busy New Yorkers. This issue will focus on Techniques and Services that can help you to reduce stress, lower your blood pressure and get you on track to leading a less stressful and happier life.

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SATURDAY, MAR 10 - Downtown Grace Church School - 86 4th Ave 12pm–3pm

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(P6)

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PHOTO BY ANDREW SCHWARTZ

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Neighbors Say Met Plan is ‘No Picnic’ P.4

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February 23, 2012

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Ready: 365 Days a Year 8am-10pm Weekdays 9am-9pm Weekends

www.CityMD.net

NEWS: Lappin and Garodnick Page 7 eye higher office February 23, 2012

Since 1970

• Extended shelf-life asdeep) our readers will keep in the research, services, support Half Page: $2,100 (10” what wide 5.541” 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor • New York, NYisx new 10016 • 212.268.8600 and products for autismdeep) and otherto developmental advertiser, to•describe your this issue around and refer back it. Quarter Page: $1,490 (4.917” wide x 5.541” Special rates and packages. 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor • New York, NY 10016 • In 212.268.8600 disorders. addition, we will focus on how busy INSIDE: THE NEW YORK FAMILY 2012 ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMP

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(P18)

Eighth Page: $830 (4.917” wide x 2.687” deep) New Yorkers can beat stress!

• Free ad design and marketing consultation. • Targeting 180,000 health conscious New Yorkers. th (P14)

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FASHION WEEK

PHOTO BY JONATHAN HÖKKLO | HOKKLO.COM

(P12)

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER? SATURDAY, MAR 10 - Downtown Grace Church School - 86 4th Ave 12pm–3pm

Since 1983

TALKING UP DOWNTOWN New School President David Van Zandt

TUNING UP FOR THE TUNE-IN MUSIC FESTIVAL Park Ave. Armory wishes Philip Glass a happy 75th

SUNDAY, MAR 11 - Park Slope Union Temple - 17 Eastern Pkwy 12pm–3pm

NEIGHBORS CRY FOUL OVER TAKEOVER OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARK P. 8 +

Upper West Side

2465 Broadway 212-721-2111

Ready: 365 Days a Year 8am-10pm Weekdays 9am-9pm Weekends

www.CityMD.net

• Extended shelf-life as our readers will keep this issue around and refer back to it. • Targeting 180,000 health conscious New Yorkers. *Matching editorial space foraccount you, •executive: Extended shelf-life as our readers will keep For more information contact your

Rates For All 3 Papers (FREE 4-Color):

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March 8, 2012

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OUR TOWN

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Healthy Manhattan

Treatments But No Cure for Narcolepsy Symptoms of the sleep disorder include temporary paralysis & hallucinations By Ashley Welch

Whether it’s from long workdays, noisy neighbors or crying newborns, we’ve all experienced feelings of tiredness. But what if that feeling never went away, even after a restful night’s sleep? That is the reality for individuals living with narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain’s inability to regulate a normal sleep-and-wake cycle. Though narcolepsy has several symptoms, the most prominent is constant tiredness. “People living with this disorder will feel excessive sleepiness at inappropriate times, such as when they are at work or school or even while having a conversation,” said Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, medical director at the New York Sleep Institute and assistant professor of neurology at the New York University School of Medicine. According to the American Sleep Association, as many as 200,000 Americans suffer from the sleep disorder. Its cause is not yet known, but scientists believe it is due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin, the chemical responsible for the feeling of alertness that also aids in sleep regulation. Symptoms usually first show in patients in their late teens or early twenties. While taking quick naps often helps ease sleepiness, it may be difficult for people living with narcolepsy to perform in a normal work or school environment. “It is a struggle every day with being extremely sleepy,” said Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep–Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. “They have difficulty concentrating, multitasking and in almost every cognitive aspect of day-to-day life.” In addition to being tired, several other symptoms may present with narcolepsy, though not in every patient living with the disorder. People may experience hallucinations, either at the onset of sleep or while waking. This may or may not be accompanied by sleep paralysis, which is literally the paralysis brought on by one’s mind and body entering rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—the period of sleep in

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O U R TOW N D OW N TOWN | MA R C H 8 , 2 0 1 2 • OUR TOW N • March 8, 2012

which dreams occur. “We are all paralyzed every night when we dream or else we’d be up acting them out,” explained Rebecca Scott, a sleep disorders specialist at the New York Sleep Institute. “But with sleep paralysis, the person is clearly awake but cannot move or speak properly.” Scott said that although sleep paralysis usually passes after a few seconds, the experience can be terrifying, especially when coupled with hallucinations. Another symptom of narcolepsy is cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone that causes feelings of weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control. These attacks vary in severity, from a slight droop of the eyelids to the inability to stand. Patients are fully awake and conscious during even the most severe attacks. Strong emotions, such as laughter and anger are common stimuli of cataplexy. Though there is no cure for narcolepsy, all of its symptoms can be controlled through medication and behavioral modification. Specific medication works to reduce attacks of cataplexy, while other medications address the excessive sleepiness. People with narcolepsy may also be advised by their doctors to make some lifestyle changes. “Patients should follow good sleep hygiene,” said Rodriguez. “This includes getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, not taking on late shifts at work and taking it easy with alcohol.” Rodriguez also suggests patients take brief naps throughout the day if possible and said most can live a normal life if treated properly. However, some patients may be advised not to drive or operate heavy machinery, depending on the severity of their condition. Patients may find it difficult to cope with the condition because others may not understand their need for constant sleep. “Many people say they’re lazy because they’re always tired and fall asleep often, sometimes even in the middle of a conversation, but there really is something wrong,” said Scott. In fact, experts believe that narcolepsy is underdiagnosed because people may attribute their sleepiness to other causes. However, constant tiredness is not normal and should be looked into if it interferes with everyday activities. “If a person gets an adequate amount of sleep and still experiences excessive sleepiness during the day, he or she should see a doctor and get a sleep study done,” said Thorpy. “It is not normal, and steps can be taken to make people living with narcolepsy feel better and function properly in their day-to-day lives.”

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OUR TOWN

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A 13th Opinion Saved My Life My fainting was repeatedly misdiagnosed until I found the right doctor By ShoShana DaviS I was 15 the first time I fainted. My doctor blamed the heat—living in Arizona, it made sense. For the next 11 years, I collapsed every few months; while sitting down eating lunch with my family or standing in a work meeting. My college roommates would find me bruised and bloodied in the shower. The list goes on. I was scared and confused, but not alone. According to a recent study by QuantiaMD, a digital community of physicians, “Nearly half (47 percent) of clinicians said they encounter diagnostic errors (i.e. missed, late or wrong diagnoses) at their practice at least monthly,” and “96 percent of clinicians say that they believe diagnostic errors are

26 

N N TOWN • March O•U ROUR TOWTOW N D OW | MA8, R C2012 H 8, 2012

preventable at least some of the time.” The diagnosis for my collapsing was always vasovagal syncope, also known as the common faint. However, the slew of testing brought on even more illness conjectures; by the time I was 24, I had tested positive for celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and even hepatitis C. Each of these were false positives that created months of needless fear and hysteria. Not to mention that it was tough to budget a yearly health care cost of over $2,500 on a $26,000 television assistant’s salary while living in Manhattan. Luckily, my health insurance kicked in after the deductible and helped to cover the remainder of these pricey mistakes. After one particularly dangerous fainting incident, I was referred to a cardiologist who recommended that I practice standing against a wall to induce an episode and carry a bag of potato chips around to keep my blood pressure up. He figured I could teach myself how to anticipate fainting so I could learn to prevent it from happening. He also suggested that I have a friend around to call 911 if necessary and to keep

something soft to fall on, just in case. He had no answers as to why I was collapsing on a monthly basis, but told me that I should come back in three months. As I left in tears, I asked for a copy of my records, and I watched the doctor give the folder to his secretary, who made a copy. I looked at documents as I was walking out; they weren’t even my test results. There was a man’s name, clearly one of his other patients, at the top of the page. He hadn’t even looked at my chart. Crying out of anger and frustration outside his office in Union Square, I didn’t know what to do. People grow up thinking physicians have all the answers, but my doctors had none. Taking my diagnosis into my own hands, I got the name of another cardiologist from a friend, and he was willing to see me the next day. Within hours, this new doctor sent me to an electrophysiologist, a specialist that focuses on the electricity of the heart. My electrophysiologist understood that I couldn’t carry a good luck charm and hope that I wouldn’t teeter off in front of the QM15 while crossing 6th Avenue. He noticed that my heart rate was dangerously low and diagnosed me with

bradycardia, which means your resting heartbeat is under 60 beats per minute. I was healthy; my heart just had its own beat. His first reaction was that I needed a pacemaker, but he did not want to put a device in someone my age without proof that it was completely necessary. I respected him for this, and saw a few other specialists to confirm this new hypothesis. After being through so many false conclusions, the last thing I wanted was a permanent mistake. He used an implanted heart monitor to demonstrate that a device was necessary, and confirmed that my heartbeat was just not slow but was stopping for long periods of time. At age 25, I had a pacemaker implanted. It’s been exactly two years since my procedure and I haven’t fainted once. Medicine is a science and doctors do not always know the answers; patients need to know that there are always other physicians with different treatment experiences or judgment calls out there. Without that second opinion, I might still be carrying around salty snacks and standing against a wall.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

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It’s Elementary: What to Do About 6th Grade? By Micah Kellner Shortly after being elected to the state Assembly five years ago, I attended the groundbreaking of the new East Side Middle School with then-Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. I had campaigned on creating new zoned elementary schools for the neighborhood, and I told Klein that all of the local schools were literally bursting at the seams, with each one at 150 percent capacity—or worse. The Upper East Side had become a victim of its own success; with great principals, terrific teachers and engaged parents,

Unsurprisingly, few parents feel safe or comfortable at the prospect of their tweens or young teens traveling from the East 70s, 80s and 90s down to the Financial District every school day. families were choosing to stay in the city and send their children to public school. At first, Klein and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) refused to admit we needed at least one new elementary school. The community was determined not to allow the overcrowding to worsen, and elected officials organized with parents to keep pressure on the DOE. Ultimately, Klein came around and worked with the community to establish the new P.S. 151 in 2009. Since then, two rezonings have led to the creation of two more elementary schools in the neighborhood: P.S. 267 and P.S. 527. Fast-forward five years: East Side Middle School is already over capacity and those parents who fought for new elemen-

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In fact, the very size of District 2 may pose an impediment to realizing a new Upper East Side middle school. It may be time to break District 2 up into smaller and more manageable school districts, forcing the DOE to give more local middle school options to families throughout the diverse, far-flung neighborhoods currently located in District 2. While creating smaller, more responsive and accountable school districts is a worthy longterm goal, we cannot afford to let the DOE pass up the opportunity at hand to establish a middle school now. One promising proposal that could be implemented by the start of the 2012 school year is to allow P.S. 77, the Lower Lab School, to expand from an elementary school to a program for kindergarten through 8th grade. Lower Lab has an established principal and curriculum, and expanding the number of sections for sixth grade would give Upper East Side families another quality middle school option on Day 1. Whether the DOE lets P.S. 77 expand or simply incubates a new school, it should use the P.S. 158 annex as a middle school. Allowing the DOE to expand P.S. 158 into a giant elementary school would be a disservice to its staff and students, destroying its wonderful character. Even worse would be to allow a charter school to assume the space. The community hopes the DOE will wake up and realize what is so evident to Upper East Side families: all 5th graders eventually become 6th graders and they will need a place to go to school—soon.

ent and child on the Upper East Side! (@ AMC Loews Orpheum 7 for Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax)

ol’ times growin’ up, when everything seemed so pure.

Micah Kellner is an assembly member who represents the Upper East Side.

TWeeT SpeAk @DennisBasso Good morning. Walking in Central Park and the daffodils are in bloom—spring is almost here! @MoiseSafraCC Hello, Twitter world! Stay tuned for tweets about our progress as NYC’s newest Jewish Community Center on the Upper East Side! @DWwithChildren Seeing The Lorax with every other par-

tary schools are anxiously beginning to wonder where their children will attend middle school. With a limited number of academically rigorous middle schools, Upper East Side parents are once again demanding more options from the DOE. A new middle school is desperately needed. With P.S. 267 scheduled to move out of the P.S. 158 annex, there will be suitable space on the Upper East Side to open just such a school. We know the site would work, because East Side Middle School used it for years and coexisted well with P.S. 158. The Community Education Council for District 2, the body that replaced the local school board, has heeded the call from the community and recently passed a resolution calling on the DOE to create a new Upper East Side middle school in the annex of P.S. 158. One might think DOE officials would have learned from the prior success associated with parents creating elementary schools and would work with them to devise a solution to the East Side’s middle school dilemma. Instead, the agency seems intent on making excuses and playing numbers games. The DOE likes to claim that there are more than enough middle school seats in District 2, yet most of those are located downtown. District 2 is one of the largest geographic school districts in the city, an unwieldy patchwork stretching from the Upper East Side all the way to Lower Manhattan and over into Chelsea. Unsurprisingly, few parents feel safe or comfortable at the prospect of their tweens or young teens traveling from the East 70s, 80s and 90s down to the Financial District every school day.

@djmikeclemente After months and over 100 checkins, I have been ousted as the mayor of Carl Schurz Park by @casspa on @foursquare. @DustAngelNY Ridin’ the train to the Upper East Side of NYC never fails to remind me of the good

@NearSayUptown Check out the fantastic exhibit at @metmuseum featuring a rare collection of 30,000 baseball cards dating back to 1887! @92Y Was a great honor to have Mikhail Baryshnikov in audience for 92Y Harkness Dance Festival on Sat. When are you coming? N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

MOORe tHOuGHtS

Teachers: The New Bogeymen And why education looks different from the classroom By Christopher Moore The Department of Education’s release of teacher rankings could be just the beginning. Go further. Using the city Department of Health and its letter grades for eateries as inspiration, I propose two moves. First, clear up those confusing rankings and assign a letter grade to each city teacher. Then, to make things easier for parents and editorial writers, force each educator to wear a T-shirt—in the winter it could be a pullover sweater— with the appropriate personalized grade emblazoned across the fabric. This will save time for everybody. Is this crazy? Yes. Crazier than confused rankings, teaching to the test and using one set of criteria to judge a person’s career? Nah. This feels personal to me ever since I joined the family business last year. Eager to sign on to another hated minority, I became a teacher, just as my father and sister had done before me. They were or are full-timers. My new job, like way too many these days, is part-time. Very part-time.

The gig is at the college level, for a state university in New Jersey, so I don’t have to take it personally when my mayor, Michael Bloomberg, bashes the teachers union in the city. Which reminds me: When I became an adjunct communications professor, I went the whole nine yards and joined a teacher’s union, too. It’s been an amazing ride. Teaching college students has been a challenge; sometimes aggravating and occasionally thrilling. Aggravating because a dangerously high number of freshmen arrive at the university level without the basics in grammar and composition or even the notion that they should take notes in class. Thrilling because the good days are great, when I see someone grasping a concept for the first time. I have never done work that is more important. It matters whether I show up. This semester, I am in the classroom six hours a week. I’m in awe of anyone who spends the entire day in front of a class. The younger the students get, the more amazed I get. My sister teaches elementary school. How does she make it through an

entire day? After I do two college classes, I need a nap, two slices of pizza and an hour of Judge Judy. My lessons in the classroom have come, though, at a weird cultural moment. Teachers are the new bogeymen. They get the blame. They are increasingly seen as the reason our educational system is failing us. There has been a sea change over the years since my father became a teacher about five decades ago. Then, the assumption was that when something went wrong, the student was to blame. Now, it’s the teachers. Oh, I love the idea of firing bad teachers. As a student decades ago, I began to spot them and their lazily crafted lesson plans, lack of initiative and excessive mumbling about how many days until retirement. As a teacher now, I see them walking hallways like zombies. Sure, we need a way to dump them. But without the support of the people on the front lines, rebuilding and reinvigorating our school

system is a fantasy. These issues can be complex. I figured that out around the 6th grade, when a teacher with a fabulous reputation did not seem fabulous to me. This gets us to a notion largely missing from the discussion: different teachers are good for different students. That’s the kind of thing not accounted for in the new, public rankings. As a journalist, I value the free flow of information. I say release the data. As someone with a little fresh experience in the classroom, I believe the reports are deeply flawed. More than anything, though, I would like to see more recognition of the physically and psychologically demanding work being done by teachers. Let the mayor and other self-proclaimed experts on educational issues head into the classroom. You people think this is easy? Well, pick a gray winter morning, traipse in there and see those students packed into overcrowded classrooms all looking up at you. Go ahead and live through that experience. See if you can make the grade. Christopher Moore is a writer living in Manhattan. He is available on Twitter as @cmoorenyc.

citiquette

Sappy Birthday

The reliable, artificial heart of Facebook By Jeanne Martinet I am certainly not the first person to write about the relatively new social phenomenon of the Facebook birthday. On the other hand, I may be the last person to actually share my date of birth on Facebook (at least it feels that way to me). For years, I have eschewed what I felt was the insipid practice of posting birthday wishes on people’s Facebook walls. “It’s fake, it’s forced, it’s formulaic,” I would complain. After all, does it not nullify the entire purpose of wishing someone “Happy Birthday” if a machine is reminding you to say it—and that machine is only reminding you because the person having the birthday has, in essence, programmed it to remind you? If you are out with someone who demands, “Ask me how I am!” and you respond by asking, “So, how are you?” is that really satisfying to the other person? But this year I was too busy to nudge my friends about my approaching birthday, so I caved. Anyway, I am at my core an “if O u r To w n NY. c o m

you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” type of gal, so I succumbed to the all-powerful god of Facebook. There seem to be three types of Facebook birthday well-wishers: the good, the bad and the boring. The good ones give you a little something personal but not too intimate (“Happy Birthday, good luck with your writing!” or “Have fun in Hawaii!”). The boring ones just write “Happy Birthday!!”—with the prerequisite double exclamation points. Boring in this situation is perfectly fine, in my opinion; if you think of Facebook as a big party, these are the people who raise their glasses to you when the host (in this case, Facebook’s notification) offers up a birthday toast. And the bad? The bad are the ones who act like 7th graders and typify everything I dislike about Facebook and the social networking universe in general. (I myself was

fortunate enough not to get any of the bad, but I have seen them around). The bad tend to post things like: “Happy Birthday!! Hope you don’t get drunk like last year, when I had to drive you home and then you sang really loud even though you were already in bed, remember?” or “Happy Birthday, maybe this year I will actually get to see your face, stranger! R U mad at me? Why don’t you call a person up some time?” In a perfect world, we might use Facebook as a tool for remembering people’s birthdays, then do something more personal to commemorate them—a phone call or a card. But in the real world, we seem to lack the time and wherewithal to do that for more than a very few close friends. Of course, this is what made birthday greetings so special in the old days. Now, the question of who wishes you a happy birthday has more to do with how much your friends keep up with Facebook than with how much they keep up with you. However, as much fun as it is to dis Facebook—and I admit it’s one of my favorite pastimes—I have to say that Facebook’s birthday reminder mechanism is on the whole a great boon.

When I was a child, I was sure that by the time we got to 2012, computers would be able to interact with us the way a servant would, like the overly maternal robot in The Jetsons. I imagined them as perfectly efficient, perfectly discreet personal assistants who would automatically remind us what we had to do and where we had to be. I have always kept a birthday reminder book next to my desk, a calendar of family and friends’ birthdays, but of course the system doesn’t work unless I remember to write people’s birthdays down and remember to look in the book on a regular basis. How different, really, is the Facebook notification system from my old-fashioned birthday book, except that it does all the work for me better than I can? Is it so bad, having an electronic birthday secretary? Isn’t that what computers are for? Does this mean I have become a social zombie? Perhaps. But as we all know from watching zombie movies, once you are a zombie, you are unlikely to care whether you are one or not. You just join the horde of flesh-eaters and have a good time. Jeanne Martinet, aka Miss Mingle, is the author of seven books on social interaction. Read her blog at MissMingle.com. March 8, 2012

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