Triple Cities Carousel Jan. 2014

CAROUSEL triple cities

january 2014

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vol. 2 issue 1

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contents.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 3

TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL P.O. BOX 2947 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Christopher Bodnarczuk Assistant Editors Heather Merlis, Ronnie Vuolo Creative Consulant/Calendar Guru Ty Whitbeck Advertising Christopher Bodnarczuk, Kathleen Klein Staff Writers Charles Berman, Stacey Burke, Kaitlin Mooney, Maria Murphy, Rose Silberman-Gorn, Felicia Waynesboro, Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Contributors K.T. Decker, Krissy Howard, Roxanne Janecki, Baylen K. Slote, Kristina Strain Photography Ty Whitbeck Layout/Design Christopher Bodnarczuk Youth Liason Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Printer Our Press Chenango Bridge, NY On the Cover “Road to the Stars” -Derek Lindow FOR ADVERTISING: ads@triplecitiescarousel.com FOR LETTERS, COMPLAINTS, PRAISE, DEATH THREATS, AND MORE INFO: editor@triplecitiescarousel.com

editorial...............................................................4 health and wellness.........................................5 art........................................................................13 events calendar..............................................14 music....................................................................19 food and drink..................................................21 theatre...............................................................23 fun stuff............................................................25 parting shot.....................................................26 HEY THERE, PUNK. YOU KNOW HOW YOU KEEP SAYING “CAROUSEL NEEDS A ‘LETTERS TO THE EDITOR’ SECTION? WELL, WE TOTALLY WOULD IF YOU’D SEND US SOMETHING! editor@triplecitiescarousel.com

editorial.

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I know I said something about redesigning the paper.

That happened, well, not so much. When we announced it, y’all came out of the woodwork and said “No! Don’t change it!” So we didn’t. We totally changed the font, though. See? Georgia Size 8. Now we can do italics! Whoops… Now we can do italics! I know you don’t care. Nobody should care about fonts. But, these are the terrible horrible things that infest my head each night when I want to sleep.

Well, one of the terrible, horrible things. The other one is the ever present fear of missing a deadline, and getting the paper out late. Turns out, it was a worthy fear. We put the paper out late. I’m going to continue to pretend it’s completely, 100% because I was worried about the safety of the printers going to work in a blizzard, because the reality of it is, well, I screwed up.

And I could never admit such a thing, self-entitled only child that I am. Sorry about that, folks.

Anyway, it’s here now, and I swear to you the February issue will be out on time!

And so here we are. 2014. The Year of the Horse, according to Google. And China. That means we’ve made it to Volume 2 of Triple Cities Carousel. I’m not quite sure what that’s supposed to mean. I guess that we’re doing something right? And that you like to read? And that we were totally right when we said “there is too stuff to do in this town!” So that’s good.

There’s probably quite a bit more I could say right now. But, it’s been 36 hours since I slept.

I’m going to do that. Enjoy the Health and Wellness issue!

-Christopher M.F. Bodnarczuk

health and wellness.

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A new year is upon us, and that inevitably means we’ve taken to facebook, proudly declaring to all that will listen that it’s time to turn over a new leaf…we’re gonna kick those bad habits, dammit, because we made a resolution to do so! Of course, it’s quite possible that by this time in February, we’ll be back off the wagon, chain smoking Pall Malls behind the Manley’s dumpster, drunk on Chymes, face smeared with ice cream, calling our exes to tell them just what they’re missing. Right? Guys? Guys?

“That’s not going to happen to me,” you’ve declared. Alright, sailor, maybe you’ve got a bit more self-control than the Carousel crew. We’re writers, yunno. We’ve got vices to feed.

Maybe you’re full of self-discipline and looking for new ways to stay healthy, maybe you just need a push in the right direction, but this here paper is for you! Carousel’s first ever Health and Wellness issue is for you! Of course, given the fact that our editorial staff is a bunch of good for nothing, granola munching hippie types, we’ve given it a bit of a holistic twist. Sure, we’ve got some stuff about exercise. But we’ve also got some stuff about eating healthy! And a big downer piece about Lyme Disease! And a poll! And a big feature about GMOs! Remember how controversial we were back in June when we interviewed the director of ‘Gasland?’ Yep, that’s got nothing on the feature on GMOs! In all seriousness, though, we’ve got to pay attention to this stuff. We’ve all seen the study: Binghamton, NY, the second most obese city in the nation. Sure, we weren’t the top of the list (that honor goes to some hick town in Texas), but we ranked worse than Reading, PA. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO READING, PA? The streets are flowing with nacho cheese! The Pretzel City?!?! Come on guys, we can do better than that. For god’s sake: they invented the mechanical ice cream scoop. They’re such gluttons they couldn’t be satisfied with a regular old spoon!

We’re not saying you need to jog every single day. We’re not even saying that you can’t binge on a garbage plate every once in a while. Fit it into your lifestyle. Hate jogging?

We do, too! So we go biking. And hiking. And… nope, that’s about it. Hate tofu? Well, 1) eat some freaking kale then, and 2) try that tofu again, but tossed in hot sauce!

We hope this issue helps, but if worse comes to worst, we’ll see you behind that Manley’s dumpster next month!

HEALING THE SPINE ONE BACKWARD BEND AT A TIME

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The benefits of Bikram Yoga are far reaching. People who are looking to lose weight, get fit, heal chronic back pain, and heal various injuries will see real results from practicing Bikram Yoga regularly. Recent studies have shown that, in addition to stress relief and various other mental benefits, Bikram Yoga has been shown to increase spine and hamstring flexibility over the long term. Hocking jokes that “most people come in here looking to get a tight butt, but that they end up leaving here with so much more than that; mentally, physically and emotionally.”

Roxanne Janecki Contributing Writer

On the corner of Water Street and East Clinton Street in Downtown Binghamton, things are starting to heat up. This past summer, Bikram Yoga Binghamton opened its doors and became the first studio in Broome County to offer authentic Bikram Hot Yoga classes.

Bikram Yoga is a wildly popular form of Yoga, with over 500 independently owned Bikram Yoga Schools in the United States alone. This particular style of Yoga is known as much for its many healing abilities as it is for being hot- really, really hot.

“I admit I was hesitant to try this Yoga,” says Marc Hocking, co-owner of Bikram Yoga Binghamton, after being asked about his experience with this Yoga. “But, I had real back pain; stress fractures in several of my vertebrae and scoliosis, and someone told me that Bikram Yoga would give me relief. I don’t know if you know what it is like to have chronic back pain, but you get desperate after a while and you’ll do almost anything to not feel pain.”

Bikram Hot Yoga is a series of 26 Yoga postures and two breathing exercises designed to heal the spine, flush out toxins, revitalize the body, and improve overall health and wellness. The class is practiced in a heated room but the heat is not meant to make the class hard. The heat of the room allows for prac-

“I healed my spine with Bikram Yoga and that is how the Yoga became my daily life. After traveling around the US and teaching Bikram Yoga for six years, it was time to give back in a bigger way– it was time for me to open up my own Bikram Yoga School” says Hocking.

Classes are 90 minutes long and are offered throughout the day seven days a week. Beginners are welcome in all of the classes on the schedule.

Yoga! Photo provided.

titioners to experience results faster by speeding up chemical reactions in the body. Practicing the Bikram Yoga sequence regularly in a heated room also flushes lactic acid out of the body which means no soreness and no recovery time.

“Right away, after my first class,” says Hocking, “my spine felt different. I had less pain. A few hours after taking my first class, I went back and took another one- that is how much of a difference I noticed in my back. I guess you can say that was it for me, I was hooked from day one.”

The class is designed for beginning students. “The postures are always the same, the sequence never

changes, what changes is you. Each posture has a beginning, but it has no end,” adds Hocking. “With repetition over time, as your body and your spine changes, students go deeper and deeper into the postures. That’s what makes this class so interesting. It is accessible enough so that literally anyone can do it but, with consistent practice, it becomes something challenging enough to keep advanced practitioners engaged and interested. And, we all take class together. At any given time you’ll look over and see the brand new student practicing next to an International Yoga Champion. In this room, doing these funny little yoga postures in a heated environment, we are all the same, we are all equals.”

What is happening at Bikram Yoga Binghamton is truly transformational- practitioners of all levels and abilities are given the tools to reclaim their physical and mental health. But the end result of this Yoga practice is more than just physical change.

This Yoga heals people, gives people their lives back and, in turn, this Yoga can and does heal communities. Experience it for yourself. Every day people are coming together to take a Yoga class on this once long empty corner in Downtown Binghamton- by working to better themselves, the students and teachers of Bikram Yoga Binghamton (many of whom are Binghamton natives) are changing the very landscape of Downtown Binghamton... one backward bend at a time.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: PILATES IN THE TRIPLE CITIES The Full Package

Heather Merlis Assistant Editor

Mind Full Pilates and Yoga in Johnson City (located within the Court Jester Athletic Club West), is a complete, classical Pilates studio, with all of the equipment that Joseph Pilates built (replicated, of course). This studio offers mat classes, but also incorporates all of the equipment for group work.

Kathy McGregor, one of the instructors, has been teaching Pilates for about fifteen years. Comprehensively Certified in Classical Pilates, she instructs her classes orally, while correcting each student’s form and modifying exercises to the needs and abilities of each individual. The studio offers classes suited to a variety of experience levels, sometimes alternating between equipment and mat work within one class. Ms. McGregor said of the equipment: “It provides the extra resistance so the body can feel it, so it can do it without the resistance. Your ideal is to work with only your body resistance, and that’s the mat.”

“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” This was the philosophy of Joseph H. Pilates, a man who overcame childhood maladies, survived British internment during the First World War (he was a German National), and designed a system of wellness that has a century-long legacy of promoting health and positivity.

As for keeping your “eyes on the prize,” that’s one of the Pilates-specific prompts (it means to look at your navel) that you’ll hear as you’re feeling the burn deep in your core. There are several Pilates studios here in the Triple Cities. Three of them were generous enough to let Carousel in on how they are carrying on Pilates’ legacy of focused determination towards holistic fitness.

Attention and Refinement The Pilates Salon (located upstairs from an actual salon), is an intimate, pristine haven of a studio. Marjorie Donovick is its founder and owner; the space that she has created mirrors her personal style in its immaculate presentation and elegance.

A former gymnast, Ms. Donovick teaches all of the lessons, which include a Pilates Barre class, as well as one-on-one sessions centered largely on the equipment originally designed by Joseph Pilates.

The Reformer (which aims to “universally re-form” bodies) is the apparatus most commonly associated with Pilates, and Ms. Donovick takes great care in ensuring that her clients are relating to the equipment properly and effectively. She explains that Joseph Pilates was in-

Heather trying out Pilates. Photo by Miles Mcnulty.

spired by the movement of animals in the natural world when creating his routines and designing the equipment. Even if it’s awkward for a first-timer, Ms. Donovick is extremely attentive in guiding her clients toward the intended organic movement of each exercise.

Pilates to the People Cathy Lipsky’s Pilates mat class at the Binghamton YMCA is an inclusive, accessible class for those interested in working with their bodies’ own resistance and minimal equipment. Private sessions are also offered. Many of the exercises overlap with those done in physical therapy, so this class is a great stepping-stone for those rehabilitating from an injury. If you have your own mat, bring it.

The Director of Wellness at the YMCA, Ms. Lipsky

teaches advanced (yet gentle) Pilates, as well as personal training. Her interest in Pilates was born when her passion for fitness met with a yearning for something more internal. “I took a Pilates class and I found it was increasingly difficult, but I kept coming back. Then I saw the results, and they were like nothing I’d ever seen before.”

Ms. Lipsky trained under Mary Bowen, an elder who worked directly with Joseph Pilates, and she deftly translates her formal experience into something accessible for her students. “It is poetry for your body: a mind, body, spirit exercise. It is toning; it caters to the individual. It’s a lifelong process.” True to its founding philosophy, this Pilates class emphasizes positivity, though it should not be confused with yoga. It is also ideal for seniors, since there’s not a lot of getting up and sitting down, but its benefits will be felt by students of any age.

Ms. McGregor is not only an instructor, she is also an enthusiast. Like Ms. Donovick and Ms. Lipsky, she emanates exuberance. “The beauty about Pilates is that because we adhere to strict alignments, precision points, and execution points, so you get more efficiency and more benefits out of it. People walk out of the studio invigorated and ready to go for the rest of the day.”

While Pilates is a precise and vigorous practice, it was designed to suit any body. It’s based on a philosophy that informs a healthful way of life and a stronger, more resilient body. Ms. McGregor testified: “I think Pilates is, bar none, the best workout system that you could possibly do. It improves performance and prevents injury. I love it.”

vvv Visit thepilatessalon.com, ymcabroome.org, and mindfullpilatesandyoga.com for more information on the studios covered in this story.

HOW YOU LIVING? A BREAKDOWN OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS HABITS IN THE TRIPLE CITIES

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Being a person is tricky business.

We’re given these bodies and expected to whittle them into something impressive as we are tempted with delicious snack cakes and dirty martinis, all the while groping toward some concept of inner peace.

WHAT IS WELLNESS? “Doing everything you’re supposed to do when you’re stressed out.” - Genie, 74

“To me, it’s about being aesthetically pleasing to the opposite sex.” - Anonymous, 27 “An equilibrium and a balance.” -Joseph, 31

DO YOU GET THE HOW DO YOU GET YOUR EXCERCISE? WINTER BLUES? Yes: 60% WHAT’S THE BEST THING No: 40% DO YOU GET EACH NIGHT?

People aren’t always honest- with themselves or with a random stranger with a voice recorder- especially when it comes to divulging how they treat their bodies, minds, and spirits, but our own HEATHER MERLIS did her darndest to get a read on the general wellness of close to two hundred people with real, live, human bodies in the Triple Cities. Here are some of her findings.

Daily: 32% A few times a week: 20% Once in a while: 20% Never: 28%

HOW MANY HOURS OF SLEEP

Or maybe it’s simpler than that; maybe you do the best you can with what you have. What is wellness, anyway?

That’s one of the questions we asked in our first poll, specially designed for this issue of Carousel, and received a variety of answers. We asked people on the street, in cafes, a bookstore, Boscov’s, and in a bar- where the most common answer to that question was, “I don’t know.”

DO YOU MEDITATE OR PRAY?

YOU DO FOR YOU?

1-3 hrs: 2% 4-5 hrs: 12% 6-8 hrs: 70% 9 or more: 10% It varies: 4%

“Drink water.” -Jeff, 51

0-2: 27% 3-5: 35% 6-8: 27% 9 or more: 11%

“Sing and be warm.” Molly, 28

“Sex and alcohol; sex and vodka, specifically.”

-Cornelius, 34

DO YOU DRINK? 3 or more times a week: 28% Couple times a week: 13% Occasionally: 27% Never- 32%

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL STATE? Fantastic: 20% Pretty good: 40% Mediocre: 7% Depends on the day: 10% Could use some work: 16% Pretty crappy: 7%

“Just enjoy life.” -John, 50 “Only do work that I like.” -Dan, 29 “Bubble baths.” -Ellen, 44

WHAT ARE YOU SNACKING ON?

DO YOU SPEND SITTING?

HOW MANY HOURS A DAY

Never- 70% Occasionally- 10% Daily- 10% Pack or more a day- 10%

TO FIGHT THEM OFF?

“Live in a house.” - Ray, 56

DO YOU SMOKE? HOW OFTEN

WHAT DO YOU DO

“Stay in love with my husband.” -Susan, 55

“Make sure I have time alone to recharge my batteries.” -Christine, 29

“I don’t really think of it as a fight.”

-Edmond, 54 “I never heard of nothing like that; that’s a bunch of minutia...get your ass up and do something.” -Will, 57

LYME DISEASE: LEARNING THE FACTS

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Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor

Lyme disease is spreading across our state and country wreaking havoc in its wake. Until recently, the Center for Disease Control reported 30,000 new cases in the U.S. annually. That number has been revised to 300,000, and since many cases do not fit their reporting criteria, the actual number may be devastatingly higher.

Blacklegged ticks are active all year and, unless covered with a layer of snow, can reach you. They climb vegetation and attach themselves to a person or animal as it brushes by. Secreting a chemical that makes their bite painless, the victim is often unaware of their presence. They are found in grass, leaf piles, vegetation, or in the home, brought in by pets. In the nymph stage, they can be as tiny as a pinpoint and easily missed, even when engorged.

Opinions about how long a tick must be attached to transmit the disease* vary from a few hours to a few days. Since ticks are not normally sent for testing, doctors generally rely on blood tests (Elisa

and Western Blot) for detection. These tests determine the presence of antibodies the body forms in response to exposure. Currently, there is no test to detect the presence of the bacteria itself. As antibodies take time to develop, a test may be negative even if the person has been infected. Other reasons exist wherein the body may not form antibodies, which could also lead to a false negative. Diagnosis must always be made on the basis of clinical evaluation, never solely on test results. Detected early and treated properly, the patient has the best chance of complete recovery. The longer treatment is delayed, the harder it is to treat.

Untreated Lyme can cause untold suffering: loss of mobility, the ability to work and function, the ability to care for self and family, and all that makes life worthwhile. It can lead to depression and suicide.

It can kill. Following an identified bite, and in the absence of a positive test result or bulls-eye rash, doctors are left with the option of treating for a disease that their patient may or may not have. Those willing to prescribe antibiotics prophylactically are faced with widely varying guidelines for treatment. Lyme spirochetes can only be killed during a monthly growth phase. Treatment not encompassing that period is ineffective. They can also go dormant, during which time they are impervious.

If the course of antibiotics does not cover an active growth phase, the disease remains.

The bulls-eye rash is the most commonly known Lyme symptom; however, in many cases it fails to develop or is never found. Other early symptoms are flu-like, including headaches, fatigue, and achiness. Later symptoms run the gamut from neurological (including memory and concentration) to arthritis-like. As they can imitate countless other diseases, diagnosis may require multiple tests to rule things out. The process can be intensely frustrating to an ailing patient with an endless list of seemingly unrelated symptoms that often come and go at random. Once entrenched, treatment is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposition. Different people respond to different antibiotics; in some cases, long-term treatment may be necessary, including IV infusion. There is no test to determine whether the disease has been eradicated. Some specialists advocate for continuing treatment as long as symptoms remain, and then for a period thereafter, in order to give the patient their best chance at full recovery. A knowledgeable physician is essential.

Fierce controversy exists in the medical community regarding diagnosis and treatment. On one side are the laboratory research physicians who believe that current diagnostic tests are accurate, shortterm treatment is always adequate, and the extent of the disease is overestimated. On the other side are specialists treating patients in the field (some of whom are also involved in research) who believe

that current diagnostic tests are inadequate and lead to numerous false negatives, treatment must be individualized and may require longer duration, and the extent of the disease is vastly underestimated. Each branch uses different statistics to support their beliefs. The insurance industry chooses to follow guidelines set by the laboratory researchers, often paying only for short-term treatment. From a financial standpoint, it is in their interest to support whatever requires the least financial outlay. Considering that laboratory research is often funded by the insurance industry, the situation becomes even more controversial.

For anyone bitten by a tick, or exhibiting Lyme symptoms, the best defense is knowledge. Patients must arm themselves with information in order to take an active role in their treatment and ensure they choose a well-informed physician. Not doing so can lead to devastating results. *Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is only one of many tick-borne diseases, each with its own symptoms and treatment.

Many sources for this article of information exist on-line and in print including: lyme.org, ilads.org, lymedisease.org, and “Coping with Lyme Disease” (3rd Edition) by Denise Lang.

CHINESE MEDICINE: MORE THAN JUST PINS AND NEEDLES

Baylen K. Slote, M.A.TCM, L.Ac. Contributing Writer

When people find out that I practice Chinese medicine, they often ask, “Do you mean acupuncture?” And while acupuncture is a widely acclaimed practice, it is only one aspect of Chinese medicine.

Not unlike the Western biomedicine, Chinese medicine started with some very basic questions, such as, “Why am I sick?” and, “What can I do to become more healthy?” In search of answers, sages and scientists began to study the natural world. Some of them began to break down life into smaller and smaller pieces. This reductionist thought led to what we commonly call biomedicine. Others followed a more holistic line of inquiry: that things can only truly be understood by their relationship to each other. This developed, in part, into Chinese medicine.

The idea of the reductionist theory is that, by breaking things up into smaller and smaller parts, we can arrive at the essential aspects and figure out how they work, and what might be broken. For example, if you are a good scientist you might be able to take apart a broken toaster, find out exactly what piece is broken, and fix it. And if you are a really good scientist, you will even be able to put it back together again! Similarly, Western biomedicine has sought to answer the question of sickness by reducing things to their smallest bits to discover the “broken pieces,” and fix them. This has led to amazing advances in modern medicine. However, some conditions, such as hormone imbalances and autoimmune disorders, cannot be reduced to clearly defined “broken parts.” It is here where modern biomedicine with its reductionist model struggles, and it is in the treatment of precisely these conditions where Chinese medicine and the holistic model excels.

Traditional Chinese Medicine- which is also known as Taoist Classical Medicine or TCM- originated in the Orient thousands of years ago. Instead of looking to reduce things to their smallest parts, these

medical scientists observed healthy and vibrant systems in nature. By studying holistic systems, they began to understand the workings of their own bodies and experiences. For instance, they observed that a river or stream where the water flowed smoothly stayed clear and vibrant, while one that was impeded by debris and garbage began to become stagnant and rot. Hence, they developed the medical principle of “flow,” and developed treatments for conditions such as joint pain and infection, both conditions of blocked flow. They also discovered the connections between different elements in natural systems. Based on the discovery that over exuberance of sunshine will bake the earth and make it difficult for crops to grow, they developed effective treatments for dry skin and digestive disorders, both conditions where the elements are out of balance, among many others.

Practitioners learned to use acupuncture to unblock flow, as well as herbs to help balance the elements, and developed many other holistic healing techniques including medicinal massage, bone setting, and nutrition therapy. They also created special exercises, such as tai chi and qi gong, to help

keep the body’s nature vibrant and healthy. All of these therapies were then filtered by the test of time. Each generation would find new practices and techniques, refine the old ones, keep what worked best and discard what was found to be ineffective when teaching the next generation.

In today’s world, a TCM practitioner is often called an acupuncturist, and is then licensed as a care provider similar to a doctor. However, TCM is much broader than simply the practice of acupuncture.

Imagining that acupuncture is the whole of TCM would be like thinking that all doctors are surgeons; while surgery is a valuable and important tool, it certainly does not reflect the entirety of modern medicine. Not all who practice acupuncture understand holistic systems, and not all who understand holistic systems practice acupuncture.

The next time you are in the acupuncturist’s office, ask them about TCM and the holistic natural system that it has come from. You may find that there are other tools in their toolbox that can help you stay vibrant and healthy for a long time!

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THE BEST KIND OF WELLNESS... CELEBRATION!

Appreciation Day,” always observed on January 10th. When it was first celebrated is not clear, and the gardeners did not respond to an email requesting clarification on that, or on how much indoor plants give back to us in the form of cleaner air (They were probably busy misting some shedding poinsettias.). But the boost to our spirits from fresh indoor greenery in the cold winter months is clearly undeniable, so houseplants deserve pampering in return and their own holiday for extra loving.

Felicia Waynesboro Staff Writer

If you’re sick and tired of all the recent holiday madness, it’s time to get emotionally healthy and physically rested again.

That was probably the idea behind most of the lesser-known unofficial holidays of January. “Lesser-known” is putting it mildly. “I have never heard of any one of them, let alone celebrate those holidays,” says Amanda Rick, executive director of Community Options New York, Inc. in Binghamton. “However, you have given me ideas…” For a holiday to be prefaced by the word “National” usually requires an act of Congress. But in order for an unofficial holiday to be accepted, it only has to be observed by enough people to be considered reasonably recognizable.

Let us begin with the reasonably recognizable Festival of Sleep Day, which is celebrated annually on January 3rd. Like the majority of unofficial holidays, this one appears to have no known origin, but it is doubtful that there was ever much opposition to it. Dr. Zia H. Shah, medical director of Lourdes Sleep Lab, attests that there is evidence that the benefits of sleep can range “from reducing stress to contributing to heart health and even weight loss.”

People can live longer without food than without sleep. Slumber is so enjoyable that one website referred to sleeping as “a hobby.” Wikihow.com actually gives instructions on how to power nap, cat nap, or linger a full day in bed to celebrate the Festival.

(This holiday is not as easy to honor when it falls on a weekday, like it does this year. It calls for more creativity from those seeking ways to celebrate it in

Kevin Zaborney is an unusually upbeat minister in Michigan who created National Hugging Day (January 21st) in 1986. In this case, the name of the holiday is copyrighted; there was no act of Congress to make it officially “National” (although there probably should be). When celebrating the holiday among strangers, he recommends that one ask if it is all right before hugging, to avoid startled misunderstandings. “Yet,” he says, “the ones I still find most regarding are those unexpected hugs, the ones that are sincere and offered freely.” Ummmm…feel the love. A hug is a gift in itself.

January 8th is Bubble Bath Day. You’re Welcome. Photo by Ty Whitbeck.

the workplace, and that in itself, is fraught with entertaining possibilities. In any case, a good gift for Sleep Day might be a book about dream analysis, or just one on how to get a good night’s sleep.

If you can’t shoot the moon and celebrate a whole day of sleep, you have a chance three days later to at least snuggle with someone, or some thing, on Cuddle Up Day, celebrated every January 6th.

Again, there seems to be no recorded history for the holiday. Cuddling can be a lot briefer than sleeping if you really want it to be, and the physical and emotional advantages are almost as good– sometimes better. Gifts for this holiday can be anything cuddly.

Use your imagination.

Relaxed enough yet? You may have guessed that what comes next is Bubble Bath Day (January 8th). It seemed that this was a natural for Binghamton, with Lander Company (makers of health and beauty aid products, including tons and tons of bubble baths), located right in town. But that bubble burst three years ago, when they were sold and moved to Michigan. Gone-ta-pott.com; however, comes to the rescue with some enticing ideas for celebrating this one with an effervescent soak in fizz baths or foam baths, in addition to bubbles.

These next three holidays have known origins!

At 1:24pm local time, wherever you are on January 24th, please “smile, throw your arms in the air and laugh out loud,” to join the “Belly Laugh Bounce Around the World” on Global Belly Laugh Day. Elaine Helle, a Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher in Portland, Oregon, and founder of this jubilant holiday, says she will be tweeting and phoning her laughter to friends and followers as the bounce goes “round the world” in this ninth year of its celebration. Helle acknowledges that research has shown that, “Many moments of hearty laughter increases pain tolerance,” and that “Knowing that you are going to laugh reduces stress hormones,” which boosts the immune system. And so on and so on…

vvv Have a restful, cuddly, clean, refreshed, healthy, hilarious January and the rest of 2014!

THE ESTEEMED DR. RUMEX CURES WHAT AILS YOU

Charles Berman Staff Writer

There’s a new doctor taking his show through the Southern Tier, and further afield as well. People sit and listen, riveted, even though- while some of the information he gives is great advice- some of it is about a hundred years out of date. He wears a waistcoat, bow tie, top hat, and conjoined moustache and sideburns. He sells his own miracle elixir, but for some reason the American Medical Association doesn’t seem to recognize him as a real doctor.

He’s Dr. Crispux Rumex, and he’s a fictional character played by local educator, performer, and re-enactor Douglas Weeks. Weeks’ performances as Rumex are certainly entertaining, and they’re educational in more ways than one: spectators at this medicine show are likely to come away with considerably more historical, botanical, and, yes, real medical knowledge than they had before.

Rumex is an accurate recreation of the medicine show healer, and his appearances demonstrate what the state of medicine was like at the turn of the century. As Weeks explains, “I claim to be a 1856 graduate of the St. Louis College of Medicine. I took the entire month-long course. So I’m qualified not only as a doctor, but also as a surgeon. And I’m very proud of that. And I actually stayed an extra two weeks so that I am qualified to take care of your animals as well. So I can give you full service.”

Even if the academic qualifications aren’t quite those of your general practitioner, Weeks does possess real medicinal knowledge to impart to his audiences. As he puts it, “I usually focus on actual cures. Most medicines out there were plant-based medicines that somebody tested and said, ‘Wow! That really does work.’ I try to use plants that are still in use in some form. Aspirin is willow and aspen leaf. Vitamin C tablets are pine needle tea. Vitamin D tablets are your various greens that are out there, such as dandelion greens.”

Many people may associate the itinerant medicine show healers of bygone days with placebos and outright fraud, but according to Weeks, the general rule of thumb when considering any older medicine is that “most of these things had something in them that made you feel better,” whether that was an analgesic, a rush of vitamins, or something a bit more illicit. “Back in the day there was only a couple of ways of preserving a liquid so that it wouldn’t go bad; one of the most common ones was alcohol.

The other one was liquid laudanum, which is basically liquid opium. Obviously, the laudanum had some side effects we didn’t know about. And if you felt it healed you, then you would go back to that guy.”

For Weeks, who has a whole host of characters he uses for his reenactment performances, Dr. Rumex came about as a dynamic way of passing on legitimate herbal knowledge that he had. “I’ve been studying wild plants for a long time, and ran nature centers for about thirty years, doing wild plant walks. I was leading tours for various nature centers, and we were talking about edible plants, and as you’re doing that there’s always a question about who did it first. So it led me to this. I find that doing programs in costume, people tend to remember the information a little bit better- that and also

The Gardener’s Network created “Houseplant

taking the willow leaves and chewing them; that also helps. Most of the time I literally come in with plants.”

So what are Dr Rumex’s best, real-life plant medicine recommendations for the season? “Willows and aspens. Willows are a good pain reliever for headaches and upset stomachs. In winter you can get the same medicinal quality from the willow branch, chewing it or making a tea. The other great winter plant is the pine tree. A pine needle tea works great because pine needles are green all year long. It’s really good if you get a cold: make a tea by using a bundle of pine needles the way you would a tea bag and steeping it about five minutes. It’ll be green in color.”

His other great recommendation is something that people can do now if they are expecting allergy flare-ups come spring: “I recommend honey, but it has to be local honey. If you have allergies, take a half teaspoon of local Dr. Rumex. Photo Provided. honey every couple of days; it desensitizes your system to local pollens.”

Weeks is careful to make the distinction between

what he does and the services of an actual doctor.

What he offers is not a travelling hospital, but an entertaining and memorable interdisciplinary history lesson about how plants with real medicinal properties led to traditional herbal remedies and most of the tablets we can buy at the drugstore.

Of course, the historical Dr. Rumex wouldn’t just give away information; he’s got a product to peddle: “Dr. Rumex’s Miracle Elixir was developed with the help of several Native American healers and using some of their medicines and some of his medicines he was able to combine this and make an elixir that cures anything from women’s ailments to baldness to flat feet to problems in childbirth to children who are very active and you need to calm them down to children who are calm but need to be a bit more active. And it’s good for using on your horse, but only externally on the horse because internally it’s not quite the same as a human.”

Douglas Weeks has several historical characters available for informative and educational talks. He can be reached through his website at yesterdaysgentlemen.com.

THE GMO STORY:

10 Vol. 2 Issue 1

KEEPING INFORMED IN AN ENGINEERED WORLD

By K.T. Decker

Living in upstate New York, GMOs are a common topic of conversation, and it is more than likely that the name Monsanto has been spewed with vitriol across many a dinner table. Anyone who takes his or her health and nutrition seriously has, at the very least, heard of GMOs and Monsanto, but how many people truly know the meaning and consequences of these terms?

GMO is an acronym for “genetically modified organisms,” and Monsanto is one of the biochemical corporations that produces them. In layman’s terms, GMO means that a bunch of scientists on the payroll of a major corporation are conducting experiments on your food, that you are test subject #5122564, and no, you didn’t volunteer and will not be getting paid. The experiments being conducted by said scientists involve gene-splicing, and (according to the Non-GMO Project’s website, nongmoproject.org) the “merging of DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.” Monsanto’s own website states: “plant breeders are using traditional plant breeding techniques, marker-assisted breeding and advanced analytical methods to develop improved vegetables and fruits.” In other words, the apples you just bought at your local supermarket have a genetic code that has been artificially created and manipulated in a sterile environment by a man in a white coat.

Ever notice how every apple in the supermarket has the same perfect “apple” shape, bright color, and glossy sheen? Compare those apples to the spotty, misshapen, dull-colored apples that grow in your own yard, or the ones you pick from your local family-owned orchard. There is quite a difference. And the contrast doesn’t end with the fruit’s appearance; when it comes to taste, nutritional value, and the effect on the human body, there really is no comparison between naturally grown apples and genetically engineered apples. Foods occurring in nature always triumph in taste and nutrition over those produced in a lab. According to the NonGMO Project, alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beets, zucchini, and yellow summer squash are all categorized as “high-risk crops” due to their commercial production and high likelihood of containing GMOs. Most to all processed foods contain ingredients derived from GM crops such as: yeast products, high-fructose corn syrup, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, ethanol, lactic acid, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and many more ambiguous terms (listed in full on the Non-GMO Project web-

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 11 site), that populate the long lists of ingredients on food packages.

With climate change, the BP oil spill in the gulf, and the radiation and debris from Fukushima polluting the Pacific Ocean, it is not a mystery why the idea of artificially grown food would be appealing to large corporations and governments concerned with a dwindling food supply and a growing population. In recent tests, all of the Bluefin tuna caught off the coast of California had traces of radioactive elements, making the fish inedible. With this in mind, the idea that the company AquaBounty has developed a genetically engineered salmon, called “AquAdvantage Salmon” (better known to the anti-GMO community as Frankenfish), makes perfect sense. Similarly, scientists at the University of Guelph, as stated on the Non-GMO Project website, attempted to develop genetically engineered pigs, bearing the name “Enviropigs.” This experiment was abandoned, but the fact that it was even attempted puts our reality too close to a Margaret Atwood novel for comfort.

As good as the intentions to artificially manufacture food might be, the consequences of genetically modified and engineered foods on human health and the environment are not. According to the article “How to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods,” written by Jeffrey Smith for the Weston A. Price Foundation website (a “foundation dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism”), “the consensus among FDA scientists in the early 1990s was that GMOs were inherently unsafe and could lead to toxins, allergens, new diseases and nutritional problems.” Dr. David Schubert of the Salk Institute, featured in another article by the Weston A. Price Foundation, believes “children are the most likely to be adversely affected by toxins and other dietary problems,” when it comes to the longterm effects of consuming GMOs. In the same article, a pig farmer’s personal experience with GMOs is described. After switching his pigs’ diet over to Non-GMO soy, “his four hundred fifty sows and their offspring’s serious diarrhea problems virtually disappeared within two days… The following year, death from ulcers and other digestive problems,

which had claimed 36 pigs over the previous two years, vanished. Conception rate was up, litter size was up, diseases were down, and birth defects were eliminated.” In this experiment, the health risks of GM soy became apparent when, after eliminating GMOs from the pigs’ diet, their health improved almost immediately. If GMOs have such negative effects on animals whose digestive systems are able to process bacteria that humans cannot, such as E Coli and Salmonella, just imagine the effects they have on the health of human beings.

The truth about GMOs and their effects on the health of humans and animals was pushed under the rug and is just now, in the last couple of years, resurfacing. This is not to say that scientists, doctors, biotech employees, and government officials have not been aware of the possible health risks of GMOs for decades. The reason early research indicating the danger of GMOs was ignored, according to Jeffrey M. Smith in his article “Genetically Engineered Foods May be Far More Harmful than We Thought,” was that “the White House under George H. W. Bush had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology,” and, “the FDA responded by recruiting Monsanto’s former attorney, Michael Taylor, to head up the formation of policy on GMOs.” No single presidential administration is exclusively guilty of allying themselves with Monsanto: Clinton, both Bushes, and the Obama Administration have all staffed the United States government with former Monsanto employees. Michael Taylor, to this day, is the Deputy Commissioner of the FDA. In other words, the Food and Drug Administration, the branch of the federal government responsible for the safety and health of American citizens, employs the same people who, at least at one time or another, had a stake in the profits of the biotechnology corporation responsible for toxic chemicals such as Aspartame, Roundup (a Monsanto-made herbicide linked to the endangerment of bees and butterflies), and Agent Orange (a chemical formula, containing dioxin, used as a weapon during the Vietnam War, from which citizens of Vietnam and American veterans still suffer in the form of disease and birth defects. To learn more about Agent Orange go to publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp or history.com/topics/agent-orange).

The instances of former Monsanto employees now occupying positions in the Federal government don’t end there. United States Senator Dennis DeConcini (Arizona), U.S. Congressman Toby Moffett (Connecticut), and several prominent USDA employees were previously on Monsanto’s payroll.

Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was at one time on payroll as well. A full list of such employees can be found at organicconsumers.org/monsanto/. In March 2013, President Obama signed the Monsanto Protection Act, a bill partially written by Monsanto employees themselves, which protects the corporation from lawsuits.

With Monsanto having such a strong foothold in the United States government, it is not difficult to comprehend why GMO labeling bills are still being rejected, despite the wishes of the American people and people all over the world. Many have taken a stand against Monsanto and GMOs, as demonstrated by the May 2013 “March Against Monsanto,” a global protest against the biotech giant.

During the march, protestors expressed their opposition to GMOs, Monsanto’s production of toxins like Aspartame (an artificial sweetener known to cause at least 94 health issues, as reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services in 2005), and Roundup (a pesticide and weed killer suspected of causing such adverse health defects as tumors, altered organ function, infertility, and cancer, based on studies conducted on rats). Another global concern was the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which, according to citizen.org, is, “a massive, controversial ‘free trade’ agreement currently being pushed by big corporations and negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States and 11 other countries– Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam,” that could, “in one fell swoop”, among several other concerns, “expose the U.S. to unsafe food and products and empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards.” Not too many details are known about the TPP due to the secrecy of the bill, but millions of protestors believe that, if passed, the TPP will force Monsanto products and GMOs onto other nations, and they voiced this concern often and loudly during the March Against Monsanto.

Other attempts to limit consumption of GMOs have been made across the United States. In 2012, a GMO-labeling bill entitled Prop 37 was put to a vote in the state of California. Supporters of Prop 37 claimed the “right to know” which foods contain GMOs, and promoted labeling indicating such, in order to make informed choices about what they and their families consume on a daily basis. It should not come as a surprise that Monsanto and other biotech corporations such as DuPont and DOW, along with Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Nestle, spent millions in opposition to Prop 37. To see the full list of corporations who voted against Prop 37 and the amount of money contributed to the cam-

paigns opposing the bill visit carighttoknow.org.

In the end, the corporations won, as Prop 37 was struck down during state elections on November 6, 2012 (only 47% of voters voted in favor).

Despite the public outcry, the United States federal government, and many state governments, still refuse to acknowledge both the health risks of GMOs and the wishes of their citizens. As Jeffrey Smith puts it, “Thus, our government ignores the desire of nine out of ten Americans who want the labels, to support the financial interests of five biotech seed companies. We’re on our own.”

Don’t let being “on your own” scare you. There are several things you can do to ensure your food is natural, safe, and nutritious. First of all, support local farmers. Shop at farmer’s markets whenever you can. Many family farms have their own farm stands on or near their land. Ask questions about what you are buying; even local produce may contain GMOs due to Monsanto’s monopoly on seeds, but heirloom seeds and vegetables do exist, so find out where you can purchase heirloom produce.

Second, you can grow your own food. Set up an herb and vegetable garden in your yard. And again, make sure to purchase heirloom seeds to have a truly GMO-free home garden. There are several websites from which you can order heirloom products.

You can even trade with your neighbors if you live in an agriculturally rich community. Research and invest in Aquaponics, a new gardening technology that naturally provides produce and protein yearround. Look for organic products in the supermarket; any fruit or vegetable with a five-digit number on the PLU sticker that begins with a 9, is organic.

Read labels closely. Know which ingredients are safe and which are toxic. And, according to Cydney Walker, a registered dietitian and personal trainer featured in an article on livestrong.com, “There are four major GMO crops—corn, soy, cotton, and canola. Knowing the ingredients that are derived from these crops can help you to avoid GMO foods.”

Take yours and your family’s health into your own hands. Always do your own research from multiple sources. Most importantly, become involved in your local government. Call and write your representatives to let them know that they will not get your vote in the next election if they don’t support GMO labeling bills. Political figures only pursue your interests if you remind them, incessantly, that they work for you and that you can fire them if you are not impressed with their performance. Remember, in a capitalist society, boycotting is a powerful form of affecting change. If companies using GMOs begin losing sales they will be forced to discontinue those products. If you don’t want to see GMOs on the shelves or in your pantry, don’t buy them.

Photo by Ty Whitbeck.

THE LOCAVORE’S GUIDE

12 Vol. 2 Issue 1

TO WINTER IN BINGHAMTON

Kaitlin Mooney Staff Writer

Winter can be a locavore’s worst nightmare. Gone are the pop-up farmers markets and roadside U-pick signs, and the colder it gets, the harder it seems to meet your recommended daily serving of veggies. But before you resort to cafeteria logic and start calling ketchup a vegetable, here are few quick tips for eating local during these wintertime months.

Cold weather produce: It is not just a figment of your imagination- when the growing gets harder, the hard get growing. Cauliflower, leeks, parsnips and cabbage are by nature cool weather veggies, and you’ll find eating them in season gives them a stronger, sweeter flavor. Broccoli is extremely frost tolerant and not too hard to find as the days get shorter (well, longer now!). Winter squashes of the spaghetti, butternut and pumpkin variety are all excellent candidates to add some spice to dinner menus. If you are looking for a sugar rush, the growing season of cranberries and pears extended well into December, but you don’t necessarily have to eat in season in order to eat local. Root vegetables, such as potatoes, beets, and carrots, can be stored year-round, along with turnips, garlic and onions. Grains, dry beans, jams, jellies and other canned goods are great ways to keep your cupboards stocked with local goodness.

Otsiningo Winter Farmers’ Market: This

market has found a home inside the Binghamton Metro Center (49 Court Street) this winter. Open the first and third Saturday of every month through April 19th, you can find a whole array of products from grains and dried herbs to grass-fed meats and organic cheeses. Products are strictly from New York State or direct from the farm. SNAP/EBT customers are welcome!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): Although farm share programs are coming to a close as they gear up for next spring and summer, you can still buy winter CSA boxes this January. For $45, you can pick up a box containing an incredible array of locally grown vegetables, with the weather and crop conditions dictating the variety. Boxes, containing everything from beets to cabbage, daikon radishes to fall greens, can be picked up at Down to Earth Whole Foods in Endicott, Tuesday January 21st. Sign up at earlymorningfarm.com.

Old Barn Hollow Food Buying Club: Our very own local food and artisan market on Vestal Avenue in Binghamton offers a wonderful program where you can team up with other customers and purchase food in bulk direct from the farm. Split the shipping and pick up your deliveries from Old Barn Hollow! For more information check out oldbarnhollow.com.

Eat out: Arguably the easiest thing to do on this list.

Places like Whole in the Wall (South Washington Street, Binghamton) offer a menu of whole natural foods that make eating healthy easy. Dining at local restaurants is a way to eat local, and even if filling up on Red Velvet Cupcakes from Chroma Cafe and Bakery (Chenango Street, Binghamton) isn’t the most nutritious for your body, it sure is healthy for the community.

art.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 13

“Human Connection” by Derek Lindow.

Bottom Left: “You Will Be Reborn...And You Will Blossom.”

Bottom Right:“Road to Xibalba.”

ON THE COVER: DEREK LINDOW CREATING SACRED GEOMETRY

Ronnie Vuolo Assistant Editor

Derek Lindow began his career as a fine artist. Armed with a degree in Graphic Design from Broome County Community College, and an affinity for sci-fi, horror films and death metal music, he initially created an artistic world of aliens and monsters rendered in ink.

After a difficult time, which included the death of loved ones, he went through an artistic dry period. Then, about a year ago, his journey took a new twist when a friend asked him to design a tattoo for her. Her suggestion to check out the third eye and chakras set him on the spiritual and artistic path the digital artist has been following ever since.

“I research a lot of,.. almost like really old geometry stuff,” he explains. “A lot of symbols, like the tree of life or the father of life. My ‘beings’ kind of represent that. The reason why they’re blue- my idea of a blue being- the uni-

verse doesn’t discriminate. It does not discriminate against race, color, nothing. Everything is equal in the eyes of the universe. Basically, I kind of believe we’re all just energy; it gets passed on and someday we may have to give it back.”

meaning another dimension, a parallel universe of sorts). “There’s different things happening on different frequencies, and sometimes you’re able to tap into that and you’re able to see into that next frequency. That’s what this piece is about.”

Many of his images include references to the flower of life, trees, arcane symbols, and “sacred geometry,” all with a decidedly otherworldly feel. There is a unique melding of spiritual, scientific, historic and sci-fi elements. Arcane symbols, similar to zodiac symbols or ancient runes, add dramatic effect to many of his images. He sometimes uses circles of these symbols, in a halo-like aura, to suggest ideas contained within the image.

Other images, such as “You will be Reborn…and you will Blossom,” are more personal. “This idea started when my grandmother’s friend passed away, that was about two months ago. I’m a huge fan of the movie ‘The Fountain,’ and I wanted to create a piece loosely based off that; two people trying to come together, but they can’t, because one is sick and dying… no matter how hard she wants to stay she’s still just dissipating into the universe. The idea behind this is when you pass on, you become something almost greater than you were, and this way she becomes the universe.”

Lindow’s passion for this journey leads him to ever expanding lines of thought. Inspired by the digital art of Cameron Grey and the painting of Alex Grey, he is also influenced by scientists, philosophers and psychologists. “Some of these I really tie in to the theory of relativity by Einstein.

I forgot the gentlemen’s name… [William James] came up with a theory of multiverse connections, and I have a piece called “Multiverse Connection,” and it’s dedicated to his ideas. The piece is about shifting over to another multiverse” (Multiverse

Sometimes as he researches, Lindow learns things after the fact that add to the meaning of an image.

In the case of ‘Reborn,’ it was a connection between the five rings depicted and the flower of life. Such “coincidences” cement his belief in the rightness of his path.

Inspiration comes from many sources, and when it hits, Lindow is driven to set it down while the image

is strong. “I have to listen to a specific kind of music and then from there I have a vision in my head. I think music has been the biggest influence on these pieces. The type of music that I listen to- it’s called djent. This particular type of music is a movement, and it’s an idea. It portrays what I’m trying to do very well.”

Lindow’s art opens a door to a different universe, a world of possibilities, the confluence between the spiritual and the scientific. “I’ve done so many different things,” he says, “but this, this really just makes my brain just explode. Every day I find something new of what I’m trying to do and what I’m trying to say to people.

Right now I’m at a point where I’ve explored a lot of the dark side and I’d really like to explore some of the light side, yin and yang”.

Currently working on a series of images based on the Zodiac, he is hoping to debut them sometime in January. He’s also looking into starting his own T-Shirt and apparel company to showcase his digital images.

For more info on Derek Lindow’s art, find him the old fashioned way: facebook.com/derek.lindow.

triple cities carousel sunday.

(BBW) Black Bear Winery (BEEF) The Beef (BEL) Belmar Pub (BTP) Blind Tiger Pub (BOB) Bobby’s Place (BUN) Bundy Museum (BWSC) Binghamton West Sr. Center (CCW) Cyber Café West (CG) Cooperative Gallery (CI) Choconut Inn (CMP) Cider Mill Playhouse

05 12 19 26

Home for the Holidays Closing (ROB)

Les Miserables (FHS)

Les Miserables (FHS) Golden Days w/Dan Kermidas (EPAC)

JANUAR

monday.

tuesday.

(DTB) Downtown Binghamton (DTO) Downtown Owego (EPAC) Endicott Performing Arts Center (FHS) Firehouse Stage (FORUM) Binghamton Forum Theatre (FTZ) Fitzies Irish Pub (GXY) Galaxy Brewing Co. (JS) Jungle Science (JBC) John Barleycorn (KING) Kingsley’s Pub (LDC) Lost Dog Café/Lounge

(MB) Matty B’s (MOS) Mosquito Lounge (NC) Northpointe Church (OUH) Old Union Hotel (ROB) Roberson Museum (RRB) RiverRead Books (SPOOL) Spool MFG (UUCB) Unitarian Universalist Cong. of Bing.

06 13 20 27

Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic (KING)

Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic (KING)

Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic (KING) Downtown Book Club (RRB)

Open Mic (BEL) Open Mic (KING)

07 14 21 28

Yoga/Drawing Lessons (BUN) Speakeasy Open Mic (CCW) Milkweed (OUH)

Yoga/Drawing Lessons (BUN)

Yoga/Drawing Lessons (BUN) Milkweed (OUH)

Yoga/Drawing Lessons (BUN)

wedne

01 08 15 22 29

Harmony Club prese Primal Beat

Sesame Street Live: Elm

Puzzled Playe Primal Beat

RY 2014

esday. thursday.

ents “Two Faces” (UUCB) Open Drum Circle (BUN) Dirty Moon Frank (CCW) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING)

Devinne Meyers (CCW) mo Makes Music (FORUM) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING) Jazz Jam (LDC) Comedy Open Mic (MB)

ers Comedy Improv (LDC) Open Drum Circle (BUN) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING)

Rob Stachyra (CCW) Open Mic (JBC) Live Music (KING) Comedy Open Mic (MB)

02 09 16 23 30

events calendar

friday.

03 10 17 24 31

Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG) The Void – Oil Paintings w/Erik Lasky (BUN) First Friday Art Walk (DTB) Live Music (BBW) Rick Iacovelli (BTP) Tim Linkroum/Mallory Evans (JBC) Pocket Vinyl (LDC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) The Ones (JS) New Year’s Metal Massacre (FTZ)

Jan Fiore Storytelling Wkshp (RRB) Vermont Cheddar (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Pete Ruttle & Friends (GXY) Salsa Lessons (BWSC) Hip Hop Thursdays (MOS)

Vermont Cheddar (BTP) InnerMission (CCW) Rockwood Ferry (GXY) Enerjee Jazz w/Ayana D (LDC) Salsa Lessons (BWSC)

InnerMission (CCW) EPAC Idol Auditions (EPAC) Honey Spine (GXY) Salsa Lessons (BWSC)

Vermont Cheddar (BTP) Out of Order (CMP) Wise Guys w/Jeff Wisor (GXY)

Myron Ernst Poetry Reading/Book Launch (RRB) Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG) Songs for a New World (NC) Live Music (BBW) Doug Mosher (BTP) Kim & Chris (CCW) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)

Les Miserables (FHS) Live Music (BBW) Peaches & Crime (CCW) Third Friday Art Walk (DTO) Genna & Jesse (LDC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH) Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG) Poetry Open Mic (RRB)

Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG) Les Miserables (FHS) Live Music (BBW) Virgil Cain (BOB) The Fat Peace (CCW) The Hickory Project (BEEF) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)

Les Miserables (FHS) Live Music (BBW) Never Enough (BOB) InnerMission (CCW) Out of Order (CMP) EPAC Idol Semi-Finals (EPAC) Pete Ruttle & Friends (OUH)

saturday.

04 11 18 25

Punk Show (SPOOL) Bob Johnston Photo Comp. (CG) Joe Stento (BTP) Milkweed (CCW)

Songs for a New World (NC) Odd Man Out (BOB) Jamie Willard (CCW) Borderline (CI) Cherokee Red (LDC) Quatro Blue (JBC) Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG)

Bob Johnston Photo Competition (CG) Les Miserables (FHS) The Gravelding Brothers (BOB) Magnolia Drive (CCW)

Golden Days w/Dan Kermidas (EPAC) Les Miserables (FHS) Rick Fry (BTP) North of Nashville 4 (BOB) EPAC Idol Auditions (EPAC) Mixmaster DJ Castle (LDC)

The Triple Cities Carousel Events Calendar is featured each month as a courtesy to our advertisers, however we welcome everyone to submit their events to calendar@triplecitiescarousel.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Space is limited, so calendar entries, which have no cost, are picked on a first come/ first serve basis. Triple Cities Carousel reserves the right to reject any submission deemed to be non-arts related, or, well, for any reason.

PUTTING THE BLING BACK IN BING

16 Vol. 2 Issue 1

Blinging up a local park. Photo Provided.

Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer “One customer was worried that Club Bling was a strip club,” recalls Emily Jablon incredulously. “He called to check before he came.”

Club Bling, despite its flashy name, offers a much more wholesome product: classes on mosaics, soapmaking, hypertufa, astrology, and bookmaking. It’s an extension of Susan Jablon Mosaics, a company that has done custom tile work for homes and businesses for the past 15 years (and the subject of our July 2013 cover story).

Club Bling originated when Emily Jablon, Susan Jablon’s daughter and Creative Director, began teaching mosaics classes at Regents Academy.

This mosaics club was extremely popular, and one student made a website for the group, called Club Bling. The name stuck. In 2011, Susan Jablon purchased a warehouse on Alice Street that would become the headquarters of Susan Jablon Mosaics and Club Bling.

Unfortunately, Emily and Susan faced some difficulties when the flood of 2011 hit their warehouse soon after buying it. They persevered and repaired the damage, though, and held classes there for about a year before deciding they needed more space. During the summer of 2013, Emily and Susan purchased another part of the warehouse, formerly a can redemption center.

This extension premiered in September 2013, expanding Club Bling’s space from 800 to 6000 square feet. Emily and Susan could now also expand the club’s offerings, hosting several classes a day instead of once a week. In addition to classes, Club Bling also offers birthday parties, workshops, girls’ nights out, available space for events, a yoga room, and public arts.

Emily and Susan also use Club Bling to contribute to the beauty of Binghamton through creating public mosaics. They have completed seven mosaics downtown (take a walk along the river trail or down Gorgeous Washington!), and have recently received a $5000 grant from the city and the Design Your Own Parks Program for a mosaic on Water Street.

They usually complete the mosaics by discussing specifics with the city and then enlisting students to help with the work. “Doing mosaics downtown brings dead areas back to life,” enthuses Emily. “It lets the students leave their mark on the city.”

With the large variety of classes, Club Bling has something to offer everyone- unless they misconstrue the title and think it’s offering something very different. The best feedback they’ve gotten, Emily says, is the return of familiar faces: “People stick with Club Bling because they always leave feeling better than when they came.”

vvv For more information on Club Bling and available classes, please visit clubblingny.com. Club Bling can be reached by phone at (607)748-2302. It is located at 10 Alice Street, and hours are 12-9 Monday-Thursday, and 12-6 Friday-Sunday.

607-222-9225

-Interior -Exterior -Commercial -Residential

Fully Insured

-Decks -Staining -Sand Blasting -Power Washing

‘SHOWCASES 50 WORKS ON PAPER’ AND PRESERVES COLLECTION

18 Vol. 2 Issue 1

AT BU’S ART MUSEUM

Rose Silberman-Gorn Staff Writer

Binghamton University’s Art Museum, located in the Fine Arts Building on campus, is home to a permanent collection of over 3000 paintings, sculptures, and objects. It is also home to the recently dedicated Kenneth C. Lindsay Study Room. The room’s new public hours of 3-5 PM on Thursdays mean that students and community members can come and examine anything in the collection upon request.

While preparing the new room, Museum Director Diane Butler found that many of the museum’s works on paper were inadequately framed or matted, decreasing the public’s access to the collection.

“You can’t bring out a floppy piece of paper to show someone,” she laments. “Many pieces were in need of care.” This led Butler to create a new initiative called 50 Works on Paper.

With this unique enterprise, Butler has selected 50 works on paper from the permanent collection, each of which can be sponsored for $500. This money goes towards matting, storing the pieces in Solander boxes, shelving, and displaying. The 50 drawings, prints, and photographs are mostly lesser-known works by household-name artists such as Salvador Dali, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marc Chagall.

After donating, sponsors are invited to visit the museum to view and discuss the piece. Also, they will be credited on the piece’s label during the exhibit.

All 50 works will be on display in the main gallery of the museum from January 30 through early April, and there will be an opening on January 30 from 5-7 PM. To spice up the opening, Butler has some special performances planned. Ten students from a music composition class will be performing original compositions, each inspired by one of the works on paper. Butler is thrilled to collaborate with the music

department, and hopes it will set a precedent. “I always encourage people from other areas of study to participate in museum events,” she says. “I want the museum to be a welcoming place for humanities students and science students, as well as the general public.”

One of Butler’s upcoming plans for the museum is for students from various disciplines to curate mini-exhibits, using objects from the permanent collection. The Art History Association, for instance, is putting together an exhibition of images of women from the 19th-20th centuries. “When I was an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to curate an exhibition, and it was a magical experience,” Ms. Butler raves. “You engage with an object differently the more you spend time with itit’s transformative.”

Butler also plans on launching visible storage during the spring. This involves installing objects so that the public can see the storage, allowing more of their permanent collection to be on display. The museum will also offer iPads with an app informing the audience about the objects. Various students will contribute to the app by writing short label descriptions, using their own disciplinary focus to analyze the objects.

Students and community members can still get involved with the 50 Works exhibition by sponsoring a piece. Approximately half the works are still available for sponsorship until January 30th. Current sponsors include a surprising variety of individuals and groups, including alumni, faculty, the Binghamton University Fine Arts Society, and community members. And of course, anyone is welcome to attend the exhibition’s opening on January 30th.

vvv For more information on the Binghamton University Art Museum, please visit binghamton.edu/ art-museum. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm- 4pm, and Thursday 12pm-7pm, and is located in the Fine Arts Building, in rooms 179 and 213. The opening for “50 Works on Paper” will take place on January 30th from 5pm-7pm. If interested in sponsoring a work, please visit binghamton.edu/ art-museum/50works for more information and instructions.

music.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 19

CAROUSEL PRESENTS: RED DOG RUN BUT FIRST, AN INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST JED GREENBERG

Red Dog Run. Photo Provided.

Christopher Bodnarczuk Editor-in-Chief

We at Carousel are simply giddy to announce the next installment of the Carousel Presents Concert Series: Red Dog Run at Cyber Café West on Thursday, January 30th.

A brand new project from some of the heaviest hitters of the national stringband scene, the roster will be familiar to anyone that’s ever spent more than ten minutes in Ithaca, our hip little neighbor to the north: Guitarist Jim Miller, who has shared the stage with everyone from Peter Rowan to Dirk Powell, is best known from his tenure as the third frontman of Donna the Buffalo; Richie Stearns, widely lauded as one of the premiere banjo players in the world, has toured with Bela Fleck and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Willie Watson- credits that pale in comparison to his founder status in The Horse Flies and his stint with Natalie Merchant; Fiddler Rosie Newton got her start with the Pearly Snaps, but has shared the stage with Willie Watson and Chris Eldridge, and is best known as Stearns’ most frequent collaborator and as a member of Celtic band Ferintosh.

Then there’s upright bassist Jed Greenberg, who played bass with Donna the Buffalo for a decade and continues to play old-time fiddle with The Buvas. The January 30th show, which kicks off Red Dog Run’s first tour and doubles as an album release party, is a bit of a homecoming for Greenberg, who grew up in Vestal and was a familiar face around town back in the West Side Cheers days (fittingly, the same building that now houses Cyber Café West). The evening will be a bit of a family showcase as well, as Greenberg’s sister Bess will be opening the show with her band Milkweed. Carousel recently sat down with Greenberg on a cold winter day to discuss shop:

vvv You guys have all collaborated quite a bit in the past, with Donna the Buffalo, Demijohn,

Big Daddy Zydeco, etc… Tell us a bit about those past projects, and how it all morphed into Red Dog Run. So yeah, Jim and I spent a bunch of years traveling together on the old Donna bus, and Richie was a part of the band for a couple of years during that time... Post- Donna, we continued to collaborate musically from time to time, simply because we enjoyed playing music together and having a reason to hang out. Rosie played some honky-tonk gigs with us and then joined us for a tour with [Louisiana Zydeco legend] Preston Frank last spring. She and Richie had been developing this great duo project for several years, and somehow we realized that the four of us might be a special combo. We played a couple of gigs, made a record, and here we are.

You all come from pretty solid backgrounds in folk, Americana, roots music… whatever it’s getting called these days. How does the sound in this new project differ from those of the past? As with any group, there is always a certain chemistry that develops between personalities and that emerges in the music. Since the 4 of us are so familiar with each other, there is a comfort and ease to the music. At the same time, there is a freshness and excitement that comes with a brand new combination.

Y’all are spread out all over the place. How’s anyone find time to get together and play?

That has been one of the challenging aspects. Jim is in Chicago writing books on moths, Richie ad Rosie are in Ithaca and busy with a variety of projects, I have been building a house for my family in the Hudson Valley... so it’s not easy. But we all decided to make the effort to fit this project into our lives and we’ve managed to make a record and put together a little tour, so... so far, so good!

So maybe calling Red Dog Run an Ithaca super group isn’t quite accurate, but surely there’s a bit of the I-town essence in the music. What is it about Ithaca that breeds so many folkies? I’m not sure, but probably some student at Cornell has written a PhD about this.

It’s definitely a special town. Certainly, the whole stringband revival scene can be traced to the arrival of the Highwoods Stringband, whenever that was…

in the early 70s, I think. They were hugely influential and definitely inspired subsequent generations of young musicians around Ithaca (and beyond).

Mac Benford, Bob Potts, and Jenny Cleland (3 of the 5 Highwoods members) still live in Ithaca. In fact, I rented a little cabin on Bob’s property for 5 years. I would definitely say that each of the musicians in Red Dog Run would acknowledge a debt of gratitude to the Highwoods Stringband.

The show at Cyber Café West is set to be the kickoff night of the tour, in your hometown, Binghamton. Is it intimidating to do a homecoming show after so long, or will that just add to the magic of the gig? It’s always good to come home. Of course it’s nostalgic to think back on the first time I played in that room, back when it was West Side Cheers and I played didgereedoo on stage with Yolk to a packed house, probably 20 years ago...

The show will also mark the release of Red Dog Run’s first album. What should we expect from that? It’s a great record! We went into a studio owned by an excellent engineer named Dave Cook, set up some microphones and just played a bunch of songs. It was all live; we weren’t wearing headphones. It was definitely the easiest recording I’ve ever been involved with. It’s a great mix of traditional, original, and cover songs, just stuff we felt like playing...

In Broome County, the name ‘Greenberg’ is pretty synonymous with ‘basketball.’ Coming from a sports household, where did the passion for music come from? Well, my dad [Vestal basketball coach, BU Hall of Famer, and former Washington General Mickey Greenberg] definitely taught us to play sports, but my mom taught us to love music. It is a little known fact that there was once a Greenberg family band, and if the Cranberry Coffeehouse in Binghamton had an archive, you could find some pretty hilarious footage of us 4 siblings in matching flannel shirts backing up our mom for a few songs. Okay, so we weren’t the Jacksons but the love of music definitely stayed with us.

You’re best known as a bass player, but

you started out with fiddle, right? Why the switch? Do you consider yourself more of a bassist or a fiddle player? I’ve been lucky enough to get to experience music from a few different frequencies. I fell in love with old-time fiddle, and I’ve never tired of pursuing the elusive mysteries of this uniquely American art form. When I had the opportunity to join Donna the Buffalo, I got to learn pretty much on the job about the special, foundational role that the bass plays in the architecture of music. It took me a while, but playing over 100 shows a year for 8 years, I started to get the hang of it. And I can tell you, it is a blast. So am I a fiddler or a bassist? It depends on the night.

Before you joined Donna the Buffalo, you spent a bit of time playing with The Buvas on the streets of Europe. How formative was that to your musical career? Playing old-time fiddle music on the streets of Europe as a young college dropout was a grand experience for me, hugely educational and fun. I’ve always enjoyed the freedom of street performance; no one has to listen, no one has to pay, no one is telling you when to start or stop. I love the spontaneity, the element of surprise and adventure. It doesn’t always work out, but when it does, it’s the best...

Finally, any words of wisdom to impart upon young musicians that are just learning their craft? Listen, listen, listen! I think of music as, essentially, this amazing gift available to human beings as a way to communicate inspiration.

It is easier than ever to explore the vast world of recorded music out there, and the best way to begin is by listening closely and following the sounds that speak to you. All that is required is a certain level of dedication and an openness to inspiration.

vvv Red Dog Run kicks off their tour in Binghamton on Thursday, January 30th at Cyber Café West, 176 Main Street, Binghamton. Milkweed opens the show, taking the stage at 9pm. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased at the door, Advance tickets will be available at Cyber Café West starting on January 15th. These are suggested, as the show is likely to sell out.

ROCKWOOD FERRY: MUSIC FROM THE GROUND, FOR THE HEART

20 Vol. 2 Issue 1

Rockwood Ferry. Photo Provided.

Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant Water- it can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Even after the advent of the automobile, the Rockwood ferry in East Tennessee continued to help travelers cross the winding and state-splitting Tennessee River. During the 1930s, in a last ditch effort to boost the economy; President Roosevelt’s Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the river in order to produce electricity.

This put an end to the Rockwood ferry. The town of Ten Mile is now the site of a desolate “once was.” A church took up residence there, putting up a cross and some spots for recreational activity, but it just seemed to crumble and succumb to the elements.

There is still a magic about it though, and it’s there that world-class musician and songwriter, Tenzin Chopak, spent his childhood.

Growing up, Chopak’s desire to be a professional musician was eminent. His need for world travel led him to India in ‘99, where he studied Tibetan language and religion for 12 years. Although his love of writing and performing music was where he drew his inspiration, it wasn’t a pronounced part of his life yet, as studies and his quest for carnal knowledge took precedence. In 2011, Chopak returned to the States, taking up a parcel in Ithaca, NY. It was there that his music saw light. He met up with claw hammer banjo virtuoso, Richie Stearns; the well known, New York grown fiddle player, Rosie Newton; and the legendary bassist Harry Aceto. He called the outfit Rockwood Ferry, and it brought new life into the “way-back-when” of old time Tennessee.

The Rockwood Ferry roll call changes as members are added, subtracted, and swapped. Like the fluidity of water, it can be difficult to know what to expect when going to one of their shows, but with Chopak at the helm, its direction never strays too far from the course. What stays constant is the quality of playing. The musicians in Rockwood Ferry make up a large piece of the Ithaca folk scene’s patchwork, and while the players may change, each member brings something new to the stage with every get together. The most current lineup consists of Tenzin

Chopak, lead guitar and vocals; Ithaca luthier and 4, 5 and 6-string gypsy violinist Eric Aceto (Djug Django, TiTi Chickapea); and classically trained phenom Ethan Jodziewicz (Evil City String Band, The Retrospectacles) on crossover double bass.

The band’s ability to portray entire landscapes without saying a single word is astounding. The instruments speak to each other and then to the audience, working in perfect unison. Imagine slowly drifting down the Tennessee River under a canopy of trees, sun shimmering off the ripples in the water, with your feet making waves off the back of a makeshift raft. A sense of timelessness takes over. Acoustic instruments, ceremonial fire, and loyal company fill the evening. It’s a gathering of good food and drink while stories of the days of yore are told through musical expression. While their melodic instrumentals certainly hit very hard, Chopak’s lyrics have the same impact, often sharing personal reflection between the lines of his intricately oriented guitar pieces. No matter where you’re from, one can find solace from within and get a history lesson all in the same evening. Described as “a collage of waking dreams, painted in the color of East Tennessee and beyond,” Chopak’s orchestrations seamlessly weave haunting bowed bass and violin melodies, with well executed polyrhythmic guitar picking and eerily charming vocal accompaniment.

Rockwood Ferry has been dialing in their knobs, turning what once was, into a fruitful present. They have been captivating listeners for what seems like decades, although they’ve only been at it since 2011.

In that time, they’ve poured every ounce of passion into two beautifully put together albums, “Speak Like Water” (July 2012), and a self-titled release from April 2013. Their work in the studio has been top notch and rewarding, to say the least. Both albums were recorded with producer and good friend Greg McGrath, at MonkSound Studios in Trumansburg. Recorded much like the way they play live, it was done standing in a half circle around a microphone in the center of the room, and the results were magical. Both albums can be purchased digitally online or at one of their shows.

You’ll have the chance to do just that on Thursday, January 16th. Presented by Empty Pocket Productions, The Rockwood Ferry Trio will be making its way down Route 79 to Galaxy Brewing Company at 41 Court St., Binghamton. The show starts at 9pm.

Check their website at rockwoodferry.com for more information and youtube.com to see their amazing live videos.

food and drink.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 21

HEALTHY

EATS

Stacey Burke Staff Writer

Happy New Year! January 1st usually marks the start to our dedication to start eating healthy, not only because it is the beginning of a new year, a new beginning, but because likely we have just spent the past month or so eating unhealthier than any other time of the year! So, this issue, I’m featuring two simple yet delicious recipes that are not only healthy, but easy to make with a few ingredients. Often, our cravings get the best of us, leading us to unhealthy binges on sweet or salty snacks. Instead of cutting them out altogether, finding alternatives to replace these snacks yet still give us the taste we are seeking is the way to do it! Kale Chips are so easy, and provide us a light, crisp and salty flavor, while the Almond Date Delights are chewy and sweet. Both not only will be a great replacement for cravings, but will provide you with loads of nutrients too! What a bonus!

Kale Chips

THE HIPPEST PATTY IN BINGHAMTON:

Now that’s a burger! Photo Provided.

BURGER MONDAYS BAR AND GRILLE

Ahlpheh Ohtis Wilson Staff Writer

It is rare to visit an eatery with an above par level of service coupled with complete attention to detail in regards to the food, but that is exactly what you will find at Burger Mondays Bar & Grille.

Located at 23 Henry St. in Binghamton, Burger Mondays was opened in 2011 by Executive Chef Matthew G. Jones. Mr. Jones has an impressive resume, including stints at some of the finest local restaurants. Housed in a great urban setting, the exterior brick facade is broken by floor to ceiling windows every few feet that offer a clear view of the happenings inside the restaurant and outside on the street. The main entrance is nestled between two marble pillars and opens to a cozy waiting area. The interior has a very modern urban feel, with exposed brick, high ceilings, and painted piping and ductwork, reminiscent of a loft space in NYC. The color scheme is gloss black and fire engine red.

The dining room can accommodate around 200, with tables that can be manipulated to seat anywhere from 2 to 30 guests, and comfortable chairs.

There are also several intimate booths. The bar (which is cleverly partitioned off from the dining area) has seating for an additional 20 to 30 guests, and there are 3 large-screen televisions for those who want to grab a bite while watching their favorite sporting event.

I arrived at Mondays with about half of my party of 12, and we were immediately escorted to our table. Each table was pre-set with large glasses of ice and old fashioned water bottles, and I was glad to see the restaurant had the foresight to recognize that 100% of the time someone at the table will want water. A server, a young man named Tate, arrived and informed us that he and Michelle would

be taking care of our party for the evening. He took drink orders and promptly returned. I started with a Metro Martini- a blend of Malibu, Absolut Citron and Midori melon liqueur. It was very summery, with a smooth creamy texture and sweet Caribbean undertones. There is an extensive wine list (28 selections), 11 signature martinis, 7 beers on tap, and an impressive 32 bottled brews- imports, domestics and IPAs. I tasted a couple of my friends’ wines, including a Malbec (a dry spicy red) and a Sauvignon Blanc (a fruit-forward white with a dry finish).

At this point, our entire party had arrived, so we ordered a handful of appetizers including: Sticky Ribs, Mac & Cheese, Chips & Dip, Garlic Parm Fries, and Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. The beef short ribs were outstanding and quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. Served in a sweet and spicy Thai sauce, the beef was boneless and fork tender, with a nice faint bark. I will suggest this appetizer to anyone who knows good food and will listen. The Mac & Cheese was also very tasty; clearly, quality cheeses were used to produce the rue. It had a velvety texture with an extensive flavor profile including a black truffle crumb topping. The Cheesesteak egg rolls were cooked nicely, and the wonton was crisp and not at all greasy. The Garlic Parm fries were tossed generously in herbs and cheese, and were very flavorful. The Chips & Dip were good, and I’m a big fan of the house cooked chips sprinkled with sea salt. As we munched on the appetizers, Tate informed us of the specials of the day: creamy potato soup, and a whole roasted chicken (available with mild, medium, and hot sauce, BBQ, or garlic parm, served with carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing). As Tate described the chicken, I spied it being delivered to another table, and it looked and smelled fantastic.

My friends are well aware of my appetite and lack of shyness when it comes to sharing their food, so the reader need not be alarmed that at Burger Mondays I did not order a burger. I was certain that since 5 varieties of burgers had been ordered, I could sample them freely whilst feasting on a 16oz black angus Delmonico with veg du jour and

house roasted garlic butter. The Delmonico was a perfect medium, with great marbling and a perfect sear. The green beans were fresh and crisp, and the roasted garlic butter was amazing- an outstanding entrée. Not to worry, dear reader: now on to the burgers. The Ahi Tuna burger was definitely made from a very fresh, high quality tuna. It was served with an Asian style cabbage slaw (excellent!), and the hints of citrus, sesame oil and wasabi brought it all together very well. The Inferno Burger was not palate numbingly hot, and I could easily discern the taste of cayenne, chipotle, and habanero mellowed by hints of mango. The Animal Lover (Portabella marinated in pesto) is a vegetarian’s dream. The firm meaty texture of the mushroom, smothered in roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic reduction, is fantastic. The Mondays Original was simple, but nice. Cooked to the temp requested, it allowed the high quality of the beef to be the star of the show. The Classic looked wonderful, but in my determination to have room for dessert, I did not partake. My friend, however, described the combination of cheddar and country style bacon with the house aioli as nothing short of delicious.

I chose three dessert selections [EDITOR’S NOTE: Why the hell not? It’s not like this is the Health and Wellness issue or anything.], including: Aunt Kathy’s Coconut Cream Pie, Apple Strudel with Toasted Almonds, and the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. I am considering finding Aunt Kathy and moving her into my home. Seriously, the best coconut cream pie I have ever had- perfect crust, perfect custard and the total flavor of toasted coconut. The other two deserts were good as well.

My experience at Burger Mondays reassures me that in this town, there are still people who care about what they lend their reputation to. The service was excellent (thank you Tate and Michelle), and the quality of the food, coupled with the clear attention to detail that goes into its’ preparation, is very evident. The next time you’re thinking “ahh, I’ll just grab a burger somewhere,” step it up a notch and visit the folks at Burger Mondays Bar & Grille.

2 cups kale leaves, rinsed, dried and destemmed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt to taste Directions: Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then lightly sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on rack to cool.

Almond Date Delights 1 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates 3/4 cup almonds 1 tablespoon cinnamon Dash salt 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional) Directions: In food processor, pulse almonds until very finely ground. Remove a third of the mixture, and set aside. Add dates, cinnamon, coconut oil, salt and half of the shredded coconut. Pulse until blended. Mixture should be sticky enough to hold together. If not, add the honey and pulse again. Take remaining ground almonds and mix with remaining half of shredded coconut. Firmly form date mixture into balls, and then roll in almond/coconut mixture to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours to firm.

Stacey Burke is a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, and founder of New Roots to Health.

She works with individuals whom struggle with weight loss, cravings and low energy by supporting them in setting personal goals around balancing diet and lifestyle. How often do you get the personal attention you deserve when talking about your health and nutrition?

Email her at Stacey@newrootstohealth.com or visit her website www.newrootstohealth. com to learn more about programs that could change your life. Mention you read about her in the Carousel, and receive 25% off a 6-month, personalized program!

Interested in a New Year Cleanse? Contact Stacey today for more information!

22 Vol. 2 Issue 1

DARING GARDENISTA

Each month, we check in with KRISTINA STRAIN for advice on what we should be doing with our gardens. We didn’t think you could do anything with your garden in January. We were so wrong. Kristina lives and gardens in Gilbertsville.

I’m going to pretend I haven’t already started making lists. I’m going to pretend that when the first of my seed catalogs showed up the week before Thanksgiving, I did not give it a second glance. And as long as we’re pretending, let’s also pretend that I’m not a totally crazed, garden-obsessed human being. Let’s pretend I’m normal.

That’s what it would take, for me to not pick up a seed catalog in January.

In all seriousness, though, January is when to begin. If you’ve been reading this column wistfully all year, feeling behind-the-curve on the backyard garden thing, well, start drawing your battle plan now. Take advantage of winter’s long evenings, and do some scheming. Contemplate raised beds, soil amendments, seed selections. At the very least, go online and choose a seed catalog or two. My favorites are Harris Seeds, in Rochester, for good, no-frills stalwarts like green beans and zucchini; and Johnny’s Seeds, in Albion, Maine, for purple carrots and yellow beets and eighteen different varieties of kale. When your catalog comes in the mail, you’ll have a ready-made excuse to take an afternoon and start thinking and planning.

I know it’s more tempting to just rely on whatever seeds you can find on those racks at the grocery store, or at Home Depot, but don’t. Just don’t. I have a very sweet older neighbor who buys his seeds at Walmart, and nearly every spring, when I sit on his front porch and we share our garden wisdom with each other, he tells me how, inexplicably, he needed to plant his cucumbers three times before any germinated; how his peas came up fine but turned yellow after three weeks; how his lettuce all succumbed to a weird wilting disease. I shake my head in empathy, but inside I know the cheap seed is the culprit.

Ok, so, good, you’ve got a seed catalog on the way.

Now go buy yourself a book. Check thrift stores and used book stores first, because people with less imagination than you or I are forever getting rid of gardening books. Square Foot Gardening,

by Mel Bartholomew, which has been in print longer than I’ve been alive, is a terrific reference for beginners, because it covers not just things like planting and growing and making compost, but also planning. How big and wide to make your beds, how much food you can expect to produce, that kind of thing. And, the most beautiful part of it is, the plans in this book start with a 4x4’ raised bed. Who doesn’t have room for one of those?

So. Get yourself this book, or some other book that looks useful, and nose through it a bit, and when that catalog comes in the mail you’ll leaf through bright, glossy pictures of loaded tomato plants and get so stirred up about starting a garden you might have to pace a little. I pace. I pace, and I watch it snow, and I dream of those eighteen varieties of kale that I’m going to plant, just as soon as I can…

CHOWING DOWN AT FOOD AND FIRE

Ty Whitbeck Creative Consultant

“A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body,” words spoken by Benjamin Franklin, a balding kite flyer with an affection for lightning, beer and barbecue. He is an inspiration to those appreciative of the simple pleasures in life, and this particular quote is the motto of a new barbecue and tap house on the North Side of Johnson City. Simply enough, they go by Food & Fire, and they do decent ’cue.

Located in between the Great China Buffet and McDonald’s on the corner of Harry L. Drive and Reynolds Road, there is a constant stream of people pouring in and out of Food & Fire, as cars scramble to find parking spots. I’m joined by housemate, mailman, and good friend, Earl, and my younger brother, Bean. Instantly, we’re smacked in the face with smoke coming from the kitchen. It’s a good smoke, though: that fourteen-hours-of-sitting-ina-hotbox-of-my-own-juices kind of smoke. Some would call it torture, but I call it delicious. Hell, I’d lob off my bad arm and hit it with some dry rub if they could make it smell as good as this does.

Behind the hostess table is the raised bar, some high-top cocktail tables, and a whole lot of highshelf booze. There is a waiting area with chairs and tables, and to the left of the bar sits the rest of the

dining room. The place looks great, with its warm and inviting red and charcoal color scheme and dark hardwood tabletops.

Food & Fire has been talking a lot about their forty-tap craft beer selection and diverse collection of bombers since before there was a Food & Fire. Being the beer snob that I am, I am eager to see the opening tap list. The beer menu is displayed digitally, to accommodate their ever-changing tap selection, on big-screen monitors in the upper corner of the dining room and above the bar. I would like to see a printed menu, as cocking my head to the side is a tad uncomfortable for the amount of time it takes to read through and wait for the next screen, not to mention the people awkwardly looking in our direction for extended periods of time.

But the beer list is flipping fantastic! Just when I think I have it narrowed down to three on the first page, the second screen pops up and my mind is again blown. On draught, just to name a few of my favorites: Troeg’s HopBack Amber Ale (as well as the potent Mad Elf), Bell’s Porter, Fort Collin’s Chocolate Stout, a whole slew of Founder’s beers, a few local taps (with plans to get more soon!), some of Dogfish Head’s dankest selections, and a couple of decent Southern Tier brews. While the variety definitely sparks my interest, I am a little disappointed with the prices. They have your standard pint-size pour, as well as eight, ten, and twelveounce pours of some of the higher ABV beers, but paying upwards of seven to eight bucks for ten ounces of beer that I could get pints of elsewhere in town for a dollar cheaper is a little saddening.

Onward to the meat of the matter: the menu. After staring at the lineup of everything from gator-bite

tacos to fried green tomatoes, Earl and I decide on the hearty BBQ taster for $14 each. My plate includes pulled pork, a quarter-rack of dry ribs, smoked Gouda mac and cheese and the Tennessee sweet mustard slaw, paired with a pint of Troeg’s HopBack Amber. Earl goes for the wet ribs, brisket, Utica greens, fries, and a Bell’s Porter, and Bean stares down a Pit Burger (a monster quarter-pound burger topped with pulled pork, aged cheddar, and fried onions for $11), washed down with a HopBack.

Aficionados know that there is more to barbecue than just the sauce. Arguably the most primitive way of cooking, it has been perfected over the centuries. Some spit masters like to sauce the hell out of it, some like a dry rub, some just let it smoke; the latter two methods are how this ’cue is done. The pulled pork is smoked to perfection and the ribs are prepared with a nice charred rub, and each table is stocked with sauces ranging from sweet and tangy to “liquid fire.”

They know what they’re doing with the meat, for sure. The sides, on the other hand, leave something to be desired. Although delicious, the smoked Gouda mac and cheese has hardly any smoke to it nor any Gouda taste, and the sweet mustard slaw is watery and lacks crispness.

I’m glad there’s a new place to get good barbecue in town. Overall, we leave satiated and confident enough to take on the world, only after a short nap.

They may have some kinks to work out, but the service is great, the staff is friendly, and the menu still beckons me. Make sure you like them on the ol’ Facebook, as they are constantly posting new things to keep you in the loop. There, you can also find their hours, menu, and a bunch of really neat before-and-after photos.

theatre.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 23

10% off with this coupon exp. 1/30

DON’T MISS THIS HUGO EVENT!

YOU’LL HAVE A MISERABLES TIME! Charles Berman Staff Writer

5 Court St. Downtown Binghamton or

www.riverreadbooks.com

From January 17th through February 2nd at Johnson City’s Schorr Family Firehouse Stage, Standing Room Only Productions will present the first full local production of Les Miserables, the perennial hit musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name.

The production has been much anticipated, given the popularity of the musical adaptation of Hugo’s socially conscious work of fiction, and its recent appearance in the form of a Hollywood film. The musical premiered in Paris in 1980, and in English translation went on to astounding success on the Broadway stage, running 6,680 performances between 1987 and 2003.

However, the rights for community, non-school productions were only released last year. Scott Fisher, who is directing the production, explained, “I knew that they were coming, so the day after they became available we applied for the rights to the show. It took about a month before we heard back.

So it’s not typical that we would license a show a year before we actually plan to do it, but we knew we really wanted to do this show and so we went ahead with it and said we’ll figure it out afterwards!”

With the rights secured, Fisher and his SRO colleagues needed a venue. “Les Miserables” is known the world over as a lavish, larger-than-life production, and locating an appropriate setting in the Binghamton area looked like a challenge. But Naima Kardjian, owner of the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage (soon to be one of several theatres in a large performing arts complex) stepped forward. Knowing the smaller Firehouse Stage would be otherwise dark from mid-December through late January, she suggested staging Les Miserables there, incorporating ideas from immersive theatre experiences in New York City.

It was an idea that fired Fisher’s imagination. “I kind of got really excited about it,” he explains, “because I thought people have an idea of what they think this show should look like; it’s one of those iconic, epic shows. They already have a vision in their heads. This idea of doing it in a completely new way, deconstructing the whole show, taking it off a main stage and putting it into a new situation is exciting.”

Fisher’s vision is to use the smaller performance space to the production’s advantage. Rather than an enormous rotating dais on a proscenium, effects will be created using the closeness and intimacy of the space. The stage, built especially for this production, will allow actors to move underneath it for the sewer scenes. Performers will walk through the audience on platforms and meet spectators faceto-face, and audience members will be seated dinner-style at five-by-five tables so that they will feel comfortable looking around to see the action in the entire space.

“I want it to be really driven by the characters and their stories,” Fisher says. “And being right in the audience will give that close-up, intimate feel to the show. It will be all around them. It solved a lot of problems to do it that way and it presented many others. We liked that challenge. We’ve stumbled upon a great idea that I think is working.”

That’s not to say that the production will lose any of the grandeur that people love about “Les Miserables.” Out of over a hundred auditions spurred by the natural buzz around a production such as this, Fisher still kept a cast of fifty, including a chorus that he says is one of the best ensembles he’s ever worked with.

And, of course, no audience member at this tribute to the power of the people should be expected to remain completely quiet. Fisher says, “We’re hoping that in some songs the audience will actually get into the spirit of it and sing along. Like in ‘Master of the House’ for instance. A lot of people will know the words, and it is set in a tavern after all.“

All in all, Fisher reflects, “It’s been really fun staging it and saying, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m free!’ I don’t have to worry that people will compare it to anything, because there is nothing to compare it to.

That’s exhilarating and daunting at the same time.

I’m hoping that they’ll walk away saying , ‘Wow! I saw that show with whole new eyes.’”

The cast includes Colin Wood as Jean Valjean, Gene Czebiniak as Javert (as well as set designer and publicist!), Lauren Kovacic, Andrew Simekk, Caitlin McNichol, Mickey Woyshner, Shirley Goodman, Brett Nicholas, and Hannah Truman.

vvv You can see it yourself January 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, and 31st, and Feb 1st at 7:30pm, and January 19th and 26th, and February 2nd at 2pm at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage, 46-48 Willow Street in Johnson City. Tickets are $22 and can be bought at sroproductionsonline.com.

Bling in the New Year!

January 2014 Class Schedule

1

5

8

Sun

Stained Glass Mosaics 1-3p

12 Stained Glass Mosaics 1-3p

6

Mon

Yoga 5:30p Decoupage Mosaics 6:30p

13

Yoga 5:30p Decoupage Mosaics 6:30p

19 (Girl Scout Party 12p) 20 Stained Glass Mosaics 1-3p Lotion Making 1p

26

Stained Glass Mosaics 1-3p (Betsy’s Birthday Party 4p)

Yoga 5:30p Martin Luther Bling 6p Decoupage Mosaics 6:30p

27

Yoga 5:30p Decoupage Mosaics 6:30p

A Great Way To Spend: Girls Nights Out, Birthday Parties, and Work Parties!

Tues

7

Wed

Thurs

2 9

15 Mosaics 101 6p

Manifesting Greatness Workshop 6pm

22

21 Mosaics 101 6p

Manifesting Greatness Workshop 6pm

29

28 Mosaics 101 6p

3

4

Paper Mache 2-4p

Mosaics 101 6p

14

Fri

Manifesting Greatness Workshop 6pm

16

Paper Mache 2-4p Hypertufa 6p

Paper Mache 2-4p Wine Party 6p

23

Paper Mache 2-4p (Judy’s Girls Night Out)

30

Paper Mache 2-4p Hypertufa 6p

Bring a Friend for Free! (excludes sewing and glassfusing)

FOR QUOTES AND MORE, EMAIL BMOAS@YAHOO.COM

Sat

Yoga 10:30a

10

11

Soulage Collage 6p

17

Mosaic a Bowling Ball Pregame Party 8pm

24

Yoga 10:30a Sewing 12p

18 Yoga 10:30a

25

Yoga 10:30a Sewing 12p

Soulage Collage 6p

Glassfusing Made Simple 12p

Mosaic a Bowling Ball Pregame Party 8pm

Studio Hours: Mon-Fri 12-9 Sat-Sun 12-6

31

12 Alice Street, Binghamton, 13904 Call 748-2302 or Text 239-8721 www.facebook.com/ClubBlingatSusanJablon

emily@clubblingny.com

fun stuff.

January 2014 Triple Cities Carousel 25

B.C.

by MASTROIANNI AND HART

HOROSCOPES

Each month, CAROUSEL features a guest horoscope columnist. For January, we welcome KRISSY HOWARD, Binghamton ex-pat and the twisted soul behind the blog THANK YOU ROD SERLING. As far as we know, she knows nothing about astrology.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20) Feeling sad today? Seasonal mood disorder, it’s a real thing dude. BOOM! Haiku. But seriously, don’t use all your vacation days just yet, as you’ll totally regret it come March when the weather still sucks. Sorry you never got to have a pool party on your birthday.

WIZARD OF ID

by PARKER, MASTROIANNI, AND HART

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19) Sweet Aquarius, the flakey flakes of the horoscope. Something tells me you started this year only slightly less drunk than when you passed out the evening before. Well it’s time to get it together, waterboy, carpe diem-ing your life away isn’t going to pay for that ‘Workaholics’ box set.

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) Fishes that you are, life can go one of two ways: either you’re swimming amongst your peers in warm Mediterranean waters, or you end up in a can on the dusty shelf of a Big Lots.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) Have you experienced dry mouth, incomplete bowel movements, drowsiness, vertigo, insomnia, fatigue, excessive sweating, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea? If so, you have ALL of the common side effects of Cymbalta.

DOGS OF C-KENNEL

by MICK AND MASON MASTROIANNI

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20) Stubborn Taurus.

If we could reassign symbols yours would be changed from “bull” to “that guy who drinks Monster at the gym.”

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) With your Sun in Saturn and your something in somewhere else, you may experience conflict within romantic relationships this month, Gemini. Yeah, I guess you could call forgetting my birthday TWO years in a row cause for conflict. Whatever.

Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 23) If you’ve been feeling judged, Cancer, fret not. You can’t help it that your sign’s symbol is “69”, and at this point you can’t really help that you have “69” tattooed on your wrist, so the next time some dirtbag offers a pull from his flask behind Taco Bell, just throw your “69” keychain at his big, fat head.

TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL

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Articles, Pictures, Comics, Puzzles, Poetry...

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Email editor@triplecitiescarousel.com today!

(then wait a month or so, because we’re super flaky and probably won’t respond for about that long)

Leo (Jul 24-Aug 23) Born leader that you are, this month brings opportunities to make big strides financially, Leo. So get out there and take advantage of all those delusional “new year, new me” idiots and life coach your way into that new watch phone no one actually owns.

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 22) Start with small improvements this year, Virgo. Clean your work space, make your amends, meditate daily. Only through the power of positive thinking will that unidentifiable rash be healed.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22) You can relax, sources tell me you are... NOT the father!

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 22) Like the most bad-assed Mortal Kombat character bearing your namesake, this is a super “git r done” year for you, Scorpion, I mean Scorpio. While you may be tempted to curl up and hibernate you mustn’t linger, get out there and FINISH HIM! Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) I have no idea what a Sagittarius is or does. I think my cousin is one? I’m really sorry, I got nothing over here.

You’re probably used to it though, as you’re always stuck sharing your birthday with Thanksgiving/Hanukkah/Christmas.

parting shot.

26 Vol. 2 Issue 1

“Connections” by Derek Lindow.