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Rewind Lounge This is the perfect place to unwind. Its dark, moody atmosphere and contemporary decor invite you to a romantic evening by candlelight.  Pick your pleasure — you can dine, wine or simply lounge.  Sink into the cozy couches and enjoy great conversations with friends.  With two bars and top-notch service, you’ll enjoy the tasty cocktails at affordable prices — $7 mixed drinks and $10 martinis.  The DJ spins hip-hop, R&B and reggae. Rewind is a small lively lounge that proves great things do come in small packages.

Crime Scene Chalk outlines, a mug-shot backdrop, and brick walls set the scene for this East Village spot.  A long bar in the front is crowded with 20-somethings.  In the back is a spacious loft-like area with cushy seating and a pool table.  The $4-$6 drink specials and come-as-you-are dress code make this ideal for the college crowd.  Signature drinks include NYPD Blue, Temporary Insanity and Possession.  The clever props and cheap drinks make it a great Saturday nightspot.

Nas Album Review: Hip Hop is Dead
Nas narrates a 16-track eulogy to hip-hop on his latest album, “Hip Hop is Dead.” Known for being a lyrical assassin, he successfully resuscitates the state of hip-hop with this compilation.  The history of rap music is told with an impeccable delivery.  Nas, unlike some other rap artists, keeps it on the positive side with songs like “Hope” and “Where Are They Now,” where he pays homage to rap legends before him.  Though some tracks were a hit (“Still Dreaming”) and some a miss (“Who Killed It”), overall this album is a creative masterpiece.
Fergie Album Review: The Dutchess
The album centers around the luxuries and pitfalls of Fergie’s newly found fame and fortune. She exposes her softer side with the songs “Losing My Ground” and “Finally.” There’s something for everyone cramming pop, rock, reggae, and R&B into 15 tracks.  But if you’re looking for originality, this album is not for you. The music samples and Gwen Stefani-ish vocals are repetitive and overdone. The fun and funky lyrics make it an enjoyable album, but Fergie has yet to earn her royal title.

Belgian Chocolates
Chocolate perfection awaits … care to indulge?  These Belgian chocolates are some of the best gourmet chocolates available. A beautiful, handcrafted chocolate shell conceals a center of creamy filling, creating an explosion of varied textures and delightful flavors – from chunky peanut butter to chewy caramel.  Composed of all natural ingredients and no trans fat, you can satisfy your chocolate craving without the guilt.

Chocolate Truffles
Our chocolate truffles come in an explosion of delightful flavors such as raspberry, rich amaretto, smooth champagne, soft caramel, and nutty hazelnut. This delicious confection is composed of a velvety ganache, skillfully cloaked in dark and milk chocolate that will literally melt in your mouth. An exciting blend of exotic and fresh ingredients will arouse your senses, leaving you in sheer ecstasy.

Gourmet Dark Chocolate Gifts
The creamy, silky texture, the dark, elegant color, and exquisitely sweet, rich flavor – savor the richness of our delectable assortment of gourmet dark chocolates.  Our talented Belgian chocolate chefs combine the best Belgian dark chocolate with exotic handmade fillings to ensure a deep, bold, gourmet chocolate taste.  Each of the individual pieces is infused with flavorful ganache centers made of fresh fruit, nuts and spices.  Enjoy the dark ecstasy that lingers so intensely in the finish.

Chocolate Mints

Light, sweet, refreshing – experience the pure joy of fresh mints smothered in silky smooth chocolate.  The intense mint flavor invites you to slip away and indulge in a distinct and pleasurable moment as you savor a relaxing finish to your hectic day.  Choose from Rose City’s all natural Belgian chocolate mints, mint bark, or our new mint truffles and mint meltaways. The seductive aroma and irresistibly sweet taste of these fine mints will tease your senses and capture your affection.

Photo by SullyStyle

“You don’t come to New York to find romance,” said a tow truck driver I came across a couple of years ago.  “You come to build a career.”  As a single woman living in New York, this had been a revelation I had discovered early on in my dating profession.   Having a romantic partnership necessitates compromises and sacrifices I’m not yet willing to make, so for the past few years I have avoided romantic entanglements altogether –and I’m not alone.  Turns out that forfeiting romance for monetary rewards has become the latest trend in Brooklyn, according to a recent New York Daily News article: “Census Data: Being Single in Brooklyn is Hard Work.”

The article cites newly released Census data showing increased populations of single men and women throughout the borough, who have tossed out romance in favor of professional development. Assessing areas, including Sunset Park, where unmarried men outnumber women by as much as one third, and Sheepshead Bay, where there are one and a half men to every woman, single ladies can have their pick.

As you travel to the northern part of Brooklyn, however, the sexes rearrange themselves with single women in the lead, 11, 676 never married females to 6,963, coming in second to the Upper East Side as the highest rate of single women citywide.  But apparently, while men are single by choice, the women, particularly poor black women, are without mate by default.  “For blacks, especially the poor, women are not single by choice,” said Richard Alba, a sociologist at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.  “The high incarceration rates for the young men mean they are not suitable candidates for marriage.” One can only conclude from this statement that if a woman is without a mate, it must be because there aren’t enough to go around, not because she simply chooses to be happily unattached.

Despite the fact that many single women earn just as much, if not more than their male counterparts, are buying houses at double the rate, and are responsible for the majority of purchasing decisions, the perception remains that until Prince Charming has sealed the deal with a kiss and an “I do,” our lives will continue to swing aimlessly in limbo.  Alternatively, I’d like to propose another point of view to consider: not every woman wants to get married.  While some women are postponing settling down to advance their career, others have decided to nix romantic lifelong partnerships altogether.  According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than half of those who have never been married had little interest in ever walking down the aisle.  In short, singledom is not a pit stop; for many, it’s the final destination.

Whether you’re successfully single, happily married or a lady in waiting, every woman must decide for herself what constitutes a satisfying and fulfilling life.  After all, having the right to choose is its own reward.  Why limit yourself to societal ideals or standards set forth by the media, family or friends? A woman is defined not by the choices she makes, but by the very fact that she has hurdled past all opposition and found the strength within to make a decision that reflects her own truth.

Photo by SullyStyle

Maybe you’d like to start your own business, but you’re not willing to scale back on your lifestyle to invest more money into creative endeavors. Or perhaps you’re allowing fear to prevent you from taking more risks. Regardless of what’s holding you back the question remains: Are you willing to do what it takes to have a more successful and fulfilling career?

Defining Success on Your Own Terms
As professional women, we’ve all experienced times when we want to throw up our hands in frustration. We become stuck and are uncertain as to how to proceed because we have either have lost our passion for work or never had it to begin with. Oftentimes, we lose sight of the “why” and focus on the wrong things in attempt to fit in with the mainstream view of success, and we find ourselves in a career that fails to satisfy us emotionally or creatively.

In order to escape your career rut, it’s important to determine what success means to you. For some, it might mean building a media empire with thousands of employees, while for others it might simply be working for a small non-profit organization that serves the local community. Knowing what you want out of life and remaining focused on why you’re in your chosen industry will motivate you to take consistent action,  despite how scary it might feel.

Breaking through the Psychological Glass Ceiling 
We settle for less than we deserve because of our self-limiting beliefs. For instance, we get a new idea and immediately talk ourselves out of it by thinking of all the ways it can’t work. “I don’t have enough time” or “I don’t have the money” are among the top excuses people have for not aiming higher and going after their dreams. Sound familiar? Rather than put ourselves out there and stretch beyond our comfort zone, we sit by the sidelines and then wonder why we’re not achieving our desired level of success.

We say we’re willing to “do everything” to ensure our professional success, but let’s be honest: Are you really taking all the necessary steps to create your dream career? If not, make a list of all the things that are standing in your way. Then write down all the possible solutions you can think of for overcoming them and take one action within the next hour – whether it’s making a phone call to a mentor for advice, scheduling an appointment to meet with a career coach, or introducing yourself to a new business in the area.

The Need for Action
How many times have you invested in books, business courses and seminars only to discover you’re no further in your career than when you began? You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you’re not implementing the ideas, it’s useless. What separates the success stories from the stories of disappointment is our willingness to take action. When we allow fear and a negative mindset to dictate our actions, we set ourselves up for failure. Despite our best intentions, we slip back into “bad behavior” and keep doing the same things because it’s comfortable.

So what’s really holding you back from the career of your dreams? Is it money? Time? The economy? Whatever you “think” it is, it’s time to confront your demons. Create a list of all the things you’ve been afraid to do in business and in life. What immediate thoughts surface as you review your list? Acknowledge what they have to say, and then write out all those self-sabotaging beliefs that tell you how you’ll never make but a certain amount of income or achieve a certain amount of success. When you really think about it, is it true? There are others who have overcome great odds to achieve professional bliss. Why not you?

Let’s face it: The lure of reaching physical perfection is enticing, even for the most highly evolved spiritual practitioner, but perhaps health breeds a bigger agenda than fitting into a size 4: leaving a legacy. There are a handful of health and fitness aficionados, who view exercise as nothing more than a means to an end – a practice to ensure longevity, so they can carry out their life’s work. Consider 84-year-old Joy Johnson featured in the November 2011 issue of Runner’s World. The 72-time marathoner will participate in her 24^th straight ING New York City Marathon this month. She maintains her healthy lifestyle by eating right, running about 50 miles a week, and doing up to 150-push-ups a day.   “I’m just very lucky and blessed and do what I love Johnson told Runner’s World.  “I have to live up to my name.”

Health is a community-wide effort in which one can’t exist without the other.  “Throwing off the chains of poor health and reclaiming our full vitality is both our individual right and our collective responsibility,” writes Pilar Gerasimo in her, “A Manifesto for Thriving in a Mixed Up World.”  In short, the well-being of our communities does not rest solely on one person; it’s a joint act that will require continual commitment and a re-shifting of priorities– from the pursuit of physical beauty to the pursuit of social justice. Gerasimo also points out that when you change your health for the better, you change the lives of those around you for the better, too.

“Being strong and healthy in an unhealthy culture makes you part of an empowered minority. It gives you freedoms and opportunities that poor health and fitness prohibit. It endows you with the energy, clarity and resiliency to fully enjoy your life, and to make bigger, more meaningful contributions in anything you do,” she writes.

Despite cultural notions, the purpose of diet and exercise isn’t to fit into a pair of skinny jeans or to carve out a washboard midsection.  Instead, we are each called to touch greatness in whatever manner it arrives within us.  Whether it’s being a strong and healthy mother for your child, advocating for children in your community, or offering a smile to the cashier behind the supermarket counter, we all have a job to do–one that requires vitality, stamina and most importantly, good health.  And unlike a pair of perfectly sculpted thighs, what we will have left behind, will remain for generations to come.

Photo by Maven04

Photo by Pretty/Ugly Design

Life or death, right or wrong — there are choices we make for ourselves and then there are those that fate serves up on a no-win situation platter.  This was the dilemma of Wardo Mohamud Yusuf.  She had been walking for two weeks with her 1-year-old daughter on her back and her 4-year-old son alongside her when the boy’s body gave out and he collapsed. In order to ensure the survival of her remaining children, the 29-year-old Somali mother ”decided to leave him behind to his God on the road.”

As Somali parents struggle to escape drought and famine and bring their young to safety, a minor technicality has crept in the back door and stolen the lives of more than 29,000 Somali children. Up until about a week ago, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in parts of Somalia controlled by terrorist group, Al-Shabaab potentially faced execution for providing aid to avoid funds falling into the wrong hands. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has since agreed to grant humanitarian groups the appropriate licenses, so they can begin their hunger resolution efforts. While the United States scurries to work out the details, the lives of nearly 3 million Somalis swing aimlessly in the balance.

 The notion of waiting for something or someone to come to our rescue, even our “beloved” government, has grown stale, not to mention dangerous. From school lottery systems, to health care reform, to the looming economic crisis, we all seem to be waiting for that magical moment when someone will arrive on the proverbial “white horse” and save us from our woes. But perhaps there in lies the problem: We keep waiting for someone else to step up and take the lead. Instead, we must collectively rise amid the backdrop of misery and social injustice and plunge into action.

Obama hinted at the need for a united effort in his 2011 State of the Union Address, and some have accepted the challenge. I wrote a story for the East Meadow Herald earlier this year about 12-year-old Rachel Polansky, who assembled a team of family members, friends and neighbors to raise money to increase access to automated external defibrillators on youth athletic fields. Not too long ago, I came across a woman at a fundraising seminar, who handed out condoms in her community to promote safe sex.  However, I was most inspired by a 17-year-old student at Oceanside High School I interviewed.  While other teens were out partying or playing video games, she spent her time tutoring peers, teaching young girls self-esteem, and serving food at the local soup kitchen in her efforts to strengthen the Hispanic community.

 These three examples demonstrate how each of us can start where we are and use the resources we have at our fingertips to make a difference. If each of us steps up for the other, a resolution can’t be far behind.

Photo: Pretty/Ugly Design

 Rachel Polansky may not be old enough to vote, but she doesn’t let that stop her from taking action to make a difference in her community. The 12-year-old Woodland Middle School student raised $1,568 for the Robbie Levine Foundation at the organization’s sixth annual Robbie’s Run last month.

Sending emails to family, friends and neighbors, Rachel assembled a team of more than 80 participants to join her in the fight against sudden cardiac arrest. Robbie’s Run is an annual 5K race hosted by the foundation to create awareness of the importance of furnishing youth sports facilities with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. Its participants solicit donations, and the proceeds have been used to provide youth sports organizations throughout the New York area with defibrillators.

Dr. Craig and Jill Levine founded the organization in honor of their 9-year-old son, Robbie, who died suddenly when his heart stopped during a baseball practice in 2005.

“It feels good that I can make a difference in saving a life,” said Rachel. “What happened to Robbie can happen to anyone. If he had a defibrillator, he might have lived.”

Rachel used the event as her bat mitzvah project.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among youth athletes, and claims nearly 340,000 lives each year. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, close to half of the deaths caused by sports-related injuries are attributable to sudden cardiac arrest. It is estimated that one case of cardiac arrest occurs every three days in organized sports. Without immediate access to defibrillators, the chances of survival are extremely low.

For Rachel, Robbie’s Run was an opportunity to use her athleticism to contribute to a cause that has influenced the lives of multiple generations of her family. Her cousins were schoolmates of Robbie Levine’s. A few years after Robbie’s death, she learned firsthand about the importance of defibrillators when her grandfather died after suffering a massive heart attack.

“I am so proud that she was able to put together a team of 83 people and raise so much money for something that is near and dear to us,” said Rachel’s mother, Lori Polansky. “It’s a very rewarding experience as a parent.”

As featured in the East Meadow Herald

Photo by Mementosis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        
Contact:
Tasha Bovain
Phone:(516) 343-8900
Email:tasha@tashabovain.com
 

PASSING THE TORCH TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN LEADERS

The Long Island Fund for Women & Girls Presents Its First-Ever Charlotte Shapiro/Lillian McCormick Young Leadership Award at Annual Breakfast

 Jericho, NY – September 24, 2009 – “You must lead by example” is the message Lillian McCormick, co-founder of Women on the Job, has for the next generation of female leaders.  As a tribute to the women who laid the foundation for gender equality in the workplace, The Long Island Fund for Women & Girls (LIFWG) will present its first-ever “Charlotte Shapiro/Lillian McCormick Young Leadership Award” at the Women Achievers Against the Odds Breakfast on October 15^th at the Crest Hollow Country Club.

Lillian McCormick and Charlotte Shapiro have devoted a combined total of 76 years to the advocacy of women’s rights and social justice.  Their dedication and leadership through Women on the Job, a project of LIFWG, have changed the future for thousands of women in the workplace.  The Charlotte Shapiro/Lillian McCormick Young Leadership Award was established to build confidence among emerging leaders and showcase the accomplishments of young women in high school who might otherwise go unnoticed.

“We are honored to continue the legacy of two of New York’s own trailblazers in the women’s movement,” said Executive Director Laurel Parker West.  “This award is a testament to the importance of our work at LIFWG to fund programs for women and girls that provide educational and advancement opportunities to those who do not readily have access to these resources.  Our young honoree is a perfect example of what young women can achieve when afforded the opportunity.”

The 2009 recipient of the Young Leadership Award will be Lucely Sanchez of Oceanside High School.  As an advocate and role model for her peers in the Hispanic community, Sanchez has demonstrated that leadership is not limited by age, gender or ethnicity.  At the tender age of 17, she has dedicated her life to making a difference: educating students, serving food to the homeless, and teaching self-esteem to young girls.

“The kids in my community think there is no point in trying to change the world around them, but this award proves that even our smallest actions can make a difference,” said Sanchez.  “In receiving this honor, I want to show other girls they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to achieve.  I want them to experience what I felt when I looked up to the older women in my life pursuing their dreams: pure inspiration.”

The annual breakfast will also honor four Long Island professional women for their contributions to the community and one student achiever for her excellence in computer science and technology.  The 2009 honorees include Maria Grasso, Executive Vice President Flushing Savings Bank; Dr. Gerry House, President of the Institute for Student Achievement; Lorelei McGlynn, Vice President of Global Human Resources and Financial Operations for Henry Schein, Inc.; Suzy Sonenberg, Executive Director of the Long Island Community Foundation; and Lisa Rifkind, Senior at George W. Hewlett High School.

The Women Achievers Against the Odds Awards Breakfast serves as one of the largest annual fundraisers for LIFWG and is generously sponsored by over 30 Long Island corporations and organizations.  Tickets can be purchased for $85.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.lifwg.org or call (516) 396-9857.

About LIFWG

Founded in 1991 by a network of women from the corporate, not-for-profit and philanthropic communities, the Long Island Fund for Women & Girls encourages women to act as philanthropists and provides seed money to initiatives that benefit women and girls. Hundreds of programs across Long Island have been nurtured by this support, ranging from programs designed to promote equal opportunity in education to advocacy that addresses gender-related issues and advance women’s health and safety.

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As featured in the East Meadow Herald

Wiggling their fingers, 23 Long Island students in bright yellow T-shirts marched through the halls of W.T. Clarke High School to greet what lay before them — a fun-filled day of intense competition doing what they do best. Audience members cheered as contestants armed with enthusiasm and a hunger for learning competed in the regional Braille Challenge on Saturday.

The annual event allows blind and visually impaired students to practice their literacy skills while interacting with peers, an opportunity that does not happen often. Before Clarke began hosting the Challenge in 2007, teachers administered tests individually, without the support or camaraderie of fellow students.

“We have a longstanding tradition here in East Meadow of providing programs for children who have all kinds of diverse needs,” said East Meadow School District Superintendent Louis DeAngelo. “We are thrilled to be hosting the Braille Challenge for the fourth year in a row.”

Students from ages six to 18 competed in several categories ranging from speed and accuracy to spelling and reading comprehension. Participants with the top 12 scores nationally in each of the five age groups will advance to the National Braille Challenge in Los Angeles, explained Barbara Taffet, a Braille transcriber and head scorer of the regional competition.

Representing the East Meadow School District were Alex Calderon, 16, a student at Clarke High School, National Braille Challenge 2007 finalist Michael Taylor, a sixth-grader at Clarke Middle School and Parkway Elementary School fourth-grader Daniel Castro.

As students tested in a nearby classroom, tenaciously running their fingers over raised dots, parents participated in their own day of learning and festivities.  Five panelists discussed knowledge and skills for independence in college. It is a rarely discussed topic, as nearly 50 percent of blind students drop out of high school, according to the National Federation for the Blind.

Speakers included: April Foley, a teacher for the visually impaired in Massapequa Park; Glenn Dausch, an assistant technology specialist at Stony Brook University; Megan Kelly, a quality insurance specialist for the Helen Keller Braille Library and adjunct English professor at Suffolk Community College; and Matthew Puvogel of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.

It is important to help your child “verbalize their needs,” Kelly said. Self-advocacy, she continued, is an ongoing process so begin building decision-making skills at an early age through role-playing
activities.

Amid the celebration of learning and workshop presentations was a more important effort: a call to action for the preservation of Braille literacy.  For many students, Braille is more than a literacy tool — it is a ticket to opportunity.

“I couldn’t tell you where I’d be without Braille,” said Caitlin Lynch, a former National Braille Challenge competitor. “Braille has opened so many doors for me.  It allowed me to do everything my sighted peers did.”

Lynch, who attributes much of her success to Braille, boasts an impressive resume of bachelor’s degrees in English and Secondary Education from Manhattanville College.  She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Social Work, an opportunity, she said, that would not be possible without Braille.

As featured in the East Meadow Herald