S: Is for encouraging children

Hope: Home is a refuge… Opportunities to soar…Parents who care and Education to open doors.


Sometimes the joy of New York is the friendships you make and the quality of them. Last September I was introduced to publicist Laura Rubin. We have since become friends and fans of each other’s endeavors so when she invites me somewhere I know to show up. She sent across the electronic e waves an invitation from Emma Snowdon-Jones and Anthony Todd for Boys Hope Girls Hope an organization that fosters education and partners in co parenting children in need. Founded in 1977 by Father Paul Sheridan Boys Hope Girls Hope is a privately funded, non-profit, multi-denominational organization that provides at-risk children with a stable home, positive parenting, quality education, and support children to reach their full potential. Many of the children come from home environments marked by drug abuse, poverty or neglect. Others come from caring families unable to meet the child’s needs. Boys Hope Girls Hope currently serves children in 38 homes in 16 U.S. cities and two foreign countries (Brazil, Guatemala). Boys Hope Girls Hope have several unique elements that make it the only program of its kind. Children are placed in non-institutional, family-like homes staffed with live-in residential counselors. The goal is long-range mentorship so the relationships continue to foster both financially and emotionally through collage and beyond. For those children who do not qualify they provide referral services and follow up not letting them fall by the way side. The parents still maintain custody and are not replaced. The program actually tries to promote a healthy relationship between the parents and the child by maintaining regular contact. Parents are encouraged to participate in the extra curricular activities and special events. This program realizes a child’s love for ones parents no matter the ability of one to be a parent. Children do not judge and love unconditionally. They take the hurtful things done to them and blame themselves. This program teaches the child how to deal and move past while still loving. To learn more about this program that is encouraging young people log onto www.boyshopegirlshope.org or call 718 984-8466. In a world where the tabloids have made it seem that socialites are only into clothes and the party scene I’m here to tell you they also foster growth, encourage those less fortunate and do have parties, but for the most part they are there to raise funding to bring about hope. Congratulations to the Thom Bar for throwing this soirée and yeah Laura and Emma for bringing this organization into my realm and making it a F.A.C.T

T: Is for power of water crystals

(Reverence)
“Hado is the intrinsic vibrational pattern at the atomic level in all matter, the smallest unit of energy. Its basis is the energy of human consciousness.”
— Dr. Masaru Emoto
(Soul) Everything in the world resonates at some level. How you resonate is the key to a healthy, well-balanced existence and to bringing peace to Earth. We’ve heard of creative visualization now we have a reason to imagine it, live it, and experience this truth in our own lives. Like all of life humans resonate with each other in positive and negative ways. People who vibrate at similar frequencies are attracted to each other, resulting in friendship. Others remain uninterested in each other, no matter how physically close they may be. Emotions such as Love & Gratitude or Sadness & Anger each emit vibrational resonance. But the frequencies of these are on the opposite ends of the scale. (Kill you) If you saw “What the Bleep” or have heard of the best selling book or video “Messages from Water” you have heard the name of Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto. Did you ever walked into a room full of people and, without anyone saying a word sense the mood? After receiving a hug have you felt like a burden was lifted? If so, you were experiencing the power of hado. It is that simple. "Hado" may sound like a new term but it has existed in the Japanese language for centuries. Translated, it means wave motion or vibration. Within the past few decades hado has been redefining philosophy, science and quantum physics. More recently, the definition has expanded into the spiritual realm to express the healing properties and transformative powers of this life-force energy.(Gregorian Chant)

Emoto is controversial showing through well documented experiments that if human thought is directed at water before it is frozen, images of the resulting water crystals will be beautiful or ugly depending upon the thoughts that are directed at them. Emoto also showed that this can be achieved through prayer, music or by attaching written words to a container of water and has done so on several impressive tests. (Heavy Metal) One of the experiments had to do with the vibrational and emotional equivalence of certain forms of music to water. When played rock, acid, heavy metal or songs with a negative message the water darkened and the crystals were blurred or not in existence. When played classical or songs dedicated to God the crystals became light and multifaceted. (Devil) I first heard of Dr. Emoto when I was at the UN and the stories were circulating about an experiment that had been done. Three sets of plants were sewn. Each plant had the same of everything except: 1/3 the plants were written positive good words. 1/3 negative bad sayings and the last 1/3 nothing. The same was done with the intention of the person watering the plants. (Hope) A month later the plants with the positive attitude and words were a vibrant green, flourished and were triple the size of the other two plants and were the most aromatic in odor . The negative plants were black, died almost immediately and gave out the an odor so foul that you had to leave the room. The ignored plants were yellow, wilted and gave no odor or will to survive. (Thank-you) I write this column because we are 60% water and if thoughts, words, and intention can control the intrinsic parts of our soul do we not owe it to each other to stay positive, only think good thoughts and raise the human consciousness of our planet. There are those who say we are doomed but could we not elevate that to a level place and from there who knows. I wish you all good thoughts, peaceful days and may we all band together to make this a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for Stereo and Social Life Magazine

Located at 512 West 29th Stereo is a club that boasts a DJ that understands what New Yorkers like to dance to.
I have never left unsatisfied nor been there when the dance floor isn’t writhing with bodies. With it’s 5,000 square feet you can actually dance without being mauled. The bouncers keep the numbers down so if you aren’t on the guest lists it will take you awhile to get in. When I left the event the line went around the block and I had to chuckle at the irony of it. With the amount of clubs and the 300 per cent mark-up of the bottles it takes a lot to convince me one is more exclusive than the other. You can however mingle with Christina Aguilera, Jordan Bratman, Lindsey Lohan, John Mayer, and Jessica Simpson. Stereo was voted Best Nightclub in New York - 2006 and #1 Celebrity Hot spot. I do recommend to the owners that they send in a "clubber" and rate their own service. Find out how long it takes to get a drink. The constancy of price is also an issue and has you wondering who pockets the difference the house or the waiter. I ordered the same drink 3 times and all 3 times the price varied. On this particular visit to Stereo I came at the invitation of a friend who wanted to meet Justin Mitchell publisher of a magazine called Social Life. Social Life, debuted in 2004, and comes out six times a year. Next year it will be eight. Located in the retail stores and clubs in the Hampton’s, in Manhattan it is delivered to doormen, spa’s and high end retail stores. Social Life boosts an impressive readership of 200,000. Beautifully put together it’s glossy pages register the social scene keeping one up on the polo matches and philanthropy. Justin came up with the idea and hooked up with writer/editor Devorah Rose and their engaging profiles on the dual Hampton/manhattanite make this magazine an interesting read. They also orchestrate soirée's through out the year which allow friendships built during the summer at the shore to continue and help earn money for different charities. This magazine is also a a NY story of man who had a dream makes his own reality and for Justin that was Social Life. Look for it at your next spa visit and make reading it a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for the controversal art of Julie Harvey

In the art world and in the world itself there are stories of men trying to compromise women’s virtues in order for them to get ahead. In 1974 a Picasso painting was vandalized at the MoMa. Southampton artist Julie Harvey terrorized many when she teamed up with a Boston collector to portray art dealer Tony Shafrazi in a full life portrait -- naked, obese, and bearing a strikingly underdeveloped male member. Tony you see had terrorized Julie and the Boston collector and was the culprit of the MoMa incident. Julie’s next portraits were of other well-known artists and dealers “She was aiming at the good-ol'-boys club of the New York art world”. She was touted as forgiving you but not forgetting and definitely having a creative way to in which to get even. You can see this work and more at the MoMa until March 27th.
Julie has broken new ground and some friendships with her controversial nude portraits of art world luminaries Mary Boone, Larry Gagosian, Charles Saatchi to name a few. These works and others by the brilliant Harvey are a powerful exhibition, Documenting a Feminist Past: Art World Critique, 1960 to Now.
Julie lives and works in NYC and is a viable part of what makes NYC so great. She has exhibited her paintings and sculptures throughout the country and has been featured in many a television shows and news programs. Producing and directing multimedia events that incorparate many artists. Ms. Harvey received a grant in 1995 for her experimental use of a new aluminum panel called Alpolic as a support for paintings and sculptures. Through this research, she received a US Patent for bonding artist’s materials to these architectural panels. In 1999, Ms Harvey erected the Liberty Mural. From the tragic events she next created in 2001 the “Bin Laden” painting creating a worldwide frenzy as it traveled around the globe via the Internet. Her current project is a series of paintings inspired by her Go-Go performance events and the many dancers and actors who performed. The Liberty Mural Project was to celebrate the past, present and future of Lower Manhattan. The project involved enlarging an oil painting into a 75 x 50 foot mural and then installing this mural over a building. An independent contractor scanned the transparency, and enlarged it by sections on flexible vinyl. The sections were then fused together forming a tremendous vinyl painting. The finished mural looks like a gigantic artwork exhibited on the exterior of a building. The Liberty Mural was presented to the community as a visual expression of the foundations from which our city and nation were established and to display of hope. The mural hangs high near Liberty Street and Maiden Lane and reflects Lower Manhattan’s historic past while proudly looking toward the Millennium. Last but not least is the calender series depcting the relationship between people and nature. Begining in the spring as a young girl. She matures as each month goes by becoming more sexual as she approaches the fall. In the winter she becomes older and hibernates until she is reborn near spring. Each painting includes a weather report that was inspired by the NY Times. May we emulate Julies paintings and become like a phenoix rising from the controversies of life and make that a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for festivals

Yesterday started the celebration known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam, and Sol in Korea. Chinese New Year is the most important of all festivals in Asia. It is a time of sweeping away all traces of misfortune and acquiring luck and prosperity. Traditionally new clothes are bought and worn to symbolize the discarding of the past. Bamboo is given to friends and love ones to help acquire wealth and debts are paid off so one may begin anew. Though held in January/February the dates vary yearly as it revolves around the cycle of the new moon. Each year is named after a sequence of animals that all carrying a certain quality. 2007 is the year of the boar. The dragon and lion dances are among the most spectacular of all the festivities held. As many as 50 or more people support long dragons and lions made from vibrant paper and cloth while dancing in processions down city streets. The dancers perform to the beating of gongs and drums, while other celebrants perform acrobatic displays. Some of the performers may occasionally reach up to take red money packets or fruits and vegetables hung from storefronts. The celebrations end with the lantern festival, an event in which merchants hang lit paper lanterns outside their shops. Many of the lanterns rotate with the heat of the candles they contain. Children often parade through the streets during the lantern festival, carrying lanterns of various shapes and patterns. If you took a stroll to Chinatown yesterday you could of seen the roaring of the lions. However the brightly lit streets and the delectable treats will be around for about two weeks. Each year is enhanced with the qualities of the animal it is named after. The year of the boar is a sign of honesty blessed with patience and understanding. It is a year to enjoy life and all it has to offer, including family and friends. It is not a year to be gullible for you will be taken advantage of. If you have things you need help with this is a year to ask for help and not stubbornly hold onto the past. It is a time to forgive and forget everything and a time to keep peace.
There is however an imbalance of Yin and Yang energy and therefore this will be a year with countless gossip and arguments. There will be disputes everywhere, on every level. People will have fights just for the sake of conflict. Communication will make others feel good if its not forced. On the upside objects and people that have long been forgotten; and those items with profound historical significance will reappear and gain significance once again. Economically, countries that are less affluent will see more resources and national growth in 2007. Finally, accidents are likely to occur to structures or geographic formations situated with height, such as satellites, mountains, houses or bridges. May the year of the boar bring you much prosperity and peace and may that be a F.A.C.T.