As our homes and apartments morph into personal office space, more of us are creating functional spaces that rival the corner office the boss once occupied.  Comfort, ambiance, and a well-stocked ‘fridge are all part of the mix.

This new freedom is a welcome opportunity to spend valuable time increasing productivity on multiple fronts, both professional and personal.  But creating a comfortable, functional home office may seem like a daunting if not altogether insurmountable task, fraught with questions and technological challenges.

Reading cumbersome manuals, calling tech support, and picking our tech-savvy friends’ brains (not to mention our children’s, since they seem to have been born innately knowing how to do all sorts of computer stuff) are all options. After all, in the end we’re aiming for a computer system that seamlessly combines both our professional and personal needs.  Sounds like a simple request.  But folks tell me, and I know from experience, that setting up a functional home computer/office isn’t always as easy as it sounds.   Future columns may explore some common challenges and the steps anyone can take to simplify this process. By first identifying some basic requirements you’ll get off on the right foot, such as for office: e-mail, printer, internet, Anti-virus (General) Backup / Archiving Specific Applications, or for your home: music, pictures, printer, e-mail or Specific Applications. Once you’ve generated your own list, you can use it as a guideline for setting up a successful home system that will fulfill both work and home-related computing needs.

Ken Wilson, a South Nyack resident, has 20 years experience in computing technology including SMB network security, network engineering, and cloud computing, and he operates www.nyackhelpdesk.com.  Contact Ken at: Kwilson@tekdef.com

Enough about me. Your dog and cat friends will be experiencing the great outdoors and there are some things that we as pet owners need to keep in mind to make sure they stay healthy and safe.  Warm weather is the friend of the parasite.  These pests include ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, and various intestinal parasites.  Ticks will show up any day the temperature is over 45 degrees.  Both adult and nymphal ticks are out now.  The nymphal ticks can be the size of a period on this paper and difficult to see.  While many of us just feel for ticks on our pets, the use of a Spot-On (or similar) tick killer is recommended.  Most of these products do not repel ticks or fleas;  instead, they kill the ticks over a period of 24-48 hours, before the tick can attach.  Lyme disease takes over 24 hours to transmit from tick to animal.

These products do a very good job in killing fleas as well as destroying their eggs.  Some- times I hear these preparations haven’t worked. Usually that means either an application error or an infestation in the house with constant hatching of new fleas.

Heart worm is still an issue in Rockland. These parasites are carried by mosquitoes from dog to dog.  The mosquito sucks blood from a heart worm-positive dog and injects it into the skin of a nearby pet.  Within six months these parasites have traveled to the heart and have become mature worms. These worms start to make their way into the lungs where they plug up the blood vessels, depriving that area of a good blood supply.  Many dogs are now being brought here from the Southern US by rescue organizations.  Many times, these pets harbor heart worms, fleas and intestinal parasites.

A simple yearly blood test can detect heart worms.  Heartworm preventives are chewable monthly pills and, if one can remember to give them, they do a good job of prevention.

Intestinal parasites are present in the stools of dogs and cats, as well as wild animals.  Your pet can acquire them by ingesting some of the stool or in some cases, from drinking standing water. Raccoon roundworms are especially dangerous, both to pets and children.  Ingestion can cause parasites to go to the brain and cause damage.  Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, giardia and protozoan parasites can all be transmitted in the feces.  A laboratory analysis of the stool specimen will detect these and we have many good medications to get rid of them.  Stools should be picked up to prevent transmission and also to avoid contaminating the lawn with worm eggs which can get licked up and ingested.  Picking up stool is not just a matter of courtesy to the next person walking in the area, but will help protect all pets from picking up parasites.

Unfortunately, when your arm is in a sling device, it is not a good idea to have a 90 lb. dog jump on you or crash into you while chasing a 12 lb. cat.  I don’t know how we will deal with this.

We are all very happy with our new home at the Mountainview condos.  It is a very dog-friendly place and Tuni has met many new friends.  Oliver just sits in the window and chirps at the bird feeder.

Dr. Segall can be reached Tues thru Thurs mornings at The Hudson Valley Animal Hospital, 4 Old Lake Rd Valley Cottage, NY (845) 268-0089 ex 3.

It took forever, but I finally got around to  writing this piece about avoidance (insert rim shot sound effect here).

We can all laugh a little (or not) at our universal human tendency to avoid doing today what we can put off until tomorrow.  But there are times when a compulsion to avoid can seriously derail us from our purposes.  We avoid not just what we need to do, but what we need to say and what we need to feel.

I worked with Paul for about five years. Paul turned 30 in the second year of our work together.  He was rising up in an investment banking career, and when we first met, he was agonizing over whether or not to marry his girlfriend Joyce.  Joyce had waited two years thinking Paul would come around, because he did love her—but he dragged his feet at every point in the relationship whenever taking it up a level was indicated.  He stated repeatedly that he wasn’t ready, he didn’t know, he wasn’t sure.  Joyce, her clock running out, apparently thought that meant there would eventually be a yes while she could still have children.  Heartbroken, Joyce finally moved on, and Paul went through the exact same dance with two other girlfriends he stayed with for more than a year each.  I’m not sure who was more frustrated, Paul or me.  It was hard for Paul to see the selfishness and the cruelty of his choices.  He saw himself as a victim of an incomprehensible paralysis that could not be understood or cured, and he was adamant about not seeing it any other way.  Finally, Wall Street crashed, and Paul had to stop seeing me.  I’d like to think that Paul finally figured himself out—and if not, maybe his ex girlfriends have created a cautionary website about him :“Beware of Eligible Bachelors Who Won’t Break Up With You But Won’t Marry You Either Dot Com”

Then there’s Ellen, who is a very attractive artist, just turned 30, who is emotionally scarred by serial long term relationships that have ended very badly.   Observing Ellen as she goes through her dating process, I notice that she gets interested in someone and allows the relationship to proceed, but she sees a bunch of red flags, and knows that he’s probably not the guy she would want to end up with.   She turns out to be right, but unfortunately, she doesn’t end the relationship early on; acting as though she’s more into him than she really is, she thinks it’s better having him around than having no one.  Recently, she was seeing Mark, whom she liked sort of, but didn’t see as marriage material.  Mark was clear that he was looking for a mate, and after spending a few weeks together, Mark broke up with her.  Even though Ellen wasn’t all that into him, she was more hurt than she had expected to be.

Ellen avoids ending relationships that aren’t right, because she is convinced that having someone around short-term is a better bet, and easier than holding out for someone who could be long-term.  Yet the failure of each short-term relationship leaves her sad, lonely and despairing.   Paul avoids marrying women he loves because he imagines there might be someone else whom he would love more, who would be so perfect that he would have no doubts and no fears.  And when the girlfriend finally gives up on him, he feels guilty, lonely ashamed and stuck.

The kind of avoidance I speak of here is deeply rooted, in childhood experiences of disappointment and the sense of powerlessness.  Deep down, as ambitious as they both are, there’s a pernicious part of Paul and Ellen that doesn’t really expect anything to do with them to turn out well.  Sadly, without being at all aware, they set up their lives in ways that ultimately confirm their unconscious low expectations.

The moral is:  Do avoid: self-pity, not know-ing what you really want and how you really feel, not listening to your gut instincts, never resolving your ambivalence about whether or not you’re worthy and capable.  And, as a corollary, do Not avoid: overcoming fear.

Daniel Shaw, LCSW, practices psychotherapy in Nyack and in New York City.  He can be reached at (845) 548-2561 in Nyack and in NY City at (212) 581-6658, shawdan@aol.com  or online at www.danielshawlcsw.com

I for one am going to ignore these warnings and plan for a glorious Spring.  It’s time to pop the Allegra and get out in the garden. I’ve never really had much of a green thumb, but I would really like to.  Every year I say I am going to grow everything I need to make homemade salsa. This year I’m determined!

That’s right—tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños and onions, you are all on my list!  If you don’t mind chopping give it a try.

Fresh, Homemade Salsa
3 tomatoes diced with juices
(If you prefer a thinner salsa pulse them in the food processor or blender)
1 small red onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 fresh jalapeño finely diced with seeds
(I love spice!  If you don’t, remove the seeds.
Be careful: I recommend wearing gloves when working with hot peppers as the oils can get under your fingernails and become difficult to remove.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and allow to sit for at least an hour to blend flavors. (or as long as you can wait!)

Fresh salsa is such a healthy and versatile condiment. You will be happy to have it on hand.  Play around with it.  Use mango or other fruit in place of the tomatoes.  Spoon it over grilled chicken or fish, make homemade tacos, put it on a baked potato or just grab some fresh corn chips and enjoy!

Cindy Coligan is a native of Houston, Texas.  A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, she is the chef/owner of Lanie Lou’s Cafe at 135 East Erie Street (just off Route 303) in Blauvelt, NY.  Reach her at (845) 680-6199.

We all know that beautiful lady standing white robed on a pedestal, carrying a torch. The Columbia Pictures Logo is world famous.  Over the course of the years she has changed from time to time—sometimes draped in the US flag, sometimes in the company of white clouds and even for, a while, when the studio was owned by Coca-Cola, her figure mysteriously resembled a coke bottle.   Today, Columbia Pictures is a powerhouse corporation owned by Sony, that produces motion pictures, distributes them, and is a leader in television production.

It wasn’t always this way.  Once upon a time, it was a struggling little studio that sat squarely on a parcel of land called Poverty Row, next door to little-respected studios like Republic, Monogram and Allied Artists, who produced a menu of lowbrow B movies.
Often, when the larger studios wanted to keep an unruly star in line they threatened —or actually—lent him or her to Columbia as punishment.

Like most Hollywood Studios, Columbia had its beginning in New York City, and like other Hollywood studio success stories,  it was the invention of Jewish immigrants trying to make a better life in America.

Joseph Cohn came to America in 1880, met and married a Polish woman named Bella, and had five children.  The family that included Jack & Harry, future moguls, lived in a cramped apartment on East 88th Street.

The first brother to enter the fast-growing world of show business was Jack. He started work for a struggling film company owner named Carl Laemmle, who would someday own Universal Pictures.   Eventually Jack brought his more aggressive and creative brother, Harry, into the business.  Harry flourished working with Laemmle, but always wanted something more.  He yearned to be self employed.  So with twelve years of experience, he formed a company known as CBC, with his brother Jack as president and a partner named Brandt. (Cohn, Brandt, Cohn).  They bought pictures and started to distribute them.

Meanwhile, the owner of a little orange grove in the Hollywood hills was selling off its cheap property.  Harry traveled out to the newly-named Hollywood and leased some land off Sunset Boulevard, in an area called Poverty Row.  He bought film that was left over from reels and used it to make his own movies.  Soon CBC was in the business of making films—mostly shorts.

Harry was never satisfied.  He felt disrespected; worst of all, he was laughed at for his cost-conscious ways.  A common joke in the fledgling industry was that CBC stood for Corned Beef & Cabbage.  Before long, Harry had all he could take, so he changed the company name from CBC to Columbia Pictures.   Some say he got the name from a ship in the Hudson; others say Harry got it from a Times Square clothing billboard.

The year was 1924 and Columbia Pictures was born in New York City.  Production
facilities were to be in Hollywood—3,000 miles from his brother, Jack, who stayed in New York.  By this time, Jack and Harry were fiercely competitive, arguing about everything.  Harry loved Jack, but the distance between them suited him just fine.

Next month—Harry meets the 3 Stooges, and Columbia finds a little-known director named Frank Capra.

Ric Pantale writer and director, is an independent film maker.  His latest film, Delilah Rose, is scheduled for release soon.

Summary  Source: GHVMLS YTD Comparison Report
1Q YTD 2012 vs. 1Q YTD 2011 – Single Family Homes
New inventory (the number of homes going on the market) increased 22.4% (71 YTD 2012 vs. 58 YTD 2011). There was a 43% decrease in the number of sales (16 YTD 2012 vs. 28 YTD 2011).  The average sales price of homes that have sold increased 27.8% to $743,679. Overall, the average sales price for single family homes that have sold in Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $405,004, down 6.7% over the same period last year.

1Q YTD 2012 vs. 1Q YTD 2011 – Condos
New inventory (the number of condos going on the market) increased 26.9% (33 YTD 2012 vs. 26 YTD 2011). There was a 55.6% increase in the number of sales (14 YTD 2012 vs. 9 YTD 2011). The average sales price of condos that have sold increased 16.2% to $361,024. Overall, the average sales price for condos that have sold in Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $212,056, down 8.5% over the same period last year.

Plant shopping brings out the kid in me. Nurseries are my grown-up candy stores, satisfying an adult version of a sweet tooth —without the cavities.  I’ve been nourished by their offerings my entire life and move through them like a fashion shopper does Bloomingdale’s.  These are my Meccas.

Last week, as I bounded through the familiar pews—I mean aisles—of a favorite garden center, I made mental notes of ‘must haves’ for the season.  Momentarily changing my focus to watch other people perusing the center’s wares, I was struck by the high percentage of novices seemingly lost among the dizzying choices laid out around them. They seemed at once excited and nervous for the decisions they were about to make.

Buying plants can be an expensive proposition and, if you don’t approach it in an organized way, you could come home with plants that don’t work on your property and don’t accomplish what you intended. Naivety in this endeavor can lead to a costly learning curve.

I find no greater comfort than being among plants, yet I face a heavy burden of self-inflicted stress to match purchases to purpose.
My wife, a well-informed amateur, often joins me on my sacred sojourns.  I am amazed at the ease in which she makes her selections.  No worry about knowing the Latin names, not much concern for the way a plant will look when it is fully grown.  If it looks cute in a four-inch plastic pot, the sale is clinched.
If you are new to buying plants, or suffer my own overly cerebral tendencies, I  recommend some preparation before spending time and money on garden improvements.  Here are some basic guidelines for strolling through the jungle of plants vying for your attention.

1.  What’s the budget? You will no doubt want more than you’re willing to spend.   Vigilance must be observed.  I know first hand the plight of ‘budgetary creep.’  An extra ten dollars here, fifteen there each time you can’t tear yourself away from yet another can’t-live-without plant.

2. Ask yourself what goals you have for the day.  Mostly, I lean towards choices that will give me as much color around my house as possible.

3. If your needs lead you otherwise, try not to be swayed by the brash and showy annuals usually placed at the entrance of the yard.  Though incredibly cheery, they  die at season’s end and must be re-purchased the following year.

4. Are you looking for more of a long term investment?  With perennials, you’ll get increasing rewards for many seasons to come. Though more expensive than annuals, they are fine Bordeaux to the annuals’ Beaujolais Nouveau.

5. Are you filling in spaces left bare from previous season’s failed plants?  If so, go to the shrub section of the nursery first.  These are considerably more expensive and will eat up most of a budget.  Only after these are picked should you cull through the smaller plants, keeping in mind what you have left in your wallet.

6. Perhaps you want to add an ornamental tree to your property, to make a change that will have a more significant impact on the landscape.  Trees are available in many sizes, though for most spots on our properties, varieties that stay under twenty feet are best. One tree can bust a small budget so think about how much bang you want for your bucks.

Typically, by the end of my costly spree, the tactical brain yields to an emotional ‘Bleeding Heart’ (Dicentra spectabilis for those of you not in Botanical know) and all too often, my final budget has swollen to match exactly what I can squeeze in my car.

Though I resist the urge to use the roof rack to hold the vegetable seedlings my trunk would no longer hold, I thank Linnaeus for the hanger hooks over the doors that I squeezed half a dozen hanging baskets on.

Jon Feldman is the owner of G. biloba Garden Environments.  Reach him at www.gbiloba.com or at 353-3448.

Cats love plants. An outdoor cat will spend a large part of his time rolling in the grass and chewing on anything that looks interesting.  For indoor cats, plants allow the scents of the outside world into a cat’s life.  One way to keep your plants happy is to give your cats some plants of their own and make the other plants less attractive.

Important points to keep in mind:
1) If your cat likes to chew on houseplants, make sure there aren’t any poisonous ones. Many common houseplants can make your cat sick.  Some are deadly.  Among the most dangerous are dieffenbachia, oleander, lily of the valley, azalea, philodendron, rhododendron, various ivies, mistletoe, holly berries, crocus and yews.  The bulbs of amaryllis, daffodils and tulips can cause problems for cats that like to dig and chew.  It’s important to remove contact and follow up with your veterinarian as soon as possible if an exposure has occurred.

2) Keep all lilies out of the house.  While not all lilies are toxic to cats, a large number of them are.  Several species of lilies cause kidney failure in cats.  If there is any question whether your lilies are safe or toxic—avoid them altogether.

3) For chewing, always keep a pot of grass seedlings growing—rye, alfalfa or wheat. Cats also love smelling and chewing certain herbs, including parsley and thyme.  Both of these will grow indoors.  Valerian is another terrific (safe) plant that some cats love.

4)  Catnip is great for any cat to chew on. Keep seedlings out of reach of your pet, or your cat may rip it out by the roots and the plant may never reach maturity.  Keep in mind, however, not all cats react to catnip. The ability to appreciate the herb is genetic, with more cats loving it than not.  Also, kittens under 3 months of age don’t react to catnip at all.

5)    For the plants that are too big to hang, you can try coating the leaves with something your cat finds distasteful.  Examples: Bitter Apple, a nasty-tasting substance available at any pet store, or Tabasco sauce from the grocery store.  You can discourage your pet by shooting him with water from a spray bottle when you see him in the plants.

6)  Some cats like to kick dirt around or use pots as litter boxes. This makes perfect sense to your cat, even though it’s annoying to you.  You can teach your cat that dirt isn’t for digging and pots aren’t for tipping.  Pot your plants in heavy, wide-bottomed containers and cover the soil with decorative rock.  Put small plants up high or hang them.

The ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (www.aspca.org/apcc)  has a list of plants that shouldn’t be in any household with cats.  Please check your plants against this list.  Resolving behavior problems often takes time and involves some compromise and patience on your part.  Give your cat some plants that he likes, protect him from the dangerous ones and make the rest less desirable to him. When your cat has his own plants, it’s easier to keep him away from yours.  If you don’t sweat the occasional chewed leaf or knocked-over pot, one day your plants will be yours for everyone in the household to enjoy—including your cats.

Dr. Nicholson was born in NY City and graduated from Kansas State College of  Veterinary Medicine in 2007.  She has extensive experience  in emergency medicine, surgery, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, dermatology and neurology.

Warmer weather brings with it insects. While most are simply an annoyance, for some people with insect venom allergy, certain insect stings can be potentially life-threatening.  The elderly are most at risk. The good news is that there is effective treatment available for this condition called venom desensitization.

Bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and fire ants are some of the most common stinging insects of concern to people with insect venom allergy.

Symptoms
If you have insect venom allergy and are stung, your symptoms may include:
• Itching and hives
• Swelling in the throat or tongue
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• In severe cases, a rapid fall in blood pressure may result in shock and loss of consciousness. This is called anaphylactic shock.

Diagnosis
If you have had a severe reaction to an insect sting, an allergist will give you skin tests and/or blood tests to see which insect(s) you are allergic to.

Treatment
Treatment, called venom desensitization, involves allergy shots to insect venom.  It is very effective at preventing sting reactions.

If the doctor recommends venom desensitization, you will receive a series of injections of diluted venom from the insect that causes your allergic reaction.  These injections will prevent your immune system from producing a severe reaction to the insect venom.  The injections are generally continued for a minimum of five years.

If you are very allergic to insect stings, ask your doctor if you should carry an epinephrine injection device to treat severe allergic reactions.  Learn how and when to use it. You also may want to wear a MedicAlert bracelet or necklace that identifies you as having a severe allergy to insect stings.

Preventing Stings
• Wear protective clothing outside—closed-toed shoes and long pants, and use gloves when gardening.

• Wear white or light-colored clothing.  Dark or flowery clothing is more likely to attract insects.

• Use unscented deodorant and avoid wearing strong-smelling perfume, cologne, lotion or hair spray.

• Use insect repellent.

• When eating outdoors, keep food covered until you’re ready to eat, and clean up afterward.

• Don’t live in fear of going outdoors if you are allergic to insect stings. Talk to your healthcare professional about how you can manage your condition.

For more information about this month’s health tip, please visit nyackhospital.org

John V. Bosso, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI
Medical Director, Allergy and Asthma Consultants of Rockland and Bergen Affiliate Faculty Member, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

I enjoy researching stories for my monthly column, and as a veteran I love learning and writing about the men of our community who left the safety of their homes and went off to war.

This month I write about the Veterans of Front Street.  During World War 2, from 1941 to 1945, twenty-four sons from this two-and-a-half block long street served their country.  Their service earned them my gratefully-bestowed title of The Fightingest Street in Nyack.  Kids who once played baseball or tag on this pleasant little tree-lined street served in every branch of American fighting forces in every theater of the war. They flew planes over distant Pacific Islands, waded ashore on remote atolls fighting the Japanese.  They sailed on destroyers and in submarines in the South Seas. They participated in the invasions of Africa and Europe, fighting against the Nazi who wanted to rule our world.  Some treated their wounded comrades and others sat down to eat their K-rations in bomb-gutted Belgian villages.  Some served in defensive guard units at American bases in the far-flung corners of the world that were too obscure to even appear in their geography books in Nyack High School that was a short distance from their front doors.

The “boys” from Front Street were:  Tech, Sgt. Gerald P. Gise who served in the Pacific as an aerial gunner with the Fifth Air Force.  His brother Robert Gise was in an Army Anti-Aircraft unit in France.  A shirt-tail relation of mine: Sgt. Theodore Knarich served in a Radio section of the 10th Air Force in India. Pfc. Douglas Kessler served with an Anti-Aircraft unit in New Guinea.  Pvt. William Waldron was with the 7th Army and took part in invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France.  2nd. Lt. Arthur Winship served four years in the Army’s Coastal Artillery.

Ida Taylor’s four sons served their county. Fireman First Class Bernard Taylor served on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific; his brother, Norman Taylor, served in the Air Corps in Mississippi as a mechanic.  Corporal Calvin Taylor was in Chemical Warfare in New Guinea. The oldest son, Clyde Taylor Jr., Technician 3rd, served two years in the Army Engineers in the Hawaiian Islands.

Like their neighbors, four Stach brothers from 102 Front Street were all in the service.  Private Stephen Stach received a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in fighting at Treasure Island in October ‘43 while serving in the Artillery.  William Stach, Torpedo man third Class, was in the Pacific for 33 months on a Navy destroyer.  His ship participated in four island invasions with the most fighting on Bougainvillea in New Guinea.  Louis Stach, Seaman Second Class also served on a submarine in the South Pacific.  Private John Stach served in Europe with the Air Corps and took part in the D-Day invasion.

Kenneth Kolb, Seaman First Class, was in the Navy and participated in the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. His brother Andrew Kolb, Jr. was a Motor Pool Sergeant in the Army, serving more than 20 months in Panama.

The Marines are represented by Private First Class Alfred Kessler, who served for 36 months with the 5th Marines in the South Pacific. Sgt. Julius Sergeant served three and a half years in the Air Force in the Philippines.  Private Frank Hoehn had a year’s service in Belgium with the  Quartermaster Corps. Sgt. Edward Roberts served two years with the Army Medical Corps in Europe.  Stephen Dec, Navy Radioman Third Class, was in the South China Sea.  Frank Wadsworth was an aviation cadet and served eleven months before he was given a medical discharge.  Private William Hudak was injured while training with the 20th Armored Division at Camp Campbell in Kentucky and was given a honorable discharge.  Chief Yeoman Robert W. Gates spent fourteen months in North Africa.

Thankfully all of the twenty-four men returned safely home after the war to take their place in what, 50 years later, NBC newsman Tom Brokaw would call The Greatest Generation.

The Nyack Villager thanks Jim Leiner for helping us all ‘Remember the Days .’