Buddha Speaks

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

NYC Bike Rides

The New York Cycle Club (NYCC) offers friendly group rides every weekend and some weekdays. Favorite destinations include Westchester, Connecticut, Long Island and across the Hudson to Bergen and Rockland counties. No matter what pace you ride, you will usually find a ride to suit you. Rides are listed in the monthly NYCC Bulletin and a selection are posted on the home page. Club members also receive ride listings via a weekly NYCC news email; new members are automatically subscribed to the list upon joining the club.

Many of our rides start at "the Boathouse", located on the East side of Central Park in Manhattan, just slightly north of the 72nd St. Park Drive transverse (see map). To get there, enter the park at East 72nd St. or Central Park South and follow the Park Drive north (in the direction of traffic). Or enter at West 72nd and ride east using the transverse. The Boathouse and its adjacent parking lot are on your left. Nearby subway stops can be located on this MTA map. There are many other good meeting points for rides; as a ride leader, you may want to consider starting your ride at the GWB, in Queens, the Bronx, or the Path trains and save on those "junk miles"!
Your first club ride?

Be conservative. Choose a ride easier and shorter than you think you can ultimately handle. You won't enjoy struggling to keep up with a ride that's too fast for you, nor will the group enjoy waiting for you. It's a good idea to contact the group leader ahead of time on your first ride and to introduce yourself when signing in at the start.
Before you ride

Make sure your bike is in GOOD working order. Pump up tires to the pressure specified on the sidewall. Bring essentials: 2 spare tubes, a pump, patch kit, 2 water bottles, pocket food, ID, money, credit card, and a train pass. Eat a good breakfast consisting of carbohydrates and proteins.

Plan for Overwhelming Advantages

Having intention aimed at the designated target is only part of the game; being able to hit it is the key. - Jason Shockey

Events:

September:

September Big Apple Performing Arts Festival For nearly a quarter century, the New York City gay men�s chorus and others have created a carnival performing arts setting along Seventh Avenue. Call (212) 809-4900 for more information.

Feast of San Gennaro This Italian street festival honors the patron saint of Naples, with carnival rides, food, floats and music. Call (212) 768-9320 for more information.

Katherine Hepburn Garden Festival More than 500 ethnic foods, art, craft, antique and jewelry exhibitors create a midway along Second Avenue. Call (212) 809-4900 for more information.

African American Day Parade Participants and onlookers gather in Manhattan on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard from 111th to 142nd Street. Call (212) 862-8497 for more information.

Imagine Peace Festival At the World Peace Sanctuary off Route 22 near Amenia, the World Peace Festival celebrates with a concert, flag display, entertainment, keynote speakers and an international food court. Call (845) 883-7149 for more information.

A Taste of New York At the Sheraton hotel in Flushing, A Taste of New York is a food extravaganza featuring delicacies from selected restaurants. Activities include lucky draws and cooking demos. Tasting coupons will be on sale at the venue for $10, entitling a visitor to sample dishes at all 18 restaurant booths. Call (212) 431-0368 for more information.

West Indian-American Day Parade Labor Day Weekend in Brooklyn brings on a festival with food and entertainment from top Caribbean artists. Call (718) 467-1797 for more information.

Long Island Motorcycle Fair At the famed Riverhead Raceway, in June and again in September, the Long Island Motorcycle Fair brims with entertainment, bike shows, and vendors to create the ultimate motorcycle weekend getaway. East End Stunt Challenge contests include the longest and slowest wheelies, stoppies, quads, and more, with a trophy and cash prizes. Call (631) 774-9380 for more information.

Escape New York Escape New York, starting and ending in Manhattan by Grant�s Tomb, is open to all, with three supported routes through Rockland and Bergen counties. Snacks and drinks are provided, with giveaways and raffle prizes. Profits go to Recycle-a-Bicycle, a 501c3 charity teaching inner-city youth about cycling and recycling. Call (212) 828-5711 for more information.

New York Film Festival This 17-day festival showcases new cinematic works from around the world. Call (212) 875-5050 for more information.

Wigstock New York City's legendary dragstravaganza on Pier 54 features a show, wigs and drag, drag, drag. Call (212) 213-3958 for more information.

Pagan Pride Day This Buffalo / Niagara Falls Metro Pagan Pride Day in Blasdell Fireman�s Park celebrates religious freedom and diversity with ceremonies, kids' activities, raffles, entertainment and more. Admission is a non-perishable food or clothing donation, cat / dog food, pet care item or money for the Niagara County SPCA, the Food Bank of WNY and VIVE Inc. Call (716) 817-9563 for more information


October:

Columbus Day Festival Lower Broadway celebrates Columbus Day with cultural and corporate displays to go with food and live entertainment. Call (212) 809-4900 for more information.

Independent Feature Film Market The Angelika Film Center screens new American independent films, while hosting workshops and seminars. Call (212) 995-2000 for more information.

NYC Underground Comedy Festival, As a showcase for emerging and established comedians of the world, NYC�s Underground Comedy Festival features more than 350 laugh artists over seven nights at assorted venues including The Bitter End, with free shows at the New York Public Library and most branches. XM-Radio covers, and Chris Rock made a 2004 special guest appearance. E-mail info@nycundergroundcomedy.com for details.

NYC Oktoberfest More than 500 ethnic food, art, craft, and other exhibitors create an Oktoberfest midway along Lexington Avenue. International Vintage Poster Fair Sponsored by Wine Spectator, the International Vintage Poster Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion features 25 exhibitors from the U.S. and Europe with thousands of posters for sale date from the 1890s to the 1980s. Master artists include Toulouse-Lautrec and Otto Baumberger. Call (800) 856-8069 for more information.

Greater New York Wine & Food Expo At the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Greater New York Wine & Food Expo celebrates the finer things in life in affluent, historic Westchester County. Featured are a Grand Tasting Tent showcasing more than 250 wineries, tasting seminars with experts such as Mark Oldman, and celebrity chef demonstrations. (888) 454-3011 for more information.

Dachshund Oktoberfest Every October, Washington Square Park hosts a party for Dachshunds and their owners, sponsored by the Dachshund Friendship Club. Call (212) 475-5512 for more information.

Tibetan Festival Food, crafts and a puppet show star at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art on Staten Island. Call (718) 987-3500 for more information.

Union Square Autumn Fair More than 200 American and international merchants, restaurants and others celebrate along Park Avenue. Call (212) 809-4900 for more information.

Bluegrass Music Festival Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island provides a rural setting within New York City for the decade-old annual Bluegrass Festival, featuring top musical entertainment. Call (718) 351-1611 for more information.

Dewey's Halloween Costume Party Costumes are encouraged but not mandatory at Dewey's Flatiron Bar & Lounge (on Fifth Avenue between 25th and 26th streets) where there's a discount with mention of EventGuide to go with 2-for-1 drinks and plenty of ghoulish fun. Call (201) 264-6318 for more information.

November:

Chocolate Show Chocolatiers show their tasteful artistry amid live music from chocolate-producing countries at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Call (212) 865-6100 for more information.

Lighting at Rockefeller Center The city's holiday season kicks off with Rockefeller Center's annual tree lighting and ice skating show. Call (212) 332-6868 for more information.

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival At the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, N.J., Sugarloaf Crafts Festival features some 300 craft designers and artists displaying and selling a mix of quality contemporary crafts as well as sculptures, paintings, prints, and other fine art. Festival-goers also find home accessories, garden accents, custom clothing and jewelry. Call (301) 990-1400 for more information.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Times Square provides an excellent view of this spectacular parade, known for elaborate floats and marching bands. Call (212) 695-4400 for more information.

Madison Avenue Holiday Expo Madison Avenue comes alive as exhibitors create a balloon archway leading to arts, collectibles and fashion musts. Call (212) 809-4900 for more information.

New York Comedy Festival This five-day event festival of laughs features more than 50 stand-up comedians at venues throughout the city. Call (212) 757-4100 for more information.

December:

Kwanza Festival African food, culture and traditions in gift-giving unfold at the Jacob J. Javitz Convention Center. Call (212) 216-2000 for more information.

Times Square New Year's Eve Crowds gather early in the day for the thrill of watching the Times Square ball drop at the stroke of midnight. Call (212) 768-1560, ext. 44 for more information.

Polar Bear Christmas On weekends, Central Park Zoo polar bears are on the take, opening gift-wrapped turkeys and other yule treats. Call (212) 861-6030 for more information.

Matzo Ball From a humble start in a Boston bar, Matzo Ball bashes in more than a dozen cities including San Francisco and Washington D.C. have arrived at the Manhattan Mission as a holiday party for Jewish singles on the night before Christmas. Call (212) 473-3113 for more information.

January:

New York National Boat Show Luxury motor yachts, performance boats and other craft, along with accessories and marine equipment fill the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center at 35th Street & 11th Avenue, New York City. Call (212) 922-1212 for more information.

Winter Antiques Show More than 70 exhibitors show their best in American, Asian, English and European fine and decorative arts collections at the Seventh Regiment Armory�s Winter Antiques Show. Call (718) 292-73922 for more information.

February:

Chinese New Year Chinatown, on Manhattan's lower east side, celebrates the Chinese New Year with 10 days of festivities featuring parades with dragon and lion dancers and elaborate costumes. Call (212) 484-1222 for more information.

Westminster Kennel Club Show Second only to the Kentucky Derby as the nation�s oldest continuous sporting event, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden features some 2,500 dogs of 162 breeds competing for Best in Show. Call (800) 455-3647 for more information.

International Art Expo Paintings, prints, posters, sculpture, photography, jewelry and more are on display at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, bringing together dealers, retail galleries, interior designers, publishers, private collectors and other professionals. Call (800) 827-7170 for more information.

Sounds of Health

Sounds Of Health
Contributed by Craig Webb

It is known that sound has the power to change us. It is used in meditation, ritual, prayer, and as a natural healing technique. Sound itself encompasses most auditory phenomenon and sound healers may practice their craft with recorded classical music, drumming, chanting, instruments, or electronically synthesized sounds. Sounding, however, is unique in that the practitioner uses only his or her voice projected onto the body through loosely cupped hands or a cone of wood. The resonance of the voice permeates tissue and bone, positively impacting physical and spiritual health by causing unbalanced areas to begin once again resonating at their natural frequencies.

The human voice has the natural ability to affect both the body and mind. Just as a beautiful melody or powerful drum beat can inspire and energize you, a sound healer's voice stimulates your systems' natural integrity, helping you to achieve deep relaxation and well-being. A sounding session most often starts with the healer directing sounds toward various parts of the body to determine what areas require stabilization and strengthening. This technique is called 'overtoning.' He or she may sigh, sing, or vocalize in various frequencies while listening for a change in the tone that indicates the sound interfacing with the body's energy field. As each area of the body vibrates at its own unique frequency, this helps the healer identify the precise systems where the sounding needs to be directed. The healer will then cup his or her hands over the area in need of treatment and vocalizes in specific frequencies. The pure harmonic vibrations emitted by the healer ripple and echo ! through the body, correcting the out-of-sync rhythms and resonance, relieving tension, and creating energy impulses that help the body heal itself without medication.

In sounding, the healer's voice becomes a winding river upon which healing energy is conveyed into the body. Plato called music the "essence of order," and when, through the miraculous abilities of the human voice, the body, spirit, and emotions are vibrating at their intended frequencies and in perfect harmony with one another, the result is perfect health.

Intention

My friends and family,

Thank you for being patient with me during these past few months. After careful consideration, and a bit of soul searching, I will be returning to New York after my weekend visit to my father's place in Pennsylvania. I intend to arrive in New York on that Sunday evening, Sept 18th, 2005.

I am thoroughly excited to be returning to my home in the North and to all of you that have kept me company ever so far from home.
Even on my darkest nights, it was the shining faces of all of you that I set on the nightstand so near to my heart.
I look forward to spending even brighter days in your company and sharing all that I can.

Warmth and love,

Jason (Shockey)
954-721-6921

Abraham Lincoln Quote

I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.