Chronogram Magazine

Year after year, my mind had willfully erased what I would inevitably stumble upon. Surprise! There it was again. The grand daddy of all that is abhorrent: the colossal styrofoam Santa Head.

Welcome to Lucidities

By Beth E. Wilson 12/31/06

Chronogram’s longtime art critic discusses her blog’s intentions.

Money makes the world go around...

By Beth E. Wilson 01/30/07

There are only a few weeks left for you to get down to the City to see the Metropolitan Museum’s astonishing exhibition “Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s”.

The story behind the story

By Beth E. Wilson 02/13/07

Reason #278 to be extremely dubious about any aesthetic pronouncements you hear coming from New York….

The Missing Mainstream Media

By Beth E. Wilson 02/27/07

MoMA is a public institution, funded with PLENTY of public funds…we ought to know what the management is being paid.

Hudson Valley Stage

Theater critic Jay Blotcher gets caught in the glare of the footlights.

Love and Agony in Manhattanland

By Jay Blotcher 01/25/07

Make no mistake; “Company” is not a musical to cuddle up to.

A Killer Musical Slays Me; So Does a Tepid One

By Jay Blotcher 01/25/07

Now, Assassins is not a resounding success—through no fault of the Rhinebeck Center cast, which gave it their level best.

A Theatrical Poster Exhibition in Rhinebeck

By Jay Blotcher 02/18/07

If you are a theater buff or a graphic arts enthusiast—or both—a visit to “Center’s Edge” is a delightful and rewarding way to spend an hour or so in Rhinebeck.

Fascism You Can Dance To

By Jay Blotcher 02/19/07

“Cabaret” at Marist College.

Sarah Vowell Cracks Wise at Vassar

By Jay Blotcher 02/26/07

Sarah Vowell’s distinctive delivery that borders on a petulant whine but resonates with an underdog verve.

Oscar for the Ages

By Jay Blotcher 03/08/07

Oscar Wilde is a necessary tonic in our dumbed-down, hypocrisy-ridden age.

Mecca for the Fanatic

By Jay Blotcher 03/12/07

The Powerhouse season at Vassar may be the last defiant hope for American theatre.

Pucci Party Dresses, Swinger Chic... and Social Upheaval

By Jay Blotcher 03/20/07

The ‘60s were a decade of contradiction and seismic change.

Organic Schmorganic

Farmer and pomologist Mike Biltonen gets back to the earth.

To Clone or Not to Clone

By Mike Biltonen 12/29/06

Despite what the FDA says, is meat from cloned animals really safe?

Beyond Organic

By Mike Biltonen 01/17/07

Organic wasn’t such as bad thing 10 or 20 years ago. Then the government got involved.

Know Your Roots

By Mike Biltonen 02/17/07

To truly know your roots, buy local.

Frozen Fruit and Rotting Vegetables

By Mike Biltonen 03/06/07

Why America’s agricultural future depends on sane immigration legislation.

Organic vs. Local: Which is It?

By Mike Biltonen 03/15/07

Some thoughts on the great debate.

Take Your Corners, Please!

By Mike Biltonen 03/22/07

Locally grown, organic produce may be the gold standard, but are you willing to pay for it? Growing organic produce in our local climate is possible, but often yields are lower and expenses higher.

Chow Town

Chronogram's food writers on the latest and greatest in Hudson Valley eats.

Two Delights: Annisa & Per Se

By Harold Jacobs 12/30/06

Harold Jacobs eats at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and Anita Lo’s Annisa in New York City.

When the leaves fall from the trees and winter approaches, connoisseurs of Italian food know the truffle season has arrived. And nowhere was this more celebrated in the Hudson Valley than at Eduardo Lauria’s restaurant Il Barilotto. In early December, he offered “An Evening in Piedmont” to pay homage to the food and wine of the northwest region of Italy and most especially to the country’s truffles.

A Gastronomic Oasis: Binkley's

By Harold Jacobs 02/26/07

An exceptional restaurant is one worth a special trip.

Cafe Macchiato

By Brian K. Mahoney 04/13/07

Cafe Macchiato isn’t perfect. Don’t expect it to be. But it’s got a funky, honest chic that none of the over-hyped eateries just blocks away on Newburgh’s waterfront possess.

Slow Cookin'

Hot Stuff and Halliburton

By Ric Orlando 02/22/07

New World Home Cooking head chef and proprietor Ric Orlando dishes up his first blog entry.

Reasonable Doubts

A look a political issues through Jeffrey Shapiro's libertarian lens.

Change or No Change?

By Jeffrey Shapiro 12/29/06

Pondering the results of the 2006 New York State elections.

From Bang to Whimper

By Jeffrey Shapiro 01/25/07

Does Bush’s 2007 State of the Union address offer anything new on Iraq?

The Triumvirate Lives

By Jeffrey Shapiro 03/04/07

Beware the ides of March.

Arms and the Court

By Jeffrey Shapiro 03/12/07

Who guards the guardians?

Paradigm Lost

By Jeffrey Shapiro 04/09/07

My only memory of the Woodstock Festival is of my ten-year-old self riding in the family car on Route 84 staring out the window at the long-haired, tie-dyed pilgrims traveling in the opposite direction.

Larry's World

Larry Beinhart is the author of Wag the Dog, The Librarian, and Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin. All available at nationbooks.org

Winning in Iraq

By Larry Beinhart 01/22/07

Failure is not an option. It’s standard! On every policy we make!

Short Shots

By Larry Beinhart 03/27/07

At last, George Bush has his Monica.

Short Shots 2

By Larry Beinhart 03/29/07

It is now a conventional complaint on the Right that university faculties are dominated by liberals. It’s true.

The Sex Lives of Presidents

By Larry Beinhart 04/04/07

There was something deeply kinked in Nixon. Would more sex – even more adultery – have humanized him? Did his sex life – currently unknown – connect to his murderous cynicism? If the sex lives of presidents are to be a campaign issue, that’s a question to ask.

Short Shots 3

By Larry Beinhart 04/09/07

It’s time for a Failure to Find Osama Commission.

Short Shots 4

By Larry Beinhart 04/10/07

Do not refer to the George Bush Library as a library.

A Secret Dispatch from the War on Stupidity

By Larry Beinhart 04/17/07

If we knew today’s secrets, we would “know” that all the intelligence and Pentagon assessments are that the war in Iraq is already lost. And that the war in Afghanistan is being lost, too.

War Dispatches from the War on Stupidity

By Larry Beinhart 04/19/07

General Petraeus, the man in charge of the initial failure, has been put in charge of a new plan that requires his original failure to magically reverse itself and which is also guaranteed, according to the mathematics of own theory, to fail.

The Republican Disease vs. Reality

By Larry Beinhart 04/30/07

State Senator John Bonacic turned a small, tragic, local event, into a microcosm of the Republican disease. Like an opportunistic virus, when they sense a weak moment in possible hosts – us – they want to jump in and spread their infection, fear.

A Modest Proposal

By Larry Beinhart 05/07/07

I will fight tooth and nail and move to Canada, before I let my daughter and my son become cannon fodder in a war that has been morally outrageous and ethically repugnant from the beginning.

Profiles in Cowardice

By Larry Beinhart 05/24/07

I called Senator Hillary Clinton’s office to ask how she was going to vote on the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill without benchmarks. The staffer at the other end of the line said was studying the bill.

Bushenomics

By Larry Beinhart 06/04/07

The number one industry in America today is the money business—debt swapping.

The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Mitt Romney

By Larry Beinhart 06/07/07

Will facts ever matter? Or will American politics remain a contest of bedtime stories for children?

Springtime in Guantanamo

By Larry Beinhart 06/27/07

The Producers meets Lindsay Graham

Coming Out of the Republican Closet

By Larry Beinhart 07/06/07

It is true that people tend to flock to groups that are like themselves. In their choice of neighborhoods, associations, and cliques.

Lies, Lies, and More Lies, in History Illiterate America

By Larry Beinhart 08/29/07

George Bush – and other Iraq War supporters – have argued that if we withdraw from Iraq the result will be like the slaughters – the killing fields –in Cambodia.

Victory for Bush!

By Larry Beinhart 01/23/08

In the past few months, against all odds, Bush has scored two incredible victories in Iraq. They are, of course, over his favorite enemies, the media and the American public.

Making Peace With Many Truths

Truth & the Towering Giant

By Lorna Tychostup 08/29/07

When I asked the towering giant if he indeed was the one in the photo, he said he had been advised by his (American) attorney not to answer any questions in relation to the time he spent at Abu Graib. When I pressed him for a response, he said that he was “one of many” treated in this way.

The Shopping List

Alysa Sullivan guides readers to the best purveyors, merchants, and products in the Hudson Valley.

Post-Holiday Picks

By Alysa Sullivan 12/29/06

The holidays are over but the Hudson Valley is still awash with bargains for the savvy shopper.

The Christmas Lesson

By Alysa Sullivan 01/12/07

When it came time for christmas shopping, all my “buy local” intentions flew out the window.

Winter Skin Part 1

By Alysa Sullivan 01/15/07

I know that it is wintertime because my skin tells me so.

Spread the Love

By Alysa Sullivan 01/31/07

Some Valentine’s Day gift tips.

Winter Skin 2

By Alysa Sullivan 02/15/07

A skin care boutique in a surprising place

The Perfect Joe

By Alysa Sullivan 02/26/07

The perfect cup of coffee has to be built with just the right equipment.

A Greener House

By Alysa Sullivan 03/14/07

Demystifying the maze of renewable energy sources for your home

Puppy Love

By Alysa Sullivan 03/29/07

A well fed puppy is a happy puppy.

A Vegan Bag

By Alysa Sullivan 04/18/07

What exactly is a vegan bag, you might ask? Well… let me tell you!

Love your Momma

By Alysa Sullivan 05/04/07

Hallmark can’t provide this mother with what she really wants for Mother’s Day.

To Market to Market

By Alysa Sullivan 05/29/07

A new market with great take out is something to celebrate.

Counter Culture

By Alysa Sullivan 06/12/07

A little counter intelligence can go along way to make your kitchen beautiful and healthy.

Joined at the Head

A compendium of cultural curiosities by extraliterary phrenologists Mikhail Horowitz and Nina Shengold.

Joined at the Other Hip

By Mikhail Horowitz, Nina Shengold 12/30/06

As editors of Chronogram’s 2006 Literary Supplement, we invited readers to participate in a conservation-minded literary contest called “Joined at the Hip.”

Holiday mailbag

By Mikhail Horowitz, Nina Shengold 01/19/07

Some of the more memorable—but questionable—seaonal greeting cards that made their way to Mik and Nina.

Canon Fodder

By Mikhail Horowitz 02/23/07

...or Poetic Sustainability

The Uncertainty Guru

Practicing psychotherapist Trish Malone offers heartfelt guidance.

To Unwilling Celibates

By Trish Malone 12/29/06

Here’s some advice on how to access your inner oracle.

Evidence of Uncertainty

By Trish Malone 01/20/07

Getting to know yourself will help help you know the right partner.

True Love or True Lust?

By Trish Malone 02/24/07

A rare breed of long-term lust sounds like a very good thing.

Stuck in Idle

By Trish Malone 03/24/07

Your heart’s true desire and mission is not always obvious, and sometimes needs to be followed like a thread through a maze…..

Workday Blues

By Trish Malone 05/03/07

Being a leader takes a complex combination of skill, moxie, and a willingness to serve.

When the Fire of Passion Is a Small Flame

By Trish Malone 06/29/07

In some relationships, the sirens sing less loudly. We don’t fall, but stroll or float into love.

Ten Questions for the Higher Self

By Trish Malone 09/18/07

I often ask questions in my work as a psychotherapist and while some are simple, general ones, others are questions that I feel a slight tremor of risk at asking.

I Want My Cat's Life

By Trish Malone 12/17/07

It takes discipline to put down the electronic toys and our list of things to do, especially around the holidays, and to simply sit and be here now.

The Gift of Unshed Tears

By Trish Malone 01/10/08

There are also times when stepping off of our illusory pedestals and being very human with another person is healing in itself.

The Intuitive Carpenter

Put some metaphysics in your mitre box.

Awakening The Intuitive Carpenter

By David Aston-Reese 12/29/06

Actor-handyman David Aston-Reese gives a Zen perspective on household upkeep.

The Door That Doesn't Click

By David Aston-Reese 01/23/07

Having problems with that new door? Hang tough, help is here.

The Levitating Door

By David Aston-Reese 02/14/07

The non-intuitive carpenter will get stuck on these horns of this dilemma . . . but the Intuitive Carpenter finds a solution.

Shelves of a Magus

By David Aston-Reese 03/22/07

Building a shelves that match your inner magus.

Are There Straight Lines in the Universe?

By David Aston-Reese 06/08/07

Look at any of those beautiful Zen landscape. Where are the straight lines? Are there any straight lines? Perhaps we have been hypnotized into thinking that we see lines.

What is the Sound of No Steps?

By David Aston-Reese 04/21/08

How do you get from a lower level to a higher one?

Flowers Fall

Buddhist mother Bethany Saltman's journal.

The Online Shrine

By Bethany Saltman 12/29/06

Forget the blogosphere, welcome to the momosphere.

What's So Hard About Having a Baby?!

By Bethany Saltman 01/10/07

It’s not what you think, nor is it otherwise.

Anna Karenina's Kid Went to Daycare

By Bethany Saltman 01/15/07

And other paranoid delusions (I hope!)

Who Needs a Toilet When Mommy's Here?

By Bethany Saltman 01/17/07

Learning selflessness in a whole new way.

Happy Birthday

By Bethany Saltman 01/31/07

To me!

The Bodhisattva Heart I Used to Know

By Bethany Saltman 02/07/07

An unexpected (and deeply disturbing) glimpse into one of my past lives

What's the Meaning of This?

By Bethany Saltman 02/28/07

The last couple of weeks have been very interesting…

On Trying to Clean Up My Act

By Bethany Saltman 03/07/07

And why I should probably stop trying.

Tired but Happy

By Bethany Saltman 03/28/07

This Control Freak Learns a Lesson

Uh-oh

By Bethany Saltman 04/11/07

Zazen is necessary

Life is so Embarrassing

By Bethany Saltman 04/25/07

Happy Mother’s Day

What Does it Mean to be a Buddhist?

By Bethany Saltman 06/12/07

Detachment Parenting

By Bethany Saltman 08/02/07

What a terry-cloth covered wire monkey and I have in common

How Green is Our Valley

Energy-efficiency consultant Jessica Barry looks at local sustainability.

It's Getting Hot in Here

By Jessica Barry 12/29/06

How’s the air in there? Jessica Barry tells you how it can be better.

Building Better

By Jessica Barry 12/29/06

Whatever you call it, green building is simply building that makes sense.

Energy Lesson for the Day

By Jessica Barry 02/16/07

A smart bulb goes on.

The Hudson Valley is for Lovers

By Jessica Barry 03/22/07

According to a compilation of about 30 climate models, the Hudson Valley will have the climate of Virginia within the next century.

Cool Communities

By Jessica Barry 05/11/07

A lot of local momentum is building in response to the need to address our energy supply needs and global climate change.

Blind Elephants

Jason Stern's observations dangling from the first rung of Jacob's Ladder.

Zen and the Art of Raisin Scraping

By Jason Stern 12/31/06

Chronogram publisher Jason Stern learned some valuable lessons from a difficult boss.

Know Thy Self

By Jason Stern 01/31/07

On yoga, awareness, and self-refinement.

Help Yourself to Healing

Born and brought up in Scotland, Puja Thomson is founder and director of Roots & Wings Holistic Healing and Transformation in New Paltz.

Welcome to Help Yourself To Healing

By Puja Thomson 01/30/07

We can constantly renew ourselves. It’s our birthright! And our choice…

Winter's Healing Gifts

By Puja Thomson 02/18/07

Rest and Relaxation: Hibernation and Dormancy

Multi-faceted like a diamond!

By Puja Thomson 03/10/07

Diamonds light up according to the light and angle from which you view them…..just like us!

In the wake of Earth Day…

By Puja Thomson 05/04/07

Sunsets don’t cost anything. Nor do sunrises, starry nights, and at this season, the bounty of daffodils, the exuberance of forsythia, or the scent of hyacinths.