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Monday, September 19, 2011

Walks for Causes

I promised a give away today-info follows after the blog entry!

Today I dedicate my blog to some causes that I personally have a stake in.  I will be participating in 2 walks in September and October.  The first walk is next weekend for the Staten Island Family Path Center.  The PATH Family Center is a clinical center in Staten Island that offers integrative and nutritional interventions for individuals diagnosed with Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Food Allergies and other related conditions.
My best friend's son, Joseph, has been diagnosed with Autism since a young age and has made so many strides because of the love and support of family and friends and because of the network within the Path Family Center.
Here is the link to find out more and donate to Joey's Team:
https://pathfamilycenter.dojiggy.com/pledge/index.cfm?585F2208107477787F0C0168127037562F437902057B750504#.TjbbHVwsMBw.facebook

The second walk is in October, the Nationally dedicated month for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I have come to know many people diagnosed and treated for breast cancer within the last 5 years.  Why has this Cancer so many women? Maybe because it is because of my age bracket we are more susceptible, or maybe it's because we are more aware, or maybe it is the environment in which we live that affects the well being of our body. 
Most recently, a young woman in my family became very aware of a lump in her breast after a self check.  She immediately took action.  Women, learn a lesson here: know your body, own it, and take care of it!  Here is the link to Kristin's story: http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY12Eastern?px=22809320&pg=personal&fr_id=36013

I know that there are many walks for wonderful causes: causes that may have directly or indirectly affected you, a family member, a friend, co-worker, neighbor, etc.  There are many to walk for and raise awareness.  There are many that need our support. 

If you decide to donate to either of these two causes by Saturday at 11:59PM, please leave a comment with your information so that I can enter you in a drawing for Lia Sophia Jewelry.  Your choice of any item under $100 in the Lia Sophia Catalog for free.  If you repost on your twitter or facebook accounts, also please let me know and I will give you an extra chance in the drawing!!! 

The drawing will take place on Sunday morning.  Also, if you want to check out more about Lia Sophia, I am an Advisor in the Tri-City Area (NY, NJ and CT), so please check out my page for more information.

Every woman is the embodiment of beauty, only she knows how to make herself be beautiful, internally and externally.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Juror # 9

This blog has been a long time coming.  It is an experience that ripped me a part for a long time but I must write about it.
Back in March, I was selected for jury duty and became juror #9 on a trial of a 22 year old black male. The case was a home invasion burglary.  The alleged crime took place in the neighborhood off of Bay Street near Hylan Blvd in Staten Island in March 2009. The suspects were black guys: Black masked men. The mask they wore were black, one in which had with white stripes.  And the men were black; Six feet tall and well built.  They wore black jackets. 
So what's the trend here?  A lot of black and very vague descriptions of those involved.

Did they wear gloves? Nobody was sure, which was evident when hearing the cloudy testimony. There were guns though.
Ironically, the cops lost their written notes from that day.  Questionable?  There was no fingerprints anywhere in the house. So, was everyone wearing gloves?  Victim included?  Because there was a lot of blood on walls and on the floor.  Not one fingerprint?  Not of the home owner and alleged victim who held the glass door open for the unmasked black man who asked if "John" was home. Not one! Not one witness, not the man who got beat up, not the neighbor that saw the men walking away from the house, not anyone who saw the black men walking up a street where everyone has lived for about 20 years. The only proof that we the  jury ever heard was the DNA on the mask that somebody left in the middle of the kitchen. 
So let me recap: No written notes from the cops; No physical description of any of the 4 men; DNA on a mask; no fingerprints in the entire house. Okay so the DNA alone should  prove that the male was in the house and committed everything he was charged of. Should it? The defendant decided not to take the stand-he didn't have to because it was up to the ADA to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Unfortunately life is not that easy and to make a decision simply based on this proved to be a tough 11 day trial.
The jury: 2 older white women that immediately said guilty. DNA on the mask found at the scene is enough to say he did it.
2 men and  2 older women of different ethnic groups and 6 young women of various backgrounds.
Others  gradually turned their verdicts to guilty as time went on every morning we reported; however 2 of us were standing on our ground.  We couldn't  see past the reasonable doubt factor. Would this be a hung jury or would we all come to an agreement? We asked many questions of the judge; and constantly asked to hear the testimony several times.  The defendant's lawyer loved us.  The Assistant District Attorney team, not so much.
These were some of the reasons why the 2 of us couldn't get to a guilty verdict so quickly: No fingerprints; A mask with DNA could have been placed there; The cops' notes disappeared from an office where only the detective had access to.
 The theories surrounding this event were many: The son of the owner was a drug dealer and in partnership with the black men. The son stole some of the profits and they were looking for him to pay them back and the parents were protecting their son; The cops were out to get this kid because he was a known problem in the neighborhood; It was a part of a gang initiation of some sort; It was the kid's mask that his friends made him wear for fun or a part of another crime, however he wasn't at this burglary; The kid did another job with them and he turned someone in so now they were casting revenge on him; They had taken his mask and one of the men dropped it in the middle of the bloody mess in the kitchen on pulse, because what fool would take of his mask while punching a man and then drop it?
Some of these theories are out of the box but when you are on a jury, you are making a decision that affects many peoples' lives, it's one difficult task!  

The bottom line is that I am the type of person that needs all to come to some agreement.  I need to make decisions thoughtfully.  As time went on, I was the only one holding on to a not guilty verdict.  They hated me! I was keeping them from going back to work, going to Atlantic City; but I did get them some more free yummy meals.
There were several counts we were considering, so as time went on, I used logic and fact, and stopped using theories and said well if his DNA was there then I guess he was there. I feel like we were trapped and needed to come to a decision.  I feel like the jury system failed me, a person who really wanted to make an informed decision.     
Let me state, I never want to be judged by a jury of my "peers." And thank God I don't have to serve on any jury for another 8 years!!!!  

Here are two links to the story written by the Staten Island Advance.  Usually I am a fan of the media; but did find it interesting how a story gets distorted.  I did come to find out, though, that he was originally brought to trial on this alleged where a hung jury preceded us.  Thus I felt even more distressed about the decision to find him guilty.  But I did raise my hand and affirm him as guilty. 

http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2011/03/felled_by_his_ski_masks_dna_22.html

http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2011/05/west_brighton_felon_gets_15_ye.html

Monday, September 12, 2011

Bikram and Vinyasa Yoga Review

Finally my review!
Last month, I had taken Yoga religiously to help get rid of my negativity and to focus on bettering myself and those around me.  I tried 2 different places.  One is in Staten Island, close to home and the other is in Brooklyn.  So here are the pros and cons of each.  If you are in the neighborhood, I would recommend each of them for different reasons.

Bikram Yoga Bay Ridge
What to wear:
Men-no shirt and nice littlee yoga shorts or jogging shorts.
Women-nothing...no just kidding.  Hot Yoga costume (similar to a bikini but a little more modest).  Dress varies though: yoga pants, short shorts, tank tops, bikini tops, t shirt.  Be comfortable but get ready to sweat.
Schedule:
I went to classes at different times of the day, preferring the time slot of 6AM weekday or a 8AM Saturday.  But  I did go after work as well.  I think the AM class really jump starts my day in a positive way.   
Environment:
The studio is a good size, room for about 40 people to practice.  I was there once when it was pretty packed but as long as I could see myself in the mirror and I was able to stretch my arms and legs apart to the sides during postures then I was okay  The room does have carpet which does hold a smell that could turn people off but some days that was better than others.  I have spoken to other people and they do prefer studios with no carpet but what I don't know I can't compare.  The instructors are LOUD and the lights are BRIGHT.  The room itself is HOT, 105 degrees hot.  But that is what is to be expected and I love it!  I do, at times, have trouble with lasting through the 90 minutes, in my mind.  But the fans going on at times and the door opening does help a little.  But what's to be expected, I did sign up for Bikram Yoga!!!
The changing area and showers for the women is a bit small.  While waiting on line for a very quick 2-3 minute rinse off, you are in someone's way.  I wonder if hey could have made the hallway a little smaller and expanded the women's changing area a little bigger.  Forget personal space here and abide by the very short shower time!  
Instructors:     
Okay.  I took classes with 5 different instructors.  I preferred some of them over others.  Really loving 2 of them.  So why you say?  Well, I thought some of them were mean-no encouragement just scripted class. Then the other 2 even though hard core, had a personality!  I was not looking for the soft spoken teacher but I was looking for something I could enjoy and personally I like to be pushed but with personality. If not, then I could  just get the DVD and do it at home in my own heat.  So I asked if I could call and see who the instructors were for some time slots and was told NO.  I understand the concept.  Come when you can.  Come twice a day but do not come based on the instructor.  I am guessing that if this was possible, some classes would be packed and others not so much.  Funny thing is that the one instructor that I liked least was participating in a class that I attended and she had to stop during poses and didn't push as hard as I thought she would have based on her commentary in class!  Shows you that the class is for people at any level.
Overall: 
I have signed up for a package!  I liked it and as I go more, I learn the poses and Bikram approach better.  I also learned to stop wiping my sweat constantly for 2 reasons-the more you wipe, the more your body works to sweat; sweat is helping your body cool down; and it does help in better positioning for many of the poses.  I also learned not to drink too much water during the class because it does make you feel sick.  So a little sip here and there is perfect. 

This is a Bikram quote and it really sums up how you should feel after a class:
“If you can find stillness in a Bikram classroom you can find stillness anywhere.”

The Willow  Hot Vinyasa Yoga
What to wear:
Men-shorts and a tank top.  Women-yoga pants and tank top or shorts and a tank top.  Be comfortable.  Very similar to a non-hot Yoga class.
Schedule:
You have very little choice here.  Wednesdays it is offered in the evening at location #1 and Thursdays it is offered at location #2 also in the evening.  That's 2 classes total.  The time works for me but not for many Staten Islanders who work in the city, have families, etc.  Choice is always good.
Environment:
Studio is a good size with room for about 10-15 people.  The room calls for 80-90 degree temperatures but I don't feel it.  This studio is used for many other types of practices, including zumba, pilates, and dancing, for example so the temperatures are probably cooling for them and the quick switch over is not enough time.  They provide mats and it is very clean.  Room is dimly lit with relaxing music in the background however the noise from the passing train really does run me off course at times.    
Instructors: 
Both were very nice.  However I preferred the Wednesday evening person better.  She gave alternate suggestions for beginner, moderate and expert Yogi and showed each.  Her words are from the heart, not read from a paper.  Her vibe is what I had expected Yoga, in general, to be.  
Overall: 
I enjoy the Wednesday classes and will return each week.  However I do wish that it would be a bit more hotter.  Each time I go I get involved in more movement and examine and push my ability to pose and my ability to meditate.    

Here's another quote from the originator of Vinaysa Yoga:
“The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war.”  ~Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

This was my low level critical review of my Yoga experiences last month.  Hope you enjoyed and hope it helps you decide if these are the places for you!