The Barn Blog

Brendog Tween discussed and performed traditional Irish war and protest songs on this eve of St. Patrick’s Day. He played guitar and sang with some accompaniment by Tom Watson. Brendog toured internationally with Shaved Pigs, Mephiskapheles, and There Be Dragons. Those of us with Irish heritage knew some of the songs, and sang along. It was a spirited evening. We all enjoyed the music, and the stories behind it.

Lifelong Tuckahoe resident, David Carraturo discussed his novel, Cameron Nation: Going All-In to Save His Country. The book, which is his “Conservative Manifesto” tells the fictional story of the future greatest president of the United States – who also happens to be born and raised in Tuckahoe. David discussed his writing process as well as the genesis for his story. In addition, his next novel, Columbus Avenue Boys (which is the prequel to Cameron Nation) will be released in April and he will provide an early look into that book as well. Books will be available for purchase for $15. More on Cameron Nation is available at http://www.cameronnation.com.

Joseph Shalabi, a 16-year old high school student at The Hackley School, gave this presentation. Joe is clearly passionate about the subject of monetary theory, having done considerable research in this area. He presented statistics suggesting that our money system is headed toward collapse.  Joe advised investing in gold and silver bars for that eventuality. Needless to say his ideas were unpopular, but he handled the challenges from the audience very well.

On our last Philanthropy Night, two years ago, we learned about the different ways individuals and organizations support charitable causes. On this barn night, we had a true philanthropist as our guest speaker. David Pope is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Generoso Pope Foundation, a philanthropic family foundation named after his great-grandfather. David shared the history and mission of his foundation, and the many ways it helps our community.  We also had a going away celebration for Ignacio Yusef, a frequent barn goer, who returned to his native country, Chile.

In November 2008, at the beginning of the financial crisis, Tom McCandless hosted the first Investment Night at the barn. Exactly 3 years later, he gave us an update on the current financial situation. As expected, Tom presented wonderfully detailed slides, which can be downloaded here. Included are investment tips based on his exhaustive analysis and many years of experience. If you invested in Tom’s recommended stocks 3 years ago, you realized a 70% return! Now we have another opportunity.

Eastchester Town Supervisor, Tony Colavita, gave the presentation this evening. He shared some of the challenges he’s facing in the town, such as the cost increase from United Water. Tony explained the various things he’s been doing to cut costs and keep our taxes as low as possible. Everyone was impressed by Tony’s charisma and charm. It seemed as if he was a regular at the barn.

There was no educational talk this month. Just a laid back BBQ with good food, beer, conversation, and music. Peter and Bob brought over the big charcoal grille. Peter grilled the burgers, hot dogs, and some amazing sausages that Tom brought from J&G Italian Deli. The Barn Band sounded unusually good this evening, thanks to Matt’s remarkable talent on the drums.

David Taylor recently left a steady job in commercial banking to become an entrepreneur. He started an independent consulting firm called Ohrn Consulting www.ohrnconsulting.com. David shared his story and provided insight into the world of management consulting. He gave examples from his experience and answered questions from the group.

Back in May 2008, Peter Tocco gave us a hands-on introduction to the Martial Arts. Since then a number of people in the neighborhood have begun training with Peter. This month the master came back to share a particular aspect of Martial Arts called Situational Awareness. He gave us practical tips for being in tune with our surroundings and identifying threats before it’s too late. We all received valuable advise that may one day save our life or the life of a loved one.

Glenn Mills was a member of the 1980 Olympic Swimming Team. These were the Olympic games in Moscow that the United States boycotted. Glenn shared his story and his journey with us. He brought his Congressional Gold Medal which we passed around.  Glenn’s talk was captivating and inspiring. You could hear a pin drop in the barn. We also learned some practical tips for swimming faster and more efficiently. More of that is available on Glenn’s instructional website: www.goswim.tv.