The Barn Blog

Stan Chin lead an amazing discussion about the Yankees. The barn was filled with some die hard Yankees fans, many of whom didn’t expect to learn anything at this event. They were wrong. I think we were all blown away by Stan’s knowledge, enthusiasm and loyalty to this team. Stan shared some fascinating trivia and engaged the group with some real stumpers. Yankees tickets were given away to those who could answer the toughest ones. A good time was had by all.

Chris Watson, co-founder of Changing Our World, led a brief, but highly educational discussion on philanthropy. A number of men commented on how much they learned from Chris on a subject they were previosly very ignorant about. One encouraging statistic was that the United States is the most generous nation in the world. Another was that giving comes from all socioeconomic classes, not primarily from wealthy or corporate donors, as one might think. After the talk we enjoyed a night of gambling, including roulette, blackjack, and craps. We had hoped to donate the profits to a local charity, but being summer the attendance was barely high enough to cover expenses. We’ll make up for it next time.

We began with a BBQ dinner, courtesy of Peter Palma and Bob Degennaro, who purchased the burgers and dogs, and rented and manned the grille. After dinner, Dave Flannery, who is quite the raconteur, told stories from his youth growing up on a farm in Ireland. The boys were rivited, and asked questions about farm life and about his adventures arriving in the U.S. without a home or a job.  Dave shared how it was only later in life after building a business and having a son of his own, that he appreciated all his father had taught him.  Some of the other men shared their appreciation for their fathers and their desire to provide the best possible opportunities for their sons.

Back in April we brewed and bottled beer in the barn (see April 2009 – Beer Making Night below). After letting the beer age for 2 months we eagerly sampled our handiwork. We didn’t know what to expect, but to our shock, all 3 types of beer were outstanding. In particular, the Raspberry Wheat received rave reviews. All in all, the barn beermaking was a huge success.

John Cappabianca introduced his associates from One Ten Crew Films: Don Capria – writer/director and Robert Scaleri Jr. – producer. They gave us an overview of the filmaking industry and discussed their current projects. We saw a trailer for a TV series called “Westchester”, a real life drama about young friends and foes growing up in one of the country’s wealthiest suburbs.  Also a horror film called “Buckout Road”, based on a true story about local cannibals.

David Tosi taught us how to make beer in the barn. We brewed 3 batches of beer: a Pilsner, an Amber and a Raspberry Wheat. Some volunteers will be needed to reconvene at the barn in 9 days to assist with the bottling process. We’ll drink the beer on our June barn night. It was a fun process that involved lots of participation.

Jerry Ragano invited a guest speaker, Jim Higgins from Citrin Cooperman Certified Public Accountants.  Jim spoke about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and how it affects us.  What we learned is that doesn’t affect us directly, since it’s mostly geared toward low income workers and the unemployed. But we’re hopeful that it may stimulate the economy, which will help everyone. A lively conversation ensued, thanks to Brian, who’s a CPA. He asked some pointed questions to the group which really got us thinking about the subject of taxation and the politics behind it.

Bob DeGennaro, pilot and air traffic controller led a discussion on the topic of aviation. He began with an explanation of what air traffic controllers do. He showed us an example of the “ticket” they use to interpret all pertinent details about a particular flight. He also showed us an image of the radar screen used by air traffic controllers to see where plains are on the ground and in the sky. He explained the unbelievable complexity of our local airports and how on a single runway up to 50 flights can take off, land, and taxi across within one hour. One of the highlights of the presentation was an audio recording of a gripping conversation  between an air traffic controller and a pilot suffering from hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the brain due to incorrect cabin pressure. Bob gave us the inside story on US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River earlier this month. He also described his experience in the control tower on Sept 11, 2001.  Bob was barraged with questions and did a great job of answering them. He really demystified the topic  for us and left us all with a great deal of respect for this very challenging profession.

Khalil Shalabi is a foremost authority on energy. He’s held senior positions at ConEdison, Indian Point and The New York Power Authority among others. Khalil lead a discussion on a variety of energy topics including dependence on foreign oil, natural gas, nuclear power, wind power and other alternative energy sources. His presentation included numerous graphs and charts showing the interrelationships between these energy sources and their utilization over time. Khalil explained how supply and demand cause the fluxuations in gasoline prices we’ve been experiencing lately. And he helped us to understand some of the info contained in our utility bills. It was a lively discussion especially when politics entered into the consideration.