Michael Isaacson of Tulliano – Proving That Through the Years, Good Taste Combined with Hard Work Pays Off Big!

Michael Isaacson of Tulliano – Proving That Through the Years, Good Taste Combined with Hard Work Pays Off Big!

A visit to Tulliano will do most entrepreneurs a world of good. They will see what a combination of hard work, talent, and exacting taste can get them, and in Michael Isaascon’s case—a lot of money, and extreme satisfaction.

I met Michael, the exclusive founder and designer of Tulliano, last year. He donated some of his garments for a film. The wardrobe department needed upscale attire. When I visited Tulliano and was given a brief tour of the buzzing showroom, there were so many options. And back then Michael gave me his energetic rundown of his line that season. The shirts and pants possessed an understated classiness, refinement, sophistication of the mature, well-traveled, well-cultured male; and I knew that Agenda Magazine would be featuring this inspired designer one season.

Very recently, a day before Las Vegas’s Magic Show, Michael took the time to give me the grand tour of his warehouse while planning to leave the very next day. Hundreds of packaged boxes were laid out everywhere. There were aisles upon aisles of shirts, pants, sweaters, etc. Michael eagerly showed me how exclusive his designs were.

This is boiled wool. I’m one of the few people who manufacture it.

Boiled wool is a version of felted wool, but more dense usually shrunken knit fabric. Boiled wool is a softer drape than wool felt (True felt doesn’t use any bonding agents—the fibers matte together from friction and pressure).

—Sewing Q&A, Marla Stefanellii—

I hadn’t seen much boiled wool in my experience.

He had me feel the fabrics and showed me the multiple shirt and pant combinations. We walked down one aisle where pre-filled orders were stacked one on top of the other while a truck had just pulled away from the loading dock, carrying pallets of orders.

My daughter and I were touring Rome. When I saw this sign I asked our tour guide what it meant. He said, “It comes from the Roman God Tullio.” In the Roman days they broughtwater to the mountain from Rome by way of a viaduct [a bridge], which was called a Tulliano. So that’s what it means. I took pictures of a lot of names, but that particular one stayed. I registered the name Tullio, too.

Besides working really hard, what advice would you give to someone who is starting a business?

Become a doctor! (He laughs). You have to have a passion for what you do. You have to love what you do when you get up in the morning. If you don’t, then you just have a job. You have to have some ability to go with it, but you have to be driven, and not everybody’s driven.

Tulliano can be found at retailers all over the world. Their warehouse is located at 1375 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90021. For more information contact them at 213-749-3388.

Interview by Kaylene Peoples

The Devil Wears Prada – Author Lauren Weisberger

The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger

Make a pact with the devil; you lose! Too late to save her relationship with her boyfriend, Andrea learns this hard lesson. The devil wears Prada! Amanda Priestly, editor in chief of Runway, a world famous fashion magazine based in New York, is the boss from hell, the villain of Lauren Weisberger’s best selling novel, now a best selling movie, The Devil Wears Prada.

Andrea Sachs, twenty-three year-old heroine and right out of college, takes a job as assistant to the world famous Amanda Priestly for one year in hopes of the experience of this job—a job a million girls would die for—leading to a job writing for The New Yorker, her lifelong dream. Her job requires her being on call literally twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, leaving her no time for family and friends. She spends her day, an average of fourteen hours each, running errands, fetching Starbucks, ordering one meal after another…. Never a hello or a thank you nor even deigning to look at Andrea, Amanda treats her worse than a slave.

After nearly a year of neglect, her boyfriend Alex can take no more of the broken dates, missed or unreturned phone calls, and neglect of family and friends. Her best friend since eighth grade is Lily, who has no family but hers and needs her as her life spirals downward under the pressure of her doctorial program. While Andrea is in Paris as Miranda’s lackey, Lily ends up in the hospital, badly injured in an automobile accident while driving under the influence—Alex, a very sensitive elementary school teacher, had tried to warn Andrea that her friend was drinking too much and needed her help. Alex expects her home immediately, but Andrea cannot leave Miranda because she would be fired and miss out on the recommendation to The New Yorker Miranda has just promised her at the end of her year as Miranda’s assistant. She is almost there, just one more month to go.

But Miranda’s worsening treatment of her makes her realize what is really important to her, and throwing caution to the wind, she returns home. Having recognized the Stockholm Syndrome in Emily, another of Miranda’s assistants and Andrea’s overseer and trainer, she realized that like everyone else who worked for Miranda, she herself is beginning to show signs of that syndrome, where the victim identifies with his/her captor; for example, Emily, Miranda’s senior assistant, refuses to criticize her even when she has been so poorly treated she’s in tears. It takes Miranda herself comparing Andrea to her when she was young to wake Andrea up. Seeing herself thirty years later, lonely and unloved like Miranda is all she needs to try to get back her real self.

But is it too late, especially too late to save her relationship with her boyfriend? Make a pact with the devil…. Did she lose Alex? In spite of the hoped for ironic twist, I fear the inevitable. Yet what a great book! I am glad that I chose to read it instead of seeing the movie.

Revieded by Lee L. Peoples

Hat’s Off … No, “Hats On” at Beach Blanket Babylon!

Hats Off … No, “Hats On” at Beach Blanket Babylon!

What do President Bush, Mr. Peanut, and the Village People have in common? They are all hilariously spoofed in the outrageously camp musical revue – Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon . This wonderful and zany San Francisco cabaret show is world famous for its extravagant costumes and outlandishly big hats.

I saw it a year ago, but when I went back to the marvelous City by the Bay last month, I simply had to see it again. I’m not the only one who returns for the laughs and fun. Many in the audience that night were “repeaters” or friends of people who recommended the show to them. Even Britain’s Royal Family has succumbed to its charms. The Queen of England and Prince Phillip saw it in 1983, and just a few months ago Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall went and joined the cast for the Curtain Call!

And just like Charles, Camilla, and me – you are in for a Royal treat every time you go. While the show has been running for over 30 years, it is revised frequently, sometimes even weekly, to reflect current events and pop culture.

The loose plot revolves around Snow White’s quest for a boyfriend. Her search is accompanied by topical parodies of music from the 60s and 70s. On her way, she encounters everyone from Bill and Hilary Clinton, Paris Hilton, Kirstie Alley, Madonna, Condoleeza Rice, John Travolta, Elvis Presley, Demi & Ashton, and anyone who’s been in the news lately.

The multi-talented cast is headed by Val Diamond, who has spent 27 years with Beach Blanket Babylon . Her powerful presence, strong voice, and perfect comedy timing keep the audience roaring whenever she’s on stage.

The outstanding costuming of “BBB” goes to new heights with its hats. Almost like characters themselves, the hats are exceptionally funny and magnificently constructed. Among the biggest hats on any stage anywhere, some weigh up to 300 lbs.

Tina Turner’s layered hair is 4 ft. high; Oprah has a book emerging from her structured hairstyle. One of the favorites is the hat of the San Francisco Skyline. Another towering millinery treat comes at the end of the show when Snow White finally finds her man. Her guide, Val, comes out sporting a huge Wedding Cake Headdress that opens up and reveals…. oops, sorry, can’t tell you everything – you’ll have to go see it to find out!

It all takes place at Club Fugazi, a 393-seat theater located in the North Beach district on a street aptly named “Beach Blanket Babylon Boulevard!” You can order drinks before the show, but you don’t need libations to keep you smiling, laughing, and feeling good all night!

Reviewed by Marilyn Anderson

See more pictures

Beach Blanket Babylon –

Club Fugazi

678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd at Columbus

San Francisco

415.421.422

www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Style 2006 Garden Party

Style 2006 Garden Party: Hosted by Frederic Fekkai Salon and Spa

Hollywood’s Frederic Fekkai Salon and Spa in late August played host to dozens of fashion and style companies, as well as more than 70 film and TV elite, who celebrated emerging couture and trends at the Style 2006 Garden Party. The event, hosted by DPA marketing company Chief Executive Officer and President Nathalie DuBois, opened the 58 th annual Emmy Awards with fun, fashion, food, and the stateside debuts of several up-and-coming luxury companies.

Grace Lazenby of iTrain recognized the popularity – and practicality – of high-tech devices when it comes to staying in shape. Along with her co-founder, Sebastian Reyent, Lazenby created an iPod-friendly workout program to alleviate any time constraints that otherwise prevent consistent exercise.

“I came up with it because a lot of my clients wanted my voice while they traveled, or they were on set, or they couldn’t work out with me, so they just wanted a portable device to take with them. So, this is a way for everyone to have a personal trainer at an affordable price,” Lazenby says.

A personal trainer for more than 15 years, Lazenby says her clients include Sarah Silverman, Courtney Cox, and others. While the iTrain still is designed for the original iPod, there are plans to incorporate a mobile workout program for the iPod Video as well, according to Lazenby.

“Most people have audio iPods, and when you’re working out – doing treadmill and running – you want to hear the trainer telling you exactly what to do,” she adds. There are more than 100 programs in the iTrain regimen, and information is available at iTrain.com.

Nespresso is paving new roads in the trendy coffee market, with its innovative espresso maker, which comes with a line of rich, gourmet espresso, says Greg Epic, marketing representative for the company. “The Nespresso is based in Switzerland. It’s actually the market leader in Europe – best-selling machines and coffees in Europe. And, they’re available in the U.S.,” Epic says. Each of the celebrities who visited the garden party was treated to the company’s new machine, Le Cube, as well as a two-month supply of coffees, which come in a single-serving capsule, Epic adds. The company plans to open its first U.S. boutique in New York in October. The elite shopping district of 65 th and Madison soon will be able to enjoy the flavor of Nespresso, which also will be releasing its first-ever line of flavored coffees, adds Epic.

The company is very particular about the type and grade of coffee that goes into each capsule, selecting only the finest quality beans, he concludes. More information, as well as ordering information, can be found at Nespresso.com.

Jeff Miller of Mojito Island is excited about what he calls “the most delicious mojito you’ll ever have” and the easiest to make. The company is no stranger to celebrity parties, having been featured earlier this year at the Oscar Diamond Lounge Party, where the delicious drinks received rave reviews for their minty rum flavor. Having a pre-mixed formula guarantees a great drink that is easy to prepare and will taste fantastic every time, he adds.

“All you need to do is fill a glass with ice, throw in your favorite light rum, some soda water, throw in Mojito Island and top it off with some mint leaves for garnish and a lime wedge – and you have the perfect mojito every single time,” Miller says. “It’s basically pre-muddled.”

After five years of perfecting, the Mojito Island formula has circumvented the problem many bartenders have had with preparing the popular drink, he says. Being able to use the same perfect ratios of mint, simple syrup, lime, and rum can be troubling – and result in a less-than-stellar cocktail. “This way you get a consistent mojito that is delicious any time,” Miller says. Mojito Island is only available in bars and restaurants; however, it will be available for retail purchase in the near future.

Robert Wan’s Tahiti Company is redefining couture jewelry with its distinctive pearl necklaces, according to Turia, company spokeswoman. “Robert Wan is the largest producer of Tahitian pearls in the world,” she says. “He provides the best high-end, knowledgeable resource for these pearls, so this is basically what he’s been doing for the past 30 years. For the past four years, we’ve been branding his pearls with his name with a different kind of jewelry by doing high-end accessories with pearls, so it’s more – it’s a different way of wearing pearls, with a different concept,” she added.

That different way includes using the magnificently sized beads with dresses, purses and more, Turia says, and the company sees the added aesthetic benefit of mixing the pearls with silk and other fine materials. The standout feature of Wan’s pearls is that each necklace contains beautiful, uniquely hued beads of different sizes, with almost a rainbow appearance against a black background.

“As you see in this line of jewelry, we are playing with the different kinds of shapes and colors in the pearl,” Turia says. “Of course, you know, the perfect, round pearls are very exclusive and rare. We have very, very exclusive strands.”

The high cost of the pearls is justified by the extensive amount of work that goes into securing each one from the Tahitian coast, which includes many private islands. One pearl takes six years to produce, says Turia. The rarer the pearl, the more high end it becomes, she adds.

For now, Wan will focus only on pearl strands, perhaps incorporating other jewels in with the line. “We’re the biggest producer of pearls, so we will eventually use other precious stones; but the pearl will always be our queen.”

Tak, who represents Kunna Jeans, is bringing the haute couture of Japanese-made denim to the U.S. market. The stylish and expertly sewn clothing features a fashionable mishmash of denim designs. The manufacturing process involves punching out the fabric of the jeans from the inside, resulting in amazingly colorful and creative patterns.

“The concept is a whole background of [founder Hiro Morise’s] love of surfing,” says Tak. “Every single time we come up with something new to appeal to consumers all around the world, retailers and surfers.” The line includes jackets, sweatshirts, cargo pants and unisex shirts. The production, oddly, is very quick because of the support from Japanese textile makers, Tak says. An added perk – the designs incorporate leftover fabric, making the line a great tool for repurposing the fine, quality denim, he adds.

Beauty Addicts’ cosmetic line was on hand to present celebrities with a new, hypoallergenic and quality makeup line, specifically tailored for use at the right time, all the time, says representative Alexandra. “It’s a makeup line designed to be a simple beauty system for women,” she says. “What we do is we design color families based on a woman’s attitude or mood, instead of designing by traditional seasonal color families”:

Glow, a shimmering and glossy palette; Express, with natural, earthy tones; Motivate, which is very classic and edgy; and Seduce, an “all-out” glamorous palette perfect for evening parties, make up the portable and easy-to-use makeup kit that helps skin while it makes it look fantastic, she says.

“It’s very good for the skin: a lot of anti-aging ingredients, green tea – because that helps calm redness in the skin – SPF, it’s beautiful, luxury makeup, simple for the skin and very easy to use,” Alexandra says.

Originally designed for the high-end spa market, the makeup line evolved into a more focused line for women to feel beautiful at any time, working with all skin tones, she adds. Counted among Beauty Addicts’ fans are Sharon Stone, Bai Ling and numerous professional athletes who appreciate the line’s ability to stay vibrant and fresh throughout wear. Visit BeautyAddicts.com.

Author of Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus , Dr. John Gray, presented his new dietetic line of the Mars & Venus Diet and Exercise Solution, a formulated supplement program targeting the different metabolic levels of men and women. However, beyond just encouraging good eating habits, the program also addresses the link between poor diet and poor relationships.

“Under stress, men run low in dopamine, which gives you energy and motivation and interest – which is why men get bored in relationships,” Gray says. “Women get overwhelmed when their serotonin levels drop. Women feel food cravings or they feel more depression because of low serotonin. So I came up with all the natural foods that we lack in our diet that would provide more dopamine levels for men and more serotonin levels for women.”

By replacing breakfast with the special supplement, women and men experience a relationship-enhancing diet because their psychological and physical selves are healthier. The natural minerals and ingredients are designed to affect brain chemistry, while also addressing the body’s glycemic index tolerance, Gray says.

“Refined sugars give you spikes instead of sustained blood sugar,” Gray says. “And, with diets that incorporate just the glycemic index, they’re great, but you have to have a lot of control, exercise. With my program, you don’t need to do more exercise, you don’t need to diet anymore; just supplement your body with what it’s missing,” he says. Visit MarsVenus.com for more information.

Additional vendors included Lasik, Dove, Energetix, Royal Guard Clothings, Octavio Carlin (former child actor cum haute couture designer), Bora Bora Nui Resort, Jimmy Jimmy Coco, Moonsus and Marsus (high-end laptop carriers), Edge Tech, Only Heart Club and Monaco, among others.

Still, the vendors shared the spotlight with the more than 70 stars who showed up to revel in the garden party’s atmosphere, including comedian Kathy Griffin, Brain Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) , Alfre Woodward, Allison Janney, Eva Larue, Jonathan Silverman, Kimberly Elise, Maria Conchita Alonso, Sir Ben Kingsley, Vincent Martella, Sharon Lawrence, Niecy Nash, Joshua Lebar, and many others who received special gift bags featuring some of the vendors’ top-quality products. Clearly, the Garden Party 2007 has quite a lot to live up to.

Written by Natalie Martin

Smoking Mirrors: How We Act So Surprised Over Events and Statements Made Not So Long Ago

So, this is what it comes down to…again. Just like goldfish, the public quickly forgets events and statements made years, weeks, days, minutes ago and reacts to political fallout with the same amazement as a child who doesn’t want to have to throw away his favorite toy: Pretend it’s new, and your parents won’t make you toss it.

If the quagmire in Iraq seems too overwhelming a subject to ponder, why not break it down to brass tacks? First, let me veer off on a tangent to set the mood: We’re all very aware of that indisputably necessary invention the Internet – seeing as how without it, you likely would not be reading this column – and the huge help it has provided for archived content aggregators such as LexisNexis, various encyclopedias and just about any print newspaper on this planet. Fascinatingly enough, Google.com recently instituted a feature that researches news articles as far back as 200 years, clearly an outstanding effort in the move to link us to history in a more immediate way. However, the benefit of that innovation goes beyond just seeing how newspapers looked and read in the “olden days”; it’s a great tool for calling out public personae who conveniently “forget” what they said and/or did when confronted by the media for alleged mistakes.

The president and members of his administration graced national nightly news shows claiming they never said al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein were linked—nor did Hussein have anything to do with the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. However, a cursory keyword search on any search engine will take you to a plethora of legitimate news sites with transcripts that disprove the administration’s current admissions. Sure, it wasn’t explicitly stated, but there was enough allusion to an association between the two “hated Arabs” that it’s clear what Bush and Co. wanted the American public to assume and eventually swallow as gospel. Although it would take less than five minutes for anyone to look up an article that proves this, it’s likely that not many people will. But, the real question is “Why?”

This administration successfully has created a sort of mass hypnotic denial that is self-propelling and enigmatic. What’s more interesting is that I’ve found people who think they’re being pro-Bush actually disagreeing with what he and his cabinet members say because they are so quick to distrust their own eyes and ears in favor of a transitory statement from this country’s leaders. Perhaps it’s because of our own inherent inability to admit fault. Read (or “troll”) the Yahoo! message boards and you’ll find many pro-Bush people saying that al Qaeda and Hussein and al-whoever all sat down for kabobs while plotting to destroy America—and these message posters think they’re defending the administration. Well, they are…kind of. You see, what these “trolls” forget (or just altogether ignore) is that Bush himself recently stated on national television that Hussein had no connection to 9/11. Well, he says that now although, just three years ago, he championed his reasons for going into Iraq with the Hussein/al Qaeda connection as a main cause. So, in essence, these goldfish simply have relinquished control of whatever mechanism they once had that made them think and react for themselves, and trust themselves. It’s much easier simply to grab hold of whatever is the truth of the month and defend it until it’s no longer popular, or until we transfer the same amount of confusion we have onto others who are too lazy to do a simple keyword search.

Written by Natalie Martin

Auf Wiedersehen, Uncle Sam

Insights

Auf Wiedersehen, Uncle Sam

Often in life we serve others and for that service we expect returns. We give to our children and we expect from them obedience and respect. We expect them to love and appreciate us.

We give to our lovers and we expect them not to disappoint us. We expect life to reward us with favor, especially when we have been just and fair.

Things don’t always go as planned, however, and our due is often delayed, or not received at all.

Our children sometimes hate us; our lovers often go astray.

Where is the justice? Where is the fairness? Life is not fair. Life unfortunately has a life of its own.

He who can follow the wind from whence it came is he who can anticipate the outcome of any event. The origin of the wind is a mystery as often are life’s outcomes.

My Uncle Sam was diagnosed with lung cancer less than six months ago. We buried him this past weekend.

My uncle was funny, quick witted, determined. For someone so full of life, death came as an unwelcome surprise not only to him but also to his friends and family.

Many good things happened as a result of Sam’s death. For one, he brought me home.

I try to find meaning when someone I love passes on. If there is any meaning in death, I believe it is to help us recognize that we all are mortal and our time together should not be treated recklessly. He’s out of my life now, and I regret not making the trip to see him sooner; but I do cherish the opportunity his death gave me to get in touch with loved ones that I hadn’t seen for many years.

Regretfully, I did not have one last opportunity to laugh at his jokes or witness his smile, as did my cousin in Atlanta, who visited him very early in his illness. Or recognize that the twinkle in his eye was a sign that someone was about to be a victim of some witticism.

The rest of the family, some many miles away, rallied to take care of their brother, my uncle. I spoke to him when he could no longer respond. My sister talked with him, laughed with him, and shuttled all our relatives back and forth to and from the airport. Another cousin, in spite of her own failing health, traveled a great distance just to see him before he died. Her son, took off work to drive her. Others of us came too late to walk with him one last time or hold his hand one last time or say one last word to him before he took his last breath. But we showed up to usher him into the next transition and help him enter what we deem as his peace.

At his funeral we sang many songs and gave recollections of many experiences that caused us to smile at the man we called Uncle Sam. I’m sure he was there laughing and crying along with us as we bade him Auf Wiedersehen: not goodbye, but “Until we meet again in the bye and bye.”

What we produced by all these acts is a sort of comfort for all those who had to wish their loved one good bye. And through this completed act, we have created a kind of tapestry that is a reflection of the many lives that shared this man’s one life.

Until we meet again, Uncle Sam, rest in peace and continue on laughing and living in our hearts.

Written by Lisa A. Trimarchi

Breast Cancer Answers Practical Tips and Personal advice from a Survivor

Breast Cancer Answers
Practical Tips and Personal Advice from a Survivor

Judy King

PRESS RELEASE

Breast Cancer Patients May Suffer from Lack of KnowledgeCommon Sense Reference Guide Picks Up Where Doctors Leave Off

When journalist Judy King was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, she was advised by her insurer to undergo an immediate mastectomy. She intuitively balked at this knee-jerk course of treatment and, despite the refusal of her insurer to cover the cost, consulted three breast cancer specialists. Her persistence paid off, as she soon discovered that chemotherapy was the best first treatment for her situation.

In the United States a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes. As a result, women all over the country are working hard to raise awareness about this deadly disease and to help others through it. One such woman is Judy King, author of Breast Cancer Answers—Empowering and Encouraging Patients and Their Caregivers, a new release from Listo Publications.

King’s work offers common sense solutions to the everyday challenges faced by the 211,000 women and men diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Her personal experience and subsequent research uncovered a surprising difficulty in finding information addressing common quality-of-life issues that arise during and after treatment

The doctor’s staff may be so familiar with cancer that they forget new patients aren’t and they need to know some basic information. King says, “The newly diagnosed don’t even know what questions to ask beyond treatment decisions—questions that are as basic as, ‘Will I be able to continue working?’ or ‘What should I tell my friends—or should I even tell them at all?’ Women wonder about reconstruction, what they’ll do if they lose their hair, or what to eat at various stages of treatment.” Many patients are surprised at the anger they feel or the depression that comes after treatment is finished.

Breast Cancer Answers began with Judy’s personal journey and is the culmination of four years of research and consultations with medical experts in many fields, who enthusiastically endorse the project.

-Excerpted from an Event Management Services Inc. Press Release

1127 Grove Street

Clearwater, FL 33755

For more information, please see www.breastcanceranswers.info

Dying Was the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me: Stories of Healing and Wisdom Along Life’s Journey – Author William E. Hablitzel, MD

DYING WAS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME
Stories of Healing and Wisdom Along Life’s Journey

William E. Hablitzel, MD

This book will come as a surprise to many people who have not experienced the spirituality of a physician. Dr. Hablitzel’s belief in miracles and a higher power comes as no surprise to me, however, having been told a number of years ago by the surgeon who performed the triple bypass on my husband, “It was worse than we thought. It’s now all up to him and….” He knew I knew he meant God. I suppose being a scientist he was reluctant to name this higher power.

Dr. Hablitzel in this beautifully written self-help motivational first book with a carpe diem theme (Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today), readily acknowledges the existence of a higher power, God, in the scheme of life. He tells the story of lessons learned from his patients, how many of them did not know how to live until they were near death, or in the case of the title story, actually experienced death.

Until Alexander Kipton experienced full cardiac arrest, he had never really taken time to enjoy life: Alex Kipton found uncertainty through death. It was the best thing that ever happened to him, not because he got a second chance for life, but because he began experiencing life for the first time. With the uncertainty of tomorrow, he learned to make use of each day, and in all of those days he found meaning and happiness.

Each of the other twelve chapter titles is either a summation of a patient’s experience or a direct quote from a patient, one or more of the many teachers in the form of patients his practice of medicine brought to him: this doctor was changed by his patients; his patients were changed by him.

Carol, another of his patients, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She had been too busy to marry her fiance of many years, but when faced with her mortality, having been diagnosed with aneurysms on the brain, she threw caution to the wind and planned to get married the next day and travel. When told that the neurosurgeons didn’t think she needed to stay in the hospital—but they do want you to think about going to the specialty center in Baltimore as soon as possible. They might have something to offer that we don’t—Carol smiled and said, “Thanks, but maybe later. First, Troy and I are getting married—tomorrow. Then we are going to travel. We don’t know where, or for how long.” Later, she tells her doctor, “When you always have tomorrow, it’s too easy to waste today. I’ve spent so much time looking ahead that I couldn’t see happiness right in front of me.”

A medical doctor at peace with himself, who in spite of science is able to experience and embrace the spiritual, has given a profound insight into the examination, prognosis, and care required for healing of most of his patients. Other patients who had bad news coming were treated with the caring that made the next step easier to bear, even when the next step was death.

“There are no coincidences” was quite a unique way of expressing the power and relationship of God in our daily lives. The peace on the faces of those who were dying knew of God’s peace. The meaning and role of religion in living, in sickness, and in dying proved to be most valuable in the stories of this book. The reader is given a new appreciation for the beauty of life, the creation, and the Creator. The value of listening, forgiving, living now ( carpe diem ), and the power of prayer are extraordinary lessons presented in the stories.

This book is a must read, especially if you yourself or a loved one is faced with a serious illness. Were it not for my personal experience, I would probably have found it hard to believe that a scientist—a medical doctor—could be so spiritual, and as a result, so compassionate.

Contributing to this review is my brother-in-law Linon Loyd, who was here during the death of my younger brother. He picked up the book and could not put it down until he finished. We predict a best seller.

Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples

The Real Me Every Day

Talking Chic

The Real Me Every Day

Waking up with the headache of the century and a matching nasty attitude, my workday lay out before me like a pile of bricks. Just the thought that today I had to actually make a wall out of this red mortar, one by one, practically brought me to tears.

So as I pull myself up anyway, click on “Good Day L.A.” for shits and giggles, put on a pot of coffee, and give in to my last morning smoke, I dread standing before my closet. This, of course, would mean I actually have to find something to wear. And with no mindset to be creative, I decided that this would be a brainless morning.

But I never thought that someone would call me out on it. “Elana, are you O. K.? You’re matching today.”

My “matching” sense that day consisted of a black cotton skirt, red blouse, denim motorcycle jacket, and velvet multi-colored Nine West shoes with (gasp!) matching red blazing throughout the tips. No silver-gold-burgundy-black-polka dot-striped combos that day.

Whether shuffling to the copy machine, chitchatting within cubicle confinements, or heading to the stockroom for a fresh stash of toilet paper for the ladies room, I seem to always catch friendly eyes following my strut. Sometimes, I pretend that the office corridor is my very own catwalk – a little less sway and a lot more attitude.

On numerous occasions, my clothing, shoes, or accessories become the topic of discussion. And don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoy the confidence booster when a word like “sassy” is thrown at me. But because my emotions are the sole force that drive me to put on certain pieces, I’m usually oblivious to other people’s perception of what I’m workin’ with. When a compliment is thrown my way, I actually have to look at or touch the specific item to regain my reasoning for wearing it. As much as fashion weighs on my world, I am not image-conscious and obsessed with pleasing others. I simply wear a great color or slip on shoes that are alive with artistic flair, and if others find their own interest in those pieces, then hey, that’s cool.

Practicality also guides my wardrobe: my royal blue, peep-toe Carlos Santana shoes have been re-soled so I don’t slip again and again… and my billowy blouses are predominantly worn during my bloating “that time of the month” days. So to have certain items scrutinized in a positive light is always enlightening. I must be doing something right, but if they only knew the emotions though that inspired me to wear that outfit….

And I know that I’m not alone. Just the other day, my boyfriend showed up at my place (on a summer evening) in a long, vintage army-like pea coat. Never saw it before, but I knew that this article of clothing gave him the strength he needed. I think he, going through a rough time in his life, was able to stand up a little taller with that on. Then there is my girlfriend at work who seems to forever wear the same brown hoodie with every outfit. Maybe it’s a shield against the cold air conditioning system or a “blankie” of sort. Whether relationship issues, work problems, or any other qualm in her life, she seems to rely on the comfort of her cute jacket. It’s always there for her and she looks adorable and sporty in the process.

Even if you don’t recognize it, what you wear is probably guided byyour emotions as well, whether a subconscious effort or not. My red-matching outfit was the antithesis of how I really felt that day. In that case, I decided to just put on a classic, happy-go-lucky ensemble with hope that it would transform my real emotions into its mirror image (It didn’t really, but the next day I was dressed in black and blue, expressing my true beat-up feelings…somehow feeling better that I was loyal to the real me). I’ve also come to the realization that people really do notice what you have on, whether you are looking for kudos or not.

Written by Elana Pruitt

Susan Cody Tosches – My Own Real Life Hero!

I know this woman who can make you laugh so hard your sides will ache. I know this woman who can tell such a riveting story that you won’t want her to stop. I know this woman who swims every day, used to run just as diligently, never forgets a birthday or holiday, always has a smile on her face, but can still come up with those clever quips about the latest fashion, or what’s going on in the entertainment industry. This woman finds time to watch Tyra’s new show, while still going to her thrice-weekly dialysis treatments. This woman is someone I have known almost my entire life. She placed in several beauty pageants, twirled the baton in school, modeled professionally, and was even a Raiderette cheerleader.

Susan Cody Tosches was the picture of health, and literally every man’s fantasy woman. I remember going to clubs with her and watching the men stop and seriously take notice. Without trying, she did this to men. I have to say it was a little intimidating sometimes. But it never affected who she was on the inside—an amazing person who loves life.

But life handed her a real blow years ago when it took away her health, and everything changed when her kidneys failed her. Susan came through over 100 surgeries and a bout of mouth cancer. Recently, she almost lost a leg. She has recently been in rehab and is learning to walk again. In the midst of all that, I received a birthday card on my birthday. It amazed me that she could remember my birthday at all while enduring such pain. You would think after all this, she’d be given a break—or give up.

Susan just received news that she may have breast cancer.

I had been going through a series of my own personal tragedies. My uncle just passed away from lung cancer, and I was in the trenches of helping the family with the funeral, shuttling family in from airports, and grieving. I at least took comfort in knowing that my best friend was healing from her latest surgery. What a shock it was to get this news—as if she hadn’t been through enough!

She told me that she was going to get a lumpectomy the following Tuesday, and in the same sentence joked about mastectomies.

If I have to lose a breast, then I am going to get some great fake ones that stand up and defy gravity!

We both laughed really hard at that one. How she could find humor in this situation was beyond my comprehension. But that’s Susan!

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I am dedicating this issue of Agenda Magazine to my dear friend Susan Cody Tosches—who encompasses the strength that women need to fight against breast cancer and win. Susan has fought so much adversity in her own life, yet still manages to put a smile on our faces. She has worked hard to stay alive and has beaten the odds countless times. And now, she might be facing another battle.

In this issue, breast cancer survivors Edith Speed and Jan Emanuel tell their own stories about how they survived breast cancer. Edith and Jan teach us that we are stronger than we know, and they have proven that point by overcoming the disease and continuing to help others. Breast cancer might have changed their course, but it didn’t stop their lives.

So as this issue goes to press, I am praying that my friend Susan will be spared the fate of breast cancer and that her light will continue to shine for years to come. Yes, Susan, you are my own real life hero—an inspiration to women everywhere.

Kaylene Peoples
Editor in Chief