2009 – Page 9 – Agenda Magazine Archives

Audrey K Boutique – Vintage-Inspired Modern Clothes by Local Designers

One morning my close friend and I did a long bike ride and stopped in a quaint district in Glendale to have coffee and a pastry. Across the street we spotted an adorable boutique—Audrey K. There was a rack outside with dresses on sale. My friend, Catherine, flipped over the designs and rushed into the store for a closer look. I followed, still a little winded from our bike ride. I noticed the clothes had a very old Hollywood look to them, yet they weren’t vintage at all. They were fresh new designs by local talent. And everything was priced affordably. While I was browsing, Catherine tried on and purchased several outfits. I got bold and tried one on, too. And I loved the way it looked and felt. The sales staff was attentive, but not pushy in the least. It was a wonderful shopping experience. Since that first visit, my riding partner and I have purchased many outfits from that store (which continues to stock beautiful, unique, vintage-inspired clothing at a reasonable price). What looks couture is actually affordable. Now that is what’s so special about Audrey K Boutique!

“The store has been a passion of mine. I’ve been in retail my entire life and I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to focus on designers that were local, not mass-produced, or all over in the mall.”—Audrey Robles, Owner of Audrey K Boutique

Audrey Robles is the owner of Audrey K Boutique located in Glendale, California. Uniquely, she is a trained stylist who helps out her clients individually, lending a friendly, caring atmosphere to those who shop at this vintage-inspired boutique. Audrey K has been featured in several publications, blogs, and the points of interest in “Walking in LA.” She has an extensive celebrity clientele, and her fashions and accessories have been seen on popular television shows. Audrey K is a boutique that fuses vintage and modern and vintage styles in a very fashion-forward, sophisticated, and affordable way. The boutique offers styles that you won’t see anywhere else. How does this boutique accomplish that? By supporting local designers with something unique and are high fashion with an edge.

I love your stuff. It reminds me of vintage even though it’s not. The 30s, 40s, 50s . . . How did you come up with such a niche-specific store?

To be honest with you, I buy the fashions that I like. It turns out that there are a lot of women who like to look this way too. Vintage is a broad term. You have the true “rockabillies.” They live it, they breathe it, they go to the vintage stores to find these styles. I find designers that live locally that recreate these styles. They have stretch bengaline or some type of spandex—friendly fabrics they use today that modern women can wear to work. You can wear these dresses and feel beautiful because the styles accommodate a lot of women as far as styles are concerned. It flatters the pear-shaped, tall and lengthy, hour glass figures, short . . . a lot of women can wear these dresses and feel beautiful and feel like they’re contributing to fashion. My concept behind the store is to offer fashion for women in a broad sense. The fashions I offer are also very affordably priced. These are pieces you can pull out of the closet and use season after season.

How do you decide what goes into your store?

When I buy, I’m very particular about the way the fabric feels on the skin, that they’re made well.

You’re also a designer?

The designing aspect is something that has evolved on its own. I have a college degree in fashion merchandising. I see a customer try on something in my store that doesn’t fit. I think to myself, I can tweak that to where it would fit her if it was a little longer, or maybe if it was made in another fabric. So being in the fashion industry, I see things that would meet the customer’s needs that other styles or clothing lines don’t. I find myself wanting to design . . . Audrey K Designs that will be sold exclusively on my website. (New lines were released Spring/Summer 2009.)

You said that 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s retro . . . all those eras had their bad picks as well. I noticed in your shop your stuff seems to be the cream of the crop of those styles. Can you tell me where that keen eye of fashion comes from within you?

The women of my family are fashion icons. My mother was a model for Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. She wore the wigs, makeup, eyelashes . . . and dressed to a tee . . . and so was my nana . . . and so was my great grandmother. You wouldn’t have known that if you saw me in the 80s. I had a mullet and wore bad clothes. I think it’s something I grew into. I never wanted to do fashion and sketch when I was 8 years old. That would have made a great Cinderella story. But that really wasn’t how it was for me. I went to the American College for the Applied Arts in Westwood to get my degree. That sparked it for me. I’ve always been in retail. I’ve always worked for big box stores, too, like Macy’s, and window displays at The Gap. But I’ve always known what I like. Regarding picking the cream of the crop, because there are styles in the 50s and 60s and even in the 70s, where I hoped those styles would never come back, there were styles where certain designers nailed. So I tried to find those pieces and put them in the store. Everything in here is a winner. Myfox LA . . . we came in 4th place for Best Hand Bags in Los Angeles. I don’t just go out and fill the store. I am very particular, so we nail it every single time.

Where do you see Audrey K in 5 years?

My husband and I have a focus and a goal that in 5 to 10 years we’ll have several stores by then. We don’t want to grow too fast because when you do that, the jewel of what this store is all about gets muffled in a way. You have to have the right supportive group of people working with you.

To learn more about Audrey K Boutique, visit their website atwww.audreyk.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Bao Tranchi – Costume and Fashion Designer

Costume and Fashion Designer Bao Tranchi graduated from Otis College of Art & Design at the top of her class. She was immediately offered a designer job at Anne Klein in New York or work onQueen of the Damned, as the illustrator and assistant to Academy Award nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips. Opting for the costume job, Tranchi became the youngest person ever admitted into the Costume Designers Guild. She went on to work onCharlie’s Angels, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, The Madonna Drown World Tour, music video styling for Janet Jackson, and Destiny’s Child, just to name a few projects.

Bao Tranchi’s first magazine shoot was Rolling Stone Magazine with Mark Seliger shooting Leonardo DiCaprio. Her designs have been worn by Steven Tyler, James McAvoy, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy, Salma Hayek, Naomi Watts, Paris Hilton, and Courtney Cox. Tranchi also designed and produced the wardrobe for Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” and “Hazel Eyes” 2005-2006 World Tours, including her video for “Behind These Hazel Eyes.” Tranchi was also a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model Cycle 7.

In 2007 for her work in Fashion and Costume, Tranchi was a life-size cutout at the firstVietnamese American historical exhibition at the Smithsonian in Washington, D. C.

Arun Nevader presents Bao Tranchi Fashion 2010 Photo Shoot at the Hotel Borg in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Lancelot and His Debut Solo Album, Your Time Your Chances Your Say

With the dollar being so weak against the euro, singer/songwriter Lance Smith (Lancelot) came to Los Angeles, CA, to work with rock producer Rich Mouser, who lately had been cultivating and producing Irish talent (Paul Toal and Jaded Sun). Lancelot heard about his work and made the decision to collaborate here in L.A. Lancelot had been playing the guitar ever since he was a kid. His uncle lent him an amplifier, and Lancelot got a guitar at age 11. Even though he played sports and had other hobbies, they weren’t the things he was passionate about. Playing guitar and doing music won out as his number one love. He played with a band for a few years but then decided to record his first album as a solo artist.

I know that you had a little bit of success with a single with the band you were with back home.

Yeah, back in Ireland we released a single. We got lots of playlists and national radio and made some charts. It was decision time, whether I wanted to pursue that with the band and go to the next stage. But I was with a band that was in so many different directions, ideas, styles . . . and my gut told me that this is what I should be doing [being a solo artist]. I wasn’t quite happy with the way it sounded. It wasn’t the band’s fault or even my fault. It was just a difference of opinion, and here I am now.

So tell me about this record, Your Time Your Chances Your Say.

I broke up with the band and found my direction. I wrote a lot of songs, developed a sound. Got in contact with Rich Mouser and sent over songs to him. I told him I wanted a fun record, upbeat tracks, something free.

What style would you say it is?

It’s got touches of singer/songwriter. At the same time it has an indie feel. There’s always a chorus and a hook. It’s hard to say, until people start putting you into a bracket: “Oh I didn’t know I was rock opera!” (Laughs) Oh, is that really what we sound like?

What is your role as an artist?

I’m playing drums and guitars on the demo to develop the sound. That’s what I’ll do live. It’s so much freer than being in a band. Building a live show around this album, you can work it around the people you choose. The live show can really replicate what we did on the album.

Dublin seems to be a hotbed for rock and indie music, huh?

Yeah, for the size of the population, there’ve been quite a few bands out of Dublin that have been pretty huge internationally. It’s just one of those cities that has been really creative. There’s always a turnover of really good bands whether they break Ireland or not. Even at home there are always 10 or 15 good artists that are just playing in Ireland. There are gigs all the time, and it’s a relatively small city. I don’t know . . . maybe it’s something in the water.

Tell me about some of the songs in your records. Do you have a favorite song? What are the themes of some of the songs?

There are some love songs without being lovey-dovey, my life, people, places, etc. . . . whatever captures your attention. You can float around, and then all of a sudden a spark hits you and you just go off on it.

Are any of your songs based upon personal experiences?

“Country Life” is a song I wrote at 6:00 in the morning one day in London. It was like a chant. I was shouting it on the phone to some friends. It’s just about getting out of the city. There was one little moment where I had the seed of it, and it just wrote itself like some songs do.

I hear that a lot. When you talk to artists, musicians, painters, actors, writers . . . people who are creative and inventing all the time, a lot of times they say that. Sometimes the spark of inspiration came 5 years ago and it’s been sitting there waiting for it to manifest itself.

That’s the way it happens. Sometimes the inspiration is just sitting there waiting for you to develop it, to grasp it, to run with it. Sometimes you don’t get that straightaway. Sometimes you have this idea sitting in the back of your head and it takes a long time before you realize where they’re supposed to go or where they’re trying to go without trying to force them, just let them happen themselves. Those are always the best songs.

Did you have any challenges in recording this album?

It was a pleasurable experience. There were a few days where I was tearing my hair out to get a song right, worrying about a guitar or vocal line. Considering the amount of hours you spend working on a project in the studio, it’s really been quite easy, straight-forward in a lot of ways. I didn’t expect it to be as smooth (aside from the days when you want to throw yourself in a ditch!).

You used to model. Tell me about that.

I used to do a lot of things to pay the bills, but modeling came up in Dublin. It’s not like New York. It was relaxed. In Dublin it was easy and enjoyable. I did a few good jobs, and it paid the bills. I was with Assets Model Agency in Dublin. Lots of print, TV ads, catwalk shows.

Did your modeling help to define your image for the album?

Going in to making the album, I just wanted to make the album. I consciously didn’t even think about my name, photography, the artwork, the image, or the website. I just wanted to spend all the energy making 10 songs.

That’s really good. That means the music is the most important thing to you.

There’s so much else you can do that takes up so much energy and time that you can get ahead of yourself and start putting energy into areas that don’t matter as much. At the end of the day, the music has to be right. If it’s not right, you can put up all the websites you want. It’s not going to make any difference.

A lot of people would say that what you did was very ambitious. To leave your home and go to another country and work with someone you didn’t know personally, was that a little scary for you? Making the leap of faith to come from Ireland and go to LA.

These days with the internet and communication, it’s so easy to fly material around. I flew material around to people located in London, Australia, US, Dublin. I was trying to match up with a producer who could get what I was trying to do. This was the best option. I heard some previous work. Everything clicked, and it just worked.

How long did the recording take?

30-40 days.

What’s the next step for you?

The music industry is so open these days. It’s a matter of finding what’s right for you, the record, and all the rest that goes with it. It’s exciting.

If you were to sum up the body of work for your album, how would you describe it in one sentence?

Melodic, strong melodies, fun with a bit of oomph to it! At the end of the day, really, I just wanted to make an album that made me happy, and after that everything is a bonus. The first step is done, and I’m happy.

To learn more about Lancelot, visit www.myspace.com/lancelotmusic

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Hollywood Hills Goes Pink – Interview with Female-Exclusive Pink Iron Gym

“We know women, we are women. We know fitness, we love fitness.” -Pink Iron

The Hollywood Hills have gone pink and they have never looked better. Men, beware. This month we take you into the hot and trendy new female- dedicated gym, Pink Iron. I invited ISSA certified trainer Angelis Casteran to come along this round for a fresh female fitness perspective on what is a girls only club, no boys allowed (except male fitness writers, of course). Upon entering, you are greeted with an energetic smile and wag of Barbell’s tiny tail, Pink Iron’s little white Maltese mascot. The fresh colors, trendy spa feel, energized staff and intimate personality of it all culminates in a smile on your face and an extra spring in your step just by walking in.

“The trainers looked to be in great shape, great role models . . . the variety of equipment really adapts to various client needs . . . the pink is great, not overdone . . . and the locker rooms have a great spa like feel . . . They really anticipated everything a woman would need down to the locker room details.” – Angeles Casteran, CFT

A staff of seven certified or degree-credentialed female trainers commands the gym with impressive experience and attention to detail. Boys need not apply. I enjoyed the fact that Pink Iron’s staff keeps current on the latest fitness trends and information while weeding out the pesky flavor-of-the-week advice that confuses so many. As any serious fitness professional knows, only realistic approaches combined with true lifestyle change brings lifelong results. Owner Holly Horton knows this, believes this, and has definitely integrated this mantra into her pink fitness palace.

“My mission is not only to help my clients reach their goals but to have them leave each session with a new sense of strength, confidence, and passion for a healthy and fit lifestyle.” -Holly Holton

Owner Holly Holton, NASM Certified Trainer

The mind and muscle behind Pink Iron is owner Holly Holton, an internationally ranked fitness competitor and all-around fitness powerhouse at age 26. Holly has been training for the fitness world since the age of 15, certified and teaching at age 18, and competing at age 19; so don’t let her youth fool you.

“Do you know the Law of Thermodynamics? Do you understand how to maximize your post-exercise oxygen consumption to burn calories through your day? Luckily, you don’t have to because we do.” -Holly Holton

About Pink Iron: Interview with Holly Holton, Owner

Where did the inspiration for this Hollywood pink powerhouse come from, Holly?

Well, I’ve been into fitness ever since I picked up my first fitness magazine at age 15 and always dreamed of having my own studio someday. When I got into the LA fitness scene, I noticed just how much of a real scene it was here. Women working out in full makeup, hair fixed, dressed up but afraid to sweat and ruin their fitness outfits only to be hit on between every set, of course. I was uncomfortable being hit on at the gym, and I’m a trainer. Being self-conscious in a gym was a first for me. Girls wanted me to train them outside of the gym because they were so uncomfortable. I knew many other women out there felt the same way. I shared all this with my good friend and business partner and we decided to create a girl-friendly gym (Pink Iron) where men aren’t drooling over them and we could focus on improving women’s lives through fitness.

What does Pink Iron have to offer the health-conscious women of LA?

We are a full-service gym. We offer general memberships, tanning, group classes, Pilates, and personal training with built-in nutritional guidance for the absolute best results. Group classes offered will be yoga, Pilates, boot camp, and a focused booty and abs class. Our newest edition is bringing to life the Pink Iron beauty room, a full-service in-house salon that offers haircuts, color, extensions, waxing . . . You name it, and we will have it here. An all female staff runs the Pink Iron to ensure max client comfort and a focused environment.

So what gives Pink Iron’s personality its luster and distinguishes it from all others?

Apart from our obvious custom pink look and the positive, fresh and upbeat feel of Pink Iron, we pride ourselves on the attention we extend our girls. We focus a lot on keeping a personal feel and touch for a family-like atmosphere. We maintain a friendly community of female staff that knows every member by name. This lets us listen and respond quickly to our members’ needs. When our members asked for music in the locker rooms, they got it the next day.

Who is the typical Pink Iron client you cater to?

The only typical thing about our clients is that they are all women. We welcome anyone and everyone ready to enjoy what we have to offer at every level of fitness. We have 13-year-old girls who come in with their moms who have a trainer, fiery 70-year-old women who work out on their own, and LA celebrities who just love what we’ve got.

What advice do you have for our ladies who are ready to live a healthier and fitter life but don’t know where to start?

First, I believe they should set their goals and be clear on what they want to accomplish, write them out and post them somewhere visible to stay focused. Next is to get a support system. Encouragement is so important. Ideal is an experienced personal trainer to save you time and keep you safe, but if that is not possible, a work-out buddy with similar fitness goals is great for keeping you company and accountable.

Do you feel personal training is a luxury?

I think it’s a necessity; it’s an investment in your health. Keeping fit is something we all need to do even if it is just you working out on your own with just a gym membership. We do offer a free assessment, of course, to allow members to feel the difference and learn some new stuff they can apply. I definitely feel it’s something everyone should do for themselves.

I noticed your studio is just above Barry’s Bootcamp. Does that interfere at all?

Not at all since it’s actually very different. We complement each other. Since it’s mostly cardio-focused downstairs and Pink Iron is a fully loaded gym, we actually get along great and love everyone over at Barry’s. A lot of Barry’s clients come to us to use our weights and visa-versa for their cardio. It’s worked out great.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Make sure to check out our fun interactive website atwww.pinkiron.com. It is loaded with our theme song, “The Tale of Pink Iron,” our cute custom fitness gear, our personal energydrink, and tons of other fun stuff. Don’t forget to check out Barbell’s doggy blog. It’s life at Pink Iron from a doggy mascot’s point of view.

Find out more at www.pinkiron.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pinkiron

Interviewed by Anthony Heredia

Breast Cancer Risk Factors – Knowing Can Make All the Difference

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2009 tell us that 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,170 deaths from breast cancer occur each year. In this issue we focus on breast cancer awareness in our attempt to keep you healthy and living a long, wonderfully productive and fulfilling life.

“The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer sometime during her life is a little less than1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2½ million breast cancer survivors in the United States.” -American Cancer Society

Breast cancer is simply an uncontrolled growth of confused cells forming in the breast area that was caused by any of so many factors we will discuss. These irregular cells first begin killing surrounding normal healthy cells and tissue, causing a lump or mass to form which we know as cancer. Although we still lack the medical technology to prevent breast cancer completely, we can definitely reduce risk dramatically. Awareness is key to preventing this horrid battle from ever beginning, as early detection can mean the difference between life or death, ladies. I don’t mean to be so grave, but your life is very precious and I choose not to take this subject lightly in the hopes of keeping you smiling for many healthy cancer-free years. Prevention begins with knowing your family history, routine self breast examinations, yearly routine mammograms for women 40 and over, and an annual breast examination by a medical professional.

All women are at risk of breast cancer and those with a family history of this burden are at even higher risk, so please be cautious and responsible with your health. Nearly 10% of breast cancer cases are actually hereditary, commonly resulting from the mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These funny named genes actually help to prevent cancer by making the proteins that keep your cells from growing abnormally, a checks and balances, if you will. Cancer at its most basic level is simply a glitch in your system that has caused imbalance that is growing wildly out of control, destroying good elements and causing progressively more aggressive glitches. You want to catch this “glitch” early, or better yet, create the optimal environment in your body so that this glitch never comes to pass.

A woman should perform a monthly breast self examination (BSE) to catch this glitch fast and stop it in its treacherous tracks. Optimum time for self examination is a week past the end of a menstrual cycle or on the same day each month for women that might have irregular cycles. The BSE is a quick and simple process, and it is definitely worth your life, so no complaining or procrastinating. The following link is directions according to the American Cancer Association:

http://www.cancer.org

You can also always ask your gynecologist or family physician for all the information you will need.

The main idea is to feel for any irregular lumps that would need immediate attention. Be aware that not all lumps are cancerous, as some are merely natural irregularities; but don’t take any chances and get a professional opinion. Your regular physician will also inform your other more powerful examination, a yearly mammogram that needs to be routine for women 40 and on. A mammogram is simply a quick x-ray of the breast in order to rule out all doubt. Women between the ages of 20-39 should take at least one exam every three years. It is recommended that women 40 and older have the exam once a year. Nearly 77% of women with breast cancer are diagnosed at the age of 50 and beyond. Regular exams are critical as the years pass since development of breast cancer only increases with age.

Reducing risks of breast cancer is simple and brisk. Maintain a history of your family, perform routine self breast examinations, get yearly mammograms, and best of all keep your body happy and healthy in the first place to minimize any possibility of this horrible cellular glitch.

Common Lifestyle Risk Factors (Factors You Can Control and Change):

· Lack of physical activity

· Being overweight or obese

· Alcohol

· Not breast-feeding

· Post-menopausal hormone therapy

· Recent oral contraceptive use

· Not having children, or having them later in life

Common Unavoidable Risk Factors (Factors You Can Not Control or Change):

· Genetic risk factors

· Aging

· Gender

· Family history of breast cancer

· Personal history of breast cancer

· Race and ethnicity

· Dense breast tissue

· Certain benign breast conditions

Non-proliferative lesions

“These conditions show excessive growth of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast tissue. They seem to raise a woman’s risk of breast cancer slightly (1½ to 2 times normal).” – American Cancer Society

Proliferative lesions without atypia

“In these conditions, there is excessive growth of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast tissue, and the cells no longer appear normal. They have a stronger effect on breast cancer risk, raising it 4 to 5 times higher than normal” – American Cancer Society

Common Risk Factor Myths (Rumors):

The following is a list of controversial, uncertain or unproven rumors for increasing breast cancer risk but have been investigated and found insignificant or dismissible according to the American Cancer Society:

· Working at night

· Breast implants

· Induced abortion

· Bras

· Antiperspirants

· High fat diets (Good unsaturated fats)

Ladies, please be safe and take care of those precious lives of yours. Every day is a gift that we should not take for granted. Respect that wonderful body that takes you down this wonderful journey called life, and it will reward you with a long, fulfilling life to be proud of. For more in-depth information on the various forms of breast cancer, their risk factors, and more information on prevention, make your way to www.cancer.org. Smile, ladies and gentlemen readers of Agenda. The world is better that way.

Resources: www.cancer.org

Written by Anthony Heredia

A Letter from the Editor – What Happens When the Cancer Comes Back?

2009 has been a bittersweet year for a lot of people. Not only did our economy take a dive, but also some very famous people left this world. As life goes on, we continue to fight and win and lose our battles. It’s pretty well known that October has been deemed Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And I am happy to celebrate those women who have fought the battle and won. Statistically, if detected early, breast cancer has a very high cure rate. And those women who’ve fought the fight and won are told if they are cancer-free for five years, their chances of recurrence are slim. So, as if on borrowed time, they wait. They get their mammograms, check for lumps frequently. They worry when they feel tired or listless. The threat of breast cancer returning is always looming over their heads. But what about those women who’ve successfully passed the 5-year mark? They should feel safe, right? Not always.

In October 2006, Agenda Magazine did a special on breast cancer awareness. We profiled survivors, interviewed local do-gooders who helped women with their illness, and interviewed two charities: Divas with a Cure and Bowling for Boobies. I am sad to announce that Edith Speed, the founder of Bowling for Boobies passed away last summer. She had exceeded her 5-year mark, but the cancer came back, and this time it won. It was a shock. It was sudden, and it left me with all sorts of questions.

Edith was my neighbor, our kids played together, and we frequently socialized, either with our spouses or just us girls. I had just chatted with her on facebook, and a few days later I received an email announcing her memorial. How could she have gotten cancer again? She fought so hard to save her life. Edith had a double mastectomy, making sure the disease was wiped clean out of her body with no chance of returning. Yet it did return.

I quickly learned that breast cancer survivors are faced with the possibility of the cancer coming back, as well as an increased risk of developing a new breast cancer. So what happens when the cancer comes back, and how can you prevent it? The following tips may help you keep breast cancer from returning.

1. In clinical studies, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors have been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer recurrence and lower the risk of new breast cancers for certain women.

2. A diet low in fat not only decreases the risk of obesity, it can reduce your risk of breast cancer. We know that estrogen plays a major role in the development of breast cancer. Fat tissue contains small amounts of estrogen and may increase your risk. There have been conflicting studies about fat intake and breast cancer risk; however, all studies have concluded that obesity plays a big part in breast cancer development.

3. Checking your breasts every month may not reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, but it may help detect breast cancer early. The earlier breast cancer is found, the less aggressive the treatment.

4. Studies suggest that smoking at an early age can increase a woman’s risk. Not only can it be a risk for breast cancer, smoking is a definite risk factor for lung cancer.

5. Limit your alcohol intake—each drink you have on a daily basis increases your risk by 7%.

6. Exercise 3-4 times a week.

7. Include different colored fruit and vegetables to ensure you take in a full range of anti-cancer nutrients. Aim for at least 5 portions per day.

8. Include low fat dairy products such as yoghurt, low fat milk, and cottage cheese, which are rich in calcium and often vitamin D, which helps protect us from cancer.

9. Go easy on well-done, barbecued meats. These can contain some cancer-causing substances.

10. Make sure your diet contains fruits and vegetables and high fiber.

Doing these things listed above, will not guarantee a non-recurrence of breast cancer, but you will reduce the risk. For women who have survived breast cancer and have reached their 5-year anniversary, continue to have regular mammograms and do self-breast exams frequently.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like dedicate this October 2009 Issue of Agenda Magazine to Edith Speed, a fighter and philanthropist who helped women with breast cancer through her Bowling for Boobies charity. May the survival rate increase and the risk of recurrence decrease.

To learn more about Bowling for Boobies, visit the website atwww.bowlingforboobies.com.

Read Anthony Heredia’s article “Breast Cancer Risk Factors.”

Kaylene Peoples, Editor in Chief

Work-at-Home Scams – The 3 Best Scams

More than a million people are victims of work-at-home scams each year. Some, I’m sorry to say, had it coming. They went in with their hearts instead of their heads. Others, however, couldn’t have dodged the bullet even if they tried. The work-at-home scam was just too sophisticated for the average searcher.

These days con artists don’t just create work-at-home scams, they create systems that will damage the lives of their victims long after they have pulled out of the scam. Below are some ways con artists take advantage of you.

1. The “send in your resume” scam. This is a difficult scam to detect because it appears to be legitimate. After all, the company is asking for prospects to email them a resume and cover letter. This is something all legit companies do. However, it’s your email address they want.

Once you email them with your resume or to ask for more information, they will attach a malware to their email. This allows the con artist to gain free access to the job seeker’s computer, including passwords and personal email.

Because many people who work online have PayPal accounts, hackers can gain access into these accounts and drain them. They also gain access to the victim’s address book, thus sending the scam to their friends and family or in severe cases, death threats.

Another clever tactic used in this “send in your resume” scam is to ask for a lot of personal information, such as full name, address, sex, telephone-cell-fax, bank account number, copy of Driver’s License or Passport, and occasionally, a Social Security Number.

Once the con artist has obtained this information, it is sold to an identity theft ring.

2. The “I love you scam.” This scam doesn’t start out as a work-at-home scam but is designed as such. It starts with someone, usually in a singles chat room, approaching you to chat. These con artists form bonds with their victims and deceive them into thinking that they love them.

They then pitch a home business idea, or those that are already in business tell them they need their help. Because the victim feels as though they are in love, they can’t or don’t say no.

The con artist then requests money for the business, or the victim is made into third party receiver of funds or packages. The packages are always stolen or were bought with fake credit cards. Because the victim “loves” the con artist, they continue to send money or packages without questioning why they’re not seeing a dime.

In the case of receiving funds, their bank accounts are drained. Victims are always left heavily in debt, and because you are handling stolen goods, this scam can get you prosecuted.

New age work-at-home scams are far more sophisticated than purchasing a box of junk. They leave the victim heavily in debt; destroy their credit rating, as well as your reputation. Fortunately, there are more resources today for victims of work-at-home scams. For example, http://www.fraud.org is an excellent resource for someone dealing with a work-at-home scam.

Written by Jeff Casmer

How Love Happens: The Biology of Bonding

Love, or the lack of it, changes the young brain forever.” Thomas Lewis, M.D.

“There is more hunger for love than for bread.” Mother Theresa

BIOLOGY: The scientific study of living organisms in all its forms and developmental processes

BONDING: A relationship of ongoing mutual attachment between parent and child that begins at birth and establishes the basis for all other relationships

You may question how the way your parents loved you as a child could dictate your love life today. After all, most of us have a hard time remembering what we did last month, including the name of that guy we found on http://Match.com, then met for coffee . . . once. But, your first step in making sense of the nonsense of 21st Century dating is to understand that your earliest family relationships programmed your brain for grown-up intimacy.

Admittedly, Mother Nature did begin with rather primitive requirements for family bonding. To be blunt, before dinosaurs came along, there was precious little of it going on. Take for example, reptiles, whose offspring arrive by egg, and pre- or post-hatching, Mommy Dearest either eats them or leaves them to their fate by simply slithering into the sunset. Not much bonding there. Not much of a brain, either. The reptilian brain neither thinks nor feels. (I know what you’re thinking . . . some men could qualify in this category. But, on with our story.)

Over the next few hundred million years, as brains expanded, so did the quality of bonding between mates and offspring. The earliest mammals evolved with a limbic brain, (our “flight or fight” center), which gave them the ability to feel emotion. Granted, this early brain had a rather short emotional list, namely FEAR for its survival. But, delving more deeply into the limbic brain’s significance, today’s medical students classify its functions as the Famous Four Fs: Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, and sexually reproducing!

Ah, but leave it to clever Mother Nature to know there had to be something even more wonderful than the FOUR Fs. With another few hundred million years, the amazing limbic brain was overlaid with the even more amazing neocortex (the thinking brain), and nature was on its way to L*O*V*E*. From that point on, mating and maternal instincts began a quantum leap, developing ever more elaborate courting rituals, longer pregnancies, and laser-focused protection of offspring. Eventually, the human brain would be gifted with our unique abilities to shower our beloved mate and children with the language of love, such as music, poetry, love letters, lullabies, and whispered sweet nothings in the night. But, again, back to our story.

Mammals, especially the higher-evolved primates, bond in mutually nurturing social groups, with plenty of touching, rubbing, nibbling, prancing, preening, and shameless cavorting. These behaviors naturally lead to bonding, which often results in babies, who attach like glue to their mothers to be nursed, protected, and nurtured until capable of fending for themselves.

So, the critical key to survival of higher-ordered species is to meet the infant’s biological desperation for parental protection. In humans, such consistent early bonding fulfills our life’s first and most crucial task . . . to learn it is safe to TRUST. How our infant brain learns this lesson builds the platform for all intimate relationships to follow.

Mother Nature planned long ago that little ones are to be protected by the big ones, so she did not equip our baby brain with the ability to cope with stress. Rather, as an infant, your sense of safety and survival depended on feeling peaceful, aka: knowing your protectors were close enough to protect you. In your first thousand days, you were more vulnerable, physically and emotionally, than at any other time of life.

You had no way to express yourself, other than with emotions. Without language, your neocortex (the thinking brain) could not rationalize why Mommy didn’t come when you cried. You could not predict that in five minutes she’d be picking you up and wiping your tears away. You felt life in the moment, without any means to understand what was happening to you, or why. And, with every experience, your feelings programmed your limbic brain with your first impressions of life on this planet.

It all came down to chemistry, that word we toss around as we decide if love is really love. Ironically, once upon our baby days, chemistry was literally all that mattered. Chemistry set the course in our brains that set the course of our lives. Here’s why:

When a mother holds her infant, both brains synchronize in a shared overdose of oxytocin and serotonin, the hormones of love and peace. This brain state of “baby bliss” is nature’s brilliant idea for bonding their relationship for life. In this brief window of time, these bonding hormones cause the mother to fall so deeply in love with her child that her brain becomes hard-wired to protect him for the rest of her life, just like the lioness with her cub. For the infant, mother love is his first love. Her consistent nurturing imprints his brain with his first impression of this strange new world. Feeling safe in her arms sews the seeds for trust, the foundation of adult intimacy, as she bathes his brain in bliss.

As a woman, you experience these very same hormones. When you believe you’ve found your prince, it is oxytocin that takes your emotions to euphoria with just the thought of him. When he loves you in return, serotonin joins the mix, and your shared sense that it’s safe to trust the other cradles your emotional intimacy. Needless to say, blending serotonin and oxytocin makes quite a love cocktail! Maybe even better than a Cosmo!

But, if this love fest is interrupted, nature’s perfect plan takes a detour. When the mother is physically and/or emotionally inconsistent, the baby’s limbic brain too soon senses a disabling threat to its own survival, replacing the bonding hormones with cortisol, the stress hormone. Perhaps you can relate such panic to the times you feared the man you deeply love is slipping away from your life. Your limbic brain pounds you with cortisol-inducing survival questions, like “How can I live without him?” Somehow, you muddle through the grief process and find a way to start over. But, for a baby, when bonding collapses, the limbic brain answers this most legitimate question with deathly terror.

An early life of connect/disconnect, attach/detach, bond/separate care giving interrupts normal emotional development. As the child grows, the unpredictability of his earliest, most vulnerable relationship now creates his unconscious war of psychic survival between fear of abandonment versus fear of not belonging, fear of love versus fear of losing love. In this double-bind dilemma, fear of intimacy overrides the natural longing to bond. As an adult, this wounded soul has no significant experience, or limbic programming, as to what love even looks or feels like. Any attempt at intimacy is doomed, creating suffering in both lover and beloved.

When one’s childhood was fear-based, it’s not hard to imagine feeling terror at the mere thought of intimacy’s demand of vulnerability. Imagine this monologue deep in the recesses of the brain: “I’m so lonely, but if I decide to love someone, they will abandon me. But, I’m deathly afraid of being alone. Without someone, I won’t survive. But if I decide to care for someone, they will abandon me. So, I will sabotage them before they sabotage me. But, I’m afraid, deathly afraid, of being alone.”

Such push-pull craziness often creates dynamics of rigid “black and white” thinking, addictions, controlling power struggles, rage, introversion, pessimism, narcissism, suspiciousness, lying, and impulsivity—every bit of it dictated by fear.

How tragic that the most intricate, complex, miraculous, transcendent creation, the human brain, has evolved over millions, perhaps billions, of years, yet can be so easily tripped up by emotional neglect suffered, primarily, in the first thousand days of its life. Tripped up, but not destroyed.

A wise man once noted, “Knowledge is power.” Perhaps, as you read this article, the suffering of friends, family, lovers, maybe even your own suffering, finds the answer as to why such a life has struggled so much. But, is that life’s longing for love doomed to fail forever because of the failure of others?

Amazingly, the answer is “no.” Modern brain research has proven that positive, self-nurturing choices change our brain, rewiring neural pathways, and transforming limbic patterns of cortisol panic to peace. When one courageously chooses such deep reprogramming, the childhood wounds that have sabotaged any hope of trusting another human being, the core of intimate relationships, can begin to heal.

The power to confront our most wrenching pain, to trust ourselves first, to know who we truly are and what we truly deserve, to choose to nurture our health, our hearts, our thoughts, and our dreams releases within the human brain a flood of hormonal bliss to one hundred billion thirsty brain cells, generating the life force that is greater than nature’s potency to push a fragile flower through asphalt! It’s called love and this is how it happens.

The following resources have profoundly supported millions of men and women in healing the emotional wounds of childhood. I highly recommend them.

RECOMMENDED READS:

* HOMECOMING: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child , by John Bradshaw
* FAMILY SECRETS: The Path from Shame to Healing , by John Bradshaw
* A GENERAL THEORY OF LOVE , by Drs. Lewis, Amini, and Lannon
* TOXIC PARENTS: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life , by Susan Forward
* BECOMING ATTACHED: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love , by Robert Karen, Ph.D
* TOUCHING: The Human Significance of Skin , by Ashley Montague
* MAGICAL PARENT, MAGICAL CHILD, The Optimum Learning Relationship , by Michael Mendizza

RECOMMENDED DVD’S:

* March of the Penguins
* The Weeping Camel

Written by Morgan Delaney

The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown

Dan Brown

For generations, Peter Solomon, a 33 degree Mason, and his male ancestors—all of whom were Masons of the highest degree—have been entrusted with a secret that could literally change the world. Some years ago when this secret was threatened, he gave his friend and mentee Robert Langdon, the famous Harvard symbologist of past Dan Brown novels, a package for safekeeping. Now, Langdon has been tricked into bringing this package into the open.

In Dan Brown’s latest thriller, The Lost Symbol, a consummate villain, known only as Mal’akh, has gone to great lengths throughout these years, in preparation for this moment in which he will seek revenge for what he deems to be past ills. Upon becoming a 33 degree Mason, he was expecting to be told the secret alluded to in the inscription: “All will be revealed at the 33rd degree.” When no secret is forthcoming, he embarks upon his deadly plan of revenge. Buried somewhere in Washington, D. C., symbols exist that are supposed to lead to the decoding of this secret.

Great writing! I loved it. I didn’t think Dan Brown could top The Da Vinci Code, but he has done just that with his newest novel, The Lost Symbol. Unfortunately, it seems that as with The Da Vinci Code, some people are missing the point. This is fiction layered onto fact! And what a wonderful job Dan Brown has done. The architecture of Washington, D. C., the art work, the basic premises of the Masons . . . have all been so well researched that everything he has created here is plausible, even though it’s fiction. Readers need to remember this. As he did with The Da Vinci Code, he tells us at the beginning what is fact, expecting us to know that out of fact he has created fiction. I suspect that many people did as I did while reading. So caught up with our capital and all of the twists and turns, I found myself many times going to Google to check the facts, which I always found to be there as described.

From the first page to the last I loved it. Even after the great chase, I was still in thrall, right down to the last word. I am already anticipating Brown’s next novel.

Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples

Location and the Human Spirit

” It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated . . . it is finished when it surrenders.” Ben Stein, Actor, Lawyer and Writer

I’ve recently moved to the desert, Palm Springs, that is. Before I moved but after I found a place, I was looking forward to taking massage therapy classes in September and maybe meeting a few friends along the way. Sadly, things didn’t work out as planned. The funding for the school fell through and I found myself scrambling to make my own ends meet.

This has been a tough summer. Aside from having a wonderful time while my daughter has been out here visiting me, I’ve been a little lonely, sometimes a little depressed. Money was scarce, and I was new in a new place. Isolated from family and friends, I had to go within to find a sense of balance.

It gets hot out here. I mean hot! Walking outside in August is like walking past the open door of a very hot oven. So being inside in the nice cool air conditioning, whether at home, the library, or the movies, is the best place to be. Because it was so hot, I was afraid to go out by myself, and the dilemma was that I hadn’t made friends yet. But that would change.

I never thought Palm Springs would be so good to me, but after being here about thirty days, I started meeting people, making friends, and doing work I love. My intention was to make the best of this place, but it has come to make the best of me.

I love my little condo. In spite of the heat, it remains at least 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the temperature outside. Living in my last home was like being in a cave. The sun never came through, no matter how many windows and doors I opened. Here I look out my balcony and see a lot of sunshine.

It is windy here. As the wind encourages the palms to sway, its sound soothes me. I find that opening the doors in the morning enhances my meditation. I have begun to find my balance out here.

I have found people to be friendly and welcoming. This has not always been true for me, as I’ve spent many a day alone in other places I’ve lived. I’m tempted to believe it’s because of where I live. But recently I considered that maybe I’m ready for a change, and the change has come.

To embrace change is a challenge. I find routine very soothing. I know what to expect and so there are no surprises. Why I decided to walk out from the cliff, I’ll never know.

In the tarot the fool steps out from the cliff to fall perhaps to the rocks below. Will he be crushed, or will he somehow be saved from a certain death? I’ve been so lonely at times that I couldn’t stand it. And then I’d take a walk or listen to the wind. Somehow I made it through one moment and into the next. And I’ve begun to embrace being alone and all its benefits. I’ve begun to enjoy my own company. I never thought I’d be enough for me. The fool learns to take it one step at a time, and who knows, maybe there will be a branch to break his fall.

I’ve had owls perch on my balcony and humming birds fly so close to me I could catch them. I’ve even seen the full moon in all its grandeur from my window, and recently I’ve discovered hiking in the desert . . . with friends of course. I’m still not going to go there alone. Making friends has been the most joy of all.

I’ve begun to laugh and my heart has begun to expand. By experiencing my joy within somehow others have come along to share that joy with me. Funny how you realize the sun was shining the whole time you were sitting in the dark. You just couldn’t see that it shone from within. I’ve begun to feel it from deep inside me. I hope you can take a moment and discover this within yourself. I’m sure I’ve discovered some new thing. What a novel idea that joy can come from within! Isn’t that what we’ve always been told? Yes. And now I believe it!

I’m happy that I did not surrender to the loneliness. Otherwise I wouldn’t experience the expansive moon on the moonlight hike I’m going on with a few friends tonight. Maybe you can join me sometime!

Written by Lisa Trimarchi