S: Is for vastness of space

Just when we finally have taken responsibility that we are destroying our planet, European astronomers have discovered an "Earth" like planet outside our solar system. Speculating what it would be like to live on it, their first observation is that the "sun" wouldn't burn as bright, instead it would hang like a large red balloon. If you lived on one side of the planet the sun would never set. Would that mean that sunrises and sunsets would become an endangered pleasure? I adore when the sunsets and the stars like kisses grace the sky. Would that cease to exist? This planet would revolve every 13 days. I get dizzy on a merry-go-round. The temperature in this alien setting is deemed to be "just right". I adore sweaters in the fall and sarongs in the summer. What would be decided just right for me? The astronomers who announced this discovery of the new planet Tuesday say this puts them closer to answering the cosmic question: Are we alone and will we find possible life in the universe. The discovery of this new planet, named Gliese 581 c is sure to raise more questions than answers.

The Quest to Predict violent solar events is now being looked at. These events are capable of causing havoc with satellites, power grids, and radio communication, including the global positioning system unit. The sun is headed into a season of turbulent solar activity. Just like seasonal hurricane predictions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will issue an update on efforts to predict the sun’s next solar cycle. The solar cycle is approximately 11 years long and is marked by unstable magnetic fields that power fierce solar weather. Solar flares are explosions in the sun’s atmosphere, with the largest equal to billions of one-megaton nuclear bombs The latest NASA solar missions aim to track solar storms from their birth on the sun to their impact with Earth. Understanding how solar energy flows and interacts with Earth in more detail is key to improving space weather forecasts. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is scheduled to launch and will improve our understanding of how solar storms develop.

In finishing up this tale of space a dazzlingly detailed image released by NASA scientists on Tuesday shows the chaotic conditions in which stars are born and die. In this case a huge nebula in another neighborhood of our Milky Way galaxy. Taken by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope this image depicts the birth of a star. Being born into violent conditions they are exposed to the relentless irradiation from their older siblings. Though it is only a small portion of the whole nebula, what you are seeing is hot ionized gas. The colors represent oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur at different temperatures. The image was released to celebrate the 17th anniversary of launching the Hubble into orbit. It is one of the largest panoramic images ever taken by Hubble. Sadly the future of Hubble is in doubt because the space shuttle program is winding down. For years this amazing instrument has given us a glimpse into our world and those beyond. It has allowed us to dream and imagine what lies beyond our limited perspective. Personally I think it should be kept going to allow further generations to dream and explore the F.A.C.T.S

T: Is for Healing Humanity

My column today is about items I have found that bring about a healing. In healing ones self you must first be prepared mentally. But what do you do when you can't put your finger on whats wrong? Our bodies are like a barometer for what we can or can not face. Louise L. Hay's book "You Can Heal Your Life" has been my bible since I discovered it in the 90's. The back of the book has an index of symptoms and thought patterns that cause distress. If you can be honest with yourself you'll see that this book can be one of the best tools one can have. Maybe that's why it reached the New York Times bestseller list and remained there for 12 consecutive weeks. More than 30 million copies of "You Can Heal Your Life" have been sold throughout the world. What we think about ourselves becomes truth and becomes embedded in our DNA.
We create situations, and then we give our power away by blaming other people for our frustration and our bodies pay the price. The Universe totally supports us in every thought we choose to think and believe. The Universe does not judge us. I can state that with true knowledge. I have died three times and all three times what I learned is how much we are loved. Louise heads Hay House, a successful publishing company whose authors include many notables in the self-help movement. Her organizations include "The Hay Foundation" and the "Louise L. Hay Charitable Fund" two nonprofits that support many diverse organizations, including dealing with AIDS, battered women, and other challenged individuals in our society. This book will change your life for the better if you truly want it!

I have found a new thirst quenching product and what makes it so wonderful is that it is filled with antioxidants. Antioxidants help to fight free radicals from doing their damage, therefore lending a hand to stopping disease. I started with Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea and have become passionate about peaches. If you have never had a Georgia peach this drink will leave you craving one. They come in their very own keepsake glass which reminded me of my friend's Grandmother, who made her own strawberry jam. POM Wonderful, LLC is a privately held company which also manufactures pomegranate juice blended with blueberry, cherry, mango, or tangerine and comes in variety of sizes. If you have heard of Teleflora or FIJI Water, and until 2006 Franklin Mint it is the same company. Although POM wonderful does not disclose its profits, Newsweek magazine reported annual sales of its juice have risen from $12 million in 2003 to $91 million in 2006. If you haven't discovered this wonderful way to stay healthy I suggest the next time your thirsty to grab the first one you see and drink your way to health.

Last night I was at an event at Bendel's and as always I tried to discover what is unique that I can share. Their was this girl in a nurses uniform asking me to try a new perfume. Now normally I would say no as I am allergic to certain combinations of scents. When she mentioned "Happy Therapy" and aromatherapy I was willing to except a tester. I love "Smiley" the new perfume from France's Arthes group. The unisex fragrance is based on olfactory molecules theobromine and phenylethylamine that are known to trigger happiness. Developed by Firmenich, the scent itself is a fruity, spicy accord with bergamot and orange at the opening, and cocoa, praline and curaçao at the heart of the fragrance. The dry-down features patchouli, myrrh and musk. I was given a bracelet which I still have on and have been periodically inhaling. Does it make me happy? That I can't answer. Have I been addicted to it's scent? Yes! I want to bury my nose in it and that to me is a product to buy. I am excited that it comes in bath tablets as well as rubbing friction that I can think of a variety of uses for it and am looking forward to experimentation. Does that make me happy? Absolutely and that is definitely a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for the Decandence of Chocolate

One of my favorite films and books is "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I have always had a fascination with swimming in a vat of white chocolate and having it licked off. Maybe that is why I am known for singing "Pure Imagination". While at the New York Moves party at Lilith two decadent chocolatier's displayed their wares. The first "Divalicious Chocolate" located at 365 Broome Street between Mott and Elizabeth Streets indulged us with dark chocolate truffles encased in a dark coco powder. I am not particularly a fan of dark chocolate however Tom was in ecstasy. They also have a mild bark which was more to my liking. Upon going onto their website I discovered tasty treats dipped in a cascade of warm, flowing gourmet chocolate. Hmmm INDULGENCE!


















The second Chocolat Moderne was divine. Beautifully designed chocolates with pictures, (www.chocolatmoderne.com) Moderne is run and designed by Joan Coukos. Having studied chocolate and confectionery arts with a coterie of world-class French, Belgian, American and Swiss chocolatiers, Joan is creating sumptuous assortments of chocolates in her own chocolate laboratory on West 20th Street. She is a modern Willy Wonka.I highly recommend "Snake Charmer" filled with Anise, cinnamon and vanilla and "Caramel Caresse" filled with luscious pear and Poire William Eau de Vie. I couldn't get enough.

I can not write this article without including Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man located at 841 Broadway off 13th. Tom brought me there as a surprise and I was like a stunned deer in headlights. It is so overwhelming because it is like you have been transported into Chocolate Heaven. God forbid you are in a depressed mood because this could be the death of you. There is no need to put "Death By Chocolate" on this menu. We split a chocolate souffle drizzled in chocolate sauce with homemade ice cream dipped in a hardened encased chocolate cocoon. I think there was a third item but this was so rich that a couple of bites does you in and any more is just a waste. They also have chocolate syringes filled with mouse but enough was enough that day. It is definitely great to have a male friend who indulges you with sinful delights.

Now for me sex and chocolate are synonymous however Tom taught me that doesn't necessarily have to be so and that my friends is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for Celebrity Artists

The newest trend in the world of art is the celebrity artist. It doesn't matter how good because your name makes or breaks you. My mom was an artist so I grew up in the world of exploring museums and galleries. I use to hate going as I was dragged into them at an alarming rate and was inundated with what I considered too much culture. I'd rather been at the beach or in a theater. I have regained my love of art and retained a vast knowledge that must have sunk in through my subconscious, because I definitely do not remember learning what I know. My mom had a best friend Patricia Morrison who was also a Broadway and film actress and a painter. Her work I loved because it was highly sexual and when your in your teens racy always gets your attention. Now, it is not the content but how well known or infamous. Take Bono, not content with being a rock star, or for his work on Third World Debt Relief, Bono has now revealed another talent. The U2 vocalist can paint even if it is only for charity.The works by Bono and his two daughters Jordan, 14, and Eve, 12, on massive white canvasses with large black brush strokes, were designed to accompany a new interpretation of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Bono's art helped raise money for a hospice and was auctioned by Christies in New York last November for $368,000.00. The hospice is where his Father was cared for while dying of cancer.

David Bowie has his own website for art www.bowieart.com and www.bowiewonderworld.com which also supports young artists in the making. He not only writes music, he paints and sculpts in his spare time. A vast majority of his work is based on his songs. Together with Bono, Yoko Ono, Bryan Ferry, Kate Bush, Lou Reed and Paul McCartney an exhibition was held on behalf of the War Child Charity. All the pieces were linked by a common theme referring back to a musician or band, who was their inspiration. In total twenty three participating musicians created a piece of work for this event.


Musicians don't have the market on the art boom, Supermodel Christie Brinkley was studying art in Paris when she was discovered by a fashion photographer in the 1970's. Billy Joel's "River of Dreams" is her work. Actress Jane Seymore, actor Tony Curtis, Rocky's Sylvester Stallone, Zorba's Anthony Quinn and the list continues. Of course their are agents that represent them www.limelightagency.com and http://artsociety.suite101.com/blog.cfm/celebrity_visual_artists are just two of the many collecting fee's.

Right now one of my favorite contenders in this genere is actor extraordinaire Viggo Mortensen. Besides being the hottest man around (One of People's Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002) Mortensen is also a painter, and photographer. His paintings are frequently abstract, and often contain fragments of his poetry in them. His paintings have been featured in galleries worldwide, and several appeared in A Perfect Murder. To quote him "Photography, painting or poetry those are just extensions of me, how I perceive things, they are my way of communicating". He doesn't stop there either he is also an accomplished Jazz musician with 3 albums to his credit. "Ancient Spirit, Modern Voice" includes Mortensen’s “Miyelo” series, evocative, panoramic photographs of the Lakota Sioux Ghost Dance, which he photographed while filming Hidalgo.

This last piece is titled After-Darkly-Noon and it is one of my favorites. Art is subjective and we all like what we like. Having a name or a reputation should not influence your like or dislike of a piece. If it moves you and speaks volumes that is all that should count and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for fashion distraction

When I started this blog it was because I had things to say that I thought would offer clarification in a world gone mad in the media blitz. The best way to combat insanity is to emerge oneself in the deluge and try and make sense of it all. I added the S in F.A.C.T.S because F.A.C.T. was taken, however it has turned out to be my favorite column to write. With what has gone on at Virginia Tech and the psychosis of the human mind, writing about fashion seems trivial. Yet at the same time we need an escape from the tragedies that bombard us daily. NY Moves Magazine invited me to their newest outing at Lilith a whimsical French based clothing boutique in Nolita. Elegant clothing for women created in Paris, Lilith is designed and lends itself to comfort.
I am beginning to believe if the store has boutique in the title that it means outrageously expensive. Items in the Spring/Summer collection range from $150 to $600. I first picked up this cute tee shirt and the price was $150. OK, I'm sorry but it's a tee shirt and there are children starving in Africa not to mention the United States. $440 dollars for a well crafted dress is nothing to be astonished about these days but nonetheless it puts these out of the realm of possibility for your average consumer. Maybe that's the point! I must admit I appreciate clothing designed to last and great clothing is a good investment. Being French made the quality is impressive. Styles are feminine, with European edginess which of course I appreciate. The light, soft fabrics are designed and produced in Paris and include stretch linen, parachute type fabrics, sheer batiste cottons, tulle, and hand-painted fabrics. Of course, this kind of quality comes at a price, with some blouses hovering in the $400 range.



This outfit if bought in its entirety would cost $572. Now for the good news...E-Bay has became my favorite place. Why? Designer clothing if you know what you are looking for can be bought at a fraction of the price. A skirt which normally goes for a minimum of $250 can be bought for $20. Think I'm kidding? I'm not. E-Bay even makes it easy. Type in the designer and hit the clothing search and viola! Now like everything in life you may have to play at it, but you may find the bargain of the century. Now while there are more pressing issues in the world it's nice to know there are distractions and that's a F.A.C.T.