Iraq war protesters zero in on Pelosi Saturday, Mar 24 2007 

Los Angeles Times Stacy A. Anderson 9:22 PM

 

By Stacy A. Anderson, The Los Angeles Times

March 23, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-na-codepink23mar23,1,4482095.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

WASHINGTON — Chanting antiwar slogans and holding up newspaper photos of dead soldiers, members of the activist group Code Pink protested outside the Capitol Hill office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, urging the San Francisco Democrat to oppose legislation that would provide an additional $124 billion to fund the Iraq war.

About 15 protesters — wearing foam Statue of Liberty crowns and pink scarves, ties or shoes — were met by a similar number of Capitol Police officers in the hallway of the Cannon House Office Building. After 20 minutes, four were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct because they were “loud and boisterous,” according to a police statement.

The protest, more subdued, then continued outside Pelosi’s office for an additional 25 minutes. The House vote on the legislation, which also would require President Bush to begin withdrawal of U.S. forces by next March, is scheduled for today.

“We want a strong leader to lead us out of the war quickly,” said Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin. Pelosi “needs to be bold and represent her constituents in San Francisco, who voted overwhelming against the war.

“Instead, she has been playing party politics,” said Benjamin, who held a sign that read “Nancy, this war is yours.”

Protester Howard Frick, 62, a Vietnam veteran, said: “This will become another Vietnam. Millions of soldiers are being killed and thousands of Iraqis are being murdered. This is the escalation of the war.”

Code Pink and other antiwar organizations are engaged in what they call the Occupation Project, an eight-week campaign of civil disobedience in which they attend hearings on Capitol Hill and go to congressional offices across the country, reading names of deceased soldiers and chanting “Stop funding the war.”

On March 11, the group set up “Camp Pelosi” outside the speaker’s San Francisco home. Members have remained there since; they also held a rally March 15 outside Pelosi’s apartment building in Washington.

“If we can’t get into your office, we are going into your home,” Code Pink spokeswoman Dana Balicki said. “Pelosi’s plan isn’t good enough. It shouldn’t be a compromise, and we should not play party politics.”

Code Pink members met with Pelosi’s staff this week. They said they did not receive a response when they asked how she planned to vote on the supplemental funding.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday that the House speaker “respects their rights to express their views on the disastrous war in Iraq.”

 

Spa Week Hits DC Wednesday, Mar 21 2007 

DC Style Magazine Stacy A. Anderson 9:22 PM

 

By Stacy A. Anderson, DC Style Magazine

March 19, 2007

http://www.dcstylemag.com/blog_main.cfm?P=%23%22%3D%23I%0A

More than 400 spas across the country will be participating in the fourth Annual Spa Week from April 16 to 22. Seventeen District spas are participating in the bi-annual event which makes top-notch services more affordable at $50, and emphasizes beauty, health and wellness. Also, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cancer and Careers, a non-profit organization that assists working women living with cancer

Modern Day Spa, with Virginia locations in Pentagon City and Tysons Corner Center is offering three spa-week services: 45-minute microdermabrasion, a 45-minute cherry blossom massage and an elements of the sea pedicure and eyebrow wax.

The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa locations in Chevy Chase and Pentagon Row are participating, offering a 50-minute cream and sugar scrub, a 50-minute classic facial and a pedicure with paraffin.

For more information on participating spas and discounted services, visit SpaWeek.org.

 

Get To The Gallery Tuesday, Mar 13 2007 

DC Style Magazine Stacy A. Anderson 6:14 PM

 dc5

By Stacy A. Anderson, DC Style Magazine

March 13, 2007

 http://www.dcstylemag.com/blog_main.cfm?P=%23%22%3D%27G%0A

If you want to see renowned artwork from Paris without leaving the District, take a step inside the National Gallery of Art. The museum, which offers free exhibits year round, has a variety of displays and lectures this spring.

Lectures

1. “Stroke of A Genius: Rembrandt’s Prints and Designs” celebrates the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt van Rijn’s birth with 190 pieces of his artwork including his interpretations of landscapes and self portraits. Catch a lecture from Eric Denker, senior lecturer at the National Gallery of Art, about van Rijn’s etching and engraving techniques and contributions to landscape imagery on March 12 and 16 at noon.

2. “Paris in Transition: Photographs from the National Gallery of Art” explores the history of photography in the modern capital, while capturing the urban transformation and establishment of a fine arts haven. A lecture about the 61-photograph exhibit, with photos from the 1840s to the 1920s, will be held on March 15 at 2 p.m.

3. Masterpieces from New York artist and living legend Jasper Johns are on display through April 29, including 83 of his paintings, drawings and prints. “Jasper Johns: An Allegory of Painting, 1955 to 1965″ focuses on four specific subjects in his artwork: the target, the body, the “device” and the naming of colors. Scholars Sally Shelburne and David Gariff will lead a lecture series about Johns on March 14 at 2 p.m., March 18 at noon and April 12 and 24 at 2 p.m.

4. Wanda Corn, a Stanford art professor, will guide the discussion, “The Return of the Native: Gertrude Stein’s 1934 American Tour,” on March 25 at 2 p.m. The lecture is about the author, art collector and modern ex-patriot Gertrude Stein, who returned to the U.S. in 1934 after living in Paris for 30 years.

The National Gallery of Art, National Mall between 3rd and 9th sts. and Constitution Ave. NW. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 11 to 6 p.m., 202.737.4215, NGA.gov.

 

FDA oversight of tobacco is debated Monday, Mar 5 2007 

Los Angeles Times Stacy A. Anderson 2:42 AM

Health experts say the agency should be able to regulate nicotine levels and limit advertising. 

 

By Stacy A. Anderson, The Los Angeles Times

February 28, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-tobacco28feb28,1,7538114.story

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration should be able to limit nicotine levels in cigarettes and require stronger warnings on packages and in advertising, health experts said Tuesday before lawmakers considering a bill to allow the agency to regulate tobacco products.

“FDA regulation will help us to combat the vicious marketing practices of a deceptive industry that has preyed upon our children, minorities and existing smokers who are desperately trying to kick their habit,” Dr. Elmer Huerta, the incoming president of the American Cancer Society, told members of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Similar legislation passed the Senate in 2004 but was defeated in the House. Supporters think the Democratic majorities in both chambers will make for smooth passage.

But one committee member, Sen. Michael B. Enzi (R-Wyo.), argued that asking the FDA to set standards for tobacco products implied to consumers that they would be safe.

About 400,000 Americans die each year of smoking-related ailments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

“The FDA approves cures, not poisons,” Enzi said. “Forcing the FDA to regulate tobacco but not letting them ban it would undermine the long history of the agency protecting and promoting the public health.”

The legislation, introduced this month in the Senate and House with bipartisan support, would require tobacco companies to submit “reduced risk” products to the FDA for inspection and to disclose all ingredients. It would ban manufacturers from using terms such as “light” or “low tar,” which the bill’s supporters say have misled consumers by indicating that such products are less harmful.

In addition, the bill would give states the power to control tobacco advertising and promotion, which often target young people.

Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said children were vulnerable to advertisements despite a 1998 agreement between 46 states and five tobacco companies to end the marketing of tobacco products to children.

“The tobacco companies have easily overcome these restrictions by dramatically increasing marketing expenditures and constantly finding new and sophisticated ways to market their products, many of which impact kids,” Myers said.

The tobacco industry doubled marketing budgets and spent more than $15 billion from 1998 to 2003, Myers said. Surveys by his organization said young people were almost twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising.

Health experts said the use of hip-hop music, images of lavish lifestyles, candy-flavored tobacco, and displays at sporting events and similar venues have contributed to increased tobacco use among Latinos, African Americans and young women.

The FDA’s efforts to regulate tobacco products began in 1996, when the agency announced plans to restrict tobacco advertising aimed at young people. Tobacco companies sued, contending that the FDA did not have the authority to do so.

In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, that the FDA needed the specific approval of Congress to regulate tobacco products. The legislation being considered would give the FDA that authority.

The country’s largest cigarette manufacturer, Philip Morris USA, supports the legislation, saying in a statement submitted at Tuesday’s hearing that the bill would give the industry “a new framework within which manufacturers can refocus their efforts in reducing the harm of their products.”

“They figure that it’s good business to be perceived that way. They are still trying to make a profit,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond and a former consultant to the FDA general counsel’s office. “They have such a big market share, they don’t mind being regulated. It may benefit them because the bill makes it harder for their competitors to gain a larger market share.”

 

One-On-One with Celebrity Stylist Misa Hylton Monday, Mar 5 2007 

The Hilltop Stacy A. Anderson 2:02 AM

 

By Stacy A. Anderson, The Hilltop

March 2, 2007

http://www.thehilltoponline.com/life_style/1.462710

Hip-hop celebrity stylist Misa Hylton, best known for creating Lil’ Kim’s daring appliqué one-shoulder ensemble years ago, has recently launched eboutique Madison Star Couture.

The online fashion store, which is named after her daughter, opened at the end of February although it has been in the making for several years.

“Timing is everything, and things have been busy with me having a large clientele,” said Hylton, who has dressed everyone from comedian Chris Rock to tennis pro Serena Williams. “Initially, I wanted to do a boutique or flagship store. But now everyone can access it nationally and globally. It’s the way of the future.”

Fashionistas can now access rare pieces from up and coming designers at  www.madisonstarcouture.com. The Web site has military-themed pieces by Mik Serfontaine’s Bambu Tyger and Asian-inspired blouses by Meghan Fabulous, who has dressed Vivica A. Fox and Mya.

“They are established, but not as common as say Gucci. It’s of something with the same luxury level and quality level, [but] you won’t see a lot of people with it on,” she said. “I’m big on details. It’s about being different and having items that stand out.”

Hylton said she is working on a denim line for Madison Star Couture, which will be available in the fall. Plus sizes and a broader range of accessories will also be available later this year.

Hylton joined the fashion industry when she began to style R&B group Jodeci and Mary J. Blige in the early 1990s. She has also dressed The Notorious B.I.G., Missy Elliot, Faith Evans, Foxy Brown and P. Diddy, who is the father of her eldest son, Justin.

In 1995, she started Chyna Doll Enterprises to additionally provide product placement and image consulting for brands like Apple Bottoms, Marc Bouwer, Enyce, Fendi, Versace and Jacob the Jeweler.  In 2004, she served as costume designer for the comedy “The Cook Out,” starring Danny Glover and Queen Latifah.

Similar to the way she handles business, the mother of three also follows her own path when it comes to fashion.

“I’m more into confidence and representing your own personal style. People make the trend, so be your own trendsetter,” said Hylton, who has sported everything from a platinum blonde, cropped cut to her current jet-black, tousled curls.

Howard University, one of two HBCUs to offer fashion merchandising as a major, houses an array of aspiring talent for the fashion world. Hylton advised them to start honing in on their skills now.

“You should become knowledgeable about the industry you want to get into. A lot of things cannot be taught; you need to experience it,” she said.

Hylton’s recent projects include styling for new VH1 shows “Wifey’s” and Kimora Lee Simmon’s reality series, both set to air in the fall. She also styled Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard and other cast members for “The Perfect Christmas,” opening later this year for the holidays.