Off to L.A.

Jen and I are heading to Los Angeles tomorrow for the National Cervical Cancer Coalition's Annual Conference. It was at last year's conference that we got our first comprehensive education in cervical cancer and HPV. It was in Washington D.C. that we started talking to survivors and women still in treatment. It was truly inspirational. Here is the link to a blog I wrote last September.

Jen, we've come a long way since last September! The real journey is just getting started.

Politics Unusual

Let's rephrase "There's a party in you pants" as "There's a party on your pants."
Andrew Christian's
Obama boxers available at Fresh Pair, $30.

Yesterday's Walk for Today

as reported by Nick Stavrides:

On Saturday, September 13th at 5:30 AM, volunteers arrived along the East River of Manhattan. They came to prepare for Tamika and Friends’ inaugural New York event: “WALK TO BEAT THE CLOCK! HELP TO END CERVICAL CANCER” Not only did they set up shop, but their warm smiles set the tone for the day.

Walkers gathered at 8:00. “THE LADIES POWER JAM” band performed, and Tamika Felder, cervical cancer survivor and women’s health advocate, took the stage. She spoke of her personal journey with the disease and how friends, who are basically like family, helped her reach her seventh year of health post-diagnosis. She dedicated the event to every woman who has been touched by cervical cancer, with special mention to Heather L. Martin and Phyllis Leopold, two women who lost their fight.

An outpouring of love, support, and understanding was evident. It filled the air, and energized participants as they walked the route along the water on a beautiful morning. Some walked in quiet reflection. Others shared plans and stories of their own struggles and triumphs with cervical cancer.

Ceremony continued at the finish line. Tamika presented the crowd with a proclamation from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg declaring it “Beat the Clock Day.” Cervical Cancer “sheroes” shared their stories. Michelle Whitlock spoke about her experience with the disease – how she made multiple attempts at alternative treatments before finally opting for a hysterectomy, and how she harvested her eggs, fertilized and froze them before the surgery. The crowd burst with joy when she told us that those embryos were being implanted into a surrogate as she spoke!

Tamika acknowledged all the people who made the day possible, and with that she announced, “We believe in giving people their flowers while they’re still here!” The event raised approximately $10,000 for the cause! Martha Wash closed out the day with some amazing music, and everyone danced and rejoiced. There was a feeling of empowerment in knowing that the goals that were set forth that day, to prevent more deaths from cervical cancer, are truly obtainable.




Nick Stavrides is a New York artist who works in independent film, TV, oils and acrylics. He found the human rights project, Human Handbook. He jokes that he’s the son of a saint and a social worker ‘cuz his parents taught him to help whenever and whomever he can. He lives in NYC with his love-a-ly wife Steph.

Nick Walks

Jen and I send a big hug and many thanks out to our friend and talented artist Nick Stavrides who participated in Saturday's walk for cervical cancer and HPV awareness and prevention. Nick is married to Stephanie Sullivan, our NYC go-to-girl. He'll be posting a blog about the event within the next day or so.

NYC walk to beat cervical cancer

There's a walk for cervical cancer on Saturday September 13th, 8 am - noon, in New York City. Go to www.tamikaandfriends.org to sign up. $30 to walk along with fabulous people and raise money to prevent the disease. We just got word that our friend will cover the walk and take a bunch of pictures. So hopefully next week we'll get some up her for you to see.

HELEN ROCKS

Jen and I went to New York in early August and spent one and a half hours with Helen Gurley Brown. Helen Gurley Brown, as most of you probably know, masterminded Cosmopolitan Magazine into a worldwide brand and best-selling newsstand publication that every bonafide single woman and wanna-be-single married woman absorbed word for word. Each issue heralded a new opportunity for millions of women to jumpstart their education in the office and the bedroom. Helen dished out dating protocol, recipes for great sex, tips about getting a head and giving it. Thank you Helen!

Our meeting was set for 5:30 p.m. Jen and I were sitting in Helen's spacious office on the 37th floor of the Hearst Tower. It was bright and sunny, and tricked out with leopard carpet, pink french-style armchairs, a plaid chintz sofa, lots of photographs featuring Helen with her movie-producing husband, love of her life David Brown and various other celebs. We were in the company of greatness.

Helen is not as spritely as she once was, but she's swift in mind and her humor fine-tuned. She spoke thoughtfully and from the heart. We shared FLASH with her, and she liked the project calling it "worthwhile" and an "important endeavor." At one point, she gazed curiously at Jen and smiled warmly. "You're beautiful," Helen told Jen, adding a generous compliment about Jen's sensational bosom!

Jen was wearing a stylish white shirt, which had an eyecatching button-down trail to her cleavage. All Jen's curves got their due. "A well endowed woman should always show her cleavage," Helen advised. Jen hung on every word thereafter! When the grande dame soothsayer of sexual attraction compliments your bosom, it don't get much betta than that!

We were certain Helen would have a good underwear story and invited her to write something for "The Diaries." We await her contribution.

In the meantime, here are a few HGB one liners taken from her 1982 book "Having It All: Love, Success, Sex, Money."

"One of life's top ten (top five?) pleasures is shopping for the lingerie... you're going to wear with him, but you're really shopping to shore up your confidence as much as for his delectation."

"I had the most beautiful lingerie -- ivory satin peignoirs with clouds of maribou, jeweled mules, empire waisted black lace nighties, and I just loved whooshing around in them."

(and this has nothing to do with underwear or lingerie, but this is very funny, and i just love her matter of factness.)

"There is no better way to get to know someone than to have an affair...it can save a year of lunches."