O, The Oprah Magazine articles from March 2006

O, The Oprah Magazine archives from March 2006

We hear you! To-do lists vs. just doing it ... the pollution connection ... another woman for president ... and more.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Your January issue inspired me with stories of people living their dreams. It provided the dose of reality many of us need to get off the couch and step up for ourselves--not to write another to-do list but to pick one thing and actually do it....

Here we go!(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... Every single person has a story that can inspire you to shift your mind-set, open your heart, hold your family a little closer and your friends a little tighter, or simply get back in touch with yourself. This month we're looking at the stories...

What's playing in Harry Connick Jr.'s ear?(Music)
March 1, 2006... This month Harry Connick Jr. continues his mastery of all things entertaining in the Broadway revival of the Doris Day classic The Pajama Game. Before Broadway, he had memorable parts in the critically lauded films Little Man Tate and Copycat,...

Must-see little movie of the month: Thank You for Smoking.(Movie)(Movie review)
March 1, 2006... "FEW PEOPLE on this planet know what it is to be truly despised," says Nick Naylor by way of introduction. A spokesman for Big Tobacco, he's the antihero of newcomer Jason Reitman's keenly observed, stylishly filmed satire Thank You for...

Five reassuring facts about: being Fired.(Who Knew?)(Annabelle Gurwitch's new book, Fired!: Tales of the Canned, Cancelled, Downsized, & Dismissed)(Excerpt)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The average American will hold nine jobs by the time she's 32, and Annabelle Gurwitch figures a good number of them will end in pink slips. In her new book, Fired!: Tales of the Canned, Cancelled, Downsized, & Dismissed, the comedian and former...

He will survive: in a new exhibition, Charles Darwin explains it all to you.(Science)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Remember natural selection, the theory of existence that has enjoyed popularity since Charles Darwin came up with it 150 years ago? Its author is the subject of a new and, dare we say, intelligently designed exhibit at New York's Museum of...

Hot tickets.(Theater)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... THIS MONTH'S openings read like a Who's Who of world-class playwrights (with a very famous Broadway first timer in the mix). Actors Theatre of Louisville's legendary Humana Festival--worth a trip to Kentucky in any year--celebrates its 30th...

Colin Cowie's killer cocktail: a suave concoction of vodka, coffee, and coffee liqueurs guaranteed to get--and keep--the joint jumping.(Treat)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... WHEN IT COMES to cocktails, stiffer is better. Trust me, I know: I've served this one all over the world--from Monte Carlo to Mexico, for Oscar parties and Oprah's Legends Ball--and the results were guaranteed festivity. Sip it from a sexy...

Dieter's pal.(Gizmo)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2006... The Bodybugg is the Big Brother of dieting: Strap the three-ounce device to your arm and its sweat sensors and thermometers measure to 92 percent accuracy how many calories you burn in a day. Take it off and the data is uploaded to the Bodybugg...

Traveling with animals.(Site to See)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... If the New York press had mixed feelings about Gregory Colbert's environmental photography exhibition, Ashes and snow, during its run last year on the Hudson River (the Times called it "spectacularly vacuous"), the public didn't seem to. About...

Rosie's Garage: a California mother comes up with a brainy way to keep kids off the street.(What a Concept)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... ALMOST 16 YEARS AGO, WHEN ROSE Espinoza and her husband, Eliasar, moved with their 8-year-old son to La Habra, California, a small town east of Los Angeles, the neighborhood was in trouble. "Boys with baseball bats hung out on the corners--and...

Cool tools.(Home)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... To chefs at the Culinary Institute of America, spill-prone pepper grinders and unergonomic knives aren't merely bothersome--they're soul-tormenting occupational hazards. So the country's oldest cooking school enlisted 85 of its chef-instructors...

Real troopers.(TV)(Troop 1500 )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... LIKE ANY GIRL SCOUTS, THE 48 MEMBERS OF Troop 1500 wear dark green uniforms and sell Thin Mints. But most of their mothers can't drive them to meetings or volunteer as troop leaders because they're in prison. The new documentary Troop 1500...

Something to think about.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Resilience isn't a "some have it, some don't" quality. It's a skill we can all develop, a way to look at our experience that's energizing and empowering--the opposite of victim thinking. If you want to strengthen your resilience, grab a pen and...

Dr. Phil: "there are clear stop signs in any relationship. He's waving one in your face: Phillip C. McGraw, PhD, on a wife who wants more sex, a single mother who'd like a commitment, and a parent trying to keep her teenager out of trouble.(advice, etc.)
March 1, 2006... My husband of seven years does the laundry and feeds our baby daughter. I take care of her other needs and maintain the house. We spend all our free time together as a family, and when my husband and I are alone we laugh and joke. But...

Have a heart: the empathy workout: if everyone did Martha Beck's warm-up exercises, the world would be an altogether better place. Let's start with us.(advice, etc.)
March 1, 2006... I CAN'T SAY I ALWAYS ENJOY CARDIO-vascular exercise. I don't think anyone does. Oh, I've seen those infomercials featuring models whose granite abs and manic smiles become even more sharply defined at the very sight of workout equipment. But as...

Suze Orman: "life is not about counting money. It's about making every moment count": planning your life after debt, taking care of aging parents, and dealing with someone else's messy divorce.(advice, etc.)
March 1, 2006... I'm in a situation you don't hear about much these days: I'm 36 years old and debt-free. Thanks to an inheritance, my husband and I own our home and car. I just paid off my student loans, and we don't plan to have children. I'm a librarian...

Buying life insurance.(advice, etc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Like the woman worrying about how her fiance will be able to care for her and their child, we mistakenly tend to turn to men for answers. But it's empowering to be able to provide for yourself and your loved ones. One of the easiest ways is to...

The smart woman's guide to staying safe: lifesaving little cards, compiled with security adviser Pat Malone, corporate travel safety CEO Kevin Coffey, and the NYPD. Clip 'em, memorize 'em, mail 'em to your friends.(O to go)
March 1, 2006... Be safe on the street * Hold your keys in your hand as you approach your car. You're most vulnerable getting into or out of your car. * Check the backseat before you get in the car, even if you left it locked. * Don't sit in your...

After the makeover: a style tune-up: eighteen months after O's radical makeover changed Julie Morgenstern's life, she needed an update. Her new look was fading. Which bag goes with those shoes? How do you do that hair thing again? O's experts revisited, revamped, refreshed ....(getting dressed)
March 1, 2006... A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, O CONtributor Julie Morgenstern was ready for a change. With her book Never Check E-mail in the Morning about to be released and her organizing services in high demand, she needed a new look. Enter Jesse Garza and Joe...

Look what we found! Leather accessories that weave a spell, and great, big, beautiful chains.(getting dressed)
March 1, 2006... The Braidy Bunch Adroitly intertwined leather strips give handcrafted cachet to bags, shoes, and belts--some citified and polished, others with an earthier feel. 1. Subtle, okay-for-day metallic heel, Pollinl, $445. 2. Dressy messenger...

The O list: "a few things I think are just great."--Oprah.
March 1, 2006... Throw in the Trowel "If gardening is your thing, this Kate Spade bag is a way to tote your tools in style. Or forget the garden--this carryall is good-looking enough to take shopping, away on weekends...." ($200, Kate Spade;...

Look what we found! A heady fragrance, the coolest eye gel, the silkiest eyeliners ... here's what O's beauty editors--Valerie Monroe and Jenny Bailly--fell in love with this month.(beauty)
March 1, 2006... When we are so over the bone chill of winter (and when it inevitably seems to be getting a second, frigid wind), we like to be reminded that spring always comes, eventually. On those days when it's too much to see our garden--its riotous...

Ask Val: your makeup mysteries, hair issues, and skin problems solved! Valerie Monroe, O's beauty director, fields your questions.(beauty)
March 1, 2006... What will a brightening lotion do for me? A: Over-the-counter brightening lotions are supposed to fade freckles and brown spots, even out skin tone, and add a glow to your complexion. Any fading you get is going to be minimal; even...

Skin: the stress connection: being under pressure doesn't cause just the occasional blip of acne or fleeting rash--it can do a number on your skin's ability to heal and fight off real trouble. The good news: there's proof that mind-body treatments like hypnosis and biofeedback can work in your favor. Jenny Bailly reports.(beauty report)
March 1, 2006... AS I WRITE THIS STORY, MY DEADLINE looms before me. Actually, to be accurate, behind me--it was yesterday. My phone just rang for the ninth time in an hour (my best friend--I'd better be on time for the party at 8). I wish I could reach into my...

Please touch: make sure you're always within stroking distance of something outrageously soft: mohair and cashmere, wool and shearling are like soul food for the senses.(comfort zone)
March 1, 2006... Counting Sheep is superfluous when you nap in the company of their lush wool. From left: Cotton knit throw (on sofa arm), $80, and blanket (on mattress), $50, both Nate Berkus. White sheepskin pillow, $138, Comerford Hennessy at Home. Dark...

Lemon crisps for the soul: she was pregnant. She had stage four lymphoma. Chemo helped, but the real recipe for happiness lay in a mix of newsy friends, soothing food, and, at last, a healthy little buddy. Michelle Kingsfield reports.(dish fulfillment)
March 1, 2006... THIS IS HOW BAD IT WAS: I COULDN'T STAND THE sight of peanut butter. Normally, I gobble it up by the spoonful. But in the fall of 2004, I was 20 weeks pregnant and undergoing the second round of a grueling form of chemotherapy that left me...

The good fight: Anthony E. Wolf, PhD, explains why sometimes the best thing you can do is stomp out and slam the door.(connections)
March 1, 2006... ONE SUMMER WHEN MY WIFE, MARY Alice, was pregnant with our first child, we went on a vacation that involved a lot of driving. To this day, I can look at a map and pick out the towns where we had really big arguments. We'd been married for...

The workout that does it all: take one charismatic, Spanish-born personal trainer. Add weights, moves that constantly surprise as well as challenge--and you've got a phenomenal exercise program that strengthens your mind as well as your muscles, builds up your bones, boosts your immune system and sense of balance, all the while burning calorie after calorie .... Chee Gates reports.(body wise)
March 1, 2006... IF YOUR HEALTH WERE A game of blackjack, the card you'd want to be holding, the ace that can turn a losing hand into a victorious one, is resilience. That's what plucks you from the pool of folk who get the nasty office bug, or who slip in the...

The way to eat: David L. Katz, MD, sorts out the healthy, the harmful, and the hype.(body wise)
March 1, 2006... Q | I have faithfully done 20 minutes on the elliptical machine every morning and evening for three weeks, but the number on the scale hasn't moved. How long before I shed pounds? --PENNY BARNES, Clear Lake, Iowa Weight loss is about...

Weight loss: the new myths: behind the latest bulletins about the skinnying effects of calcium, a good night's sleep, and reduced stress hormones stand real doctors and reputable studies. Does that mean you should swallow everything they tell you? Not so fast, young lady! Barry Yeoman weighs the evidence.(body wise)
March 1, 2006... TAKE THIS pill. Try this diet. Buy this machine. Amid the steady stream of marketing hype designed to capitalize on our collective fear of fat, it's a rare thrill to hear about weight loss news that's backed by actual science. A study published...

Reading room.
March 1, 2006... Up with Women! They are coming up in the world: the millions of women, ages 20 to 40, whose potential practically bursts through the covers of Imagining Ourselves: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women (New World Library, with the...

Books That Made a Difference to Sigrid Nunez: Dickens. Woolf. A searing memoir of postwar life, stories of exile and emigration, and one writer's sleepless nights. The novelist likes books that make time (and life) stand still.(The Enigma of Arrival)(A Woman in Berlin)(The Emigrants)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I USED TO read one book at a time. Now I'm always in the middle of several at once. The first way has always seemed better to me, but though I've often tried to discipline myself back to the habit of one at a time, I never...

Aha! The flash of understanding that can change your life.(SPECIAL SECTION)
March 1, 2006... DONALD TRUMP WAS BORED with the same-old, same-old. Hillary Clinton was stymied by self-doubt. Fiona Apple was a total couch potato. And then each had one of those unforgettable, connect-the-dots moments, when everything suddenly, somehow...

Oprah talks to Paul Rusesabagina.(Interview)
March 1, 2006... His country had gone totally, blood-in-the-streets mad. Neighbors attacking each other with machetes. A million slaughtered. So how did this soft-spoken, unarmed man manage to rescue so many of his countrymen from a rageful death? Now, 12 years...

From runway to our way: puffy skirts? Skinny pants? We love fashion shows, but frankly, they seem pretty remote from what people actually wear. So we picked five challenging spring trends and showed how to make them work for real bodies and real lives.
March 1, 2006... The Trend: Volume Why Wear It? There's real poetry to those poufy skirts and flowing, big-sleeved blouses, and the easy fit is awfully comfortable. How to Wear It Always balance a capacious piece with a leaner, more structured...

Delta force: Katrina may have overpowered New Orleans, but it couldn't wash away the Big Easy's zingy version of comfort food--buttery sweet potato biscuits, crabmeat po'boys, lemon pudding cake. Mimi Read, who was born and bred there, profiles six local star chefs and restaurant owners who are determined to let the good times--and some great cooking--roll again.
March 1, 2006... The First Responder John Besh Restaurant August 301 Tchoupitoulas Street 504-299-9777 FOUR DAYS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA paralyzed New Orleans, John Besh sneaked back into its barricaded streets. "I thought I could do the...

How to look (at least) 10 years younger.
March 1, 2006... Five women find out how easy it is to drop a decade or so. No knives, no needles, no kidding! We're all for accepting the march of time. What's worse than a woman of a certain age whose appearance suggests she believes she's still in her...

Valley of the dulls: a stunning 157 million prescriptions for antidepressants were dispensed in 2005. For many Americans, they can be a lifesaver. But others complain that the drugs take the edge off their memory, concentration, creativity, and drive. Is this true? Are the wrong people getting the medication? Are the wrong doctors prescribing it? Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, who's been to the land of the blah and back, investigates.
March 1, 2006... I made an appointment to see an endocrinologist because something told me that my hormones had taken leave of their senses. I was only 40, but strange things were happening. I was fatigued and anxious, I'd lost my appetite, I couldn't sleep, my...

Taking antidepressants--what you need to know.
March 1, 2006... "People often obtain drugs after very cursory appointments where vitally important distinctions are not made," says Joseph Glenmullen, MD, a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. A proper intake interview should last at...

Love that!
March 1, 2006... Bags for a Fast Getaway Forget check-in lines and baggage claim hell: These sleek, travel-tested carry-ons save time and space--not to mention your back. They're swell on wheels. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Michael Graves Design for...

Shop guide: (all prices are approximate).
March 1, 2006... COVER/HERE WE GO P.39 BCBG Max Azria tunic, $198; 888-636-2224. Joe's Jeans tank, $48, revolve clothing.com; and jeans, $158, select Bloomingdale's stores. H. Stern 18kt-gold-and-diamond earrings; 800-747-8376. Derek Lam lei, $420, Jamie,...

Back on Bourbon Street.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... For this month's story "Delta Force" (page 236), O staffers traveled to New Orleans to meet with local chefs and restaurant owners who are helping the city get back on its feet. "I was really in awe of their resilience. Some chefs had lost...

"Your gut is your inner compass".(what I know for sure)
March 1, 2006... I HAVE A FEAR OF FLYING OVER THE ocean. I'm not a good swimmer. Anytime I get on a plane, it's a flight of faith... a belief in something greater than myself: aeronautics and Universal Energy, what I call God. Flying over the ocean is...