houston style magazine vol 25 number 1

Jesse JacksonTalks About A Passion for Justice

sPoTLIGHTsH Take smaLL sTePs for a BaLanced eaTInG rouTIne H

Complimentary H Houston Premiere Weekly Publication H Volume 25 H Number 1 JAnuAry 2 - JAnuAry 8, 2014

* news * commenTarIes * sPorTs * HeaLTH * enTerTaInmenT2013 Lexus cT 200H

2014 TaxesGet refund Faster This Season

Grace JonesStill AmazingAfter 40+ years

THe TeLLTerri reviews a Book by Matthew Hertenstein

TLod sHares HoLIday cHeer aLPHa kaPPa omeGa’s 85TH

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Local Briefs

040508 James Avery

By Lisa Respers France

DEPARTMENTS2 Haute Shots 4 Commentary5 Local Briefs/Auto6 Health/Culinary8 Feature11 Book/Entertainment

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Volume 25 • Number 1• jaNuary 2 - jaNuary 8 , 2014

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A New Years of Passionate...By Jesse Jackson

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JESSE

JAC

kSON

COMMENTARY A New Year of Passionate Intensity

Clouds and tempests mark the dawn of 2014. The economy is recovering,

we are told, but the people aren’t. Over 20 million people are still in need of full-time work. America, the land of opportunity, now is scarred by more extreme inequality and less mobility than other indus-trial nations. More of our children grow up in poverty, and we do a worse job of offering them a help-ing hand up. Gun violence contin-

ues to terrorize both mean streets and schools thought to be secure. Yes, there is much to be thankful for. The wars abroad are drawing down, and we avoided sending soldiers into the calamity in Syria. Slow growth continues to generate new jobs. In states and lo-calities across the country, people are voting to raise the minimum wage. Millions will finally have health care coverage this year that were unable to get it in the past. Children, family, faith and commu-nity provide joy and reward. But the harsh reality of these times is expressed by the fact that 1.3 million Americans who are looking for work will be cut off of jobless benefits in January, because Congress chose not to extend them.

At a time when long-term unem-ployment is at record levels, when too many are looking for too few jobs, this callous act is literally un-conscionable. In the wake of World War I, the Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote “The Second Coming,” which decried a time when “the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” This is a similar time. A Re-publican Party cowed by the “pas-sionate intensity” of its far right ties Washington in knots. They openly scorn the government that they were elected to make work. They fight against asking the rich or the multinationals to pay one cent more in taxes, while slashing spending on programs for the most vulnerable. Across the country, the “passion-ate intensity” and money of the Na-tional Rifle Associates blocks any progress on reasonable gun laws. Congressional Democrats claim to stand for working people. The president calls inequality “the defining challenge of our time.” But too often people of good will “lack all conviction.” Democrats decry the termination of jobless benefits, but they do not fight to ex-tend them. They want sensible laws on gun violence, but not enough to take on the NRA and the zealots. This will not change at the top. Change won’t come from Washington out. It will only change if citizens of conscience express the “passionate intensity” that now is missing. We see stirrings in that di-rection. Pope Francis warns of the “globalization of indifference” and

calls for a church “which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy for be-ing confined and from clinging to its own security.”

Writing from his jail cell in Bir-mingham, Alabama in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King similarly chal-lenged his “fellow clergymen” to stand on the side of justice, rather than remaining “more cautious than courageous,” and remaining “silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.” We are reaching that time again. Washington is tied in knots. Powerful special interests have rigged the rules to serve themselves. They have enlisted the Tea Party right to oppose any progress. The resulting injustice will only be ad-dressed if people of conscience join with working people to demand a fair deal. It is time to march. As we make our resolutions for 2014, consider making that one of them. Let’s resolve to demon-strate more “passionate intensity” for justice than those who stand in the way of the changes that we so desperately need. Happy New Year, everyone. You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this news-paper or by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twit-ter @RevJJackson. Share this story online at www.stylemagazine.com.


LOCAL BRIEFSMETRO Marks 10 Year Anniversary

of Main Street Line

Ten years ago METRO opened Houston’s first rail line to pas-sengers. METRO’s Main Street

Line has quickly become one of the most successful light-rail lines in the country. Since 2004, nearly $4 billion in public/private development has occurred along the 7.5-mile line. At Main and Congress, several bars and restaurants have since opened their doors. And more recently, there is residential activity near Bell Sta-tion and other projects in the works near the ballpark and in Midtown. METRO’s Main Street Line or Red Line reached

New Year Brings New Hip Hop and R&B Station to Houston

major milestones ahead of projections: the line crossed 50-, 75- and 100 million boardings four years ahead of schedule. These achievements were reached with only 18 rail cars. The Authority now has 37 rail cars and nearly 13-miles of track with the recent opening of the North Line, a 5.3-mile extension of the Red Line, December 21, 2013. Two more light-rail lines – East End (Green) and Southeast (Purple) – will open for ser-vice in 2014. For more information, visit www.ridemetro.org.

Waking up on Christmas morning looking at a big, bright red bow outside

your window would be wonderful. Since it could mean only one thing was wait-ing for you outside, a brand new, shiny Lexus. Well that was not my reality over the Christmas season, however I still had a December to remember behind the wheel of a Lexus when I test-drove the 2013 Lexus 9900A CT 200h Premium. When I first saw the Lexus CT 200h I didn’t know quite what to expect. The exterior had features that resemble the extreme fun a sports car could bring but also showed off a look of everyday functionality. This blend attracts buyers of every age. On the interior the technology grabbed my attention right away. Every-thing was laid out so well for the conve-nience of the driver. Techies will love

AUTO A Gift for Keeps: The 2013 Lexus CT 200h

the navigation system. The LCD screen is not only retractable but it is also oper-ated by a mouse, giving the user a more laptop-like experience. Using a variety of Lexus signature apps like Enform the driver can plan trips on their home computer and send them to the car. The app also allows the use of Pandora, Open Table, and Yelp apps in the vehicle. Lexus brand exudes luxury so the consumer gets a lot of bang for the buck. Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, heated side mirrors, a sunroof, keyless entry, a 10-way power driver seat, dual-zone climate control, upgraded upholstery, and the latest in technology and audio capabilities. It was cold in my neck of the woods so I could not utilize the sunroof. Big bummer! My vehicle was at the top of the trim class in the premium model so I also had ad-ditional benefits. One that impressed me

was the auto-dimming rearview mirror. It is a very helpful and useful feature that also makes driving safer because it added to the quality of my view. An added package for 2013 was the F-package that gives the Lexus CT 200h a sportier feel with things like a sport-tuned suspension, a larger rear spoiler, a mesh grille, and aluminum sport pedal. One of the best parts about the Lexus CT 200h was driving it, of course. It was a hybrid so it was great on fuel. Boasting a whopping 43-mpg city and 40-mpg highway, the luxury hybrid sets the standard for those in its class. Some reviewers have complained that the Lexus CT 200h is not a speed racer, but I found it suited my driving needs per-fectly. For those who want a little more momentum to their driving, the CT has three driving modes Eco, Normal, and

Sport. I found the drive in the CT was very smooth and steering was fluid. In most of my reviews of vehi-cles with a hatch, I have found that trunk space is usual less desirable. The Lexus CT 200h put that to shame with over 14 cubic feet of space. Very nice! I so loved that. The Lexus CT 200h was my precious gift for a week but it could be your gift for keeps for a price of $31,850. Test drive one at your local Lexus dealer or visit www.lexus.com.

2013 Lexus CT 200h

METrO ‘s Open Houstons First railline in 2004

Houston’s First baby of 2014

While many kissed in the New Year and toasted champagne Victoria and

Albert Alvarado were welcoming in their new baby girl. Born at 12:14am, little Allison Alvarado is Houston’s first baby of 2014 born at Texas Children’s Pavil-ion for Women. The bouncing baby girl weighed seven pounds and 14 ounces, and was 21 inches long. A couple of hours later Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital welcomed Hous-ton’s second New Year’s baby, another girl named Jennifer Munoz. A Texas-size welcome goes to Houston’s newest resi-dents. For more information, visit www.women.texaschildrens.org.Houston radio closed out 2013

by adding a new station, 93.7 The Beat. Under the man-

Welcome Houston’s newest radio station.

agement of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Houston, 93.7 The Beat is said to be defining real hip hop and R&B station according to President and Market Manager of Clear Channel Me-dia and Entertainment Houston Eddie Martiny. In addition to tuning into the station via the radio, new fans can also hear 93.7 The Beat online via the sta-tion’s website, www.937thebeathouston.com, and through Clear Channel’s digital radio service, iHeartRadio. The switch too hip-hop and R&B upset previous listeners of 93.7 when the station was known as The Arrow and played clas-sic rock. Reviewing the numbers by Nielsen Portable People Meter system is clear to see why Clear Channel made the switch to the more hip hop and R&B format. For more information, visit www.937thebeathouston.com.

Victoria Alvarado with Houston’s first baby of 2014, Allison Alvarado.

By Jo Carolyn GoodeEditor-At-Large


The number of Americans

who are prescribed a spe-

cific type of medication

continues to increase each year. Ac-

cording to a recent study published

by the May Clinic it is estimated that

nearly 70% of Americans are on at

least on prescription drug ,more than

half of the population take two medi-

cations, and 20% of patients are on

five or more prescription medications.

This study goes on to indicate that the

most commonly prescribed medica-

tion classes consist of antibiotics, anti-

depressants, and opioids. Studies such

as these prove to be valuable because

The Need to Increase the General Public’s Understanding of Medication

HEALTH

they not only provide insight into pre-

scribing habits but also illustrate the

variety of medications that Americans

can be placed on but may not possess

a sufficient health literacy to know the

reason why they are prescribed a par-

ticular medication. Health literacy is

defined as the degree to which an in-

By Abimbola Farinde,PharmD.,MSStyle Feature Writer

dividual is able to obtain, process, and

understand basic health indication and

services that are necessary to make ap-

propriate healthcare decisions. It is es-

timated that nearly 9 out of adults have

some difficulty using everyday health

information that is available to them.

This lack of useful knowledge can be

associated with poor health outcomes

and higher healthcare costs.

An adequate knowledge of

medication therapies and understand-

ing the reasons why one drug may be

indicated or utilized in an individual

compared to another is an important as-

pect of proper health literacy. Patients

must recognize that increased knowl-

edge requires a proactive approach

which entails asking both their physi-

cians and pharmacists about any and

all medications that they are prescribed

to increase understanding. As medica-

tions continue to be prescribed to many

Americans it is important that these

individuals have basic knowledge of

what they are taking and reason why

they are being prescribed the medica-

tion or medications. It is only through

ongoing education that the general pub-

lic’s understanding of the medications

that they are taking will be increased.

By Family Feature

Sometimes even the smallest changes can offer big results to your overall well-being.

When maintaining or pursu-ing a healthful eating routine, adopt-ing a balanced approach is essential for success. Rather than restricting yourself, strive instead to make small steps toward a healthier lifestyle. A few simple changes to your daily routine can eventually turn into last-ing habits that are far more enjoyable and easier to maintain. As an expert on the positive impact of small changes, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Keri Gans offers these helpful tips: Create a healthy eating scheduleFood is fuel. In order to keep ener-gized throughout the day it is impor-tant not to skip meals. Grab a midday

CULINARY Easy Tips for a Deliciously Balanced Eating Routine

snack, like The Laughing Cow Light White Cheddar flavor with whole grain crackers, to help you overcome that all too familiar late afternoon slump. These cheeses are a must-have for your January shopping lists. Eat the right kinds of fatsA little healthy yet tasty fat, such as 1/4 of an avocado or a handful of almonds, can go a long way. It can provide flavor, satiety and be good for your body, especially your heart. Share food and good times with advance planningTo help ensure healthier choices are made when dining out, be sure to grab a quick, tasty snack to tide you over before your meal. Some great snacking options include a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss flavor with pear slices, a low-sugar granola bar or 1/4 cup of roast-

ed edamame. The less hungry you are, the easier it is to stay on track. For more great snacking tips, visit www.thelaughingcow.com. Enjoy the foods you are cravingWant that slice of pizza or piece of chocolate? Go for it. To maintain a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle, try and eat well the majority of time, but make sure you leave room for some of your favorite indulgences. If you don’t allow yourself to enjoy these foods on occasion, you might always be craving them, which can lead to overeating. Make savory swaps for old standbysIt is never necessary to eliminate the flavors you love, instead learn to en-joy them in a healthier way. Are you in the mood for nachos but trying

to eat a little better? Swap the high-fat cheese and greasy fried chips for a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle with a serv-ing of baked tortilla chips. With eight delicious varieties to choose from, this cheese is the perfect snack to sat-isfy your cravings in the New Year. So, enjoy all the flavors and fun of life by adopting a small-step approach toward eating well. Each tiny change is a step in the right direc-tion to a happier, more satisfied you.

Creamy Swiss and Pear Slices


By Demez WhiteStyle Feature Writer

At Some Point It’s Not

Settling, It’s Growing

Up

It’s great to have options

in life, most of us have them. Of-

ten I write about relationships and

romance but part of becoming seri-

ous about being an adult isn’t just

romantically but it’s professionally.

COMMENTARY At Some Point It’s Not Settling, It’s Growing Up

In a sense they work hand in hand to-

gether.

How often do you hear men

brag about how many women they

date? Why settle down when there’s so

many fish in the sea? This is the prob-

lem with that logic; if you keep throw-

ing back every fish you catch you nev-

er actually eat. You’re never fulfilled

because you spend so much time fish-

ing that you never actually enjoy the

catch. Options are a great thing to have

but there comes a time when we have

to stop and ask ourselves, “If I spent all

the time and resources I spend on op-

tions on one person how much would

that investment pay off? Texting 3, 4

women, taking 3, 4 women out. What

if I put that into one woman?” Work is

the same way, you may hate your job,

you may not like your co-workers

but pouting and stressing and look-

ing for another job isn’t going to help

you. What if you put that effort into

being a great employee? Instead of

searching for a job or chatting on FB,

actually work towards a promotion

or transfer. There’s a chance it may

not pay off but there’s a big chance it

will. It’s not giving up, it’s growing

up.

We make decisions every

day, small decisions, but decisions

that affect our lives. I’ll give you an

example, let’s say an ex or randomly

attractive person hits you on FB or

sends you a text, “Happy Holidays!

I was just thinking about you!” If

you’re dating someone and serious

about letting those “options” go; you

only have two choices. Say, “Happy

Holidays” or “thank you” and go

about your day or “I was thinking

about you too.” You just opened the

door. Wrong starts with the simplest

of intentions, wrong is easy, wrong is

fun and convenient. Being mature, be-

ing a grown up, it can get boring and

it won’t always be fun but it’s worth it

because you’re building something.

Living doesn’t have to be

reckless. You can live with a plan;

you can live with a purpose. Here’s

hoping you work your plan in 2014.

You can read more from De-

mez at www.demezw.com

Jan. 31 and encouraged taxpay-ers to use e-file or Free File as the The Internal Revenue Ser-

vice today announced plans to open the 2014 filing season on fastest way to receive refunds. The new opening date for individuals to file their 2013 tax re-turns will allow the IRS adequate time to program and test its tax processing systems. The annual process for updating IRS systems saw significant delays in October following the 16-day federal gov-ernment closure. “Our teams have been working hard throughout the fall to prepare for the upcoming tax sea-son,” IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel said. “The late Janu-ary opening gives us enough time to get things right with our pro-gramming, testing and systems val-idation. It’s a complex process, and our bottom-line goal is to provide a smooth filing and refund process for the nation’s taxpayers.”

FINANCE 2014 Tax Season to Open Jan. 31st The government closure meant the IRS had to change the origi-nal opening date from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31, 2014. The 2014 date is one day lat-er than the 2013 filing season opening, which started on Jan. 30, 2013, follow-ing January tax law changes made by Congress on Jan. 1 under the Ameri-can Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA). The extensive set of ATRA tax changes af-fected many 2012 tax returns, which led to the late January opening. The IRS noted that several op-tions are available to help taxpayers prepare for the 2014 tax season and get their refunds as easily as possible. New year-end tax planning informa-tion has been added to IRS.gov this week. In addition, many software companies are expected to begin ac-cepting tax returns in January and hold those returns until the IRS systems open on Jan. 31. More details will be available in January. The IRS cautioned that it will not process any tax returns before Jan.

31, so there is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date. Taxpayers will receive their tax re-funds much faster by using e-file or Free File with the direct deposit op-tion. The April 15 tax deadline is set by statute and will remain in place. However, the IRS reminds taxpayers that anyone can request an automatic six-month extension to file their tax return. The request is easily done with Form 4868, which can be filed electronically or on paper. IRS systems, applications and databases must be updated annu-ally to reflect tax law updates, busi-ness process changes and program-ming updates in time for the start of the filing season. The October closure came during the peak period for prepar-ing IRS systems for the 2014 filing season. Programming, testing and deployment of more than 50 IRS systems is needed to handle process-ing of nearly 150 million tax returns.

Updating these core systems is a complex, year-round process with the majority of the work beginning in the fall of each year. About 90 percent of IRS op-erations were closed during the shut-down, with some major work streams closed entirely during this period, putting the IRS nearly three weeks behind its tight timetable for being ready to start the 2014 filing season. There are additional training, pro-gramming and testing demands on IRS systems this year in order to pro-vide additional refund fraud and iden-tity theft detection and prevention. For more information, visit www.irs.gov.

Demez White


James Avery, Star of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ Dies at 68

Actor James Avery, who played the beloved Uncle Phil on the hit 1990s sitcom

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” has died, his publicist said Wednesday. He was 68. The cause of death was com-plications from open-heart surgery, said his manager, Toni Benson. Av-ery had surgery on November 11 and died Tuesday evening at a hospital in Glendale, California, according to Benson. “Fresh Prince” co-star Jo-seph Marcell, who played the family butler Geoffrey, told CNN that Avery was “a marvelous man and a truly wonderful actor.” Avery played Philip Banks, the stern but loving uncle to Will Smith’s character on the show. “He strove to present an Un-cle Phil that everybody wishes was their uncle,” Marcell said.

Avery believed the show was important because the “striving of the African-American ought to have been shown on television,” Marcell said. “What he has done for televi-sion, for African-Americans on tele-vision is unsurpassable.” “Fresh Prince” co-star Alfon-so Ribeiro tweeted news of Avery’s passing.“I’m deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away,” Ri-beiro wrote. “He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly. Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of Will Smith, posted the couple’s con-dolences Wednesday on her verified Facebook page. “Our condolences to aunt Florence (his mother), Miss Barbara (his wife) and all those who loved him,” Pinkett Smith wrote. A classically trained actor

and poet, Avery grew up in Atlan-tic City, New Jersey, where he was raised by a single mother. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and first appeared onscreen as a danc-er in an uncredited role in the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers.” A biography provided by his manager said that after he served in the military, Avery moved to San Di-ego, California, where he began writ-ing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. Before joining the military, he once said, he had dreams of being like Richard Wright and living in Paris. But life took a different turn. “I knew I loved the arts,” Av-ery said in an interview for the show “Unscripted.” “I knew I wanted to be a writer, but the theater was some-thing I had been involved in before.” Avery appeared in mul-tiple TV shows and movies, includ-ing “CSI,” “That ‘70s Show,” “The Closer” and several appearances as a judge on “L.A. Law.” Indeed, with his deep, mel-lifluous voice, he frequently played judges, professors and doctors -- Uncle Phil began as a lawyer and eventually became a judge -- and was much in demand as a voice actor. His voice roles included Shredder in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” se-ries and James “Rhodey” Rhodes in the 1990s animated series version of

“Iron Man.” He most recently appeared in Zach Braff’s new film, “Wish I Was Here,” which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. But his most famous role was on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which aired from 1990 to 1996. The show, co-executive pro-duced by Quincy Jones and created by Andy Borowitz and Susan Borow-itz, cast Smith -- then best known as a rapper -- as a Philadelphia teenager who is sent to live with his wealthy Los Angeles relatives. As Banks, a former civil rights activist and Har-vard Law-trained attorney, Avery provided a role model for Smith’s sometimes wild character. Avery, too, leveled with youthful audiences, noting in “Un-scripted” that he left home at 18 be-cause “I had too good a time.” In a 2007 interview with the New York Film Academy, he was forthright about his abilities. “You can either be a movie star or an actor. I’m an actor,” Avery said. “(But) I’ve done pretty good.” He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Barbara Avery; his mother, Florence Avery of Atlantic City; and a stepson, Kevin Waters. CNN’s Todd Leopold con-tributed to this story.

FEATURE

James Avery

By Lisa Respers FranceCNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire


THIS WEEk: Houston, TX

AKA Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter 85th Anniversary GalaP h o t o g r a p h y V i c k y P i n k

On Saturday, December 28, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Wes-tin Galleria Hotel for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) – Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter’s 85th Anniversary Gala. Eighty-five years after six visionaries

ladies chartered the first graduate chapter of AKA, the members of Alpha Kappa Omega continue to render service to all mankind. The glitzy pink and green affair honored the chapter’s tireless work and paid tribute to the 15 living former and current presidents of the chapter. Current chapter president Marianne Walker and Gala Chair Willie Mae Ev-ans received a $10,000 donation from Bayway Lincoln and $5,000 from AARP on behalf of the chapter. Diginarities as AKA International President Carolyn House Stewart and other international officers; AKA South Central Regional Director Chelle Luper Wilson; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston City Councilmembers Larry Green and Dwight Boykins, and State Rep. Borris Miles were scene in the crowd of more than 700 attendees.

THIS WEEk: Houston, TX

TLOD/TTA Christmas Around the World P h o t o g r a p h y B y J o - C a r o l y n G o o d e

On Sunday, December 15, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Manda Ann Center as the Top Ladies of Distinction (TLOD) and Top Teens of America (TTA) – Humble Intercontinental Chapter hosted 7th Annual TLOD/TTA

Christmas Around the World Mentoring Tea Program. Themed “TLC – Teens /La-dies Connecting, the TLOD/TTA wanted to give residents of Manda Ann a taste of Christ-mas from around the world. Booths representing Nigeria, China, France, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain and the USA were set up with food native to each country. Residents also received a bit of Black history presented by the teens. In addition, the Top Ladies honored the parents of Top Teens for their support of the organization over the past year. Smiles of appreciation could be seen from ear-to-ear on the residents for the ladies and teens tak-ing their time to share their holiday with them. Some in attendance were Joyce Jacquet, Shwanda Warner, Tyrhonda Bradley, Angela Castille, Jaire Harris, Barbara Smith, Chandler Childress, Camula Stanfield, Sylvia O’Neal, Barbara Lewis, Sheila Mad-dox, Wondy Weston, Barbara Fields, Jarmese Morris, Michael-Christian Woods, Paris Adams, Carol McCree, Michael-Princeton Woods, and Nalyah Johnson.


c.2013, Basic Books$26.99 / $30.00 Canada

268 pages

The new hire came highly recommended.His college transcripts

proved that he was a good stu-dent. Professors liked him, for-mer employers lauded him, and he seemed to know his stuff. You brought him aboard, of course, but you’re not sure he’ll work out and you can’t quite put your finger on why. There was just… some-thing, and you wish now you’d listened to your gut. Read “The Tell” by Matthew Hertenstein, though, and you’ll see how your inner voice can be wrong, too. For most of your work-

“The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are” by Matthew Hertensteining life, you’ve been told that you have just a few seconds to make a first impression. You know it’s true because you, too, make snap-decisions about the people you meet – but you may also remember times when you’ve been wrong. Our brains, says Hertenstein, “predict, both con-sciously and unconsciously, what’s going to transpire before events unfold.” We are “sophis-ticated statistical whizzes” and are barely aware of it. The error comes in our propensity toward decision-and-prediction-making “biases of the mind.” We also forget that “predictions are probabi-listic” and can go awry (it hap-pens more often than we’d like to think in court cases). And yet, we truly can determine a lot about someone just by watch-ing. We can, for instance,

get a good idea of how a child is being raised by observing its interactions with others. We quickly size up strangers for mate potential (whether we need a mate or not) and we put a lot of stock in the width of their faces (men) and their hips (women). On that note, we’re attracted to facial symmetry and “baby fac-es.” We can instantly perceive someone who is our social equal and, with a surprising degree of accuracy, we can also determine their intelligence, their honesty, and whether or not we want to do business with them. This all happens, of-ten within seconds. The foil comes because we are “dismal lie detectors” and often misread mixed or unclear signals, since supposed-“telltale signs of dis-honesty” are, in truth, “merely clues.” Instead of relying on a gut-feeling (which sometimes lacks in accuracy), we need to

TERRI

SCHICH

ENME

YER “ask more questions” or, if all else fails, ask a child: research shows that younger kids were up to ninety percent accurate in predicting the winner of the 2008 election. Though it does some-times descend into laboratory-worthy academia, “The Tell” is, overall, an enjoyable, informa-tive book to read. Obviously fascinated with the topic, author Matthew Hertenstein lends that enthu-siasm to this book quite well, making us excited to take peo-ple-watching (and hiring) to an-other level. We learn why we’re inexplicably drawn to some people more than others; how we can predict the outcomes of marriages and sales; how we make friends and fall in love; and how we can be better teach-ers, parents, and co-workers. In his introduction, Hertenstein warns that this is

not a self-help book and he of-ten urges caution for snap-judg-ments. Here, you’ll learn why. If you’ve ever sized up a situation quickly and felt small about it later, “The Tell” is highly rec-ommended.

She’s a model and she’s looking good. She’s also a pioneering art-ist, actress and musician. Here

are the secrets of Grace Jones. Well, well well, my heroine! No not the drug silly. THE LADY. Grace Jones.....As we sit and talk about her life, career, likes and dislikes, struggles to succeed, loves, family and the future. Susie Stillwell/JC: Hi Grace... Wow. I am so stoked. I really don’t know where to begin. There is so much we could talk about. Grace Jones: Susie, one of my best friends. Hi girl, how the heck are you? I am so happy to do this with you. SS/JC: Grace, from what I know and have researched, you fought your way to stardom, yes? GJ: Haven’t we all, as ladies, and I know you know just what I mean. It wasn’t easy from Jamaica to Holly-wood and New York I did the gamut. SS/JC: Let’s talk about some of your films firstly. I hear there are some

ENTERTAINMENT Amazing Gracewimpy men in the industry and you have worked with a lot of them, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I hear he complained that you were ‘too tough’ during film-ing of ‘Conan The Destroyer,’ and Roger Moore commented he had a genuine dis-like of Jones during filming of the Bond film ‘A View To A Kill.’ GJ: From your years as a Klin-gon, you know yourself, when you do your own stunts you tend to be a bit more aggressive in a scene. Arnold felt inferior because he is a short person. In his lifts, he still was not as big on scene as I, so the Mickey Rooney complex played a huge role in his acting with me in scenes...And Roger Moore? Please.......What a Euro-wuss! SS/JC: OK Grace, for those who do not know. What is the Mickey Rooney complex? GJ: Ummm... [laughing] The Mickey Rooney complex is a situation in film when men do not like their op-posing scene partners who are female to

be taller than they...And Mickey Rooney was about 4‘11 during those days all ac-tors were short for camera shots and other technical reasons. SS/JC: From what I know about you and your formative years, you were estranged from your parents, especially your Dad, because his reli-gious beliefs collided with your career and when your brother Christian fell out with your parents because of social dif-ferences, as well as him wanting a career in music as a DJ, you took her brother’s side and that helped establish her rebel-liousness. GC: Well, my father was very strict and was a reverend type person. When I came to the US at the age of 12, I thought I wanted to be a Spanish teacher until I discovered free speech. Man that set my Dad off. Then when I took up with singing and drama, he dis-tanced himself from me, and then my brother, but what doesn’t kill you, as they say, makes you stronger. His rejec-

tion just gave me fuel to want to make it even more, just to prove to him that I was somebody...That God don’t make no junk! My rebellion included a constant love of night clubbing in New York, as well as going out road-tripping and tak-ing acid with Hell’s Angels. I wore Afros before they came into fashion was ex-posing myself in clubs way before nude establishments were officially commis-sioned. Read the full story online at www.stylemagazine.com.

By Susie StillwellEntertainment Writer

Grace Jones


Time Warner Cable Named a 2013 Top Company for People of Color by National Association for

Multi-Ethnicity in Communications

Time Warner Cable was se-lected as a 2013 Top Com-pany for People of Color

by the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), an organization that edu-cates, advocates and empowers for multi-ethnic diversity in the com-munications industry. The company was named to this list based on the results from a joint NAMIC and Women in Cable Telecommunica-tions (WICT) Workforce Diversity Survey. This is NAMIC’s first “Top Companies for People of Color” list. NAMIC named Time Warner Cable to its “Top Company” list based on several categories, including the hiring and promotion of people of color to its management and work-force, as well as the alignment of diversity with its business goals and objectives. Other criteria included the company’s demonstration to support diversity and inclusion, and strategies to guarantee diversity of vendors and suppliers. NAMIC and

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Texas baptist universities Win Lawsuit Against Controversial HHS

Mandate

Greater Houston Partnership Forecasts 69,800 New Jobs in

2014

A Houston federal court de-livered a major blow to the controversial HHS mandate

ruling in favor of East Texas Bap-tist University and Houston Baptist University. In a 46-page opinion, the court ruled that the federal mandate requiring employers to provide em-ployees with abortion-causing drugs and devices violates federal civil rights laws, and issued an injunc-tion against the mandate. Religious plaintiffs have now won injunctions in 9 out of 12 such cases involving non-profit entities challenging the mandate. The decision is part of a recent groundswell of cases decided against the government. In nine of the twelve cases decided thus far, feder-al district courts across the country have issued injunctions against the mandate. For more information, visit

www.becketfund.org.

Wal-Mart Recalls Donkey Product in China after Fox meat Scandal

The Greater Houston Part-nership released its annual jobs forecast today saying

the Houston metro area will create 69,800 jobs in 2014. The forecast was presented by Patrick Jankowski, GHP Vice President of Research. Jankowski also explained that he forecasts that employment will grow in all sectors, with professional and business services, education and health services, trade, transporta-tion and utilities and construction turning in the strongest performanc-es. Energy and manufacturing will grow but at slower paces. The year should end with 2.9 million payroll jobs, a net increase of more than 500,000 jobs since January 2005. Only two other metros—New York and Dallas-Fort Worth—will be able to make a similar claim. Jankowski said “several factors will drive job growth in 2014—the ramp-up in construction at area chemical plants, the backlog of projects at local en-gineering firms, growing consumer confidence, and sustained popula-tion and income growth.” For more information, visit www.houston.org.

WICT engaged Mercer, an indepen-dent research partner and global hu-man capital consultants, to conduct the survey. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at twc.com, twcbc.com and twcmedia.com.

Shanghai is reporting that Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer, has recalled

donkey meat sold at some outlets in China after tests showed the product

A Houston federal court de-livered a major blow to the controversial HHS mandate

ruling in favor of East Texas Bap-tist University and Houston Baptist University. In a 46-page opinion, the court ruled that the federal mandate requiring employers to provide em-ployees with abortion-causing drugs and devices violates federal civil rights laws, and issued an injunc-tion against the mandate. Religious plaintiffs have now won injunctions in 9 out of 12 such cases involving non-profit entities challenging the mandate. The decision is part of a recent groundswell of cases decided against the government. In nine of the twelve cases decided thus far, feder-al district courts across the country have issued injunctions against the mandate. For more information, visit www.becketfund.org.

contained the DNA of other animals, the U.S. company said. Wal-Mart will reimburse customers who bought the tainted “Five Spice” donkey meat and is helping local food and industry agencies in eastern Shandong prov-ince investigate its Chinese supplier, it said late on Wednesday in official posts on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. The Shandong Food and Drug Ad-ministration earlier said the prod-uct contained fox meat. The scandal could dent Wal-Mart’s reputation for quality in China’s $1 trillion food and grocery market where it plans to open 110 new stores in the next few years. China is the largest grocery market in the world and is set to grow to $1.5 trillion by 2016, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution. For more information, visit www.re-uters.com.

martha Stewart and macy’s Settle Legal Fight

houston style magazine vol 25 number 1

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