LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Today’s Friday PSA: I don’t like having my photo taken either, and I still love to walk through that door. You think you’re critical of your body? Imagine living in observation mode all day everyday day. My face is puffy, my love handles have more handle despite my upper body coming in, my body now hates gluten, dairy, sugar and overall fun, but I’m more flexible than I was at 17 (thanks Craig Thomas) and this and that, yada yada yada. 

The point is I still love having my photograph taken because I get to celebrate who I am now, and the growth during this crazy journey of life. Your outer is never gonna be perfect, and your inner is constantly developing. A good photo captures your essence and leaves the love handles at the door. Open the door.

Sing Sing Sing

My parents always encouraged me to dream big.  My love for music started when I was a child.  My music career started during my 4 years of college at the University of Miami with a degree in studio music/jazz vocal.  Doing gigs and sessions in Miami lit the fire in me. After graduation and without hesitation, I headed to NYC. 

I started gigging the first weekend I arrived.  Studio work followed.  I built a career doing gigs and singing on commercials (Red Lobster, Duncan Hines, Hasbro, Sherwin Williams, Modells’ to name a few).  After 15 years, the business began to decline and I found myself wondering what was next.  

Surprisingly, I landed in the corporate world.  After all, music and math are related.  I also joined a few non-profit arts and music boards.  After 20 years (and a pandemic) I found myself aching to get back into the studio.  With the encouragement of family and friends, I knew it was time to sing again.  

The result:  I released two singles; a remake of Jimmy Webb’s “Up, Up & Away” and “A Sign of the Times”, also from the 1960’s.  My third single just released in April.   

I cannot imagine my life now without music. 

I encourage you to unleash and share your creativity!  The world needs it now more than ever. – LM

Facing 50: Embracing 50

With Sterl on Style

“Linda Evangelista” saved my life In high school – I was the odd bird. Humble beginnings in the Midwest. I stood out. short hair – prominent nose – sometimes boyish attitude – other times hyper feminine. 

And when I paged through Vogue in the 90s and saw Linda Evangelista. The super model. I was in awe. My hero.  Wow, checking out this odd beauty, short hair, strange nose. I get it now. I can be my version of beautiful!

I was different Designed clothes for my Barbie Dolls( they were rock stars and never married … Ken who?) I dressed differently. I dyed my own hair. I made my own clothes.  And got bullied for it. But I refused to bend. I stayed true to me and my self-expression.

Fast forward I left the Midwest and landed in New York City – to pursue FASHION. Fast forward decades later – I’m facing 50 now A new decade. The next chapter, yet another evolution, embracing all the changes at 50.

I admit I’m a bit vain, and want to keep liking and feeling as vibrant as I can as I age. As David Bowie says Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes turn and face the strange ch ch changes. David Bowie is one of my all time hero’s – I admire how he lived his life fully expressed – artist – dreamer – evolving with the decades – all his personas – and how he used fashion to express himself. Ahhhh the changes are inevitable.

As a personal stylist, I guide my clients to accept the changes and work with what they’ve got. And now as I face 50, I must look at myself in the mirror and take my own advice. I admit I am vain. I admit I want to keep looking and feeling vibrant sexy. But it can get vulnerable.

Weight loss, weight gain,… Am I too skinny?… Am I too fat? … What about those fine lines around the eye? I like to say as I age, I can see it around my eyes. The droopier the eye, just draw that eyeliner higher.

This is why I love clothing, and style, and fashion. Can you imagine if we had to leave the house barf naked every day? Thank goodness for clothing! Use your clothing to create that confidence you need on those days you’re not feeling so confident. Use style to express yourself, express all sides of you.

Who are you? Your roles change day to day, hour to hour… worker, caretaker, expert, professional, caregiver, provider, protector, athlete, advocate, sex maven. So many roles so many facets so many styles!

Use style to create the self care self expression and self confidence you need to embrace all these roles. Embrace all the changes. You may not like it, but you can find a way to accept it. Age gracefully they say

One thing is inevitable, change. We are constantly evolving. The only thing constant is Change. So embrace your evolution, go gray, go bald. Those lines and wrinkles are a sign of experience age wisdom vitality

One things for sure – when I celebrated my 50th – women said to me welcome to the club! And now you can care less about what others think about you – and just be you, more you, all you, a more fully expressed you.

So here’s to facing 50 and embracing 50. Face the strange ch-ch-changes. and the beauty is we get to evolve into a more fully expressed version of our true selves, one year at a time.

Sometimes I’m Linda. Sometimes I’m Bowie. Sometimes I’m Sterl On Style. Sometimes I’m simply Tania. The Artist, The Lover, The Dreamer, The Fashionista, The Introvert, The Extrovert, The Dancer, The Secret Performer, The Daughter, The Life, The Lover, The Friend, The Life Long Learner.

Who are you? Take a moment to list all the expressions of yourself and use style to dress to express more YOU, all of YOU.

Finding Solace in the Eye of the Storm

with Anthony Nehra Fitness

In a time when no one agrees on anything, there’s one point of consensus: life is chaotic. But not just normal chaos. Craziness seems to be happening at breakneck speed. Everywhere, all the time. 

So you have a few options. A: Glue yourself to CNN to “stay informed” (kill me). B: Numb yourself in a food and drink induced stupor (tempting, but no). C: Take control of your body and mind, and give space to the mayhem around you (yes, please).

Most of us are practicing an angsty blend of A and B. So to make option C your modus operandi, take advantage of my 3M strategy for navigating the crazy (no relation to the tape company). 

Mindfulness 

Having “no time to meditate” is sort of a catch 22 (and probably a half-truth). But if you have this problem, there’s a solution. 

I like to practice Walking Meditation. It’s a super easy way to combine movement and mindfulness, and it requires no extra time. 

When you’re our and about, walk deliberately at a comfortable pace. Once you have a nice cadence, begin to sync your breathing with your steps. Inhale slowly for five steps, exhale slowly for five steps. Do this for five breaths, check in with yourself, and adjust your rhythm as necessary. 

This may sound a little hippie dippy, but trust me, it works. When you sync up these otherwise mindless activities, the brain has a way of calming itself. The best part is that you can be in a mega-crowded space, and no one will know you’re meditating. 

Movement 

Stress and lack of motion are a recipe for a jacked up, stiff body. 

And considering our always-on, work-from-home world, deliberate movement is critical.  

The easiest way to do this is to walk more. Take more walks, park further away, get off the subway one stop earlier. Simply taking a nightly after-dinner walk has major health benefits. 

Once you’ve mastered that habit, add some resistance. Strength training, yoga, and uphill runs will build physical control and mental toughness. And your new slammin’ bod will be a great side benefit. 

Meals

Eating healthy is a lot easier when life is calm. More time, fewer cravings, better decisions. 

But stress eating doesn’t just come from lack of time or a few bad decisions. There’s a hormonal stress response that makes us crave sweet, salty, fatty foods. 

To help mitigate this potential disaster, focus on nutrient-dense, real food. If it came from the ground or it had a face, it’s probably a better choice. If you have to tear open a bag to eat it, proceed with caution. 

When you’re feeling clear-headed and focused, take five minutes to plan your options. You don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen, but do think ahead so you can make easy decisions in the moment. 

I can only guarantee one thing: the chaos around you will continue. At least for now. But you can fully own your experience of it. So get out, breathe easy, and eat well. 

Anthony Nehra is a fitness and nutrition coach based in NYC. He specializes and fat loss and strength for guys 35+. Get your custom fitness plan at nycfit.com

What is Multi-Factor Authentication – & Why Should I care?

Howard Globus

Multi-Factor Authentication is a process where a user is required to provide two (or more) pieces of information to verify that they are able allowed to gain access to a system or resource, such as an online account or VPN. 

Multi-Factor Authentication can be Two Factor Authentication (2FA)  or it can be three or more factors used to verify an individual.  

Ideally when looking at an MFA solution, information at least two of these three distinct areas should be used: 

– Something known – e.g. a password or a PIN

– Something in your possession – e.g. a mobile phone to receive an SMS or an electronic token.

– Something you are  – e.g. a biometric signature, such as a fingerprint or a retinal scan

A MFA procedure requires a username and password and the least one additional verification factor.   

So, why?

Setting up MFA will increase the security of an account by combining multiple authentication factors where even if one type of authentication is compromised, like a shared password, the next form of identification (such as an SMS text with a code or a randomized token that resets every 60 seconds) will not also be compromised. 

While nothing is 100% fool-proof and there are ways to defeat MFA, enabling MFA on online accounts add an additional layer of protection to help keep your data and accounts safe in an online world.

Security Evangelist Howard Globus has more than twenty years of experience designing, installing and supporting Windows server and workstation products in industries where security and reliability are critical. System engineering and administration experience includes customized Windows Server and Workstation installs, designed to be deployed using the latest automated technology available and managed using products found onsite at most Fortune 500 firms to ensure a wide variety of potential personnel to support the products in the future.