Elizabeth Taylor, Empowering Legend

The world will forever remember Elizabeth Taylor as a house hold beauty, a name and a face that  harkens back to classic Hollywood.  She be a definition of grace and elegance but what about Liz Taylor -- one of the greatest PR women of all time:

Taylor fought many battles but one of her first, and most successful was battle she raged against AIDs.  Even before President Reagan Elisabeth Taylor was raging war on this disease. In the following article from Good.is learn more about the woman behind the grace.  She truly was an inspiring and influential woman: 

Remember: Elizabeth Taylor Fought AIDS Before Even President Reagan

While many are marking Elizabeth Taylor's passing today by pointing out her great beauty or talent as an actor, we here at GOOD would be remiss if we didn't note the tremendous strides Taylor made in the fight against AIDS.

While then President Reagan remained shamefully mum at the outset of America's AIDS crisis—which is 30 years old this year—Taylor partnered with Dr. Michael Gottlieb and others to form the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). With that organization as her lifelong platform, Taylor raised awareness of AIDS like no one before her—and also raised more than $100 million to combat the disease.

In 1987, Taylor, then the national chairwoman of amfAR, was even able to get Reagan to break his silence on AIDS by speaking at that year's annual fundraising dinner. "I am writing from my heart to ask if you both would attend the dinner," she wrote in a letter to Ronald and Nancy Reagan prior to the event, "and if you, Mr. President, would give the keynote speech." Reagan gave the speech—six years too late, of course—and Reagan's speechwriter would later admit that the Gipper might have begged off had it not been for Taylor's personal appeal.

By the time Reagan gave that speech, 40,000 Americans had already diedof AIDS. Shudder to think how long he'd have ignored those thousands passed had it not been for Elizabeth Taylor.

[Article from: www.good.is]

Looking for more?  Watch this video obituary from SkyNews:

Geisha, Human Embodiment of Art.

With the tsunami in Japan today I felt paying homage to country founded on tradition and art would be the least I could do.

THE GEISHA


When you look up a definition for these women they come off sounding like early Japanese prostitutes, but that is not at all what they were.  Nowhere in the world (as far as I know) has a group of women ever tried to so hard to be the very essence, living breathing and walking of art.  From the way they painted their faces, to their hair and clothing, there are simply no words.

I find it amazing that this was their profession: art.  All of their lives they were doing nothing but living as art.  To me, that sound like a very difficult standard to live up to.  Traditions, and ceremonies driving their existence.

Watch and learn, do you have what it takes to be a Geisha?