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Guest Author: Poppy Gallagher
This year’s Grand National is only a mere few days away and the final list of 40 horses and jockeys has been announced. Although they have been announced they are not certain to run as any contestants can pull out, even on the very day at the latest. The four reserves waiting for one to pull out include Bishop’s Road, Knock House, Perfect Candidate and Maggio. [Read more…] about The History of The Grand National Horse Race
As some of you may already know, there is an absolutely amazing premium leather handbag designer named Patricia Nash. Her products are not your run of the mill leather bags. They have beautiful detail, old world touches, and are built to last.
Patricia Nash had spent years designing for other companies like Disney, Warner Bros., Banana Republic, Express, and American Eagle- just to name a few. A challenge from a friend led to the launch of Patricia Nash Designs in 2010, which has received an overwhelming response with her products extending to stores like Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, and various boutiques nationwide.
I am a proud owner of the Salerno Saddle Bag, and I can tell you that Patricia Nash’s products’ quality are like no other. The leather strap is so sturdy, and the bag itself is small and structured- great for a day out or daily use. The inside is perfect for orderly keeping of your wallet, phone, and planner. The structured sides are perfect- you’ll never go diving into the bottom of your bag again. Plus, there are two pockets inside that are perfect for keys, change, or other small objects you like to keep easily accessible. And, my favorite feature is the snap that secures the the flap to the purse itself. I accidentally sent the purse crashing down my steps, filled with my wallet, phone, pens, spare change, and various lip balms and absolutely nothing came out! It is absolutely the best snap closure I have ever experienced, which makes it perfect for clumsy folks like myself.
I was given the opportunity to ask Patricia a few questions, so here is what she has to say about her brand.
Your designs are not like anything else that we see today. They have such intricate detail that I have yet to see from any other designer. What are some inspirations behind your brand?
Patricia Nash: “My travels across Europe have provided many inspirations, including vintage shopping in Bologna, London, and Paris. I’ve developed friendships with people who share the same passion for vintage Italian leather bags as I do, and have been inspired by their collections as well as my own.”
You’ve accomplished so much with your brand in a short period of time. So, how does it feel for your career to be where it is now, and for you to do what you love everyday?
Patricia Nash: “Surreal! I am just humbled by the outpouring of women who reach out to me and share their passion for and loyalty with the brand with me.”
With such stunning and high quality products, I’d imagine that a lot of women appreciate your designs and your brand as a whole. What about Patricia Nash Designs really sets your products apart from other leather handbag designers?
Patricia Nash: “The old world craftsmanship and vintage vegetable tanned Italian leathers along with printed and tooled leather are unique to the entire market of handbags sold in the U.S.”
First of all, thank you to Patricia Nash for taking the time to tell us more about her one of a kind brand, Patricia Nash Designs.
The handbag shown in this article is the Salerno Saddle Bag in Florence.
Get your own Patricia Nash authentic Italian leather handbag and other great products like wallets, stationary, scarves, footwear, and more at patricianashdesigns.com
The Russian Fe
deration outlawed openly advocating any speech “propaganda” in relation to LGBTI topics as propaganda that could damage society. In the wake of this neighboring countries now seem to be following suit. Kyrgyzstan has introduced a similar bill in parliament that would criminalize the promotion of homosexuality. Like in Russia, if passed citizens in Kyrgyzstan could face up to a year of imprisonment for advocating LGBTI issues.
Is this a new wave of anti-LGBTI sentiment, evolving into anti gay propaganda, as long as gay people keep it to themselves they are law abiding citizens?
“The sponsors of this bill define ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ as ‘sodomy, lesbianism and other forms of non-traditional sexual behavior,’” according to the organization. “They justify the amendments as necessary ‘to safeguard and protect the traditional family, human, moral, and historical values of Kyrgyz society.’”
Kyrgyzstan already has a hostile climate towards the LGBTI community and with the potential of this ‘draconian’ bill being put into effect, things look darker for the Kyrgyz LGBTI community. According to the bill those convicted of violating the law would face up to six months in prison and a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 som ($36 to $91). For repeat offenders the maximum sentence would be a year in prison and a fine of up to 6,000 som ($110).
In other ex-soviet satellites, the Ukraine considered such a bill but it was not passed, Moldova repealed a ‘gay propaganda’ law last July, a month after it was enacted and a similar bill is pending in Lithuania.
It appears the ex-soviet sphere is in a decline of human rights and equality for LGBTI communities with ever tightening restrictions on their livelihoods and social-inclusion. So far the Russian Federation has met little to no political opposition regards its law which removes certain human rights and freedoms from a minority of its population.
Will the old Soviet Union reunite under an anti-LGBTI “propaganda” law?
Three women have been rescued from a south London home after one of the women called a local London charity to report that she had been held against her will for three decades. Two other women were also rescued from the house.
The charity, Freedom Charity, notified police of the phone call which occurred in October. According to Metropolitan Police, the phone call to the charity was made after one of the women held captive watched a documentary regarding forced marriages.
Metropolitan police have commented that a 67-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman have been taken into custody upon a slavery and domestic servitude investigation.
“All three women, who were highly traumatized, were taken to a place of safety where they remain,” police said in a statement. They confirmed that an investigation of the “very serious” allegations was underway.
The three women rescued are reportedly a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman, and a 30-year-old British woman.
It has not been reported as to which of the three woman made the phone call for help or how long the other two had been held.
Hello everyone,
As you may be aware, in addition to doing TV reviews for Manhattan Digest, I’m also typically called on for live coverage of many of TV’s landmark events, whether it was this winter’s Grammy Awards or Oscars, or the upcoming VMA’s and Emmy Awards.
Looking ahead on the calendar, one of the landmark TV events of this season is the opening and closing ceremonies of this year’s Olympic Games in Sochi. While normally this is the sort of event I would jump on in a heartbeat, recent events in Russia make it difficult for me to be in a celebratory mood.
Recently, the Russian legislature passed some very harsh anti-LGBT laws that essentially codify such relationships as deviant and criminal, and puts a ban on “non-traditional” propaganda in the state. Those who violate this ban are subject to arrest, something that the Russian government has no qualms about enforcing (case in point: the Pussy Riot arrests). This has led to further controversy, as while the IOC is assuring athletes that they will not be arrested, the Russian government has restated that this law will apply to even visiting athletes. Further complicating matters, Olympic broadcaster NBC is not entirely sure how to approach this issue as part of their coverage, leaving a pretty realistic chance that the issue is completely whitewashed out of their coverage, even if events dictate otherwise (it’s not like the network had the most sterling of reputations for their coverage after the much less controversial London games either).
It’s safe to say that we here at Manhattan Digest have a more enlightened approach towards such issues, and I feel like this situation lacks easy answers. Do I just ignore the whole situation, essentially using my silence like a de facto boycott like Harvey Fierstein advocated in the New York Times recently? Or will there still be extensive demand for normal coverage? Conversely, do I ignore the celebration aspect and take a more strictly journalistic tack, in which should something controversial or breaking happen that myself (or one of our writers) comment upon it? My gut feeling says to lean against scrubbing and sanitizing coverage, but I’d rather not blow off a large event if our readership demands/requests it.
Ultimately, I think it’s best that I get the input of not only Ryan, our editor-in-chief, but also that of our readers. Manhattan Digest is a site heavily driven by crowd sourcing, and I feel that in situations like this one it’s my responsibility to cater to the interests of our readers first and foremost. If you have a preference or a suggestion, please do not hesitate to comment below.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Michael Tyminski
TV Columnist/Reviewer
Manhattan Digest
