Smoking

Sensible shoes Flat smoking slippers in velvet or satin and wedge sneakers with studs and straps overtook sky-high platforms in the fashionable footwear race. Artful nails Whether it was tiny Union Jacks, tuxedos, stripes, crystal flowers or caviar pearls, nail art went from the subculture sidelines to becoming an everyday indulgence, and not just for flamboyant pop stars like Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. The boom was due in part to nail technology advances, including new, easy-to-apply nail decals and gel-color manicures, which allow for long-lasting decoration, including gradated glitter and stripes, as well as crystal and charm appliques.

Smoked salmon sold at Wal-Mart's Sam's Club stores nationwide is being recalled in 42 states, including California, and Puerto Rico amid listeria concerns. The fish was produced by a Miami subsidiary of Multiexport Foods Inc. in conjunction with Tampa Bay Fisheries Inc. The companies are pulling the product “with an overabundance of caution,” according to a Wal-Mart statement . The listeria monocytogenes bacteria - which can cause fatal infections in the elderly, the young and those with weak immune systems, and lead to fever, nausea and diarrhea in other victims - was discovered during a standard lab test on a shipment of the salmon that hadn't been distributed to stores, according to Wal-Mart.

Total time: 40 minutes The delicate corn latkes that Joachim Splichal serves at Patina have been on the menu since the day the doors opened. Splichal layers them with fresh marinated salmon, but smoked salmon can be the perfect replacement. They are served with a sour cream sauce. SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE 1 cup sour cream 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced 1 tablespoon minced chives LATKES 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (5 to 6 ears) Butter 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2/3 cup whole milk 2 eggs 1 cup unbleached flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Salt 2 tablespoons minced chives 20 paper-thin slices smoked salmon 1/4 cup chopped chives SOUR CREAM-CHIVE SAUCE Blend sour cream, bell pepper and chives in small bowl.

Madonna is known for speaking her mind, even if it means tongue-lashing her own fans on occasion. So when the Material Girl spotted a few people smoking during a sound check at Chile's National Stadium on Wednesday, she didn't hesitate to voice her displeasure. "There are people smoking here. No smoking!" Madonna schooled her Santiago followers. "If you're going to smoke cigarettes, I'm not going to do my show. " If you love me, don't smoke, Madonna further pleaded. PHOTOS: Madonna's life in pictures But according to a video and an account in Santiago's El Mercurio newspaper , the encounter escalated as the fans continued puffing away.

Rita Corwin, 90, conscientiously paid her premiums for long-term care insurance for 21 years to make sure that if she needed help as she grew older and more fragile, she'd get it. Yet now that she finds herself in a position to require such assistance, her insurer, Washington National Insurance Co., is denying her claims. "She bought this insurance for the same reason anyone would," said Corwin's daughter, Leni, who has been representing her mother in their dealings with the company.

DIEPSLOOT, South Africa - On the sunny side of a dusty township street, next to the metal gates of a school, Lucas Moyana's little shop is just a board propped on four plastic crates like a child's lemonade stand. For a couple of coins, he sells being cool, sells being free. A schoolboy in uniform hurries up, barely glancing at the cookie packets, lollipops and candies, grabs a Dunhill cigarette from a red box, puts a match to it and drops 22 cents on the table before hurrying away.

SEATTLE - Customers have been drifting into Jay Fratt's alternative pipe and tobacco shop, Smokin J's, in the days since Washington state's marijuana law took effect, wondering when cannabis would take its place on the shelves next to the handblown glass pipes. Hold on, he told them. Fratt is, before anything else, a businessman, and he quickly realized there was a lot of smoke in the details. First of all, the law setting up the nation's first legal regulatory system for retail pot won't allow sales until next year.

  Total time: 1½ hours Servings: 4 to 6 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 pound applewood smoked bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips 1 large onion, diced ¾ inch 2 packed cups leftover turkey meat, diced ¾ inch 1 pound (about 2 medium) baked garnet yams, diced ¾ inch (candied leftover yams can be substituted) 2 cups cooked Brussels sprouts, cut into quarters 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves Salt and pepper to taste 6 ounces (about 1½ cups)

Thirty of the 50 largest U.S. cities prohibit smoking indoors at all workplaces, restaurants and bars, the federal government reported. Just 12 years ago, only San Jose had such a law. As of Oct. 12, 16 of the largest cities had comprehensive smoke-free laws, and 14 additional cities were covered under state laws, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week. Overall, nearly half of Americans are covered by state or local smoke-free laws, compared with less than 3% in 2000, the CDC said in its report published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

While the lion's share of youth anti-smoking efforts has focused on cigarettes, a new report in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease suggests more needs to be done to reduce the number of teens smoking flavored tobacco from hookahs. According to a recent survey cited in the report, 18.5% of 12th-grade students admitted to using a hookah in the previous year. And what's particularly concerning to the study authors, led by Daniel Morris of the Oregon Health Authority's public health division, is that many young people don't seem to recognize that hookah use carries serious health risks: Hookah smoke contains many of the same toxins as cigarettes and has been associated with a similar laundry list of diseases such as lung cancer and respiratory illness.