The LuxMob Info Tags

(Honest Title) Why Men Don’t Like Chick Flicks
(For those politically minded) Why Men Don’t Like
Female Centric Films
(For those with a penchant for subtlety) Why Men Don’t
like Baby Bird Films
A Case Study : ‘Notting Hill’
— Martin C. Winer –

1) Plot inconsistencies.
The plot in all female centric movies seems to center around prolonging a
certain romantic uncertainty. This is usually done at the expense of logic.
There are two good examples of this in Notting Hill:
i)
William (Hugh Grant) goes out in the morning to find a frenzy of Paparazzi
outside his door. He knows this will upset his actress girlfriend Anna
(Julia Roberts) but only mentions “don’t ask” when she asks him what’s going
on outside. He lets her walk outside and be confronted by the same
Paparazzi. This, of course, upsets Anna who wrongly accuses him of
summoning the Paparazzi and causes a ‘break up’. This, in turn, provides
Hugh Grant a grand opportunity to apologize (despite his innocence), setting
the female audience swooning and the male audience hurling.
ii)
William goes on a movie set where Anna is being filmed where she greets
him warmly and intimates that she’d consider getting back together.
Unfortunately, she’s just in the middle of a shoot so she walks off to film
a scene and William is provided with a headset to hear what is going on
unbeknownst to Anna. While casually preparing for the scene, a fellow actor
asks Anna: “Who was that rather difficult chap (referring to Grant) you were
talking to on the way up?” Anna replies: “Oh… no one… no one. Just
some… guy from the past. I don’t know what he’s doing here. Bit of an
awkward situation.” Grant reacts negatively and leaves.
When Grant asks her later as to why she would say such a thing, she
dismisses it as: “You expect me to tell the truth about my life to the most
indiscreet man in England?” This is an example of terrible writing where
the writers dig themselves out of a whole by floating to the top in syrup.
Why didn’t she just answer the fellow actor with “He’s a friend” and leave
it at that? Why does Grant have to put up with such behaviour and accept
such lame excuses? Of course, in tradition with all Grant films, he accepts
the explanation and leads up to:
2) The grand apology.
It seems a new trend in the effeminized America to have the leading male
prancing around apologizing. In every Grant movie there is a huge apology
where he apologizes to some horribly behaved woman to get her love.
Watching Grant wince his eyes and beg forgiveness having committed no wrong,
aside from his selection in screenplays, is like fingernails on the
chalkboard for the male audience. Ross (from Friends) and Grant (in every
movie) always apologize for no apparent reason, and in fact, often apologize
for not apologizing. Perhaps the only real apology in such films should be
an on screen cameo by the screenplay writers apologizing for overly syrupy
content.
Looking at the movie script: http://www.juliaroberts.de/script2.htm, Men
apologize some 23 times compared to 8 times for their female counterparts.
The male lead Grant apologizes some 12 times, compared to Julia Roberts
apologizing a mere 3 times. Somewhere around the 10th apology, women in the
audience are becoming enraptured while their male counterparts are wondering
when the next episode in the Star Wars saga will premier so they can watch a
movie where men can proudly wield their light sabers and offer no apology in
so doing.

About the Author

Martin Winer is a computer scientist by day, owning www.rankyouragent.com and a comedian by night.

“There are two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Takers might eat well, but givers sleep better at night.” Aha!

Your humble scribe has had a tough time sleeping lately. I thought it might have something to do with the happiness of keeping pace with a tornado toddler and an almost bursting-at-the-seams, more-than-pregnant wife. Or the joy of fending back the weeds threatening to overrun the house and take over the kingdom in a bloody coup. Or the excitement of renovating an old room with crooked walls and a slanted floor to become a perfectly straight, modern nursery for our Beany-Baby-to-be. Or the thrill of somehow trying to earn a few dollars to keep my ever-so-friendly and oh-so-understanding bank manager from gleefully slapping past-due stickers all over my front door.

Now I learn that my lack of sleep is from taking too much and not giving enough. So I set out to give as much as I could.

I decided to start by giving advice. “The blue would look better on you.”

“What?” my wife asked. “You never comment on what I’m wearing, at least not voluntarily.”

“It’s my new sleeping therapy,” I explained with excitement. “Givers sleep better than takers, so I just gave you some advice.”

“Well, while you’re at it, is there anything else you want to comment on?”

I saw my chance to give a compliment. “Overall, you are really beautiful.”

“Why, thank you.”

I was on a roll. I was really giving. This was my chance to give her my opinion. “Your hair is kind of ugly like that.”

“What?! You take that back!”

“No, I can’t,” I protested. “That would make me a taker and I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Then you can just take your silly opinions and get out of here.”

“No, I can’t do that. I can’t take …” My sentence was cut short by the hard realization that my nose and a door could not occupy the same space at the same time.

I decided to call my mother. “Hi mom. I thought I would give you a quick call.”

“How sweet. You took the time to call your mother.”

“No. No. I didn’t take anything,” I protested.

“Oh yes you did. You even took my advice to call more often. And you took account of your mother’s happiness. And you took … Hello? Hello?”

I just could not take any more. I scrambled out the door, the receiver still dangling from the table.

I had to take off. No, that would just keep me from sleeping. I saw my neighbor. Surely I could give him a hand.

“Sorry. Today I’m just relaxing.” He studied the stress etched upon my face. “You look like you should take a break, too.”

“No, I can’t take a break. Takers don’t sleep well at night.”

“Well, at least you’re taking a stand on something.”

“I am NOT taking a stand,” I protested. I was beginning to feel like a career protester.

“Take it easy, fellow.”

Yikes! My neighbor was making me into a champion taker. I darted back toward my house.

“Take care,” my neighbor called after me.

“Noooooooooo” I screamed with my hands over my ears.

Crouched in the safety of my favorite closet, I tallied up the day. I gave advice, a compliment and my opinion. I took it back, my silly opinions, the time, my mother’s advice and account of my mother’s happiness, off, a break, a stand, it easy and care. I gave three times and took ten times.

No wonder I wasn’t sleeping well at night. I was truly a taker. There was nothing left to do but to take a sleeping pill. That should give me at least five hours of sleep, give or take a few.

David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy. Pick up a copy of his free daily motivation and inspiration ebook at http://www.thehappyguy.com/l/daily-motivation-inspiration.php
or visit his website at http://TheHappyGuy.com .

CAROLINE NADER AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER RECEIVES HONOURABLE
MENTION IN INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

Sydney artist Caroline Nader was awarded an Honourable Mention
in the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2005 Competition.

Los Angeles, California, 2005 - Caroline’s photos in the
‘Architecture in non-professional’ category, won her an
Honourable Mention for her series of images titled “In Search of
a Holy Space, Spain.” The 2005 IPA Competition drew an avalanche
of images from around the world - 16,648 entries and across 32
countries.

The outpouring of these thousands of photographs from cities,
towns and small villages continues to prove the global power and
presence of the still image. Susan Baraz, one of the competition
judges, said: “as one of the IPA judges, I was overwhelmed by
the incredible talent displayed by all who entered.”

About Caroline Nader

Caroline was born in Lebanon, and spent her early childhood in
Nigeria and England, before settling in Australia at the age of
eight. It seems that travelling was always in her blood.

Although titled “In Search of a Holy Space”, it was Caroline’s
love of football that originally took her to Europe. “I guess
that’s the joy of travelling, you find something special that
you never originally sought,” she said.

The legendary Santiago de Compostela provided the perfect
photographic setting. “Places of worship have a certain magic, a
raw energy. People’s fears, hopes and dreams are captured within
a holy space.”

Are there any more Spanish adventures in the future? “Seville is
a dream, the blending of Spanish, Arabic and Northern African
cultures.”

Currently Caroline is the Creative Director at Etcom, a
specialised multicultural communications agency. Etcom is part
of the Worldwide WPP Group as well as the STW Group in Australia.

About Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Since the 12th century, thousands of pilgrims have completed the
“Camino de Santiago”. The final destination is the cathedral
containing the scared relics of the apostle St. James. Santiago
is the second largest Catholic Pilgrimage centre after Rome.

About IPA

IPA is comprised of 18,000 members and affiliates from around
the world. IPA’s mission is to salute the achievements of the
world’s finest photographers, to discover new and emerging
talent, and to promote the appreciation of photography. Since
2003 IPA has acknowledged photographers’ achievements from
around the world in various categories. The 2005 gala Lucie
Awards ceremony will be held in October, New York.

Visit www.photoawards.com

For more information, please contact:

Guadalupe Millan PR Manager, Etcom, Australia etcom@etcom.com.au
+61 2 9568 8398

Caroline Nader caro_nader@yahoo.com mobile: +61 (0) 422 458 969

IPA Contact: Clio Van Ert press@photoawards.com 310-659-0122
(USA)

Our capital city is renowned for its lively ambiance and unending lively night life. Our capital city is crammed with after hour drinks and dance venues & watering holes of varying capacities. From the pulsating dance floors of massive hotspots to the chilled out, snug disk jockey nights, London has stuff to offer both the die-hard party goers and those looking for a nice quiet quality drink and conversation.

Several of the well known must visit locations are suited for resolute party people, folk that get worked up over their sounds and the nights they love popping over to. Fabric is London’s genuine super club and perseveres in booking some great and eclectic headliners. Since there are loudspeakers in their floor area you’re sure not to ever miss something in this venue. Friday Fabric constantly is made up of great acts that people rock to until the sunrise of the coming morning, at which point people may revisit for more revelling on the coming night fall when the club introduces their glamorous evenings of heavy and rare house tracks.

Egg club is a further famous club. This hotspot extends over 3 storeys and is possibly one of the capital’s greatest hotspots. This night is additionally acclaimed for having several of the finest camp spectacles in the city and constantly pulls in many of the most ritzy individuals.

Pacha is a flagrantly showy alternative to our capital’s spirited clubbing world, maelstrom of glitterballs, chandeliers & fancifully attired gay & straight clubbers. Egg wanted to remodel the Ibizan experience in the capital. The door doesn’t cost before 10pm and despite the fact that the club’s drinks are on the expensive side, if you are searching for a world class night out on the town with no expense spared then this place is doubtless the spot to go to.

The Underworld club is to be found in Camden. It’s got a large dance floor & spots to chill out in. It’s pretty basic, however, if money is an issue it could well be excellent. On a band night the scene is electrifying. Probably you can be shaken senseless. You will find a mingled mass of people of assorted ages and you will discover a brilliant amalgamation of artists in the night so you’ll find entertainment to suite everyone. Find out info on clubs in London with Time Out London.

The Ipod Nano

Apple iPod Nano - Revolutionizing the Mp3 Player World by
Gregory Nirshberg

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the advent of
the Apple iPod revolutionized mp3 players. The look, the style,
the sound quality, the navigation, the features, the seamless
integration with iTunes and other services, all these separate
components added up to a spectacular and revolutionary mp3
player. Each new mp3 player that Apple has released has pushed
the envelope for design and all around use. First they
miniaturized the iPod with the iPod Mini. Then they miniaturized
that, and by getting rid of the LCD screen were able to offer
the Shuffle for unheard of low prices for an iPod. Now they’ve
gone to the next level. The Apple nano.

But will it really revolutionize mp3 players? Yes. And here’s
why:

Size and Storage

Take the iPod, shrink it, shrink it again, and then shrink it
one more time and you have the Nano! It’s no thicker than a
pencil and slides right into your back pocket without even
noticing, literally! The nano is smaller than most other flash
mp3 players, but has something that none of them do: 2GB and 4GB
file capacities. No flash mp3 player has the kind of file
capacity that the nano has. And what this means is that you can
store a previously unheard amount of music on an mp3 player with
no moving internal parts, i.e.- a completely skip free player.

Signature iPod Quality

Remember that this is an iPod, so you have unmatched usability
and sound quality. The player comes with the Apple signature
click wheel and navigation system. It hooks up seamlessly with
iTunes and other standard Apple software. The sound quality, as
with all iPods, is excellent.

Brand New Features

The Nano comes with a full color screen which can display
multiple image file formats in a crisp high quality format. It
also now syncs up directly with Microsoft Outlook and Outlook
Express for contacts and colander functions and to-do lists. One
of the coolest and most useful new features the nano comes with
is a stopwatch and lap timer. Because it’s small and flash
based, the nano already is great for working out, but the
stopwatch can record many lap times and then give you shortest,
longest, and average lap, as well as your overall time and
individual lap times.

The Cool Factor

What can I say? The iPod nano just oozes cool from every angle.
It’s small and sleek. The colors are hot. The navigation is
excellent. It can play music or audio books, display pictures,
or even do both at once!

Conclusion

So what’s the nano done to push the envelope and revolutionize
mp3 players? It’s made the largest file capacity flash mp3
player ever. It’s added a brilliant color screen to display
images. And it’s added tons of neat new features previously
unavailable on iPods. And it’s done all this while not giving up
what we have come to know and love about the iPod: superb sound,
navigation, and usability. There isn’t much negative to say
about the nano. At $200 and $250 respectively, the 2GB and 4GB
iPod nano sure isn’t cheap, but it is unmatched as a flash mp3
player and worth every penny if you want the coolest ipod around.

http://www.ipodreviewed.com/Ipod_Nano.html

The debut book by author Parys Sylver needs a facelift. Parys
feels that the name evokes the wrong impression. Often a popular
name turns a good book into a great book. But the question is:
What is in a name.

“I don’t people to think its porn” Parys said on his official
site. “So a name change is needed. However, I still love the
original title.”

Parys plans to keep up with the idea with the soundtrack and
also tells his fans what song he is recording.

“Shine is the most appropriate song for me to sing. It’s the
theme song of the book. To “Shine so bright it blinds.”

So the question is what will be the new name for High School
Whore?

“I am in the process of creating a new name, since a new name is
needed. As far as the book goes I am basically done, there are
like 6 chapters left. February 12 is the wrap up day. And on
that day, if not before, I will release the official title.”

Parys Sylver also talks about his upcoming movies. Stating that
he is choosing his roles wisely and not in a rush to do
anything. But he may have a spot on Phil of The Future soon.

Welcome to Basin City, a city where a Senators maniacal son has
access to its youth, where you’re just as likely to be killed by
the police as you are a criminal and the prostitutes have their
own section of town where they can dish out their own brand of
justice independent of any officials.

Basin City is also home of Sin City the noir graphic novel (I
call them comic books) by legendary comic Frank Miller. Frank
Miller and Robert Rodguiez, with a little help from Quentin
Tarnatino bring his very pessimistic and sadistic world to life
in the new film of the same name and takes us all along on a
wild, and very violent ride through Miller’s morally bankrupt
imagination.

Sin City is everything you’d expect to hate about a movie:
drastically violent, sadistic, misogynist by anyone’s standard
and lacks any hint of morality but, despite all of that, it is
one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

First of all it is visually stunning. Rodriguez apparently
adhered slavishly to Miller’s comic book and painstakingly took
it from the comic pages to the big screen. The settings are
stunning, and the color, this extreme black and white with
splashes of well placed color, is astounding. Rodriguez, who has
brought us films such as El Mariachi and Desperado, is just as
stylized as he’s ever been and just as brilliant. He really
brings you into this world of victim vs. victimizer where no one
really wins and everyone is a loser.

Secondly Sin City’s all star cast doesn’t disappoint, with the
exception of Jessica Alba who is out of place and completely out
of her acting league in her role as Nancy, a stripper with the
heart of gold. Some notable performances include Benicio del
Torro, who is amazing as Johnny, the decorated yet sadistic and
abusive police officer and ex-boyfriend to Brittany Murphy’s
Alice and Clive Owens who plays Murphy’s new love interest and
Johnny’s nemesis.

But the best performance of all is Mickey Rourke as Teddy a half
man, half beast thing that avenges the murder of a hooker,
Goldie, who is the only person who has ever shown him any
kindness. When she’s found dead after a night they have spent
together, Teddy is excused of the crime. He swears to find those
guilty for her murder and proceeds to stop at nothing to see it
done. This is a role Rourke was born to play. He embodies the
psychotic and violent Teddy and you can’t help but feel for him
as he sets out to exact the vengeance that has consumed his soul.

Sin City isn’t perfect however. The dialogue can start to get
old after awhile, I know it is a comic book, so that over the
top, nineteen fifties “Golly G” language is to be expected but
still it was a bit annoying. Also the story is very complicated,
having been adapted from three of Frank Miller’s comics and if
you don’t pay close enough attention you could miss how all of
the stories connect. I’ve already mentioned the violence but it
bears repeating that this is an extremely violent film. While
most of the violence and gore is stylized, (there’s a whole
sequence with a decapitated, talking, head) it is still a bit
much and if you’re of the faint of heart then this movie is not
for you.

With that said Sin City is a great film and those young males
who are a fan of Miller’s comics will not be disappointed here.
If you can stand random acts of violence, beheadings and
castrations, then take the time and see this film, it’s
definitely worth your money. If not, stay home, this isn’t a
family friendly flick.

P2P file sharing programs are free. Period. But there are P2P
scam sites out there that want you to pay them instead. P2P scam
sites are rogue companies that have set up shop to fleece
unsuspecting music downloaders looking for file sharing programs
by charging a fee for an otherwise free service.

No
P2P file sharing software costs money. Exceptions would be a
site asking members to make a monetary donation to help pay for
bandwidth, hosting costs, and other administrative costs.


Some P2P file sharing programs offer “pro” versions of
their free software. But again, their basic service is free to
the public. I want you to fully understand this, because paying
a P2P scam site money can not only make your wallet a bit
lighter, it can also make your computer vulnerable to dangerous
spyware.

That’s right. These scam sites are only
interested in making money off you. As well as actually taking
your money by fooling you into paying them, they’ll make money
off you by installing spyware on your PC, so that they can get
paid by sharing your online habits and personal information with
others.

For music download beginners, all of this can
be very confusing. Why? Because these scam sites advertise all
over the Internet. Search engines return results chockful of
these scams alongside the real P2P file sharing programs; their
banner ads riddle the Internet landscape; sites are promoting
these scams to get their piece of your money.

Most
real P2P programs don’t advertise much on the Internet. The
reason is that they’re not money makers. It takes money to
advertise, and who has more money–the free P2P file sharing
programs or the scam artists? You guessed it. P2P relies on word
of mouth. The scam sites rely primarily on advertising.

How Can I Tell a P2P Scam Site?

This is
the easy part, if you know what you’re looking for. P2P scam
sites often use phrases like 100% Legal, which is
absolutely untrue. This is a trick they use to prey on people
interested in P2P file sharing programs, but who are worried
(rightly) about Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
lawsuits. Keep in mind that sharing and downloading of
copyrighted files is, at this moment, an illegal activity.


Another tactic is to use fake endorsements and
recommendations from legitimate companies. Other cons are to use
phrases like Direct Downloads!, Get Access Now!, Download
Unlimited Free Music!, and other phrases that are promising
you things they absolutely CANNOT deliver.

How
Does It Work & How are They Doing It?

To be honest, I
do not know the ins and outs of P2P scam sites. But I know this:
all P2P file sharing programs are free. Think about it a moment.
It is because music files are being shared free of charge
(without artists receiving royalties) that organizations like
the RIAA are mad and suing.

These P2P scam sites are
merely taking your money, downloading a little spyware to your
PC, then connecting you to one of the real P2P file sharing
programs.

This is all convoluted by the nature of
P2P, which is a series of servers networking files to one
another. Unless you’re buying your music MP3 downloads from a
legitimate company, either per song/album or through a monthly
subscription, you cannot be sure where your music is coming
from.

The legal status of P2P file sharing programs
is confusing. We know that MP3 files themselves are not illegal.
For example, it’s legal to possess MP3s, to rip your CDs to your
hard drive, and to burn CDs for your personal use. But, by
sharing and/or downloading these files, you are breaking
copyright laws. To my knowledge, P2P scam sites are not actually
breaking any laws. But why pay for something you don’t have
to?

One of the most common techniques these scam
artists use is to set up sites that are misspellings or
derivations of popular P2P file sharing programs. KaZaA is
probably the most hijacked name being used these days.


Other sites may not actually charge you anything at all,
but they’ll “give you the software for free” if you give
them your email address. This too is a scam. Because once again,
they’re just sending you along to a proper P2P program, but
after collecting your email address, they’re selling it to third
parties. Don’t give these scammers any of your personal
information!

If you’re on a website you trust, even
this website, you may see ads by these scam artists, preaching
their lies about 100% blah, blah, blah. For your own security,
don’t click on the links. They’re still scams. (Many independent
websites rely on ads to pay the bills. We don’t always have full
control over what advertisements appear on our sites. Keep in
mind that most online advertisements are arranged and
distributed by third-party companies who pair up advertisements
with appropriate keywords. So a page that discusses “music
downloads” is likely to have an ad from a scam site singing
their own false praises.)

On this note, there are
sites all over the Internet that actually promote P2P
scam sites. Why? I have my opinions. First, these scam sites are
paying large sums of money to affiliates who promote their
sites. For example, a scam site may be charging you $29.95 for
their non-service. Well, they’re paying affiliates over half
(I’ve seen the pay-out as high as 75%) of that just for getting
you, the visitor, to their scam sites.

I Think
I’ve Used One of these Scam Sites. What Do I Do
Now?

Stop! Right now, stop using that
service. If you’ve got some type of monthly payment with
them, stop paying them. Cancel your “membership,” contact your
bank or credit card company, and stop paying them immediately!
Secondly, your computer has probably have been infected by
spyware, and you need to remove it right away. I recommend
purchasing spyware-removal software like Pest Patrol because
they do the best job at clearing out spyware parasites.


If you’ve been pulled into a scam site, just rack it up to
experience. Their ad copy is very convincing, and you just
wanted to “be legal” while downloading. Take heart in knowing
that you’re not alone. But you’re better off now, with this
information at your disposal.

In my opinion, this is
another reason to consider not using P2P file sharing programs
as a means to get your online music. I think that these P2P scam
sites will increase in number, and will use more clever tactics
to get your money and your information. Until the peer-to-peer
communities are regulated in some way, I fear that these types
of activities will get worse before they improve.

Do you have an average size or a short penis? Of course you’ll probably not be caught dead, neither sober nor drunk admitting that to your sex partner, especially prospective ones, or even to yourself. But you need not worry or let it dampen your self confidence. There is a way of keeping you and your lover sexually satisfied so take advantage of this lovemaking position. You and your partner will learn a simple lovemaking technique that is incredibly sexual and will mutually enhance your pleasure. Here’s how…

In that most famous of love making text, the Kama Sutra, you’d be called a ‘hare man,’ on the basis of the size of your penis. This lovemaking position is called the ‘closure.’ To begin this lovemaking position your lover is lying on her back, place a cushion, under her bottom raising her hips towards you. Then place yourself between her legs. Keep your feet on the floor. Press your lover’s thighs against her torso and put your hands under her arms or hold her shoulders tight in an embrace clasping her body to yours.

As a vital part of love making you would already have engaged in lots of foreplay with your fingers, hands, mouth or toys before trying this lovemaking position skillfully leaving her extremely arouse and wet and ready to receive you. Now insert your penis inside her vagina and pump and gyrate your hips. Be sure to keep yourself attuned to her responses since in this lovemaking position you want her arousal to build leaving her burning with pleasure.

Even better is that this lovemaking position with your lover on her back, her thighs and bottom positioned in this manner, the walls of her vagina squeezes together creating a deliciously tight space. However, it can be a little tiring for her so alternate your lovemaking position. Best of all, as a couple, this lovemaking position can increase both you and your partner’s level of sexual intimacy leaving little time to worry about size and plenty of time to enjoy the sexual ride.

To Find More Lovemaking Positions, Videos, Pictures, Tips and Techniques Visit ~ THE Lovemaking Zone

Precise attention to detail elevates The Fab Four far above
every other Beatles tribute. With uncanny, note-perfect live
renditions of Beatles’ songs, The Fab Four will make you think
you’re watching the real thing. These talented lads replicate
that famous Liverpool sound Live in the original record key, and
they do it all without any tapes, sequences or backing tracks!
The Fab Four playing at the V Theater in the Aladdin Desert
Passage. Book your Fab Four tickets online or call toll free
today.

Additional Information about this Las Vegas Entertainment is
located at http://www.lvindex.com