The speculation is over. Those of us expecting touch-screen iPods, PDAs, Apple phones or even an Apple TiVo were left a little disappointed.

Taking the stage at today's announcement, CEO Steve Jobs said, "We've got some fun things to introduce today. Sort of medium-scale things."

As soon as Jobs said "medium-scale things" I knew everyone with high hopes for today's announcement probably felt a pit in their stomach.

After all the hype around Apple's invitation to see some "fun new products," Apple only announced an Intel-based Mac ($799) and a high-end speaker, the iPod Hi-Fi ($349). Apple also announced some expensive leather iPod cases ($99).

Did today's "fun new products" announcement really require a special event? Usually Apple just adds minor new products to their website and issues a few press releases.

Labels: computer, Ipod, mac

There is a time and place for everything. Once every month there is a time when a woman experiences a physical internal change, a feminine mystery that no man can ever fully comprehend. But at this time in her cycle, you notice emotional changes too, symptoms of near psychosis that make you question her sanity and keeps the 5 letter b-word close to your lips. You know it’s her time of the month, but the question is, how to keep this seemingly temporarily bi-polar woman in her place, and how you can get through her PMS without having to go MIA.

You know you are engaging with the “enemy within” her, when you are watching a re-run of Full House and she cries when DJ goes to her prom. You know you are in enemy territory when you ask her how her day was and she yells at you and says that question was
not good enough.You should have asked what she ate, how she feels about what she consumed and then reassure her she is the epitome of perfection. You know you are going to war with this volatile beast within when she tells you what she wants for dinner, you order it, and then she calls you an idiot when she takes a bite and is suddenly, “not in the mood” for that.

There are over 150 symptoms of PMS and up to 80% of women experience at least several of these every cycle. So how can you combat the enemy living within your girl? Here are a few tips to taming the beast and avoiding having to feel as though you are dealing with the Exorcism of Emily Rose.

1. The “customer” is always right. She is your customer; no matter what she says, you have to swallow your pride, or your thoughts to duct tape her mouth shut and shove her in a closet, and you must agree. Even if she tells you the left is right and up is down, just nod if you can’t get an “okay” or a “yes honey” out of you. She is a bomb waiting to go off and is waiting for you to challenge her so that she can explode. Be evasive and non-opinionated, or at least keep your real opinions to your boys or female friends that are not the enemy at that time. All you can do is sit tight and wait for the storm to pass, and if the storm gets too intense to ride out, throw her some Advil and run for your life.

2. Give her space. What better way to handle her PMS than to not handle it at all. Sometimes a woman just needs to be left to swim in her misery and to deal with her “I don’t know why I am crying” tears alone. But you have to be VERY careful as to how you avoid being with her. Even if she wants to be alone, and you don’t want to be anywhere near her, you have to keep telling her how much you wish you were right next to her and how deeply you miss her. The key to protecting yourself from the “enemy within” is to keep your enemies closer…make her feel wanted and important and she will be okay with letting you escape the wrath of her lady-friend.

3. Screw the enemy. Literally. Sometimes, even if she says, “I am not in the mood,” or “I am so bloated and feel gross,” having sex can release a lot of tension and push the enemy back inside where it belongs. The more intense the sexual experience the better. Let her take her emotional frustrations out on you physically. Just be sure to take precautions for a “clean” romp (to be non-graphic) and always offer her chocolate after.

Good luck gentlemen. This battle with the “enemy within” has and always will be a timeless war, one that men just can’t win, but you don’t have to surrender. Take control of her and make PMS the Problem Men Solve." [Via PimpWiz.com]

About Lauren Weiss:
Lauren Weiss, age 23, grew up in Westchester, New York. She graduated with Honors from the University of Michigan in 2004 and currently works in advertising in New York City. She loves dancing, dirty martinis, hitting the gym and traveling.

An ambitious thrill-seeker with a craving for adventure, Lauren lives for every moment, and every moment, lives.

Other Lauren Weiss Articles:
A New Breed of Woman
"Three Ways To Avoid "The Talk"
"How to Lose a Girl in Ten Seconds"
"It’s Halloween Again, This Year Go Home with Something Sweet
"What Her Drink Says About Her"
"Top 5 Ways to Get a Hot Girl From the Club to your Apartment"
"So You Got Her Digits, Now What?"

Labels: Ask Lauren, Lauren Weiss, women

"In September 2004, wildly popular comedian Dave Chappelle took his time and money to put together a block party for Brooklyn, New York. To entertain the crowds, he invited hip-hop luminaries such as Kanye West, The Roots, Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Dead Prez, Common, and, after pleasing some higher power, he also managed to get The Fugees to reunite for this special day. "Block Party" is the documentary covering the invites, the reasoning, and the spectacle.

"Block Party" is a "Wattstax" influenced celebration of life, music, and harmony, with Chappelle acting as the guide during this event as he witnesses his dream come to life. The film was shot in the sweet spot of Chappelle's career: right after "I'm Rick James, bitch!" made him an object of endearment to mouthbreathing white college kids everywhere, and right before fame and pressure robbed him (and his fans) of his spirit. "Block Party" reflects the spring in Chappelle's step, with the comedian surrounding himself with his musical heroes, community leaders, and basking in the glow of the people who love him. It's great to see him happy.

The film is broken up into two major sections: the first presents Chappelle trolling the streets of Dayton, Ohio (his hometown), looking for random people to invite to the party. It's quite a collection of citizens he finds, ranging from two golf loving African-American teenagers fresh from an incident of racism to a docile middle-aged Caucasian convenience store owner, who isn't sure what to wear to the "rap concert." Distributing golden tickets to the lucky, Chappelle offers to bus these folks in, put them up in a hotel, and allow them free run during the show. Stumbling across the Central State University marching band during his travels, Chappelle brings these excited musicians along as well, adding to the eclectic mix of partygoers.

Back in New York, Chappelle tours the neighborhood, meeting the eccentric owners of a dilapidated church nearby, and the day care center that long ago provided shelter to Biggie Smalls. Here Chappelle brings to light the feelings of small town accomplishments, noting that major rap stars were born mere blocks away from the ramshackle block party locale. While overridingly a musical comedy concert film, there is a strong theme of positive African-American unity and empowerment flowing throughout the movie, warmly depicted in Chappelle's excitement for the event and his candid thoughts on the authenticity of the performers.

The rest of the film features the musical performances, and most are exceptionally impressive. The sheer list of highlights in "Block Party" is long, but watching Badu lose her gigantic afro wig to a strong gust of wind (unleashing the singer's closely-guarded concert energy), her uneasy collaboration with powerhouse Jill Scott, and the white-hot electricity of seeing Pras, Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean back on stage together stand out as particularly potent memories of the day. The performances are intercut with the rest of the events and preparations, which might upset concert purists, but the editing further drives home the festival atmosphere and the absolute power of this all-star lineup. Weaving in and out of the music is Chappelle, keeping the crowd entertained with some blues-infused stand-up and hilarious audience interaction. If you already like Chappelle's sense of humor, there's no reason to stop laughing with him here." [Via IMDB.com]

**Bonus Chappelle**, "Black Bush" - He got a Coalition of the Willing, 40 nations ready to roll, SON!

"The Maldives: 1,190 islands. 202 are inhabited. 87 are luxury resorts. Those are odds we can live with.

Under The Sea
In particular, the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa on Rangalifinolhu Island is home to Ithaa – the first all-glass undersea restaurant in the world.

Life is Better
Dinner at Ithaa begins with drinks on a deck overlooking the vast deep blue of the Indian ocean. Then, descend five meters down a spiral staircase into a human-sized reverse aquarium. The clear acrylic-encased restaurant sits between a lagoon and a coral reef, putting you as close to sting rays and sharks as you ever wanted to get without a spear gun.

Down Where It's Wetter
The 14-seat restaurant is fast becoming one of the most talked-about exclusive dining experiences in the world.

Native Maldivian cuisine (you know you love it) gets served up with a Western twist, tasting like a blend of Indian and Thai. The menu features dishes like the "Ihi" Maldivian lobster in smoked tomato jelly and curry deep-fried "Raithmas" red snapper.
Warning: ordering the clownfish may engender ill feelings from surrounding aquatic life.

Ithaa, Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, Rangalifinolhu Island, www.maldives.hilton.com." [Via urbandaddy.com]

"Convicted tax evader and former Studio 54 king
Ian Schrager walked away from yesterday's IPO of Morgans Hotel Group a
wealthier man even though he's no longer the head of the luxury hotel
operator.

Schrager, who opened the first Morgans hotel in New York in 1983, controls investment firm RSA Associates, which received about $19.5
million by selling various securities in the IPO, according to public documents.

The firm retains a 6.4 percent stake in the now-public company valued
at roughly $46 million.

Last June, Schrager stepped down as chief executive of Morgans and secured a lucrative two-and-half year consulting gig from the company.

As part of his contract, the hotelier received a pro-rated base salary of $1.07 million and a $1 million bonus for about six months of service last year.

This year, he'll take in $750,000 plus up to another $750,000 in
bonuses. In 2007, Schrager gets $500,000 plus up to $500,000 in bonuses
based on Morgans' performance.

Schrager will also receive a bunch of perks including reimbursements
for business and entertainment expenses, use of a private plane, a car
and driver, a full-time secretary and complimentary rooms at any of the
Morgans hotel properties for him and his immediate family members.

From June through September last year, Schrager got $83,631 in
reimbursements plus $125,000 for fly time in his private jet.

Some market watchers and analysts cautioned investors that the perks
and consulting arrangement showed poor judgment on the part of Morgan's
board of directors, its new chief executive W. Edward Scheetz and
Chairman David Hamamoto.

Schrager served more than a year in prison after being convicted of
tax evasion in 1979 for hiding his cocaine-fueled club's revenue. Aside
from his consulting gig with Morgans, Schrager is busy sprucing up the
venerable Gramercy Park Hotel.

Morgans operates nine upscale boutique hotels in big cities such as
Los Angeles and Miami. The company is also developing two hotels in Las
Vegas.[Via Nypost.com]

"When Hollywood hottie Rachel McAdams felt uncomfortable posing nude at the photo shoot for next week's Vanity Fair, former Gucci designer and guest art director Tom Ford put on a $3,000 suit and stepped in front of the camera alongside two of the most beautiful women on Earth. Luckily for us, they were both comfortable posing in the buff.

Ford is likely to garner the envy of men around the world when Vanity Fair hits newsstands Tuesday, but all of the attention will be on 20-year old Keira Knightley and 21-year-old Scarlett Johansson. Both actresses are featured in provocative positions wearing nothing but their birthday suits for the cover of the magazine's annual Hollywood issue. And while some body parts are concealed, opening the fold-out cover reveals Scarlett's bare behind for your viewing pleasure.

Asked why he chose to have the gorgeous duo pose nude, Ford said, "I've always said, and I mean it, that I find people better-looking without clothes than with clothes." When it comes to the likes of Knightley and Johannson, I couldn't agree more.

If that's not enough to entice you, Vanity Fair also reports that Angelina Jolie appears nude in a bath tub. Other notable stars appearing in the February 14th issue include Pamela Anderson, Reese Witherspoon, Sienna Miller, and Natalie Portmann." [Via shortflip.com]

With the pornographic industry clamoring to tout their wares on your microscopic iPod screens, it was never going to be long before dear old Hugh and his Playboy empire got in on the act.

Our friends over at iPastudio.com sent us a link to the Playboy Bodcast, a downloadable podcast containing specific content from Playboy.com which is updated every weekday.

Easy to follow instructions for downloading the Bodcasts are available at the website and Playboy says they plan to introduce "sexier premium Playboy Bodcasts" in the near future.

Yup, just one more obstacle in the way of teenagers the world over doing their homework.

Labels: computer, Ipod, mac

"As far as exotic expeditions go, hiking through the untouched bamboo jungles of Thailand ranks very high—being hundreds of miles away from a gin and tonic at the end of the day does not.


That's why the new Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle is an ingenious combination of adventure and room service.

The Tented Camp, accessible only by riverboat, is a secluded complex of 15 private tents with accompanying spa, restaurant and bar, creating a five-star oasis 50 miles from civilization (the small city of Chiang Rai). The tents are loaded with all of the amenities associated with the luxe Four Seasons brand (like featherbeds and wi-fi), but instead of being in a 22nd floor suite, your 'tent' (complete with zip-down flaps) sits on a hill above the highly remote Ruak River.

The property is named the Golden Triangle after its location where three countries meet—the jungles of Thailand, Laos, and Burma. Which means that whether you're looking for elephant mahout training or a riverside cocktail (or a cocktail sitting on an elephant that is standing riverside), this is the place to get it.

Because sometimes the call of the wild needs to be answered, but there's no reason you can't be enjoying some short ribs and caviar in the process. ." [Via Urbandaddy.com]

NBC is offering the pilot episode of its new legal drama Conviction for free on the iTunes Music Store nearly two weeks before the show makes its network series premiere.

Conviction, the latest drama from Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order, takes a provocative look at the lives of New York Assistant District Attorneys.

If you download the free pilot episode before it premieres on March 3, you get extras like a music video by The Gabe Dixon Band and a behind-the-scenes look at the new drama.

Why not, it's free. You can download Conviction here.

"Transforming from a thinker to a doer is probably the most important first step into turning an idea into a reality. I think all entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can relate to this at some point. Most people who have that ambition constantly think about a handful of ideas that could be the next million dollar company or product.

Let's run through an example of a typical scenario someone goes through.

David is father of two children and realizes that where ever he goes he can't find any interesting children books or games that teach how to think and act like an entrepreneur. He has an unique idea for a fun game and book that allows kids to pretend that they started their own company, take risks, make mistakes, and learn how to be a successful entrepreneur. At first David keeps this idea in his head, he finally jots it down on paper and every so often tells his friends about it. David's problem is every time he thinks about his idea he thinks that it will be too difficult to accomplish. He has never written a book or created any type of children's game. He also thinks the competition is too tough and he won't be able to break into the industry. Lastly, because David is afraid of someone else stealing his 'great idea' he does not mention it most of the time.

So what should David do to turn his idea into a reality? It is all a matter of taking simple proactive steps that will snowball into larger ones. David finally decieded to start taking them.

Below are the list of the first four steps he followed to start turning his idea into a reality:

Step 1. First thing he did was to talk to as many people as possible (especially parents) about his idea. The more he talked about it, the more it started becoming a reality on its own. Many people he spoke with not only gave tremendous feedback, but were able to point him to someone else who could help. Also, once he started speaking with others he realized the possibility of someone stealing his idea was slim. One note about talking to others, there will always be people who tell you your idea is bad and bring negatively. While this is regrettable, it is a right of passage that all successful entrepreneurs overcome. While it may be difficult, don't let this negatively prevent you from achieving your own success.

Step 2. Research your idea proactively. The first step for David was Google. There was a wealth of information about the toy and children's educational industry for David to learn about. During this process he started to create folders, both real and virtual, of all the information that he found on this subject. At this stage, organization is the key. This was so important in helping David rise above the fog that he originally felt about his idea.

Step 3. David hit the telephone hard. He started calling companies he found during his initial research. He learned what he could about possible competitors. Also, he contacted individuals who specialized in educational games. They have the experience and can hand hold him through the process usually for a small up front fee and percentage of the royalties.

Step 4. Start. David put together a simple version of his game and a short version of his book. There will be plenty of time for future upgrades and improvements.

The longer you wait to start this step the less likely your idea will turn into a reality. Your research will start getting old. You will go back to your routines of your regular life, and might even start believing some of that negativity. So start doing today. Start that wheels of ideas moving and keep pushing. ." [Via TrueNYC.com]

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