February 5, 2012

Player Lessons From The Great Male Survey

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The Great Male Survey of 2009 is complete, and there are a few surprising characteristics that apply to the Player’s area of romantic and sexual expertise. While some of the statistics were expected, others only proved that while men have a workable understanding of that mystery we know as “woman,” we still fall a little short. For instance, there’s a good amount of passiveness and insecurity out there: The majority have withheld the details of their sexual fantasies, and one in every five men would read the private mail of a woman who they perceived to be “up to something.” On the other hand, there are some encouraging results that should bode well for the future -- and when next year rolls around, perhaps we’ll find more trends that indicate a rising population of confident, capable and above all else, understanding men. In the meantime, the Player has compiled a list of tips, based on the Great Male Survey results, which should prove useful in bettering your love lives. Let go of your inhibitions When I read that 57% of men hadn’t told their wives or girlfriends about their sexual fantasies, I had to frown in disappointment. One of the chief failings of relationships is a lack of intimacy, and more in relation to the Player, this lack of openness closes doors and flies in the face of everything the ladies' man stands for: maintaining a satisfactory love life by remaining open to new ideas and new adventures. On the intimacy side of things, telling a woman your sexual fantasies is an indication of trust and indicates a real willingness to expose the deepest recesses of your soul. Unless your fantasies involve some seriously depraved (or perhaps even dangerous) stuff, the relation of your amorous dreams can only have a positive impact on your relationship. If you’re out cruising the women in true Player fashion, tear down some of the walls that stand between you and your innermost desires. Take responsibility for the sexual heat One of the more obvious -- and yet hardly surprising -- discrepancies found in the survey results is that 76% of men believe that couples with healthy sex lives have sex multiple times per week -- and yet, only 33% actually have sex on that consistent basis. Furthermore, less than half of the participants (46%) said they’re only “somewhat satisfied with their sex lives” while another 19% said they’re “not at all satisfied.” One may claim that it’s the age-old problem, in that men never get to have sex as often as they wish. While it may be true that men complain more often about a lack of sex, you would be surprised to learn how often women do the same. They’re just not as loud about it. It takes two to tango and therefore, you must accept at least some of the responsibility; in any relationship, be it a fling or a marriage, the man must keep the sexual heat turned up high. In short, keep things unpredictable and spontaneous. … [Read more...]

Perfect 10 Settles Copyright Lawsuit with Amazon

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Terms of the settlement are confidential LOS ANGELES—In 2005, seven months after suing Google for infringing its copyrighted works by posting thumbnail versions of its photos in search results, Perfect 10 and owner Norm Zada did the exact same thing with Amazon. After years of roller-coaster rulings by a variety of courts—with most going against Perfect 10—the parties in the Amazon lawsuit settled their differences Tuesday in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles. "Lawyers for Amazon.com and Perfect 10...said the companies had settled the case," reports Business Week. "Terms of the settlement were confidential and wouldn’t be disclosed, Jeffrey Mausner, a lawyer for Perfect 10, said after the hearing. Anthony Malutta, a lawyer for Amazon.com, declined to comment." In the last major pronouncement on the cases, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2007 ultimately ruled neither Google nor Amazon directly infringed Perfect 10's copyright by posting thumbnail images, but the appellate panel kicked the question of secondary liability back to disctrict court. "Both the District Court and the Ninth Circuit panel found that Perfect 10 had a clear copyright to at least some of the images in question, and since Google did reproduce tiny versions of those images ("thumbnails"), the District Court ruled that Perfect 10 would probably succeed in establishing at trial that Google had violated its copyright," Mark Kernes wrote at the time. "The question then became, as the Ninth Circuit framed it, whether Google could show that it could prove 'fair use' under the Copyright Act and/or the [Digital Millennium Copyright Act] as a legitimate defense. While the Ninth Circuit absolved Google (and later Amazon.com) of any direct liability for infringing on Perfect 10's images, it refrained from doing so on the question of secondary liability." While Perfect 10 continues to insist that Google has violated DMCA provisions and thus lost its "fair use" protection, instead of going back into court for a full trial to determine the secondary liability aspects of Amazon.com's linkage to full-sized Perfect 10 images on third-party sites, the two parties apparently have decided to settle their differences privately. It remains to be seen whether Perfect 10 and Google arrive at a similar understanding. … [Read more...]

Tempers flare ahead of bipartisan health care summit

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Democrats, Republicans spar before bipartisan health care summit * Olympia Snowe, who voted for health care reform plan in Senate, declines invite * Democrats discuss possibility of reconciliation to move legislation; GOP warn of backlash Watch the summit LIVE on CNN.com, starting at 10 a.m. ET. Washington (CNN) -- The day before the White House's bipartisan summit on health care reform, there didn't appear to be much mood for compromise on Capitol Hill. Sen. Chris Dodd, a key author of the Senate health care bill, told reporters flatly Wednesday that if Republicans continue to demand that Democrats scrap their health care proposals and start over, "then there's nothing to talk about." "If you expect me to start all over on this, there's really not much point in this, 'cause we're not going to start over," Dodd said. But Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell argued that's exactly what Republicans want. "Unless they're willing to do that, I think it's nearly impossible to imagine a scenario under which we can reach agreement because we don't think we ought to pass a 2,700-page bill that seeks to restructure one-sixth of our economy," McConnell said. Dodd said Democrats and Republicans could find some common ground in some areas, such as a Republican push to allow insurers to sell insurance across state lines. Dodd called the GOP proposal "a legitimate issue" but added that Democrats already have a version of that proposal in their legislation. Video: Why White House summit matters Video: Sen. Barrasso on health care Video: Dying for health coverage RELATED TOPICS * Health Care Reform * Health Care Issues * U.S. Politics * Health Insurance Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennesee, will give the opening statement for the Republicans at the summit, according to two GOP sources. However, Sen. Olympia Snowe, the only Republican to have voted for a health care reform plan in the Senate Finance Committee in October, will not attend. Spokesman John Gentzel said the Maine senator turned down a White House invitation to attend because she understood the rules of the summit were that the Democratic and Republican leadership would select summit participants. "The Republican leadership had long since selected their team and therefore, it would have been inappropriate for Sen. Snowe, under those circumstances, to accept the invitation," Gentzel said. The invitation for Snowe infuriated Senate Republicans. One senior GOP official said that as recently as Tuesday, the White House told Republicans the room was full but then went behind their backs on Wednesday and invited two more senators. The official said there are "some real credibility issues" plaguing the health care summit. House and Senate Democrats participating in Thursday's summit met in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office to game out their approach for the meeting. Republicans held their own strategy session in McConnell's office later Wednesday afternoon. Pelosi … [Read more...]

Turkish army chief meets leaders over 'coup plot'

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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), President Abdullah Gul and Gen Ilker Basbug meet in Ankara, February 25 2010 Thursday's meeting was called amid escalating tension between the government and the military Turkey's leaders have met the head of the armed forces, Gen Ilker Basbug, about an alleged plot to stir up chaos and justify a military coup. After several hours of talks, the presidency said Turkey's problems should be solved constitutionally. The talks between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Abdullah Gul and Gen Basbug come after 20 military officers were charged over the case. They were called amid rising tension between the government and military. Former heads of the navy and air force are still being questioned and could yet be charged. The military has denied any coup plot and has held its own officers' summit to discuss the "serious situation" in the wake of the latest arrests. The generals believe the AK Party has a hidden agenda to subvert the country's secular system Roger Hardy BBC regional analyst Turkish military faces crossroads The BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul says the Turkish government is embroiled in the greatest test yet of its authority over the armed forces. Turkey's military has overthrown or forced the resignation of four governments since 1960 - most recently in 1997 - though Gen Basbug has insisted that coups are a thing of the past. The scale of Monday's operation against the military was unprecedented. Those arrested include two serving admirals, three retired admirals and three retired generals. A number of them are being kept in jail while 12 have reportedly been freed. Retired air force commander Ibrahim Firtina and former navy chief Ozden Ornek arrived at court on Thursday morning for questioning. 'Mosque plot' Dozens of current or former members of the military have been arrested in the past few years over similar plot allegations, and some have been charged. Former Air Force Commander Gen Ibrahim Firtina arriving at court in Istanbul, 25 Feburary 2010 Ex-Air Force head Gen Ibrahim Firtina was among those being questioned The latest men to be charged were arrested over the so-called "sledgehammer" plot, which reportedly dates back to 2003. Reports of the alleged plot first surfaced in the liberal Taraf newspaper, which said it had discovered documents detailing plans to bomb two Istanbul mosques and provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea. The army has said the scenarios were discussed but only as part of a planning exercise at a military seminar. The alleged plot is similar, and possibly linked, to the reported Ergenekon conspiracy, in which military figures and staunch secularists allegedly planned to foment unrest, leading to a coup. Scores of people, including military officers, journalists and academics, are on trial in connection with that case. 'Painful transformation' Analysts say the crackdown on the military would have been unthinkable … [Read more...]

Black History Month – Muhammad Ali

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Also known as: Cassius Marcellus Clay, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., Cassius Clay (1942- ) Professional boxer Personal Information Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; name changed to Muhammad Ali, 1963; born January 17, 1942, in Louisville, KY; son of Cassius (a piano player) and Odessa Clay (both deceased); first wife, Belinda; second wife, Aaisha; third wife, Veronica Porche; fourth (and current) wife, Yolanda Williams, married in 1986; children: nine (one with Yolanda). Religion: Muslim Addresses: Office: c/o The Muhammad Ali Center, One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1702, Louisville, KY 40202. Career Former world heavyweight boxing champion. Began professional career, 1960; initially became heavyweight champ, 1964; stripped of title and boxing license over refusal to participate in the Vietnam War, 1966; retired from boxing, 1981. Appeared in film The Greatest, 1976, and television film Freedom Road. Awards Olympic Gold Medal in boxing, 1960; six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles; National Golden Gloves titles, 1959-60; World Heavyweight Championship, 1964-67, 1974-78, 1978-79; U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, inductee, 1983; named the greatest heavyweight champion of all time, Ring Magazine, 1987; International Boxing Hall of Fame, inductee, 1990; Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Award, Lifetime Achievement, 1992; Muhammad Ali Museum, Louisville Galleria, opened 1995; Essence Award, 1997, Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to All, ESPN (Espy) Award, 1997; Service to America Leadership Award, National Association of Broadcasters Foundation, 2001. Writings * (With Richard Durham) The Greatest: My Own Story, Random House, 1975. * Ali! Ali! The Words of Muhammad Ali, edited by Sultan Karim, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979. * (With Thomas Hauser) Healing, Collins Publishers San Francisco, 1996. * I Am the Greatest: The Best Quotations from Muhammed Ali, Andrews McMeel, 2002. * (With Hana Yasmeen Ali) Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey, Simon & Schuster, 2004. Biographical Information Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, known for his lyrical charm and boasts as much as for his powerful fists, has moved far beyond the boxing ring in both influence and purpose. Ali won an Olympic gold medal and later tossed it into a river because he was disgusted by racism in America. As a young man he was recruited by Malcolm X to join the Nation of Islam. He refused to serve in Vietnam — a professional fighter willing to serve time in jail for his pacifist ideals. He has contributed to countless, diverse charities, and causes. And his later years have found him interested in world politics as he has battled to keep Parkinson's disease at bay. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., on January 17, 1942, and was raised in a clapboard house at 3302 Grand Avenue in middle-class Louisville, Kentucky. He began boxing at the age of 12. A white Louisville patrolman named Joe Martin, who had an early television show called "Tomorrow's … [Read more...]

First Date Ideas

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Your first date is next Friday and you are trying your damnedest to prepare for it. Of all the things you must take care of -- what to wear, how to smell, choosing the right time, and so on -- what is the most important thing to remember? You need some first date ideas: As taught in every business class around the world, the most important thing to remember is location, location, location. where to go? No matter how much you try to look your best and spit shine your car for that extra gloss, you are only as good as what you have to offer. This means that the slickest and smoothest talker has to follow up with fun and original first date ideas. Remember the saying, "Actions speak louder than words?" Well, it couldn't be any truer in this situation. You might rant about how much you enjoy extreme sports and living life in the fast lane, but when the first date comes around, in-line skating starts to seem like a pretty tame and unoriginal idea. What does this say about your personality? It mainly shows that you are not who you claim to be, not to mention that you don't seem to be that much fun from the get-go. On a blind date, the stakes are even higher, as you will be judged from the word go. So, to make sure that all AskMen.com readers are equipped with a guide on places to go and things to do on a first date, we proudly present the bronze, silver and gold of the top 15 first date ideas. bronze first date ideas 1- The beach If you're the type who likes to see what she's all about right away, then take her to the beach. This is the perfect way to enjoy the sun, show off your new swimsuit and see what she looks like in a bikini. And if all else fails, there is still enough eye candy to keep you busy. 2- Billiards If you feel like you're the best thing to happen to billiards since the cue-stick after seeing Tom Cruise in The Color Of Money, why not invite her to play some pool with you? This is an interesting setup to secure a second date. You can raise the stakes by saying, "Whoever loses the game must cook supper for the other." And just like that, you've got yourself a second round of love. 3- Mini golf If you can't tell the difference between a wedge and an iron, maybe miniature golf is the way to go. A cheap and fairly easy "sport," it allows for some physical contact when you have to give her a crash course on how to hold the putter. 4- Concert Although first dates should emphasize conversation in order to get to know each other, some loud music and screaming people might be an alternative. Let's say your favorite band comes to town for one night only, which is incidentally the same night you are supposed to go on your first date with the girl, then take her to the show and kill two birds with one stone. 5- Amusement park Even if amusement parks are generally aimed at children, who says that grown adults can't engage in some childish fun? Take her for a spin on the Ferris wheel or win her a big ol' teddy bear, and she won't have a chance to … [Read more...]

Stern On 'Idol'? 'No Way, José,' Sez PTC

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Pro-censorship group worried about Stern's effect on little boys' erections JESUSLAND—Whatever anyone may think of American Idol, one thing's for certain: It has its share of genuine characters, not the least of which is longtime judge Simon Cowell. According to his Wikipedia biography, "Many viewers of American Idol know Cowell best for his bitingly critical comments and attitude. He is so prominently identified with being blunt and harsh in commentary that audiences on American Idol can make it difficult for him to speak, sometimes booing him even before he makes his opinions known. Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson tended to cut him off very quickly as well." So when Cowell announced that he would be leaving the show after the current season, rumors started flying as to who would replace him, and one name that was offered was that of radio personality Howard Stern ... which of course set off a flurry of indignation with the conservative religious types, most notably Brent Bozell's Parents Television Council (PTC). So of course, they've posted a petition to keep Stern off the show. "WHEREAS Howard Stern is one of the most profane, sexually-explicit and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium," the petition reads in part, "and in discussing the possibility of becoming a judge on 'American Idol' on his radio program gave audiences a preview of what he would bring to the table as a judge, talking about 'getting little boys hard.' ... BE IT KNOWN that if the reports about Mr. Stern prove to be true, we will no longer watch the program; we will share our concern with our friends, family and others in our social circle; and we will contact every sponsor and urge them to consider whether they should associate their corporate image with a man who talks about 'getting little boys hard.'" Leaving aside the petition writer's obsession with "getting little boys hard," it's interesting to see PTC essentially defending a show which has featured so many people and things PTC doesn't like: A gay judge (Ellen DeGeneres), several gay singers—PTC got very upset at 'Idol' winner Adam Lambert's kinky production number for the recent American Music Awards— and the fact that a couple of the female contestants have appeared nude in magazines or on stage, with one actually making a sex tape of herself. But whatever previous differences PTC may have had with the show or its performers, they're now worried that if Stern takes Cowell's place, all the show's family-friendly sponsors—Coca-Cola, Ford and iTunes among them—will withdraw and the show will go the way of all bad television. "Given 'American Idol's' extreme popularity with family audiences, I hope that Fox will put the rumors to rest and announce that it has no intention of adding to the show one of the most profane, sexually-explicit and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium—either as a guest or as a judge," PTC president Tim Winter stated … [Read more...]