New York

Think Sex in the City, think glam, think the most sophisticated hen party destination abroad; New York. Situated on a huge natural harbour on the Atlantic coast, New York is made up of five boroughs including The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, each with its own individuality.

Shopping on fifth avenue or at Bloomingdales, browsing famous art galleries and   museums including the magnificent Museum of Modern Art, clapping eyes on the iconic Statue of Liberty, enjoying a show on Broadway and indulging the taste buds with food from all over the world cooked to such perfection that it rivals the quality from the countries they come from; just a selection of what’s on offer in New York.

There is a limitless list of reasons why New York is so appealing to hen parties; the only regret after a visit will be that you wish you had more time there.

Paris

The city of love and only a couple of hours train ride away on the Eurostar, it’s not surprising this is a popular destination for hen weekends. With the romanticised architectural monuments of the Eiffel tower and the Notre Dame, museums, public gardens and shopping, Paris combines culture with French chic wining and dining.

At night you have the Moulin Rouge with its exciting, raunchy and spectacular entertainment along with the surrounding bars, then how about an afternoon cruise down the river Seine where you can view the sights of the city from another angle? Alternatively, climb to the top of the incredible Basillica de Sacre Couer which sits at Paris’ highest point on Monmarte hill with a spectacular panoramic view over the city, although nothing comes close to the breathtaking views from the Eiffel Tower.

Paris is ideal for those looking for a more sophisticated hen weekend and will definitely not disappoint.

San Antonio

The ultimate destination for the ultimate party; San Antonio, Ibiza. Renowned for its party atmosphere, hundreds of clubs and beautiful beaches, Ibiza is the perfect hen destination for those wanting a full blown party with the girls before it’s time to settle down.

San Antonio in particular is the place to be if this is what you’re looking for, with Pasha, Cafe Mambo, Head Kandi and Cafe Del Mar to name just a few of the famous clubs that will ensure you never sleep.

The West End offers even smaller clubs and bars, although if what you’re looking for is a more sophisticated evening then head down to Sunset Strip where you’ll find some of the best places to eat and relax whilst soaking up the beautiful sunset.

There is more to San Antonio than just partying though with its beautiful beaches, coves and prominent cliffs. Plus Ibiza Town is just 20 minutes down the road and is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, so if you can pull yourself out of bed before sunset it’s worth spending a day or two strolling through the cobbled streets browsing the shops and tasting the local food.

Magaluf

If you’re after combining sun, sea and sand then Magaluf is the perfect destination for a getaway. Set on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, Magaluf is unsurprisingly one of the most popular holiday resorts in Spain, situated between the neighbouring resorts of Torrenova and Palma Nova.

With three beautiful white sandy beaches to top up the tans on and hundreds of bars and clubs to choose from, Magaluf combines pure relaxation by day with pure hedonism by night.

“The Strip” is where you’ll find the best bars and clubs with BCM standing above the rest as the largest club in Majorca and playing host to international DJ’s. However, there’s much more to Magaluf than just the nightlife. Get yourself on board a catamaran cruise where you can relax in style whilst gently riding the waves off the coast of Magaluf. It’s moments like this when you’ll wish you never have to leave Magaluf!

Marbella

Marbella is a small town in Malaga, Spain, situated right by the Mediterranean Sea and below the beautiful La Concha mountain. For a more sophisticated trip abroad along with fabulous nightlife, boutique shopping and beautiful beaches, Marbella hen weekends are a top choice.

No trip to Marbella though is complete without a day or night out in Puerto Banus, the neighbouring town a few kilometres away with one of the most prestigious marinas in the world. So prestigious in fact that this is where the King of Saudi Arabia and some of the wealthiest people in the world moor up their boats. To add to the exclusivity of Marbella, some familiar people have chosen to set up home there such as Antonio Banderas and Sean Connery.

However, besides the nearby marina, beaches and famous people, Marbella has an array of chic bars and clubs that cater to the classier hen. There are also many spa hotels to be found and Nikki Beach club is a must, combining exclusive relaxation by day and international DJ’s by night.

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So… Do you want to make your own Rom-Com? It is pretty easy actually. After watching so many movies , I have hit on really applicable guidelines to follow to make your own script for a new Rom-Com. Well , at least as new as they get. Of course you’ll have to use your imagination to fill the gaps but this will definitely provide a solid base.

1. Decide the ending to your movie

The options of course are only two -

Happy Ending – The boy gets the girl. Only the villain suffers hardships in the end, which are always the consequences of his own wrongdoings! This kind would mostly be teenage material. You really don’t want to break hearts you see.

Sad Ending – This is the only area where you could get more creative. Audiences and critics usually love a movie which tears you up at the end. You could vary the degree of the sadness of the ending. You could make one of the lovers sacrifice themselves for a worthy cause. Pearl harbor , Casablanca etc could be great inspirations. Or you could just do away one of the couple with a cruel intervention of destiny and let the other mourn for all his/her life with only a progeny for support.

You could always mix a sad ending with a simultaneously happy one and get more critic acclaim!

2. Decide details about your characters

Pretty ones – The usual TDH (Prizes to those who guess the acronym, see end of article) and the nimble blonde heroine would be perfect. Of course if you don’t want to have the stereotyped characters , exotic ones would be a great alternative. A French dude or maybe a Mexican gal would do great stars in your movie. This category would be the perfect for a novice movie.

Ugly ones – Yes, there are ugly hero and heroines too. This would require a great director and camera crew to pull off!

Now your main characters should have very strong beliefs regarding any random subject. This could be the point of conflict between the otherwise mellow love birds.

You must also have additional strong characters. One close friend for the hero and heroine probably. Ideally these two also should madly fall in love and collaborate to help the hero and heroine during the troubles that they are bound to have. Or instead of friends you could have a mother or grandmother to pitch in and advice about love. The options are actually many. Radio and video jockeys also can feature as side characters. Children as catalysts to love stories would make for great heart melting moments in your movie!

Having a villainous character in your movie is not a must. I would recommend that having them actually degrades a good rom-com. An out and out villain is complete no. A mis-understood anti-cupid or a competitive ex would be the perfect negative element.

3. Coincidences are a must

Yes, this is the bread and butter of romantic films. A lot and lot of coincidences are sprinkled throughout the movie to make the story between your hero and heroine happen. They must meet at least thrice coincidentally. Why thrice? Once at the beginning of the movie to ignite sparks. Once again in the first half when nobody has decided to pursue the other. This encounter re-enforces the first spark. And once towards the end when both of them have gone through the conflict part and have broken up for a short-time. This one is to make them realize how much they love each other. Not only chance encounters , lottery wins , finding long lost possessions , family members etc can be a good addition.

4. Moment of epiphany

The lovers in such movies are normally bungling through their lives without any clue as to where they are headed. Neither are they strong decision makers. If they are then they naturally make strong wrong decisions and stick to them! Well, how else will you plod your movie forward? There should come a point in their lives fueled by the coincidences in Step 3,  where they find out miraculously that they have made the wrong decisions. This is when you can conveniently drop in your chance encounter number 3 and bring the movie to a happy ending.

5. Spices in your movie

This part actually depends on your budget. Sadly actors like Ashton Kutcher and Anne Hathway and the likes do not come cheap. But having a well known face increases your chance of a box office hit ten-fold! Also have exotic locations. Have your characters take a trip to Europe . Have them attend wild parties. Have them sky-dive. Dress your characters most appealingly. Adding stuff like this to your story increases the spice factor and sometimes help overlook a weak story too!

Well, there you go. Now you are all set to write and direct your own Romantic Comedy! Write the script right now and find a producer to make the hit of the year.

PS- If not Hollywood , you could get your script to Bollywood (Indian Cinema) where main stream cinemas are all romantic comedies! You will just have to add meaning-less song dance sequences in between.

Also TDH means Tall – Dark – Handsome!

Written by Pavithra.K,  http://pkbhat.blogspot.com

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Below are our top ideas on how to make a homemade cover for your Nook Color e-reader.

1. Try A DIY Pattern

Have a sewing machine and good skill with creating products from scratch? Then get yourself a good “ebook cover pattern” or “Nook cover sewing pattern” and try your hand at making it yourself. Once you’ve scored a good pattern, head to your local crafty materials shop and pick up awesome fabric, along with any desired trim and then get that sewing machine out. You can go nuts and customize to your hearts content or create a practical, yet sexy looking cover. Since it’s in your hands, you decide what and how it will look.

Many will choose this route because its one of the best ways to have a Nook Color case that is 100% unique, and unlike anything available or sold in stores. The fabric, the color, the style is all in your hands and should you be a tad creative the end result will no doubt satisfy the inner fashion diva in you. Not the quickest option, but certainly can be easy.

2. Hire Someone

If you’re not crafty or creative but still seek a nice homemade cover for your Nook, then the next best thing would be to hire someone who can do it for you. You can Google “ebook cover designer” or “Nook case maker” and see what you come across. You might get lucky and find an artist who will take your custom order request and turn it into a one-of-a-kind super cool Nook Color case. Be sure to have the details of your ideal cover ready such as your preferred fabric, color, size, design, etc and request away. Also try your social network and see if there’s a sewing enthusiast in your network. You never know, until you ask.

Place a blurb in your Twitter or Facebook account and let your “fans” and “followers” know you will pay top dollar for an awesome handmade cover for your Nook Color. Then wait and see who responds or sends a referral your way.

3. Buy a Homemade Cover

Have you heard of Etsy? This is an online marketplace that only sells homemade merchandise, and not your garden variety low quality stuff. Etsy has some of the coolest items I’ve ever seen everything from furniture to clothing and jewelry to food items, and everything on the site is made by hand from an artist somewhere in the US or Canada. I’ve seen many high quality and awesome looking Nook Color handmade covers on this site, a definite stop is in order if you seek a great handmade case for your Nook Color.

4. ArtFire.com Custom Request

You can place a custom case request via the custom request feature available on ArtFire.com. First you register a free account, fill out the details of your custom order then interested and qualified artists will get in touch with you and pitch their ideas, or bid on your custom order. You get to decide the budget and who makes your item. Like Etsy everything on Art Fire is handmade, so all the artists and sellers there are creative and love to work with their hands.

5. Try a  Cool Photo Skin

There are lots of options when it comes to gadget skins and sites such as Decal Girl, iSkins, Skin It and others usually have a feature that allows one to upload a photo or other graphic and making the skin a one-a-kind creation. What easier way to stand out from the crowd than having a photo of your child, wife, husband, BFF or pet prominently displayed on your e-reader than with a custom skin. You can do this easily and inexpensively via one of the sites mentioned earlier, give them a visit and take a custom photo skin for a spin.

There you have it, five options on how to make a homemade cover for your Nook Color e-reader. Your only limited by your imagination here - try the DIY route, hire someone, buy one handmade, make a custom request or try a cool photo skin. Keep in mind that if your search turns up empty, you can also simply head online and choose from dozens (if not hundreds) of super cool covers from a variety of name brand manufacturers.

This article was written by Greg who runs a blog called eBook Reader Geek dedicated to digital reading. His most popular article at the moment is on the Top 5 Nook Color Covers, have a look and cast your vote for your favorite.

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Everyone wants to be healthy and in shape but some of us just don’t want to leave the house to make that happen. Thankfully, that’s not a problem because there are countless home workout solutions to choose from. We’ve weeded through the clutter to compile a list of the top 10 home workout products that will actually improve your physique and get you feeling great. Never pay another gym fee again!

10)  Wii Fit Plus by Nintendo

The body-sculpting benefits of the Wii Fit are nothing to rave about but the fun factor puts it on the list.  This is the exercise for people who hate exercise.  You will spend time burning calories and trying to achieve new goals without even realizing that you’re breaking a sweat.  Wii Fit also provides helpful feedback about your performance.  However, the lasting appeal is quite weak and it will get repetitive and boring after a just a few workouts.  Moreover, the balance board used for the workouts is not perfected and often has glitches during workouts.  The Wii Fit Plus Bundle will run you $89.99.  A final note- if you are on the heavy side (250lbs+), then this system is NOT for you.  The balance board WILL break and you WILL risk injury!

9) Travel Hoop by Hoopnoitca

Workouts with this weighted hula hoop will burn up to 600 calories per hour and increase core strength.  It also packs easily for travel.  At $38.99, it is a good fitness accessory to have around the house.  This As Seen on TV product has a way of being advertised as the greatest thing to ever happen to fitness.  Don’t fall for their gimmicks.  While it is a decent product, the quality and construction leaves much to be desired.  The hoop makes a terrible creaking sound while hooping that will drive some users nuts.  It is made of cheap plastic and is known to snap and fall apart after heavy use.

8) Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gym

In terms of large space-consuming workout machines, the Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gym is the best.  It allows users to perform 95 exercises and pretty much eliminates the need for a gym membership.  This home gym offers 310 lbs of resistance and the thing really works.  However, the downsides here are significant.  It sports a hefty price tag of over $2000 and will take up an area of your house that is about 10 x 7 feet.  The system is difficult to assemble but worth the effort.  In the end, it is very difficult to justify the price tag when a $100/month gym membership will most likely get you better results.

7) Shake Weight by Fitness IQ

Sure, the shake weight suffers from the humiliation and ridicule of nonstop jokes and sexual innuendos but at its core, it is an ultraportable workout tool that utilizes an effective motion for toning the arms, chest and shoulders.  At $29.95, the Shake Weight is reasonably priced and gives you a decent upper body workout.  You will actually feel the burn with this product.  Nonetheless, it is very limited in the muscle groups it targets and certainly will not be replacing your gym membership.  Many users have reported that the Shake Weight is the only product that was able to successfully tone their flabby arms.  Then again, they could have gotten similar results by intensely shaking a bottle of water.

6) Dual Ab Wheel by Valeo

This product is great for targeting the abs.  As a bonus, you’re also working your shoulders, arms, and back as secondary muscles.  It has a good grip for comfortable hand support and it can certainly get you that six-pack you’ve always wanted.  We would rank this higher on the list except that the design is slightly flawed and the movement causes back ache and discomfort after heavy use.  It is a certainly not a total home gym on its own but at $9.95, the ab wheel is a nice little addition to your existing home gym.

5) Perfect Pushup by Perfect Fitness

This is one of those products that you can’t believe wasn’t thought of sooner.  It revolutionizes one of the most basic workouts known to man- the pushup.  It is better than a regular pushup because it successfully reduces strain on wrists and elbows while stabilizing the shoulder joints.  This is a “must have” fitness product for chest workouts.  However, we cannot rank it better because it is overpriced at $54.98 and only allows you to target a very limited area of the body.

4) SelectTech 552 Dumbbells by Bowflex

Although this product still does not function as well as it should, we had to rank it high simply for the impressive ingenuity displayed here.  Instead of having dozens of dumbbells lining up against your walls, costing you a fortune and taking up space, you can now have just one adjustable dumbbell set by Bowflex. The system costs $330 and easily adjusts the weight of your dumbbell between 5 and 52.5 pounds.  The concept is incredible but the actual design needs some work.  There have been injuries reported due to weights falling off the dumbbells so be careful if you go with this product.

3) Iron Gym by Pro Fit

This is another product that we cannot believe wasn’t invented sooner.  It is a pull bar that easily attaches and detaches to and from any door in your house in a second.  It also doubles as a pushup stand and triples as a tool for crunches.  Personally, I view the crunches part is a sales gimmick but it the Iron Gym is indeed excellent for targeting the chest, back, and arms.  It is a simple tool but very effective at sculpting the upper body.  At $29.90, this is another must-have home workout tool.

2) P90X by Beach Body

This is the most popular fitness product of our time and rightfully so.  It is a set of 13 DVDs, a nutrition guide, and an exercise planner and it WORKS!  Thousands of people have experienced unbelievable transformations to their bodies after completing the 90 days fitness workout.  These workouts are not for the weak and they will kick your butt.  If you follow the course, you will develop a lean and sculpted physique quickly.  This requires hard work and dedication on your part and there is certainly no shortcut here.  The downside here is the price of $139.80 and that does not even include all the tools you need to follow along, such as weights, a pull up bar, a gym mat and resistance bands.  Furthermore, many users find the host of the series, Tony Horton, to be absolutely self-absorbed and obnoxious and but I personally dig his style.

1) Resistance Bands Set by Aylio

Yes, resistance bands.  You may be surprised by how a simple set of elastics can make it to the top of our 2011 home workouts list but this product is truly a complete home gym in a little blue pouch. These resistance bands use high quality metal clips that attach to the handles, allowing users to perform full-body workouts with between one and five bands simultaneously.  You can go as light as 7 pounds of resistance or bring it up all the way to 101 pounds.  This means the system is ideal for users at all fitness levels.  The set also includes ankle straps for leg workouts and a door anchor that can be placed at the top, side, or bottom of any door to recreate over 100 gym exercises.  All exercises are shown in detail within the included Aylio instructional manual and DVD.  These unique clip-on bands boast a lifetime warranty and allow you to perform all the same resistance exercises as the $2000 Bowflex machine, except at 2% of the cost and 2% of the space consumed in your home!  Aylio resistance band sets start at $39.99 for the basic set and go up to $69.99 for the ultimate.

Michael Waltin is a resistance training specialist, focusing on home exercise techniques using exercise bands.

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When a couple has decided that it is time to add a baby to their family, and they want to try to get pregnant, all they have to do is be intimate when they feel like it, and let nature do the rest, right? Well, wrong, actually. Here are the top five mistakes that couples trying to conceive make.

1. Not having intercourse when it matters

Not having intercourse at the right times. You can have as much sex as you want, but if you don’t do the deed during the days around the woman’s ovulation, you will not get pregnant. The monthly fertility window is quite short, and sperm can only survive for a maximum of five days in a uterine environment. If you don’t know when you are ovulating, an ovulation calendar, ovulation tests, or charting to conceive can give you the information you need.

2. Having sex in the wrong positions

Not having intercourse in the right positions. Are you bored with the missionary position, and do you think “man on top” is something only your grandparents did? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the missionary position is actually the best sexual pose to get pregnant in. That does not mean that you can’t try ten other positions first, but if you want to conceive, making sure your “cosy night in” ends in with the man on top could help speed things up.

3. Not eating the right things

Not eating well enough. Diet has a huge impact on a couple’s fertility. Making sure you eat a healthy and balanced diet, and refraining from alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine boost your chances of having a positive pregnancy test more quickly.

4. Smoking, drinking, caffeine addicted wannabe dads

Yes, that goes for the man, too. Lots of couples forget that getting pregnant is something that takes two, in every respect. Not drinking alcohol, not smoking, and eating well increases a man’s sperm count, and gives sperm wings. Semen can swim faster and is better able to penetrate though a woman’s cervical mucus if the father-to-be is healthy. Making it through to an egg is a huge struggle for an individual sperm. The job is made that much easier if the sperm are healthy.

5. Doing the deed too much, or not often enough

Not having enough sex, or having sex too often. Some couples think that saving intercourse for their most fertile days helps their chances of getting pregnant sooner. While it is true that not ejaculating for a few days can equal a higher sperm count, abstaining from sex for weeks at a time does a man’s fertility no favors. Ejaculating every day, or multiple times a day, does lessen the quality as well as the number of sperm. Letting your libido do the work for you, and having intercourse when you feel like it, is probably the best.

When you keep these things in mind, the chances are that you will soon hear that pitter-patter of tiny feet! And please remember – trying for a baby is meant to be fun, above all else. Making sure that sex does not feel like a chore, and something you do only to get pregnant, is the recipe for a great sex life and a healthy relationship.

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Sounds great – to a smoker. But for superior, non-smoking human beings like you and me it is an absolute disaster. Here’s why:

1. Quit or die!

An opera singer uses the e-cigarette to circumvent a ban on smoking on stage. Disgusting!

As we all know, many smokers just wouldn’t quit if we couldn’t threaten them with a long, painful and ugly death. After all, why try to quit something that you enjoy when it doesn’t harm you much! Especially when nicotine cessation products only have a 5% long term success rate. (Don’t tell smokers that or my shares in Pfizer could go down!)

2. Pensions

Pensions are a huge drain upon the country. But smokers die before non-smokers – not when they are working, but soon after retirement. They have worked their whole life, they have paid taxes their whole life (more than you or me!) but they don’t get any of it back at the end. Less pension for them means more for me, which will be a nice little top-up on my dividends from Johnson and Johnson.

3. Taxes

Smokers pay a fortune in taxes! In fact, in the UK smoking taxes pay the cost of treating smoking diseases several times over (and unlike us, smokers won’t need treatment for old age diseases). Quite simply, if THEY pay less tax WE will have to pay more tax.

4. Destroying established industries

The tobacco industry may kill millions of people around the world a year, and be targeting new victims in the third world, but they also pay respectable dividends to citizens of the West like you and me. A device which delivers the pleasure of smoking without the tar, combustion and toxins will destroy the industry if not banned.

Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry, which currently controls the nicotine cessation market, will suffer. Despite all their efforts, they have yet to come up with a nicotine cessation method which is as good as quitting cold turkey. With smoking no longer posing the risk it did, they stand to lose a fortune.

And don’t forget what the pharmaceutical industries do for the nation. They fund anti-smoking organisations to the tune of millions, and they fund the very organisations that police them – which means great anti-smoking drugs continue to be licensed even after their users start killing themselves!

5. Sex

Let’s face it, you smell better when you don’t smoke. Unfortunately, you also smell better when you smoke an e-cigarette. Smokers have always been sexier than us (The aura of danger? That devil may care attitude? Blast them!) but to some extent that has been redressed by the odour of stale tobacco – an odour which can be very offsetting to the opposite sex.

Remove the odour, and smokers return as a potent competitor in the battle of finding a mate.

6. Flavours

Flavours used in e-cigarettes are obviously a cunning device to lure children to smoking first e-cigarettes. After all, it is well known that grown ups hate flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and apple. Flavours have already been banned in cigarettes (but only flavours that no-one smokes, so it won’t hurt our dividends!), why not ban them everywhere else as well?

It is true that pharmaceutical companies also use flavours to attract customers, but these companies have registered shares which pay dividends, and so can obviously be trusted.

7. Nicotine

Anti-smoking lawyers have recently discovered (since the invention of electronic cigarettes) that nicotine is BAD for you. Previously, the substance was considered addictive, but not that bad – some idiot scientists even thought it could be used to treat certain diseases!

(Please note that nicotine is not bad when used in Nicotine Cessation Products.)

8. Scientists

We are aware that some scientists have supported the device. These idiots believe in tobacco harm reduction, which they liken to wearing a condom when having sex (when obviously, as the Pope pointed out, one really shouldn’t have sex at all. Or any other fun, for that matter.)

Remember, it is a scientist’s to discover the facts , not present it. It is the job of lawyers, politicians and anti-smoking fanatics to twist present the facts.

9. Not safe

The electronic cigarette is not safe. As Dr Mintz points out, he wouldn’t recommend e-cigarettes, just as he wouldn’t recommend coffee. Because, just as with coffee, there’s still a danger!

FDA tests found that e-cigarette ingredients contained one of the 40 carcinogens found in cigarettes. Admittedly, these carcinogens were 1400 times lower than those found in Marlboro cigarettes (and one later test found that the vapour of the NJOY e-cigarette was 100% toxin free) but there’s still a danger!

Dr Joel Nitzkin, Chair of the Tobacco Control Task Force for the American Association of Public Health Physicians, estimates that this risk could be anywhere from  1/10th of 1 percent of cigarette to a whole 1% of cigarettes. There’s still a danger!

And that’s why we should force smokers to remain with the cigarettes that kill 400,00 Americans and 100,000 Brits every year while we ban electronic cigarettes.

10. Superiority

Smokers, even when they are not smoking, are not allowed in this hospital waiting room. Brings back the good old days of apartheid, doesn't it!

But let’s get down to the real reason.

We all like to feel special. We all like to feel important. But to do that we have to be more important than other people.

Smokers have become a sub-human species. They have been refused work, even when they don’t smoke at work. They have been banned from smoking rooms, even when they are not smoking. They have been refused medical care, even after they have quit smoking. They have been barred from adopting children and even, in a few cases, separated from their own children on the spurious grounds of third hand smoke.

After creating this sub-human group, how can you remove it from us? We non-smokers want to feel superior, we want to be better. Please don’t take this away from us!

A Call to Action

These ‘vapers’, as they call themselves, are growing in number. They have defeated the FDA in court, and every news story urging a ban is plagued by a slew of comments pointing out inconvenient facts. Urge your representative to ban this device now, urge your local anti-smoking organisation to continue their propaganda efforts and for your local pharmaceutical company to execute key players and activists in the industry.

About the writer

The writer, James Dunworth, who doesn’t work for ECigaretteDirect.co.uk, urges you not to check out the electronic cigarette, and not to read  the free electronic cigarette e-book.

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Western civilization was introduced to chocolate in 1504 by the explorer, Christopher Columbus, but the modern chocolate we recognize and love is not how we have always used it.

#1 – The Birth of Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate was “invented” by Henre Nestle and his partner, Daniel Peter in 1879 – Nestle has since gone on to become one of the worlds leading confectionery brands, headquartered in Switzerland.  In the same year, the “conching” process was developed which turned chocolate from a hard, brittle substance, which was usually dissolved and drunk, into a smooth and softer eating experience.

#2 – Chocolate as a Beverage

The Ancient Aztecs developed chocolate as a drink and not as a hard food to be eaten, and after being introduced to Europe, drinking chocolate was how Western society new and used chocolate.  London, UK had a tradition of coffee houses out of which the first stock exchanges were developed (because this was where the money men and merchants of the day would hang out), and chocolate houses were developed along the same lines except they were for the really rich (see later).  The first one opened in 1604 but was burned down in the Great Fire of London – the owner was made bankrupt because he was uninsured and lost a fortune in the chocolate which went up in smoke!

#3 – The Value of Chocolate

Chocolate cost 15 shillings in old English money for one pound of chocolate beans when it started being sold in that old English chocolate drinking house – this would be the equivalent of more than  $3,000 in our money today – in other words, a typical chocolate bar today would cost more than $1,000!

The cacoa beans, from which chocolate is made, were so valuable that they were used as money by the Ancient Aztecs and Incas.  This made weddings very expensive affairs way back then too – the wedding party and guests would be served drinking chocolate as part of the ceremony!

#4 – Who Came Up With Solid Chocolate?

Cacoa beans were costly, in part because it takes rather a lot of them to make up chocolate while producing chocolate in liquid form was equally expensive to transport and over time it would spoil.  Some enterprising Mexican nuns, who were looking to raise funds for their convent and missionary work, experimented and found a way of making a concentrated chocolate which was a solid and this was cheaper and easier to ship back to Europe for sale.

#5 – Money Does Not Grow on Trees!

Though cacao beans may have been used as money, in this instance they do grow on trees.  The tropical Theobroma Cacao produces the pods from which chocolate is extracted.  The pods are unusual in that they grow directly out of the trunk of the tree, and one tree can produce up to 2,000 pods a year each holding around 35 cacoa beans.

#6 – Your Chocolate Probably Does Not Come from the Americas

While chocolate originates from Central America and the Theobroma Cacao tree is found throughout the South American continent, today commercial production is centered in Africa.  Incidentally, you may already know that chocolate is bad for your dog and the reason for this is the chemical compound, theobromine, which is highly toxic to canines and yet is harmless for humans.  Ignore Fido’s imploring eyes and don’t ever feed your pet chocolate!

#7 – Why Does Chocolate Taste So Good?

Chocolate was described as “The Food of the Goods”, which is where the tree derives its Latin name – “Theo” means “god” in Ancient Greek.  No matter, we all know that chocolate tastes exceedingly good and the reason for this is there is an incredible fusion of over 400 separate tastes within chocolate.  It is not that there is one single effect on your taste buds which sparks your pleasure centers in your brain – it is the number of taste sensations which hit your tongue and how they coalesce to form the unique taste of chocolate.

#8 – How Do We Get from a Pod on a Tree to That Extraordinary Taste in Your Mouth?

First, the pods are harvested from the tree and then the beans are carefully extracted by hand to avoid damaging them.  The cacoa beans are coated with a sticky pulp and at this stage, they taste extremely bitter and not at all chocolatey.  The beans are carefully placed in a pit and covered with banana leaves and left to ferment for a few days to a week.  The beans are then removed and dried but the flavor continues to develop within them, until they arrive at the chocolate refinery where they are converted to chocolate.

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7. The Postman Always Rings Twice

Jack Nicholson & Jessica Lange

The scenario is as old as marriage itself; mildly successful middle-aged man can’t satisfy his young nubile wife, but luckily the young, robust young man he just hired can. We all know it’s coming and we all aren’t surprised when it does, but HOW it’s done is violent, loud, intense, and unapologetic. Jack chases Jessica around a kitchen table fiercely grabbing at her until Jessica pulls away and with one small smile, sweeps the table clean and yells at Jack to “Come on then.” Which he does. According to Hollywood legend Jack and Jessica were very much attracted to each other and in this scene they “consummated” their attraction on camera and that is what appears in the final cut. To this day, neither has bothered to deny this.

6. Don’t Look Now

Donald Sutherland & Julie Christie

A married couple is getting dressed to go out, and neither one seems to be that fashionable or that excited about wherever they have to be. But suddenly we are shown the lovemaking that just took place, and we know exactly where they shine as a couple. Blending the mundane with the exciting, this scene shows how sex connects two people in ways that nothing else in their lives does, especially after such a tragedy.

5. Enemy at the Gates

Jude Law & Rachel Weisz

Even in war, looking death straight in the face, we humans desperately want to live. Surrounded by wounded and dying soldiers, barely alive themselves, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz need what they can give each other more than ever. Holding each other tightly and moving slowly but deeply, their desire for each other and the sex becomes the one true weapon they have against the horrors surrounding them.

4. Basic Instinct

Michael Douglas & Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone uncrossing her legs may be the most famous scene from this infamous movie, but the sex between her and Douglas is intense and erotic in a way most movies wish they were. Femme Fatale has never been so fatal, and instead of just using sexuality and feminine wiles to lure men to their demise, Stone kills her men while actually having sex. After seeing what she can do with her body (as well as an icepick) it’s not hard to see why Douglas takes the risk again and again.

3) Risky Business

Tom Cruise & Rebecca De Mornay

I’m not a big fan of trains, but after this scene I sure was. The anticipation starts the moment a voice says “She wanted to make love on a real train”, and next thing we know, they are on a train, strictly for the purpose of rocking each others world. The humor and frustration that comes with waiting for the lone person still on the train with them to leave builds and builds until Cruise (and us) can no longer take it and, after getting rid of the one last obstacle, Cruise and De Mornay go for the ride of their lives, and we go with them.

2) Yu Tu Mama Tambien

Diego Luna & Gael Garcia Bernal & Ana López Mercado

Spending the entire movie living their own fantasy, Luna and Bernal rarely take the time to deal with the reality of their lives and the responsibilities they will soon have. Ana becomes their teacher, knowing they desire her and expect nothing more than a great time, she uses her experience both in and out of the bedroom to get them to grow up, while they in turn help Ana rediscover herself as an independent person. In the final sex scene, at their journey’s end, the three of them are changed people and give in to the love they all have for each other.

1) Dead Calm

Billy Zane & Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman and her husband Sam Neill take off on in their sailboat for a jaunt around the tropics but soon run into Zane adrift on a deserted and sinking schooner. After taking Zane aboard he takes over their boat, abandons Sam Neill to the schooner, reveals that he killed the crew and is a wanted murderer, then sails away with Nicole Kidman as his captive. Thus begins one of the most terrifying and sexy thrillers of all time. Nicole Kidman’s wide-eyed innocence to Zane’s muscle and danger makes each scene they have together a sexually charged struggle for domination. Kidman uses her sexuality to entice, confuse, and distract Zane, who uses his charm and strength to keep Kidman on edge. When it all comes a head and Kidman realizes that she can’t escape him, it’s the most disturbing but exciting scene of sex ever captured on film. Fear and desire has never been so much fun to watch, and terrifying.

by Keith Watabayashi

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