Julian Rouas Paris Small Claim

It's happens to all of us. You're standing in a room or passing by a crowded street or sidewalk and all of the sudden, a truly tantalizing scent catches you completely by surprise. Almost unconsciously, your head swivels as you crane your neck to catch a glimpse of the one who nearly lifted you off your feet with such an arousing fragrance.

The general consensus seems to point out that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. Selecting the right fragrance to suit you becomes a sort of art as you attempt to find the perfect blend between flirty flowers, juicy fruits, musk and more.

Once you find the ideal scent to match your personality - sexy, playful, subtle and so forth - you can begin to take advantage of the powerful impact fragrance has on members of the opposite sex. Consider investing in a travel-sized vial of your preferred perfume as well, so you can easily transport it and always have it with you for a quick freshening up.

As you become comfortable with your new fragrance, take things to the next level by introducing it into your love life. If you won't see your sweetheart for a number of days or weeks, be sure to pen a passionate love letter, and don't forget to spritz a little of your perfume on the stationery before you pour your heart onto it. If you're feeling especially daring (or sappy) you can complete the romantic effect by sealing the envelope with a lipstick smooch.

Another great tactic is to spray a bit of perfume on yourself just before you borrow an article of his clothing. If you'll be wearing his jacket for a while in the colder weather, spray a little perfume on the back of your neck without getting any directly on his coat. This way it will subtly adhere to the coat's collar so he notices your fragrance and thinks of you immediately the next time he wears it. If you forget to bring your pajamas and have to borrow a t-shirt one night, just spray a tiny bit of your fragrance on your body to gently introduce it onto his clothing. Whether he wears the shirt again or washes it when he gets it back, he's sure to recognize your fragrance.

For the grand finale, linger in bed just a little while longer than your honey does. When he leaves the room to brush his teeth or shower, spritz some perfume on his pillow, either on top or bottom, or a little bit on both sides. This tactic is especially effective if you won't see each other for a little while, because you know you will be the last thing he thinks about before he falls to sleep, and also the first thing he imagines when he wakes up. As soon as his head hits the pillow you will be on his mind, and if not in his arms, what better place to be?

Seductive Places to Target with Your Perfume:
- Spray a little perfume on letters and birthday or holiday cards.
- Let a little of your fragrance remain on his clothing that he lets you borrow.
- Apply a little perfume to your pulse points while you are in his car so the fragrance lingers just a bit.
- Leave him a gentle, sexy reminder by spraying a little bit of perfume on his pillow, especially when you won't be around.
- If he keeps a blanket in his car or draped across his couch, be sure to introduce just a touch of your favorite fragrance so he thinks of you right away when he uses it.

Perfume is a wonderful invention, allowing you to make your presence known, even in your absence! Get creative and realize that this aromatic accessory can enhance your romantic side, intrigue your partner and bring your face to mind even when you aren't physically present. Instigate more intimate moments with a spritz here and there of a sexy, flirty fragrance. You won't regret it!

 

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Julian Rouas Paris Claim

Calvin Klein is a famous designer who has launched many clothing lines for men and women as well as fragrant lines including Calvin Klein Eternity perfume for women. The Calvin Klein Eternity perfume was launched in 1989 and remains an ever popular Calvin Klein perfume. With so many other options on the market for a buy is the Calvin Klein Eternity perfume a versatile fragrance for all women? Time to find out!

This Calvin Klein perfume comes in a plain off white box with Calvin Klein and Eternity in normal black text. The box of the Calvin Klein Eternity perfume is nothing really special compared to all the other scents on the market. The bottle of the Eternity perfume is square with a silver push down scent dispenser. Each dispense from the Calvin Klein perfume is perfect for those scent points on a lady. The bottle of the Eternity perfume is actually quite elegant. The glass of the Calvin Klein Eternity scent is very smooth and crystal like. The scent is a light gold-like color can be seen through the Eternity perfume bottle.

Sizes for the Calvin Klein Eternity perfume vary. The most popular size for the Eternity perfume is 3.4 fluid ounces. The Calvin Klein Eternity perfume also comes in 1.7 and 1.0 fluid ounces. Gift sets are also available for this Calvin Klein perfume and usually include the Eternity perfume, shower gel, and body lotion for women.

The scent of The Calvin Klein Eternity perfume is a fresh like scent. The Eternity perfume consists of refreshing spices, lavender, and amber. This Calvin Klein perfume also is infused with a blend of greens, crisp jasmine, basil, sage, and rosewood. Calvin Klein Eternity is a practical perfume for any women. The Eternity perfume is pretty versatile that it can be worn for day and night use. This Calvin Klein perfume is very mystique and not overbearing. The Eternity perfume does seem to be strong at first when putting it on; however, after an hour or so it wears off quickly with just a linger.

Calvin Klein Eternity can be found at most department stores such as: Wal-Mart, Macy's, The Bon-Ton, and numerous others. This Calvin Klein perfume is widely distributed. The Eternity perfume can also be found online at various vendors and on EBay. The cost of a 3.4 fluid ounce bottle of this Calvin Klein perfume varies amongst stores but runs roughly around $50.00.

I would recommend this Calvin Klein Eternity Perfume for those who shy away from floral scents. The scent of this Calvin Klein perfume aims more toward a shower fresh aroma then a girly-girl fragrance. The Eternity perfume is practical for everyday use for all women in all age groups.


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Julian Rouas Paris

While many women love perfume and may even have their own signature scent, the cost of purchasing a bottle can be prohibitively expensive. Why spend $50 or more on a tiny eau de toilette when you can make a completely unique scent of your own for a fraction of the cost? Save money and make a truly original creation with just a few simple steps.

The Basics

According to the Natural Holistic Health Blog, a basic perfume formula contains 15 to 30 percent essential oils, 70 to 80 percent pure grain alcohol (vodka being recommended, as it doesn't have any additional odors or colors), and 5 percent distilled water. Adding a bit of glycerine at the end of the process is also recommended, as it will help to "fix" your perfume and keep the scent from disappearing into the air or escaping the bottle. Both glycerine and essential oils are easy to find at health food stores or even craft supply shops. Pick the kind of scents you like, when choosing essential oils, and remember that you can choose to mix and match them in order to create the perfect scent.

Necessary Supplies

Along with your basic perfume ingredients, you will also want to gather together the following items before you get started: a glass mixing jar, dedicated measuring cups and spoons, an eyedropper, a funnel and aperfume bottles or other small containers in which you can store your final product.

Method

Instructables.com offers step-by-step instructions on how to make your perfume at home. The basic procedure is as follows:

1. Measure 1/4 cup of vodka into your mixing jar.

2. Add about 25 drops of your essential oils, making sure to keep track of how many drops you've added if you are mixing scents. It may help to keep a tally on a sheet of paper, as you should add drops, swirl the mixture, and then smell as you go to make sure you don't make an overpowering scent.

3. When you've got your desired scent, seal up the mixing jar and put it into a cool, dark spot to age for at least 48 hours. The longer you age the perfume, the stronger it will become, so feel free to sniff and add more oils after the first 48 hours has passed.

4. After you've aged the perfume, add 2 tablespoons of distilled water. For spray perfumes, add a bit more water. Now is also the time to add about 5 drops of glycerine to fix the fragrance.

5. Finally, use the funnel to pour your perfume into its bottle and apply a label with the name of your new creation. You may also want to add the date so you'll know how long your perfume lasts, and when it's time to make some more!

Additional Recipes

There are lots of basic recipes on-line for perfumes, if you're not interested in tinkering with smells at first and just want to get started. Check out PioneerThinking.com for recipes with exotic names like Orient Nights, Whispering Rain, Falling Stars, Enchanted, Amaze, and Misty Passions. They've also got recipes for cologne, for the men in your life, including something called the Homemade Love Tonic!

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is all about using scents to change your mood, so you might be interested in reading up on this topic before you begin. For a crash course in aromatherapy, check out Aromaweb.com, where you can read up on a variety of different kinds of essential oil profiles and find out how a particular scent can contribute to your overall well-being. An article from HowToDoThings.com on making perfume suggests a few quick fixes, including the following: "Jasmine and lavender can calm the anxious and aid in sleeping, orange and ylang ylang can ease anger, and sandalwood and grapefruit can fight fear. Need a boost of confidence? Try cypress or rosemary. Frankincense, rose, and bergamot can help relieve depression and grief. To increase memory powers, try black pepper and peppermint."

Notes

Finally, if you really want to get technical with your home perfume making, you should learn about notes. These are the order in which certain scents appear in a given fragrance, where the top note is the initial scent, the middle note is what you'll smell after the top note has dissolved into the air, and the base note is what lingers at the end. The Instructables directions on how to make perfume give a quick primer regarding what kinds of scents generally fall into each category, and suggest that when mixing your own perfume, you should built from the base notes up.

Typical base notes include heavy smells like patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood and sandalwood. Middle notes are slightly less heavy, and include coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, rosemary, rose geranium, pettitgrain and lavender. Top notes usually include lighter scents like lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, spearmint and peppermint.

Recreating Brand-Name Perfumes

Though brand-name perfumes are usually carefully guarded trade secrets, there is a website that can help you out if you're looking to re-create your favorite perfume at home. It's called the Basenotes Fragrance Directory, and although it only offers rough approximations, it can point you in the right direction by breaking down the list of scents that make up each of the notes found in your favorite department store perfumes. You may not be able to find all of the ingredients, however, as this is what you're spending the big bucks for! As one example: Calvin Klein's Obsession uses middle notes of tagete, which comes from marigold flowers, and armoise, which is actually an oral toxin and must be used very sparingly. Since these items are not likely to be readily available in your local health food store, you may want to weigh the pros and cons of creating your own fragrances versus shelling out the money for your favorite store-bought scents.

Sources
-ChrysN, "How to Make Perfume." Instructables.com.
-Melissa Trulock, "How to Make Perfume." HowToDoThings.com.
-"Perfume and Cologne Recipes - Women." PioneerThinking.com.





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Julian Rouas Paris awesome

So do you think perfume is about romance, about a nicely wrapped box from-or for-someone you love? When you think of perfume, do you think about the way it makes you feel, about the sensual pleasures of its scent, its color, the way its package is designed?

Well, think some more, because perfume is also a business, and its clientele are one among the world's best-researched markets. There are about eight thousand scents in commercial distribution around the globe, whose composition is carefully protected by those who paid a lot of money to develop them. Not only are their formulations carefully protected, but they're well-researched as well to make sure that they appeal to the right markets. Because the perfumes that sell in Asia, don't sell in the Middle East; Americans like different perfumes than the French.

Strong scents don't seem to sell in Asia, and for that reason a number of manufacturers only distribute eau de toilette. In the Latin countries and the Middle East, people prefer scents that linger. The French are more likely to buy complex, plush, rococo scents; consumers in the US and Canada prefer sporty, innovative perfumes. While Alain Lorenzo, president of Parfums Givenchy, explained to the New York Times, "The rule of thumb is richer scents are preferred by Latin and black cultures and fresher ones by European cultures," the lines aren't at all clear when it seems that vanilla scents sell well in all markets; Hispanic-American women prefer fruity-floral scents.

Since each market is different, let's look at one in particular: Dubai. In 1999, this port of entry into the United Arab Emirates, imported $146 million dollars worth of perfumes and toilet waters. Just under half (48%) came from France, with significant market share distributed between the USA (12.6%), Italy (6.8%), Switzerland (3%) and Germany (2.8%). France's domination of this market is telling; because among the 250 regional markets where French perfumes appear, the UAE ranks twelfth.

Dubai shoppers prefer designer brands, and leading French perfumers-like Givenchy-will plan to release new scents in Paris and the Gulf, simultaneously; Christian Dior has more than 70 retail outlets across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (that include Dubai). France's significance for Dubai, and Dubai's significance to France, is unlikely to shift in the near future, even though German exports of perfumes, beauty products, and personal care products have doubled in the past decade. German-manufactured cosmetic, toiletry, and perfumes have achieved a reputation for innovation, quality, and product safety.




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Perfume is enjoyed by millions to create a lovely smell that pleases the senses of others. Most commercial brands of fragrance are kept secret. The special blend of ingredients uncovers a wide variety of emotions. The combination of oils, compounds, fixatives, and solvents merge within a decorative bottle. Inside that bottle, making the harmonious chord of scent, are three specific notes.

The main note is refereed to as the top note. This is the scent produced from the first application onto the skin. Forming an initial impression is the main selling point in the perfume industry. The top note is usually described as "fresh", "assertive", "sharp", or having a citrus appeal. Lasting only five to ten minutes, this note evaporates quickly, the overall impression of this aromatic quality is crucial. Examples of commonly used oils are: basil, orange, bergamot, lemon, pine, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

Notes of the middle, or heart notes, are the ones smelled after the top has dissipated. Being the center of attention this scent is full bodied and pleasant. Warming the skin, the true scent is about to emerge. Being strong, lasting and potent the middle note is a nice transition after the shock of the first. Appearing from two minutes to an hour this note is the one most often smelled as you navigate through the day. Typical oils used are lavender, rose, chamomile, fennel, nutmeg, juniper, and tea tree.

The final note in the structure of perfume is known as the base note. The combination of the middle and base notes develops the main theme of the fragrance. Adding depth and solidity, to the composition, the base note is used to give rise to boldness and strength. Rich and deep this note is usually not perceived until thirty minutes after the application. Aimalic notes are known to last as much as twenty-four hours. Base notes include: wood oils (cedar wood, gaiac, linaloe wood, sandalwood, etc.), resin oils (frankincense, myrrh, etc), laburnum, oak moss absolute, patchouli, vanilla, and vetiver.

There are plant, animal, natural, and synthetic sources available, besides oils, to use as your three notes. Plants are the most popular used compounds in the manufacturing of perfume. Honey and musk are derived from animals that have been used in creating widely used scents. Natural sources might include oak moss, tree moss, or seaweed. Modern fragrances are established by means of synthetic sources. Linalool and coumarin are both naturally occurring compounds that can be cheaply synthesized from terpense.

Perfume contains a variety of ingredients which are often organized into four groups. The primary scents are used as a base like rose or cola. Then, a modifier is added like honey or cherry to give the base some character. Next, a blender is added to the mix, which can be a multitude of ingredients, like linalool and hydroxycitronellol. Finally, a fixative is mixed in to support the primary scent. Common fixatives are wood and amber which blend well with many other scents. The top, middle, and base notes of a fragrance may have separate primary scents and supporting ingredients. Leaving room for ultimate creativity the expression of your own scent is priceless.

A sample recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cup of water
1 cup fresh chopped flower blossoms

Directions:

In a bowl place a cheesecloth where the edges are hanging over the bowl. Fill with 1 cup of flower blossoms of your choice. Pour water over the flowers until they are completely covered. Let the mixture sit overnight. The next day using the edges of cheesecloth pull it out of the bowl and gently squeeze the scented water into a small pot. Simmer the water until about 1 teaspoon is left. Cool and place into a small bottle. Making perfume this way has a shelf life of about one month. Other suggestions for flowers: Lavender, Lilac, Orange Blossoms or even Honeysuckle. Anything that is highly fragrant works best.




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It's happens to all of us. You're standing in a room or passing by a crowded street or sidewalk and all of the sudden, a truly tantalizing scent catches you completely by surprise. Almost unconsciously, your head swivels as you crane your neck to catch a glimpse of the one who nearly lifted you off your feet with such an arousing fragrance.

The general consensus seems to point out that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. Selecting the right fragrance to suit you becomes a sort of art as you attempt to find the perfect blend between flirty flowers, juicy fruits, musk and more.

Once you find the ideal scent to match your personality - sexy, playful, subtle and so forth - you can begin to take advantage of the powerful impact fragrance has on members of the opposite sex. Consider investing in a travel-sized vial of your preferred perfume as well, so you can easily transport it and always have it with you for a quick freshening up.

As you become comfortable with your new fragrance, take things to the next level by introducing it into your love life. If you won't see your sweetheart for a number of days or weeks, be sure to pen a passionate love letter, and don't forget to spritz a little of your perfume on the stationery before you pour your heart onto it. If you're feeling especially daring (or sappy) you can complete the romantic effect by sealing the envelope with a lipstick smooch.

Another great tactic is to spray a bit of perfume on yourself just before you borrow an article of his clothing. If you'll be wearing his jacket for a while in the colder weather, spray a little perfume on the back of your neck without getting any directly on his coat. This way it will subtly adhere to the coat's collar so he notices your fragrance and thinks of you immediately the next time he wears it. If you forget to bring your pajamas and have to borrow a t-shirt one night, just spray a tiny bit of your fragrance on your body to gently introduce it onto his clothing. Whether he wears the shirt again or washes it when he gets it back, he's sure to recognize your fragrance.

For the grand finale, linger in bed just a little while longer than your honey does. When he leaves the room to brush his teeth or shower, spritz some perfume on his pillow, either on top or bottom, or a little bit on both sides. This tactic is especially effective if you won't see each other for a little while, because you know you will be the last thing he thinks about before he falls to sleep, and also the first thing he imagines when he wakes up. As soon as his head hits the pillow you will be on his mind, and if not in his arms, what better place to be?

Seductive Places to Target with Your Perfume:
- Spray a little perfume on letters and birthday or holiday cards.
- Let a little of your fragrance remain on his clothing that he lets you borrow.
- Apply a little perfume to your pulse points while you are in his car so the fragrance lingers just a bit.
- Leave him a gentle, sexy reminder by spraying a little bit of perfume on his pillow, especially when you won't be around.
- If he keeps a blanket in his car or draped across his couch, be sure to introduce just a touch of your favorite fragrance so he thinks of you right away when he uses it.

Perfume is a wonderful invention, allowing you to make your presence known, even in your absence! Get creative and realize that this aromatic accessory can enhance your romantic side, intrigue your partner and bring your face to mind even when you aren't physically present. Instigate more intimate moments with a spritz here and there of a sexy, flirty fragrance. You won't regret it!





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Julian Rouas Paris

Have you ever gotten ready in the morning, spritzed on your favorite scent, and a couple of hours later you got nothing? This can be exasperating. Why bother to apply scent if it's not going to last? In order to make sure that your uplifting scent lasts through the day or your sexy perfume lasts until the end of your romantic date, follow some or all of these suggestions.

First, be aware that there are different types of scent formulations. Each has a different concentration of fragrance oils. If you use body splash, it literally means to splash it on your body. It is the most diluted type of fragrance. Perfume is the strongest. Depending on the scent itself, it takes very little perfume. You could be having the opposite problem and overwhelming everyone. Be certain that you don't overdo it.

Second, be aware of pulse points. These are the areas of the body that have blood vessels very close to the skin. As the blood pulses, it produces heat. This in turn releases the scent of your perfume. The pulse points are located at the temples, behind the ears, the base of the throat, between the breasts, the wrists, the bend of the elbow, the backs of the knees, and the ankles.

Pay particular attention to the pulse points at the backs of the knees and the ankles. Since scent travels upward, these scent locations are very important. And most people skip these pulse points when applying perfume.

Another reason scent evaporates quickly is because of dry skin. Perfumes contain alcohol. So they can evaporate quickly. A way to prolong this is to apply lotion before perfume. A lotion that is the same scent is an excellent way to extend your perfume's lasting power. But if you don't have a matching lotion, apply an unscented lotion. If you decide to use a lotion with a different scent, make sure that it doesn't clash with your perfume. Often you can come up with unique and pleasing scent combinations. An example would be vanilla scented lotion applied before using a musk perfume.

Along the same line as using a lotion with the same scent is using soaps, body washes, powders, and even shampoos with the same fragrance as your perfume. Many more perfumes are coming out with extended product lines of their scents using additional bath products.

Your perfume can also be extended by spraying some onto your clothing. This should be tested first on a small inconspicuous area on the inside of your garment. Check to make sure that the perfume will not stain before applying it to the outside of your clothes.

An alternative to actually spraying perfume onto your clothing is to wear a scent locket or a scent ring. If you like this type of jewelry, it works great. A scent locket or ring contains a small compartment to place a small piece of cloth or cotton ball which has been sprayed liberally with your perfume. The rings are often called poison rings. An internet search turns up many websites that sell this unique jewelry. The heat from your body releases the scent as you wear the jewelry.

Then, of course, as a fail-safe guarantee, carry a small travel-size spritzer bottle of your favorite perfume to give yourself a quick spritzer during your lunch break or while in the powder room.





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Perfume is one of those films I desperately wanted to work, but ultimately, no matter how I tried to fit its pieces together in my head could not make a coherent peace with.

Perfume is the story of a boy, Jean-Baptiste, who is born with an extraordinary sense of smell. Desperately wanting to preserve the smell of a girl he has accidentally murdered, he endeavors to become a perfumer and embarks on a series of murders to create a perfect and powerful perfume made from the scents of 13 girls (3 chords of 4 scent notes, plus a thirteenth, the magical one to bind them all together).

Jean-Baptiste's story is a compelling one, thanks largely to the strange, scuttling and nearly mute performance of Ben Whishaw who manages to make Jean-Baptiste both an innocent and a dangerous obsessive. Without such fine work from Whishaw, Perfume may well have been unwatchable in its many distracting and contradictory flaws.

Among Perfume's many problems is its inability to settle on a tone. Is this a dark fairytale? Is it magical realism? Is it a cautionary tale? Historical drama or romance? Quick cuts to various scenes of odiferous grotesquerie and an excellent voiceover open Perfume, and it seems, at first that we're bound for something very serious that's fully willing to embrace the discomfort of discussing smell, both good and bad. This promising, if difficult, opening is soon utterly pushed a side by an intolerable performance by Dustin Hoffman as an Italian perfumer. His accent isn't just terrible, but inconsistent and his mannerism absurd. Is it bad acting or bad directing? It's unclear, but it's the first of Perfume's massive and poorly handled tonal shifts.

Other problems, that might be less noticeable to a less punctilious film-goer, include the accidental strangulation of Jean-Baptiste's first victim (death by suffocation isn't that quick or that not noticeable), massive anachronisms in costumes and custom, and poor science on the subject of perfuming itself. And with the exception of costuming, these are not subjects on which I hold significant knowledge, but any thinking person in pondering how they are presented has to go "but that makes no sense!"

When Alan Rickman shows up in the second half of Perfume, it's a disappointment. The character (the father of the victim Jean-Baptiste wants most, because she visually resembles that first girl he killed -- how are looks and scent possibly related?) is underwritten and Rickman is clearly just there to do what he does so inimitably, that is talk very slowly in a very menacing way about the terrible things he's going to do to someone. It's as effective as ever, but it's a waste of an acting talent.

Perfume ends as it begins at the scene of Jean-Baptiste's execution for his crimes. And execution which, with the power of his perfume goes far differently than expected. Here Perfume had a real chance to make a statement, be uplifting or condemning or even bring in a hint of the supernatural (which is the only thing that would explain certain other facts we get in the course of the film, but I don't think there's supposed to be a supernatural element to the story, I think those are just mistakes). Alas though, we get a big dose of anachronistic heightened reality and our drama is transformed once again, this time into an absurdist fairytale for adults, that is not so enticing as it should be (I must also note irritably that when the most powerful aphrodisiac in the world is unleashed apparently the world is populated merely with heterosexual couples and lesbians. It's a little quibble, but exactly the sort of little quibble that run rampant all over this film).

Sadly, it is also at this point that the voiceover, so effective in other parts of Perfume, lets us down, by implying that Jean-Baptiste has acquired a worldliness on his journeys, but there is no evidence of that in what we have just seen and it weakens those parts of the film that do succeed in catching our attention and even charming us.

Perfume is interesting and may be worth renting for those with particular interest in the story or the struggle to tell stories of this nature, but prepare to be disappointed.





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Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: Introduction

The Britney Spears Curious perfume hit store shelves in 2004 and was marketed by a very sensual commercial in which Britney Spears had starred in. The commercial depicted Ms. Britney Spears fantasizing about a man in the next room. The commercial hyped up the perfume so much that women all over rushed to store shelves to buy the Britney Spears Curious fragrance. With all the hype surrounding the commercial, is the Britney Spears Curious perfume appropriate for all women of age?

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: The Product & Packaging

The Britney Spears Curious fragrance comes in a package that is a black box decorated with metallic blue and pink flowers all over. The fragrance bottle itself is of turquoise color and made of glass. The bottle is very elegant and that it can be compared to antique perfume containers. The perfume bottle is odd shaped, almost like of a spaceship. Pink removable heart charms are added around the spray top of the Britney Spears Curious fragrance. All fragrance bottles are equipped with a silver push down spray top; however, larger sizes of the perfume can purchase an attachment that you squeeze a bulb to make the fragrance dispense such as how antique perfumes used to be. Gift sets for the Britney Spears Curious perfume are available as well as numerous sizes of the perfume. Fragrance sizes vary and mostly consist of 3.4 ounces and 1.7 ounces. The Curious scent line also has a Britney Spears Curious Perfume Body Soufflé and shower gel that are perfect for layering the fragrance.

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: The Fragrance

According to the advertisements of the Britney Spears Curious perfume, the fragrance can be described as sensual and romantic. The perfume is created by using Louisiana magnolia flowers, vanilla, musk, golden Anjou pear, and dewy lotus flowers. The perfume is on the lightweight in terms of powerfulness. Thus, the scent wears off rather quickly and must be reapplied within several hours. The Britney Spears Curious perfume is appropriate for all women of age. The scent is neither too trendy or overbearing.

Britney Spears Curious Perfume Review: Conclusion

The Britney Spears Curious perfume is widely distributed in most retail outlets such as: Wal-Mart, Macys, Dillards, and numerous other vendors. The fragrance can also be found online at discount prices. A 3.4 ounce bottle of the Curious perfume will cost between $40 to $50. The fragrance is one of those perfumes that a consumer will either love or hate. I would recommend buying a smaller version of the Britney Spears Curious perfume and trying the scent out for a week until investing in a larger bottle of the perfume.





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Ladies, raise your hand if you like to smell nice. Tap the Shift key if you like to smell nice without the whole room smelling you before they see you. Now press the space bar if you like to smell nice without being loud, and don't want to go broke in the process. I, for one, love all of the above. I'm flattered when I reach out to hug someone or walk by a person, and they stop me to ask "What is that you have on?" with a look of approval. There are so many items at regular drug stores that a woman can buy to smell delicious without spending a wad of cash while clearing people's sinuses.

Perfumes: Women spend hundred of dollars on perfume that is out of style within months. Why don't we ever buy knock-off perfumes? Companies like Parfums de Coeur specialize in making your favorite perfume for a price you can afford. From high school to mid-college, I wore Fly With Me perfume faithfully and got plenty of attention from brothas. Fly With Me is a knock-off version of Escape® perfume and smells the same. Quite a few guys stopped me on the street and asked me what I was wearing. Besides loving the attention, I enjoyed the fragrance as well. This company sells everything from body fantasies, skin musks, designer imposters, and juice bar items.
And even if you're not interested in knock-off perfumes or can't find your brand for a cheaper price, try out specialty stores, specifically women's stores like Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret. A couple years ago, I went on my usual bra shopping expedition to Victoria's Secret and passed by the fragrance section. Feeling experimental, I sprayed a touch of Heavenly perfume on my wrist and fell in love. The perfume ranges from $39 to $52, but the body spray was only $15. Just like that, my five-year favorite, Fly With Me, was dumped and in walked Heavenly. Even if you're not really into body spray, Victoria's Secret has body washes that are between $15 and $20. Same smell. Cheaper. It may not last as long, but same effect.

Body Wash: Everybody likes feeling refreshed after they've taken a shower, so why not feel clean and smell even better? There are plenty of body wash choices that can be bought at regular drug stores like Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart, Target, and Osco Drug. My favorites include Adidas body washes like Aloe Vera body wash for women and Citrus Oil body wash for women. Aloe vera is already a great moisturizer for skin, and it has a subtle, soothing scent to it. Two other scents that smell really delicious but aren't too strong are Dial's Soy & Almond Milk and Dial's Lavender & Twilight Jasmine. You can buy body washes like this for under $5, and if you shop at discount stores regularly, as cheap as $3. Check the weekly coupon books for deals on coupons and rebates.

Lotion: I'm partial to anything with aloe vera in it, specifically because I have very dry skin. Vaseline aloe vera lotion is always on my bathroom sink. As much as I like smell-good perfumes and body washes, I'm not big on scented lotion (minus Victoria's Secret Heavenly's glimmer lotion). But if you are, even specialty stores like Fashion Bug sell scented lotion, along with the regular scent stores like Bath and Body Works, where you can find 8 oz. lotion for $5. Bath and Body Works is always having some kind of clearance or sale. Be careful of lotions that are too fruity though. I once wore Juice Bar's Cotton Candy lotion and ended up with 43 mosquito bites in a month. That was the worst summer ever. I couldn't go outside because I kept getting bitten, and it took me awhile to figure out why so many mosquitoes were killing my arms and legs. Aloe vera is a great ingredient in lotion because it smells wonderful, moisturizes, and kills bugs all at the same time. You ever wonder why so many mosquito repellents come with aloe vera added?

Whatever you choose to wear, just make sure that the smell compliments you and your checking account. No sense in smelling great if you can't afford to go anywhere and let others enjoy.








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JACLENE BENSHIMON

Lush is a bath and cosmetic company that prides itself on making environmentally sound products. Their line of solid perfumes is a great go anywhere product for the person who is always running around.

I got this solid perfume for free. On first sniff I thought "Oh my god, this is cat pee perfume!" I put it away and a few days later bit the bullet and put some on. After a few minutes, I was in love. Some of Lush's products need to sit out and cure before you use them or they smell very different on you than in the package. This was totally the case with this one.

The smell is described on Lush's website as unisex. Organic olive oil and the fresh juice of mandarin oranges are the scents that make up Olive Branch. I definitely smell the oranges but I'm not so sure about the olive oil. It smells like a warm, clean scent to my nose. The scent is very calming to me. Most of the time the scent lasts for 6-8 hours. This is longer than any of my spray perfumes and I keep it in my purse for easy application anywhere.

If you live in a warm climate be careful how you store this product. Some of the ingredients make it very soft when heated. I also wouldn't store it in a pocket because of this. The waxes and coco butter do make your skin soft. The butter can make peple prone to acne break out so use caution if applying to your face. Here is the list of ingredients: Japan Wax, Perfume, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Carnauba Wax (Copernicia Cerifera), Hydroxycitronellol, Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), *Limonene, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Dulcis), Mandarin Oil (Citrus nobilis), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Linalool, Coumarin,.

The directions for the solid perfumes say to just rub it on your pulse points. An easier way to apply it is to take your fingernail and swipe it across the surface (away from you so the perfume isn't trapped under your nail) and rub on. There are many other solid perfume scents. Try them all and pick one depending on your mood!








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An informal survey of family and friends on which show was the funniest TV comedy of all time, brought unanimous agreement: Seinfeld. That doesn't happen very often in my family, but they are not alone in their opinion. Seinfeld claims the top spot on TV Guide's 2002 list of "50 Greatest Shows of All Time." Entertainment Weekly placed Seinfeld third of the best TV shows of the last 25 years.

While it's true that the show, according to the IMDB website has won 58 awards and 120 nominations, there are several other long-running TV comedies, draped in awards that could vie for this coveted spot, the funniest TV show of all time. So why Seinfeld, hands down?

The funniest TV comedy shows are often centered around a life situation, ritual or relationship: the field hospital in M*A*S*H; life with your too-close-for-comfort family in "Everything About Raymond"; the single woman trying to make a new life as in, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". All fodder for funny TV comedy.

But Seinfeld is not a situation comedy in this traditional format and therein lies a clue to the show's genius and why it holds the title by so many as the funniest TV comedy show ever. As the now famous line from one of its own episodes, Seinfeld is "a show about nothing." That is, it's more about the mundane minutes in-between the everyday events of life than the events themselves. As Jerry Seinfeld once said in an interview featured on www.ew.com, "it's a show about conversation....a show about being a human being,"

With that deceptively simple formula, Jerry Seinfeld and his co-creator and producer, Larry David, cooked up some complex subplots and twists to illustrate the failings of its ensemble cast of characters. There is no one especially flawed character, no character the audiences love-to-hate. Instead, through the minutiae of everyday life, the audience sees how each character fails, so pathetically, to end the day honorably. Yet, does the viewer snub George or Jerry for their shortcomings? Do we sneer at Kramer because he fails to find life's purpose, or even a job? Or Elaine, because she appears so vain and shallow? No! The show makes no condemnations, and neither, in the end, do we. And again, that is the genius of the show at work and why it should carry the crown as the funniest TV show ever. As the best TV comedy ever, Seinfeld mirrors life, through its witty dialogue and insightful self-examiniation, revealing our faults to ourselves, being careful not to reject itself, or us, for who we are.

Perhaps that is part of the reason why teenagers today, too young to enjoy the show in its first airing, still enjoy it in reruns. According to www.sonypictures.com, Seinfeld still airs in over 200 markets around the U.S., and is especially popular among men and young adults. The show doesn't play favorites; viewers get to frown at the entire cast, every last self-absorbed one of them -and empathize with all of them too. There's a little bit of Jerry and his friends in all of us; and that is why Seinfeld leads the pack as the best TV comedy show ever. Its humanity endures.





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Julian Rouas Paris

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born without a body odor, develops a super sense of smell, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. His work takes a morbid turn as he searches for the ultimate scent: human!

The way I found out about this movie has to be the strangest way I've ever found a movie. It must've been fate! I was talking to my friend, Becca, and I joked about how there should be horror-themed perfume. So, I thought I'd Google it. I did a search on the terms "horror" and "perfume" and near the top was the "Perfume" movie. I thought it was a joke so I just had to see it. After a few moments I realized it was for real and then I saw Dustin Hoffman was in it which I just had to see his role.

Going into this I wasn't sure what to expect. I pictured a fancy corporate type of setting. I was really surprised to see that it was actually set in 18th century France. It looks very authentic and beautifully done. This just set it apart from most current horror movies lately.

The story is based on the 1985 literary historical horror novel of the same name (originally published in German as Das Parfum) by German writer Patrick Süskind. It's a very unique story which is refreshing. A man killing women to make perfume out of them, even going as far as to put one victim in a giant vat to soak. How unique is that?!

The movie follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, starting out with his birth where his poor mother tossed him out to die at the fish market. He's saved and he's passed from person to person and. growing up, His sense of smell grows to superhuman levels. Later, he comes across an aging perfume expert, played by Dustin Hoffman, and is promptly hired to create perfumes for the wealthy. Then he gets weird and starts out on his quest to create human-scented perfume. He's both sad because no one really loves and he's alone. On the other hand, he becomes an arrogant, emotionless and cold-blooded killer. Follow him on his morbid search for the impossible.

The acting is just superb. Very professionally done. I wasn't sure if he could pull off his role as Giuseppe Baldini, the aging perfume expert. But, he did so well and the make-up so good that it took me five minutes to recognize him! He did great. Ben Whishaw is perfect as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (although he's supposed to be hideous in the book), as the emotionless killer. Alan Rickman (Prof. Snape in Harry Potter) surprised me with his appearance as Richis, one of the members of the French staff. Everyone else is just great as well.

The SFX are done well. Some might be a tiny bit gory but, overall, not very bloody. Quite a bit of female nudity and a giant orgy of nudity near the end make this not a movie for the kids (if the serial killing already didn't tell you that!).

The ending. Well, it has to be one of the weirdest, abrupt changes I ever seen in a movie. While the first 4/5's was totally serious as a horror/thriller/mystery, the last fifth suddenly turned into sort of a Brothers Grimm fairytale. It almost ruined the entire mood of the first part for me. But then it turned again, while still like a bizarre fairytale, it regained a horror note with a perfectly disgusting ending. Still, I'd of preferred it if they had kept the same "realistic" feel as the beginning. I'm not sure how the novel handled the ending but, here, it just came off as a morbid tall tale.

Overall, a very unique tale with a very weird ending. Everything about this film is professionally and beautifully done. Definitely worth a view for all horror, thriller or mystery fans.



Julian Rouas Paris
Julian Rouas Paris
Julian Rouas Paris
Julian Rouas Paris
Julian Rouas Paris

HIRE A COMEDIAN NYHYSTERICALSOCIETY.COM

Comedy Central viewers prepare for a summer full of new laughs! The network has a full summer 2006 schedule planned, with new series and specials, sure to be the best shows to tune and chill out to this summer! 

Dog Bites Man
Your local news just got a whole lot funnier- at least on Comedy Central it did! Viewers should expect the untraditional as Dog Bites Man takes a snap at the traditional world of the half-hour news show. Part improv, part ‘mockumentar’, the ten-episode series premieres June 7th. Outrageously funny, the show features a team of half-baked fake newscasters interacting with real people. Cast members include Zach Galifianakis, A.D. Miles, Matt Walsh, and Andrea Savage.  The KHBX News Team, based in Spokane, take on the hard news, such as “Do Sneeze Guards Really Work?”. 

Sure to be a new Comedy Central hit, Dog Bites Man is the show to catch this summer!

Live At Gotham
First ran on Comedy Central’s broadband channel, “Motherload”, Live At Gotham will then debut on air Friday July 21st. Filmed this past spring at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York, the stand-up series was originally released on Motherload. Fans can now tune in this summer to watch six one-hour episodes. Hosts will include Joe Rogan, Bill Burr, Christopher Titus, Gren Behrendt, and Patton Oswalt. Featuring America’s best stand-up comedic performances, Live At Gotham will surely have some the best laughs of the summer.

Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For The Road
Grab a cold beer and some pork rinds and prepare to a laugh your pants on off! Premiering worldwide June 4th, the latest Blue Collar Comedy Tour will feature all the Blue Collar boys in what is looking to be the final tour. Featuring Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White, the two-hour special is sure to be full of backwoods humor and idioms! Comedy Central will be airing encore presentations later that night, for those who cannot get enough of these redneck comedics!

Chappelle’s Show
Fans have long awaited the third season of Chappelle’s Show- especially those teased by a ‘pre-release’ of clips back in December of 2005! Host Dave Chappelle’s reveals his unique take on the world at large, supported by cast members and collaborators Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings (who both take the stage to present). Previous episodes have entertained us with black white-supremacists, financial advice from the Wu-Tang Clan, the racial draft, and Prince. Only Chappelle knows what this summer’s season will feature, but fans can be assured it won’t be politically correct- only downright hilarious! The show premiers on July 9th.

Reno 911
Back for a fourth season, the RENO police force is ready for some more action and drama! Is Deputy Wielga’s husband- a serial killer- going to be killed by lethal injection? Can Jones and Garcia withstand being transferred to the RENO mounted patrol? This season’s fourteen new episodes will feature several guests stars, such as Carrot Top, Oscar Nunez, and Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman). Premiering July 9th, the series is ready to rumble with a whole slew of new criminals and jokes!




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Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: Introduction

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum was launched onto the fragrance market in 1991. The creator of the Chopard perfume was Michel Almairac who has also designed fragrances for other top scent companies. The bottle designer of the Chopard perfume was Caroline Scheufele. Is this fragrance a worthy purchase that is perfect for every day use?

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: The Product & Packaging

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum comes in a red square box. The Casmir perfume label is printed in large black lettering with the Chopard parfum brand printed in gold cursive writing directly underneath. Eau de parfum is also printed at the bottom of the box in gold lettering. The Chopard perfume gold emblem is printed at the very top.

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum bottle is round or oval like in appearance. The Chopard perfume container is clear in which owners will see the amber colored fragrance that is within. The cap of the Chopard perfume is round, clear, and with an amber like tint. Around the neck of the Casmir perfume container is several engravings of the Chopard parfum emblem.

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: The Fragrance

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is made from top notes of mango, coconut, peach, and bergamot. The middle notes of this Chopard perfume are jasmine, geranium, and muguet. The base notes that top off the Casmir perfume fragrance are amber, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli.

The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is all three: sweet, spicy, and warm from the combination of notes. The fruity notes of the Chopard perfume cannot be detected at all in the scent. The Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum opens up with an aroma of amber, musk, and vanilla from the bottom notes. This Chopard perfume is a perfect winter scent for anytime use for women of all ages. This Casmir perfume is classified as a oriental-spicy scent that lingers most of the day. The strength of the Chopard parfum is moderate compared to most other fragrance products and first application is not overbearing like some.

Casmir Perfume by Chopard Parfum Review: Conclusion

Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum comes in two sizes, the standard 3.4 fluid ounces and 1.7 fluid ounces. This Chopard perfume can be difficult to find in retail outlets; however, online shopping will not be a problem. Would be purchasers can expect to pay around $100 retail for the larger size of the Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum and around $40 online at discount prices. This Casmir perfume by Chopard parfum is perfect for women who are looking for a reasonably priced signature scent with a great longtivity.

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Women who avidly read magazines know that the perfume ads sometimes get in the way of actually reading the magazine.

The perfume ads are printed on thicker paper, and can make magazine pages misbehave. Some perfume ad scents are also overwhelming when there are three or more in one magazine.

For these reasons, I typically tear out all of the perfume advertisements in fashion magazines before I read them. Over the years, I have found some creative uses for these scented papers.

Because I don't like to apply perfume to my skin by rubbing paper on it, I rarely ever take these new scents for test drive. I have found other ways to explore these perfumes.

Here are 5 uses for perfume sheets in magazines:

1. Drawer Liners

You may already line bureau drawers with some kind of kitchen liner, or special drawer liner. In "the old days" people used folded newspapers to line dresser drawers. I find that using one scented perfumed sheet in a drawer not only lines the drawer, it also adds a pleasant aroma.

This is a free way to keep clothes freshly scented.

2. Car Freshener

For a scent different than "new car" or vanilla, place an opened perfume sheet from a magazine under a seat in your car. You can enjoy a new scent every week, when you use the advertisements you have collected.

3. Linens and Towels Freshener

Another place to use these free scented sheets is to place them in cabinets where linens or towels are stored.

4. Closet Freshener

Another way to use perfume sheets in magazines is to tack them up in a closet. This works great for closets that do not get much uses, including closets which house seasonal clothing.

5. Under the Sink

Underneath the kitchen sink in a house may not be the best looking or best-smelling place in the house. Use these free scented sheets to make those dark places smell a little bit better.

6. In Your Gym Bag

You may empty your gym bag every time you go to the gym. If you go to the gym three or four times a week, you may only wash the gym bag itself once a week or less. Tame any odor emanating from your gym bag when you travel to and from the gym, toting around sweaty exercise clothing or wet bathing suits and towels.

Place a scented magazine sheet in one of the pockets of the gym bag. It will keep the gym bag, and the gym locker smelling a bit more fresh.

Any of these six ideas are great ways to scent your personal spaces, when you use free scented perfume advertisements from magazines.

NYHYSTERICALSOCIETY

The Connxtions Comedy Club of Toledo, Ohio offers a chance to see big name comedians in the smaller city. These comedians appear all over the country, and come here to bring their acts to the Midwest. Connections, or Connxtions as they prefer, is the premier location in Northwest Ohio to see established and new comedians flex their comedy muscles.

Located at 5319 Heatherdowns Blvd., The Comedy Club offers a chance to book a show online off their website or by calling their front ticket counter. For information on upcoming shows or comedians that may be playing there, they have a 24 hour number that updates weekly. That phone number is 419-867-9041. The Club is open Wednesday and Thursday night at 8:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday have two shows, one at 8:00 PM and one at 10:30 PM. The midweek shows offer drink and snack specials, and often feature local, less-known comedians with discounts to admission for college students.

When you enter into Connxtions, you see the ticket counter immediately to your right. The young lady that was there helped us determine which show time we wanted on the Saturday night that we went, and we opted for the soon to start 8:00 PM show. She recommended in the future that we call ahead and make reservations, especially for the later weekend shows as to not come only to find that the club was sold out. Adoring the walls in their lobby, you will see a variety of pictures, 8 x 10 glossy photos of the numerous faces that have been featured on their stage.

Entering into the actual club area, you will find that the bar is actually a bit small for a club. There is no one manning it as we come in, and after a few minutes that changes, and a man comes up to ask what we want. We grab the menu and take it to the table we are guided to, a small table just right for two people. A few tables are scattered around the stage, and larger tables line up behind that and to the sides. The table we have is within "heckle" distance, and we get comfortable and ready for the show. The room is dimly lit, and the TV's suspended from the corners of the room offer a few highlights of comedians and various TV shows. The music is pumped into the club also to get everybody ready for a night of comedy.

Once the comedy starts, we see two opening comedians, two local guys who have different styles and techniques. The main act takes the stage after about an hour, and usually is on the stage for about 1 hour. We went twice in a month's time to see the differences, and without mentioning the specific names, the guys that took the stage were both very funny, with national experience opening for big name comedians and appearing on shows such as Premium Blend on Comedy Central and Jay Leno. Listing their specific names is not necessary, since the comedians change every week. See their website or call the aforementioned phone number for further details.

Overall, the experience made for a fun night.. I would recommend this comedy club to anyone living or visiting the Toledo area for an enjoyable night out!




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The basis of a comedy lies in its characters and plot, both of which come together in a formula to produce a resolution that is happy and many times, festive. The construction of a comedy usually entails some kind of conflict at the beginning of the plot, a twist that enables the hero to triumph, and a resolution in which the hero or heroine achieves his/her wants and lives happily ever after. It is common for the resolution to include some kind of festive gathering, typically a wedding or banquet, that celebrates the triumph of the hero and lets the audience know that, clearly, all is well and in order, as opposed to a tragedy which ends in death, leaving the viewer in a state of dark disdain. Time is a friend in comedies and whatever obstacle or villain existed at the beginning of the play is gotten rid of by the end, at which time the remaining characters who partake in the festivities reside in the "green world" of the two worlds that are usually present in a comedy. The cast left at the end of comedies seem to be made up of only the young, good, and happy who form a kind of society of "moral norm" in which no evil can exist (169). Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night are classified as "comedies" and can be said to be "festive comedies" in that both contain a comedic plot structure, typical comedic themes, and provide for music, comic relief, and a somewhat satisfying conclusion. Nevertheless, both plays push the limits of these characterizations of comedy and challenge the traditional notions of what a comedy entails by addressing societal notions such as race and money, and bringing forth the concept of death, which complicates the concept of time as a friend. Both plays end in festivities but with an ambiguous darkness and a foreboding shadow in which Shakespeare seems to go to the very edge of comedy and tragedy. These two comedies, unlike earlier ones, leave the audience discontent and questioning the moral and statement of the work, leading to a much more deep effect than a simplified and superficial satisfaction.

The Merchant of Venice is one of the most controversial comedies in that it, many times, seems to cross the line between comedy and tragedy. There is the typical movement between worlds, although the worlds are not clearly distinct from one other, just as the characters do not have distinct roles of good or evil. Money and greed is present in both old wealth Belmont and new wealth Venice and all the characters of the play seem to have an agenda of their own, except Antonio who, is indeed the merchant of Venice, but whose presence is of importance rather than actions. Time, a friend in comedies such as Taming of The Shrew, lingers in Belmont, the green world, but flies by in Venice, where time is an enemy and brings forth the conflict of the bond. Time, in its relevance to youth and age is also questioned in that Portia's father, while dead, holds a great deal of control over her life, as does Shylock with Jessica even after her betrayal.

The play begins with the typical plot of multiple love obstacles, including Jessica and Lorenzo, Gratiano and Nerissa, and of course Bassanio and Portia. As in all typical comedies, the play allows for a "clown" and comic relief in the ridiculous scenes of Launcelot Gobbo and his father, the happy marriage of the three couples in the "green world" of Portia's Belmont by the end of the play, and the exit of the villain. However, there are many problematic points throughout the plot that prevent the play from completely conforming to the notion of a festive comedy.

The most prominent challenge to the comedy of the play, in fact, lies in the villain, Shylock. Whether Shylock is the villain or the victim of the play is a question that arises over and over again and remains unanswered at the end. Shylock's actions are malicious but arise only from the discrimination and extreme hatred that he suffers from Antonio and the Christian society of Venice. As he states "If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute" (3:1), Shylock is only acting as those who wrong him would and while it is still wrong, the audience sympathizes with his situation, especially with the betrayal of his own daughter. In court, Shylock uses the letter of the law in an effort to win justice on his side but fails when the law is manipulated by Portia, in favor of the Christians. At the resolution then, the audience realizes that there is no truly good character in the play, as in most comedies exists such as Kate or Biannca, and that morality does not really triumph, for morality is self-serving in the play and only brought forth when used against the desires of another. It is seen from Portia's reaction to the Moroccan and the ignoring of Jessica by all the Christian characters except her husband, that racism exists not only in Venice but in the supposed green world of Belmont as well, which, in this case, does not redeem the negatives of Venice. All the males of the play and driven by power and wealth, leaving Portia to be the sole "intellectual" heroine who solves the issues presented in order to arrive at a happy ending. Nevertheless, it is seen that she too, in her biases, uses the spirit and letter of the law to take from Shylock what is, in reality, rightfully his. Shylock, in the end, striped of his rights with his daughter gone and faith taken from him, becomes an obvious victim whose livelihood has been taken away by an Antonio who, although gives back Shylock's money, takes away from him the essence of his being. Just as Jessica and Lorenzo compare themselves to tragic lovers under the guise of music, the play ends with the group of united lovers in a uncertain state of happiness. The reader is left with the festivities of the gathering of the characters rejoicing in their triumph but there glooms a force of darkness over the couples whose love and happiness seem superficial and whose doom is grimly foreshadowed.

While Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is also considered to be a festive comedy, it too challenges the notions of a typical comedy. The plot begins and ends in Illyria, a sort of fantasy green world of youth that excludes the existence of age and reality. With the shipwreck and knowledge of the historic death of Viola's father, there exists almost no trace of age or another world, thereby missing the rhythmic movement from the normal world to the green world and back present in other comedies such as Taming of the Shrew. As the clown reminds the audience, nothing that is in this world, is. Reality does not exist, thus creating an atmosphere of dreamlike disconnect where ignorance is the evil and darkness, emphasized by Malvolio's entrapment in darkness. This world of illusion, however, is not an entirely green or happy one in that love is a source of pain and lack of reality is the enemy. Time is a friend in the plot in that it leads to the resolution of the conflicts but as Feste ironically reminds the audience through a song, love is defined by time and thus is ephemeral just as mortals are. Time's waste and misuses are further shown through Sir Toby who epitomizes the nature of aristocratic life, as compared to Malvolio's constant focus on efficiency, a reflection upon the change in the economic society of England.

The characters of the play are unable to come to terms and achieve reality, with Orsino and Olivia living out their own created dramas, Sir Toby in a drunken state of mind, and the "villain" Malvolio, completely lacking the qualities of mobility, wit, intelligence, or honesty, who is absolutely out of touch with reality and hopes for the downfall of all those around him. The obstacle of the play, of course, revolves around the heroine and the common comedic themes of love and identity. The conflicts of love and identity seem to be out of anyone's power, as they come into being and become resolved all due to fate although Maria's craftiness does indeed play a large role, even if she herself did not fathom all the consequences of her actions. Viola's double identity causes a confused mess of love plots between herself and Orsino, Orsino and Olivia, and herself as Cesario with Orsino and Olivia. The obstacle, unlike in other comedies, is one that is more internal than as a result of external forces. Even the beloved protagonist, Viola, the character that the audience identifies with most and is more biased towards, can only sacrifice herself in the name of love and relies on the incidental appearance of her brother Sebastian for the true resolution to the love conflict, unlike other comedic heroes such as Portia or Petruchio who take matters into their own hands. Viola, as all the others in Illiya are under the rule of time and destiny. 

The villain of the play, Malvolio, is hated because of his immense self love and arrogance, and unlike most comedic villains, such as Petrucchio, does not consciously realize his ill will and odes not see himself as a bad man, but rather, exists in his own world where he strives for social mobility. In his puritan-like beliefs, Malvolio feels that he is above the rest of the characters and chooses to scold them on their behavior even though his status in reality is just a steward.By the end of the play, all the important characters are paired off except Malvolio, whose end is ambiguous as he exits with "I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you." Feste, ironically the character who is seemingly most in touch with reality, is also left unpaired and he is the one whose song of mortality ends the play, reminding the audience of reality and thus emphasizing the surreal nature of the world that the characters of the play live in, thereby taking away from their so called happy ending.

Both The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night contain the mechanisms and foundation of a typical festive comedy in their presentation and resolution but a closer analysis reveals that they, in fact, contain a shadow of darkness that coincides with the end of comedy writing for Shakespeare. The questioning of the role of money and power, issues of racism and justice, as well as the theme of mortality and death give rise to a sense of a reality that does not allow for the concrete and unquestionable happy future and resolute ending that is expected from other comedies.




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The Connxtions Comedy Club of Toledo, Ohio offers a chance to see big name comedians in the smaller city. These comedians appear all over the country, and come here to bring their acts to the Midwest. Connections, or Connxtions as they prefer, is the premier location in Northwest Ohio to see established and new comedians flex their comedy muscles.

Located at 5319 Heatherdowns Blvd., The Comedy Club offers a chance to book a show online off their website or by calling their front ticket counter. For information on upcoming shows or comedians that may be playing there, they have a 24 hour number that updates weekly. That phone number is 419-867-9041. The Club is open Wednesday and Thursday night at 8:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday have two shows, one at 8:00 PM and one at 10:30 PM. The midweek shows offer drink and snack specials, and often feature local, less-known comedians with discounts to admission for college students.

When you enter into Connxtions, you see the ticket counter immediately to your right. The young lady that was there helped us determine which show time we wanted on the Saturday night that we went, and we opted for the soon to start 8:00 PM show. She recommended in the future that we call ahead and make reservations, especially for the later weekend shows as to not come only to find that the club was sold out. Adoring the walls in their lobby, you will see a variety of pictures, 8 x 10 glossy photos of the numerous faces that have been featured on their stage.

Entering into the actual club area, you will find that the bar is actually a bit small for a club. There is no one manning it as we come in, and after a few minutes that changes, and a man comes up to ask what we want. We grab the menu and take it to the table we are guided to, a small table just right for two people. A few tables are scattered around the stage, and larger tables line up behind that and to the sides. The table we have is within "heckle" distance, and we get comfortable and ready for the show. The room is dimly lit, and the TV's suspended from the corners of the room offer a few highlights of comedians and various TV shows. The music is pumped into the club also to get everybody ready for a night of comedy.

Once the comedy starts, we see two opening comedians, two local guys who have different styles and techniques. The main act takes the stage after about an hour, and usually is on the stage for about 1 hour. We went twice in a month's time to see the differences, and without mentioning the specific names, the guys that took the stage were both very funny, with national experience opening for big name comedians and appearing on shows such as Premium Blend on Comedy Central and Jay Leno. Listing their specific names is not necessary, since the comedians change every week. See their website or call the aforementioned phone number for further details.

Overall, the experience made for a fun night.. I would recommend this comedy club to anyone living or visiting the Toledo area for an enjoyable night out!




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Here is my personal review of the Skyline Comedy Club Café in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Information:
1004 S. Olde Oneida Street, Appleton, Wisconsin 54915
Phone: 920-734-5653
Fax: 920-734-8214
www.skylinecomedy.com

Skyline Comedy Club Café Hours:
Box Office: Monday 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm (phone until 8:00 pm)
Tuesday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm (phone until 8:00 pm)
Wednesday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Performance Schedule & Show Times:
Wednesday 8:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 pm
Friday 8:00 pm & 10:15 pm
Saturday 8:00 pm & 10:15 pm

Key Notes & Tips:
* reservations recommended
* separate parking lot
* must be 21 years of age or older to attend

About Skyline Comedy Café:
Skyline Comedy Café is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and has live comedians every week Wednesday through Saturday. Almost all of the comedians are nationwide acts that do shows on TV shows including Comedy Central, HBO, NBC, ShowTime, Fox Sports Net, MTV and Sirius Satellite Radio to name a few.

Comedians:
Skyline Comedy Café hosts comedians from all over the US, many of which are already famous stand up comedians that perform on various popular TV shows. Specific comedians that attend the Skyline Comedy Café to perform shows include:

Michael Kosta: Performs on Comedy Central, HBO, Fox Sports Net and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Josh Sneed: Performs mainly on Comedy Central, and he is also considered one of the best joke writers out there.

Ryan Stout: Performs on Comedy Central, MTV, and the Bob & Tom Radio Show. Stout can be seen every week as the host on the MTV show "A Shot at Love: The Hangover."

My Favorite Comedian at Skyline Comedy Cafe:
Comedian Michael Kosta. Kosta was the main act one night I attended the Skyline Comedy Café and he was absolutely wonderful. He has great pure comedy and jokes that anyone young or old can enjoy. I highly recommend attending the next show that Michael Kosta performs at. You will have a great time listening to this guy!

Price:
The Skyline Comedy Café in a fairly reasonably priced comedy club. They only charge $10 for admission to get into the show, however they do charge you for two drinks throughout the course of the show (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). But even with the two drinks, the total for the show and your two drinks typically adds up to only around $20, possibly even less depending on what you get to drink. However in my opinion, the $20 for the show and two drinks is a very good deal!

Service:
Skyline Comedy Café has offered great service every time I have been there. The seating is good and the environment is great for comedy. The serving of drinks is done quickly and all my drinks tasted great. Overall, the service at Skyline Comedy Café is very good and I highly recommend anyone to go there and watch a show.

Summary:
My experience at the Skyline Comedy Café in Appleton, Wisconsin has been terrific. The main acts have always been very entertaining, and the cost for the evening was very reasonable. This comedy club makes for a great place to go out with friends or even a place to go out at for a date. I highly recommend the Skyline Comedy Club Café, as it is by far the best comedy club in the entire city of Appleton and any surrounding cities as well!




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In 1995, when I was a youthful (or so I thought) 42, I attended the annual Round Table Comedy Writers' convention in Palm Springs, California. The weekend was hosted by Gene Perret, an Emmy Award winning gag writer who was punch line deep in credentials, having written for Phyllis Diller, Carol Burnett, and the King of them all, Bob Hope.

The convention was comprised of writing workshops and competition for those of us who thought we could write funny. There were probably 40 of us in attendance, and many of us over 40.

Some of us came with a writing resume. Some were just interested and had no working background in the comedy field.

I walked away with the 1st place trophy for Individual Comedy Writing. I also walked away a little gloomy after hearing some less than hopeful straight talk about the comedy business, especially for those with some age on them.

Liz Sage is not a household name but a memorable sketch for The Carol Burnett Show was televised in millions of households throughout the country. Remember Carol's parody of "Gone With The Wind"? That was the handiwork of Liz Sage.

As one of the workshop's faculty members, Liz seasoned her presentation with sage advice on comedy writing but also cautioned us about the pitfalls of the business. One of them was nagging.

She told us that, once a typical comedy writer in Hollywood hits 40, his or her bright career will soon dim like a 15 Watt bulb in a warehouse.

"You're in there pitching television scripts to 25-year old execs," she said. "All they're thinking of is their 18 to 35 demographic. They can't imagine how you fit into the picture, creatively or otherwise."

In other words, if you're over 40, you're just not funny anymore.

The good news for comedy writers is this: the preceding statement doesn't have to be true. But if you're a writer over 40, it's up to you to prove it's not true.

Let's face it, talent cannot be denied. It can be rejected; it can be overlooked: it can, biblically speaking, be hid under a bushel basket where no one will ever see it.

But talent is talent and if your talent is to make people laugh, then some where along the way you're going to....well...make people laugh.

Now facing down television high hats is a lot like fighting City Hall. You're probably not even going to get a hearing, let alone win.

But there are plenty of venues for comedy writers outside of the TV Biz. And since it won't involve pitching scripts in person to young men and ladies in suits, no one is going to care how old you are.

I've never lived in Hollywood. I've never pitched a sitcom script. I live in Nebraska where I hold down a full time job and writing is on a freelance basis. My clients over the past 30 years have included Joan Rivers, Jay Leno, Phyllis Diller, and Yakov Smirnoff.

I write gags. Once in awhile, I've branched out and wrote radio ads and edited a comedian's book. For many years, I wrote a weekly newspaper column. But it all started with jokes. So....



Start with the basic of the basics: gag writing.

Now the word gag sounds a bit archaic, I suppose. Too Berle-esque, you might say.

But for us old-timers (by the way, if you haven't done the math, I'm 56 years old now), gag writer has a nice ring to it. Sometimes the ring sounds like this: Kaching, kaching!

Gag, joke, one-liner. Whatever suits you is fine. Just start writing them.

I'm assuming, of course, that you already know how to write a gag. But can you tailor your jokes for a particular comedian? That's an absolute must.

You wouldn't take a Bob Hope joke, for instance, and put it word for word in the mouth of Dane Cook. Of course, you wouldn't take a Bob Hope joke or anybody else's, for that matter and put it in the mouth of another comedian.

Your jokes must be original, fresh, and YOURS. Funny helps, too.

So now that you know how to write a gag and your material is original, fresh, and funny, you must find a comedian who is willing to buy your jokes. If you meet the rest of the criteria, a comic won't care if you're 150 years old.

How to get in touch with a comedian?

The famous ones are generally unreachable. Don't believe anything different.

But you don't have to start at the top. The top just happens to be a good place to end up.

There are hundreds of comics out there and they might be coming to your city or at least to a place nearby. They're called Road Comics and they spend most of the year traveling from town to town, wherever there's a comedy venue that will hire them.

They, too, want to land at the top. But this is where they start. Go see them.

Usually, these comedians will set up shop in a lobby or vestibule after their set. They will visit with anyone who stops by, sign an autograph, and they will try to sell you their CD. Buy it if necessary.

Tell the comedian that you're a writer and hand over a couple of pages of joke samples. Remember: Original, Fresh, and Yours. Be sure to include a business card.

What if they steal my material?

It happens. So what if they do? Apparently, they must think your stuff is funny. If you find out they've gone on to the next club with a few of your jokes and they've monetarily stiffed you, then at least include them on your resume.

Chances are this won't happen. If they get laughs with your jokes, they might just want to track you down and buy more.

Local organizations like the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as churches and schools often hire comedians and public speakers. Watch your newspaper and find out who's appearing where. Many of these performers offer fliers that promote their engagement in advance. Generally, there will be contact information available. Whether it's a phone number or an email, go ahead and contact them. Try to arrange a meeting after the show.

You might be surprised how far you get.

Back to the famous. If you think you have top-drawer material that will make a Letterman or a Conan double over in laughter, then go for the gold.

Warning: no comedian affiliated with a television network will look at unsolicited material. They will require a release form signed by you.

Do not try to call them at the studio. Do not write them a personal letter.

What then?!!!

Use a contact. Watch the end credits of a show you are interested in or try Googling a staff breakdown. Pick a name with a promising job title, like co-executive producer or writers' assistant.

Send an engaging letter of introduction, along with your resume, via snail mail.

Do not send material. Again, they will not read it without that signed release form.

Provide a day time phone number because for them, calling you is the simplest means of communication.

Give them a couple of weeks. If you haven't heard back, try it again. Perhaps try using a different contact. Eventually, you'll snag somebody who is willing to give you a chance because somebody gave that person a chance. There really are a few nice people out there.

You might also try magazines that buy jokes or humorous pieces. Does your local newspaper have room for an occasional witty column? You won't make a lot of money, but you'll be forced to keep pumping out the funny stuff, which will make you a prolific, consistent writer.

If you are in middle age or fast approaching it, especially if you do not live in LA, then take Liz Sage's advice: if you're over 40, don't bank on a career in sitcom writing. Besides the age old problem of old age, you will encounter that Catch-22:

they won't talk to you if you don't have an agent and an agent won't handle you unless you've already sold a script.

So, stick with where you started: gag writing. Or whatever you want to call it.

Whatever you do, don't let us anyone know how old you are!







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You didn't have to live in the 1950's to once enjoy the brilliant and innovative material of Ernie Kovacs on TV. I'm a product of the 70's and 80's, but I remember growing up seeing reruns of Ernie Kovacs' old shows on PBS around 1977 when his widow, Edie Adams, repackaged some of his best work into a brief multi-part series called "The Best of Ernie Kovacs." You can still get that series on a DVD box set now, but other than a brief re-running of that same basic material on Comedy Central in the 90's (or Comedy Channel back then), you won't find any Ernie Kovacs reruns anywhere on TV today. Why that's the case is almost inexplicable when you consider how many comedians and future TV shows he influenced.

Just what was it that made Kovacs so innovative? Well, he was the first TV comedian to bring a sense of the surreal to network television back when it might have been considered avant-garde. And you could almost argue that some of Kovacs' material was much too sophisticated for network TV despite network execs having the guts in those days to keep him going in various incarnations of his shows.

Even from his earliest days on TV in the late 40's-early 50's when he had a local show on an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, he employed a lot of creative ingenuity with the primitive TV equipment of the day to create some surrealistic special effects. A lot of these techniques he'd refine in the coming decade when he started hosting shows directly on NBC and when he'd have a slightly bigger budget. Many of those techniques he refined included blackout sketches, superimpositions and anything else he could drum up to turn the technical side of television upside-down. He also was one of the first people on TV to bring a sense of improvisation to sketches that ultimately led to funnier situations.

His approach behind doing a comedy sketch was also quite different from the usual, sometimes creating a topic that might be a little bit taboo for the times. This is where "Saturday Night Live" managed to learn from Kovacs and still employs the same procedure today. Back in the 50's or early 60's, if you had a sketch involving an insinuation of a sexual situation or someone inciting violence (something Kovacs would explore in his final TV specials), it turned some people off. In fact, most of his shows were very low-rated and he only survived on TV because the suits knew he was doing something different that would probably change the way we see broadcasting.

They were right, because just about every aspect of sketch comedy today employs techniques Kovacs created. "Saturday Night Live" still has the stamp of Kovacs written all over it. David Letterman has long been accused of copying the same routines Kovacs did. For a brief time, Kovacs even hosted "The Tonight Show" in-between the time Steve Allen left and while waiting for Jack Paar to come in. On that show, Kovacs continued his trend of also breaking the fourth wall where all the cameramen, crew and the audience would be involved in some kind of comedy bit. All of this was done while Kovacs would concoct offbeat (or even off-the-cuff) situations not unlike what Letterman's been doing for years. You can see the same influence on Conan O'Brien who does his show probably in the same studio where Kovacs once hosted some of his shows at NBC.

____

Most fans of Kovacs' material, though, will tell you that while his older material is great, a group of early 60's specials he did for ABC (all shot on black and white video) were his highest achievements. These were his last shows before tragically dying in a car accident in January of 1962. And this is the material that was compiled for the PBS specials in the 70's and usually rerun over the years. However, it's amazing that people can see these, because a number of the videoed specials were erased along with some of his earliest kinescopes from the early 50's. When Kovacs' widow, Edie Adams, found out that was happening back in the mid 1970's, she bought up the rights to the remaining material and restored an important part of TV history.

Undoubtedly Edie Adams (who's still living and always performed with Kovacs on his old shows) isn't happy now when you realize a whole generation has gone by who probably hasn't even seen one single Kovacs show since Comedy Central gave the reruns the boot over a decade ago. Perhaps the reruns were also victims of low ratings and fell to the vagaries of television giving the axe to anything that doesn't register at least a modest profit for a particular network.

As I mentioned earlier, though, you can acquire that old PBS compilation of Kovacs' best work on DVD--and it appears that it'll never go out of print. If it does, something isn't right when one of the most innovative TV comedians of all time gets completely eliminated from history.

Don't kid yourselves, though: You need to be in the right frame of mind and be able to get into a different frame of mind when watching Kovacs' blackout sketches, mime work (his "Eugene" character is classic) and b&w psychedelic extravaganzas that look like one giant retro dreamscape. His work is a real foray into the subconscious mind where the surreal is wide awake and making sense while perhaps initially not making any sense.

Hopefully Adams can find some inroads to getting his old shows back on TV again for a new generation to discover. When today's generations watch his old shows, they'll likely think to themselves that they seem so modern when they were done almost fifty years ago as of this writing. It's a lot of fun, too, to pick out all the things on his shows that were copied years later by Monty Python, "SNL", Letterman, the old 60's classic "Laugh In" and countless other shows to this day that employ sketch comedy...

Link to the "Best of Ernie Kovacs DVD"...

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Ernie-Kovacs/dp/B000056B07/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1221691480&sr=1-1




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