Superman First Edition

A first edition of the comic book in which Superman made his debut has become the world’s most expensive, selling for an eye-watering $2.16 million (£1.4m).

The Action Comics No.1 (graded nine out of 10 for quality) introduced the world’s most recognisable super hero to the world in 1938.

And having originally hit news stands priced at just 10 cents, it has now fetched the staggering sum after an online auction in New York.

The book, one of just 100 thought to be left in existence, had been stolen from the home of a California collector in 2000.

And despite an 11-year police hunt, the valuable and extremely rare comic mysteriously vanished off the face of the earth.

But in April, a Californian businessman who bought up the contents of an auctioned off storage unit, unearthed the pristine magazine inside.

Page 23 is 2011 winner of Best Film, Best Audience Award and Best Editing from the prestigious 48 Hour Film Project in Holland.

Story
Advertisements usually display unruffled domestic happiness. But, as we see in Page 23, this world looks too good to be true. Behind the beaming smile of fashion models loom adultery and the stifling daily routine.

PAGE 23 is the first shortfilm that the young creatives Jeroen Houben, Tim Arts and Stefan van den Boogaard made together. Their first effort immediately resulted in the jury prize and audience award at the 48 Hour Film Project in Utrecht (Netherlands), and nominations in other categories.

48 hour film project

48-hour-film-project

The 48 Hour Film Project has just celebrated its 10th Anniversary Tour.

3,500 films from 96 cities around the world entered this year.

The Tour lasted from March through November with approximately 45,000 participants and 400 screenings across the globe.

The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which teams make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.

Always compliment a woman

When you compliment a woman, you should always try to make it as specific as possible.

If you give a woman a general compliment (“you are pretty”, you have nice eyes”) she’ll be pleased. But there are quite a few problems:

It looks like you’re not really paying attention to her
It looks like you have a generic compliment queued up that you use on every girl
She doesn’t feel that she’s earned the compliment
You come across as a guy who doesn’t bother to really see what is special about every person
She’ll wonder if you really do like her or if you are just using the compliment as an excuse to start a conversation with her.

Now the reason most guys end up using a generic compliment is actually none of the above! It’s simply that they don’t have a lot of experience giving genuine compliments. Giving a really nice compliment is a skill and it needs to be worked on.

Here’s a fun little game that will enable you to practise.

Every time you leave the house, notice the people walking towards you and silently give them a compliment. Don’t discriminate: it can be a guy, a girl, old or young, attractive or not. Just pick one thing about their looks, dress, manner or bearing that makes them attractive and/or unique.

It’s best to phrase it in the second person as that is how you’ll eventually be giving the compliment.

For example:

You have lovely clear fresh skin
You have a very intelligent face
Your clothes are beautifully-chosen and really suit you
You have fantastic salt-and-pepper hair; it makes you look very distinguished
You have a very sexy walk
I love your trainers- they look great with those jeans
You have great posture
That hat looks great on you- I would never think to wear something like that!

The great thing about this game is that you can do it when you’re really not feeling like talking to people. I always do it on the tube, for example. There’s not much else to look at, so I go around the carriage and notice something attractive about all of the other passengers.

From here it’s quite a small step to actually delivering the compliment (after all, you’ve already spent the mental effort noticing it!). And you’ll find that your actual compliments are much more charming and personalised.

Why not download the FREE book from the website – CLICK HERE

This article is brought to you by The London School of Attraction.

The LSA is a training company renowned for delivering the most sophisticated, effective attraction coaching to men across the capital.

Whether you’re looking for more confidence, a fantastic girlfriend or simply to attract beautiful women anywhere, our elite team can help you achieve your goals.

The LSA Mission Statement: Dedicated to getting men in London and beyond the love life of their dreams.

Mix your dates up!

Successful dating is difficult in the modern world where everyone is so busy.

Especially in London, it can be hard to find a connection and make an impact on someone’s life.

I am going to give you a valuable tip which will do a number of things for you:

• Save you time by not wasting a whole night on a date you’re not enjoying.
• Add variety to your dates, making them more fun. Take the girl on a journey and make her feel like she has known you for longer, improving your chances of becoming intimate with her.

The strategy involves you having three venues in mind for your evening; this is best explained by giving you an example of how I used to plan my dates.

Venue 1- Coffee shop / tea shop

A good example is a place on Wardour Street called Princi. Go here first for tea/coffee and have a chat standing up in a busy and bright location. This allows you to get a feel for if there is likely to be any connection in an informal and unpressurised environment. If you’re not having fun at this stage it is reasonable to end the date after an hour (or less).

These are both good venues for this:

http://www.princi.co.uk/
http://www.urbanpath.com/london/cafes/maison-bertaux.htm

Venue 2- Arcade

This is by no means right for every girl, but I often took the girl to an arcade after this to play some pool or arcade games. This can be fun for, say, thirty minutes and should get the two of you laughing together. As you’re walking past the arcade, raise it casually as though you have just considered the idea. Say something like, “We all spend so much time sitting in front of a desk. Wouldn’t it be fun to act like kids again for a bit?” If she seems ice cold to the idea don’t push it but, from my experience, most girls will be open to it.

http://www.yell.com/reviews/las+vegas+amusements-1p42y7q-r

Venue 3- A cosy bar

Find somewhere with comfortable and private seats (as far as possible). As you have already been to two other places, it will feel like you know each other better and, if you are getting on well, you can become more intimate at this stage.

These bars are all great for this:

http://www.redsoho.com/
http://www.22below.co.uk/
http://www.hush.co.uk/

Changing venues like this:

keeps the date fun
gives the impression of knowing each other longer
helps avoid the staleness of sitting in one bar for a couple of hours
makes the final location seem like a nice cosy conclusion to the date

So the next time you are planning a date don’t go for one bar- mix it up with interesting and different venues/activities.

Why not download the FREE book from the website – CLICK HERE

This article is brought to you by The London School of Attraction.

The LSA is a training company renowned for delivering the most sophisticated, effective attraction coaching to men across the capital.

Whether you’re looking for more confidence, a fantastic girlfriend or simply to attract beautiful women anywhere, our elite team can help you achieve your goals.

The LSA Mission Statement: Dedicated to getting men in London and beyond the love life of their dreams.

Ben Westwood designing mens suits

Ben Westwood, former photographer and son of British fashion legend Dame Vivienne Westwood, cuts quite a dash in the capital with his inimitable “wild west” style – a style he is now translating into a menswear range for leading London suit-makers, Cad & the Dandy.

“We specialise in bespoke tailored suits, shirts and overcoats – but that does not mean we are too staid to indulge in a touch of trend-setting,” said Ian Meiers, co-founder of Cad & the Dandy, whose salons in Savile Row, the City and Canary Wharf are the preferred ports of call for modish gentlemen everywhere.

Inviting Ben Westwood to share his creativity with Cad & the Dandy is not the first foray into unconventional fashion for Mr Meiers and his partner James Sleater. Last year the former bankers turned phenomenally successful suit-makers played host to former World Boxing Champion and renowned snappy dresser, Chris Eubank, who designed his own striking “off the peg” collection for the Cad & the Dandy salons.

Now it is the turn of Ben Westwood to follow suit, as it were. He has hit the headlines with some avant-garde designs like  two wacky jackets which were snapped up off of the catwalk by punk rocker, Adam Ant, whose ‘come-back’ has been taking London by storm.

Chris Eubank in Cad and the Dandy suit

Westwood – who says his design inspiration is “tribal culture, Red Indians and pirates” – wowed fashionistas with his de

but at London Fashion Week last year. Since then his “street fashion” has been stocked exclusively at the way-out Shoreditch boutique, A Child of the Jago, owned by Ben’s half-brother Joe Corre (son of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren). Proving particularly popular are his Clint Eastwood-inspired wax coats.

This will be Westwood’s  first “showing” among the more traditional tailoring portals of Savile Row.

“We just love the exuberance of Ben’s work – it’s the perfect foil for the more formal wear we deal with in our bespoke tailoring service,” said Mr Meiers. He added that Westwood’s Cad & the Dandy range is more sober, classy and city-chic than the hard street fashion for which he has become known – “but it certainly has an edge”.

The ability to cut their cloth to suit city slickers of all persuasions – particularly those with attitude – is what has enabled Cad & the Dandy to measure up to the best in the realms of aristocratic attire since the company began just three years ago, earning them the MacWorld Bento Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010.

79% of women claim to prefer men who are clean shaven.

Gentry Grooming - for the sharper gentleman

On top of that, shaving makes us feel cleaner, fresher and generally more business-like.

But it can be a daily ritual fraught with difficulties. Electric shavers might be convenient but they’re often expensive and harsh on the skin, which is why wet shaving is by far the best way to get smooth results.

By following these few easy steps it will be a more skin friendly experience and you’ll achieve better results in the process. Here’s how…

1. Give your skin time to wake up
Thanks to an accumulation of fluid, skin tends to be puffy first thing in the morning so give it time to settle down before you start shaving and you’ll get better results.

2. Try shaving after a shower
After just two minutes, the warm water and steam will have caused the hairs on your chin to expand – making them softer and much easier to shave. It’s thought that if you wet the hair adequately before shaving, the force required to slice them with the razor is reduced by up to 70%. What’s more all that steam and hot water will open your pores, releasing any dirt and grime.

3. Soften up
The key to a great shave is, indisputably, preparation. If the process is rushed it will give patchy results. So it is essential to spend a few minutes softening the beard beforehand. Start by washing the face thoroughly using plenty of warm water and a gentle face wash to cleanse the skin and ensure any grease or grime that may be coating the hairs is completely removed. The razor will then glide over the skin smoothly.

It is vital that you choose the right shaving product. Foams, gels, creams, oils and serums all have the same objective which is to create a cushion between your skin and razor; to prevent bristles from drying out and to ease the shaving process.

However, with so many products on offer the decision can be a bit overwhelming.

Visit the Essentials range on Toffsworld for more information on products that are suitable…….

Useful advice on how to get girls. Download the book

Turning a friend you fancy into a girlfriend who fancies you is tricky.

Girls tend to compartmentalise guys. Unlike guys (who simply look at girls and either find them attractive or not) girls ascribe you a category:

The friend
The provider
Boyfriend material
Sexy- worth a fling
A creep
And so on…

So, it’s not as much a case of getting her attracted to you, as it is getting her to shift your category in her mind.

To accomplish this you can come at it in one of two ways (or both):

Make her aware other girls are interested (jealousy)
Let her know that she couldn’t have you even if she wanted (intrigue)

Here are my top five tips. They are very powerful, but rather advanced, because it is possible to upset her if you do them wrong.

So, with that caveat:

Ask her for advice about an upcoming date. Girls love talking about this stuff anyway, and it’ll remind her that there are other girls on the scene.
Try to set her up with other guys- she’ll be intrigued as to why you don’t want her for yourself.
Joke about how she loves you but that you only like her as a friend. Any time she does anything that you can misinterpret as her fancying you (asks you if you want another drink; invites you to a party…) tell her that you’re tempted but don’t want to risk your friendship.

Convey your interest in a ridiculously exaggerated way. Tell her that you’re tired because you couldn’t sleep last night because you were dreaming of her.

Compare all your other girlfriends unfavourably to her (remember, you’re in demand!). Tell her that you were on a date last night with a gorgeous girl but you’d have much rather been chilling out with her watching a DVD. The key here is to keep a slight smile on your face and be playful- this could all sound rather weird if your tone is too serious.

BONUS: Don’t tell her how you feel. She probably knows anyway, and verbalising it will cost you any chance you might have with her. DO NOT believe the movies here: she won’t fall into your arms and kiss you while the credits roll. It’ll be awkward; she’ll mutter something about not spoiling your friendship and you might never see her again. In fact, you actually will end up spoiling your friendship!

Why not download the FREE book from the website – CLICK HERE

This article is brought to you by The London School of Attraction.

The LSA is a training company renowned for delivering the most sophisticated, effective attraction coaching to men across the capital.

Whether you’re looking for more confidence, a fantastic girlfriend or simply to attract beautiful women anywhere, our elite team can help you achieve your goals.

The LSA Mission Statement: Dedicated to getting men in London and beyond the love life of their dreams.

How to get girls. Download the FREE book

Too many guys are rigid and inflexible on a date.

They find a strategy or persona that has worked for them in the past (the strong, silent type; the cocky and funny charmer; the gentleman…) and they stick to it, even if the girl is clearly wondering how quickly she can call it a night.

The key to a successful date or interaction is to possess a set of tools; I call these “tools of engagement”.

Switch to a different tool any time you feel that the girl is not totally engaged in the conversation until you find something that hooks.

Here are some of my favourite tools:

Show vulnerability. I used to tell girls how, while in Africa, I traveled into the deepest jungle to meet child soldiers. I asked detailed questions about their actions and how it made them feel, knowing it could be disastrous for them psychologically- I just couldn’t resist as it was so intriguing. I tell my dates how this was a moment of deep regret. The story is true and so are the sentiments.

Build an emotional connection. Find out about her passions, fears and ambitions and try to get inside her head. Who is she and where is she going? Most people pay this lip service, but really listen to her and she will open up. A good way of doing this is trying to empathise with her motivations and reasons for what she does. For example if she is a shopping aficionado try to understand what it is about shopping she loves. It is remarkable the effect you can have on people if you really listen to them. Try it!

Play games and set posers. Do a card trick, teach her a memory game or have a competition. I love knowing whether someone would rather work a job they love for little money or do a job they hate for a fortune- so I ask.

Tell a story. Think of the three most interesting things that have ever happened to you and practice these stories so that they are polished and engaging. They can then be wheeled out at appropriate times. It is entirely appropriate to practice these. Watching great storytelling helps. Try and watch the scene in Pulp Fiction when Christopher Walken tells the young Bruce Willis character about the gold watch.

Be spontaneous. As a rule, whatever you were going to do, do the opposite. Going to kiss her at her front door at the end of the date? Kiss her as soon as you meet her at the station. Planning to take her out for a drink? Take her for breakfast. The date’s going well? Tell her you have to go home. Be different to every other boring date she has been on.

Women are very fickle creatures. Something that has them gazing into your eyes and stroking your hand can bore them to tears half an hour later.

So be flexible and mix it up. Trust us- she’ll thank you for it.

Why not download the FREE book from the website – CLICK HERE

This article is brought to you by The London School of Attraction.

The LSA is a training company renowned for delivering the most sophisticated, effective attraction coaching to men across the capital.

Whether you’re looking for more confidence, a fantastic girlfriend or simply to attract beautiful women anywhere, our elite team can help you achieve your goals.

The LSA Mission Statement: Dedicated to getting men in London and beyond the love life of their dreams.

Cone Denim are a leading American supplier of fabric to top denim apparel brands across the globe, not to mention one of the oldest denim mills in the world.

They inspire the global market with state-of-the-art, jeans fashion with facilities in the US, Mexico, Nicaragua, and China.

Their website is still in the making – even though they’ve been going since 1891 and soon you can shop for these great products online…

http://www.conedenim.com/home.html

Shop for mens designer clothing from Armani, Gant, Polo Ralph Lauren,Hugo Boss, Burberry, D&G, Diesel, Replay, Paul Smith, Pringle, Prada and Dunhill.

Paul Smith Clothing

Shirts, suits, shoes, bags, sunglasses – what every your preference Johnathan Trumbull stocks all the latest designs. Visit http://www.jonathantrumbull.co.uk/ for more information.

Giorgio Armani and Hugo Boss

Quality is never compromised and they offer a rarely found personal service. They let their products speak for themselves and believe that true quality and customer satisfaction are the real defining features of luxury. They endeavour wherever possible to ensure that all their products are produced in an environmentally friendly way, and their suppliers maintain the highest levels of working practices. Visit their website to make a purchase

Their products are simply not available on the high street; as a result, quality is matched with affordability.

BEDDING 1000 THREAD COUNT LUXURY

White egyptian cotton bed linen

The ultimate in cotton bed linen, luxurious Egyptian cotton from the world’s finest yarns in one of the highest thread counts available “1000 threads per square inch” A level of quality very rarely available, but enjoyed in many of the worlds top hotels. This luxurious bed linen is comparable in price to lower quality bedding available from many retailers.

The high 1000-thread count, coupled with the length of Egyptian cotton fibre, ensure that this bed linen is the ultimate in both softness and durability.

All their linens are delivered in the exclusive Chateau Company box (which can be used for storage), wrapped in ribbon with soft scented paper layering.

The product, which will keep its body, softness and lustre for many years to come, and the sateen finish of this fabric combines the natural properties of Egyptian cotton percale with a silk-like feel.

Beautiful soft and absorbent Modal hand, face and bath towels.

Luxury Bathroom Towels

These bathroom towels are made from the finest 650gsm pure Egyptian cotton and 35% Lenzing Modal to give the ultimate in softness and drying ability. Not available on the high street, these towels offer real quality at an affordable price.

Lenzing Modal, a completely natural fibre made from beechwood, is silkier, and more absorbent than an all cotton towel, and yet incredibly soft. The colour and softness will last wash after wash. At a weight of 650 grams per square metre, our towels are considerably heavier than most of those on the market.

All their towels are delivered in the exclusive Chateau Company box, wrapped in ribbon with soft scented paper layering.

SCENTED CANDLES

Faugeres (Spring Jasmine) perfumed candle - A fresh romantic scent reminiscent of spring flowers climbing stone walls with the fragrant promise of fresh blooms

Their perfumed candle and fragrance collection was launched this year with a beautiful range of candles, travel candles and linen sprays. They have spent considerable time blending the unique Chateau Company signature fragrances for you to enjoy.

These aren’t just ordinary scented candles, they are hand-poured in the UK and contain the highest fragrance possible to blend. This is to ensure the scent lingers when the candle is burning.

All of their perfumed candles are accompanied with their own Chateau Company matches within a beautiful gift box

Olargues (Orange & Cinnamon)
Inspired by a village with 1000 years of history, a classic combination of citrus enriched with cinnamon recalling winter evenings.

Roujan (Summer Blossom)
The essence of sweet flowers basking in the warmth of sun drenched hillsides in the south of France.

Faugeres (Spring Jasmine)
A fresh romantic scent reminiscent of spring flowers climbing stone walls with the fragrant promise of fresh blooms.

They can add a personal message inside their box, free of charge. Visit their website http://www.thechateaucompany.co.uk/

Lingerie, corsets, club wear FREE UK Delivery

Beautiful Lingerie for your wife or girlfriend

At 1Step2Heaven.co.uk their intention is not for their customers to buy one product and feel that we fall short in proving other types of sexy lingerie.

Their loyalty is to their customers and they do their utmost to get you lingerie for all occasions.

Browsing through 1step2heaven you will see their distinct sections; teddies, chemise, corsets etc .

They want to provide you with lingerie for all events.

Most importantly though, their emphasis is on lingerie which makes you feel sexy.

They know that it won’t be everyday that you will want to sink into a teddy, which gets everyone’s blood pumping. Instead, a corset may take your fancy.

For that sexy everyday feel their selection of sexy panties are perfect.

Vinyl & Leather Mini Dress

Or for some all their naughtiness their body stockings are enough to light up any evening. Their colours range from smooth and sexy black, to bold prints and seductive reds. You will get to know the right colour for your skin tone with time.

It’s fun to play around with different types of lingerie so why not treat yourself today!

Their established shop is updated daily to bring you the best quality and value club wear and lingerie from around the world and they offer FREE DISCREET UK DELIVERY

http://www.1step2heaven.co.uk

Tiffany and Co. Hearts Double Pendant Necklace in 18K

Beladora is an elite online retailer of the world’s most luxurious fine estate jewelry. If you are in search of a top quality signed designer and non-designer pieces at prices below retail, Beladora offers just that. Beladora carries mint condition fine estate and vintage jewelry from the world’s most in-demand designers at a fraction of the cost you’ll find elsewhere, online or off.

Illustrated: Give double the love this Valentines with this Tiffany and Co. necklace. From the “Hearts” collection, this charming necklace features a sleek gold chain hung with a pair of open hearts. $695/£430.00

Beladora is always updating its inventory with its latest finds, carrying signed estate pieces from luxury jewelry designers such as Cartier, Bvlgari, Chanel, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Garrard, Harry Winston, Asprey, Oscar Heyman, Chanel, Elizabeth Gage and Mikimoto, to name a few. Beladora also offers a fantastic selection of South Sea and Tahitian Pearl jewelry, the most stunning pieces of their kind.

Illustrated: Men’s Blue Diamond and Sapphire Ring in 18K

Bez Ambar diamond and gemstone ring in 18K

This estate Bez Ambar diamond and gemstone ring is sized 9 1/4 and retails for $11.000.
18K Yellow Gold, Blue Diamond 2.98 Carats, Sapphire 0.12 Carats, Circa: 2006

Price $2,950.00. Call 1-800-680-9569 or visit www.beladora.com.

Beladora is owned and operated by the esteemed Beverly Hills jewelry firm Kazanjian & Fogarty, which in turn is partnered with Kazanjian Brothers, a company with nearly a century of expertise in dealing with some of the world’s most expensive and rare jewels. Guided by expert gemologists and people with a passion for what they do, Beladora offers you a unique shopping experience in which you will receive the very best in customer service.

The staff at Beladora is more than happy to answer any questions you have about our jewelry or vintage and estate jewelry in general, and if you are seeking something special, just ask. Beladora’s staff will take the time to track down that hard-to-find piece. The staff at Beladora has a knack for helping you find that perfect gift and also offers custom designs for those seeking something truly special.

Please call Beladora today at 1-800-680-9569 or visit www.beladora.com for a piece of estate fine jewelry that will be forever treasured. Also, don’t hesitate to call if you’re looking to sell your fine estate, vintage or antique jewelry.

Beladora – Unique, Like You.

Rebellion REB-5 Tourbillon Mens Watch

With its REB-5 Tourbillon, this Rebellion timepiece is doubly amazing…and it’s a limited edition of 12 only.

While its tourbillon complication is a tribute to Swiss watchmaking, it also represents a real leap forward in 21st century technology.

The design talent of Eric Giroud combined with the technical expertise of Laurent Besse has resulted in a unique timepiece.

Its originality lies not only in the tourbillon – suspended upright from a bridge – but also in the two visible barrels, which provide a 7-day power reserve.

http://www.rebellion-timepieces.com/

For instance, it was very common to photograph the deceased in the past for posterity – something that is practically never done today.

Joseph Niépce 1825 - possibly first photograph ever taken

Second photo ever taken - Le gras 1826 by Joseph Niepce

Daguerre Boulevard de Temple Paris 1838

Middle East Bethlehem in 1934

Soldiers on detail- could be a Monet!

Early color photo from 1872 by Louis Ducos Huro

India 200 years ago

Japan 1850's

Sarah Bernhardt, French Actress, the most famous actress the world had known

The New York Suicide Curve

A post mortem on a child

Example of post mortem photography

Early Fake - spiritualism 1862

Early Expedition

African Soldiers