Sprinkles Cupcakes

From Marie Antoinette to the Mad Hatter

How-to make Sprinkles cupcakes style chocolate icing

 

Ingredients

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 lb. unsalted butter, at room temp
1 lb. 8 oz. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Melt and cool chocolate (until just slightly warm). Beat butter until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar. Add salt, vanilla and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add chocolate and mix until just incorporated.

Don’t over-whip and add too much air into the frosting. The consistency should be rich and dense, like ice cream!

Black Nail polish is hot

From sports stars to rock stars

You don’t have to be a goth to sport black nail varnish; it is more popular than ever and can look simultaneously cool and sophisticated.

My top picks:

Chanel_Black Satin
OPI_Onyx
Essie_Licorice

Who has sported black nail varnish:

Chinese royalty
Freddie Mercury
Marilyn Manson
Models in Gucci ads
David Beckham
Lindsay Lohan
Nicole Richie
Peacocking item for PUA Mystery

Karl Lagerfeld ‘hearts’ Chrome Hearts

Is is just me or are there faint S&M undertones in his style?

 

Karl Largerfeld is the amazingly eccentric High Priest of all things stylish.

From his insiring designs to his personal style that is a cross between 18th century nobility (powdered ponytail and starched shirt) and 21st century rock star (Chrome Hearts rings); Mr Largerfeld is a fashion god.

I especially love his use of a monochromatic colour scheme, fingerless biker gloves and his revamped classic Chanel quilted handbags.

Here are my favourite Largerfeld interview moments:

 He likes talking about sex:

In the documentary Largerfeld Confidential Karl waxes at length that prostitution is socially vital because “we can’t all afford mistresses … without relief, we’d all become murderers.” He then opines that porn stars are the best actors because it’s harder to perform a sex act on camera than it is to summon tears.

Umm, What have you been getting up to Karl?

He is wonderfully random:

“I love the smell of a building site.”

He is cool:

“I pretend to by vain; smart people are boring”
“I don’t drink or take drugs, but I like being around people who do those things”

He is politically incorrect:

“I live in certain isolation. I never take appointments in the morning. I leave my house only after lunch. I don’t want to have a social life. I’ve had enough of that in my life. It’s demode. It’s another era. Perhaps people are still excited by that era, but not me. It’s uninteresting today. It says nothing. It’s boring, pretentious and vulgar…Even for charity, people get paid. I try to avoid charity. It doesn’t happen for me. I’m rich enough not to have to do that. Thank God I don’t have to do that. I do a lot of unnecessary things for free, but I’m very much against that. Money itself isn’t interesting, the use of it is.”

“It’s too easy to forgive. I love revenge.”

More Female PUA reading

 I didn’t include these books in my first book list because they are a bit “out there” for most peoples taste. But… if you are looking for an edge I would recommend reading them.

 

The first book is The Satanic Witch by Anton LaVey.

If you are a fan of Marilyn Manson you would enjoy this book. The title of this book is somewhat misleading but most of the contents is very logical and not centred on superstition or what most people view goths/satanists being about. Anton LaVey seems like a well researched and intelligent guy.

 

Here is what is included in this book:

 

 

• Introduction by Peggy Nadramia / Introduction by Zeena LaVey
• Prologue
  • The Test of the Thirteen Factors
• 1. Are You a Witch?
  • The Myth of the “White Witch”
  • The Drug Scene
  • The Married Witch versus the Single Witch Choose an Image
  • “Natural” versus Acquired Ability
• 2. Knowing Yourself and Others
  • The Real You
  • The LaVey Personality Synthesizer
  • Predominantly Masculine Types in Female Bodies and Vice-Versa
  • Temperament
  • Skin and Flesh Tone
  • General Proportions
  • Sexual Proclivities
  • Sense of Humor
  • Alcohol and Drug Use
  • Professions and Occupations
  • Sports, Athletics, Aches and Pains
  • Are You Passive or Dominant by Nature?
  • The Power of Certain Names
  • His Name
  • The Law of the Attraction of Opposites
  • By His Automobile Ye Shall Know Him
  • Sleep Patterns … and Other Bedroom Activities
• 3. E.S.P.: Extra Sensual Projection
  • The Pupils of His Eyes as a Measurement for Success
  • Sound
  • On the Importance of Odors
  • Taste
  • Touch
• 4. Looks Mean Everything
  • You Don’t Have to Be Ugly
  • Make-up: Projective Coloration
  • Your Fur
  • Your Undercoat
  • The Law of the Forbidden
  • Secrets of Indecent Exposure
• 5. Fashion: The Witch’s Greatest Friend, The Witch: Fashion’s Worst Enemy
  • Cartoon Cuties
  • Stockings versus Panty Hose
  • The High Heel
  • On Prostitutes and Pentagrams
  • Accessories
  • Color Clues for Witches
• 6. Bitchcraft
  • Taking Advantage of Men Who Think They’re Taking Advantage of you
  • How and When to Lie
  • Learn to Be Stupid
  • How to Charm a Married Man
  • Giving In
  • The Folly in Trying to Charm a Self-Aware Homosexual
  • The Lesbian Witch
  • Gesture, Mannerisms, Toilet Habits and Assorted Ploys
• 7. Means of Divination
  • How to Tell Fortunes with No Previous Experience
  • “Cold Reading” and “Casing the Mark”
  • Prophesy
• 8. Ceremonial Magic
  • Sex Magic without Sanctimony
  • Casting a Spell
  • How to Protect Yourself from Another Witch’s Curse
  • How to Become a Succubus and Attack the Man of your Choice While He Sleeps
  • On Choosing a Familiar or a Demon
• 9. Public Relations for Witches
  • How to Break the news
• Select Bibliography
• Afterword by Blanche Barton
• The endpapers display the LaVey Synthesizer Clock

 

 

The second book is Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love by Betsy Prioleau which was recommended to me by Neil Strauss.

 

Link to an interview with the author http://dir.salon.com/story/sex/galleries/2003/10/31/seduction/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

The next is a compilation of articles called the Playboy Philosophy that was written by Hugh Hefner and published in Playboy magazine around the 1960’s.

It is very informative about the development of today’s societies attitudes towards sex.

 

Link to .pdf download http://therhetoric.net/2007/04/08/the-playboy-philosophy/

 

 

 

 

 

Ars Amatoria. Latin meaning the art of seduction. Was written by Ovid a few centuries ago and is a Roman equivalent of the more widely known Kama Sutra although it focuses more on seduction and attraction and not on what happens after that.

 

On first glance not very relevant to today but it makes for interesting reading and there are some things you can learn from it.

 

Available for download from http://books.google.com

Derren Brown

There is an entertainer from Britain you may have heard of, Derren Brown. He has books, DVD’s and a series out that is shown on BBC entertainment. He also performs stage shows. What is interesting about him is that he uses a combination of NLP, psychology and hypnosis in his shows. He also performed a sequence called the pick-up on his Trick of Mind series and has referenced Ross Jefferies in an interview.

He has great showmanship and seems very intelligent in interviews.

 

 

What reminded me of Derren Brown was a post by a PUA who was using hypnotism and NLP to keep his relationship with his girlfriend interesting.

A reader of Bizarre magazine wrote in and asked Derren Brown on what he thought about the use of such techniques. Here is a what he had to say:

 

 

 

        Q: My girlfriend and I have a fetish for hypnosis and we like to 
        incorporate it into our sex sessions. We’ve found a few websites that 
        distribute videos relating to our fetish but, due to British law, 
        it’s extremely difficult to buy them. Can you assist?

        Derren Brown: What a strange pair of puffins you sound. I’m 
        surprised that hypnosis has taken your fancy in this context – I 
        imagine you both clucking like chickens at the point of no return. 
        It’s certainly not dangerous but I’m unsure how you incorporate it 
        into the `sessions’, as you call them. If you are both responsive 
        subjects then the event may be safely boosted by a suggestion of 
        heightened physical sensitivity or a convincing hypnotic sense-
        hallucination that surrounds you with the sights, sounds and smells 
        of a crowded public place such as a boxing ring or outside British 
        Home Stores in the Whitgift Centre, Croydon. Whatever does it for 
        you. And don’t pass up on the opportunity to play Paul McKenna’s 
        tapes during the act itself as a bonus – he has a great one on 
        improving your golf swing.So experiment away – once you have got into 
        a relaxed state, spend some time imagining your G-spots spreading 
        over your entire body, until you feel yourself tingling with 
        rudeness. Make huge representations to yourself of your partner as a 
        kind of sex-god or goddess and practise creating the feeling of post-
        coital exhaustion and quickly changing it into a profound feeling of 
        renewed desire. If you can set your mind to habitually switch from 
        the former to the latter, you should have it made. If, however, it’s 
        just the dirty thrill of a sluggish, sleepy partner that appeals, 
        certain drugs are available for these purposes which will save you 
        the trouble of finding something to swing in front of your partner’s 
        face.

 

Make-up

Porn Star must-haves: Hello Kitty and MAC

Biologically women are primarily attracted to the value a man displays while men are first attracted to a women’s appearance.

 

If you have seen pictures of celebrities without make-up you would agree that the proper application of make-up will make a big difference to your appearance.

 

 I have a few suggestions:

 

Application:

1. Alexis Vogel did a lot of the make-up for Playboy magazine centrefolds etc. She has an instructional DVD available on Amazon and her interviews are also very informative. 

Products:

From interviews with pornstars, playmates and their make-up artists I have identified a few common products:

1. MAC Spice lipliner
2. MAC lipglass in Tartlett and Purr
3. MAC eyeshadow in Nylon and Black tied
4. Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils, L’Oreal Voluminous, Max Factor 2000 calorie
5. NARS blush
6. Alot of Smashbox, MAC and Cinema secrets cosmetics.

Heidi Fleiss’ Gucci planners

When Heidi Fleiss was still in business she kept the details of the meeting she set up for her clients in Gucci planners. Thankfully she wrote the details down in a coded format and her handwriting was untidy so most details were kept safe while the court case was being conducted.

 

Having untidy handwriting is a good thing. Most geniuses like Albert Einstein and Galileo Galilei were known for their untidy handwriting. And untidy handwriting also discourages people form reading things you have written as it would take them too much effort to try and figure out your writing.

 

If you want to keep something private it is best to write it on plain writing paper and casually fold it up and put it under some other things lying on your desk. You will only draw attention to it if you write it in an important looking leather bound diary or something similar.

 

A similar Sun Tzu: Art of war approach can be applied to keeping jewelry or other items safe.

1. Do not tell people where you keep these items.
2. If you are going on holiday it would better to hide it in you washing machine (first switch the washing machine off) than in a safe as that is the first place a robber will look.

How to look effortlessly stylish

An excellent product will go unsold if it is not marketed.Your clothing reflects your lifestyle and personality and gives people an idea of who you are. When meeting new people they often will form an impression of you by what you are wearing and how you are wearing it.  Paying attention to how you present yourself can help you in social situations by projecting confidence and style and attracting people to you.

 

The following points will help you look effortlessly stylish.

 

1. Dress for the people you want to impress.

People will feel drawn to you if they can identify with what you are wearing. They will want to get to know you as you look like ‘their type’ and will find it easier to relate to you. They will also feel more comfortable around you as you appear familiar even if you haven’t met them before.

Determine how you want people to see you and what you wish to convey.  If you are going for a specific look e.g. professional/ athletic/ artistic you must keep that in mind when you buy your clothes and purchase key pieces that display that element of your personality. However, you don’t want to come across as a fraud. An extreme example of this is that you shouldn’t dress as a goth rocker if that’s not you; you will feel awkward if a hot guy/girl approaches you and asks you what your favourite metal track is and you don’t have a good answer.

 

2. Get ideas from celebrities and other public figures.

This is a good way to determine what the key pieces of a look are and will give you ideas on how to put the look together. What most people neglect when doing this is to ‘break down’ the persons look. Find a few good photographs of a person whose style you admire on the internet and then zoom into each item. You may miss the point of an outfit if you just go by the overall effect. What leads to a ‘look’ working can be small details such as rolling up shirt sleeves, the fit and tailoring of the clothes, texture of fabric.

 

 3. Be yourself.

While it is good to use other people as style inspirations, you don’t want to dress exactly like them. Different people, different personalities, different careers, different body types. You should feel like everything you put-on was made especially for you. Half the battle of looking fabulous and being able to “pull it off” is feeling confident because without the attitude to match what you are wearing there is no ‘style’.

 

4. Know what looks good on you.

Find out what colors suit your skin tone, get your clothes tailored to fit and if you find an item that works for you get it in other colors and fabrics.

 

5. Focus on fabric and quality.

If you are buying something like boots, watches or suits that you want to wear often, check the quality of the fabric and workmanship.

 

6. Try really hard to look like you did not try at all.

You can mix inexpensive pieces with hints of luxury because it is better to look cool than rich. A brand may be cool but keep it to one or two statement pieces; do not wear Versace or Ed Hardy from top to bottom. A luxury branded item will get more attention if the rest of your outfit is toned down. A $5000 watch or a pair of designer boots stands out more when worn with casual pants and a sweater than it does when paired with an Armani suit.

 

How to start your own blog

In today’s world where business is often done over the internet without people physically meeting it is essential to have your own website which you can refer people to.

Having your own blog is a great self-promotion tool and anyone wanting to know what you are about can be referred to it. Blogging is also a fun way to share something that interests you with other people.

Some pointers to get you started:

1. Arrange webhosting.
2. Decide on what you are going to write about. This could be anything e.g. your business, hobby, fan club etc.
3. Think of a good name. Keep the name easy to spell and remember. It is good if the name of your blog is readily relatable to your blog’s subject matter.
4. Keep the contents of your blog positive. Your blog doesn’t have to be funny but it should at least make the people reading it feel good.
5. Update your blog regularly. This doesn’t have to be done daily but you need to keep your blog current so when people check back there is something new for them to read.
6. Keep the layout neat. Leave enough space between entries and keep the sentences and paragraphs short.
7. Include contact information such as your e-mail address on your blog.
8. Encourage feedback (this will also give you an idea of the activity on your blog). Allow people to post comments on your blog and remember to check and respond to comments regularly.
9. Promote your blog. Include your website address on your Facebook and Myspace accounts. You can also set up your e-mail so it automatically includes your website address and other contact information in the footer of each e-mail sent. Ask friends to post a link to your blog on their websites.
10. A good way to improve your writing style is by writing fanfiction. There are many websites where you can post fanfiction about characters from a television series, computer game etc. Fanfiction websites also allow for reader comments so you can identify areas where your writing can be improved.

Thoughts on lawyers and legal research

I am currently co-authoring a book on Arbitration. My partner-in-crime for this is an advocate with whom I have shared many interesting conversations.

Spending so much time in close proximity to a lawyer has given me a unique perspective.

 

Two quotes of his that have stuck in my mind:

“ Only fools and their lawyers go to court”.

“ If this case is managed correctly it can run forever”

 

What you can learn from this is that you should stay out of court at all costs!

Most problems and disputes can be settled out of court unless it is a criminal case in which you have little control over the manner of resolution.

Court cases drag on and often get postponed and delayed. This is good for the lawyer as he makes more money but bad for you.