G code_magazine by Elena Dzekova

Why so many politicians succumb to corruption

Suit Up

Dating Advice That Women Should Never Give Men More Than Just an Island Paradise Welcome Back the

Fiat 500 Living legend Zinedine Zidane is still at Real Madrid

A Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide:

Are Women Genetically Disposed to Cheat?

Lifestyles 4 Suit Up

Sport

15 Living legend

Zinedine Zidane is still at Real Madrid 20 Free-Diving

Health

People and Places

22 More Than Just an Island Paradise

Relationships

9 “Are Women Genetically Disposed to Cheat? A Man’s Guide”

Auto – FIAT

28 Welcome Back the Fiat 500 20

Intelligence

6 Why so many politicians succumb to corruption 30 Losing My Virginity

Dating Advice That Women Should Never Give Men 28

THIS IS IT

Nine long years,…. the result, this magazine, the final iteration from what was conceived as a technical journal for Engineers and Trades people, of course drawn from my own personal background and work-life. As time went on age and wisdom caught-up with me and a social footprint, a voice, something to create social harmony became the impetus. Media and indeed Magazines can be powerful communication tools and the intent with this publication is to fill that gaping void of truth, reality and unbiased commentary. As editor-inchief, I favor myself as someone with a natural understanding and love of peoples, individuals, culture, gender, issues and humanity; this I know will serve in good stead as we introduce the G Code Magazine. Our target is a male only audience, the goal, to enlighten and

26 Is the biological clock running out for men too?

spark the interest of these men to make small positive changes that not only affect self but also a wide social network. We hope to stimulate and inspire individuals to become more aware and socially conscious. Being a new publication, the magazine will continuously evolve and adjust as is necessary to keep the content relevant and the interest levels high. In publication lingo, ‘content is king’ The bread and butter of every issue will be sections on what we call Intelligence, with sub-sections on Politics and on Society. Science. Other sections include Technology and Engineering, Automotive, Health, Countries and a picture gallery. These sections will by no means make us unique, but our angle will. We will decode the seemingly mundane and will strive to foster a deep understanding of issues, humanity and each other. Our general interest articles will be just that, interesting and thought

provoking explaining and highlighting things that are normally overlooked and accepted. We dig deep and wide to keep interest strong and do our part to have a just society. We will show you how to read between the lines, show you what is fact, what is filler and what is biased opinion. As with any venture extensive research was necessary which was very instructive and has demonstrated that there are several excellent publications which are mildly similar to the Gcode Magazine. Our niche grew from the gap which exists between reality and fantasy, between private interests and public interest. We could not find any publication that provides this to our satisfaction.... Welcome to fresh insight and thought provoking commentary.

F. Nagir

Lifestyles

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Up Shopping may not be your guilty pleasure, but wearing a Hugo Boss suit for half the price adds a notch on the man meter, aka your ego

the one that has been tailored to your fit. Pull out that tape measurer, boys.

C h a n ta l M c C u l l i g h

ou're on the hunt for a new or even your first suit, and probably have no idea where to even begin. Don't worry. Every man has been there. It's hard to keep up with the suit style and the trends when you're more concerned about the sports game that's on TV than reading the latest tabloid. That's what your girlfriend is there for, right? Whether you have a lady at your side, or are riding solo (Lucky man), picking out a new suit does not have to be a dreadful experience. We get it! You don't want to shop. You want to walk into a store, point at a suit and swipe your plastic. Bada boom, bada bing. It's time to suit up! Don't Skip The Fit

If you plan on skipping out on the majority of these suit finding tips, do not underestimate the fit because you can end up looking like a drowning man, or one that is about to bust out of their suit like the Hulk. Neither are a good look, regardless of what your insecurities are telling you. A tight suit will not make you look more muscular, and a large suit will not hide your chicken legs. The only suit you should ever get is

Be Savvy on Suit Style

If you are shopping for a suit that is going to be your new go-to outfit, you should certainly invest in a quality one because you want it to be able to withstand everything on your agenda (Post-work pub trips). You can get a decent suit without breaking the bank, and with a little sale shopping, you can find big brand names that have priceless quality with a slash through the massive price tag

Oh, the rules of style. You feel lost, don't you? Let's break it down. The first debate you will have to overcome is whether you want pleated or non pleated pants. The former are usually less flattering, yet more formal, and the latter provides more style. You will get more wear out of your suit if you opt for non pleated pants, so it depends on your specific reason for suit shopping. The second challenge is the button one. How many buttons should your suit have? A suit with two buttons offers more fit and versatility within formalities. A three button suit offers a more classic appearance and is less fitted, and a single button is more casual than the two, but offers more fit than the four. It sounds like a riddle, but a true one, at that. Try all of them on and decide which one fits (Yes, the big "F" word) best. The last style situation you have to bypass is all about the material. Stripes, spots, stars, oh my. Okay, never do stars. Stripes and spots on the other hand offer original style so you don't just look like a man in a monkey suit. However, a classic suit without any specific characteristics is timeless throughout fashion.

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Don’t hate the player, hate the game

Why so many politicians succumb to corruption In many third-world countries, it’s “Baksheesh” M i k e Ta k i e d d i n e

henever a type of corruption takes hold in a country or region, the excuses that “justify” it are never far behind. When in Egypt, you might slip a 10-pound note to a cop for not writing you up. That would be “baksheesh”, a form of bribery common in so many countries around the world that it has become thought of as a tip –no more. You might thus use any one of several self-justifications, e.g.: “Everyone does it,” or “The man probably has a family to feed,” or “Better 10 pounds now rather than 100 pounds later.” In the previous French protectorates such as Haiti or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is referred to as “pourboire”, and it can extend from getting something done in an expeditious manner inside a ministry, to obtaining inside information regarding public works contracts that are about to be awarded. Corruption spreads disease, famine, and perpetual poverty

Although just as treacherous as more pronounced forms of kickbacks and corruption, at the level of baksheesh and pourboire the thinking is one of acceptance: “People have to make a living.” At that level of wrongdoing,

corruption is hardly ever associated with disease and famine. It is not thought of as that irreversible social sickness that leads to the yearly destruction of hundreds of millions of human beings around the world. Being as widespread as it is, it is hardly ever linked to a person or group of people. It’s the nature of the game –“People have to make a living.” Grand larceny or petty thievery

As generalized as corruption is, it is at times difficult to detect. It wears many disguises: Baksheesh, kickbacks, commissions, handouts, protection, extortion, nepotism, discrimination. There are also the so-called legal types of corruption: lobbies, organizations, PACs (Political Action Committees), political donations, cronyism, abuse of power. Persons in powerful positions may place friends and relatives in other senior positions (cronyism), or discriminate against the friends and relatives of political opponents (abuse of power). High-level corruption is frequently referred to as “grand larceny”, whereas smaller-scale thievery is also known as “petty larceny”. Grand occurs at the level of high public servants and senior corporate executives where big money is involved. This could be to influence political campaigns (legal in the U.S. if you’re a PAC), or to give out “no-bid” contracts to co-conspirators. Petty

corruption is the everyday corruption that occurs in the implementation of existing regulations (Baksheesh belongs in this category). It usually involves small sums of money. Corruption has the overall effect of a substantial sales tax, elevating the costs of goods and services, and it impacts the poor worst of all. Grand and petty are simply different manifestations of bribery. In many cases the game is set whereby the lowly official “has to accept” a bribe because he has to pay a cut to his manager, and from the manager to the superior, all the way to the politician that sets the rules. The game is thus played with no one held accountable, least of all the politician.

and you arrive at a complex web of deceit that is quite unparalleled in the history of democracies. The only reason it doesn’t qualify as corruption –by U.S. standards- is because the country voted for the system, driven as the country is by the same corporations that benefit from it. One might think those corporations are corrupt to the core, and yet the individuals running the corporations always come out smelling like roses. “Daylight” is the dagger at the heart of corruption

In the U.S., no kickbacks or commissions that anyone can see

True, no one ever pays or receives a kickback or gratuitous commission in the U.S. (not counting the wrongdoing that goes on at the border with Mexico as a by-product of the drug trade). In that respect, the U.S. is clean as a whistle. But by the end of this decade, U.S. Politicians and their corporate backers will be spending 3, 4, 5-billion dollars every two years on congressional elections, and even more than that on Presidential elections. Add to that more billions spent annually on ongoing corporate lobbying efforts,

You can tell when there is a proliferation of deceitful intentions, when transparency – daylight- is lacking. Daylight is the dagger at the heart of corruption. It is the ultimate vaccine that eradicates the disease. If everything is known about a transaction, i.e. when it is totally transparent, there cannot be any underhanded gamesmanship. In the U.S., there is only a deceptive type of transparency. No one takes an actual kick-back, but it is the corporations themselves that write the rules and set the standards to suit their strategic interests. They “appropriate” the members of the significant committees in Congress, and then their corporate lawyers sit side-by-side with congressional staff in drafting the rules that in due course become law. Where is the daylight in that? And yet, when people vote, the rules get set,

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GCODE and the game gets validated. The politicians get voted in, indebted to the corporations that backed them, and the game goes on. To be fair, it has to be said that the U.S. at the same time is the nation that is the largest donor of charitable contributions in the world, and it is the nation that over the last decade has almost single-handedly eradicated HIV/AIDS, providing an endless supply of vaccines and medications to places in all corners of the world.

For that year, the U.S. showed up as 20th (of 99 canvassed countries), between France and Belgium. On a scale of 0 to 10, the U.S. pulled a dubious 7.2 To encourage improved understanding and economic proficiency among borrowing country citizens so that they may question and hold their ruling elites accountable.

The game gets bare-knuckles rough internationally

Internationally, the game revolves mostly around “helping” impoverished nations extract and market their natural resources efficiently: copper, aluminum, precious metals, crude oil, coal, and other commodities are involved. The race to stake a “lien” on these commodities – particularly between the U.S. and China these days- is ferocious, and U.S corporate giants have no compulsion putting out the bribes wherever bribes might yield “product”. The overseas subsidiaries of U.S. multinational corporations are quite adept at buying product, and America accepts that with no compulsion, for the simple rationale that “if it’s not us, it’s going to be the Chinese”. Blame the game, don’t blame us. And there are times when the corruption is unashamed. E.g. many millions of dollars -in bundles of paper money- are reported to be flown to the government in Afghanistan on a regular basis, courtesy of the war machine in the U.S. But it’s not just the U.S. There are various international systems in place that are awash with corruption: NGOs, the IMF, the World Bank, and other formal “benefactor” institutions are known for practices that involve large bribes to the ruling set in recipient nations.

Countries ranked the worst or least corrupt nations in the world

Poor nations now wanting the rules of the game changed

There is currently a massive outcry in many influential parts of the world seeking to change how the game is played between sovereign debtor nations and their wealthy creditors. The pursuit of more daylight takes the following forms in particular: Reinstating some balance and egalitarianism to a system in which the international creditors set all the rules as to how, when, and where they want the loans or credits dispensed. Better structuring and standardizing the lending process and borrowing arrangements and thereby avoiding favoritism and political clout. To make all financial transactions between lenders and borrowers completely transparent, with details available to the press. To help consolidate democracy in the borrowing countries, strengthen local democratic institutions, and empower them to challenge and influence the ruling elites.

By the end of this decade, U.S. Politicians and their corporate backers will be spending 3, 4, 5-billion dollars every two years on congressional elections, and even more than that on Presidential elections. The only reason it doesn’t qualify as corruption –by U.S. standards- is because the country voted for the system, driven as the country is by the same corporations that benefit from it

By the end of 2006, Transparency International (TI), a Berlin-based organization, gave Denmark, Finland and New Zealand the rankings of least corrupt nations on earth, while assigning the privilege of being “worst” to Somalia, Myanmar and Cameroon. TI uses an index which defines corruption in terms of the abuse of public office for personal gain, and which takes into account the degree to which exploitation is perceived to exist in the ranks of the country’s public officials. For that year, the U.S. showed up as 20th (of 99 canvassed countries), between France and Belgium. On a scale of 0 to 10, the U.S. pulled a dubious 7.2. Because of criticism to the effect that their methodology targets poor countries unfairly, since being poor meant that they were more prone to receiving graft, TI came up with their BPI –Bribe Payers Index- which concentrates on the wealthy nations that are better disposed to offering bribes. Of the 19 countries thus indexed, the least offensive were Sweden, Australia and Canada, while the most offensive were China and South Korea. The U.S. was rated in the middle of that group. How come Canada is not playing? It is interesting to note that Canada scored 9.2 to the U.S.’s 7.2 on the broad scale, and second, to the U.S.’s ninth (of 19) on the BPI. Is it the same game with different rules, or is it a different game on either side of the border?

Relationships Warning: The following article may be controversial because it makes some startling implications about women, men, infidelity, and evolutionary psychology. If you find the idea of your spouse cheating on you offensive, scary, unthinkable or unbelievable, take it up with Darwin or Freud. They started it

“Are Women Genetically Disposed to Cheat? A Man’s Guide”

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“W

oman. Oh Woooooman, have you got cheating on your mind?”

Years after Gary Puckett and the Union Gap lamented the infidelity of women in Woman, Woman through lyrical verse, a startling anomaly of nature remains stubbornly in place-women do cheat. And we tend to rationalize it in very simple terms Michael Arangua

Some women cheat because they’re stuck in a bad relationship. Some women cheat because they take their man for granted and

are ungrateful. Some women cheat because they’re addicted to sex. But sometimes women cheat for no apparent reason.

The basis of this article suggests that while some things in nature remain a mystery, infidelity is understood; the desire to cheat may well be linked to evolutionary psychology. We know what science and evolution suggests about men; they are genetically disposed to procreate quickly and easily, ensuring their survival. However, there may be a female counterpart to this theory, and a fairly new one in contrast to the antiquated and sexist concept that says “women just want to stay at home and take care of the family.” One thing we do know about gender roles in modern society is that there is a big difference between male and female attraction. Even though women are capable of having sexual desires distinct from love and

commitment, women do approach the idea of infidelity differently than men. For the most part, women do not traditionally go out looking to pick up men, at least not in the same way as the “average man” would go out and pick up a prostitute or an easy honky tonk woman. Men are hunters and genetically speaking, that’s a given. However, in contemporary dating women are generally seen as the supply, whereas men create the demand. The male seeks a female to create a household, and hence he usually pursues the woman first, while the woman evaluates his potential as a mate; a provider, a lover, a father to her children. Nevertheless, the hunter-gatherer social theory is largely outdated, though it is still commonly quoted in Western culture. The idea of the sexual division of labor, with women doing most of the gathering while men hunt, is simply an age-old cliché that has since been updated by changing gender roles. Now we have female family heads, working mothers and stay-athome fathers, and

commitment-phobic women pursuing sexual fulfillment without the need for love. According to some archaeological speculation, the sexual division of labor is what could have caused Homosapiens to outlast Neanderthal cousins. What is indisputable though is that while evolutionary motivations may change, natural instinct remains and an overwhelming biological urge drives ego, logic, emotion and attitudes in both men and women. It is in a man’s best interest to understand how biological, evolutionary and genetic motivations may contribute to decision-making—and perhaps even leave a woman open to the possibility of cheating. Female Attraction – A Universal Truth

Female attraction exists, and that’s regardless of whatever love or trust we can assign to a relationship. Women can find aesthetic beauty in a man’s buff beach body just as easily as a man can gawk over female nudes. However, it is far more common to see women who are

more susceptible to emotional attraction. Namely, men who challenge them, who provoke their intellect, tickle their sense of humor, and perhaps even men who intentionally create an antagonistic dynamic to the relationship, which breeds sexual tension. Most men are comfortable acknowledging the reality of female attraction beyond a monogamous

relationship. However, the idea that female attraction can be beyond control, and could easily—perhaps even involuntarily— culminate in an unplanned sexual affair is terrifying to men who value fidelity, loyalty and commitment in their relationships. This could very well come from the somewhat hopeful male point of view that suggests women are family builders by nature and

that lustful cheating is simply not in their capacity. What science is observing however, is that women are no longer confined to this genetic prison of home building, gathering and child-rearing—at least not in the way that men have grown accustomed. Women are now being allowed by a free society to explore their sexual desires with inhibition. They can raise children on their own, gather

for their own profit, and build homes themselves, selecting male suitors based on a number of factors, beyond merely the need for a “provider.” Whether women are physically changing in this way because of environmental evolution or if men are simply losing control over the feminine sex because of less delineated gender roles is anyone’s guess. One theory that is still alive today, and

is actually gaining momentum in the psychiatric and medical community, is that modern women who cheat are genetically fallible, like men, and that a woman’s faithfulness is not something inherently related to family survival. In fact, new studies suggest that women could have a greater capacity to cheat simply because they ovulate. A study from the University of California, Los Angeles

Love is a powerful, magnetic and environment-changing force in its own right, the type of addictive drug that many women will crave even more than three days of sexual restlessness

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GCODE Center on Behavior, Culture, and Evolution and the University of New Mexico reported that women were statistically more likely to cheat on their spouses during the peak days of cycle fertility. This means that hormonal changes in biology could, in theory, overpower the rational human mind and the “emotional” female mind that we assume is impenetrable. So while society has certainly ingrained centuries of “appropriate female behavior” into a woman’s mind, and we as men have trusted in the emotional fidelity that supposedly defines women, what science is suggesting is that a woman’s body may be opposing all that rational and emotional motivation with biological urges. If a woman hits peak fertility for a few select days, then what she sees as her ideal man could likewise change in that period of time. She might unconsciously be feeling that a “better man” on the evolutionary scale would be more practical for procreation, since fertility is the strongest drive during this period of time. Evolutionary Psychology and “Lying Eyes”

A woman can’t hide her “lying eyes” and that old colloquialism mirrors Sigmund Freud’s thoughts on the matter of infidelity.

If she is going to cheat, then it’s likely she will cheat—not with a man she “loves” per se, but with a man who projects one of these profiles

Types of Men She Will Cheat With

The Strong Man:

Strong physical attributes seems to indicate a protector as well as a provider. Someone capable of fending off threats and ensuring a family life of comfort; not merely in having children but in raising them for the proverbial seven years of initial child development. If a woman does not typically feel safe, it’s understandable why a strong man might be an alluring distraction.

The Performer:

The Artist:

Attraction is not typically conscious. Hence, it’s difficult to resist attraction to performers who are standing out as alphas among the crowd. Performers (singers, comedians, entertainers) demonstrate unique ability and linguistic or compositional skills; but in the animal world, performing is basically raising one’s peacock feathers. In Darwin’s view, feathers were to spite natural selection laws, or to demonstrate a surplus of wealth or “energy” since all that puffing took more than the usual energy output. The attraction lies in the fact that this man demands attention from other women, from other men, and thus becomes a leader of the pack. The belief is that this attraction stems from age old environments in which fewer males had access to females for reproduction; thus new females looked to the others in the group for an indicator of who the alphas were. Today, instead of puffing up feathers, musicians and performers stand out by showing wealth, wearing fashionable clothing or accessories, and anything else “energetic” that suggests an abundance of energy.

In contrast to the performer, the Artist temptation for women is typically not loud. Artists excel in creativity, intellectualism and uniqueness. When artists begin they starve, but when they are discovered they typically become alphas; worshiped by the elite and eventually the mainstream. However, they are not projecting “leadership” qualities necessarily, but cues as to reproductive fitness. When women see artists demonstrating their talent they see problem solving abilities, creative survivalist skills, and similar traits that could help in resource sharing during the reproduction stage, as well as DNA diversity, which is equally important to long-term survival as safe child-rearing. When an artist is capable of creating something totally unique, he paints himself as an alpha male holding unique DNA—something desirable to an extrafertile female.

The Charming Foreigner:

It is fairly common to see women cheat overseas as many can easily become seduced “by the culture” as it were, falling for sexy foreign accents, a different lifestyle, and a whole new world of visual treats. These men are perceived as novelties to women, someone that is unique in personality, body, ethnicity, and region. Genetic diversity is a strong attractant in reproduction, and avoids the natural but destructive pattern of inbreeding, which can limit the population. Hence, for long-term survival genetic variance is a good thing and in a charming foreigner, a woman could see an ideal opportunity to procreate with a man who has significantly different genes than her own, than yours, as well as that of your regional contemporaries.

Freud believed that adultery was simply the manifestation of autonomic desires splitting the psyche; namely the superego, ego, and the id, all of whom craved very different things. The id would be the “other lover”, since it wants immediate gratification. The super-ego is moral and chooses the regular partner, while the ego is realistic and rational. Charles Darwin’s view of evolutionary psychology was explained in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. His views were controversial then and now and had plenty of protesters and debunkers to deal with after his musings. In this book, he compared the female human to various other animal species, and argued that women’s inferior role in society was the result of nature. However, sexism aside, his basic theory of sexual selection stated that animals develop features to maximize reproductive success. Therefore we make ourselves attractive to members of the opposite sex, while “defeating” same sex competition. It goes on; supposedly males have the desire to monopolize access to groups of fertile females, while females want to invest in superior reproduction;

namely the development of healthy alpha male children who will preserve longterm descendants. Because females have limited breeding opportunities, they are naturally selective and want the “most capable” males. Hence we have the broad definition of “sexual fitness”, which can involve multiple factors. When discussing evolutionary psychology, usually we think of “provider”, but women may actually consider many other points besides strength and hunting skills when it comes to identifying these desirable “alphas”. And Female Attraction Evolves Into Uncontrollable Lust

Female attraction is apparent and we as observant, jealous men have seen examples of it in action, as women have thrown themselves at the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and all the way down to our day with Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and all the other Justins of this

generation. We accept female attraction but fear that it can evolve into something deeper, perhaps even sending an otherwise rational and emotionally involved female into a trance-like state of infidelity— guttural level attraction to a genetically superior man. The question is how and when does attraction turn into lust? What we discover upon a closer examination is that women’s genetic dispositions for infidelity are complicated by environmental factors. There are multiple theories that attempt to explain why circumstances either permit or at least influence a woman’s decision to cheat, and these include the strategic pluralism theory

Charles Darwin’s view of evolutionary psychology was explained in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. His views were controversial then and now and had plenty of protesters and debunkers to deal with after his musings

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we must accept the fact that both genetic/evolutionary factors and circumstantial or environmental factors must coalesce in order to create the ideal setting for infidelity. Attraction may be uncontrollable but creating ideal settings for cheating or abandoning a relationship always comes with obstacles that must be overcome

(demanding environments strengthen fidelity, whereas stress-free environments allow greater capacity for straying), the sex ratio theory (which is statistical averages based on male-female ratios), and others. Another factor that cannot be ignored is weakness in character due to a number of causes; for example, dysfunctional relationship dynamics, romantic attachments to former exes, and infidelity based on revenge, convenience, or as the catalyst needed to change one’s lifestyle possibly resulting from a gradual change in a woman’s values. One could even argue that cheating may be a genetic trait passed down from parent to child. In the end, we must accept the fact that both genetic/ evolutionary factors and circumstantial or environmental factors must coalesce in order to create the ideal setting for infidelity. Attraction may be uncontrollable but creating ideal settings for cheating or abandoning a relationship always comes with obstacles that must be overcome. Why Cheating Bothers Us

The real issue is not how to stop female attraction, which is impossible, or how to prevent ideal circumstances from developing (which is time-consuming to say the least), but in learning how to understand where

attraction comes from, in identifying warning signs of a decaying relationship which does create the ideal circumstances, and in learning to trust a woman as a sexual being, who still maintains self-control over temptation. What actually bothers a man about a cheating wife, a pair of “lying eyes”, is the disloyalty and abandonment factor, the destruction of the family the man has worked so hard to facilitate. However, romantic love is not the same as parental love and is rarely ever conditional. True protection against infidelity is in learning to accept that temptation exists, and having the self-confidence and resilience to confront feelings honestly and fearlessly. The bottom line is that evolution may demand you fight off a few other monkeys in hopes of stabilizing your happy primate home at some point in your life. The good news is that the human heart is a mighty strong force, capable of competing against greedy and lecherous genitals. Love is a powerful, magnetic and environment-changing force in its own right, the type of addictive drug that many women will crave even more than three days of sexual restlessness. Sometimes the odds are in your favor.

Sport

Living legend Zinedine Zidane is still at Real Madrid D M a r k F i n l ay

espite his many performances over the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zidane will be remembered for one incident, and that was for head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the final of the 2006 World Cup which immediately saw the French captain sent off in a match that Italy went on to win on penalties after extra time.

Materazzi later on admitted that he had provoked Zidane by making comments about the France midfielderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, yet the world of soccer was in shock that such a calm and composed player would react in the way that Zidane had done. That was the last game Zidane ever played, but he did express disappointment that he never went on to finish career in the United States, but says there is no point in thinking about it now as there is no way to change the past. A 16-foot bronze statue, sculpted by Algerian artist Adel Abdesseme, is on display outside the Pompidou Centre modern art museum in the French capital Paris, depicting the incident at the World Cup, and while Zidane has never commented on the statue, many other people have called for it to be taken down and replaced by one depicting Zidane scoring the two goals to help France win the World Cup instead. The president of the Pompidou Arts Centre, Alain Seban, is said to be shocked by the appeals, saying it is more a less a call for censorship. While you may not have heard much from the man everyone calls Zizou in recent years Zinedine Zidane is still around behind the scenes of his last club Real Madrid where he currently acts as an ambassador, while also being a close confidant of the man who signed him back in 2001 club president Florentino PĂŠrez.

Zidane was born in Marseille, France in 1972 to Berber, Algerian refugees who had fled their homeland in 1953 at the start of the Algerian war. Zidane was the youngest member of the family having three older brothers and one sister; he grew up playing football in the main square of the housing complex where the family lived. He started playing competitively for a couple of local teams at the age of ten, before being spotted by a scout from French professional team Cannes at a

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soccer camp run by the French Football Federation when he was 14. Zidane played his first professional game for Cannes at the age of 17 in 1989 where he stayed until being transferred to Bordeaux in 1992. It was during his time at the Ligue 1 club, that other clubs in Europe started to notice the talented midfielder, and yet clubs like Blackburn Rovers, and Newcastle United turned him down because they did not think he was good enough for the top flight of English football, a mistake they both realize they had made later on. Italian Serie a side Juventus knew a good player when they saw one signing Zidane for just under $5 million in 1996, before going on to win the league title, and playing in the 1997 Champions League final but losing out with Zidane failing to make an impression in the match due to the close marking of then Dortmund player, and now Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert. The French playmaker was now becoming known on the world stage not only with Juventus but with the French national team helping them to win the 1998 World Cup with two almost identical headers in the final against defending champions Brazil that turned the young footballer into a national hero overnight with his image even being projected on the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Zidane was by now one of the best known players in the world with his name being mentioned with the likes of Maradonna and Pele, and it was this fame and skill that had one of the biggest clubs in the world Real Madrid sign him for a record breaking four-year contract of $64.6 million in 2001. While playing for Madrid, Zidane went on to win the Champions League and be named FIFA Player of the year three times. The midfield maestro played with David Beckham, Luis Figo and Brazilian star striker Ronaldo in what was then called president Florentino Perez’s galacticos project, where he assembled what were considered the best players in the world for Los Blanco’s.

Zidane was the youngest member of the family having three older brothers and one sister; he grew up playing football in the main square of the housing complex where the family lived

Zidane was by now one of the best known players in the world with his name being mentioned with the likes of Maradonna and Pele, and it was this fame and skill that had one of the biggest clubs in the world Real Madrid sign him for a record breaking four-year contract of $64.6 million in 2001

Zidane is very much a quiet man preferring to be out of the spotlight, and when you do still see him on occasion at a Real Madrid Press conference he always sits there quietly looking as if he can’t wait till it is all over and he can leave. Zidane has been preparing himself for his next role at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s home stadium, by going back to school to study sports management for the past two years in France so that he can better understand the business of football players contracts and the intricacies of negotiating with players agents in preparation for club president Florentino Pérez’s next big project. The project of course will be to make Real Madrid once again the greatest club in the world, and with Zizou advising club president Perez on which players they will need to buy in order to achieve this goal you know it will not be long before Real Madrid are once again the best soccer club in the world.

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Dating Advice That Women Should Never Give Men O Lasith Fernando

ne of the most important lessons Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned in life is that a person of one sex can never really give a person o f the opposite dating advice that actually works. In fact, attempts to do so leads to greater disaster for the poor souls on the receiving end of the advice. Following are some of the most exasperatingly erroneous pieces of dating advice that women should never give men.

Women want a nice sweet guy

Heard this? Believed it? Embraced this piece of age old wisdom with no second thought? Take a moment to slap yourself really hard; twice, if you heartily agree with this piece of advice. While the sheer lunacy of being too nice has been proven time and time again; more often than not by your buddy Joe, who you think is a total jerk to women, but gets laid like a freaking rock star; the majority of men still insist on turning a blind eye to reality and plow on with being the nice, sweet, adorable guy. They carry on resiliently hoping that someday the girl theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re after will take time off from pursuing the jerks to notice them and magically fall in love. But remember, this is not to say that you should be a jerk to women, quite the contrary.

attractive women crave men that are a challenge; men who exude that incredibly attractive aura of confidence mixed with a hint of danger. women do not want a man who is sicklysweet to them at all times Balance is the key and it is perfectly possible to be a good guy while not being the nice guy. And yes there’s a huge difference! Remember, attractive women crave men that are a challenge; men who exude that incredibly attractive aura of confidence mixed with a hint of danger, the ever elusive bad boys. These women do not want a man who is sickly-sweet to them at all times, tries to earn their favor by buying them gifts and can be manipulated with the smallest of whines. Well not for any sort of romantic interests anyway. Be yourself, it’s the only way to go.

This is probably the most cliché and redundant piece of dating advice that women have dolled-out to those lovable losers that gobble down every bit of bad dating advice out of sheer desperation. And as for all those who are shaking their heads at the moment and saying “yes, you should be yourself!” I ask you, if you are fat, socially awkward and your mum dresses you funny, should you still “be yourself”? The beauty of life is in the fact that each and every one of us has the ability to change ourselves for the better. After all, life is not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. So remember, you are not what you are at the moment. You are what you chose to do with yourself. So if you’ve had close to no luck with women so far, if you find yourself being the wallflower guy at social gatherings and you find yourself ever so often stuck in the ‘let’s just be friends’ zone with girls you want more from, do yourself a favor and take control of your destiny. Join a gym, get advice on your fashion sense, and learn some social skills. It’s your life, stand up and live it! Engage a woman by conveying desperate interest

Most guys have absolutely no idea what it is like being a woman of exceptional beauty, so let me elucidate: Imagine from the time you turned seventeen getting hit-on by a barrage of men who seem to notice nothing else but how hot you are. Imagine being offered free drinks and more, simply

because of the fact that you are beautiful. It turns dreary and annoying. So every time a guy tries to initiate a conversation with you with a line like “hey you’re really pretty, can I buy you a drink?” you have no qualms about politely shooting him down or down-right burning him. After all why should a woman of exceptional beauty even bother getting to know a guy who conveys way too much interest in her without even knowing who she is as a person? So if your standard pick up line is “hey you’re so pretty can I buy you a drink?” or “hey my name is whatever,” do yourself a favor and set yourself apart from the rest of the throng. Open her indirectly, without conveying your interest in her. Show her that you are a man of high value and not overly interested or intimidated by her beauty. Let her work for your interest, through her personality and charm, and let her see you being slowly won over. This makes for a much smoother and more rewarding courtship. She’s not right for you, or she’s just being a bitch

Ever been through one of those moments where you got shot down pretty hard by a beautiful girl by showing too much interest in her or by being too needy or by displaying any one of the other loveable loser traits, and one of your female friends was always ready with the “oh she’s just a bitch” or “oh she’s not right for you anyway” consolation? No dude, get over it. She’s not a bitch. She was just a bitch to you! So do yourself a favor and face reality. Recognize that the reason that a woman rejected your romantic attempts was not because she was a bitch or because she’s not really right for you. Nor is it the fact that you as a person are inferior. It’s because you didn’t have the proper social skills to win her over. Now for those of you who read this and are willing to face the harsh possibility that you yourself have made these mistakes in the past- much respect! Admitting that you are no social butterfly is not easy. But admitting that is the first step on a journey of self- improvement that will lead you through a dark and winding road to Eden.

Sport The

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Free20

e-Diving Dildar Singh

ports enthusiasts are always looking for reasons to involve themselves in one sport or another; free-diving is a very attractive sport. More and more people are turning towards free-diving because the sport presents them with an ideal opportunity to rediscover themselves. This sport is also known as apnea, it is extremely competitive and there are several organizations that reward dare-devil free-divers who try to outdo each other. Umberto Pelizzari was a professional free-diver but he gave up the sport in the year 2001. He holds almost every world record associated with free-diving that one can possibly think of. Pelizzari, believes that going underwater is extremely rewarding because it changes everything inside you and you discover a new person within.

Not everyone can take up this sport, it is very important to have a good lung capacity to take up this sport. The divers usually go as deep as 38 meters, or 115 feet without any breathing apparatus, it is all done on a lungful of air. Many would torment and have shivers down their spine just thinking about it let alone doing it. Pelizzari has been inspired by the legendary Jacques Mayol, the latter travelled to India and learned how to harmonize his body with the ocean. Pelizzari also spent time with Shao-lin monks in China perfecting breathing techniques. This sport is intriguing but at the same time extremely hazardous, there are numerous risks associated with it. Audrey Mestre, a professional free-diver lost his life in 2002, this unfortunate event outlined how dangerous this sport really is.

People and Places The

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More Than Just an Island Paradise By Stephanie Lezotte

railing from the arc of islands in the southern Caribbean Sea is the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. While the dual-island country might be obscurely located in your mind, chances are you already know someone hailing from Trinidad and Tobago since the nation boasts such a rich and globalized modern population. If their natural environment does not fascinate you, certainly their intriguing history and culture will. The nation’s recent historical growth spurt is as impressive as its tally of biological specimens

Once part of the South American mainland, these islands lie just eleven kilometers off the coast of Venezuela and contain the staples of a Caribbean nation: beautiful sandy beaches, waterlogged caves, wildlife sanctuaries, and a rich historical heritage. Trinidad and Tobago’s staggering abundance of exotic flora and fauna, mountainous rainforests, mangrove swamps, and exotic beaches create a mixed topography of continental and island forms, making the nation a true biological incubator. Together, they host an estimated 450 bird, 55 reptile, 25 amphibian and 617 butterfly species. Not surprisingly, the smaller island of Tobago is considered a diver’s paradise. Influenced by the northeast trade winds, the island enjoys a pleasant maritime tropical climate with a mean minimum temperature of 26 °C and the average maximum temperature of 34 °C. Trinidad and Tobago is outside the usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms, and therefore is not usually ravaged like Jamaica, Grenada, or Cuba. Those who have the opportunity to enjoy its calm waters can re-discover some 300 coral species, reefs, undersea gardens, and rock pillars. Snorkelers flock to the Buccoo Reef Marine Park where the shallow and warm Nylon Pool offers ideal swimming conditions. Trinidad is home to the world’s largest asphalt lake, the 100-acre wide Pitch Lake, believed to be 250 feet deep in the center and contain some 10 million tons of pitch. As the lake replenishes itself, peculiar and historically significant artifacts surface, including a mastodon tooth, the fossil remains of the giant sloth, and Amerindian relics. Locals purport that mineral pools produced by the lake contain healing properties due to their high sulphur content. Perhaps the nation’s true beauty, however, is that which we cannot actually see. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago does not rely heavily on tourism, partly because of its wealth of natural resources. An industrialized country with a diversified economy, the islands have an open investment climate that have morphed from an oil-based economy to one based on natural gas. In fact, Trinidad is the world’s fifth largest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas and the single largest supplier to the USA. The petrochemical sector, including plants producing methanol (of which Trinidad is the world’s largest exporter), ammonia, urea, and natural gas liquids, has continued to grow in line with natural gas production. So while Trinadad and Tobago can offer classic Caribbean comforts to foreign tourists, it certainly is not indebted to visitors. Rather, it caters to the needs of first-world countries, delicately balancing its ecosystem and economy. This certainly should not imply that Trinidad and Tobago does not possess the potential to

diver’s paradise The smaller island of Tobago is considered a diver’s paradise. Influenced by the northeast trade winds, the island enjoys a pleasant maritime tropical climate with a mean minimum temperature of 26 °C and the average maximum temperature of 34 °C. Trinidad and Tobago is outside the usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms, and therefore is not usually ravaged like Jamaica, Grenada, or Cuba.

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GCODE be a world-class tourist destination, however. In addition to its appealing geographical attributes, Trinidad’s ASA Wright Nature Center attracts bird watchers from around the globe and is considered one of the best conservations in the Western hemisphere, not to mention the oldest in the Caribbean. For history buffs and scholars alike, Trinidad is also home to the oldest monastery in the Caribbean, the Mount St. Benedict Abbey. Located some 800 feet above sea level, the Abbey was founded in 1912 by Brazilian monks fleeing religious persecution. Clearly, Trinidad and Tobago has stories to share that provide cultural insight to its mottled modern-day composition. The nation’s recent historical growth spurt is as impressive as its tally of biological specimens. Christopher Columbus encountered the two islands in 1498 during his third voyage to the West. In doing so, he stumbled upon the rudimentary settlements of its native peoples, an estimated 40,000 Caribs and Arawaks. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands for the next 300 years and by 1800, the native population was nearly extinct due to European diseases and abuse—a familiar Western tale. Tobago, on the other hand, was initially tossed between the British, French, Dutch, and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. In 1888 the two islands were joined as a single-crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained self-governance in 1958 and, finally, independence from the British Empire in 1962. Its most recent bureaucratic milestone was to become a republic in 1976. To this day, many war-torn symbols stand as a reminder of its quest for self-ownership, one of the most famous being Fort King George, built in the 1770s. The most famous and spectacular celebration is its secular Carnival, an event rooted in slave traditions. The merriment begins shortly after Christmas and culminates in two days of high-energy revelry. In that time, there are numerous grand parties, or ‘fetes,” that have drawn the attention of the world’s most popular celebrities

As a result of its shifting associations, it is easy to acknowledge that the modern society of Trinidad and Tobago is actually the fusion of many different civilizations. The population of approximately 1.1 million is a true melting pot. Very few Arawak descendents survive today and instead the islands are inhabited by peoples from every continent. Many were forcibly relocated. The Spanish brought Africans as slaves, and indentured servants were imported to work on sugar plantations. Between 1842 and 1917, over 170,000 Asian Indian, Chinese, and Portuguese arrived. Today, Trinidad and Tobago is comprised

wealth of natural resources

Perhaps the nation’s true beauty, however, is that which we cannot actually see. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago does not rely heavily on tourism, partly because of its wealth of natural resources. An industrialized country with a diversified economy, the islands have an open investment climate that have morphed from an oil-based economy to one based on natural gas. In fact, Trinidad is the world’s fifth largest exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas and the single largest supplier to the USA.

of a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural population that is approximately 40% Asian Indian, 39% African, and 21% European, Asian and mixed race. Such an amalgamation of ethnicities and cultures naturally brings with it a variety of religious views. The nation is home to Roman Catholics (30%), Hindus (25%), Muslims (6%), Anglicans (11%), plus small Christian percentages of Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Seventh Day Adventists. Interreligious marriages are not uncommon, thus enhancing the nation’s unique composition, and the various religions are quite accepting of one other. In fact, while there are many denominational schools, no student is precluded from attending due to religious orientation. Indeed, a ‘Muslim’ school might have more Christian students than actual Muslims; this is a testament to the high level of tolerance and oneness that exists. In the spirit of religious acceptance, Trinidad and Tobago celebrates a multitude of festivals and holidays. Citizens enjoy thirteen holidays, seven of which are religious.

Every year Caribana draws two million attendees, and its colorful parades commemorate the diverse and independent peoples of Trinidad and Tobago

The most famous and spectacular celebration is its secular Carnival, an event rooted in slave traditions. The merriment begins shortly after Christmas and culminates in two days of highenergy revelry. In that time, there are numerous grand parties, or ‘fetes,” that have drawn the attention of the world’s most popular celebrities, including Mick Jagger, who described Trinidad’s Carnival as the greatest party in the world. As with many celebrations, this “party” cannot be so arbitrarily labeled. Carnival is a time of great communal pride for Trinidad and Tobago, for these festivities originated from its West African slaves to privately mock their French owners. After abolition, festivities were transferred to the streets, publicly marking a new era in the nation’s history. Within the last fifty years, Trinidad and Tobago immigrants infused the city of Toronto with this celebration, resulting in the popular Caribana that is hailed to be North America’s largest street festival. Every year Caribana draws two million attendees, and its colorful parades commemorate the diverse and independent peoples of Trinidad and Tobago.

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Is the biological clock running out for men too? Dr. Anish Pillai

Introduction:

Men have a shorter life span and die younger compared to their female counterpart. Is it not biological that they reproduce early too? Not convinced? Read ahead to find out some information that might change the way you think

It is high time that men wake up from their slumber and take notice about the limitations of the so perceived “super sperm”. The times have changed, ‘man up’

Recent Trends:

More men are choosing parenthood at a later age due to professional and social issues. As men age, they become more patient, financially stable and emotionally secure. According to national statistics, Canada (statcan.gc.ca), the average age of fathers has changed from 39.8 years in 1995 to 41.6 years in 2006. There is a similar trend observed in paternal age across the globe as well. The incidence of diseases like schizophrenia, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and many more is rising rapidly in the past decade. This has led to extensive research in the role parental age and health outcomes. Diseases Implicated:

Decreased fertility rates and adverse pregnancy outcomes like stillbirth have long been linked to increasing paternal age. One group of conditions where overwhelming research has been done is the association of neurological disorders and late fatherhood. The illnesses associated are Alzheimer’s disease, Autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and decreased intelligence. Incidence of birth defects like cleft palate, structural heart disease, limb defects, and cataracts was also found to be higher in children born to older men. Many genetic disorders like Achondroplasia, Apert syndrome, Down syndrome, craniosynostosis, Marfan syndrome and many more have been historically linked to the aging spermatozoa.

There is definitely enough evidence to suggest that advanced paternal age has adverse health outcomes in the offspring

Possible Theories: A landmark study was published in the Nature journal which showed that most genetic mutations which arise in children are passed down by the father’s sperm rather than the mother’s ovum. After years of research, the following mechanisms have been postulated to be functional in the aging sperm. Mutations – Both sperm and ovum are prone to mutations in the human body. Majority of these

mutations are benign and do not cause disease. Sperms are rapidly multiplying

in the body, unlike in a woman who is born with all the eggs at birth itself. With advancing age, these mutations also multiply and a 50 year old man has almost 3 times more mutations compared to a 16 year old! Selfish spermatogonial selection theory – Latest evidence has revealed selective selection of mutant sperms promoting clonal expansion and increased risk of transmission with advancing age.

Conclusion: There is definitely enough evidence to suggest that advanced paternal age has adverse health outcomes in the offspring. Till recently, men have largely enjoyed as a free-rider in the process of reproduction. Majority of the older studies had put the limelight on maternal age and blamed the “bad ovum” as the major mechanism for transfer of disease mutations to the offspring. But with overwhelming research being published each day, it is high time that men wake up from their slumber and take notice about the limitations of the so perceived “super sperm”. The times have changed, ‘man up’.

AUTO - FIAT The

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Welcome Bac R o b e r t H e n ry

or all of those that want that European flair and don't really need the headroom and legroom of a boat, the Fiat 500 is a fun, zippy little vehicle with an unparalleled exhaust soundtrack. Not only is it adorable inside and out, but for many without lots of cargo to move or long daily commutes, it's a sensible buy for leisure and relatively small

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ck the Fiat 500 amounts of travel, especially in the city. In the small segment of subcompact vehicles, the low price tag starts around $15-16k brand new, which means that this little go-kart of a car is easy on the pocket. This is especially true when you avoid all the add-ons like the automatic transmission, which saps some of the meager 104 horsepower out of the ride anyway. In an economy with rising fuel costs, the standard EPA estimated fuel economy of 31/40 mpg city/highway is impressive. The reliability issues that plague older Fiats (i.e. "Fix It Again, Tony") is a thing of the past, and safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) include a "Top Safety Pick" sticker. Rear crash tests from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are a bit less enthusiastic at three out of five stars, but considering the backseat is too small for most adults and even some children, that's not a huge issue. Let's be honest: this isn't a family car by any means, but it makes sense for those interested in a fuel conscious and agile ride. Able to keep up with larger sedans and coupes fairly well, the light weight of the Fiat makes the small engine rather graceful, even if acceleration is a bit lacking. For added pleasure, a convertible version is available as well. The Fiat can easily become a weekend ride that almost anyone can afford. As of 2013, the Fiat's greatest market is California where they've spent time building Fiat "studios" that only sell the Fiat brand. After their thirty-year departure from the United States, they hope to earn the trust of a younger

Still trying to work out their new brand identity, it may be that the Fiat will never be cheaper than it is now as their sales continue to grow

marketplace while rebuilding their name with older consumers. Still trying to work out their new brand identity, it may be that the Fiat will never be cheaper than it is now as their sales continue to grow. The Fiat is undeniably attractive for its European styling and cute stature. Anyone ready to finally get their money's worth is going to love the Fiat 500c.

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Intelligence The

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Losing My Virginity L asi th Fernan d o

A heck load of sex, a tad bit of drugs and a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll entwine together with the fluidity of a Led Zeppelin classic in Losing My Virginity – the autobiography of Sir Richard Branson, Britain’s most loved billionaire. The businessman known as much for his eccentric publicity campaigns and death defying world record attempts, as for his undeniable entrepreneurial brilliance; Losing My Virginity presents his life story with heart, balls, swagger and a wonderfully refreshing openness that leaves us utterly powerless to help but fall in love with the long haired and scruffy Brit. While most business autobiographies show a certain predilection for excruciatingly painful details, blatant pomposity and maddeningly preachy undertones, Losing my Virginity reads like the autobiography of the consummate rock star that lives fast, parties hard and loves under the table fellatio to boot. Painted red with stories of him being caught in bed with his school headmaster’s daughter, passing joints with Mick Jagger and Sid Vicious, being strapped naked to hotel balconies at Virgin parties and riding along the Thames with the sex pistols singing God Save the Queen, a Fascist Regime, Losing my virginity is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining and raunchy business autobiographies ever written. Yet the true beauty of the book lies not in the tongue in cheek anecdotes of outrageous sex, good music and thick spliffs - although they do ad quite the compelling touch - but in the core story of a man that loves life, hates authority, revels in impossible challenges and lives with a wonderful conviction that anything and everything is possible. The book is written with such candor and un-pretentiousness that it is an incredibly

invigorating read, which takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the life of one of the world’s most successful and eccentric businessman. From the simple beginnings as a dyslexic teenager starting his own magazine, to painstakingly building Virgin Music as Britain’s most in vogue record label, to fighting nail and tooth to defend the Virgin Group against the covetous and dastardly tactics of its competitors, each page is a step deeper into the very heart and soul of England’s favorite businessman. Though a business autobiography is the last thing you would expect to be reviewed on a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle magazine, Losing my virginity cannot be coined as simply a business autobiography. With its brutal honesty, deeply personal voice and stories from a life full of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, it is a true rock ‘n’ roll diary that will both inspire and excite.