Julian Rouas Paris

From a smoker’s point of view, the bans on smoking may be going to far. I can understand a ban on smoking indoors – I’m okay with that. But, what I can’t understand is a ban on smoking in the great outdoors. Most smokers are courteous and will walk away from a crowd in order not to offend anyone. But, what about people who follow you when you walk away from the crowd? Has this ever happened to anyone?

While attending my daughter’s softball game, I walked away from the crowd to smoke. I walked almost to the parking lot, where there was no one near me. I lit my cigarette and after a few minutes, a woman arrived pulling an oxygen tank. This woman saw me smoking and walked about 40 steps out of her way to walk near where I stood – for the single purpose of being able to make a comment about the fact that I was smoking in public!
So, my question is this. I understand why people who do not smoke do not want to be subjected to my second-hand smoke – and I respect that. But, what do you about people who choke you with their perfume? Where are the rights for people who suffer from migraines, asthma, and allergies?

I once worked in an office with 200-300 hundred other people. In the beginning, we had a smoking and a non-smoking break-room. The two break-rooms were on opposite ends of a hallway and well ventilated. But, that was not enough for the non-smokers. They wanted us outside of the building – exposed to the elements. But, this still wasn’t enough for them – because they liked to sit outside at the picnic tables in warm weather, and there we were. So, the non-smoker’s petitioned until the smoker’s had to completely leave the property in order to smoke. They won – or did they?

I suffer from migraines. One thing that causes the onset of a migraine is strong smells, especially in the form of perfume. I pulled into the parking lot one morning as another person was going in the front door. I stepped out of my car and was almost blown away in the wake of her perfume – a wake that followed her into the building. Sometimes, a migraine hits like a bomb – out of nowhere. One minute you are fine – the next minute, Wham! By the time I got to my desk, I could barely see – and a coworker had to drive me home. I lost a day of work because of perfume!

So, the smoker’s struck back – we petitioned until we succeeded in having perfume and strong colognes banned. And, I never had to miss work again. The smoker’s were still banned from the property, but so were the days of migraines for migraine sufferers and sneezing for allergy sufferers.

If you do not want to be around the smoke from my cigarette, just ask me politely. I will gladly walk away and enjoy my cigarette in peace. But, return the same courtesy. Don’t expose me to a migraine by wearing overpowering perfume or cologne. This infringes upon my rights – and the rights of all sufferers of migraines, asthma, and allergies. So, next time you bathe, before you cover yourself with that perfume or cologne that you think makes you more appealing, think about that person who may lose a day’s pay so that you can smell nice!




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

Julian Rouas Paris

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

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

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

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

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



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

Julian Rouas Paris

I have discovered a new favorite perfume in the last couple of years. It's called "Rapture" and it's manufactured by Victoria's Secret. It was introduced in 1992. It's a versatile all-around scent that can be worn day or night.

Rapture by Victoria's Secret is a complex blend of many scents. These include orange blossom and citrus, musk, amber, vanilla, freesia, jasmine, and rose. Rapture would be classified as an oriental fragrance. Rapture smells very feminine and luxurious. Victoria's Secret Rapture is a sophisticated perfume that is not heavy at all. It smells very clean and light. I prefer simple fragrances, so this was a change of pace for me.

Rapture's top notes are mainly citrus and orange blossom. The middle notes consist of freesia, jasmine and rose. These heart notes tend to last for quite awhile. The base note mainly consists of amber, with a hint of vanilla and musk. The base notes are very deep and sensual.

Victoria's Secret Rapture is available in many products and sizes. The cologne spray is in .75 ounce and 1.7 ounce bottles. A purse spray is available. Rapture is also available as a body wash that is called shower cream. It is thicker than most body washes. It leaves your skin feeling very silky and smelling great. An 8 ounce bottle of Rapture Pure Silk body lotion can also be bought. Victoria's Secret also offers Rapture Gift Box sets of different products.

Rapture by Victoria's Secret is a bit expensive. The 1.7 ounce bottle of cologne spray is $35. The .75 ounce purse spray is $19.50. Rapture Rich Velvet body cream costs $21. Rapture Pure Silk body lotion is priced at $20. The gift box sets are found during holidays and usually cost about $85.

The packaging will probably be Rapture's downfall. The perfume is packaged in an attractive heart shaped bottle with gold trim. Upon closer inspection, the gold trim is gaudy cheap plastic. The red and gold cap on the perfume bottle is also made of plastic. Five dollar bottles of perfume are presented with better quality packaging.

Speaking of packaging, I have bought two of the gift box sets in different years. The first box was very nice. It was covered in red satin material and was very heavy. The gift box set I bought the following year was dreadful. It looked like a cheap box of chocolates that a person buys at the drug store.

I have made multiple purchases of Rapture perfume. Everytime without fail, the perfume bottles stop operating correctly. I had to throw away the miniature bottle that came with the gift set. The spring broke on the bottle and I couldn't fix it or find a way to get the rest of the perfume out of the bottle. It ended up leaking on my cabinet and staining it. Also after using about one-third of the perfume, every Rapture cologne bottle starts refusing to spray. The spray simply quits working. And the plastic caps always crack. Sometimes they get stuck on the bottle. The caps must be spray painted gold, because the gold starts peeling.

Sadly, I will never buy "Rapture" by Victoria's Secret again. For a fragrance to cost as much as "Rapture" does, the packaging is cheap. It's ultra cheap, in fact. And I can't afford to pay $35 for perfume that I'm forced to throw away with most of it still in the bottle.

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The Ford Model T will always be a special mark in the history of American automobiles. It came about when automobiles were first becoming very popular, and is said to be the first affordable automobile.

"The Car the put America on wheels"

The model T was named the world most influential car of the 20th century. From the great words of Henry Ford: "I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for a family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces."

The model T was designed by Childe Harold Wills and two Hungarian immigrants named Joseph A. Galamb and Eugene Farkas. As with the times, every model T was put together by the hands of Ford's automotive team. It made for very slow productions, but it was still a very sought after automobile none the less.

The model T was put out to the public with a front mounted 117 four cylinder engine. It managed 20.2 horses, and reached top speeds of 40-45 mph. According to Ford Motor, it had great fuel economy that got 13 to 21 mpg. This engine was very versatile, it could run on either gasoline or ethanol. Though ethanol was quickly made illegal and with the lowering prices of gasoline, there was really no more need to use ethanol.

It came with a Magneto alternator that produced low voltage current to a power coil that turned that low voltage into high power. The model T was a rear wheel drive vehicle with a two speed transmission. Although Ford did label it as a 3 speed. However, one of the three speeds was Reverse, and in todays standards, that does not count as a speed.

The model T never really came in all that many colors and it was Henry Ford's statement that said: "Any customer can have the model T in any color they like, so long as its black." Which is so very interesting as the first few model T's were not actually black at all.

The 1923 Ford Model T actually appeared first in the fall of 1922. These were funny little cars by todays standards. The initial version had only one rear door to enter the vehicle. This meant that both the passenger and the driver had to enter the vehicle through the back and squeeze through the front seats if they wanted to go for a ride. Later, Ford put out a four door sedan that they creatively name the "fordor", but with his hopes of using up the original center door models, Henry asked his dealers not to push the Fordors. Aside from adding doors, the Fordor also used a rectangular rear window and crank roll-up windows. This gave the Fordor quite a distinction from the original center door model T.

From the factory lines, the 1923 Model T came with an electric starter and demountable rims. The model T was quickly becoming fords hot ticket. Competing with other American modeled cars that were being put out in those times, Henry ford had a lot of work on his hands. As great as the 1923 Model T was, is still needed many upgrades and improvements to keep up with what the public was demanding from their automobiles.

The 1923 Model T will forever be marked as a part of automobile history. You can learn a lot from the making of this car, or truck as some would call it. Thank you Henry Ford, you helped paved the way for many of the wonderful cars and vehicles we see today.

Reaping the rewards of unchecked multiculturalism...

(Evening Standard)- Britain's leading Muslim TV channel was accused of encouraging "marital rape" and promoting other intolerant views of women in a report on extremism published today.

The report by think tank Quillam says that the London-based Islam Channel broadcast comments saying that "the idea a woman cannot refuse her husband relations" was "not strange" and was instead part of "maintaining a strong marriage".

It says that the channel also broadcast advice that a wife should not leave her home without her husband's permission and that a woman who wears perfume in public is a prostitute.

The think tank, which is calling for an investigation by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, also accuses the channel of advertising talks by al Qaeda-supporting preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who is alleged to have inspired failed Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and of giving a platform to other extremist Islamists.

The report, which was based on an analysis of broadcasts over three months, also states that Islam Channel's programmes have undermined trust between community groups by airing hostile comments about non-Muslims and those who follow alternative versions of Islam.

ZIP

Stupid, simple minded black folks. Every time some beautiful black woman is successful, you always have some basic people who try to tear her down. When Bey-Bey first came out…people always said how pretty she was and that she looked like a black barbie doll. Now that she’s an international icon, all you hear is people criticizing her as if they are the saints of saints. Beyonce doesn’t worship the devil, she is just very successful and a smart business woman. Insecure woman can’t stand her success just as a pretty girl at the club gets hated on by ugly hood gremlins because they are jealous of the attention the pretty girl is getting. But hey, so long as we have fools who treat bossip’s rumors as golden as the bible word, we can expect to see bored idiots fill half the damn post with, “Beyonce is the devil/illuminati”

Julian Rouas Paris
Julian Rouas


Beverage King