The Cheap Party - 5 More Ways To Throw a Party Inexpensively

Here are some more ways to save money on throwing a party:

The Cheap Party - 25 Ways To Throw a Party Inexpensively: Part I

Throwing a party, whatever the occasion, can be pretty expensive if you let it, and many times, the little things add up pretty fast! Thankfully, there are ways to throw an elegant shindig without breaking the bank. Here are 25 of my favorite tricks of the trade:

Money Can Buy You Happiness - 40 Things I've Learnt in 40 Years

I'm quite sure you've heard tell of how money cannot buy you happiness, or health, or class, or love, or a host of other things... And in many ways that is true. Having money, in itself is not a guarantee to happiness. Happiness is not a reward for hard work or earning money; it is a consequence of a series of choices we make each and every day.

How Well Do You Know Los Angeles, CA?

Los Angeles is famous for the movie industry, celebrities, and Hollywood. But how well do you know the City of Angels?

Here's your chance to win three City Walk iPhone applications to cities of your choice, courtesy of GPSmyCity.com. Correctly answer all ten questions about Los Angeles below and e-mail them to quiz@gpsmycity.com for your chance to win!

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1. L.A was founded as a city in:
A. 1718
B. 1781
C. 1817

2. What L.A landmark appears in such movies as the Terminator and Transformers?
A. Griffith Observatory
B. Grauman's Chinese Theater
C. Hollywood Wax Museum

3. L.A was briefly part of what country?
A. Spain
B. Mexico
C. Brazil

4. What did the original Hollywood sign say?
A. Hollywood Hills
B. Hollywoodland
C. Welcome to Hollywood

5. The L.A city flower is the:
A. Douglas Iris
B. Bird of Paradise
C. Wood Rose

6. Whom does this famous quite belong to: "I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're beautiful. Everybody's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic."?
A. Marilyn Monroe
B. Andy Warhol
C. Elizabeth Taylor

7. Which one of these famous people was not born in L.A?
A. Angelina Jolie
B. Gwyneth Paltrow
C. Cameron Diaz

8. Californians are the largest US consumers of:
A. Chocolate
B. Tomatoes
C. Turkey

9. Marina del Rey  is the largest yacht harbor in:
A. California
B. America
C. The world

10. California's popular nickname, made official in 1968 is:
A. The Sunshine State
B. The Golden State
C. The Silver State

Remember to send your answers to quiz@gpsmycity.com. Good luck!

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Be Indispensable - 40 Things I've Learnt in 40 Years

In my first job - an unofficial and unpaid internship - I learned very early on, the importance of being indispensable. I didn't set out with that intention - it was actually a by-product of something else. I started out with the task of organizing an abandoned file room - a task I finished in 3 days, much to the dismay of my supervisor. I kept asking for my things to do. What I wanted was more responsibility to feed my need to be important. I figured I was smart, and I could do more, so I asked for more to keep me busy. Within three months, I had a title, and in six months, I was convening meetings (and still not getting paid).

Break the rules - 40 Things I've Learnt in 40 Years

As a young boy, I was rather obsessed with following the rules and doing everything right. For me it was avoiding the embarrassment of disapproval or punishment. My mother, bless her heart, was quite the disciplinarian. I needed to have the approval of my parents at all times and if they so much as looked at me the wrong way, my soul was crushed. So when I was punished for anything I'd done at home or at school, I would be so mad at myself for being wrong. I considered punishment to be beneath me and that was why I had to follow the rules.

I still think punishment is abhorrent and a parking ticket will ruin my day and the next three as well. But this piece is not about public laws and organizational rules. It's about the unwritten rules in life we feel compelled to obey because that is what society expects of us. We have rules that govern what we wear, how our relationships should work, what roles we play, how we should feel and a myriad other aspects of our life. We effectively become drones, accepting our lot in life and the status quo because that's the thing to do.

In many ways, my adult life has been one of being unconventional. It does feel like looking in from the outside sometimes, but I won't have it any other way. In the words of Robert Heinlein: "I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do". 


I prefer to chart my own course in life and find myself constantly questioning conventions; essentially dancing to the beat of a different drum. It would be amazing to find out how much of our lives are dictated by convention. Breaking those rules, in my experience, has been liberating in the long run. Take a moment to think about the things you do each day and ask yourself why you do those things. Why do they have to be that way? Is that the only way it can be done? Just thinking about those questions in an objective and dispassionate manner can be quite revealing. If done right, you will feel uncomfortable with what you come up with and will realize that even what you think is right is only right because you've been conditioned to think that is what right looks like.


Get out of your comfort zone. Break some rules. Free your mind.

Sex - 40 Things I've Learnt In 40 Years

Sex. The very thought of it is enough to conjure up visions of hedonistic abandon and heights of incredible ecstasy...

...or not.

It is amazing how sex has changed for me over the years. Time was, when sex had but one objective: the surreptitious foray through the nether regions to reach the intoxicating heights of Mt. Olympus - the mount of the gods - if only for an all-too-brief moment. It was a speedy race to the top to reach the holy grail and an avalanche right back down that left you flushed, out of breath, and feeling less than satiated.

Like many young people, we were left wondering why there was so much secrecy, mystery and much ado about sex. Yes, it was great, but only very briefly, really. And what was so wrong about it that made it such an awful subject in polite company or at the dinner table? Somehow the clandestine nature of the subject of sex lent credence to its allure.

Sometimes I wonder how sex today would be if I'd had lots of early experience. In many ways I am still learning so much about it. You would think that at my age I would know everything about my body and about sex. The real beauty is, I am still learning, and each new revelation leaves me with a smile on my face. I find it sad that many times, sex is seen as something we do to another person, or something that is done to us. That is sad. It should be a act of mutual participation, where each partner's aim is to please and be pleased. Without that essential ingredient, it is nearly impossible for both parties to derive optimal benefit from being together.

What I do know is that there are different kinds of sex. Sex is like nature. You can have earthquakes, hurricanes, snow flurries, thunderstorms, drizzles, breezes and sometimes stillness. Sometimes several happen in succession. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it isn't. But most importantly, it is about the spiritual connection that can take place in the process. Sex is more than a genital experience. It is a spiritual experience that echoes the Biblical reference of two becoming one. It is one of those rare moments where bodies and spirits collide. A sexual encounter disconnected from a spiritual one is like flying coach when you could be flying First Class.

A spiritual sexual encounter requires both parties to be present and committed to the 'process'. It involves tuning in to the frequency of the other person as well as yourself, and interpreting the very subtle signals you give and receive. Consciously take in what you see, what you smell, what you taste, what you feel, how it feels... That is when it takes on a life of its own and the two of you take a journey that is not predetermined by either party. The only agenda is the present moment. That is when sex is no longer about the orgasm as much as it is about a certain shared intimacy. Each encounter is a new adventure, blending the tried-and-tested with new areas of exploration and an abandonment to the moment.

I have found that a spiritual sexual encounter leaves me satiated and basking in the afterglow for days after and doesn't leave me craving more (not for the moment, at least). It has taken me a while to learn the import of that, but I have also had to unlearn a lot of what I picked up growing up. Sex can be an incredibly beautiful experience, but you need to learn to 'unlimit' yourself and realize that really, there are no rules. You are the rule.

Now I'm curious: What have your sexcapades been like?