They are all money hungry....

Dear Love Mechanic,

Lately, the women I meet seem to only be interested in men who have a lot of money. Do women really date men they are not attracted to if these same guys are willing to shower them with gifts? Is this what dating has come to?

Giving up,
Danny

Dear Danny,

I have heard this complaint from hundreds of men that feel as though women only want a man with cash. Many younger men are still in the "Securing Your Vehicle" phase in life and it can be very frustrating when competing with men that are further along in their careers.

Men with money also have a certain confidence that women are attracted to. Many women will go out with them for the fun and adventure even if they aren't extremely attracted to them... especially women who thrive on lots of attention.

Can you blame them? Let's face it; some wealthy men do have the cash advantage and yet many don't have the rest of the package. Success does add confidence yet doesn't guarantee that they'll close the deal.

Some rich men do lose out in the end though. Sure, they may get a trophy girlfriend, but they never have her heart. There are plenty of women that don't want a man with "big bucks," yet still want to know that he has the potential to be an adequate provider. You need to learn what women are taught to expect so you can play in the game and still win. Here are a few suggestions that might help:

Build your confidence
A negative "Vibe" and whining about this won't solve the problem nor will it turn any women -- materialistic or otherwise -- on. You need to refine and "tune up" the way you view success, money and the way you come across to women where those issues are concerned.

Discover what "type" of women you are attracted to
Some of the "gold digger" or "hottie" types are being bombarded by offers and can be spoiled brats. If you keep chasing after women who want nothing more than to make love with money, you need to take a look at yourself and see if you are going after what or who you really want. Broaden your expectations and you'll discover that some of the sweetest women are not looking for a "cash man," but a companion to hang with.

Be careful of the vibes you give off
All women (hot or not) want to know that a man has a secure job and is able to take them out. Some men project a "Loser Vibe" that comes out in his initial conversations with women. Make sure you're not one of them.

Dress for success
You don't have to be a big spender to win the affections of women; just get your act together and learn how to project more confidence with a few simple wardrobe tune-ups. Make sure your clothes are clean, your shoes are shined, and always present yourself like a star.

A man who knows how to get into a woman's head will be able to connect with her and see if she is only after his wallet.

Renee

McDonald's VS McCurry: The Case History

The verdict on the McCurry vs McDonald's case has finally arrived. Indian Food outlet McCurry Restaurant in Malaysia has won its case against world renowned Fast food chain McDonald's on Monday (27^th April 2009). According to the court's jurisdiction, McDonald's does not have the sole right on the prefix "Mc". McCurry restaurant, Malaysia has been allowed to keep the prefix in its name.

The recent judgement has reversed a three year old judgement, in which the court has given a verdict in favour of McDonald's in the McCurry vs McDonald's case. In September 2006, the Malaysian High Court Judge, Siti Mariah Ahmad had ruled against Malaysia's McCurry restaurant owners who were defendants in McCurry vs McDonald's case. The company had filed the case in the year 2001, saying that the McCurry restaurant is violating their trademark prefix "Mc".

The lawyers of McDonald's restaurant had argued that they have exclusive rights on the prefix and only they can use it on their products and services. They had said that McDonald's has created this prefix and has the right to protect it under the law. According to McDonald's, McCurry was infringing their creative rights by using the prefix in their name. They wanted the court to ban the McCurry from using the prefix.

But the defendants promptly denied any such claims. They said that McDonald's cannot have a creative right over the prefix "Mc" as it is not created by them. The prefix is used in surnames all over Europe and especially in Scotland. They also argued that the title McCurry is an abbreviation of "Malaysian Chicken Curry" as the restaurant servers Indian and Malaysian cuisines.

But at that time, the high court judge was convinced by arguments given by McDonald's and gave the judgement in favour of the plaintiff. The court told the owners of McCurry that they did not have the right to use the prefix and must immediately drop it from the title or change the name of their restaurant.

Hearing this verdict on McCurry vs McDonald's, the award winning photographer, Steve McCurry commented, "It is kind of funny but I guess what is more important is the quality of the food," McCurry has won four top prizes in the World Press Photo Contest.

The owners of McCurry restaurant in Malaysia were also not happy by this verdict and decided to appeal against it in the court. Finally, the decision of the appeal court on McCurry vs McDonald's came on Monday, 27^th April 2009.

The decision came in the favour of McCurry. The decision was taken by appeal court judges Datuk Gopal Sri Ram, Datuk Heliliah Mohd. Yusof and Datuk Sulong Matjeraie. They found that McDonald's doesn't have any evidence to show that the McCurry Restaurant in Malaysia was trying to pose itself as a business owned by McDonald's.

Here, one must mention that McDonald's is a multinational fast food chain which has over 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. McDonald's serve around 47 million people. It serves western food such as burgers, rolls, shakes and French fries. It owns more than 174 restaurants in Malaysia only.

McCurry restaurant on the other hand, is a small local restaurant in Malaysia. It is a 24 hour restaurant which serves authentic Malaysian and Indian dishes. It serves traditional dishes like teh tarik, roti canai, nasi lemak, nasi briyani, fish head curry, chicken tandoori, naan bread, tosai, chapaati and various chicken and mutton curry dishes.

The appeal court Judge, Gopal Sri Ram overturned the 2006's ruling in the McCurry vs McDonald's case. He said, "Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix ‘Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business." He added, "In my judgment, the irresistible inference to be drawn from the totality of the evidence is that McCurry's Restaurant signboard would not result in reasonable persons associating McCurry with the McDonald's mark."

In an 18 page judgement, Judge Sri Ram said, "For the reasons given, I would allow McCurry Restaurant's appeal and reverse the findings of the learned judge".

Judge Sri Ram, said, "The defendant's (McCurry) signboard carried the words ‘Restoran McCurry' with the lettering in white and grey on a red background with a picture of a chicken giving a double thumbs up and with the wording, ‘Malaysian Chicken Curry."

Adding the fact that McCurry Restaurant doesn't have any dish that has the prefix "Mc" attached with it; unlike every food item served in McDonald's restaurant. Judge Sri Ram said, "Thus, the defendant's presentation of its business is in a style and getup which is distinctly different from that of the plaintiff. It would have been different if McCurry Restaurant had offered to its customers, items that were labelled either the same as or similar to those sold by McDonald's, for example McFish or McLamb."

McDonald's had stated in the court that prefix "Mc" is their trademark. They said that the use of this prefix will show that McCurry is affiliated with McDonald's restaurant. But in their defence, McCurry Restaurant's owner said that the prefix is not owned by McDonald's restaurant and they can't monopolize it. McCurry Restaurant also stated that their menu is completely different from that of McDonald's and doesn't reflect its cuisine in any way.

This latest judgement in McCurry vs McDonald's case has been very encouraging news for the owners of McCurry restaurant in Malaysia as they can now peacefully continue with their business. They know that they are some of the very few businessmen in the world who decide to take on a large multinational and emerge triumphant in the end. The judgement has put an end to a 5 year old court battle between the two enterprises.

McCurry beats McDonald's in Malaysia lawsuit

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Fast food chain McDonald's lost a lawsuit in Malaysia on Wednesday after an appeals court overruled a decision that its trademark had been infringed by a local restaurant called McCurry.

"Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix 'Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business," Judge Gopal Sri Ram said, overturning a 2006 ruling in favor of McDonald's.

The McDonald's operation in this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people is run as franchise by prominent businessman Vincent Tan and has 185 outlets, according to the company website (www.mcdonalds.com/my).

McCurry, by contrast, serves Indian fast food from one restaurant in Kuala Lumpur as well Malaysian dishes such as fish head curry and is short for "Malaysian Chicken Curry," according to the company website (www.mccurryrecipe.com).

(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

All roads lead to Roman proverbs

By JOHN EVANS

GREAT cities of the world have been celebrated not only in essays and full-length books, but also in nursery rhymes, songs and poems.

Famous quotations about great cities are still mostly confined to the ‘old’ European capitals of London, Paris and Rome, even though megacities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai and Mexico City have long outstripped them in size and population.

When it comes to proverbs about cities, London only has The streets of London are paved with gold, suggesting that London, with its wealth of easy opportunities, is the place to go if you want to make your fortune. This proverb is associated by many people with the legend of Dick Whittington, the penniless youth destined to become Lord Mayor, who was lured to London by the rumour of streets paved with gold.

Rome outstrips London with several time-honoured proverbs associated with its former grandeur, namely All roads lead to Rome, When in Rome, do as the Romans do, Rome was not built in a day and to Fiddle while Rome burns.

Rome was not built in a day teaches patience and perseverance. A job cannot be done properly if it is done too hastily. Important tasks call for a lot of hard work and take a long time to complete, just as it took centuries for Imperial Rome to be built.

However, this proverb (also occasionally heard in reference to other major cities, particularly Paris) has also often been used as an excuse, whether warranted or not, for delay!

All roads lead to Rome suggests that all ways or methods of fulfilling a specific intention end in the same result. For instance, a number of persons — scientists, for instance — can arrive at one common objective or conclusion by different means. This proverb is often used to defend one’s personal way of doing something or to suggest that no one method is better than another.

The proverb recalls the prime of Imperial Rome, when much of Europe was linked by the unparalleled Roman road system and when Rome dominated all matters cultural. It was said that on whichever road one began a journey, if one kept on travelling, one would finally reach the city of Rome.

The idea that Rome was the centre of the human universe was kept alive after the collapse of the Empire through the Roman Catholic Church, which sited its headquarters at the Vatican and thus endowed the city with the claim of being the spiritual centre of the civilised world.

Similar sayings may be found in many other cultures, including those of China (where all roads lead to Beijing) and Japan (where all roads lead to the palace of the Mikado).

When in Rome, do as the Romans do suggests that when we find ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings, it is good policy to compromise our usual habits and customs and imitate the manners and ways of life practised by the people one is visiting or living with.

The English writer and politician Lord Chesterfield wrote to his son in 1747: “Good breeding, as it is called, is different in almost every country, and merely local; and every man of sense imitates and conforms to that local good breeding of the place he is at.” Despite a shrinking and increasingly homogenised world, Chesterfield’s advice is as relevant today as it was over two-and-a-half centuries ago.

A lesser-known Roman proverb is to Fiddle while Rome burns. It means to do nothing while something important is being ruined or destroyed, and refers to a story about the Roman Emperor Nero, who is said to have played a lyre and sung while he watched Rome burning.

Apart from Rome, the Italian town of Naples is associated with the saying See Naples and die. The idea is that Naples is (or was) the finest city in the world, so having seen it, travellers might as well die, as they will never see anything better.

There is a darker side to this seemingly light-hearted boast, for Naples was once notorious for disease epidemics, and as a result many visitors did die after seeing the city in those days. Whether this proverb was always intended to be ambiguous is a moot point. As Oscar Wilde once noted, “The truth is rarely pure, and never simple”, and this can apply as much to the origins of proverbs and idioms as it can to most other things in the rich tapestry of life.

Fun With Word Search

By OH TEIK THEAM

LET us have some fun with a word search exercise. Unscramble the eight sets of italicised letters in the story below to complete it.

The Stag at the Brook

A stag saw his form reflected in the water while he was drinking by a brook. “Just look at my antlers,” he said moedimtsly (1) to himself. “They are beautiful branches and moefablidr (2) ones to boot.”

After a while, he shook his head in dismay and continued, “But my slender legs are so unsightly. If only they could be as beautiful as my horns!”

When he had quenched his thirst, he espied a huntsman and a pack of hounds. “They will soon close in on me,” he warned himself.

The stag quickly bounded away over the moewads (3), outdistancing the dangerous hounds. He eventually entered a thick wood, but he was unlucky enough to get his antlers entangled in a thicket. Unable to moev (4), he felt frightened.

Rueing his moefistrun (5), the stag groaned, “I don’t have the slightest chance of escaping from my pursuers. My antlers, which I had been so proud of, have moeceb (6) my undoing. They are of no moepartcin (7) to me now. I am moeodd (8) to die!”

(Adapted from a fable by Aesop)

Answers

1. immodestly 2. formidable 3. meadows 4. move 5. misfortune 6. become 7. importance 8. doomed