A French court awarded first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 40,000 euros ($57,500) in damages from a company that sold bags emblazoned with a picture of her in the nude.
The case was the latest in a series of legal actions over the presidential couple's image, which have drawn accusations of frivolity from critics of the media-savvy Sarkozys.
The nude photo of Bruni-Sarkozy was taken in 1993, when she was a professional model. She had asked for 125,000 euros in damages from Pardon, a fashion chain in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion which used it without her permission.
"The unauthorized use of the image of Carla Bruni caused her moral and economic damage," a court in the island capital Saint Denis de la Reunion said on Thursday.
Bruni-Sarkozy's lawyers had indicated that she would donate any damages awarded to charity.
The founder and manager of the Pardon chain, Peter Mertes, said he would appeal because 40,000 euros seemed expensive to him for "a small blunder."
Mertes said 10,000 of the bags had been made and about half of those sold before Bruni-Sarkozy took legal action. He promised to dispose of the remaining stock. Pardon does not trade in mainland France.
Bruni-Sarkozy, 40, rose to fame as a model before becoming a successful pop singer. Public interest in her has surged since her whirlwind romance with President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom she married in February less than three months after they met.
The nude image printed on the Pardon bags was in the news earlier in the year, when an original black-and-white print of the Michel Comte photo fetched $91,000 at auction in New York.
It shows the young Bruni standing in a pigeon-toed pose, covering her private parts with her hands.
The Pardon bags were on sale last week for 3 euros each. Customers were given a free bag if they spent more than 5 euros. They are now banned from being sold on penalty of 100 euros per bag.
The Sarkozys have repeatedly gone to court over image issues and regularly grace the covers of glossy celebrity magazines, prompting endless satire from French critics who say they are too focused on trivial matters.
In the latest case to make headlines, Sarkozy went to court in October demanding a ban of sales of a voodoo doll representing him. An appeals court said the doll was an "offence against the personal dignity" of Sarkozy but it would be disproportionate to ban it.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Carla Bruni Wins Damages for Nude Handbag
Friday, March 27, 2009
How And Where To Find Romance?
www.romance.jsgenterprises.com/3.3.how-to-romance-how-to-find-romance.html
Been browsing the web for information on how to find romance while spending your nights alone at home, reading and drinking wine by yourself? Here are some essential tips that you may find useful If you have found yourself in any of these situations or if your are just simply asking yourself how to find romance.
Possibilities
To Explore Firstly, you should thoroughly understand your situation and the reason why you are looking for a partner. Maybe you are not yet totally ready for a new romance as you are just trying to forget your last painful relationship. In this case, it would be advisable to try to hang out more with your friends and take up your hobbies, instead of starting a new relationship that will most probably be rather unsuccessful and painful as well.
You should first explore your possibilities and choose the most suitable for you, if you feel ready for a new romance. You can start finding tips on how to find romance or for example how to romance a man or a woman on the internet, you can visit online dating sites or chat rooms, or you can get out into the real life, find new classes or places, clubs and bars to go to and start looking for partners there.
Dating Online
Is online dating the answer to the question, 'how to find romance'? Many people find online dating preferable to real life dating. You do not have to dress up, go anywhere, make an instant good impression and charm your future partner with your looks and verbal wit, which make online dating seem really easy and inviting. Sitting before your computer you can think about what to write in an email, a message or in the chat room and some people feel much more confident anyway when they are not directly confronted with a charming partner.
Even shy people have an opportunity this way, to express themselves and find partners. However, this advantage can easily turn into a disadvantage. As you do not interact with the people directly, they can say anything about their looks and write anything, you cannot tell if they are being honest. Or perhaps, you have had a great virtual relationship with someone, but when you meet personally, you just have to find out that you are not able to communicate verbally.
Go Out Into The Real Life
If you are asking yourself then, how to find romance, my answer would be, go out and find a partner in real life. Take up new hobbies and activities, and you can easily meet your future partner there, as several people go to certain classes for example to date. Or get your friends together, and go out, have fun, and perhaps, your next love will step up to you and ask you to dance with him, which is definitely much more real than trying to find somebody online. If you have been shy so far, try to widen your horizon, try out new things, be more impulsive, spontaneous and love will eventually find you.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
How to find a Russian bride
Russiandatinglive.com
Russian women are known for their striking features and beauty, intelligence, warmth and strong characters. It is no wonder then that foreign men are fascinated by them, and not only men looking for a casual relationship, many seeking a long lasting partner they can be equals with and eventually have a family are attracted to the virtues a Russian bride has to offer.
One of the main reasons Russian women look further than their homeland for a foreign man is due to the fact they far outnumber men in Russia but don’t want to spend their lives alone or settling for ‘second best'. If you are looking for a lady from Russia be aware that each will have different reasons for wanting a foreign man, so choose carefully who you get involved and form relationships with. Whilst some women may want the same as you, a loving partner with whom they can share their life, there are others who will just be looking for some fun and still others only interested in your money. Take your time when forming relationships and don't go rushing into anything without being 100% sure it is right for you.
So, where can you find your Russian bride? If you have a full-time job and time is valuable, consider hiring the services of a matchmaker or online dating agency that specializes in the field of Russian ladies. If you are shy, apprehensive or simply too busy to travel to Russia yourself, this can be the perfect solution. An agency will allow you to look through the options and study ladies profiles before making any decisions.
To join an online dating agency is a simple process. Normally, you fill out a profile with details about yourself, your likes and dislikes, ambitions as well as specifics such as age and height, then return it along with a photograph and this is entered into a searchable database. Once your profile is in the database, everybody can have access to it.
From the thousands of ladies you can select the ones that interest you and from there your correspondence will begin! Select as many as you like as all you are doing at the moment is getting to know people and you will find that some people will have nothing in common with you.
To find a Russian lady is not such a difficult task with thanks to the internet, online dating and networking sites and marriage agencies. The difficult part is feeling secure in the knowledge that the lady is genuine. For peace of mind it's best to register with an online dating agency that has been established for a number of years and is reputable and can help you find beautiful, sincere women.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Avoid Online Adult Dating Scam Artists
Joining an online dating service is a scary thing for some singles because of the many reports on how people's privacy are abused and even sold to several different people. Some people are also wary of joining online dating web sites because of the scams and frauds that are reported day in and out.
What you have to remember about online dating is that even though you're suppose to be honest about who you are in order to find the perfect partner for you, you are not supposed to provide private information about yourself.
You are in the right age already so you should most likely be aware of the fact that you are not to give any personal information to strangers no matter how nice or enticing they may seem to be. Don't ever make the mistake of giving out your address, credit card information, contact number and the like especially right after your first conversation.
Also, remember that it is okay to trust the people you talk to but never trust them completely by agreeing to meet with them alone at very private and dark places. Most scams happen online because people let them by having too much trust in someone they don't know.
Scam artists usually operate on the free dating services. Free dating services don't have the staff like the big companies do so they can't run any background checks for fraudulent activity. Scam artists also don't like paying for a membership because they want money for doing nothing so they won't start paying up front.
By joining a dating web site that requires you to pay for a subscription then you know you've joined a dating service where everyone is serious about looking for a relationship online. If someone has paid for their membership they can't start committing any fraud or scamming other people because the dating service will know who they are by their payment details.
Although there are scams that happen at online dating services, meeting new people is a very enjoyable experience in a safe and secure environment. You just have to know how to take care of yourself, and realize when something doesn't sound safe. If you're careful and vigilant you will have a very successful time with your internet dating.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Dare To Be A Romantic - Tips To Enhance Your Romance
Knowing how to be romantic is a very powerful skill when it comes to keeping your partner's interest. One very common complaint that many women have about their boyfriends or husbands is that they aren't romantic enough. Maybe it's time to give them what they want.
Being romantic will not only impress your partner but it does a lot of good for your relationship. It can also be very enjoyable. Try out some of these pointers:
1.) This one involves some work but it will impress her, write out a love poem and break it into different parts. Place each part of your poem on a separate web page and link up the pages. Be sure that you include some romantic images on each page.
The Internet is full of web sites where you can set up a web page on their site that will not cost you a penny. They'll all have a very simple to use editor which allow for effortless web page creation.
As of now, there are 74,500,000 results listed in Google for the term 'create free web page'. A variation that's a lot easier to do is to put the whole poem on just one web page.
2.) When you get into a disagreement with your partner, never use the words 'always' and 'never'. When we are in a state of anger we tend to use those words to really drive home our point even if it's not true.
Although this is a normal thing to do, your partner will find this sort of exaggeration very hurtful. None of us ever just 'always' does something or 'never' does another thing.
3.) If you're having an argument, be quick to apologize for any over reaction on your part. Don't think that it will blow over. We tend to have long memories of emotional events. Don't allow her long term memories of you to be filled up with things that you regret.
4.) Sometimes guys will resume their bachelor ways when they become overly familiar with their partner. One very common habit is never closing the toilet seat. Another mistake is to treat her like one of the guys. Never forget that she is a woman who wants to be treated as such.
5.) Put in some extra effort when wrapping your gifts for her. The more elaborate the better. This means fancy wrapping paper, ribbons and a card. Never give her an unwrapped gift.
6.) It's a natural reaction to say 'nothing' or 'nothing much' when someone asks us what we are thinking about. When your partner asks you this, she just wants to share your feelings. She would feel shut out if you said 'nothing'.
So tell her what you were thinking or if your mind really was in a blank state, then say that she was in your thoughts. Tell her how gorgeous she is.
If you're an aspiring romantic, remember that even small things can get big results. The conventional ways of expressing romance have withstood the test of time and still work. But you ought to try to put some creativity into it. Then it gets really fun.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Chinese Internet Porn Sensation Detained by Police
A Chinese woman who became an online sensation after posting a homemade pornographic film of herself on the internet has been detained in Shanghai, according to state media.
The 12-minute-video showed the woman, surnamed Huang, performing "sex acts," the official China Daily said in its weekend edition, without elaborating.
"It soon became one of the most popular downloads on the mainland, with thousands of people downloading it last month," the report cited the local police as saying in a statement.
The woman set up a blog, hoping to profit from her notoriety and sell interviews with herself for up to 30,000 yuan (2,924 pounds) a time, the newspaper said.
Despite the police's best efforts, the video is still available online, it added, without saying what penalty the woman may have to pay.
Pornography is illegal in China, although it is widely available on pirated DVDs throughout the country, and on the internet.
($1=6.844 Yuan)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Are You Single? The Joys of It in the Holiday Season!
www.dating.personals.yahoo.com
As the saying goes, 'tis the season to be jolly. But for some, being single during the holidays can be a real drag. Whether it's the idea of spending yet another Christmas without a significant other, being the only single person at all those family gatherings, or just feeling like another year has flown by without meeting that special someone, being single during the holidays can be overwhelming. But never fear, my fabulous friends. The key to having a fun and festive holiday season actually has nothing to do with having a significant other or not. In fact, the secret to the celebratory season lies in giving thanks for exactly where you are in life. the secret to the celebratory season lies in giving thanks for exactly where you are in life. And for the savvy single, that means celebrating the many joys of being single, especially during the holidays.
Joy #1: No In-LawsFinding love is hard enough. Finding in-laws you love is even harder. So this season, give thanks that there are no in-laws in your life right now. And that's a very good thing! No quarrels over whose house you're spending the holidays at. No guilt trips about when the wedding, baby, and/or big promotion will happen. And as much as your own family may drive you nuts, spend a little extra time appreciating your quirky relatives this holiday season. Next year, you may be dealing with your new significant other's family.
Joy #2: No Expensive Gifts to BuyWith no significant other to shop for this holiday season, your wallet may be feeling a little fat (even in these alleged cash-strapped times). You can lighten the load in a myriad of ways. From padding your savings account to splurging on the single friends in your life to doing something charitable for others in need, your hard-earned dollars will find their rightful home soon enough. And in the meantime, give thanks for being single and all the fabulous freedom it affords you this holiday season!Joy #3: The Mystery of MistletoeSure, it would be nice to have someone special to kiss under the mistletoe at every holiday party this season, but
Joy #3 of being single is that you never know who you'll meet under the mistletoe! You could kiss a couple cuties during the holidays this year. That's the fun of being single. Knowing that the possibilities are endless, and that your next great kisser may just around the corner, or under the mistletoe. So why not put on your best party dress (or suit) and flirt a little this holiday season?
Joy #4: The Freedom to FlirtAnd speaking of flirting, one of the best things about being single is that you have the freedom to flirt 24-7. Sure, when you're coupled up you can still engage in the occasional flirt fest. But while you find yourself free of a romantic entanglement at this time of year, live it up! Whether they smile, respond, and/or ask for your number is irrelevant. The point is to practice, practice, practice your flirting skills. You, my footloose and fancy free friend, have a free pass to flirt your booty off during the holidays. Go for it!
Joy #5: Rejoice. Renew. Reflect. The holidays are the perfect time to take stock of your dating life as it is and to make any changes for the coming year. And the beauty of being single is that all of the choices are up to you so you get to be incredibly selfish! Really spend some time this holiday season thinking about what you want for your fabulous life. Looking to make a career change? Make it happen! Want to go back to school? Go for it! Serious about finding the love of your life? Enlist the help of friends, matchmakers, and dating experts and make 2009 the best year possible. You deserve it!So there you have it - the joys of being single during the holidays. May you learn it, live it, love it. Happy holidays!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Asian Friend Finder
Well the Asian friend finder must be doing something right, as they have approximately 7,839,009 members at the present time.
They are actually the world’s largest network of Asian singles. You can discover romance or friendship on the Asian friend finder website whatever your age group, and the best part - you can join for free; it does not cost you a penny.
The wonderful fact with the Asian friend finder is that it offers a real community where members can feel safe; any communication between yourself and other members is at your discretion. If you choose to contact through an e-mail address then this is all carried out privately. You select the information that you wish to divulge on the Asian friend finder.
When you become a member of the Asian friend finder you are permitted to write your own individual advert. This will describe you to other members; it will also inform members what it is you are searching for in a person at Asian friend finder.
The option is available for you to make instant contact with members for romance, friendship or simply for fun! Asian friend finder offers you the opportunity to place your picture online for others to view; this is a nice touch as it is always good to have a person's appearance in your mind.
The Asian friend finder will supply you with your very own individual, personalized matches; these will be based upon the preferences that you select. You will be asked to designate specific areas that you would like to meet friends from.
You can submit some advice on the subject of love and read the advice posted my other members. The Asian friend finder also has a page for success stories just to prove that there is love to be found out there.
Whether you are searching for romance or just companionship the Asian friend finder is the place to be. You can chat online with other members at anytime of the day or night, so when you are perhaps feeling lonely or a bit down then log onto the Asian friend finder where you are sure to find someone to ‘chat' with.
You have the opportunity on Asian friend finder to have your own member's blog page. This is the perfect chance to describe yourself and display some pictures. Members are able to access this page and build up a true picture of you. If they like what they see and read then they can contact you through the Asian friend finder.
There are local online groups to join on Asian friend finder with topics to suit most requirements; this is a great idea as it is a way to meet other members with the same interests straight away. You already know that you have something in common with each other from the beginning; Asian friend finder is more than simply an online facility to search for friends and romance. The Asian friend finder is a community where members can 'chat' and make new friends easily and more importantly safely.
So if you are feeling lonely then what are you waiting for? Sign up to Asian friend finder today.