Trust In Your Travel: 5 Reasons Travel Programs Are A Sham

After returning home from a  year long expedition and adventure throughout Australia and Thailand I'm still getting accommodated to being back stateside. As anyone who's traveled for an extended period will tell you, it's hard being back home. Granted Australia is pretty Westernized, but the subtleties in culture and general philosophy are still pretty drastic.

Having been back for a little over a month now, I've had some time to reacclimatize and get myself back in a U.S. mindset. I've also had some time to reflect on my year abroad and realize the biggest mistake I made when traveling. Actually that's not right, I made it before I even started traveling, when I was still super anxious and worried that I would be homeless in the streets after just a few weeks. You see before I left for Australia I signed up for a work and travel program. If you're not familiar with this term and thinking about traveling abroad at some point during your research you will most likely come across a derivative of this idea.

Basically work and travel programs, promise a sense of security to interested young travelers in exchange for a fee. Some promise pre-lined up jobs before you even leave your home country, others promise a extensive database of companies they work with, basically guaranteeing you a job within a few weeks of landing. Here's the thing... it's a sham. They know people get anxious when they are getting ready to make such a life altering decision, and by offering a sense of security they bushwhack you into paying for services you will either never get, or don't need. If you're thinking about traveling to Australia or anywhere else and you're considering using a work and travel program, here are five reasons you should reconsider:

TRUST IN YOUR TRAVEL: 5 REASONS WORK/TRAVEL PROGRAMS ARE A SHAM

5. EXPLOITING FEAR

The main reason I joined with the company I did (Greenheart Travel) is because I was scared. I had traveled outside of the country before and I have a massive amount of work experience, but I was still worried that I would be stuck without a job, without a place to live, and my savings would burn up faster than jet fuel. When I found Greenheart, it seemed like the perfect solution. They had two options at the time, but have since cut down to just a single option, called the "Freestyle". For a mere $950 you can have access to their entire support system for the length of your stay. This includes access to job placement services, housing support services, and 24/7 customer support. In retrospect I can't believe I was this naive, but unfortunately for me I was. I didn't take a moment to consider that pretty much all the things they were offering were available for free with an internet connection. There are hundreds if not thousands of free job sites, and just the same amount if not more offering housing availability. But instead of using that thousand dollars as a cushion to get setup when I got there and find these things on my own, I spent it hoping someone else would do it for me, big mistake.

4. 3RD PARTY SERVICES

The next thing I realized upon arrival and receiving new emails from a different company was that Greenheart Travel is a 3rd party travel service. Many of these companies are based out of the U.S. and act as 3rd party sign-up services for the actual companies who will be taking over those duties upon arrival. This was something I should have also figured out sooner, seeing that Greenheart is actually based out of Chicago (so how the heck could they help me in Australia). Essentially these companies act as a sign-up service for the actual companies overseas. I don't know what the exact figures are but I would have to assume this means they receive a portion of your sign-up fee then pass the rest off to the next company you will be involved with, mine being WTC (The Work Travel Company). So all the correspondence and rapport I had built with my Greenheart rep was now traded for someone totally new, that I didn't know, with a different company in Australia.

3. ORIENTATION: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR?

What I did get for my money was a 3-night stay in a fairly decent hostel upon my arrival in Sydney with transport from the airport and help setting up my new bank account. All things that eased the transition coming to a new country, but worth $950? On the second day after my arrival we went to an orientation with the new company who would now be taking over our services. Aside from getting slightly acquainted with Australian culture and some general guidelines, basically this "orientation" was just a time-share pitch. They continued to try and get us to purchase additional services (once again playing into our fears) and they even had a representative from a surf camp come in and try to sell everyone on spending another $500 to learn how to surf (it was the middle of winter at this point).

Aside from helping in setting up our bank accounts we learned that everything we had been promised was all "almost" true. They did have an extensive list of clients and job opportunities, but it was up to us to scroll through and find them they wouldn't be actively sending out applications on our behalf. And they did have some recommend housing options available, but they were all with companies and residencies that would receive a kick back should we sign with them. The biggest blow here however, was when I found out that jobs available and the "full service" was only available in the city limits. This means 95% of the jobs they had access to were within Sydney, and if you were to travel outside of Sydney, you were pretty much on your own in securing work. Some people may be different, but I didn't go all the way to Australia to stay in one city the whole freaking time.

2. THE TRUTH ABOUT HOUSING

Australia is SUPER expensive, like ridiculously expensive. Now is a great time to go because the American dollar is so strong, but at the time of my arrival is was pretty much even. The estimates I received when initially talking with Greenheart, was to expect to spend around $40 a day, except a single one room apartment in Sydney (and not even a nice one at that) can go for upwards of roughly $300/week (they charge by the week not the month). According to those estimates I'm already in about a -$3/day hole without even eating, drinking, or shopping yet. What they don't tell you, but what you quickly find out on your own is that most backpackers do something called "shared housing". Basically cramming as many people as they can into a single room or apartment. Still expensive for what you're actually getting, but much cheaper than attempting to get a place on your own. For example I had a friend from Holland who was paying about $150/week to stay in a three-bedroom apartment, with 11 other people!

If you want even a remote amount of your own space, you usually have to get out of the cities, but to get work you have to be within the city limits or deal with transit. But here's the thing, there are soooooo many places available for much cheaper if you can get a little outside the city limits. Australia is filled with travelers and housing is super accommodating to that life style (part of the reason rent is weekly). There are also numerous websites, the main being GumTree (think Aussie Craigslist) that have thousands of postings for anything from rooms to bikes. I ended up not staying in Sydney, which meant I didn't use WTC's housing services, but I did download the free GumTree app and had no problem finding places to stay wherever I went.

1. THE TRUTH ABOUT FINDING WORK

Are you a highly functioning, intelligent, outgoing individual? Heck, are you even slightly articulate and speak english? If so, you will have ZERO problems finding work overseas. My biggest fear when leaving was that I would blow through my savings because I couldn't find a place to work. The reality was, without any assistance from WTC I was able to find work within two days in every city I went to. Granted, I'm in hospitality and have been for a long time, and it's easier to find something in serving or bar tending than any other profession, but if you have ANY real life work experience and you're not completely incompetent, you can get a job without much effort at all.

I wanted to meet people, go out, and have fun, and for me working in bars was the perfect way to do that. But even if you don't have hospitality experience you can find jobs everywhere. GumTree again, is a great resource for this, but even walking around town handing out resumes at any place that looks cool will almost certainly get you an interview or two. The other thing plays back into the travel culture overseas, most people don't expect you to stay very long, especially if your on a work/travel visa. So you can simply get a job, any job, to make some money (minimum wage is like $14/hour but most places pay more), and in your spare time find something else you wanna do more. The problem with the WTC jobs is that aside from one or two cool event jobs, most of what they offered was physical labor based, and only part-time (or one-time only). Now there's nothing wrong with physical labor, but their are super strict regulations for working in Australia, which means you have to take a course (offered through your travel company), and buy certain work clothes/equipment (which costs a pretty penny) and even if you work a job it's not guaranteed. I've heard a few stories of people getting qualifications and appropriate clothing, that actually ended up spending more money on getting the job then they made from the job itself.

The point is if you want to travel, you should save up, sell your shit, and go. And if you're brave enough to make such a life altering decision, then you should trust yourself to hit the ground running when you get wherever it is you want to go. By simply saving money, doing your research, and being smart about how you travel, you can rest assured that the only person you need to depend on to get you a job and housing overseas... is you.

The Jack Warner

Cocktail of the Week: 7th Edition

I love making drinks that are inspired by people, places, or things, basically if you're a noun, I wanna make a drink for you. This weeks drinks is inspired by a gentlemen who was all threw the media over the last couple of months. If you don't follow soccer, or football, or whatever you wanna call it, then you may have no idea who Jack Warner is. However, if you have heard anything about the FIFA scandal that has been ridiculous, to say the least, you have probably heard this fellas name mentioned once or twice. Warner is a prominent politician in Trinidad and Tobago, former FIFA Vice-President, and among a myriad of idiots who has recently dared to get in a social media war with English Comedian, John Oliver. Long story short, Oliver destroyed Warner (multiple times) and basically made him look like one of the world's foremost jackasses, but in doing so inspired me to put a twist on a new-classic in his honor. This week's Taylor Made Cocktail is all things Trinidad, and I can already assume 1000 times more likable than it's namesake. This is TAYLOR MADE: THE JACK WARNER.

TAYLOR MADE: THE JACK WARNER

The first time I was introduced to a Trinidad Sour I didn't know what to think. As I saw the recipe and noticed that it called for a full ounce of Angostura, I assumed I was reading it wrong. However, pushing my apprehension to the side and actually trying the finished product, what I tasted was something amazing. If you know anything about bitters you know they are, well, strong, pungent, not something you would normally want to consume more than a few dashes of (which is why most recipes call for just that). After my initial introduction and my new found fascination with this FIFA villain I decided my own recipe would have to be tweaked and made into an homage of a great country, with a terrible dude in charge. The Jack Warner is a sour, so like most sours, it's pretty straight forward, not too many ingredients, not too complicated to make. Here's what you'll need:

• Angostura Bitters
• Angostura 7 year Rum (or another nice dark Caribbean rum)
• Some fresh lime juice and limes for slicing
• Orgeat Sugar Syrup
• Some egg whites

PREPARATION:

• Get all your ingredients laid out and ready, juice pre-squeezed (an ounce per drink), egg whites pre-um... whited
• You'll want some fancy martini glasses for this that hold at least six fluid ounces
• You'll need all your normal bar tools for this as well (shakers, strainers, etc.)

MIXING: one drink at a time or just multiply for however many you're making

Add the following to your shaker:

• 1 oz Angostura Bitters
• 1 oz Angostura 7-year
• 1 oz Fresh Squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz Orgeat Syrup
• 1 egg white per drink

Once everything is in the shaker, proceed to dry shake (without ice) for about 20-30 seconds. This allows the egg white to pulverized and makes your sour extra fluffy.

Add your ice and shake again for another 20-30 seconds and double strain into a martini glass.

Cut a super thin lime wheel (cut of about a 1/3 of the tip of the lime and cut horizontally) and drop into the martini glass. To give you an idea it should be so thin that the actual wheel floats.

Finally, adjust to the fact of how dark and intimidating this drink is, take your first sip, follow that with two more giant gulps after realizing how delicious it is, make a new one, and repeat until soccer becomes entertaining.

This is a great, fun drink that I think you will all enjoy, and the perfect rum based concoction to compliment this transition to winter.

How Star Wars Ruined Cinema

With the impending release of the new trilogy of films coming this Christmas, I thought it would be appropriate to write about the greatest sci-fi odyssey of all time, Star Wars. I sat down and thought about it for a while, I looked into the depths of what I remembered from my years minoring in film (which basically equated to watching old movies, in a dark room with a crazy teacher and writing a one page paper about it... yay college!). The more I examined this cinematic masterpiece, the more I realized something as deep, dark, and twisted as the empire itself, the implications Star Wars had on the entire film industry...

Even the idea of this subject matter pains me to think about. I love Star Wars! It's one of the first films I remember seeing as a child and it's one of the few movies from an era of great films that had CGI that to this day refrains from looking corny and hokey. However, the more I've thought about it, the more I realize that Star Wars was the beginning of the end to cinema as we used to know it.

If you're a film buff the way that I am you know that the late 60's, through the end of the 70's, is pretty much regarded as the "Golden-Era" of film making. This was a time when writers and directors had such creative freedom that they gave us one countless masterpiece after another. Without the worry of budgeting or commercial appeal, directors and writers were free to do exactly what making films is all about, telling stories, and getting us lost in a world different from our own. This was truley an era of "Movie Magic". I've seen thousands of films, that's not an exaggeration, thousands. Between Netfilx and a childhood filled with cinema along with a minor in Film from college I've collected a rather large sample size. If you ask any movie buff you're hard pressed to find someone who truely adores film, that would argue against the following assumption. In today's film industry there are a few dozen films a year released that are true to what film was originally all about, and that's probably on the high end. The majority of the films released today and for about the last 30 years are simply a way for studios to make money, the once great art form is now simply industry. 

If you look at any list of the 100 greatest movies of all-time, I'd say at minimum 70% were made on or before the year 1985 (80% according to this imdb list... http://www.imdb.com/list/ls055592025/), this is simply when directors and writers started losing their creative freedom. They got greedy and started making movies other directors and writers would want to see. They spent enormous budgets and created 4 and 5 hour monstracities (at least in the eyes of the viewing public), and basically they pissed away all the credibility they had worked so hard to gain. Although a lot of the blame for this can be placed on the directors for pushing the limits of their creative "leashes" if you will; a lot of the blame also falls on a series of films I dearly love, Star Wars. 

Before Star Wars, CGI was a joke, and movies were meant to tell a story with great dialouge and even better story telling. Movies that were popular were also thought provoking (which is rarely the case anymore), and they touched on matters that were important to the social climate. Star Wars changed all of this. It showed producers that a big box office Sci-Fi fantasy could create astronomical sales revenue by telling a mediocre story, but also by dazzling audiences visually. And since the demise of directoral freedom, and the rise of Star Wars coincided so closely, it is my point to argue that Star Wars in fact doomed cinema... as we used to know it. 

When you see a box office smash hit today it usually involves two things, a huge budget, and a shit load of CGI, characters and story are many times secondary, if even relevant at all. If you were to look at a list of the biggest box office successes of the last 10 years, you would be hard pressed to find a dozen movies  that didn't start out with enormous budgets. Combine that with huge amounts of CGI, or at least crazy amounts of stunts and action sequences and you have the "modern" box office smash. This isn't to say that there are not exceptions to the rule (paranormal activity, the purge) but the rule is pretty much law. This is why we've seen so many production companies turn to superheroes for an easy buck. It's got everything you'd want in a summer smash already built in, and all you have to do is adapt these characters that were written 40-plus years ago to today. 

How is this Star Wars fault? Star Wars opened the flood gates, it made story telling secondary. Now I love the films, and the dialouge, and everything about all three of those films, but even die hard Star Wars fans must admit the whole trilogy is pretty caddy. It just happened to be perfectly caddy, with the right characters played by the right people, but there's no denying it's cheesiness. No one will be comparing the integrity of Star Wars as an altruistic art form next to the Godfather for instance, but then again, they represent two opposite ends of the spectrum. In a perfect world both could exist, but in reality, audiences in mass prefer to think less and be entertained more, or at least that's how big studios have come to view the public at large. They believe we want to leave the theater feeling comfortable, and knowing that everything worked out the way it should. Star Wars helped in conforming this belief that the audience must be fulfilled. With the exception of, "Empire Strikes Back" which ended on a rather glum note, but everyone knew the tables would eventually turn for good, they had to.

Now there is a rising segment of film makers who've basiclaly given the finger to this idea of complacency in cinema (Quentin Tarantino comes to mind). They've worked long and hard to create this niche, and it's not easy for new up and comers to break into that segment. But even though these films still exist, they are few and far between. I remember watching Guy Pierce in Momento for the first time and thinking "this is what film making should be". And by that I don't mean all stories told backwards, but something that engages the audience. If you've ever seen this cult favorite you know you can watch it a dozen times and still pick up a little subtlety you missed the first 11 times around. But for the most part we as a general public desire visual anesthetic from our cinema. Something that will entertain us but also numb the reality we have to go back to when we leave. We desire comfort, and George Lucas helped make us comfortable, and in doing so killed the film industry. 

When I was in college I remember watching many classic films, some I had watched as a kid but for the most part they were films you just heard about. Robert Dinero, "Oh ya Raging Bull, and Taxi Driver" but most people who consume media now have never seen either of those films. I remember watching both in class and leaving going, "What the fuck just happened?" In the hey day of directoral freedom, there didn't need to be any happy endings, and most times there weren't. Most films I've seen that were critically acclaimed from that era left me feeling uncomfortable as the lights came up in the auditorium classroom, but the more I watched, the more I realized that's why they were so valuable. When all we desire is complacency, and simplicity from the media we consume, we slowly allow that to become all we desire from our lives. This is not just in film but in all types of media. That's why Justin Beiber will always be more popular than Ray Lamontagne, Ray may be more critically acclaimed, but the masses don't want to hear songs that end up make you feeling more depressed than when you started listening. They want, "Oh Baby, baby baby, OH!" In the wise words of prophetic poet/comedian/Youtube sensation Bo Burham, "Repeat Stuff, Repeat Stuff, Repeat Stuff, Repeat Stuff, Repeat Stuff, Repeat Stuff." And that's exactly what popular music as well as popular cinema has done. In music the equation is Douchey Boy+Overexaggerated Love Song = Platinum Record. For film its similar Regurgitated Super Hero + CGI = Billion Dollar Box Office.

Now I can't go so far as to blame George Lucas for the Biebs, but I can definitely consider him a main contributing factor for why Michael Bay keeps getting 100 million dollars to make cars explode in the air. Or as South Park put it:

FBI Agent: "Mr. Bay those aren't storylines, those are just special effects."

Michael Bay: "I uh... I don't know the difference."

So what's the answer, the silver lining, the potential solution to return our lost art to the once great medium it was. Honestly, there probably is none. That may seem bleak, but unfortunately unless the masses decide they don't want to line up three days early to see ANOTHER TRANSFORMERS MOVIE then we are probably doomed to have an endless cycle of recirculated garbage. The truth is the studios own the movies now, the directors just point and yell action. But there is something you can do. You can choose to decide what you spend your money on, that's not to say that all indie movies are awesome but do some research and find some filmmakers you like and go see their next movie instead of Michael Bays. You can, not listen, to your friends when they say, "That new Batman movie was the greatest thing I've ever seen! You have to see it!" Let's be honest (Ben Affleck, are you KIDDING ME!) Michael Keaton is the best Batman, Christian Bale is the coolest Batman, and everyone else is just dressing up in a suit with hard nipples. Support your filmmakers who make films, not movies, there may not be many of them still out there, but there's a few and with our help we might not be able to turn this whole thing around, but we can at least make sure they don't get wiped out completely. And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch, the new Star Wars Trailer, again!

Sloe Collins

Cocktail of the Week: 6th Edition

After last weeks delicious, but slightly more difficult margarita re-envisioning, I decided this week would be ripe for something simple, easy, and most importantly, delicious. So I've taken a classic go-to standard that's been around a lot longer than I have, and made the smallest of tweaks. Unfortunately summer has come to a close, but before we get into full on Fall mode, I thought we might enjoy one last warm weather drink to tidy us over until the flowers start blooming again. With that in mind this weeks cocktail will be about as simple as it gets, the Tom Collins, with a twist. This classic summer standard is perfect for beginners to experts, as it's as simple as mix, stir, and serve, but not without a little twist we enjoy with all our Taylor Made Cocktails. This weeks is no different as we delve into the TAYLOR MADE: SLOE COLLINS.

TAYLOR MADE: THE SLOE COLLINS

When it comes to cocktails, they don't get much easier than the Tom Collins, but that doesn't mean this drink isn't up to par. The classic version of this drink only has four simple ingredients, and this one is no different, except we're changing out the main alcohol element, and substituting Sloe Gin for more tradition London Dry Gin. If you've never tasted Sloe Gin, you are definitely missing out. Think all the earthiness and botanicals you love in regular gin, but with a subtle sweet undertone of dark fruit on top. That's what makes this SLOE COLLINS unique, and I think you'll find, exactly what you're looking for on a hot summer day. Or maybe now, while you're reminiscing of all those hot summer days. Here's what you'll need:

- A nice mid-level Sloe Gin, Plymouth and Sipsmith are both nice and affordable

- Some fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemons for garnish

- Gumme or regular sugar syrup

- Soda Water

- Collins Glasses (or any tall glassware)

- And a couple of raspberries if you're feeling fancy

PREPARATION:

- Get all your ingredients laid out, juice made and pre-cutting some garnishes can save time (you'll be cutting lemon wheels, cut 1/2 inch circular wheels out of the lemon horizontally)

- It's not required, but definitely preferred to have crushed ice for this little concoction, it helps the drink distribute and blend more easily, but to be honest, these things go down easy so it's really up to you

MIXING: in as many different glasses as you want

- Add the following:

* 2 oz Sloe Gin

* 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

* 1 oz sugar syrup

- Once you've got all your glasses prepped simply add crushed ice to the top

- Top with club soda and give it a nice 10 second stir

- Add your lemon wheel, and throw in a couple of raspberries if you're feeling fancy

- Sit back, kick your feetup and enjoy this refreshing adult "Berry Lemodade" of sorts

The Tom Collins is a perfect summer drink, and since it's not really summer anymore, this Sloe Gin version makes the perfect transition into fall. With the rich taste of plums and a hint of your fresh raspberries, this is a great way to say goodbye to the long hot days and welcome in the changing leaves and the fluffy jackets. You'll be amazed at how this simple, refreshing cocktail hits the spot and makes the prospect of winter, seem not too bad afterall.

Guys Can Fake It Too: 4 Signs You've Been With A Dude Who Faked An Orgasm

It's the ultimate low blow. A kick in the juevos. A knife in the back.

"Et Tu Brutus!"

Every girl has it at their disposal, and while it's not always used as a weapon, it can crush a man's spirits if it is.

"O ya, well, I FAKED IT!"

This is not to say that all women use this tactic, in fact sometimes when they do, it's simply because they are actually trying to save the feelings of their current partner. I once dated a girl who would get the sniffles after she orgasmed. This was kind of the way I knew I'd done my job. But more than once I wasn't quite sure I had actually rocked her world into a case of congestion, or if she was simply trying not to hurt my feelings. But there's something many women seem to be unaware of... guys fake that shit too. Not all the time, and definitely not for the same reasons, but women seem to think they are alone in this art of deception. I'm here to tell you ladies, you are not, and if you've been with a decent sample size of dudes, odds are at one time are another you too have been on the losing end of a bad acting performance, whether you knew it or not.

This is, "Guys Can Fake It Too: 4 Signs You've Been With A Dude Who Faked An Orgasm."

4. The "Pull-Out and Run"

Have you ever been with a gentlemen caller, and things seem to be going extremely well for both parties, but it's lasting... a while. In your 20's this is great, and I've had many a whiskey fueled marathon session for one, two, even three hours, but as you get older, sometimes that shit just needs to end. You could probably see it on his face. The sweat building up, he's tried a few times to build up speed and momentum, but continues to lose steam. Maybe he's out of shape, maybe he's just fucking tired. 

Sometimes guys just know, after the fourth or fifth time jack-rabbiting, doesn't lead to a frutuitous conclusion, sometimes, you just want to finish. It probably played out that you were really enjoying this last attempt, so much so that you yourself were about to or in the process of climaxing. Your beau sees this on your face, times his grunt and facial distortion with your own, and then BOOM! Like a flash he springs out of bed like Usain Bolt from the starting blocks, and B-lines it straight for the bathroom. This might not seem so crazy, maybe he's a neat freak, but don't you think after that long he'd be a little too tired after finally cumming to shoot up like a rocket ship? Maybe, just maybe, he's running to cover up the evidence (or lack there of), with a quick hand wash, maybe a shower, and some time to let his little buddy stop standing at full attention. Sometimes you know it's just time to cash in your chips and try again in the morning. 

3. The "Phantom Grunt" 

When you've been with someone for a while, or if you just have amazing sexual chemistry, you get to a point where you can start to figure out their bodies. What they want, how they want it, and what it looks like when you're doing things the right way. This next sign is usually not a bad one, but rather a result of running on empty. Men unfortunately (unless they are trained in Tantra) only have so much fuel in the proverbial tank (i.e. sperm in their nuts) in any given session. Well it's great to find someone you can have sex with three, four, five (my record is seven) times in a single marathon session, unforunately we as men only have so much to um... give. 

After a certain amounts of times, even if we do cum, it's really no more than dust firing from an old starter pistol. If you've ever been with someone in one of these sessions and they seem to all of a sudden "finish" with a satisfied sigh, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence of a discharge, it can mean one of two things. Either one, something came out, but barely, or two he's reached his limit, he appreciates your enthusiasm, but it's time to cuddle, or netflix and literally "chill".

2. The "Quickie Condom Flush"

This one is very similar to the "Pull-out and Run", except this one assumes you're practising "safe sex", whatever that means (kidding safe sex is smart kids). For those of you who are old enough to remember "40 days and 40 nights" with Josh Hartnett should remember the infamous condom scene. Basically, sometimes you can't get your head right no matter who your with or how hot they may be. It could be (in Josh's case) the walls are literally caving in, or maybe it's stress from work or another part of everyday life. Now, I can't reasonably imagine a girl wanting to "see the evidence" of your sticky Trojan, but if you've ever had a guy pop off and race to destory said evidence as quickly as possible, odds are he was faking it.

1. The "David Blaine"

This is not to be confused with the Urban Dictionary version, of a much dirtier more graphic sexual episode (really innappropriate, but pretty funny if you have the time to check it out). This is rather when the guy your with seems to make his "evacuation" completely disappear. Maybe he does a quick wipe on the sheets, which somehow don't seem to look very wet or sticky after, or maybe he simply says he went inside, but you can find no evidence of this later. This could be for a variety of reasons, but most likely it all ties back into the same theme, sometimes you just can't cum. Unfortunately, unlike you lovely creatures, we are not so subtle, creative, or convincing in our acting techniques. Just know, unlike many women, this is not something we see as a bad thing, sometimes all the pieces just don't connect right. If you suspect you have fallen victim to any of these techniques, just ask yourself if the relationship ended after? Unless it was a one time thing, more than likely this didn't deter the guy from staying with you, he was simply too embarrased to admit he couldn't reach the finish line, and he didn't want you to feel bad about it.

And people say chivalry is dead. 

Prefer the Player: Why The One That's Hard To Catch Is Worth It... If You Can

It's simple laws of nature. The same way the peacock flexes its feathers to attract its mates, or the Bonobo Monkeys solve all their disputes with sex (it's true look that ish up). Females, no matter what species, want the biggest, baddest alpha-male in the herd. While it's not quite as simple in the human animal kingdom, the same general rules still hold true. There are certain men who reign above the rest, men want to be them, and women want to be with them, but there's a catch. In this age of Political Correctness, and "Dad Bods" it seems women are trying to rationalize their way out of their natural desires. The truth is you want the best, because that's what we're programmed to do. The reality is, women believe by persuing the best, in our world "The Players", they are simply falling victim to the deadly dating game. But if you value yourself and your own personal self worth, you should always aim for the stars. That's why I've compiled a list of reasons you should "Prefer the Player: Why The One That's Hard To Catch Is Worth It... If You Can."

5. Confidence is King

There's something about him. You can't quite put your finger on it, but he just has an aura about him that's irresistable. It seems like every time you see him he's with a different girl, and everyone of you and your friends do a double take when he walks by. Maybe he's simply built like a Male-Super Model, maybe it's just his overall demeanor, whatever it is, it's there, and you're not the only one who sees it. 

There's no one thing that makes a man attractive to the opposite sex, but all succesful lady killers seem to have one thing in common, they're confident. Next to "sense of humor" and "honesty", confidence is sure to break the Top 5 in almost every women's check list. Many of the most accomplished players I know, really don't have the most going for them physically, but they carry themselves in such a way that it's irresistible to the opposite sex. Any dating book will tell you, the main barrier standing between you and the girl of your dreams is simply having the confidence to introduce yourself. Player's exude this, and it's something you should definitely value highly in a potential mate.

Confidence means being comfortable in your own skin, not taking yourself too seriously, and knowing when to admit you're wrong, whether it's in an argument or in the bedroom. A player has this through and through, and it's something you should value in whoever you end up with.

4. They're most likely great in bed

There's no guarantee because a guy is a player he knows what he's doing in the sack, but you have to guess your odds improve dramatically. Now rumors are rumors and many a woman scorned might not be the nicest in telling you exactly how things went down, but if he's getting that much action, he is proabably doing something right. 

In order to be a player, you have to now what women want. That means knowing you almost always need to preheat the oven before you stick in the dinner. A guy who gets around will most assuredly know this, he'll also know that every women is different and they're all unique when it comes to what turns them on. This all goes back to he confidence thing. Having enough bravado to trust his gut, but enough confidence to ask if something's wrong if things don't seem to be going according to plan. A player will feel comfortable giving you exactly what you want, and what you need, because he wants you in his back pocket. And most likely he knows, the best way to keep a lady coming back for more is to make a lasting impression.

3. He'll show you respect

As we get older certain things start to change, and the tough guy act, or the jerk act tend to go out the window. I'm sure we all know a guy who still acts like he's 17 with women and somehow has more than he knows what to do with, but for the most part, being an adult goes a lot further when you grow up a bit. A real player knows there's a difference between treating you with the respect you deserve when you're together, and actually wanting to be with you... and there is a difference.

This is what many times gets women tricked down the wrong path. 

"He was so nice and polite."

"He acted like such a gentlemen."

Well ya, he was, and he is, but not because he wants to be with you forever, simply because he wants to be with you tonight. A little courtesy and respect go a long way, you can still mean it just because you don't follow up on it, but you'd be suprised at how women react when they meet a real gentleman. The thing is, he may not be looking to be tied down, but if you can, you can be assured that, that is his natural demeanor, and not just for show.

2. He's loyal

Most guys I know that have mastered the art of being a player have a very close knit team. Whether it's a group of guys or a couple select girls he confides in, you can be sure he's got some help in his corner. Now just because he doesn't seem to show this loyalty to the women he pursues doesn't mean it's not important to him. When you're a player in the field, the world of dating is just a game, an endless array of pursuits and conquests. But if you're lucky enough to lock this type of guy down you can rest assured that he is loyal to the core. 

It's all about perspective. If you're on the outside looking in, of course he's not going to be the most forthcoming and open, but if you can penetrate the inner circle, you know you've locked down someone true to the core. Many times players get the rep that even if they settle down, they're still always on the prawl, and this is most definitely not the case. If you're with a guy who you think is a player, and you suspect he's still playing, then unfortunately you're not really "with him". A player will take pride in the fact that he's tied down, will respect the women still throwing themselves at him, but he'll also know he got out of the game for a reason, you. And if you can manage to lock this guy down you can know many women will still be knocking on his door, but you're the one he wants to come home to at night.

1. It validates you

In the same way rich older men hang out with sexy 20-something models, is the same thing locking down a player can do for a woman's confidence. It means they chose you, above all the rest, and there's a reason for that. Player's tread lightly when it comes to relationships, so if you manage to snag one and it becomes official, you know you've accomplished something.

Women, whether like to admit it or not, are a competitive bunch, and the same way a guy takes pride in bringing out a "Perfect 10" is the same pride a woman feels when she's locked down a reformed player. You're friends will be jealous, but in a good way, heck maybe he even conquered a few of them. But knowing that you took this guy out of the game will boost your confidence in ways you never though possible. Everyone loves a little eye candy, and if you can snag yourself a guy like this, you'll be the envy of all the girls around town who swore it was impossible. Men can change, and even though "Players gonna play", at some point every star player wants to hang up his cleats and retire on top. 

Orange Dreamsicle Margarita

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: 5TH EDITION

I shall warn you from the get go, this drink is not for the faint of heart. It takes time, preparation, and quite a bit of, well, ingredients, it just takes a lot of ingredients. But if you are like me and you love these three things, Tequilla, Coconut, and the Ice Cream Man, then allow me to take you on a magical journey to flavor town. This weeks cocktail is another original recipe, and a twist on a classic, that brings together your adult alcoholic, and your inner child. So if you're man (or woman) enough, then grab your grocery list, open your Amazon account, and start ordering some ingredients for this week's concoction: The TAYLOR-MADE: ORANGE DREAMSICLE MARGARITA.

TAYLOR-MADE: ORANGE DREAMSICLE MARGARITA

Like I said the biggest challenge with this drink is simply collecting everything you will need to make it. The mixing and serving is pretty easy and straight forward, but compared to some of the other cocktails we've featured this one simply just has more in it. Now the recipe calls for coconut tequilla, but this is more to add a little extra zing, it is not mandatory, and any nice silver high quality tequilla will suffice, but if you're going to go through all this trouble, you may as well get the coconut, trust me you'll use all of it. Besides the tequilla here's a full list of what you'll need:

- Cointreau or a similar triple sec orange liquor

- Coconut Tequilla (1800) or a nice mid-top shelf silver agave tequilla

- Lime juice (1oz per drink) and fresh lime wedges

- Coconut Milk 

- Coconut Water

- Fresh Orange Juice (either squeeze or a nice brand with pulp 2oz per drink) and orange slices

- Vanilla Sugar Syrup

- Orange Infused Honey

- Vanilla Bean Sea Salt

- Nice rocks glass or mason jars

PREPARATION: one drink at a time

- Get all your ingredients laid out, juices juiced and fruit pre-cut

- For your garnishes, you'll want one lime wedge and one orange "wheel" for each drink (for an orange wheel, place orange horizontally and cut off the tip of the orange then cut another piece about 1/2 inch thick into a wheel shape)

- You'll need two small plates for adding the Vanilla Bean Rim to your glass, one with some orange infused honey poured onto it, and one with a small amount of vanilla bean salt poured onto it

- You'll need all your traditional cocktail mixing equipment (i.e. shaker, strainers, etc.)

- Before mixing everything into your shaker, rim your glassware by dipping the rim of the glass into the honey so you get a small thin layer of honey around the entire rim. 

- Next dip the glass into the vanilla bean sea salt to create a smooth even rim around the edge of the glass

- Allow the glasses to sit and dry slightly while we start the mixing

MIXING: for one drink at a time

- In an empty shaker add the following:

* 2 oz Cointreau

* 1 oz Coconut Tequilla

* 1 oz Lime Juice

* 1 oz Coconut Milk

* 1 oz Coconut Water

* 2 oz Orange Juice

* 1 oz Vanilla Sugar Syrup

- Add Ice to shaker then shake vigarously for 20-30 seconds, double strain into rimmed glass over ice

- Squeeze in one fresh lime wedge

- Drop fresh lime wheel on top

- Instagram, and enjoy

Margaritas are great, not just because tequilla is awesome, but because there's so many variations you can make on this classic recipe. Personally this is one of my favorite recipes, not just because it's delicious but because it's so fresh and different. The ingredients are a little more expensive, and some things you may need to source online or from a local organic market, but it's definitely worth the effort. This is also a great drink for a girls night out as it can easily be converted to a Margarita Martini. The  coconut adds a refreshing twist and the Vanilla Bean Sea Salt is a revelation that will have you coming back for over and over and over again!