Macon

A recent paperback edition of the hardcover edition (2005) penned by someone who is in the know, Variety reporter Robert Hofler unlocks a gay closet door shut tighter than the 1960's television show Get Smart's famous series of vaulted ones. Hollywood manager and agent Henry Willson operated an Adonis mill in the 50's and 60's that fed his business and personal agendas, including his taste for beautiful men, access, and power. He preyed on no-name men who would exchange anything for success in movies and television. Willson's keen eye for stars-to-be was legendary, but the downside included a controlling personality that willingly sacrificed Tab Hunter and others to Confidential Magazine exposes in order to protect his main event, Rock Hudson. He demanded a rigid gay closet etiquette of his stable of gay-identified actors, one that could have possibly contributed to the messy lives of those he touched, in more ways than one.

The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson.The Pretty Boys & Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, by By Robert Hofler. Carroll & Graf, 2006, ISBN 0-78671-802-1, Paperback, 454 Pages, $15.95 is expertly chronicled by Mr. Hofler with the story-behind-the-story of how Henry Willson manufactured stars that wasn't limited to men of a certain persuasion, he also brought Lana Turner and Natalie Wood to stardom. Even straight men joined his stable because of his position with David Selznick, and they read like a virtual who's who of big name celluoid and small-screen celebrities. But, the real story is the heavy duty veneer he created to protect and teflonize Rock Hudson through an arranged marriage to dispute media rumors of his homosexuality. Written in a style that makes it hard to put down, Hofler pens a memorable and illuminating look behind Tinseltown's studio publicity machines.

Chapters in this book are titled parts one through eleven, with sub-chapters that range from Polishing the Rock, Revenge on Tab Hunter, Pick-up on Sunset, FBI File: Mr. Rock Hudson, The Trouble with Warren Beatty, to Bel Air Breakdown. A nice array of black and white photos sprinkled throughout the book help tell the visual story. Also included are acknowledgements, an introduction, epilogue, notes and references, and a bibliography.

While Willson's character style isn't anything new in Hollywood, Hofler's expedition into the gay Hollywood niche in mid-century is a real eye opener and every reason this book has been wildly popular with readers from all walks of life. Truly a must read for those looking to understand the symbiotic relationships in the business of stardom.

Mark Nash is the author of "Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional", "Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate", "Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing", and "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home". Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty Times. His tried and true real estate tips has been featured on CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and USA Today. Purchase his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com.

Does your personal style truly reflect your uniqueness? Do you feel comfortable in your own skin? Do you feel confident about what your look says about you? Do you gravitate toward just buying the fashion magazine's latest look? Or are you constantly comparing how you look to others?

My life's experience is that many women do not own their look. Many women do not embrace their uniqueness and instead create copycat, plain Jane or outlandish styles that aren't reflective of whom they are.

I believe that any woman can evoke the look that simply confirms her being and uniqueness. She can look chic, feminine in accordance with her personality, lifestyle and very importantly, budget. Here are the steps I recommend you follow:

Step 1: Discover what your body type is and which styles look good on you. Kendall Starr in her book, Pocket Stylist, believes that regardless of whether a woman is average or plus sized, there is one of three basic silhouettes that apply to everyone. The three basic silhouettes are:

BODY TYPE A: The average version of a woman whose shoulders are narrower than the width of her hips. Regardless of whether she is flat- or full-chested, this torso proportion is defined by a definite visual difference between the width of those shoulders and the width of the hips.

BODY TYPE B: The traditional hourglass although Farr herself isn't in favor of geometry or fruit-derived monikers ("no hourglasses, apples, pears, celery or any of that stuff") this woman's shoulder width is essentially the same as her hip width, and the waist is generally well defined. Bust size can be anywhere from flat-chested to full-breasted. (Again, simply a particular that refines her fit - not a starting point.)

BODY TYPE C: The shoulders are wider than the width of the hips. Broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped models fall into this category. Her waist is usually quite straight, and can be somewhat of a fitting challenge. Once you've determined your body type, go to a store with an honest friend. Try on various fabrics and cuts to see how the material and shape emphasize or detract from your basic body silhouette. Remember, window shopping is okay, no need to break the bank and immediately overhaul your wardrobe.

Step 2: Inventory your wardrobe and make sure you have these wardrobe basics, which complement your silhouette and lifestyle:

Pants:

Dark Day Look In a simple, skimming cut and crisp high-quality fabric.

Dark Night Look Fuller leg in a lighter high-quality fabric.

Jeans or Chinos:

To wear with a flat heel Hemmed shorter to wear with flats.

To wear with heels Hemmed longer.

Skirts: Pencil, Trouser or A-Line Cut In black or lightweight wool.

A-line or Bias Cut In a flowy fabric for day or evening.

Skirt in a neutral, mixable style A subtle pin stripe or tweed.

Shirts:

White button down In a feminine cut.

White T-shirts Just the basic T, a boat neck, or V-neck.

Sweaters/Cardigans:

Black That tonally matches your black pants.

Neutral In a skin flattering tone, i.e. avoid stark white if you're fair.

Vivid Color Must emphasize your features and not detract.

Jackets

Tailored It should match your dark pants in color tone and style.

Casual Bombers, motorcycle styles and windbreakers are good choices in fabrics like leather, suede, corduroy, soft wool or cotton twill.

Coats

Trench Good for the rain and in-between seasons choose a neutral or black.

Knee-length For in-between seasons.

Winter Coat Invest in the best fabric you can possibly afford.

Dress or matching separates that create a dress. Always have a little black dress on hand.

Accessories

Cherish four to five high-end fashion accessories (costume jewelry and scarves) that you wear all the time.

Add one or two new trendy pieces each season and wear them out.

Invest in high quality everyday leather handbags and shoes.

Become friends with a great tailor who can assure that these key clothing pieces flatter your uniqueness.

Step 3: Find a great hair stylist who is skilled at working with your hair type. Then get a fuss-free hairstyle and maintain it. I don't know about you, but I absolutely dread having to use several hairstyling tools and products. It's all about simplicity to manage my hair (flat crown and wavy length). I could be using tons of root lifter, hair serums, along with a blow dryer, flat iron, three brushes and then finishing products. However, I made a decision some time ago to embrace my hair texture and found a hair stylist who knows exactly how I "operate" and created a style accordingly.

Step 4: Treat your skin as the treasure it is. Get a facial every month or just give yourself a weekly facial. Maintain, protect and nourish your skin daily. If you have great skin, you radiate and barely need any make-up. The time spent on your daily skin care routine is also a wonderful time to dedicate to yourself and regeneration. Also, don't forget to drink plenty of water to hydrate it.

Step 5: Use make-up as an aid to emphasize your beautiful features, not hide them under layers and layers of coating. I firmly believe in the principle applied by French women: less is more. Your basics include: tinted moisturizer with SPF, a light powder, blush, a great mascara and a lipstick or lip gloss. Select colors that are complementary to your skin tone, hair color and eye color. Heavy smoky eye make-up or bright red lips may look great in a magazine. However, if they don't reflect your uniqueness leave them in the store!

Let your imagination and creativity take its power to truly reflect your uniqueness. So, when someone asks you: Does Your Personal Style Reflect Your Uniqueness? You'll answer confidently: Absolutely!

Copyright (c) 2007 MMC Lifestyles, LLC, dba MMC Style

Marion Chamberlain is founder of MMC Style (http://www.mmcstyle.com ), an Internet store for European fashion accessories sourced from unique and highly-talented small design shops in Europe. The online store offers high-quality European fashion jewelry and leather handbags to those women who want to be unique. MMC Style (http://www.mmcstyle.com ) European fashion accessories are truly unique and can't be found in department or chain stores.

Very early signs of pregnancy - are there 10 pregnancy signs? Yes, there are signs that indicate very early that you are pregnant. Some women will experience one or two of them, others will have several of the very early signs of pregnancy. Once you have conceived, it will take about a week for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. As implantation happens, it's now possible to experience one or more of the 10 pregnancy signs and begin to know you are pregnant. Around this time, hormone levels begin to change, and the body reacts to these new hormone levels.

Here are 10 pregnancy signs:

1. Light Spotting - if you have conceived, spotting can happen when implantation occurs before your menstrual period should begin. Pregnancy bleeding from implantation is pinkish or brownish and not heavy. A normal menstrual flow should begin light, become heavy, then taper off again before ending.

2. More Frequent Urination - urinating more often is one of the very early signs of pregnancy. Many women experience more frequent urination even before a missed period, usually from about 7-12 days after the temperature rise at ovulation. The changes in hormone levels produced by implantation of the embryo, especially the hormone "human chorionic gonadotropin" (hCG), cause more frequent urination.

3. Elevated Body Temperature - it's normal to have an increase in body temperature at ovulation. Your basal body temperature staying elevated after ovulation is completed and remaining elevated through when your period should begin can be one of the very early signs of pregnancy.

4. Missing a Menstrual Period - a missed period is one of the obvious 10 pregnancy signs. However, you can miss a period for other reasons including illness, stress, hormone imbalance and reactions to foods or medications. If your menstrual cycle normally occurs very regularly, missing a period can be a sign.

5. Fatigue - lack of energy as one of the very early signs of pregnancy may be hard to distinguish from other kinds of exhaustion. Feeling tired is related to the change in hormones in the body, which usually disappears as the body adjusts to the new hormone levels.

6. Cramping - the uterus can contract often and regularly. Moving around, exercise and orgasm all can trigger uterine cramping in early pregnancy.

7. Nausea - morning sickness is the name given to feeling nauseated when pregnant. Of the 10 pregnancy signs, only about half of pregnant women experience nausea, and feeling nauseated can happen any time of the day or night.

8. Tender Nipples and Breasts - one of the very early signs of pregnancy is a feeling of tenderness in the breasts and nipples. The good news is that these feelings of tenderness go away as the body becomes accustomed to the new hormone levels.

9. Darker Areolas - the area around the nipples becomes darker as early as one week after conception. The bumps on the areolas may look more prominent.

10. Constipation - you may notice a change in your bowels in early pregnancy. The intestines may relax and function less due to changing hormones and be one of the 10 pregnancy signs.

Once the very early signs of pregnancy are experienced, confirm pregnancy by using one of the better home pregnancy tests. There are major differences in the reliability of the home tests for pregnancy. A blood pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 8 to 10 days after conception, and a urine pregnancy test can be accurate as early as 10 to 14 days following conception. Pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate. If you feel you are pregnant but your pregnancy test result is negative, do the test again in a week or so and see your physician.

Remember to take good care of your body even before you become pregnant. Give up smoking and alcohol, eat healthy and begin exercising. Those first few weeks and your health are vitally important to help support healthy development of your new baby. Becoming pregnant and enjoying a successful pregnancy is a complex but wonderful experience. Besides knowing the 10 pregnancy signs, learn as much as you can about fertility, pregnancy and your health so your new baby will have the very best beginning to life that is possible.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Read more on the very early pregnancy test that is the most accurate and where to find it. Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - visit and learn more about ovulation and fertility, prenatal vitamins, pregnancy and caring for yourself.