August 2001

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Chillin' in Chile:
When we swelter, their ski season is heating up

By Jeff Rowe
Special to LAX Magazine

As I peered out the window from my makeshift bunk across two airline seats, the snowy outlines of our destination began to emerge from the predawn grayness. The Andes. When it's hot in North America, it's cold in the southern half of the planet and in good years, the brown Andes Mountain peaks disappear under a quilting of snow. For the past two years, the stretch of Andes separating Chile and Argentina was frosted by a 4-foot snow base by late August.

Developed ski mountains in South America are relatively few and some are far from gateway cities. But for sheer adventure flavored by a different language and culture, South America is a mountaintop experience. For our summer foray to winter, we decided on Valle Nevado, among South America's finest ski sites, and now that it is linked with its two neighbor resorts, part of the continent's largest ski mountain. Valle Nevado is about two hours' drive from Santiago, Chile's capital. For those with a sturdy wallet, helicopter service is available right from Santiago's Airport. That certainly will get you to the slopes faster, but you will miss the experience of a two-lane road with at least 100 switchbacks as it ascends almost 10,000 feet to the base of the ski lodge. Guidebooks said police close the road when even a little bit of snow accumulates, a policy fully understood only when the visitor realizes how many stretches of the road are free of guardrails. A slide off the road would result in a fall that only a parachute could break.

Valle Nevado recently was stitched to its two neighbor ski resorts - La Parva and El Colorado. Valle got our vote as the best - long, wide and varied runs, all of them well-groomed. A lift pass for all three is about $40. South America's ski season can begin in mid-June and sometimes extends to October. August often is the best month, so that's when we visited, planning our trip for late in the month to avoid winter school vacations and the crush of Chileans on weekends. Valle's ski runs are above the tree line, making the mountain seem brawnier and almost lunar in the whiteness broken only by rocky cliffs where snow did not accumulate. The snow was granular with a minimum of crustiness and ice - not Utah-quality snow but decent. One area of improvement needed: Slope signage is not the best and actual runs don't seem to precisely match the map.

Valle Nevado also has a piece of equipment that has disappeared from most American ski resorts - poma lifts. These contraptions consist of dinner-plate-sized disks tethered to a length of pipe connected to the lift cable. The disk part is placed between your legs and you lean back as if you were trying to sit down. Easy enough in theory but when the cable jerks you away from the base of the hill, it can feel like some of your body parts will stay behind. And if your skis slide out of the packed tracks going up the mountain, you have to ski back and try again.

And as with North American ski resorts, the growing number of aggressive snowboarders is starting to make traditional skiing look like a quaint activity. But those problems are minor. Runs at the three resorts are varied, the vistas extend for 50 miles and the sky is that deep blue only witnessed at high elevations. Go on a weekday when schools are in session and lift waits will be practically nonexistent. Moreover, you'll hear more languages among your fellow skiers than at the United Nations.

Joining the reserved, polite Chileans are smartly clad Europeans, confident Argentines and boisterous Brazilians. Learn the basics of Spanish before you go. Chileans will appreciate the effort you make and it will ease your communication travails.

As usual for me, my fractured Spanish became part of the adventure. On a quad chair lift, we found ourselves with two young Chileans who said they attended a private school and were out of class for the day. Emboldened by my success in some basic conversation about educational matters, I inquired about how much snow had fallen in the past few days. It had rained two days before in Santiago and I wondered how much new snow had fallen. At least that's what I thought I had asked. But my question produced quizzical looks. My son Jon leaned over to share the truth with me. "Dad, you just asked them how many new skies had fallen." I had used cielo (sky) instead of nieve (snow). Oh. Mercifully, South Americans are tolerant of visitors' language blunders. This was merely my first lingual mishap, but more on that later.

If you're staying overnight, Valle has accommodations beginning at about $100 a night. The hotels are clean, modern and a bit lonely. No quaint shops, rustic streets or throbbing clubs. The Valle Nevado lodge and hotel complex is the only development at Valle. Reservations can be made via the Internet. Ski conditions at other South American resorts also can be checked via the Internet. Even factoring in the usual fibbing about snow conditions, the Internet sites were well-organized sources for information, much of it in English. Checking the Internet before you go will help you avoid the sorry fate that befell a group of Americans in 1998, who toted their ski gear all the way from New York to the Argentine-Chilean Andes, anticipating good snow. Alas, as they lamented on one of the Web sites, the Andes were mostly bereft of snow that winter.

Regardless of conditions, rather than lugging skis, boots and poles to another continent, it's worth considering renting gear. South American ski resorts have rental shops; we rented our gear from Skitotal in Santiago, which also operates van services to the mountains. Skitotal even rents one-piece ski suits so you also can leave your ski togs at home. On the trip back to Santiago, I understood why over the years I often had seen headlines along the lines of "Bus plunges off South American mountain highway." Our van driver's goal seemed to pass every vehicle he could, especially other vans from Skitotal. Clearly, he knew the road thoroughly but passing another vehicle downhill on a two-lane mountain road with only an occasional flabby-looking guardrail tended to be a heart-stopping maneuver. Some of these produced wide-eyed expressions from our van mates - two Brazilians, an Australian and a fellow Yank. After a particularly daring move, I volunteered to the driver that none of us were in a hurry. He smiled. We had skied all day; this was his fun. Later, at the old, small, family-run hotel where we were staying, I asked the patriarch of the clan if I could borrow a needle and thread to repair a tear in my sock suffered during skiing. Our host seemed baffled by my request. My son was not. "Dad, you just asked him if he has a son with a needle." I had said hijo (son) instead of hilo (thread).

 

IF YOU GO, JUST ASK THEM: Chile Tourism Office 1-800-244-5366 USA & Canada. Argentine Government Tourism Office, 5055 Wilshire Blvd. No. 210, Los Angeles, CA 90036, (323) 930-0681 HOW TO GET THERE: LanChile Airlines 9700 South Dixie Hwy. Penthouse Floor, Miami, FL 33156; 1-800-735-5526 for Reservations, USA & Canada The following prices are good through the end of the Ski season in Chile. All programs include following: Round trip air transportation from Los Angeles to Santiago, Chile via Lan Chile Airlines Round trip transfers from Santiago Airport to the resort. ( 2 hours to Valle Nevado 3 hours to Portillo) 7 nights accommodations at the resort of choice Breakfast, Afternoon tea, (Lunch in Portillo) and Dinner daily unlimited use of the ski lift system and all hotel taxes. Rates are per person based on double occupancy: Valle Nevado prices start from $1843.00 per person at the Hotel Tres Puntas Portillo prices run from $1990.00 per person. Clients are met at the Santiago Airport by our transfer company and transferred directly to the resort. The above prices are based on a seven night stay but stays of 3 or 4 nights are available. Call Snowsearch at 800-628-8884 for reservations or additional information. SOUTH AMERICAN SLOPES: Valle Nevado-La Parva-El Colorado and Portillo, all near Santiago, Chile. Las Lenas, Mendoza province, Argentina. Bariloche, Rio Negro province, Argentina. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

The Buggy Whip:  Classic Old World Dining

By Robert Amaro

   Paul Darricarrere knows how to make a lasting impression on diners. For the last fifty years, his restaurant , the Buggy Whip, has  set the standard for classic gourmet steak and seafood - outlasting every new fad and contrivance found in LA's sea of nouveau cuisine.  A  warm and relaxing ambiance draws diners from as far away as Hollywood (the Buggy Whip appeared as a location for Johnny Depp's recent film, Blow), and serves as  a stop for celebrities, sports heroes, and travelers coming to LA by way of LAX.  And by providing an alternative to the cookie cutter restaurants found at so many airport area hotels, the Buggy Whip remains a testament to what fine old world dining is really about.

   Our meal  started with the Buggy Whip's popular Florida Stone Crab Claws. Available as an appetizer or entree, these colossal claws were the largest I have ever seen, and dipped in the Buggy Whip's own mustard dipping sauce, a delicious and juicy way to jump-start any appetite.  We also opted for another favorite, the Calamari steak strips sautéed in scampi butter.  Tony, our waiter, told us about one  his  regulars who comes in weekly for dinner, ordering nothing but a plate of the Calamari to go with his favorite bottle of wine. While not the healthiest meal I can think of, after a few bites of the tender and moist strips I could easily see how one could get hooked.  For the more adventurous, the restaurant offers oysters on the half-shell or escargot.  The accompanying dinner salad was  fresh, albeit uninspiring, though topped with a delicious homemade Bleu Cheese dressing.  I was told that the creamy Bleu Cheese was loved by LA visitors the world over, and many  a traveler has brought back home a quart or two.  I'll second that.

   For the entree selections you can choose a full bone Prime Rib (one of the largest in LA), thick and juicy Pork Chops, Giant Lobster Tail (amazing), Seafood Ciopinno with a half Maine lobster, Rack of Lamb, pasta and much more. We forced ourselves to set aside the few remaining crab claws,  anticipating entree portions that would likely dwarf the tiny servings found at LA's chic little bistros and trattorias. And The Buggy Whip delivered, with entrees that were as generous in size as they were in artful preparation. The Baby Spring  Rack of Lamb was cooked to perfection, as brown on the outside as it was juicy and red on the inside.  A perfect compliment for a fine glass of cabernet or merlot. Unfortunately, wine connoisseurs won't be impressed, as the Buggy Whip's wine list didn't  measure up to the restaurant's litany of marquee dishes. Darricarrere said his current wine list is undergoing a complete overhaul and will soon provide a selection of wines worthy of the restaurant's extensive menu.

   We passed on the restaurant's Giant Lobster Tail, an eye-popping delicacy  flown in from Australia and New Zealand.  Priced at $48.95, it's a veritable bargain, capable of satisfying two or more diners. Darricarrere has imported the giant lobster tails for decades, enjoying first crack at the limited supply that must serve restaurants all over the U.S.  Instead, we opted for the Filet of Sole, lightly breaded with an almondine sauté that was moist and deliciously light.  The entree included an order of garlic mashed potatoes and a bowl of the restaurant's own New England Clam Chowder. Yummy!  Also on the menu but passed on this outing were the Buggy Whip's trademark specialties from the broiler, including Filet Mignon, New York Cut Sirloin and Pepper Steak, all from the best grain-fed steers and aged 3-to 4 weeks.  Seafood specialties include the always popular Sea Bass, Halibut and Atlantic Salmon, as well as  the Buggy Whip's famous Cioppino, an Italian style fisherman's stew of fresh fish, shrimp, clams and crab.  Other dishes range from Fettucini Primavera  to Breast of Chicken and even an Alsatian Sauerkraut Platter with Bratwurst, Knackwurst and ham.  Finally, for dessert, I recommend the fabulous cheesecake or Chocolate Mousse, both made on the premises, and equally  rich and decadently delicious.

   If all this were not enough to entice you, The Buggy Whip offers truly one of the best discounts ever offered to airline employees.  Pay by cash, and your airline ID will qualify for a 25 percent discount. Pay by credit card, and you'll still get 15 percent off the regular price.  Prices are on a par with most fine dinner houses, with entrees in the $15.95 to $29.95 range.

   To anyone who knows the background of Paul Darricarrere, the excellence displayed at the Buggy Whip would come as no surprise. Owning and operating the popular luxury restaurants The Old Virginian and Chez Paul out of Pasadena for years, Paul became known among L.A. food connoisseurs as a leader  in the finest of restaurants. Chez Paul received The Holiday Magazine Award after only 9 months of operation, a prestigious award usually reserved only for restaurants who have to prove their mettle after several years of operation.

   The Buggy Whip is located  on one of Westchester's more nondescript thoroughfares, and countless people have no doubt passed right by the restaurant, unaware that a veritable feast for the palate awaits even the discriminating connoisseur of continental cuisine.  The Buggy Whip, 7420 La Tijera Blvd., Westchester - near LAX. 310-645-7131.

Internet Productivity Center Opens at LAX

By Dave Rodriguez

You've navigated your way through the minefields of a long and tedious business trip -- all the while thinking yourself worthy of a little side trip to one of LAX's conveniently located brew pubs after finally managing to make it to the terminal with a little time to spare. Armed with the latest techno-gadgetry, you've left little to chance -- and a quick, cold draft before boarding the flight home sounds reasonable enough. Suddenly your shirt pocket is vibrating and before you can answer it, you realize you were about to email an urgent draft before rushing out of the office for the airport -- leaving you to accept the fact that the only draft that's going to get any attention now is the one resting on the cocktail napkin in front of you.

What are your options? Order a shot of Tequila and remind yourself to blame it on the cable modem? Or pay your tab and begin your search for the nearest dataport-equipped pay phone. You brought your laptop, if only you were carrying the right adapter. By now your worried you'll miss your flight -- and geeze, wouldn't it help, you wonde -- to know there was a place inside the airport equipped to handle such technological madness.

The Gate Escape Internet Cyberport has arrived. The Gate Escape, a full service cyberport and office productivity center s recently opened its first LAX location between the Manhattan Beach Brewing Company and the LA Roadhouse Bar inside United Airlines busy Terminal 8, providing business and entertainment services in high demand by air travelers.

Similar to the internet cafes popular in trendy urban neighborhoods, the Gate Escape rents time on its computers for a variety of purposes including simple email and document printing. The cyberport in Terminal 8 also features full concierge service and 29 cyberports in semi-private cubicles. Recognizing the traveler's need for speed, the Culver City-based company armed its computers with T-1 connection speeds and installed razor sharp, 15-inch flat screen monitors, giving travelers with time on their hands the option of enjoying their favorite DVD or connecting to over 100 channels of DirecTV satellite programming -- all at a cost of $5 for the first 15 minutes with discounts given to groups and students.

Customers can select the amount of time they would like to spend and a "color bar" on their computer alerts them when their time is almost up. Other business-related services offered at the Gate escape include the ability to send faxes, ship overnight documents, make photocopies, or buy last-minute office supplies at the concierge desk.

According to Ramon Olivares, who heads Los Angeles World Airport's Concession Management Division, more than 50 percent of the 67 million passengers are using LAX for business purposes. To accommodate the expected demand for the services, two additional Gate Escape cyberports, one at Terminal 7 and the other at Tom Bradley International terminal, are currently under construction and will be open by the end of the year. Two more centers at terminals 3 and 4 are scheduled to open in 2002.

So far, the Gate Escape's new home inside one of the airport's busiest terminals has proven to be an ideal location for attracting customers. According to Gate Escape President and CEO Charles Meister, the facility averages between 100 and 200 users per day, keeping the T-1 lines humming throughout t the center's 6 AM to 11 PM hours of operation.

"We are excited to offer LAX travelers these highly sought-after services at the Gate Escape," said Meister. He added, "Whether you have five minutes or five hours, the Gate Escape provides entertainment and essential business-related services to passengers in order to make their travel experience more enjoyable and productive."

For more information on facility services and locations, call The Gate Escape at 1-866-THEGATE or log on to www.thegateescape.com

Can You Trust Your "Delete  Button" To Do Its Work?

By Kim Komando

In an effort to speed up computers while protecting us from ourselves, software developers have made it really tough to permanently delete files. In some cases, this double (or even triple) redundancy can be a real work saver like when you accidentally deleted the file called abc.doc,  when you meant to delete the file called abb.doc.   

While recovering an inadvertent deletion may be as easy as selecting Restore from the Recycle Bin, there are many legitimate situations where you'd want to make sure a deleted computer file is really deleted for good. The problem is that in most cases, when you think you've deleted a file from e-mail message to word processing file to Web page you've really left most (if not all of it) intact.

Let's take the case of an e-mail message sitting in your inbox. When you click the Delete button in your e-mail program, all that typically does is move the designated message from the inbox to the Deleted Items or Trash folder. The message really isn't deleted at all. To delete the message permanently, you have to select it while it's in the Deleted Items or Trash folder and then, click the Delete button a second time.

However, that might not even be enough. Do you perform regular system backups, either automatically or manually? If you or your network administrator at work makes a backup of your e-mail files before you permanently delete the e-mail message in question, there will still be a record of that message in the backup files.

If that presents a problem for you, there are two options. Depending on the exact nature of the backup, you may be able to edit the files and remove the unwanted message.  Otherwise, you may want to make sure you don't need anything from that backup and then create a new backup and destroy the older version. If the e-mail is question happened at work, there's little you can do.

Your employer owns your work, including the e-mail that you send and receive using their computers.

What about surfing the Web? Today's browsers want to make your Internet experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible. To that end, they go out of their way to remember where you've traveled online and hold onto files you may need when you go back to those sites.  That means there may be a complete record of where you've surfed, even after you've long since closed a particular Web page.

How do you get rid of these leftover files? That depends on which browser you're using. For example, in Netscape 6, you need to select Preferences from the Edit menu.  In the Category window, select History under the Navigator heading and you can specify how many days worth of browsing history you want to keep, or click Clear History and Clear Location Bar to erase your tracks immediately.

The technique for Internet Explorer 5.5 is very similar. First, select Internet Options from the Tools menu. Then on the General tab, click the Delete Files button, as well as the Clear History button. This gives Internet Explorer a case of permanent amnesia.  That's all well and good, but what about regular data files word processing documents, spreadsheets and the like? Deleting them is simple, right? You just drag them to the Trash/Recycle Bin, and then empty the whole thing out. The file's gone just like that, isn't it?

Not exactly.

Have you ever wondered how programs such as Norton Utilities can undelete a file that you deleted by mistake? Let me explain how that works, and in the process, explain why deleting a file doesn't really delete all the data in that file.

When you create any file on your hard drive, a marker is placed at both the beginning and the end of the file. Anything in between those two markers comprises the actual contents of the file. As long as those markers exist, your computer knows not to try to store any other data in the space occupied by that file.

When you delete a file, your computer wants to get you on your way as soon as possible. So instead of deleting the entire file, your computer simply removes those markers, leaving the actual file data relatively intact. However, with the markers gone, the hard drive knows it's okay to use that physical space for some other file. The end result is that the file data isn't really wiped out until the hard drive puts something else in its place.

This is why undelete utilities have virtually a 100 percent success rate when you run them immediately after an unintentional deletion. Since you haven't had a chance to overwrite the old data with new data, these programs can figure out where the markers were and then put them back.

The flip side, of course, is that if you simply delete a file, there's a pretty good chance that someone else can come along and reconstruct it using an undelete utility programs. The question then becomes: How do you make sure a file is totally and permanently deleted?

One of the easiest ways, although not always 100-percent effective, is to simply defragment your hard drive. You can use the Defrag program that comes with Windows, or a commercial program like Speed Disk, which is part of the Norton Utilities from Symantec (www.symantec.com).

When you defragment your hard drive, you rearrange the physical locations of all the files on your hard drive for optimum drive performance. Since virtually all of your files get moved during this process, the chances are high that any leftover data from deleted files will be overwritten.

But, there's no guarantee here. If there's not much fragmentation on your hard drive, the defrag program may not move enough files around to make a difference.

The best way to make sure files are permanently deleted is to use a program specifically designed for that purpose. The Norton Utilities 2001 includes one called Wipe Info.

DATA ERASER from OnTrack Data International (www.ontrack.com) offers a similar feature. You can also download BCWipe from Jetico (www.jetico.com), available in versions for Windows (95 and later or NT/2000) and Linux.

For some businesses, even using these special file-erase programs might not be enough. If you have truly sensitive information that needs to be destroyed, do what the government does when they need to absolutely, positively erase files from a hard drive they actually take a hammer in hand and smash the hard disk into pieces.

Copyright 2001, WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved. Kim Komando is a nationally syndicated talk radio host, Computer Editor Popular Mechanics and author. You can subscribe to Kim's free weekly newsletter by sending an e-mail to subscribe@komando.com.

Chavel on Cinema

JURASSIC PARK III

AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS

MEATHEAD PARK

Movie Review by Sean Chavel

The dinosaurs have an eating problem in Jurassic Park III.  They get their prey cornered and then can't seal the deal.  It's not that I'm so bloodthirsty for spectacle that I want to see humans get chewed up by carnivores, but in scene after scene it is insulting to believe the humans narrowly escape without a scratch.  The characters in this movie must be drinking invincible juice.

The movie is as witless and idiotic as the second installment, but I'll have to admit that at least it's a cheerier, more adventure-happy carnage carnival than part two.  The first Jurassic Park was directed with awe-wondering fantasy by Steven Spielberg.  The second one, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, was directed by Spielberg on auto-pilot.  This time, director Joe Johnston (Jumanji, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) has taken over the directing reigns and obviously is thrill-drunk to be directing a big-budget monster chase movie.  No, do not expect a civics dissertation of misplaced prehistoric animals clashing with humans in a modern technological society.  This is a monster chase movie.

As monster chase movies go, this one doesn't even bother most of the time with setting up character development, it just swings from one chase set-up to another, the way Tarzan swings from one vine to another with not much thought albeit with surfer-cruising effervescence.  What we do know is that the rich, married Kirby's (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) have seduced world-renown Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) with lots of money to return to the Isle Sorna for a sky-borne tour of the dinosaur-infested island.  The assignment seems legit to Dr. Grant until the plane makes an unexpected landing.  Dr. Grant learns that this is a rescue mission he has been tricked into participating in.  Evidently, the U.S. Embassy has little concern with finding the Kirby's son, who was accidentally washed onto the island two months ago.  This happens right after Dr. Grant has declared, "No force on earth or heaven could get me to go back onto that island." 

There is no bother making an explanation of why there are still leftover dinosaurs on the island from the previous movies.  I guess the dinosaurs are too fascinating a species just to heedlessly eliminate without making some scientific research funded by the government, but this movie isn't interested in exploring any of those themes.  Johnston, who likes big set pieces, uses raptors as his weapon of choice.  Johnston is most giddy in the scenes where he dispatches five or six raptors, letting the gnarly and fearsome critters loose to run savage; they re like ostriches with fangs.  But they must have gone extinct 60 million years ago in evidence of their lack of predatory aptitude.

This movie goes after a lot of cheap tricks.  The fake hero, the real hero, the double-crosser, the narrow escape, the lost character whom is presumed dead, the reunion scene, and most unforgivably, the scary skeleton pop-out scene -- which in this case makes no sense on this island because you would expect the dinosaurs would eat an entire human body and not leave the bones.  But cheap thrills are what this amusement ride is all too self-content in generating.  And for the ending, it doesn't bother topping the second movie with any surprises.  Rather it is an example of the Stone Age-impaired school of witless creativity.

BRACING "SWEETHEARTS"  

Movie Review by Sean Chavel

The first five minutes of America's Sweethearts made me laugh louder than any movie in recent memory. The movie opens as a picture book like one of those 1940's classics, and begins with a career highlight reel of two popular movie stars, Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack).  "Sasha and the Optometrist" is the story of an eye doctor blinded by love with a blind patient; "On the Bench" is a so-called courtroom drama with Eddie going into an 'object'  speech lacerating the justice system; "Requiem of an Outfielder",  is the story of a woman in love with a baseball player who awakens from a coma after recently having taken a blow in the head by a, I dunno, a baseball.  All these clips are cheesy as hell, so elementary, absurd and wrapped up in cliches that it looks as if the movie is going to be one big send-up of the fairy-tale land artificiality of Hollywood movies and its players.

And doggone it, the movie does keep getting funnier.  Catherine Zeta-Jones, the most vain

actress-cum-goddess since Bette Davis in All About Eve, is a narcissistic maven who needs the spotlight like Fred Astaire needs those posthumous vacuum cleaner commercials to endure his legendary status.  Her performance deserves an Oscar nomination -- it's a bold comic performance lampooning the wrath of a drama queen.  John Cusack, balancing his star status with his private need to retreat to a Scientology sanctuary to spiritually flush out the wounds of being a chased-after celebrity, finds new comic heights in his career.  Julia Roberts draws similarities to Sabrina Fairchild as the mousy and clumsy Kiki who has never experienced real love and toils to her sister Gwen's needs while relinquishing her own. 

Gwen and Eddie have had their share of problems with the press since their break-up.  Gwen's last two movies have crashed and burned at the box office.   Eddie has dropped out of the spotlight and spends his days

in an "isolation tank" away from modern society.  Their last movie together remains to be unseen and has gone through epic lengths of editing by reclusive director Hal Weidmann (a creepy hilarious Christopher Walken who is like Stanley Kubrick on barbiturates) who has hijacked the film "Time Over Time" from the studio. 

Enter Lee Phillips (Billy Crystal), a publicist with a cunning ability for media spin.  He can turn an actor's jump off a building suicide attempt into a favorable publicity stunt at a moment's notice.  His assignment is to prepare a press junket for the actors' new film.  To ensure the press doesn't get up in arms as to why the film is unavailable for screening, he presents a press junket rendezvous at a desert spa resort so no one will be too eager to leave too soon.  In addition, Lee has to repair the relationship of Gwen and Eddie even when they can't be at arms' length apart without trying to strangle each other.

Eddie is particularly ego-shattered that Gwen dumped him for a sexy Spaniard (Hank Azaria, who looks anything but Spanish but does a cross between Scarface's Al Pacino and Gladiator's Russell Crowe). Nevertheless, the two stars are expected to do press interviews together, an obligation that prompts Eddie to take Vicodin to prepare himself for these little tortures.  Gwen tolerates him because she explains "If they see Eddie down and depressed, they're going to pity him and hate me",  and so she stays close to patronize him.  But its' Eddie's eyes on Gwen's sister, Kiki, that capture his attention and before long he prefer to have his public dinner arrangements with her rather than Gwen.  

If there's anything mistaken in this movie it's actually Julia Roberts as Kiki, who was a better actress when she was younger and more vulnerable.  Her confidence has actually made her less of an actress; she's too self-involved with performance, her own self-enamored garrulousness upstages everyone else on stage when she's supposed to be the mousy and insecure one.  Although the script is designed for her to have transition to becoming more strong and self-assured, Roberts still has uneven moments where she's in-and-out of character and playing her persona; her public persona of Pretty Woman Julia.

But this movie has a lot more things going for it.  Scathing satire of Hollywood has been attempted countless times by less inspired filmmakers, but rarely has it been done as good as it is here.  The film, written by Billy Crystal and Peter Tolan, is a real insider's job.  They know the details about the entourage that is carried around with actors.  The limo treatments, the bathroom assistants, the custom made breakfasts' and the needs for a personal masseuse.  "Hello, I have a neck.  I could use a massage",  Gwen pants while she witnesses her assistant catering to someone else, not so much in need of physical therapy but consumed with venting her jealousy.  Then there are scenes with Lee's assistant (Seth Green), whose stunning ignorance of not knowing the difference between Katherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn proves you don't need to know anything about movies in order to work in the film industry.  This is one of the best farces in recent years.

Of course the movie stays within normal genre conventions and you see Eddie torn between ex-wife Gwen and her sister Kiki, and it's not surprising at the end which one he'll choose.  It's an old-fashioned convention to have an intersecting love story and I'll be damned if it ever goes out of fashion.  But as with vintage predecessors of the 1940's romantic comedies that Sweethearts tries to emulate, those classics of their time always ended on a big romantic kiss and not on a closing shot of a horny dog licking away at a man's crotch, however funny it might be.  Next time, the big joke is first and then the big splashy romantic embrace-- if to abide by the theory that the last scene should be the high point, the one you remember most after walking out of the theater.

Ratings:

JURRASSIC PARK III:

AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS:

DO NOT TALK ABOUT SEX!

Women Don't Lie - Men Don't Listen

Success Coach - Doc Love

Dear Doc,

I'm addicted to watching the show "Blind Date." Here in Los Angeles it plays twice a day, once at six and then again at eleven. Each show is different and it is absolutely fascinating to watch, even more so now that I have an understanding of "The System."

One of the things that has really struck me since I've gotten hip to your philosophy is seeing how many different guys bring up the subject of sex or make sexual innuendoes on the date. I would say that eight out of ten guys do it. And, just about every single time they do, you can see the girl, their date, either cringe or back away or look disappointed or annoyed or even get insulted, depending on the way that the guy brings up the subject.

I know that you say to never talk about sex at all during the first sixty days of dating. When I heard that, I knew you were right but after watching many, many episodes of "Blind Date" I really see how it backfires every time. I have never seen it work to the guy's advantage in any way. It's a stupid thing to do isn't it?

So why do us guys talk about sex on a first date so frequently? And why do we continue to do it throughout the date even when it's blatantly obvious that the woman is getting turned off? How have we all become so programmed to think that we have to be Mr. Sexy and that women like that when they obviously don't?

Please, Doc, share your insights.
Donovan - who just wants to know why

Hi Donovan,

I'm glad that your awareness level has gone up. You've done what most guys are unable to do. You've set your ego aside. When you're able to do that, you can see things as they really are, not how you think they should be. Way too many guys think that talking about sex, nudity and private bodily functions on a first date, is a positive, helpful thing to do. But, as we observe people's behavior from an objective perspective, the brutal truth is revealed: talking about sex on a first date is destructive.

I'll tell you Donovan; I've watched numerous episodes of "Blind Date" myself. It's quite entertaining and educational too. I'm able to determine, as soon as the door opens, whether the guy has a chance or not, because I can read the subtleties of body language. I can predict the outcome of the date way before he torpedoes the whole deal by making an erotic innuendo in the first minute and a half.

So I definitely encourage you to continue watching the show. You can learn a great deal from it. Keep fine tuning your body language reading skills, and see how early into the segment you can 'call it' as to whether or not the guy is going to get a really nice kiss at the end of the date. (The host almost always comments on the type of kiss the guy got from the girl, or the absence of a kiss.)

And, yes indeed, it is absolutely mind boggling to see how many guys, time after time after time, sabotage any chance they have with the woman by talkin' trash. Here are some actual examples of the types of things guys say, from episodes of "Blind Date" that were broadcast. They range from subtly uncool to quite crass to downright disgusting:

"Where's the strangest place you've ever made love?"
"Have you ever considered working as a stripper?"
"I can see that you sure do take good care of your ... body."
"Have you ever run naked on the beach?"
"So how many different guys have you been with?"
"My oh my you do have a fine booty."
"You're a teacher? Hmmm - I guess every college freshman's fantasy is to have sex with his beautiful teacher."
"So did you hear the one about the frog who couldn't stop farting?"

Yes, Donovan, the average guy seems to have the idea that if he makes juvenile comments about his date's body, that she will think that he is clever and confident. He thinks that she will experience him as being extra masculine and gutsy if he tells a tasteless joke. But Mr. Macho Boy is an idiot. His behavior is having the opposite effect of what he imagines, plus, he fails to read her negative signals, facial expressions and body language

How has the American male become brainwashed into thinking that this kind of behavior is productive? I lay much of the blame on Hollywood and the Music Industry. In fictional fantasy La La Land, the Hero gets away with all kinds of things that would never play in real life. In Rap videos, the music star bumps and grinds and talks trash, while hordes of gorgeous women do nothing but worship him. It doesn't take much exposure to this kind of craziness to warp your values.

Hollywood brainwashing, along with a lack of positive mentors and role models for boys, no fathers in the home and an overall lack of education about manners, are the other contributing factors. Donovan, tell all your buddies that they do not gain anything by talking about sex on a date. When they do, they do not become more interesting or charming or sexy.

If a girl has super high Interest Level in a guy, then she'll overlook these kinds of comments, but, THEY STILLL DO NOTHING to RAISE HER INTEREST LEVEL IN HIM! On the average first date, the guy starts out with the girl having about 60 to 70 percent Interest Level in him at best, so he cannot afford to go down that risque' road.

Talk of sex or nudity or intimate bodily functions is high-risk activity. About 95% of the time, nice girls, even ones who read Cosmo, don't want to talk about something so personal and intimate with someone they don't know.

And think about this. How would you like if some guy went out with your little sister and stated talking about "getting laid" on the first date? You'd want to punch his lights out wouldn't you? So, never bring up the subjects of race, religion, politics or sex on a date, because we don't want you to get into an argument, and win, and then lower the woman's Interest Level. Remember guys, you never want to tell her what's really on your mind.

So e-mail me at doclove@doclove.com and all of your love questions will be answered, and those of general interest printed. Visit me at www.doclove.com or call me at 800-404-2644 to find out more about The "System".

Doc Love is a talk show host, entertainment speaker, and coaches men in his seminars. For the past thirty years he has asked thousands of women, "Why do you stay with one man versus another?"

Copyright DocLove DotCom

DEAR DR. PINE...

Have you ever wanted to ask a Psychologist a question, anonymously? This is your chance. All you need to do is compose a question and send it, by mail, fax, or E-mail to dpine-laxreader@counseling-online.com and then check the next edition of the LAX Magazine for your answer. Psychologically Speaking is a monthly column different from advice columns in that your questions will be answered by a licensed, experienced psychotherapist. The mission of Psychologically Speaking is to help you explore different ways of thinking about your problems; something like therapeutic brainstorming, which may lead you to a resolution you hadn't previously considered.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY SPEAKING

Understanding the motivations of the workaholic

By Pamela Pine, PhD

Question: I am a single 47 year-old male. For many years I have had my own business and been a bit of a workaholic. I have recently sold my businesses and now I'm trying to figure out who I am. I have always thought I would be "married with Children" by now and I'm not even dating anyone. I had been engaged twice and in both cases the women left me. I'm feeling like I am just a loser and have little to look forward to in the way of being coupled with a family-or just being happy.

Answer: I have an idea that the same problem that kept you a workaholic all those years is still present and very stongly operating even now. By way of explanation, any type of "aholic" experiences obsessive, and often rigid and excessive, thoughts, as well as, behavior. I think the way it's operating now is that you seemingly have built an "ironclad" case against yourself and have virtually stomped out any experience, feeling, thought or possibility of hope for yourself and your future.

Although I am understanding that you feel lost, hopeless and sad, I also am thinking that if you could be open to becoming more aware of yourself and understanding what you are doing now, and the effect, consequence and motives for your past (and present) behavior, you could turn your life around, and even experience happiness!

It sounds like your workaholism has served many functions - some positive but by the very nature of the word workaholic, some negative. I think you have been controlled by your own compulsions and perfectionism and, I don't think you understand that there is probably a motive and purpose underlying this behavior.

I am going to run some scenarios by you for you to think about. First, operating obsessively, indulging compulsions, and/or overworking can have the effect of keeping one disconnected from others and oneself. Put a little differently, these behaviors can be used, unconsciously, as a means of interfering, or defending against, developing and maintaining a loving relationship with yourself and others.

I think you might want to explore the possibility, again unconsciously, of an aspect of you wanting and trying to keep yourself from becoming coupled. This might sound crazy to you but I think this might be a major part of what has driven your behavior. This might be difficult to think about and, therefore, you might be better served by seeking some professional help on this one. Two minds are definitely better than one when exploring issues like these!

I think you are just beginning to realize how out of touch you have been with yourself. However, I don't think you are aware of how terribly negative, judgmental and hopeless you sound.

This, of course, is another part of your problem. In order for you to deal with your problems you are going to need to stop attacking yourself for having them and, be willing to identify them so they can be understood and solved. When you condemn yourself, it impedes you from being objective and thoughtful.

Finally, you are going through an adjustment from being a workaholic with more then 1 business to no work and no business. Although this is probably quite positive for you, it is still a major change that you are experiencing and might be causing some of your feelings of sadness and depression. Finally, unlike your view of yourself and your future, I perceive your situation as quite hopeful because you now have the opportunity to take the time to explore yourself and get back in touch with you. By the way, I don't think you are nearly as lost as you feel. Once you get rid of your self-condemnation, negativism and rigidity, I think you will be able to see yourself and your life much more clearly and realize how hopeful your situation really is.

Work Place Issues:
How to Handle the Carpool Chatterbox!

By Ken Lloyd, Ph.D.

Q. Several of us are going to a conference, and a few of us are driving our own cars. The problem is that the woman that I am supposed to take does not stop talking. I don't know how I will be able to handle two hours in the car with her. Do you? A.K.

A. If your passenger is truly going to be talking nonstop while you drive nonstop, there are a couple of steps to consider. Although it may be tempting to discretely give her some feedback, all that you are likely to generate is hurt feelings, defensiveness, and more intense chatter. You are not going to be able to do much about the cause, and it is not your business to try.

A more positive approach is to let her know that you like to use long

drives as an opportunity to listen to some self-development tapes or novels on tape. By definition, these are listening and learning activities. You could listen to music, but for the card-carrying chatterbox, all music is background music.

Another approach is to take one or two other associates with you at the

same time. This would make it far more difficult for your talkative colleague to dominate the whole conversation. And, she would be even less likely to do so if she sits in the back seat.

There is one warning to remember: your desire to make the two hours speed

by can literally cause you to speed. So, take it easy and enjoy listening to the book.

Q. I left a company a year ago on very good terms. I was contacted recently by an old co-worker who wanted to know about the Christmas bonus, since he is planning on staying on just long enough to get it and then leave. Do I keep quiet about this? My allegiance is with my former managers, and I don"t want to be blamed if they find out I knew. M.D.

A. When someone provides you with personal information, there is an implicit assumption that you are going to keep it private. There is no way that your former colleague could have ever known that, for some reason, you feel compelled to tell your former managers everything you learn about their current employees.

If you go to your former managers and tell them what this individual is

planning on doing, you are acting in an unethical, unfair, unkind manner, and you probably don't want to do that. As for your fears of being "blamed," the only thing you could be blamed for is questionable judgment if you breach your former colleague's confidence. Literally and figurative, this is really not your business.

In addition, what would happen if your former associate changes his mind

and decides not to leave, but you have already told management about his planned move? You could create some big problems for him, and some even bigger problems for yourself.

Q. I was recently promoted to a managerial position, but I am disappointed with the salary increase. The average salary for someone in my position is $16,000 more. I met with my boss and argued for an increase, and he said that he will think about it. It has been a month and I still haven't heard anything. Rumor has it he ignores these types of requests for as long as possible. Any suggestions? E.M.

A. If you were to go to a sales meeting, would you get into an argument with the customer to convince him or her to buy your product? Probably not.

When you are asking for a pay increase, think of it as a sales meeting.

Start by picking the right time. Avoid periods when your manager is busy or upset, and look for periods when you have been particularly successful.

During these meetings, be sure to make many comments that will generate

agreement from him. The more he agrees with what you are saying, the more likely he is to say "yes" later in the discussion. Try to use words that have a strong positive emotional charge for him, such as "profit," "achievement," "success," and "excellence."

You can certainly bring in some salary comparisons, but you should also

have an idea of the value that you add. Take a look at your skills, education, experience, and performance and let your manager see the clear contribution that you are making well in excess of your current salary.

As for the delay of a month and the rumor that your manager ignores these

requests, the best step is to keep following up. After all, asking for a raise calls for sales skills, and successful selling calls for persistence.

Ken Lloyd, Ph. D., is a specialist in organizational behavior. Questions can be seny by e-mail to: LloydOnJob@aol.com, or they can be mailed to: P.O.Box 260057, Encino, CA 91426. Lloyd's newest book is "Jerk's at Work: How to Deal With People Problems and Problem People".

LOWER YOUR RISK WITH "COVERED CALLS"
By Scot Shier

Stock Options. Those two words usually conjure up images of high-risk gamblers in the equity markets. But there is another side to Stock Options, which might actually help you sleep better at night: Covered Call Options. What if someone paid you for the right to buy some stock you own, at a price above what it is trading at today? Sound tempting? Let me explain

Let's look at Cisco Systems Inc. [CSCO]. This is a good company, but the stock price is very volatile. Over the past 12 months, it has been as high as $70 and as low as $13.18. Let's say you bought 100 shares at $17.68. Did you know there were people that same day who would pay you $2.75 per share for the right  to buy CSCO from you at $20 per share?! You get to keep the $2.75 whether or not they decide to buy the stock! And their right  is only valid for a few months (in this case, until January 18, 2002).

Your effective cost for CSCO is now only $14.93 ($17.68 purchase price, minus $2.75 paid to you for the Call Option). If the stock goes up past 20, you will probably have to sell CSCO to them for $20, a profit of 33% in less than 7 months (this does not factor in commissions, which would reduce your profits).

If CSCO does not go past $20 by the expiration date of January 18, then the Call Option expires worthless (but you still keep the $2.75). Of course, CSCO could still drop in value, but at least your losses would be reduced by the $2.75 paid to you. After the option expires worthless, you could sell another Call Option (for whatever the going price is at that time).

So why would people buy your Call Option? They are gamblers! They are willing to bet $2.75 that CSCO will go well past $20 within the next few months. If it goes to $30, then their investment of $2.75 will be worth over $10. If the stock does not go above $20 by January 18, then they lose the entire bet of $2.75. Of course, if the stock goes down to $10, they have still only lost $2.75.

I like the strategy of "Selling Covered Calls" for volatile stocks and stagnant markets. Here are some of the advantages it provides:

1. Reduces your effective purchase price. In the CSCO example, your effective cost for the stock was reduced by the $2.75 paid to you for the Call Option.

2. Sets a realistic sell target. The hardest decision is deciding when to sell a stock. The option decides it for you. In the CSCO example, you decided that $20 would be a good price (resulting in a profit of 33%). I personally think anything over 20% in 6 months is good!

3. Provides a good return even if the stock stays flat. In our example, if CSCO stayed flat, at the $17.68 purchase price, you still made $2.75 by selling the Call Option. That's a 15% return in 7 months (26% if annualized).

4. Provides a cushion for the stock to drop. Many investors say they will sell a stock if it drops 10%. Yet, often the stock rebounds right after that short drop. In our example, If CSCO dropped 10% you would still have a 5% profit. The stock would actually have to drop 25% for you to realize a 10% net loss. If you still like the stock, then having this cushion" makes it easier to ride out the bumps.

These examples have not included the effect of commissions, which would reduce the returns.

This has been a brief discussion of Covered Call Options. There are many complicated strategies that can be employed using Stock Options, but I prefer to stick with the simple ones. If you would like to learn more about Options, I suggest you contact The Options Industry Council at 888-OPTIONS or visit their web site at www.888options.com. You may also request a FREE educational video through the Council or by contacting my office at 310-642-0555.

Before investing in options, you must receive the booklet, Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. There are many nuances to investing with Options, so I recommend you work with a financial advisor well versed in their use.

Scot Shier is a Financial Consultant and Registered Securities Principal of Associated Securities Corp, Member NASD/SIPC. He and his wife, Patty, are also the proud parents of five-year-old QUINTUPLETS in Los Angeles. Visit them at www.Quint-Essential.net or call (310) 642-0555.

TO BE FIT

Dear Rod,
Are the high protein diets (Atkins, Zone, Protein Power, etc.) a fad or do they really work?
John from Mt. Soledad

Let me address a few health issues before I discuss the efficacy of a high protein diet. The effects of excessive protein intake on humans over the long term is not known. It has been supported in part by animal studies that long term high-protein intake can accelerate the age-associated process of renal glomerular sclerosis. Long-term excessive protein intake may also potentially influence the development of osteoporosis through increased excretion of calcium in the urine and loss of calcium from bone. A high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can be extremely dangerous for a person who has kidney disease, liver disease, or type I hyperlipoproteinemia. In a person with hypertriglyceridemia, pancreatitis is a major risk. Greater intake of saturated fats and cholesterol (associated with high-protein diets) can also contribute to dyslipidemia. Ketosis (the result of a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet) is not a natural state; it makes the blood more acidic, upsets the bodyÕs chemical balance, and may be dangerous for people with diabetes and women who are pregnant. There are numerous studies that point out that high-fat diets are strongly associated with obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. If you still think that you are a potential candidate for a high-protein diet, read on.

The initial weight loss from high-protein diets is water. For every gram of carbohydrates that your body stores as fuel it stores approximately 3 grams of water. As you use stored carbohydrates for energy, the water is no longer stored. If you do not replace your carbohydrate stores, you will lose weight. Notice that there is no mention of fat loss yet. More water is lost as the kidneys try to rid the body of excess ketones formed as a result of a high-protein, high-fat intake. Still no fat loss. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our brain and red blood cells. On a high protein diet you do not ingest enough carbohydrates to fuel the brain. This will make you stupid, but then if you chose to do a high-protein diet how much worse can it get. You will also have a lack of energy because of the depleted carbohydrate stores in the muscle. To lose weight (no matter what type of diet you are on) you must consume fewer calories then you expend. The one, and only, benefit I will mention regarding a high-protein diet is that being in a state of ketosis results in appetite suppression. If you do not consume fewer calories then you expend while on a high-protein diet, you will not lose any weight (aside from the initial water lost).

High-protein diets tend to be high in saturated fat due to increased amounts of meat and dairy products. A diet of this magnitude, over a long period of time, will decrease oneÕs health status and increase the risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These diets are low in grains, vegetables, and fruits; the very foods shown by an overwhelming body of research to help decrease the risk for certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. You are taking an extremely high health risk to lose a few pounds of water (not fat). Grains, vegetables, and fruits also contain important micronutrients and phytochemicals, such as antioxidants and B vitamins, as well as fiber. All of these help promote health and wellness.

The Unified Dietary Guidelines, which base their recommendations on a preponderance of scientific evidence, recommend a diet of no more than 30% of total calories from fat, of which no more than 10% of calories come from saturated fat, no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, at least 55% of total calories from carbohydrates, and less than 2,400 mg (1 tsp) of sodium per day. In addition, the 438 initial enrollees of the National Weight Control Registry (having lost an average of 66.0 lbs for over five years) followed a low-fat diet with a macronutrient profile of approximately 20% protein, 25% fat, and 55% carbohydrate[1]. Do those numbers look familiar to you? None of the initial enrollees were successful by following a low-carbohydrate, high protein, high-fat diet.

If you want to lose a few pounds of water weight, accompanied by dozens of health risks, the high-protein diet is for you. If not, follow a sensible eating plan which includes lots of fruits and vegetables, lift weights 2 to 3 times per week, do some sort of cardiovascular exercise every day, and you will achieve the weight loss (and fat loss) that you so desire.

To Be Fit is a monthly column focusing on health and fitness questions sent in by you, the reader. You can reach Rod Porter with questions and comments by emailing him at: ExerciseSpecialist@yahoo.com