When Daniel Shak recently separated with his wife and divorce proceedings began he was astounded to find that his wife had a secret collection of over 1’200 pairs of designer heels including over 700 pairs of Christian Louboutins. The sheer amount of shoes staggered many but, more than likely, would have made a large number of women jealous, not least reality TV star Kim Kardashian who, in a recent interview, stated that her personal collection of Christian Louboutins only extends to 224 pairs. To men owning triple figures of shoes in and of itself is astounding but considering all these items were designer brands makes this situation as hard to comprehend as something as existentially challenging as the big bang.

Whereas Shak’s incredible, $1million shoe collection is something of an anomaly it does draw attention to the stereotype that women are obsessed with shoes and have so many more than their male counterparts. Whilst Shak’s trove is undoubtedly far more exaggerated than any average woman’s collection will ever be, it is also worth noting that an average woman, according to a number of studies, will own seventeen pairs of shoes in comparison to most men owning four or less. So, why are shoes so important to women? And why are men happy with so few pairs? A large degree of women will have to try on multiple pairs of shoes with each outfit they put together whereas men are just as likely to throw on whichever pair of trainers are nearest to them regardless of the occasion and regardless of whether they suit what they are wearing – it is not uncommon to see men wear the same pair of trainers with tracksuit pants to run in, a pair of jeans in a mistaken belief they are cool and even with smart trousers in an insane calculation that this makes them look both smart and trendy.

What is astounding about women’s relationship with shoes is that they will purchase them even during times of austerity – a luxury product that is not essential, particularly if they already have 16 other pairs. On average, a lady will own 17 pairs of shoes, as mentioned, but also, 1 in 10 women will own more than 30. In the 1980s Imelda Marcos admitted to owning 3’000 pairs of shoes – this amount is so impractical as it would take her nearly ten years to wear each pair just once each. This is a great example of the fact that the actual reason for the popularity of footwear is less to do with utility, practical use or even fashion but rather is more likely to be psychological.

Many women relate shoes not to just how they look but also how they will feel – a pair of high heeled shoes can make their wearer seem taller and will help extend their legs and straighten their back. This, in turn, can help improve self-confidence and even self-esteem. Psychologists have also pointed out that many women will have more memories, and even emotional feelings, attached to their shoes than any other item of clothing and it is this powerful attachment that provides the link between shoes and women’s attachment to them.

One thing that many men also do not understand with women is the amount of pain they are willing to put their feet through. It is a not little known fact that wearing towering shoes such as stilettos can be seriously painful on the feet and can misshape them and even, ultimately, cause bunions. Yet, as noted by the trainer example detailed above, men are much more likely to favour comfort over nearly any other criteria when purchasing shoes – a completely polemic view to many women. Women will often state that they wear high heels not to impress other men but for their own sake or even to impress other women; this suggests furthermore that women’s attachments to shoes is more a psychological one rather than an attempt to appear more attractive in the eyes of men, although this can often be a side effect or minor consideration too.

Women will now often travel to work in one pair of trainers, before changing in to their stilettos or heeled work shoe on arrival – an admission that oftentimes their favourite shoes are actually impractical to travel in or even walk in. Whereas even the most expensive and formal styles of men’s shoes are practical, high fashion for women often is designed with seemingly the exact opposite purpose in mind. Yet for many shoe shopping represents to them feelings of liberation and joy and wearing the shoes gives off feelings of self-empowerment and liberation. Whether these feelings have been, as Germaine Greer has suggested, manufactured by advertisers (who have a history of peddling harmful goods on the public such as cigarettes who will purchase them regardless of the known health problems associated with them) , exploited by marketers or are a real, organic source of euphoria for women can, and no doubt will, be debated for some time to come.

Kieron Casey is a fashion writer and a shoes online blogger who, whilst loving footwear, is often astounded when hearing of tales about Kim Kardashian’s shoe collection. He is often astounded by Kim Kardashian in general.

I just finished reading The Housekeeper’s Son, by Christopher Loke. This novel just came out in May. Sad to say, I bought it when it first launched, but have been too occupied with work and kids to have any time to sit and read it. My anticipation in reading this book stems from more than the interesting synopsis on the cover; it’s the first book that my publisher, Jolly Fish Press launched. So there was a lot of excitement around this novel for more than one reason.

So after owning it for a month, I was finally able to make the time to read it last week. If you’re not familiar with this book, it’s the story of a woman, Eleanor, who’s in her seventies. She killed her son forty years ago and is now on trial for the murder of her employer’s daughter. I don’t want to give you much more than that, because you should read it for yourself to find out what happens.

It has some very soft paranormal elements to it. If I had to pick a genre for this book, I think I’d just simply call it a drama. But I would like to point out that there is a lot of intrigue throughout the story. The dynamics of the characters will have you speculating all through it.

As I picked up the book and began reading it, the first thing that struck me was the literary style that Loke exuded. He was almost poetic with the descriptions of the places and people in his book. If I had to compare it to another novel, the only thing I can think of is To Kill a Mockingbird. I don’t mean to say that both books cover the same political issues, nor are they from the same character perspectives (Mockingbird is from the perspective of a little girl, and Housekeeper is from the perspective of an old woman). The reason why I think they are comparable is because they are both so eloquent in their writing while covering some foreboding issues.

The Housekeeper’s Son is somewhat dark in the content it covers, while still maintaining a clean read. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book becomes a literary classic. I appreciate that the author doesn’t try to gloss over the pernicious happenings that the characters do and experience. This makes the book feel more alive to me.

Loke’s portrayal of the small Utah town is ironically true. It could be any Christian small town in America, and any reader could imagine the characters of the town behaving in just such a manner.

The only downside to this book is that I wanted just little bit more. The ending was well done, but my mind wasn’t ready to leave the story yet. I think I would have liked just a few more pages to see what had happened to the other characters that were involved. Maybe I needed to have an epilogue or something to make me feel more satisfied.

Anyway, despite this small complaint, I did enjoy the book. I give it four out of five stars. Check it out – I’ll bet you’ll get sucked into it like I did.

Hi everyone! Enjoy this fun guest post. Isn’t it amazing where inspiration can come from?

Cars have become embedded in every facet of our society, maybe even more so then computers. Think about it. There have been TV show’s, movies, books, video games and even music all devoted to cars. In fact some songs about cars are so famous that nearly everyone knows them and they have earned their place in history. Here are just a few of them.

Don McLean’s “American Pie” is hands down one of the most iconic songs in American history. Okay, it may not exactly be about cars, but everyone knows the phrase, “drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry.” The song was originally written in 1971 about the deaths of rock legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. However, McLean later wrote another version to include numerous other living artists. The song was a huge hit and has come to symbolize the good old days of rock ‘n roll, and America. In fact, the song was number one on the Billboard charts for four weeks straight. It also inspired Roberta Flack to compose and record the also famous song, “killing me softly.” Few songs are considered to be as important as American Pie.

Moving a decade forward into the 1980’s will give us another hit about a car. Not only are we moving up in time but also in car quality as “Pink Cadillac” was play on the radio. Okay, you might think this is a tribute to Mary Kay cosmetics but it wasn’t and ironically enough the song wasn’t originally a hit. Bruce Springsteen wrote and released on the B side of “Dancing in the Dark” in 1984.  It received nominal play on rock radio and peaked the Billboards at number 27. It wasn’t until four years later when Natalie Cole covered it that it hit the top ten charts. That being said, in case you wondering, yes, it is a sexual reference as well.

Keeping with the 1980’s theme finds us with yet another hit song also about a Chevy with Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” Debuting in 1983 on Prince’s album 1999, it was his first album to hit the top ten on the Billboards’ Hot 100 list finishing at number 6. Surprisingly, it was also his first song to do better on the pop charts then the R&B charts, thanks largely in part to the poppy chorus. Once again this song is also a sexual euphemism but like Pink Cadillac, most people don’t realize this. Chevy could hardly ask for a better promotional song.

Of course there are many other famous songs about cars, many continuing the sexual theme such as Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” and “Drive My Car” by the Beatles. Of course don’t forget any number of country songs about used cars trucks. Who knew that cars could provide such creative inspiration?

Rusty Jefferson like in the golden state of California. He writes about pop culture, music and life. Enterprise Car Sales is one example of where to find your own car to inspire your music.

Enjoy this guest blog by Chris Hoole!

You may have dreamed of being paid to write, but the reality might not live up to your expectations. Yes writing is a wonderful career to choose and it has many benefits such as being able to work from home, having the chance to write about things you love and being paid for being creative but there are down sides too and knowing how to work through these negatives can help to ensure you create great content even if your heart isn’t in it.

More Facts than Fiction

Writing for a living doesn’t necessarily mean you are able to write stories all day. In truth most writers working from home find they are constantly writing for companies who are looking to market their business online or through printed materials. If you write for a company who specialising in products you love this can be great fun, but many business out there will be marketing services and some of these can be completely out of your comfort zone, which can make writing turn from a pleasure into a chore.

Set Your Writing Free

If you have been educated in creative writing you can help to remain fresh and in love with your job by using some of the common exercises that help creative juices flow.  Free writing is a great exercise that can help you come up with ideas for topics you are uncomfortable with. Write down anything you want about the topic, you could end up with questions that inspire your next posts and then it is down to you to find out the answers and write the piece aimed at people like you who know little about the subject. Offering advice and answering questions is a great way of building a valuable blog or viable article that can really help optimise websites.

Watching people is also beneficial to writers and something that can constantly prove to be useful. Although it is rude to eavesdrop if you are in a café or waiting for a bus listen to the conversations around you. Learn what makes people tick, listen out for opinions and study the body language of those around you. While this may not help directly with your tedious writing task you can find it is useful to put yourself in the mind of the audience you are writing for.

Research and Read

If you have a regular client who wants unique content on a topic you don’t feel passionate about it is a good idea to spend time researching. By reading great blog posts, news articles and visiting similar websites you can quickly educate yourself on the basics, and from their your knowledge will be given a chance to grow. Sign up to newsletters, take advantage of free eBooks and use your time to learn something new. You may discover you do have an interest for the subject after all. This is one area that really helps me to stay in love with writing, I constantly learn new things and I enjoy finding a passion for something I felt nothing for previously.

Get Away from it All

Some days the brain will simply refuse to play ball, and on those days it is better to leave the page empty and get out of the house. Going for a walk or browsing in shops can help to reenergise your brain, plus you never know when inspirations will strike. When you go out always take a pen and paper, iPad or phone that allows you to add notes. That way if an idea does come into your mind, and it probably will, you have the ability to write it down and use it later.

These methods are used by many copywriters who remain passionate about each job they are working on. Find the passion in your writing to produce your best work.