Posted by admin on Jun 13, 2010 in
news,
opinion 
Every summer it happens. With minimum warning and fanfare, TV suddenly becomes a ‘blokes only zone’, matches are played with pomp and honour, and silence must reign in case one was to miss an all important stumble or kick. Of course, this tends to only apply to the non football fan, as it is fine for the fan themselves to groan, grasp and burp their way through unseasonabley long games. There are banners in every pub, glowing footballs in the supermarkets and dubious songs on the radio.
People speak in hushed tones about ‘football widows’ those poor aimless creatures who are left on the shelf and have to retire from any partner based activity till the season is over. A widow refers to anyone partnered with fan, so it can equally go the other way (and yes, I agree that’s a sexist term, but that’s not the point I’m making now).
These poor pathetic football widows must spend the football time crawling through ASOS online and trying to find outfits that will entice their no good halves away from the screen, for just a short while.
Really? Like, really? I understand that if you’re ACTUALLY A PLAYER then yes, your partner will get short shrift in the season, but as for all the fans, uh uh. If you’re into the game enough to forgo any sort of fun with your partner, then what the hell are you doing with them? You shouldn’t absolve yourself of all priorities when you get in a relationship, but putting TV over them, c’mon? Read more…
Tags: Football Widows, World Cup Football
Posted by admin on May 11, 2010 in
beauty,
lists,
opinion 
I’ve been sitting on this post for a while for fear of offending any of my friends in the beauty PR world* but a recent rise in particularly impressive events has lead me to believe that a post like this could only be viewed as constructive. I’ve worked online for many years now in a variety of sectors, and whilst ‘meetups’ in other areas such as technology have been widely accepted for years now (probably due to the fact that the web is a technological phenomenon) other sectors have been less than ready to accept the blogosphere as a reputable form of journalism. To ease confusion I will say that by blogs I encapsulate EVERYTHING from company run websites such as Cosmopolitan.com and Handbag.com to smaller sites such as www.Cultbeauty.co.uk, www.Kissandmakeup.tv and people who blog personally- every bit as professional, but not necessarily full time, such as British Beauty Blogger or Lipglossiping. To an extent one could even argue that those who blog personally are less restricted by advertising demands and the requirements of their companies, and are therefore either more honest or more in depth (due to no time constraints) but that’s a whole other post.
Suffice to say, PR companies are now getting on board with bloggers and are hosting more and more events tailored specifically to this domain. I can’t applaud this more, it shows creativity, innovation and suggest that companies are embracing rather than being scared of new media. Just because you have an idea though, doesn’t always mean it’s implemented right, no matter how good the intention may have been. Here is my short guide on the things that companies are doing right and a couple of points on what they could do better.
Good things to Do.
Number One: Think about the Timing of The Event- and the Location
A meetup is all well and good, and a really nice way for the PR’s to get to know bloggers, and bloggers to meet each other in person. However many bloggers do NOT work full time and scheduling an event in the middle of the day means you’re automatically ruling out a majority of attendees. It’s a lovely plan, but you have to think realistically, and if it’s the bedroom bloggers you want to reach, and evening, or dare I say it-weekend- would be much more ideal. How are you planning for people who live out of town? Whilst major media outlets may be primarily based in London, for an event you’ll be bringing together from all over the country, so be prepared to offer travel expenses, or miss out on some high profile attendees
Number Two: Give them Images..of EVERYTHING!
Bloggers and web editors have one major thing in common- we work online. C’mon, that should be simple enough to figure out! So help us help you- give us IMAGES in JPEGs, CD’s, USB drives, we don’t mind, just give them to us NOW and don’t fill our bags with paper releases. Don’t promise to send us emails later, and then forget, hand us a USB stick with all the pics we could ever need. Make sure everything you say is there is ACTUALLY there, and if it’s not tell us why. If a product is an exclusive to someone, tell us why we don’t have the image, don’t let us run all the way home and then be infuriated when we load up our computer. Read more…
Tags: beauty blogger meetup, Beauty Bloggers, Beauty blogging
Posted by admin on Jan 6, 2010 in
lists,
opinion 
A year has passed since I officially started this site, and a lot has changed for me. I’ve moved accommodation 4 times, participated as a judge in three awards, and read a startling number of books on a wide variety of topics. I’ve been to Thailand, and Australia, experienced three weddings and suffered through the mortgage discussions of four of my friends. The statistics on this site have risen from a measly 200 per week to an average of 16000 uniques a month, and the search terms aren’t just pornography (though Peter Andre does come up a fair amount).
Looking back over the year, I realize how far I’ve come, and how my tastes have changed. I’m more ebook obsessed than ever, I’ve become a convert to the Android mobile interface, and I’ve discovered what it feels like to have a fish pedicure (more on that later). I’ve laughed, cried, and lived, and have somehow made it through all the confusing pathways to end up where I am now.
Perusing last years resolutions here I’m happy to realize I’ve completed a fair amount of them, and have decided that this year I’m going to work even harder to accomplish the following list! Annoyingly, some are repeats, as I managed 5 out of the 15, but this year I intend to receive top marks.
1. Work on my novel, and finish first draft by September. I have a title, I have a plot, and I have a vague idea of where it’s all going. More to come when I reach 50,000 words.
2. Visit the gym 150 times. That sounds like a lot, but if you think that the year is 365 days, that’s only around 3 times a week. Everytime I set a fitness goal I tend to fail it, so maybe doing it this way means I can tick it off. For the record, by gym I mean any physical activity that involves sweat (not bowling/ sex obv)and lasts over 40 minutes- so cardio classes/tennis etc can all count as a session.
3. Visit a country I’ve never been to. This was last years resolution and though it was fulfilled, I still want to explore- there are so many places to see and do. On that note, my next point- Read more…
Tags: 2010, ebook, new year, new year resolutions
Posted by admin on Oct 28, 2009 in
opinion,
technology 
It’s common knowledge that the youth of today are far more technologically minded then we used to be. For one, they don’t need to queue at school for 15 minutes of grace on an outdated dial-up Gateway computer, and two; they’re dazzled with gadgets that connect them to the web and are heavily involved in social networking. There’s no denying that in ten years time our knowledge will becomes outdated, if not obsolete, with fresh faced twenty something’s running rings round us with intuitive understanding of the latest developments in touch and 3D technology.
It seems manufacturers agree with this idea, as they’ve decided to target kids early. This year has seen the rise of the e-reader, the actualization of 3DTV and Android OS taking off, but it’s also seen a wide range of tech products created which TARGET TWEENS. But what’s so weird about this strategy is that the products they’re using to tempt children into tech are actually really good and well thought out. They’re not just slapping a can of pink/blue paint on a toy, adding in batteries and expecting impressionable youths to be wowed, we’re talking his spec Disney themed netbooks and headphones created to fit the miniature proportions of children’s ears. Read more…
Tags: Asus Disney, Classmate, technology, tweens, Xmas
Posted by admin on Oct 12, 2009 in
Celebrity,
opinion
Perhaps I’m naive, and expect slightly more from the youth of today. I can forgive them their gum chewing, cider swilling antics and even shrug nonchalantly as they fill our parks with spittle and cigarette butts, but I’ve just discovered a board game that makes me deplore their long term life choices (and yes, I’m fully aware of how condescending this sounds, having once been a gum-chewing teen myself).
When I was younger it was considered rather scandalous to play Dream Phone – an interactive board game about discovering your secret admirer, with sweet Americanized nothings whispered down a touch-tone pink phone. How we’d giggle as we passed the phone around, feeling slightly outrageous and grown up, never thinking that the next-gen of board games would take things to a whole new level.
Last year’s best-selling perfume wasn’t one of the many high end scents that pushed the boundaries with new ingredients and interesting topnotes, instead it was Stunning, by Katie Price. The bottles design looks like it had been stolen from a kids Barbie’s Dream house, and the smell was pure saccharine, think strawberries and sugar-coated candy with a high level of E-numbers. Considering this, the creation of the ‘Page 3 Idol’ game shouldn’t shock me, but it still does. Read more…
Tags: glamour girls, Katie Price, Page 3 model
Posted by admin on Sep 16, 2009 in
opinion 
The sign of a great show is that you leave half-stepping to the closing routine whilst trying desperately to remember the lyrics of the catchiest song. When I went to Wicked I didn’t stop humming ‘Popular’ for about a week, but Sister Act had me feeling less than excited. I left the show raving about the amazing production values; the interchangeable scenery, the beautifully bewildering set display, (which converted the stage into a nunnery, brothel and church scene), and the way it took place without a whisper of machinery.
But no humming was involved at all.
But why was this? I loved the film, which was the reason I decide to go, and the fact that Whoopi Goldberg, star of the original, had a hand in the production seemed like a good sign. Problem was that the musical didn’t contain any of the tunes I loved so much, so rather than a nostalgic trip back into my childhood, I was greeted with a re-jigged storyline with a completely new soundtrack. Read more…
Tags: musical, sister act, theatre, whoopi goldberg
Posted by admin on Jul 8, 2009 in
geekery,
lists,
opinion,
technology 
Games and kids. They go together like Ribena and Hobnobs or anything of the confectionery nature, but all too often parents tend to regard console antics equal to truancy in terms of desired activities for their lil ‘uns. But I don’t think this is necessarily fair or wise, and think the perception that games ares somehow wasteful, pointless and a bad influence should be counteracted.
I’d go so far as to say kids should be actively ENCOURAGED to pick up a Playstation pad as there is wealth of learning to be had from gametime that will be invaluable to their future development.
And here’s why.
-They teach you patience and reward you with bonus levels
How many hours did you have to play Zelda before you learnt the moves that would unlock the realm? It wasn’t just handed to you on a plate now was it- to succeed in games takes time, skill and dedication, all qualities we should want to foster in the youth of today. Magical realism now, surgeons of the future in ten years?
-They improve hand eye co-ordination
Team games are great but not every kid has the skills or the confidence to run straight into rounders or tennis. The majority of games require you to be very dexterous with your fingers which will improve your ability to react and interact with moving objects. Naturally the Wii takes this to a whole new level, and should boost confidence and aptitude when playing IRL. Read more…
Tags: children, gaming
