Yet another disappointment...

It comes to no surprise that we are starting another new year with yet another disappointment. 2008 brings its bad luck into 2009 with Woolworths alongside a string of other retailers closing down. For over 90 years the store has served a great purpose within small communities and cities across the country.

The seriousness of the economy hit home to me when I saw hoards of people crowding the shop with a motive to bag a bargain. Many left with shelving and bags of black bin liners full of discounted purchases. I bought a newly released album for just £1.50 and a stack of chocolate that came to £3. It's scary to think that this is only a small snap shot of people who have lost their jobs. It was reported yesterday in The Sun that 1 in 10 workers will be unemployed by April, which if my Maths is correct works out at 3,000,000 people. Of course, this doesnt take into account employers of small businesses.

I don't pay much attention to the state of the ecomony but our future looks gloomy. More homes are being re-possessed, the price of food and drink is still sky high and recent figures show the pound is 98 p to 1 euro. The only good thing is the price of petrol and diesel has dropped to the price it was in 2004 and mortgage rates have dropped too.

I seriously hope that the Government takes productive action to make Britain a better place. The attrocity of the economy will have a knock on affect with tourists coming to the country in the summer time, and over all the immigration percentage will soar as Britons know they will stand a better standard of living elsewhere.

Hopefully 2009 will bring us some luck!

Snapper sues Rihanna

I recently read in the OK magazine, that a Hollywood Pap Luis Santane is in talks of suing the R'n'B singing sensation Rihanna $1,000,000. It is alleged the star's bodyguards 'attacked' the photographer, after he managed to take a picture of Rihanna and fellow R 'n' B crooner Chris Brown 'making sweet music' together back in May.

According to Santane, Rihanna's 'heavies' attacked him for taking a picture of the pop sensations through the open window of their limo. He went onto say that he was beaten and that his £1,500 camera was stolen, and the picture would have made a fortune because the couple weren't officially an item.

The pair have gone to great lengths to hide the true nature of their relationship. Rihanna's publicist denied the "pair are a couple."

I'm curious as to why Rihanna's body guards were able to 'beat' this guy for doing his job? I'm in the position where I want to scoop an exclusive, it's the nature of the industry that I am in.

As an elite person, Rihanna like any other celebs have to respect is this pap was only doing his job, and interfering paps and journos comes with the celeb industry. In recent cases it seems celebrities enjoy physically lashing out at paps.

In a classic case, a deranged Britney Spears attacked a pap with an umbrella for taking a picture of her. Funny and unusual it seems, it is frightening for the person who is on the receiving end of a punch and who maybe sued by the court for intervening.

The courts take seriously cases of media intervention. However where is the punishment when a celeb or bodyguard imposes physical violence on the media? It begs the question as to whether the law should restrict the power in which bodyguards/celebs can impose on media people?

social networking mania

Is it me or has socal network sites bombarded our lives? Where has the time gone when people spoke to one another on the phone and sent letters to loved ones across the seas. It appears the growth in technology has dominated and changed the way in which we communicate to people. The development in the internet has meant strong concerns surrounding the issue identity, which links to the increasily common problem of child paedophillia.

Alongside this fear, I acknowledge that simple precautions can be taken to prevent this from affecting anyone. It is of human interest to be nosy, i.e. why is that person crying? What has so-and-so been up to this weekend? It seems social sites satisfies our growing interest to interefere with others peoples' lives.

It comes to something when at any given opportunity to go onto the internet, I always sign into facebook first before I do any productive work. But in my opinion, 'social networks are the best thing since sliced bread'. In the last two years I have climatised myself to the fact that random people will access my Bebo account and glance through my pictures and post comments to me. It is inevitable that if you don't want people to know about your private life then don't bother publicating yourself.

It does frustrate me how the success of such sites has meant many corporations jumping onto the bandwagon. I find it extremely frustrating when two social sites are set out in the same format. Which leads me nicely onto Facebook.

Since the introduction of Bebo in 2005, facebook has generated equal success through targeting an older audience. At first I was reluctant to give into the temptation of signing upto the site. Friends pestered me about "how I was missing out and Bebo is a 'chavvy' networking site." But in honesty, I seen the site as a replica of Bebo.

However in recent months, I have noticed a growing trend in teens of my age switching to facebook. Admittedly I now prefer facebook to bebo. So does that mean bebo is on its way out? Or is facebook just a phase people are going through and in time will become bored of?

The end of an era

As you may have gathered, Christmas is rapidly approaching! Which can only mean one thing for avid saturday night entertainment fans...the count down to the winner of talent shows.

We are in the height of rivalry between the shows who want popularity and the contestants who are eager to be crowned the winner. Of course, once Strictly Come Dancing and the X Factor finishes, people will be rushing out to buy the winner's single and spend the first few days of January following a Strictly Come Dancing exercise on DVD to shift the Christmas pounds.

Whilst on the topic, I must mention that Saturday's X Factor was an absolute farce. The people who voted to boot Ruth Lorenzo out of the competiton clearly must have had ear plugs embedded into their ears whilst she was singing. Out of all the acts she was the best by far! As for the sqeaky clean teenage lovebirds, Diana Vickers and Eughan Quigg who merely escaped eviction, must to my surprise.

We mustn't forget, this is a talent competition not who is the 'nicest and cutiest person' competition. Of course the contestants left have talent otherwise they would have been told to leave during the audition process. But surely, viewers are just saving the acts they like and not basing their votes on who is the best singer/performer. Week after week, Ruth has provided fantastic entertainment, personally she is the only reason why I have been watching the show for so long.

In terms of who will win, and lets face it there isn't much competition, Alex is the queen of the show!

tantastic!

Finally ladies something that will put a smile on your face!

Whilst enjoying some retail therapy, my friend shrieked "oh my god! Have you heard about the new injection which makes you tan?" confused I replied "no." So I decided to go away and research the phenomenon that was going to change women's lives across the UK.

The unlicensed drug is being used by many women to create an even all over body tan. Despite Melanotan injections being illegal in the UK, it can be easily bought off the internet and found in some beauty salons and gyms. Health experts are warning women not to use it as clinical trials are ongoing.

The injection is easy to use and the results are quick and effortless. It works through women injecting Melanotan into their arm once a day for 10 days. If after the first ten days you are happy with your colour then to maintain it inject yourself once a week. However if you want to be darker then continue injecting yourself once a day for another 10 days.

Melanotan mimicks the effect of a hormone, once it is injected it increases the amount of Melanon your body naturally produces. Melanon is the dark pigment in your skin that makes you go brown. Side effects like hot flushes, lack of appetite and nausea are common.

It would seem the celebrity 'airbrushed' culture has forced women to strive for the same look, regardless of the risks. Over the years, spray tans, lotions and sunbeds have been a popular and cheap way of achieving a tan, despite lotions leaving an annoying patch of streaky tan and sun beds UV rays increasing the chance of skin cancer.

For now it seems spray tans, beds and lotions will be overlooked. However it is unlikely the injection will be legalised in the near future.

Do you think it's a good idea or not?

Was it a tactical vote?

For those of you who watched X Factor on saturday, you will have seen the controversial sing off between Laura White and Ruth Lorenzo.

As all X Factor fans know the two worst singers battle it out in the final sing off to sing in next weeks show. Shockingly, the two best contestants were unforgivably in the bottom this week. Even Simon Cowell said "I honestly do not know what went wrong with the voting tonight."

After two outstanding performances both contestants waited for their fate to be revealed. My gut reaction was the Spanish senorita would be waltzing off, clearly not... Simon obviously chose big busted Ruth to stay, Cheryl inevitably wanted to save her act Laura, Danni likewise saved her act Ruth. The final decision was left up to Louis.

Like all judges Louis wants one of his acts to win the show, so you eradicate the competition that act as a barrier to the prize. When betting shops said Miss White is favourite to win the show, other competitors felt disheartened that the competition was against them. Ruth whose been in the bottom two before suggests she's not popular with the public, despite being a fantastic singer.

After thinking this theory through, Louis decided to send home Laura "regretably". Laura kept her head up high, whilst sour faced judge Cheryl grunted "it was a tactical vote"! Just goes to show Cheryl doesn't take kindly to losing. Well personally, Laura isn't one of my favourite singers, but I don't think she deserved to have been voted out of the competition at such an early stage. Ruth deserves to win, regardless who the public vote to save! As for Daniel, well, I can not believe why the public haven't voted him off? Simon and Louis are as baffled as myself, in all fairness it the good ones which are leaving so he can howl in the microphone week after week.

Do you think Louis's vote was tactical?

Remembering the ones who helped us...

Inevitably this time of year is the saddest occassion for people whose loved ones died in WWI. Regardless of age, ethnicity and relationship with the soldiers who died 90 years ago in the trenches, people across the world will gather to pay their respects, to those who braved the treacherous conditions.

Rememberance day, other wise known as poppy day, is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war today. Behind the trauma, after the war ended, the League of Nations was created as an international organisation to avoid future wars occurring. Societies across the world breathed a sign of relief, that future differences can be solved in a diplomatic way. Obviously, WWII rejected this notion.

Above all, we must remember that 'our soldiers' endured extreme conditions for the sake of peace. A staggering 60 million people died within the 4 years of battle. Tomorrow at 11 am across the country a 2 minute silence will be held to remember the ones who helped us. Wear your poppy with pride!

Half term horror

It comes to something when you spend your entire holiday reading. I'm not talking about a story book! I'm talking about text books. I didn't realise that when I started university, I would end up dedicating my entire halfterm to McNae's: essential law for journalists. Who ever said university students 'doss' clearly do not know what they are talking about.

As far as my social life is concerned, it is now officially non existant! Whatever happened to spending halfterm socialising with friends and taking up a new hobby? I have found out that I don't have time to eat and sleep let alone go out for the day with friends.

Before I started uni, people would bang on that 'the best years of your life is spent at university'. For some reason, my thoughts do not echo that. Instead they scream who ever wrote McNae's law book must be a law freak!!

Not only are students feeling they are doing to much work, but it is becoming a popular trend for school kids to bring tons of school work home for their parents to do. My argument is whatever happened to keeping school work in the classroom?

Days just fly by...

What a drab weekend!

I can't even remember what I did that is how bad it was. Unlike many, I didn't have a highlight. Well, actually staying in bed for an extra hour on sunday morning was good. It's a reflection on me (i'm boring!).

I love this time of year, driving to university on a crisp autumn morning with hazy sunshine in my eyes waking me up. Children dressed up in 'scary' costumes from Woolworths pestering pensioners with tricks. Firework displays lighting up the dark and gloomy skies.

At one time summer was my favourite time, but in recent years we no longer enjoy hot lazy summer days instead we paddle in water that surrounds our neighbourhood.

One thing that i'm sure parents aren't so excited about is the fact Christmas is approaching rapidly. In two months time, we can celebrate the end of another year and start repaying Christmas debts (yay!)

Ah well, until next time...

Outrage or a good idea?

Only just this week did the Scout Association propose that scouts should have sex education lessons. Personally, I was gobsmacked...

For more than 100 years, boys as young as 6 have been taught valuable life skills from putting up a tent to lighting a fire. But is it really ideal to teach kids about the 'birds and the bees'?

Understandably, parents are concerned as to whether the proposal is necessary, especially at such a young age. Certainly parents will carefully consider sending their child in the future to scouts.

It can be argued, a childs' purity will decrease if they are aware of 'adult behaviour'. Every parent squirms when it comes to sitting down and talking about sex. Nonetheless it remains the parents' duty to discuss this with their children rather than a teacher.

The argument questions: too much too soon?

More info http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3224714/Scout-Association-to-teach-sex-education.html#comments