Monthly Archives: October 2010

Anouska Hempel joins the world famous design team at yoo

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International design and branding company yoo is delighted to announce a new working relationship with Anouska Hempel. Respected in the design world for her hotel and residential projects, Hempel is the latest high-profile designer to join yoo – alongside Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Kelly Hoppen and Jade Jagger.

Collaborative design is at the core of the yoo brand. Entering its 11th year yoo remains an innovator in the style-led property sector with unique interiors, architecture and branding. ‘yoo inspired by Anouska Hempel’ will create Contemporary, Asian, Classical and Best of British designs for yoo, on soon-to-be-announced projects.

Chairman of yoo, John Hitchcox says, “Anouska will bring her famously glamorous, slick and high-end aesthetic, which has already proven to have an international appeal, into yoo’s established stable of designers. We are very much looking forward to working with Anouska Hempel to create living spaces with her beautiful and distinctive design stamp.”

Hitchcox has equipped yoo with a strong global identity, making his firm an international lifestyle brand synonymous with exceptional developments around the globe, and bringing the designs of Starck, Hempel, Jagger, Wanders and Hoppen new homes and new markets. yoo was one of the first brands to realise the power of collaboration in its residential design projects – an approach now used widely to capitalise on a growing market of design-savvy purchasers.

Anouska Hempel’s studio, Anouska Hempel Design, has established a strong international reputation for its skill in delivering glorious architecture and interiors including luxury hotels, restaurants, stores, private residences and yachts as well as products which include tableware and outdoor furniture. Hempel firmly believes in ensuring that every part of a design scheme is tailored to the needs of the most discerning client, with the highest expectations of quality and finish.

Anouska Hempel comments, “There has to be an amusement factor… a sense of wit, and human eccentricity… The four design styles for yoo symbolise the evolution of Anouska Hempel Design’s style and my passion for travelling and fusing different cultures. Anouska Hempel Design’s spaces are a successful marriage of exuberance and restraint; elegance and simplicity; creativity and tradition – adding up to spaces of the future, places filled with life, fantasies and desires.”

Appy Halloween. {Software}

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GetJar’s top five scariest apps to keep the horror alive this Halloween

Halloween has been celebrated for centuries by families all over the world, with traditions such as trick or treat and duck apple still being played to this day. But this year, mobile apps are playing a big part in Halloween celebrations.

GetJar, the world’s second largest mobile apps store after Apple, has over 75,000 mobile applications available to download for virtually every mobile handset. There are hundreds of spooky apps available to download for free – perfect for scaring even those with the most hardened of nerves, or simply for a bit of ghostly fun.

From noises of the eerie supernatural that holler when darkness hits and the full moon appears, GetJar has plenty of apps that can turn mobiles into the ultimate scare machine. Trick or treaters will be guaranteed to send shivers down the spines of friends, and might even result in an abundance of sweets and tasty pumpkin pie.

To get people in the frighteningly festive spirit, here are GetJar’s top five must-have Halloween apps:

Halloween Soundboard Scary Sound Effects – Be it brothers, sisters, mums or dads, this app is guaranteed to scare anyone close enough to hear the terrifying sounds of ghosts and ghouls.

Horror Attack – The most awaited prank has made its way to mobiles. Scaring friends has never been so much fun and really separates the men from the mice.

Dectectoplasm – Ever suspected that spirits may too be living in the house? This app helps detect kinetic activity or to put it simply, will tell if a ghost is also sleeping in the bed.

Soundbox Horror – Not for the faint-hearted, this app takes scary sound effects to the next level. Choose from spine-chilling screams, the sound of limbs being ripped off, deadly groans and more.

Oscar Wilde: The Canterville Ghost – Ghost stories and Halloween go hand in hand. Read the famous horror story from Oscar Wilde with friends and let imaginations run wild.

To find these ghoulish apps and more, visit www.getjar.com.

Radox names Victoria Beckham THE modern day ‘PhenomeMUM’.

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New study crowns modern mums the ‘Mistresses of Multi Tasking’

The Clocks Go Back Giving ‘PhenomeMUM’ A Well Needed Break

Phew – Mums are exhausted! They are at it over 20 times a day …. Multitasking that is!!

With the modern Mum doing over 20 different task every day (please NOTE there are only 24hrs and even Mums have to sleep) that is a lot of multi tasking and a pretty big to do list!

52% percent of mums are able to do four different tasks at any one time; a typical scenario could include putting the dinner in the oven, whilst chatting to a friend on the phone, whilst bending down to feed a pet, whilst tying up a pair of shoes whilst, whilst watching Eastender’s, whilst and logging onto the internet to pay the heating bill and check their twitter account.

When questioned what celebrity mums the PhenomeMums most admire, Davina McCall and Angelina Jolie were up there with Victoria Beckham, who’s multi tasking skills were the envy of modern mothers; juggling three boys, creating a fashion empire, owning a handful of houses and travelling the world, all while wearing high heels is pretty impressive!

The PhenomeMUM- an overview

1 – She does over 20 different tasks a day

2 – She has to have eyes in the back of her head, and eight arms to allow her to do all the housework (93%), food shopping (92%), cooking the evening meals (88%), washing up (85%), disciplining the kids (77%), helping with homework (73%) & paying the household bills (72%)!

3 – She has secret super powers:

· 66% ‘Queen Multitasker’ (no matter how busy she is, she will get everything done in the fastest time possible)

· 33% Florence Nightingale (on call 24/7 and have a medicine cupboard that rivals Boots)

· 26% Chef Extraordinaire (any meal, anytime, anywhere) and UN Peace Maker (kids, partners, in-laws she can keep it all together 24/7).

4 – they are beating the men of the household hands down with one in 20 PhenomeMums reported the ability to do over ten things more than their partners in any given hour.

But, there is a problem, 77% PhenomeMUMs feel more like OverwhelMUM with 84% feeling a pressure to be good at everything 24/7, 83% saying that there are not enough hours in the day and 82% feel their to-do list is endless often running out of hours to do everything!

So Radox asked the PhenomeMums what they wanted? 65% said ‘more time to myself’

Radox asked to do what? 59% to read a book and 50% in the bath

Well bobs your uncle, wishes can come true!

Radox has answered every PhenomeMums dream by teaming up with leading website – Mumsnet – to sponsor their book club for six months. From this Sunday they will be calling on all Mums to take a Selfish Reading Hour AND they will be giving away thousands of free books each month – so there is NO excuse not to!

So ‘PhenomeMUMs’ log onto www.be-selfish.co.uk/selfishreadinghour-mumsnet and claim your Selfish Reading Hour.

Be upstanding for The President of the United States…Jon Stewart reels in the big fish.

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I can hardly contain my excitement…I love Jon Stewart, I love the Daily Show and I think Barack Obama is one cool dude. It’s like Christmas has came early as now…

Please be upstanding for the President of The United States of America…. Barack Obama…. Jon Stewart’s guest on The Daily Show. Tonight at 8.30pm on More4.

Mr Obama was making his first appearance as President on Jon Stewart’s satirical The Daily Show – in a studio that was transported to Washington DC, along with the audience.

For Mr Stewart, a chance to show his slightly more serious side – as he quizzed the President on his record.

“You ran on very high rhetoric, hope and change, and the Democrats this year seem to be running on, ‘Please baby, one more chance’,” he quipped – as Obama defended his policies on health care and financial regulation.

“When we promised during the campaign ‘change you can believe in’…it was ‘change you can believe in – but we’re going to have to work for it.” Barack Obama

There is a preview of the two heavyweights going at it below.

Obama had to defend his policy and record so far as Stewart slammed him hard. All is not looking too rosy for the President, In fact the latest poll for the New York Times has some far more worrying news for the Democrats: it’s not just young people who are disillusioned, but other key elements of the coalition which swept Obama to power are actively switching to the Republicans.

According to the survey – the GOP has managed to wipe out the Democratic advantage among women, Catholics, the less affluent and independent voters. Not only that, but the Republicans are now far and away the party most trusted to handle the budget deficit, while President Obama’s own approval ratings still languish at around 43 per cent.

Last night, in a conference call with volunteers from “Organising for America” – tasked with trying to get out the vote for Democrats in these last few crucial days – Obama told them: “We’ve got to run through the tape. We can’t just run half a race: we’ve got to keep on going.”

The White House has just six days left to persuade its erstwhile supporters there’s still some hope left, and still some change to come.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Weeknights at 8.30pm on More4. www.channel4.com/dailyshow

Republic Launches Shoe Collection {Fashion}

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Highstreet retailer Republic are well known for being the one-stop-shop for brands such as Bench, Diesel and Firetrap.  But, mid-November 2010 will see the launch of their first shoe collection, from designers Miso and Crafted.

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Day time footwear comes in the form of ankle boots with studs and shearling details, biker boots and ballerina pumps.  Night time brings stilettos with bows, and pumps with jewels.

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If you can’t wait for these great shoes in store go online at republic.co.uk where you’ll get free delivery on all orders over £50 until Sunday.

 

 

Crafted Clog Boot £59.99

Miso Bow Back Shoes in Red £34.99

by Tamar Kendall

Derek Lam’s Ebay Capsule Collection {Fashion}

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TOD’s creative director, designer Derek Lam has teamed up with online auction site, eBay to create an exclusive capsule collection. The collection will be shown at New York Fashion Week in February, after which, members of the public will be able to vote online to choose which pieces should be put into production. The collection will then be available from Spring 2011.

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Ebay say the prices will be ‘accessible’, which sounds like there will be fashion bargains galore. If you can’t wait until then, visit Lam’s online store for the AW2010 collection.

 

by Tamar Kendall

Kate Moss’ Final Topshop Collection {Fashion}

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Miss Kate Moss has unveiled her very final collection for highstreet giant, Topshop.

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The collection which will launch online on Tuesday 2nd November, captures Moss’ signature boho style, with a definate 70’s influence. Here are my favourites;

Add a bit of sparkle to any LBD with this Sequined jacket £180. That’s the party season sorted.

Stay warm this winter in this ‘so now’ striped jumper.

These gold velour shorts are adorable beyond words. Team up with wooly tights for a romantic winter look.

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For more info and to watch Kate and her friends preview the collection visit Topshop online.

by Tamar Kendall

A Look from the Left at the muddle in the middle. By Richard Wright

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Week 1: Change – so simple yet I don’t understand it

I speak to you as an observer of the left wing of British Politics. I am the voice of the loony left of Britain as certain elements of this fine publication would call it. And I sit in anticipation of what will happen to The Labour Party. The grand design to sweep Labour back into office? Change. Labour. A new generation for change. This is indeed a very lucrative if dangerous road to go for The Labour Party.

Recent political shenanigans in American politics should warn the Labour Party of such danger. Barack Obama swept his underdog Presidential campaign all the way to the white house taking Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats with him on a platform of change. Now, in the 2010 mid terms elections to both house and senate; the Republicans are on a mighty surge with a manifesto of, you guessed it, change. Labour be warned: preaching change sometimes gives people such a taste for change that when it’s not instant they look for it again. Much like a coffee hit first thing in the morning. And sometimes once you’ve had that first hit of caffeine it’s simply not enough and you need another one. It’s not the greatest analogy in the world but I haven’t had enough tea today. And I don’t want to have to think of a new one. That’s a potential Slogan for Ed Miliband to think about “Labour – it’ll do”. Maybe not.

The cynic in me says “change? You’re barely out of office surely you’d be changing what the previous Labour government was responsible for?” Well to put a convoluted and fence sitting answer to that – yes and no. As with all political theory it’s not really that simple. Take for example this little issue called simply “no it was your fault”. Well that’s what I call it anyway. As any good Labour supporter knows, and if you watch Allan Johnson speak in parliament are still constantly reminded, any failing of the previous administration was really a result of the previous administration to that which is ultimately all the fault of Thatcher. Basically to put it in political caveman talk – Labour made good thing but bad thing was that lot before us. Not me. Nope. We did good thing. Bad thing not us. Bad thing them. Anyway getting away from the translated rhetoric of the finest political minds this country has to offer we are left with this question – what I just said, right, that’s correct surely? Well…yes and no. Again it’s really not as simple as that. I wish I had better answers to these questions but I’m a socialist – answers aren’t my job okay, questions are.

Now, saying that Labour might have needed rebranding after the disaster that was Gordon Brown is probably about as big an understatement as saying the movie Avatar made a nice few quid. They needed re-branding. Oh how they needed re-branding. They needed dynamic leadership, a new energy, a new approach and…..oh dear. What we got was a new leader who looks like the work experience boy from a Wallace and Gromit movie and a shadow Chancellor who looks like a cross between former cricket umpire Dickie Bird and that old uncle you hope doesn’t come at Christmas cause his flatulence and racist jokes are annoying. As for Harriet Harman, well, she’s fine. I’m not saying anything negative about a lady who looks like she could knock me into the middle of next week and then somehow still be there to tell me all about the news I missed out on.

My concern is this – Is the Labour Party devoid of genuinely inspiring Leadership? Well, as much as I hate fence sitting, yes and no. The simple fact is that the entire Labour Party is slap bang in the middle of change. There’s that word again. Change. Mr Miliband is a different type of politician. In as much as he is very much like David Cameron and Nick Clegg. But he’s very different for the Labour Party. In as much as he’s not all that far removed from Tony Blair c.1994. It’s all very confusing. Change. No one really likes change because well it’s different. It’s something we haven’t had before. It’s new, New Labour. But not New Labour. Just a new Labour Party. But not The New Labour Party. Just the Labour Party but a bit different. And more new…but not in that way.

I may have to get back to you on this one.