1) Have an antivirus. You will need antivirus software. This is the best thing you can do for your computer. It will block viruses and stop you losing all of your data, or having your identity stolen through your data on your computer. Make sure your antivirus is scheduled to download updates and does a daily scan of your computer.
2) Keep your hard drive clean. There is software you can download to do this. Check out Cleaner. Also try and keep your digital life tidy. Go through your computer and delete things you do not need anymore. You can run a disk cleanup to remove temporary, unnecessary files. You can also run disk defragment about once a month. You do not need to overdo it. Remember to empty the trash too.
3) Be careful what you download. If you are unsure then do not download anything. If someone sends you a link with nothing else in the body of the email, or just a link on Twitter or Facebook, then do not click on it. They have probably been hacked and the link will not be genuine. Be aware that the link will be designed to get you to click on it. For example it might say ‘check out this funny picture of you’. Don’t believe it and don’t click.
4) Use a secure website brower. I am a Mac person and use Firefox (you can also use Firefox on a PC) or Safari. For windows Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.
5) Set up a Firewall. Firewalls control the information that goes in and out of your computer. This is essential for keeping out hackers. They also prevent Malware. PCs and Macs come with a basic Firewall installed so make sure it is turned on.
And finally….
Have a good, strong password.
What do you do to protect your computer and make it secure?
Coca-Cola has brought recycling fun to Scotland this month, introducing its Happiness Recycled initiative at two festivals; RockNess and the Royal Highland Show. I love Coca Cola but I always make sure I recycle my old bottles.
The campaign engaged people to recycle by bringing fun to the process, disposing of empty Coca Cola bottles at the two events in a variety of interesting ways. Including interactive bins, games and performers. These included a a giant flower pot and the chance to test their shooting skills in a game of basketball.
Recyclegoers also got to watch fun ‘Flash mob’ performances from the Coca Cola Enterprise cheerleaders. 20,000 people attending the Rockness festival with several thousand receiving photos and recycling themed tattoo. Sounds like lots of fun.
Another music profile from Frost Magazine. Let us know what you think.
Band: Beijing
Location: New Haven, CT USA
Styles: Indie Rock, Alt Rock, Garage Rock
Similar to: Sunny Day Real Estate, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World, The Breeders, Jeff Buckley
CD: Night (May 7, 2013)
Members/Instruments:
Bill Pruchnicki – drums
Eric Thornberg – vocals, guitar
Jack Hoppingarner – bass, vocals
Thom Smith – guitar, synth, vocals
Bio:
Beijing is an American alternative rock band from New Haven, CT. The band is comprised of Eric Thornberg (vocals/guitar), Thom Smith (guitar/synths), Bill Pruchnicki (drums) and Jack Hoopingarner (bass). Their style has elements of a dark, melancholy, alternative rock sound made famous in the 90’s by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Smashing Pumpkins, fused with big choruses and spacey guitar reminiscent of modern bands like Jimmy Eat World and Kings of Leon.
The band formed in the Spring of 2011 and released their debut EP, ‘It’s Not So Simple’. The four song EP consisted of simple and unique grunge rock inspired pop songs characterized by Thornberg’s unique vocal style set to a soundtrack of layered fuzz and amplifier feedback. The EP quickly catapulted Beijing to a national level with countless bloggers reporting on the EP and culminating the year by being named the underground band of the year by Beatcrave.com.
After spending most of late 2011 and early 2012 maturing together as a band and writing a massive amount of new material, Beijing headed into the studio to record their full length debut, ‘Night’. The album was released on May 7th, 2013. Inspired by feelings of love, loss and hope, ‘Night’ showcases the sound that Beijing has become. Dark and spacey melodies collide with huge distorted guitars, provoking emotion and thought inside of a dark and dense, yet beautiful atmosphere.
Beijing is currently supporting ‘Night’ and have begun writing a follow-up album to be released in early 2014.
Buying the perfect diamond engagement ring is not easy. There are serious hurdles to navigate and hopefully this article will help you with some of them. You’re about to spend a serious amount of money you need to keep her happy, remember she’s going to be wearing this thing for the rest of her life but you also don’t want to get ripped off!
How much should you spend?
The first thing to remember with this is that everyone will try and bully you into spending as much money as possible. No matter how much your actually planning to spend you will be made to feel like its not enough. Walk into a jewelers planning to spend £5000 and they will gently make you feel as though your budget is inadequate and encourage you to spend more. Magazines will insist that you spend a minimum of three months salary. The industry is very cleverly set up to make you spend as much as possible. Don’t feel pressured. Set a budget on what your happy to spend and stick with it. Remember you’ve got a wedding to pay for! If she loves you she will love the ring no matter what. If she’s the sort of women who checks the size of the ring before saying yes or no shes not worth marrying in the first place. That all being said know one likes a cheap skate so a £10 ring from Tesco is not going to cut it so keep reading.
Online or Not Online?
I love to make savings buying stuff online but diamond engagement rings are a definite exception. Every stone looks different and you must see it in person before you buy it, no picture will ever tell the story so forget about buying online. It also will sound very unromantic when your fiancee asks where you bought the ring and your forced to tell her it’s from online.
With Her or Without Her?
If your worried about making a mistake you can buy a plain band for when you propose and then buy the ring with her so you can be sure you get one she likes. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The advantage is you can be sure she gets what she wants.
The disadvantage is that your going to have to fork out if she falls in love with a ring. It also makes it much harder to negotiate when the jeweler knows you really want something. Proposing with a plain ring is also not as special and may detract from the moment.
Research
Doing your research is vital of you don’t want to make a mistake. It will mean you get the right ring and it could save you a fortune. The more you know the easier its going to be to negotiate and the more a jeweler will respect you.
Understanding the Four Cs
The look and value of a diamond is determined by four factors. Cut, Clarity, Carat and Colour
Cut
The cut is the only characteristic not determined by nature. A poorly cut diamond may have a compromised sparkle. The most common type of cut is the ’round cut’. In my opinion the traditional round cut or variations of it are by far the best cut because they sparkle the most, a lot more for example than the princess cut. However you should see all the cuts before making a decision. Types of cut include the the emerald, the pear, the marquise, the princess, the oval and the heart shape.
Clarity
The clarity is how perfectly the diamond has been formed in nature. Yes very few diamonds are perfectly flawless most will have little flaws which you can see under a magnifying glass. These flaws are called inclusions. Inclusions have a big impact on the value of a diamond
The grading of clarity according to the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America)
IF – Internally Flawless
VVS1 and VVS2 Very very slightly included inculsions which are very difficult to see even under 10x magnification
VS1 and VS2 – Very Slighty Included – Difficult to see under 10x magnification
SI1 and SI2 – Slightly Included – Easy for a trained grader to see under 10x magnification
I1, I2 – Included obvious inclusions usually visible to the naked eye
I3 – Large inclusions that typically impact the fire of the diamond and potentially threaten the structure of the stone
Inclusions are a big part of why you need to see a diamond in person. Inclusions can affect the sparkle or fire of a diamond. Sometimes a diamond which has a higher grade may actually have a bigger impact on sparkle than a lower grade. People can make to bigger deal about inclusions. Remember a diamonds inclusion make it unique. Personally I think the money you would spend to buy a VS diamond would be better spent on carat or colour. You should however try to avoid severe inclusions which might compromise a stones sparkle or structure. Again this a personal choice and you must find for yourself what you want but I think the SI categories often offers the best value. Remember though that two diamonds from the same category might look completely different. You must judge how the stone looks.
Colour
The most valuable and rare diamonds are colourless and are graded D. The colour scale runs from D to Z. Diamonds with a very distinct colour are rare and are called fancies. Diamonds typically get more yellowish as you move down the scale. Colour is important but again it is not something I would obsess over as long as you get a reasonable grade. You or your fiancee are not going to tell the difference between an F and an H. In my opinion I would suggest you can probably go up to a J without really having much idea that your diamond was slightly yellow. For me an I or H rating represent the best value but again these are all personal opinions you might find that for you only a D or E grade will do. Remember every stone is different trust your eyes don’t just focus on the grades.
Carat
The Carat or the weight and therefore size of the diamond. Not to be confused with karats the purity measure for gold. The carat has a big effect on value and is the first thing everyone will notice. As the size of the carat increases the price grows exponentially. Most diamonds for engagement rings fall between 0.25-2 carats. You will want to get as bigger carat as you can within your budget without compromising too much on the other Cs. Don’t believe everything your told by jewelers when it comes to carat. For example they may say to you on that budget you won’t be able to buy a carat bigger than X. I was initially shown much smaller diamonds than the one I was eventually able to buy.
Certified or Uncertified
A certified stone is – a diamond that has been assessed, graded and coded with a laser by an independent gemological laboratory. The most well known and recognised is GIA. Other popular certificates include HRD, IGL, EGL and AGS. The disadvantage of an uncertified stone is that you are trusting the jeweler. However a cert stone is usually a few hundred pounds more expensive. A cert stone will also ensure you have not been sold a fake. If you are buying a very expensive stone having a cert stone is probably worth it. If you have a smaller budget you may prefer to risk going without a cert stone. The decision must be yours. Diamonds can be artificially treated or fracture filled and sold legally although you must be told. Avoid these and avoid anything which is ‘clarity enhanced’.
Looking Out for Fakes
The ring itself
The most common rings today seem to be from white gold and platinum which both look quite similar. You can also go for a yellow gold or a white and yellow gold mix although personally i prefer the platinum or white gold look. Platinum is slightly more expensive than 18 karat white gold. Try and go for at at least 18 karats if you can, no one wants 9 karat gold for an engagement ring. Remember 9 karat gold is just 37.5% pure compared to 75% for 18 karat. If they can keep a secret try and glean information from your fiances family and friends as to what her taste is. You can differentiate your ring by choosing a variety of different settings although the diamond solitaire seen in the pictures above is the most common. If you can try and find out what size ring she takes from her friends or family. If you can’t, don’t worry too much any reputable jeweler will allow you to get it refitted although this may cost extra.
Buying the Diamond Ring
Where to Buy?
First of all set aside at least half a day don’t buy a ring in a rush. Do not buy from a high street jeweler you will almost certainly get ripped off and you will have limited choice. If you can try and go to an area where there are a lot of jewelers in one place. Hatton Gardens in London is the best place to go to. There are at least 30 jewelers next to each other. You can be assured of competition and a wide choice. Most of the jewelers also have good reputations.
Don’t Get Sucked In
First go around every store and check the windows to get an idea. People will probably come out and try and get you to come inside. Talk to them to get more information if you want but don’t go inside yet. Try and work out which shops are offering the best deals. Bear in mind that jewelers will display their best and usually most expensive wares. They will usually have more inside the store. Take pictures of any rings which catch your eye and move on.
When you’re ready choose a ring which you liked and go into the store and ask to have a look at it. Here’s where you can make use of all that research you’ve done. Ask the jeweler about the cut carat etc. Ask to see the ring under 10x jewelers loupe and on a white background (a black background can hinder the eyes perception of a diamonds colour). Ask if the ring is certified and who did the grading. Remember that an uncertified ring is not necessarily a bad thing and will usually mean a cheaper ring but is something you need to be aware of. Ask the jeweler what guarantees and warranties they offer.
Then ask if the jeweler has any similar rings to compare it to. All this will make it clear to the jeweler that you know what your talking about and it will make it easier to negotiate later. Don’t be afraid to take your time. Choose the ring which you like the most and ask the jeweler for his best price on that ring. Thank the jeweler make a note of the details of the ring and tell him/her you’ll be back if you don’t find anything better. Also remember to ask the jeweler about re-sizing costs, the setting and the material of the actual ring.
Go into the next shop and repeat until you have a really good picture of whats available and you know what you want.
How to Negotiate
Negotiating can be uncomfortable but you absolutely must do it. Remember they are the ones profiting from you and you have the power to go elsewhere. A general rule is to get at least 15%-20% off the list price at a minimum. Don’t seem too keen if you really want a particular ring.
A good first move is to ask the jeweler what his or her best price is. That should be your starting point for negotiations. Use your budget as a negotiating tool. When you’ve clinched the deal remember to get a receipt and remember to ask about fittings.Try and get one for free if you can.
We live in a society where (some) people are obsessed with age. In fact it is one of the questions people most ask when they meet me. I find this annoying and rude. As my friend Jack Bowman says, ‘Ages and wages are never discussed’.
Although I find it annoying being asked how old I am I would never lie about my age and I certainly don’t have an issue with it. Even though I seem to be marching through my twenties pretty fast! The problem I have with being asked my age, especially in a social situation, is because it is rude, and why does that person want to know? Getting older is actually a blessing. I have a friend who died when she was 16 and another when he was 22. They would have loved to have grown old. I also believe that life gets better the older you get. When I was a teenager I never felt I fitted into my own skin.
I have to admit, as an actress, I sometimes think I might be wrong. One of my favourites actresses, Sandra Bullock lied about being younger!: “I lied two years ago to get this part in Love Potion #9. They said, ‘We want an older scientist.’ I go there and I say I’m 29. After a while, you have no idea how old you are because you’ve lied so many times. I always said I would never lie, but one time, when I didn’t it worked against me. So I figure you just keep them guessing.” Nicki Minaj, Rachel McAdams, Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Lopez have also been caught lying about their age by a few years. Which makes me wonder what the point is.
Other celebrities who are lying about their age include:
Agyness Deyn knocked six years off her age: “When I decided I would really do modelling I was like 18, and I think at the time that was quite old for a new face, so we knocked off a few years,” she admitted to The Guardian in 2012. “I’m 29, I feel like that’s the age when you start to think about life. What is this all about? Who am I?”
Jessica Chastain is incredibly vague about her age as this article in HuffPo from 2011 states: “Chastain, who is about 30 but will not disclose her exact age, grew up in northern California and dreamed of becoming an actress from about the age of 5.” Chastain herself says, “I don’t like revealing how old I am. I played a teenager in a movie recently and Brad Pitt’s wife in another so I like to think I can be any age I need to be.”
I do get her point but actors do look a certain age, and it is usually around their own. A bit of googling reveals Chastain is 36. As beautiful and stunning as she is, she does not look 16 and could not realistically play a teenager.
It is not just women lying, rapper Eminem knocked two years off his age when he was interviewed by Howard Stern. James Blunt also knocked two years off his real age and Nelly took three years off his.
Researching this article has made me feel that if I had to lie to get a part then I would seriously consider it, otherwise: what is the point?
The age of Spartacus is over – after three series full of blood, guts, sex and awesome action, the American TV series finished on April 12 2013. It’s had its ups and downs as a franchise, not least because of the tragedy surrounding lead actor Andy Whitfield, who sadly died of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma on September 11, 2011, necessitating a change of focus for the series and a new actor in the shape of Liam McIntyre.
McIntyre took on the second season Spartacus: Vengeance and the final series Spartacus: War of the Damned, which brings us onto our review of this final episode – and it’s not without sadness that we write this. Spartacus has become a perhaps unlikely classic that will be re-watched time and time again. It’s a great, visceral, absorbing series that manages to balance blood, gore and beauty with some rather effective writing and character studies.
All in all, we’re sad to see it go. But how did the last episode fare? It starts with the final battle for the rebel slaves, who fight the Romans with the famous battle cry “I AM SPARTACUS”, partly to shield his whereabouts and partly to show their allegiance to the man and their shared cause. They are one, they are all slaves and they are all fighting back.
One of the pressures of the final episode of a well loved series is that the legacy of the entire programme can rest on this – they effectively have one shot to please everyone. And we think they managed it. One thing to note is that there were no twists. There were no happy endings and there were no cop outs. The deaths of the main characters are dealt with in a brutally realistic fashion and there is no sudden happy ending as such.
The story arcs were tied up – for example, Caesar and Core telling Crassus the truth about his recently deceased offspring and Crassus and Spartacus meeting to try and come to a compromise before battle.
The characters all went down fighting – Kore, Saxa, Lugo – but there was no glory in their deaths, they just didn’t win through. Spartacus himself one upped Crassus in one to one combat (of course) but met his end in a similarly ignoble way. A bunch of Roman soldiers showed up and speared him to death – a metaphor for the entire uprising perhaps? After all, what chance did the rebel slaves ever have against the might of the Roman Empire? But a personal and moral battle won by Spartacus and his comrades.
Spartacus dies yet his story lives on whereas Crassus, although the victor, finds that he has lost almost everything. His son and lover are dead and his career has gone to rival Pompey who steals the glory for ending the rebellion. For a series that started out as seemingly out to shock rather than anything else, Spartacus ended up as a rich narrative – a classic story told well and we think it will leave far more of a legacy than anyone initially suspected.
If you’re feeling sad about the end of Spartacus, and you need to placate your gladiatorial leanings make sure you buy the box set so you can watch it whenever you feel the need for an injection of Roman history. Or you could always play gladiator movie slots now, to compensate for the loss of the show. It’s somewhat surprising that Spartacus the TV series genuinely holds up to this classic film in its stylistic depiction of the brutality of a long ago era that will forever capture our imaginations.
Car accidents are an unfortunate part of driving in the real world, no matter what you do. However, there are some ways you can minimize your chances of getting into an accident. The following are some of the best things you can do to keep yourself and your car safe.
When your car is in good shape, it’ll be more able to handle the issues that tend to lead to getting into accidents. When your tires and brakes are good, you have a much better chance of dodging an accident. When your mirrors are properly aligned and your windows are clean, you can better see what’s either ahead of or coming toward you before it can cause damage.
Keep Yourself in Solid Condition
If you drive when you’re tired, you have a much higher likelihood of having an accident. As well, driving under the influence of even one recently consumed alcoholic beverage can slow your reaction times and muddle your perceptions enough to make an accident more likely. When your condition is at its best, you are more capable of noticing potential problems and heading them off before they become as serious as an accident.
Follow the Laws of the Road
As a good car wreck attorney in Dallas could tell you, following the law is just a good idea. If you don’t follow the law and get into an accident, the law won’t look favorably on your actions and your legal liability could be great. This is particularly the case if there is a large amount of property damage or loss of life because of the accident. If you follow the law, insurance will be more useful if an accident happens and you will be less likely to get into an accident in the first place.
Keep Distractions in the Car to a Minimum
Distracting yourself will only make you more likely to get into an accident. Having a visible screen, an overly bright stereo system or doing things with your phone will all divert your attention. Also, having a serious conversation that could become emotional while you’re driving is also an ill-advised way to go. The fewer things you have around to focus on, the better aware of how dangerous each thing is you’re going to be.
Be Aware of Other Drivers
When you have other drivers around, these are people you can’t control. Don’t imagine you can control them, but you do need to know what they’re doing in your presence. Most of the time this is simple awareness, but every so often you will need to dodge someone in order to avoid getting into an accident. The sooner you know what a reckless or unaware driver is doing, the more easily you will be able to get out of their way. The best way to avoid accidents is to be as far away from the crazy drivers as you can get.
Avoiding accidents isn’t always possible in the real world. However, the above suggestions will make staying out of an accident far easier.
Spice Market is located in the fashionable and trendy W Hotel. One of the places to be seen in London. This is not the only Spice Market, there are now 4 of them located everywhere from Dubai to New York.
The food is South East Asian and is very good. They have a menu with variety which left me needing quite a while to choose what I wanted. It all looked so good and had some great twists. Eventually we ordered and our starters came with poppadums and chutney. Here is what we had.
Crab Dumblings
Sugar Snap Peas, Aromatic Spices
This starter was tasty. Great dumplings with a choice of three great sauces to dip into.
Crunchy Squid Salad Ginger, Papaya and Cashew.
I loved this starter. It was a very generous portion and all of the flavors worked well together. The squid was fried and the combination of the ginger and papaya went brilliantly with the crunchiness of the cashew nuts. A delicious starter that is just a bit different. Was spicy but not too much. This was also the only time I have had rocket on a plate and it has added to the dish rather than just being a plate filler. Was well marinated.
Red Curried Duck Pineapple Sambal
This curried duck was amazing, The best dish of the evening. It was served in a beautiful pot. The sauce was creamy and tasty the duck was well cooked and the little cubes of pineapple burst in your mouth giving you a delightful shot of sweetness. Both our mains came with little bowls of perfectly cooked rice.
Tempura Salt and Pepper Soft Shell Crab. Thai Basil and Lime Sauce.
I liked this main but it was a bit similar to my starter and I would have liked some variety. This was completely my fault of course. The crab was well cooked and the sauce was tasty.
Ovaltine Kulfi
Caramelised banana, Spiced Mike Chocolate Sauce
This was like a deconstructed Banoffee pie. The waiter said it was rich and it was. It was very heavy. It tasted amazing though. If you love rich chocolate or banoffee pie. The caramlised bananas were perfect and the chocolate tasted amazing.
Thai Jewels
Fruits with Crushed Coconut Ice.
This is Spice Market’s specialty. It is a wonderfully refreshing dessert. Exotic fruit on top of crushed coconut ice. Heavenly. A delicious and visually spectactular dessert.
Cocktails
We went through quite a lot of their cocktails just because they are so well made. They all have a twist on a classic, or are just purely original.
Ginger Margarita Sauza ‘Hornitos’ Reposado Tequila, Ginger, Lime, Ginger Salt
This take on a Margarita is yummy. Will leave you wanting more.
Passion Whiskey Sour Bulleit Bourbon, Passion Fruit, Ginger Ale
The Spice Market is a good place to eat in London. Our waiter was amazing (they all were) giving us recommendations on food and telling us about the dish, the decor is trendy and fresh and our banquet seats were super comfortable. The manager was also very helpful answering my questions.
I give the Spice Market full marks on food, style and service. Oh, and their cocktails which are to die for.
1) Have an antivirus. You will need antivirus software. This is the best thing you can do for your computer. It will block viruses and stop you losing all of your data, or having your identity stolen through your data on your computer. Make sure your antivirus is scheduled to download updates and does a daily scan of your computer.
Ginger, Papaya and Cashew.
