Russell Kane, Paul Chowdhry, London Comedy Clubs unite as Foster’s brings 4 nights of live comedy

Posted on by

comedyRussell Kane, Paul Chowdhry, London Comedy Clubs and more unite as Foster’s brings four nights of live comedy to Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park

Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July will see live comedy acts take over the 450-seater Barclaycard Unwind Theatre

Today AEG Live and The Royal Parks have unveiled a stellar billing of comedians for four nights of first-class comedy as part of the amazing line-up at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.  Boasting big names such as Russell Kane and Paul Chowdhry, Hyde Park Comedy presented by Foster’s, the UK’s leading sponsor of comedy, will run from Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July, bringing together acts from The Comedy Store, Laughing Boy Comedy Club and many more for a series of laugh-out-loud nights in the park.

The Comedy Store Players get the laughs going in the Barclaycard Unwind Theatre on Monday 8th July as they take centre stage.  Best known for their performances at The Comedy Store in London, the collection of renowned improvisational comedians will use their innovation and sheer brilliance to create a night of sketches and comical dramas that have garnered international critical acclaim.

“The best ad-lib ensemble in the UK” Evening Standard

“Brave performers who arrive with no script and not the faintest idea of what will happen.  Through improvisation they create whole sketches and comic dramas that are amazingly inventive and sometimes take off into flights of surreal brilliance” Daily Telegraph

“Some of the finest improvisers in the world” Eddie Izzard

Tuesday 9th July brings together Kevin Eldon And His Very Funny Friends, featuring BBC Radio 4 AND Gloucester’s Bridget Christie, the determinedly non-metric Paul Foot, One Direction fan Robin Ince, and children’s entertainer and red diesel salesman Jeremy Lion.   (Plus poetry from Paul Hamilton).

Wednesday 10th July welcomes Laughing Boy Comedy Club at Hyde Park starring Charlie Baker “a superior take on the modern showman” The Guardian, Neil Delamere “the rising star of Irish comedy, a wryly brilliant live performer” Sunday Times, Kerry Godliman “Brilliantly casual and unpretentious” The Guardian, and Paul Chowdhry ‘Revives distant memories of Richard Pryor at his relentless best’ The Times

Independently run, Laughing Boy Comedy Club has put on some of the most successful shows in London over the past ten years and helped launch the careers of some of the UK’s finest stand-ups. This night is no exception as these top British and Irish comedians take control of the stage.

The series draws to a close on Thursday 11th July as Russell Kane hosts award winning rising stars Lucy Beaumont and Jarlath Regan.  Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Russell Kane is a multi-talented writer and performer who has firmly established himself as one of the best comics in the UK today and in Hyde Park he presents a hugely talented lineup not to be missed.

James Russell, Head of Events, The Royal Parks said: “What a fantastic line-up for our midweek programme. We’ve said from the start that Barclaycard British Summer Time is a new era for events and these four nights of comedy along with all the other amazing acts and entertainment planned will make Hyde Park the place to be this summer.”

3D Visuals Explained

Posted on by

Untitled

Since the dawn of time, we as a species have used imagery to project thoughts, feelings and emotions. From cave paintings, mosaics, roman statues to the development of photography and cinema in to the modern day, where we have a new obsession for 3D imagery in every form. We crave to be immersed in a whole new world, quite literally, hence the popularity of Pandora in 20th Century Fox’s record breaking Avatar. 3D is considered to be the next key feature that is and will continue to enhance our visual experience.

Ever wondered how a 3D visual is actually created? Well, sites like www.dhub.com can help to give you a breakdown on the process. 3D visualisations are used over a wide variety of can be a life-like or photo-realistic images and animation, it can also be used to explain an idea or concept. 3D visualisations, or other 3D content can even be used along side other mediums to create a collaborative mixed media projects.

Interactive content and applications are invaluable for helping your visualise designs and products, whilst at the same time engaging users. Interactive content can be anything from a simple interface to link images and text together, or as complex as a 3D product configurator, allowing customers to customise products in real-time.

3D virtual visualisation can not only help you and others to visualise your product, but it will also help you to identify design issues, it can be used for your market research minimising your risks and saving you lots of money before you have your physical product in the market.

What a 3D Visual can do for you:

  1. It can help not only you, but also your prospective investor or customer to visualise your proposal within its early stages. You will be able to identify and solve design problems.
  2. Your designer can explore the design concept with you, by adding or removing features, variations, colours, and textures. Once to generate photo realistic images, you can use these for your market research.
  3. 3D visualisation will also allow you to virtually simulate how your product will look on the shelves against competitors.
  4. Once you have your feedback and research complete, you should be thinking about a physical prototype and manufacturing. Don’t stop there; you can use your 3D visuals for Marketing and Promotion purposes. Recycle your virtual model again and again, using it to aide printed material in marketing campaigns, as well as using this within fully animated TV adverts, online videos, presentations.

Products and scenes can be easily created and manipulated within the 3D visualisation arena to create true to life images that are more cost effective than producing the real thing.

The possibilities endless and the CGI era has only just begun…

Write Your Own Dating Rules by Jenni Trent-Hughes, the relationship expert

Posted on by

relationshipsJenni Trent-Hughes, the relationship expert from eHarmony tells Frost Magazine readers to rip up the rule book.

Eighteen years ago the dating world was introduced to a book called ‘The Rules’ that we were meant to follow in order to guarantee a perfect love life. In those days, before online dating there were rules like: Don’t ask a man on a date! Don’t ask him to dance first! Don’t call him first! Don’t accept a date for Saturday if he asks you after Wednesday!

If you’ve found that ‘’not accepting a date for Saturday if they asked you after Wednesday’ worked for you, then I’m not going to tell you any different.  However as you’re here reading this in 2013, I suspect that you have realised that there is no magic secret; but I’m glad to say there is one tip that will help to bring you success or at the very least, remove some of the obstacles you may have stumbled over in the past.

Rules are like walls and sometimes walls need to be demolished to let the light in. Step outside your comfort zone and see what happens – be the dater you want to be not the one you’ve been told to be.

My one tip is this: Write your own rules! No one knows you better than you know yourself. You know what you’re capable of. You know what your parameters are. What you will be brave enough to do and what is going to be totally against your character, and you know what feels right.

I’m not going to tell you what not to do! You can figure that out yourself. I’ll just remind you of some things to do to help increase your chances of success when dating online.

1.    Reach out: If you see a profile that you like the look or sound of then make contact. There is no point spending weeks peeking at each other through cyberspace – say hello.

2.    Step outside your regular boundaries: Online dating is a golden opportunity to interact with people you might not originally have considered. Remember the first time against your better judgement you chose coconut ice cream and now it’s your favourite? That person who is a little older, a bit younger, that you’re attracted to but doesn’t match up to your usual ‘type’. That might just be The One.

3.    If you want to ask them out – just do it: Man or woman, we are in the 21st Century and we can do things that are new without the roof caving in. Traditionally men might have been the first to initiate a date, however things have evolved and it’s flattering to be asked out whatever your sex.

4. Be honest: Be yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Forget mind games, just be yourself and eventually you will find someone who is exactly the person you are looking for and you to them.

5. Learn to let go: We all have baggage, but when it comes to dating try and leave any hang ups at the door. Negative experiences in the past can affect the way you approach a new relationship, and although it’s good to be cautious, it’s also good to go in with a fresh new slate. Have fun and let your true self be at the forefront.

The Set Table: The Art of Small Gatherings

Posted on by

the set table the art of small gatherings.

Some books are just beautiful and deserve to be endlessly browsed. The Set Table is such a book. It is a beautifully designed and full of endless domestic pleasures.

For those of us who are not domestic (me!) a guide on linen, cutlery and the art of small gatherings is a much needed and much appreciated thing. If you ever wanted to know how to buy or make linen this book tells you how. It also tells you how to get stains out and the different types of linen. Buying second hand crockery and types of crockery are also covered. Along with shapes and sizes. It also goes through different materials and tells you how to clean silver.

Hannah Shuckburgh is features editor of Conde Nast’s Easy Living magazine and you can tell. This is a classy book which will surely turn it’s readers into dinner party gods and goddesses. I loved the illustrations. The one on cutlery shapes will never have you confused about the difference between your bouillon and salt spoon again.

I also love the chapter on food. You can add lots to a meal with bread, water and sauces and this book really lets you know how.

An adorable, educational book. Brilliant illustrations and lots of useful information.

Simple and beautiful ideas for laying the table is the subject of The Set Table. From supper for two on a candlelit urban roof terrace to a picnic lunch for friends on the sitting-room carpet, the look is effortlessly artistic and uncomplicated, celebrating the intimate and unique experience of eating well. With ideas for every aspect of a well-set
table – from napkins to glassware, cutlery to lighting – Hannah Shuckburgh inspires you to make even the smallest of gatherings very special with modest resources.

Genius tips on how to unearth good crockery in junk shops; easy guides for simple but special things to make at home; ideas for styling supermarket flowers and recipes for delicious homemade condiments are accompanied by soulful photography by Charlotte Bland and illustrations by Lydia Starkey. The Set Table is about clearing away the clutter and complications of daily life creating a warm, welcoming setting for unforgettable meals with the people you love.

Hannah Shuckburgh is features editor of Conde Nast’s Easy Living magazine. She also has written for Vogue, The Times, The Independent and The Huffington Post.

The Set Table: The Art of Small Gatherings

Kallo Chocolate Rice Cake Thins | Snack Review & Competition

Posted on by

Kallo Rice Cake ThinsI love Kallo rice cakes so when the chocolate rice cake thins came it perked up my day. I uploaded a picture to instagram, and my, what a reaction. Turns out I am the last of my friends to try them. My friend Steve McAleavy said, “The dark chocolate ones are FAB ! Gluten/Dairy/Wheat/Egg free ! Allergy Safe for most people – but most of all YUMMY ! There you go, I wrote your review for you.”

KJ Issacs said, “They taste great!!” and my friend, photographer Kezia Campbell, also noted that the dark chocolate ones are suitable for vegans.

But what did I think? Yum mostly. The come in milk chocolate and dark Belgian chocolate. They are super tasty, healthy and only 55 calories each. Though I never ate just one they were still diet friendly. They are also organic and wheat free with no gluten containing ingredients, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

I have been trying to be healthy lately but always end up caving and eating an unhealthy snack. The real reason Kallo Rice Cake Thins are great and have my full approval is because I will be buying them again. In bulk.

Tasty and healthy. What’s not to like? Read below for how to win some.

Boycott the Biscuit this summer with Kallo Chocolate Rice Cake Thins

We all know the snack temptation that hits mid-afternoon – lunch has come and gone, dinner is still hours away and it’s all too easy to reach for the biscuit jar to curb those cravings. This summer make better snacking choices and boycott the biscuit with Kallo’s Organic Belgian Milk and Dark Chocolate Rice Cake Thins, the perfect way to get your daily chocolate hit with fewer calories.

Nutritionist Jane Clarke says ‘regularly eating snacks, like biscuits, are responsible for thousands of empty calories being consumed by Brits every day. I’d recommend choosing wholegrain, slow release energy snacks when you’re truly hungry to help manage weight and maintain a healthier diet and productivity, without sugar slumps.’

Kallo’s Rice Cake Thins are made with the finest organic Belgian milk or plain chocolate and puffed brown rice. They are made to a wheat free recipe with no gluten containing ingredients, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and at just 56 calories for the milk chocolate thins, and 55 calories for the dark chocolate, they won’t ruin the bikini diet either.

To help you stick to your healthy eating plans, Kallo has launched an online pledge where you can pledge to boycott the biscuit during June. Head to www.saykallo.com and pledge to swap your usual biscuits for Kallo’s Chocolate Rice Cake Thins for a healthier snacking month – what’s more, we’re giving away 2,500 packs of Milk Chocolate Rice Cake Thins to those of you who commit to ditch the biscuit. Happy snacking!

The Storm of Oklahoma by Tyler Shields

Posted on by
Tyler Shields Drives From LA to Oklahoma to Shoot the Storm for the Red Cross
Tyler Shields said:

“Took a drive from Los Angeles to Moore Oklahoma and met some of the most incredible people I have ever met. Their spirit was so up lifting it really makes you realize the things you own do not own you, life is about living not about possessions I did not meet one person who complained only people happy to be alive. I met this women who told me the story of how her father build a storm shelter for her 30 years ago she never liked it and had never used it until this Tornado came she gathered her whole family into the small shelter and it saved all of their lives it was amazing to hear her tell the story about how she hated this thing and now the small slab of concrete will for ever be remembered at the savior of the family!

moore_oklahoma2

I will be auctioning these photos and all the proceeds will be going to the families of Moore Oklahoma if you want to purchase a photo please email info@tylershields.com”

disaster_girl

Fatboy Slim Honoured at Sixth International Music Summit

Posted on by

There was praise indeed for Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim at the sixth annual International Music Summit, where he was honoured at the IMS Legends Dinner held in Ibiza’s prestigious Cipriani’s in association with Nokia Music.

 

The music industry united in support of Norman, with video messages from the likes of Iggy Pop, who stated he wished he was in Ibiza with Norman, Talking Heads main man David Byrne, DJs Carl Cox, Rob da Bank, Nervo and finally, Wire star and future Nelson Mandela actor Idris Elba, who is djing with Fatboy Slim tonight at the UNESCO heritage site Dalt Vila.

 

Fatboy Slim states: “”It was a real honour to be the recipient of the IMS Legends Award for 2013. To follow in the footsteps of Carl Cox and Pete Tong is a big statement, two of my favourite contemporaries in the DJ world. Pete and IMS put on a very special evening for me. All a bit overwhelming!””

 

Highlights included a version of ‘Praise You’ by Ibiza’s Ibiza Choral choir; a 20-piece group, which was arranged by Latin composer, Hector Ponce, who spearheaded this unique take on Norman’s biggest hit. Other special moments included a Christopher Walken imitator replicating the award-winning video of ‘Weapon of Choice’, with a dance that resulted in him jumping into Cipriani’s swimming pool. The event, hosted by Mike Cuban, also featured a Fatboy Slim medley by African act Da Banda – a troupe of Angolan dancers.

Ciprianai-chosens-5

The dinner, which is in its third year, was in association with Nokia Music, who also host the annual Roc Nation brunch at Soho House, West Hollywood on the Saturday before the Grammy Awards. Previous winners have included BBC Radio 1 legend Pete Tong, and DJ Carl Cox.

 

IMS partner Ben Turner states: “The dinner has become a major focus of IMS. Fatboy Slim has inspired an entire generation of DJs. He was one of the first DJs to ever truly have global chart success and the love for him in the room was pretty emotional.”

 

The dinner was also in support of The Hepatitis C Trust, culminating in a special auction, which featured works of art of Idris Elba and DJ Luciano by urban street artist Fin DAC who painted the pieces live at the IMS, to raise funds for increasing prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis C in the UK.

These Shoes Aren’t Made For Walking: Why Are Shoes Made For Women So Painful?

Posted on by

“That bone”, my doctor says, “That bone is just not supposed to be there.” “Oh”, I reply. This really cannot be good. I ask for clarification just to be sure, hoping that somehow I am hearing wrong, or it isn’t as bad as it sounds. “Do you mean the bone has moved from one part of my foot to the other?” “Yes” he replies. “If it gets worse we will have to operate.” I only have one more thought: f**k!

So it turns out that the shoes I have been wearing are too high, too small and too tight. In a way I know this is all my fault. I always go out shopping for sensible shoes that I can walk in but also look good. Yes every time I come back with a pair of shoes that can only be worn for a few hours at most. Some of them are more ornament than shoe.

It’s not a height thing. One of my biggest problems with fashion magazines are when women who are 5.5 complain about being short, saying they need heels for extra height. The average woman is 5.3. So if 5.3 is average, not short, then the fashion ideal of a woman being 5.10 is not only unrealistic, it is also taller than the average male of 5.9. In fact, the majority of women in the entire world are under 5.6. I am 5.5 and don’t need 4 inch heels to feel tall. I believe height is another thing that the media uses to make women feel bad about themselves, oh, and so they then buy 4 inch heels that are expensive and cripple their feet.

The faithful Clarks shoes. By the end of the day they hurt but they score points for being walkable, long-lasting and relatively comfortable.

The faithful Clarks shoes. By the end of the day they hurt but they score points for being wearable, long-lasting and relatively comfortable.

Upon hearing the news my fiance bans me from wearing heels but shortly relents under my withering look. I still love heels, some outfits need them and I want to, at least occasionally, party in heels. I promise to only wear them occasionally. The only problem is that I had no flat shoes apart from one pair of ballet shoes that were very tight at the front and were just too flat. I have a high arch and I need some support.

I decide to go shopping and my first purchase is a pair of Timbaland trainers. They cost £89 but I manage to get them for £55 at a Glamour Magazine shopping party. Bargain and they are very comfortable.

They are strictly daywear though, and cannot be worn to smart functions. So I still have the same problem. I buy some ankle boots from ASOS but they have some kind of default and cut into my leg, making it bleed, and also ruin some of my expensive tights. I end up mostly wearing a pair of Clarks ankle boot which I bought in 2008. They have a heel of a few inches and have only need resoled once. Score points for Clarks.

I keep looking for perfect shoes that are not too high or too tight. I just want gorgeous, wearable shoes but it just seems that womens shoes aren’t made for walking. Flat shoes hurt my feet and my shins, high heels hurt just as much. Every shoe I try on does not seem to have the wearer in mind. They are too fancy or the straps are badly placed. The heels are too skinny, the front too pointy and so obviously not made for toes. It is like some kind of Chinese foot binding. Mens shoes look good and are comfortable. Do you really think they would put up with this crap?

The limited edition Converse. Comfortable and fashionable.

The limited edition Converse. Comfortable and fashionable.

In the end I just relent and buy another pair of Converse. I had worn my last pair to death and had not replaced them. Instead of the ubiquitous black I buy a limited edition pair. As for a pair of actual comfortable shoes? My quest continues….