Tag Archives: quote

Why We Should All Calm Down About Vogue Photoshopping Lena Dunham

Posted on by

Some controversy I just don’t get. Like photoshopping. When I watch a film I know it is not reality, and when I read magazines and see posters I don’t expect that to be reality either. Which is why those making a huge deal about Lena Dunham being photoshopped in Vogue (of all places, Vogue is all about fantasy) are making a fuss over nothing. And the gleefulness of some people about the ‘before’ pictures is just bitchiness on a high-school level- she doesn’t look like a supermodel, but that doesn’t mean she is not beautiful. Beauty is debatable.

Dunham has said she is ‘confused’ about the uproar. Frankly, so am I. Jezebel even paid $10,000 for the unretouched pictures and featured them. Why? Models are also retouched in Vogue. Why is Dunham singled out? If anything her differences should be applauded. Dunham did a great Tweet on it.

In fact pretty much everything in the media is photoshopped. The sky, food…the list is endless. Of course men and women are photoshopped, yet it is only when women are photoshopped that the media have a huge hissy-fit about it. The same media that encourages the practice. You may noticed I said women. I meant it. Have you ever seen a media-storm about a man having his pot-belly removed or been made to look younger? I haven’t. Men don’t care either.

Jezebel article on Lena Dunham being photoshopped. Credit: Jezebel.

Jezebel article on Lena Dunham being photoshopped. Credit: Jezebel.

In my opinion it is just another form of sexism. Women are made to feel bad about their bodies so they can be exploited out of their hard-earned money with an endless parade of celebrities whipping themselves into shape weeks after birth, or starving themselves for two days a week. Then they are made to feel bad about not feeling good about their bodies. We can’t win.

Here is my opinion on photoshopping: I love it. I really love it. In fact my idea of hell is being in the media, especially in print, and not being photoshopped. Every flaw is highlighted when photographed. I don’t even care if they photoshop out an arm, as long as they make me taller, thinner and better looking. After all, it’s not reality and it’s not supposed to be.

 

Nelson Mandela Dies Aged 95: His Greatest Quotes

Posted on by
Nelson Mandela, quote, quotes, death

Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Nelson Mandela was an eloquent, humble man who led South Africa from apartheid to democracy. An inspirational figure who fought for democracy, human rights and peace, here Frost pays tribute to him with his greatest quotes. Rest In Peace Mandela.

“One day I will be the first black president of South Africa.” In 1952

“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.”

“I can’t help it if the ladies take note of me; I am not going to protest.”

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”

“Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts.”

“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.” On oppression in South Africa.

“I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I, and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.”

“Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.”

“In South Africa, to be poor and black was normal, to be poor and white was a tragedy.”

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I felt fear myself more times than I can remember, but I hid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”

“I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.”

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountain tops of our desires.”
– 21 September 1953. Presidential address to ANC conference.

“I have never regarded any man as my superior, either in my life outside or inside prison.”

“If I had my time over I would do the same again. So would any man who dares call himself a man.”

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

“The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.”

“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”

“Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.” In a letter to his wife, Winnie Mandela.

“It would be very egotistical of me to say how I would like to be remembered. I’d leave that entirely to South Africans. I would just like a simple stone on which is written ‘Mandela’.”

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

“Between the anvil of united mass action and the hammer of the armed struggle we shall crush apartheid and white minority racist rule.”

“It always seems impossible until its done.”

“There will be life after Mandela. On my last day I want to know that those who remain behind will say: ‘The man who lies here has done his duty for his country and his people.'”

The Rolling Stones Set To Rock Abu Dhabi For The First Time

Posted on by

14 On Fire #StonesOnFire tour to kick off on 21 February 2014 on Yas Island

 Rolling Stones, concert,

Ladies and gentlemen they are back! FLASH Entertainment have announced today that the Rolling Stones will kick off their 14 ON FIRE tour presented by Eastspring Investments (#StonesOnFire) with a very special one-off show at Abu Dhabi’s du Arena (Yas Island) on Friday 21 February (#StonesAbuDhabi).

 

Tickets go on sale to the general public at midday on Thursday 12 December at Ticketmaster UK. Exclusive pre-sale starts from midday Monday 9 December and closes at midday Wednesday 11 December 2013. A limited number of General Admission Early Bird tickets start from £65.

 

Mick Jagger commented: “Can’t wait to be back on stage especially in Abu Dhabi, I am really looking forward to playing all your favourite songs and seeing you all very soon.”

 

Keith Richards added: “The best place in the world for me is out on that stage. Standby everyone…its back to where we belong, Me, Mick, Charlie and Ronnie and some friends all rocking out together. The wheels are in motion and we’re on our way…see you very soon!”

 

The 14 ON FIRE tour produced by AEG Live will see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood head back out on the road after a mammoth run of concerts in the U.S and the U.K in 2013, an exhilarating and critically acclaimed celebration of five decades of the Rolling Stones bringing their iconic music and groundbreaking stage shows to audiences around the globe.

 

Mick Taylor, who was a member of the Rolling Stones from 1969 – 1974, will be a special guest for this tour.

 

The stage design for the outdoor concerts is based on the band’s ubiquitous tongue and lips logo, which extends out into the audience.  The exclusive ‘Tongue Pit’ area inside the stage will give fans in this area an incomparable 360 degree concert experience.  Known for their ground-breaking sets and use of cutting-edge technology, the Stones’ set design will feature video screens and special effects that will enhance the high-octane experience of attending a live Stones’ show.

 

The band will treat their generations of fans to a set packed full of classic Stones hits such as “Gimme Shelter”, “Paint It Black”, “Jumping Jack Flash”, “Tumbling Dice” and “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll”, curated with lesser known gems, plus a couple of unexpected cover versions.

 

The Rolling Stones were recently crowned the ‘Best Live Band” at the NME Awards in London, and over the past 12 months have thrilled fans with the release of a ground-breaking new documentary, ‘Crossfire Hurricane’, a greatest hits collection, ‘GRRR!’, a massive US tour and a ground-breaking, back to back, sold out set of two historic Hyde Park concerts in the UK in front of 120,000, which are chronicled in a new concert film ‘Sweet Summer Sun – Hyde Park Live’.

We’re excited. are you?

When Celebrities Get Too Sensitive: Did Mindy Kaling & Michael Fassbender Overreact?

Posted on by

I recently read an interview with Mindy Kaling in Parade magazine. It was then made into a meme in Upworthy, which I then saw on Facebook (got that?) Well, let me get back to the point. I think Mindy Kaling is amazing. She has achieved so much and is funny and talented. Not for an Asian woman, nor one who is not supermodel thin, just as a woman.

mindy-kaling-quote-confidence-beauty-redefined

This is what she said, ‘“I always get asked, ‘Where do you get your confidence?’” she says. “I think people are well meaning, but it’s pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, ‘You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You’re not skinny, you’re not white, you’re a woman. Why on earth would you feel like you’re worth anything?’”

I think Kaling is being super sensitive here. I am white, I am (relatively) skinny, a UK size 8/10 and you know what? People ask me where I get my confidence all the time. Because that is the thing about confidence, when people have the courage to go for their dreams and work hard, everyone else wants to know how to do it too. I get asked where I get my confidence in interviews, at parties, by friends and family, and as a writer, I also ask other people where they get their confidence, not because they are an ethnic minority or different in any way, but because it is a question people want to know the answer to. Hell, I always want to know the answer because even though I come across as confident, I have my off days.

So Mindy, I love you, I really do. You are gorgeous, funny, witty and super successful, but sometimes a question is just a question or like Freud said: A spade is just a spade.

Now for Michael Fassbender. Fassbender has been complaining about people talking about his penis. Apparently this would never happen to a woman. Really Michael? Are you kidding? People have been talking about Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct vagina for decades. ‘It wouldn’t be acceptable it would be seen as sexual harassment, people saying [to an actress], “Your vagina …” You know?’ he complained.

I don’t know if you have seen Shame but I have. If you don’t want people to discuss your penis maybe don’t get it out in such graphic detail. And as for this not happening to woman; it happens to woman all the time. Screenshots are taken and put on porn sites, Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Boob Song’ happens at the Oscars (which didn’t upset me even if it upset many others, you can’t do nudity in a film and then get offended when people mention it) and in films such as Knocked Up, nudity by women is talked about openly. Even the Daily Mail and celebrity magazines take screenshots from both sexes and publicise it out of context. Which is why nudity in a film is never just of that film, it is now you, naked, all over the internet and media for the rest of time. It is not fortunate, or even moral, it just is.

 

Turkish Designer Bora Aksu Launches London Fashion Week

Posted on by

“NAZAR”

Spring/Summer 2014

Celebrating 10 years at London Fashion Week this year has spurred Bora Aksu to look back to his Turkish homeland and its rich, colourful and diverse culture. His spring/summer 2014 collection has been inspired by his childhood memories of there, memories that have had such a big influence on him.

Bora Aksu, London fashion week, fashion, SS14

Although Bora’s childhood memories of Turkey are still as magical today as when they were first played out, as Bora spent more and more time in London and travelled the world their uniqueness and richness has become more valuable to him. The long, hot summer days spent on the Aegean coast are the most prominent recollections that Bora draws on for this season’s inspiration. Long stretches of white sand, bobbing fishing boats, sun-faded houses with lush gardens and hidden village markets are the happy times that give his spring/summer collection a less melancholic feel than has been his signature to date.

Bora Aksu explains: “When I realised that this would be my tenth year at London Fashion Week, it struck me how long it has been since I left Turkey to come to study in the UK. It propelled me to reminisce and look back at my roots. I felt that I wanted to re-ignite the passion coming from the rich culture and traditional artistry of Turkey that had inspired me in the first place.”

Bora Aksu says of his new collection: ‘I’m delighted to have worked with the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism as official sponsor for this London Fashion Week show. After 10 years showing in London it’s been great to go back to my roots and be inspired by the rich culture and traditional artistry of Turkey. I hope the show will inspire people to explore Turkey and discover the amazing gems it has to offer.’

The patterns and textures of the Iznik tiles that adorn the show invite have been re-created using traditional handwoven Turkish textiles incorporated into pencil skirts, dresses, cropped jackets and boleros.

Layering continues to be key, with geometric laces over silk tulles and chiffons or used as sheer panels against quilted cotton for added texture in skirts and dresses. Hand crochets produced in Izmir create accents across the collection.

Classic shapes have been contrasted with summer shorts and knitted tees while plastinated cottons update the traditional feel.

The colour palette for the collection began with the traditional ‘nazar boncuk’ or ‘evil eye bead’. Worn in Turkey to ward off evil, legend says that if one should break it is a sign that you have been saved from a great misfortune. Traditionally made from a disc of blue glass, it is this protective colour of the evil eye that dominates the collection. Off-whites also play a key role keeping the collection light before bold injections of bright yellows and fuchsia are introduced, reminding Bora of the long hot summers that he so enjoyed.

“This collection has been incredibly personal for me” Bora Aksu says “It’s been fantastic to have the support from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and to take this first step in highlighting a land I am so passionate about and connected to. I hope the show will inspire people to explore the rich culture and traditional artistry that Turkey has to offer.”

28 Quotes On Happiness

Posted on by

quotes on happiness, happiness, quote, quotes, what is happiness“Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness.” Christian Dior.

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” Charlotte Brontë

“Happiness leaves such slender records; it is the dark days that are so voluminously documented; but we see no reason to add to the darkness now. Happiness is precious, beyond all other riches, there to be cherished, however fleeting, and in finding the courage to be happy, we may also find the strength to be true to ourselves.” Truman Capote.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln

“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” John Barrymore

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. Mahatma Gandhi

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” Oscar Wilde

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama

“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” Benjamin Franklin

“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson

“Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness”. George Bernard Shaw

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” Epictetus

“I think happiness is a combination of pleasure, engagement and meaningfulness”. Ian K. Smith

“If we did not look to marriage as the principal source of happiness, fewer marriages would end in tears.” Anthony Storr

“It is great happiness to be praised of them who are most praiseworthy”. Philip Sidney

“You can run, run, run away from a lot of things in life, but you can’t run away from yourself. And the key to happiness is to understand and accept who you are”. Dale Archer

“Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind”. Alice Meynell

“I always remembered that when I saw people get married they got on a rocketship and went to Planet Happiness, Population: Them.” Marc Webb

“We all of us deserve happiness or none of us does”. Mary Gordon

“My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I’m grateful for that. Money is the longest route to happiness.” Evangeline Lilly

“Happiness consists in activity. It is running steam, not a stagnant pool.” John Mason Good

“There’s a happiness that comes from writing that I won’t live without”. Maria Semple

“I learned that people everywhere are basically the same and have similar goals that we do. They want health and happiness and the opportunity to provide for their families”. Steve Kerr

“I think money helps us. It helps us. It’s our – it’s our exchange system. But it does not buy you happiness. It doesn’t buy you health”. Victoria Osteen

“The secret of happiness is to find a congenial monotony”. V. S. Pritchett

“Too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware. Happiness should be like an oasis, the greener for the desert that surrounds it.” Rachel Field

Do you have a favourite quote on happiness? Add it below.

Famous People Who Didn’t Go To University

Posted on by

Zac GoldsmithI have a confession to make. I find the whole snobbish going to university thing stupid. If you want to actually study something or be a doctor, then obviously go and reach your potential, but one of the things I find most stupid about social pressure is that everyone should go to university. At least if they want to be middle class.

Tuition fees are now appallingly expensive, and the most annoying thing I found about the recent BBC class calculator is that they still put going to university and owning a home as an indicator of class. Even though people buying homes they could not afford was one of the factors in the recession, and a recent study said that most students would never be able to pay of the debts they had incurred.

I recently saw an interesting meme on Facebook. It said, “Modern education: creating people who are smart enough to accurately repeat what they are told and follow orders.”

You don’t have to agree with me. I know it is a controversial thing to think. However, have a look at just a few of the famous people who did not go to university.

Apple founder Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College.

TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres dropped out of the University of New Orleans after one semester.

The creator of Tumblr David Karp never even graduated from high school.

Walt Disney left school at 16 to join the Army. He couldn’t get in because of his age so he joined the Red Cross and left for Europe.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard but later got an honorary degree.

Paul Thomas Anderson dropped out of NYU film school.

Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston did not go to university, instead deciding to travel the world. He told the Financial Times: “I think university is hugely overrated for most people,” he says, insisting that a wide range of good apprenticeships is more useful than three years of light work and heavy drinking. “I would not encourage my children to go to university.”

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to work full time on Facebook.

Yoko Ono dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College

Woody Allen was thrown out of New York University after one semester and later dropped out of the City College of New York.

James Cameron studied physics at Fullerton College. He dropped out to become a truck driver.

Thomas Edison left school to work on the railroad at the age of 12.

F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton.

Coco Chanel dropped out of school to become a cabaret singer when she was 18.

Whole Foods founder John Mackey dropped out of the University of Texas.

Pablo Picasso dropped out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

The founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg dropped out of the University of Houston in 2004.

What do you think? Is going to university important?

Manuka Doctor ApiClear Blemish Cream Review

Posted on by

Mille Mackintosh

Everyone has the occasional break out no matter how good their skin is. I am no exception. The last spot cream I used seemed to take the occasional spot I got and multiply it so my usually clear skin had a bit of a freak out. Enter Manuka Doctor ApiClear Blemish Cream. I had high hopes for this as I have previously reviewed their face mask. It also has Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh as a fan.

Millie Says, I won’t be going to anywhere this year without Manuka Doctor’s ApiClear Blemish Cream. Breakouts often occur during festivals and holidays and so having this to instantly soothe my skin is a lifesaver! It is so easy to use – I just pop it in my bag and know that my skin will stay blemish free.

The cream has UMF 18+ Manuka Honey, witch hazel, vitamin E and Propolis. It is calm and cooling and non greasy. It doesn’t have any nasty parabens or SLS.

I use it on the occasional pimple and it does speed up the healing process. My skin looks a lot better. Considering how inexpensive it is (£5.99 from Holland & Barrett) I will be buying this when it runs out. A great little cream that helps clear up spots quickly.

Top marks.