Intelligent Optimism Wins In Today s World

The reality of today's world seems to leave little room for optimism. Almost every news story can lead because it does bleed. We hear of critical food shortages in Africa, daily gang deaths on city streets, the profiteering from child pornography, and the climatic disasters prompted by global warming. Health care costs move up faster than a hummingbird in flight and more children now spout profanities as a regular part of speech. With such negativity, no wonder a 2004 U.S. government survey found that depression afflicts one in 10 adults 14 days a month or more.

You probably get depressed just reading the opening paragraph. But wait! There is hope. Not the cock-eyed optimism that became fodder for a song from the musical South Pacific, but rather what psychologists in France are calling "intelligent optimism." Such optimism does not deny the reality of today's world, but rather seeks to LEARN how to fashion a life amid such difficulties. Martin Seligman, the psychologist who had made optimism and happiness his life's work, would agree with the French: optimism can be taught.

Consider these basic steps:

(1) Focus on what you can control. Don't get carried away by circumstances you cannot change. You might not change global warming but you can control your energy consumption. You can't stop the downsizing in your company but you can arm yourself with marketable skills.

(2) Reframe the event so that you are not a victim. There is always another way to view a situation. The flight cancellation that caused me to miss (and forfeit) a major engagement was not "planned" to "get" me. It just was. My choice is to figure out what I can do to help the current client and what I will put in the place of the cancelled work.

(3) Think "enough". When we concentrate on what we don't have, we miss all the many things we do have. The truth of the matter is that if you are reading this article, you do have enough computer power. You do have enough intelligence. You do have enough time.

(4) Cultivate optimistic responses. Like a farmer tending a field, optimism will never grow unless it is watered, fed, weeded and nourished. We all have days in which negativity can take over. And, sometimes, that is a WISE response because it keeps us grounded in reality. Just make sure it is reality and not the imagination making extraordinary leaps into conjecture. Weed out that conjecture. Ask what you can DO to see a result that gives you a sense of power. If we don't cultivate such intelligent optimism, be aware of reality and willing to find options, then we might do what Alexander Graham Bell warned. "Stare so long at the closed door we fail to see the one that is opening."

(5) Remember the power of generations. Children of depressed parents are more prone to depression. Children of optimists are more prone to be optimists. What do you choose to pass along? Even if your parents were negative, you can break the cycle with stopping, freeze-framing a situation, listening to the negative self talk, and then literally giving yourself a different message. Yes, this takes practice but you can make it a habit if you work it over time.

Ultimately, intelligent optimists understand that change and chaos are given. They know that "this too shall pass". In the meantime, they CHOOSE to take whatever action they can within their own sphere of influence and then settle back. It is enough.

(c) 2005, McDargh Communications. Publication rights granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are made live.

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What To Know About Organic Cosmetics

Due to the growing concern for the potential damage that harsh chemicals can cause the body and the environment, going natural is the current trend in cosmetics today. Women are now looking for products that are made of natural ingredients that wouldnt irritate or harm their skin in any way. The demand for safer beauty products has given rise to organic cosmetics.

The organic way of life which is usually associated with food intake has now extended its reach to cosmetics and skin care products. People who have ridden on the all-natural bandwagon have started opting for organic beauty treatments to be more consistent with the type of lifestyle that they chose. One can easily find such products in health and spa stores all over the country. Shampoos that are 95% organic or soaps made of essential oils and herbs are selling like hotcakes.

But the question still remains: are organic cosmetics really what they seem?

The answer to that really depends on your choice of makeup and beauty products. There are certain products that are quick to claim that they are made of natural ingredients but are unable to live up to this statement. On the other hand, there really are cosmetic brands that offer organic beauty treatments. The idea is to find out how to distinguish one from the other. Which ones are telling the truth and which ones are plain marketing hype?

The real ones

Organic beauty products should not contain harmful ingredients and synthetic substances. They are ideally made of essential oils and herbs found in nature. Even the sources of these ingredients are not supposed to have been subjected to chemical pesticides and such. Most beauty treatments are made of essential oils but they also have certain active ingredients and additives that may not be good for the body. One should not confuse certain products that contain a small percent of natural plant extracts as organic. Organic cosmetics have natural components for its major ingredients.

Why go organic?

There have been a lot of reports coming up about conventional beauty products containing carcinogenic ingredients. Because the skin is naturally pervasive, these components can easily enter the bloodstream and cause potential damage to the body. Being aware of your health is not only limited to food intake but should also be stretched out to other areas of your lifestyle as well. Opting for products made from natural ingredients is the best way to maintain your bodys well-being and to keep the risk of contracting allergens and various health problems to a minimum. Even if these classic cosmetics contain only a small amount of harsh chemicals, they can still cause potential harm to the body over time.

Organic beauty products are attracting much popularity because they offer a lot of benefits that conventional cosmetics do not have. Continuous use of synthetic chemicals through cosmetics can add to your body burden or the accumulation of toxic substances in your body. Organic cosmetics prevent this from happening because the best ones in the market do not contain toxic chemicals normally found in conventional creams and beauty products.

How to find them

It's easy to fall prey to marketing hype when you have a wide array of choices available in the market. Due to the rising interest in organic products, some brands are trying to sell off their products as organic without living up to their claims. It's important to be extra careful in making your selection because not all products that are labeled organic are exactly that. Some still contain toxic chemicals that may harm the body in the long run.

The problem is that there is that the US doesn't have a regulatory body for classifying whether a product is organic or otherwise. There are no stringent rules pertinent to this case as yet so it's up to the consumer to make sure that shes buying the right thing.

To find out if a skin-care product is organic or not, the best thing that you can do is to check the label. You will want to verify the ingredients that make up your choice and be extra cautious about certain components that you may find listed. Most toxic chemicals are found in small amounts in certain brands so youll probably find their names listed at the bottom end of the list.

It's also a good idea to go with a trusted brand. Before buying anything, make a research of highly-recommended brands in the market. The Internet and various reputable beauty and fashion magazines can give you a head start.

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Watches Time Pieces Of Eternity

Many centuries ago, man was able to tell the time by looking at the sun and its position in the sky. Then came the sundial and finally the clocks and watches.

The actual purpose of the watch as we all know is to tell us the time, date, month, and day. With the introduction of modern trends, it came to be known more for its ornamental value than anything else. The once steel watch was transformed to Gold, silver, platinum, and white gold. The plain Jane unisex watch did a makeover to look grand with the studding of precious gems that glitter and sparkle on the wrist of both genders. Time never felt or looked better.

Like with everything else, watches have evolved with time. There are mechanical watches, battery, solar, and kinetic powered watches. Mobile watch, ie. the wristwatch was popularized and materials used for the straps are all metals, including materials like leather. Sapphire crystals are used in watches to improve the quality and durability. Electronic watches with quart movements are mainly used these days. They do not need batteries and get charged with movement of the wrist. A mechanical watch does need winding up but lasts longer.

Before the advent of the wristwatch, all mobile watches that could be carried around were pocket watches. They were attached to a chain or rope and were kept in the pocket.

Coming to the current trend, a watch can do more than tell time. Some watches have a GPS or MP3 player in them and some are in fact mini computers. They also calculate for us, we can take pictures, and watch movies. Stopwatches are used for sports and they tell us the time down to the tenth of a second. Watches with heart rate monitors are exercise watches that will monitor and let us know the heart rate while we exercise.

Now, people also look at the style and design of the watch. There are specific watches made for different purposes. There are the diving watches and sports watches that are waterproof. Watches talk of us and bring forth our personality. Choosing the right watch based on our need and requirement is important. For a collector of time pieces, he would be looking at the uniqueness of the metal or precious gems used or the intricacy of the design. Similarly, youngsters would look for watches that make a fashion statement with lots of new features.

Antique time pieces are found in antique stores worldwide and are a collectors joy. It is important to buy them from well-known makers and reliable stores, especially if one is looking for a very expensive stone studded one. For the regular watch, they are found everywhere these days, on the streets, small stores, exhibitions, or malls.

Brand is the main thing people look for while buying a watch as a fashion accessory.

Cartier, Rolex, Seiko, Omega, Swatch. Casio, Tag Heuer are a few of the top watch brands that are famous for their quality, look, and design. Some of them stock jeweled watches studded with precious gems like diamonds and other gems, that gives the watch an unusual and elegant look. They have thousands of varieties in men

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Hair Removal - All Over Your Body

Today, a male body builder is not the only person into removing hair from all over their body.

Aside from the fact that there are more and more female body builders, there are scores of everyday males and females who remove hair from all over their bodies.

Both in the media and on the street, an obvious example is how many males and females are into head shaving.

At the pool or the beach, and even on neighborhood basketball courts, it's much more common to see males with smooth and hairless chests and backs. And even a few without armpit or leg hair.

And if you think about it, males in the media advertising underwear and fitness equipment don't have any body hair. They have it removed because the current fashion in this society is for males to be hairless.

Some would say it's about time they caught up with the females ...

But the truth is - Today's males ARE more aware of and conscientious about their overall image and removing body hair is a major means of projecting the most positive image. Besides, males have been learning what females have known ever since they started removing their body hair - There are some definite benefits to doing so.

Less body hair means less body heat. Less body heat means less body odor. And we can all support that.

But, perhaps even more of a benefit is the fact that removing body hair helps to define body shape. For females in particular, this applies to their legs. For males, their chests.

That's why when body builders are getting their body ready for competition, they use some type of hair removal.

And because there is such a growing trend towards complete body hair removal these days, we look to body builders and other athletes for information about the best way to accomplish it.

But even for body builders, it hasn't always been easy to connect with the, "perfect", hair removal product or system.

Before the mid 90s, body builders relied mostly on services employing people who became their personal body shaver. These people used a wet razor to remove the hair from the body builder's entire body a few hours before a competition. Then they'd oil them down.

After the mid 90s, body builders began relying on laser hair removal treatments. But that didn't really work out so well.

Partly because the high cost of the treatments took a big chunk of their competition winnings, but mostly because their entire body couldn't be made completely hairless in one session, or even two or three. So there was the time factor.

Then there were the unsavory side effects of swelling, redness and maybe even some blistering, that often kept body builders from competitions, even if they completed the treatments well ahead of time. When people started coming up with scars - that was pretty much it.

So many body builders returned to the tried and true body shaver.

But that's not to say that many body builders haven't experimented with a variety of other alternatives to laser hair removal.

The main laser hair removal alternative methods include: electrolysis, waxing, depilatories, and the old stand by, shaving.

Electrolysis may be the only hair removal method that has been proven to be permanent, and that would seem ideal for a body builder, but -

Because electrolysis involves treating each individual hair follicle, (the skin depression from which the hair emerges), it is also the most time consuming hair removal method. It can take years of weekly or monthly sessions to completely remove all hairs in just one area. And -

Because electrolysis involves inserting a fine wire alongside the hair shaft into the hair follicle through which an electric current and/or strong chemical is sent down to destroy the growth source, (papilla), at the end of the hair, it is also quite painful, even for mighty body builders, even with the use of a topical anesthetic. And -

Electrolysis has some of the worst temporary side effects - Swelling, redness, pinpoint scabbing and skin discoloration, and worse, the possible permanent effects of skin discoloration and scarring.

Add to all of that - Electrolysis is the next most expensive method of hair removal.

So it's easy to see why electrolysis is not a viable laser hair removal alternative for body builders.

A hair removal method that isn't as expensive, can last for 3-8 weeks and would seem viable for body builders is waxing. And because waxing can be done on the entire body in one session, it would seem ideal for a body builder, but -

Waxing basically involves applying a warmed taffy like substance to the hairs in an area, then cloth strips, all of which are allowed a moment to cool and adhere to the hairs and then the strips are very quickly removed, pulling the hairs out by their roots.

Obviously, this hair removal method is pretty painful, so a topical anesthetic is recommended. But that's not the real problem.

The real problem is that while the wax is adhering to the hairs, unfortunately, it's also adhering to the skin. Which means when the cloth strips are yanked off, sometimes so is some of the skin. Understandably, this leads to some swelling, rawness and redness.

Usually, if waxing is done several days ahead of time and they stay out of direct sunlight, a body builder's skin is able to heal for competition. Usually ... There have been some complications such as infected ingrown hairs and other infections that have left scars.

Which means waxing is not the best laser hair removal alternative.

A host of body builders use the hair removal product of a depilatory to remove all of their body hair. It's an inexpensive method that can remove hair on the chest, back, underarms, hair in the bikini line area ONLY and legs quickly, easily and painlessly for a few days, but - You knew there had to be a but -

A depilatory employs strong chemicals that basically, "melt", the hairs above the skin, which can then be wiped from the skin surface.

Problem is, hair and skin are composed of similar materials so that these harsh chemicals that melt the hair can also burn the skin and cause swelling, redness, bumps, ingrown hairs and even scarring.

So using a depilatory hair removal product is still not the best laser hair removal alternative.

Which is why many a body builder is still a body shaver when it comes to inexpensive, reliable and relatively safe hair removal that, when done properly, provides smooth results.

Sure, there's only one way to receive a, "razor burn", and that's by shaving. And it's possible to get scrapes, nicks and cuts, as well as rashes, bumps and ingrown hairs from shaving, but -

These are minor side effects as compared to all other hair removal methods. And they can be covered with make up if need be. (Yes, make up is worn by body builders, when necessary.)

And shaving truly can be done on any part of a body builder's body. In fact, if it happens to be part of their overall presentation, there's really no other way a body builder can achieve a beautiful bald head than by head shaving.

These then are the hair removal experiences and results of body builders from which the everyday person can learn.

Although there is one more method of hair removal for all body shavers, including those into head shaving - It's still shaving, but with an inexpensive tool designed to easily, quickly, and most importantly, safely provide clean, close, and smooth hair removal - All over your body.

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Diamond Fashion Rings Are For Both Sexes

Diamond rings have always fascinated men and women throughout. Such is the beauty of a diamond that makes one feel special just by wearing it. It elevates ones persona and gives the wearer the feeling of being one above everybody else.

With the coming into being of the fashion conscious modern woman, there was need for a change in the designs of rings too. With this in mind, jewelers started modifying the traditional designs to gel with the modern concepts of living. Thus was born the diamond fashion ring. The beauty of diamonds beckoned from the most modern precious metal setting and this proved to be a major attraction in the current day.

Diamond fashion rings come in a variety of designs to match every possible modern outfit and every personality that one can think of. Diamond fashion rings are made in all shapes, from geometrical to square, while the round diamond ring still remains a hot favorite amongst many. It is the combination of the old world with the new world that has brought about a revolution in jewelry and gave birth to the diamond fashion ring.

The four-leaf clover theme diamond fashion ring is in vogue and is seen adorning the elegant fingers of many celebrities. The three stone diamond ring is a representation of the past, present and future. The value of this diamond fashion ring is not only the superficial elegant look, but the beautiful thought that goes with it. It is said that just as the man and woman and bound together in marriage, similarly their past, present, and future all come together with the wearing of this ring.

Under the diamond fashion rings category falls the ever-fashionable solitaire ring.

They could very well be the best diamond fashion rings. These rings include basket diamond rings and trellis diamond rings too.

Diamond fashion rings come in a variety of metals, aside from gold and silver. They come in titanium and platinum too. They need less maintenance and are lighter than gold and silver, and they are very popular.

Diamond fashion rings are a great way to celebrate special occasions. There are the engagement rings and the wedding rings, which are the most popular, but even a passing out of college is a great occasion that warrants a diamond fashion ring gift.

The new age fashion trends tend to be different and look for occasions to celebrate. You will find the singles ring also for the single men and women. This ring sends a message of being single and looking. There is the unbelievable chameleon like mood ring, which changes colors with the change in our moods. Imagine being envious of someone and the ring turns green.

The diamond fashion rings have taken a life of their own and have a place in everybody

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Big Brother I Was Watching You

Just my thoughts...

Rula Lenska

This was all so, so unfair for poor Rula. Many will now probably remember her career for two things; Rock Follies and this TV Folly. Rock Follies was arguably the start of her career in the public eye and this TV Folly looks like being the end of it. Pray for a cat-food commercial, Rula! In fairness, though what a nightmare she must have found herself in - a 57-year-old, clearly past her physical best, finding herself in the company of a Mata Hari (Faria), a Daisy Duke (Chantelle), Britain's Primo Slapper (Jodie) and, to cap it all, Baywatch Babe Traci! Most woman well past a certain age would bridle at the thought of competing with any of them, poor Rula had to take on the lot and she lost, in spades. I thought George Galloway was right in his comments after she did that ludicrous striptease - she was, indeed, trying too hard. Who wouldn't have their confidence rocked? The brave face she put on arguably wasn't the best one either. Go to bed with a countess, wake up with a count. I choose my words very carefully here! Gee, I'd rather go to bed with Pete - at least he looks the same in the mornings as he does last thing at night!

Chantelle Houghton

A (not quite) singing version of Jade Goody.

She is so very self-possessed, the producers must have been thrilled beyond belief by the way she stood up to Dennis Rodman. Enough is being written about her at the moment; I have no further comment other than to observer she seems areal-life version of Billie Piper's character Rose in the current Dr. Who.

Dennis Rodman

Everyone knew Pete Burns had a hard time deciding what to wear for the day but what about poor Dennis, eh? Let's (hypothetically) listen in...."Uhm it's time to get up, what kind of look shall I wear today? Little Lord Fauntleroy? Nope, did that the other day. Geisha? No, Pete'll do that any minute" (and he did). "I got it - lemme see now, just give the ol' tattoos a burnish....get them pointy studs all in...adjust the baseball cap just so...and there it is - third circle of Hell! Yay, me, not that I give a shit..."

Did anyone note that while Pete Burns got awful raggeddy when he ran short of booze and cigarettes, both Dennis Rodman and the adorable Traci Bingham got grouchy when the food got low? They being the two pro athletes it wasn't at all surprising. I noticed Dennis complaining that training without proper food wasn't too much fun. Probably the first time he's ever had to do it.

And did you see how he balanced on the exercise ball with one foot while he did push ups? Have you ever tried that? Do you know how HARD that is? And he made it look so simple! No wonder this guy is major league.

Jodie Marsh

Poor, poor Jodie. How sad and muddled she appears to be. I gather, though, that there's a very upbeat enthusiastic and likeable girl in there somewhere. She seems to be gathering acolytes rather than making friendships, confusing fans with friends. I noted when Pete Burns and Michael Barrymore were trying to get through to her late one night, Michael suggested to her that she try and envisage a certain scenario just for the sake of argument. Oh no I couldn't agree to that, says our Jodie, that would be immoral and I don't tell lies. Something similar seemed to be happening when she was talking to Davina McCall after her eviction, Davina gently suggesting that the other housemates had been trying to act in Jodie's best interests and Jodie went immediately off on a complete tangent in her reply.

I think myself that there's a great big rock sitting in the head of Jodie Marsh, never referred to, never to be admitted to. What lies under it? Something that Jodie finds so terrifying that she visibly flees from considering the rock's very existence.

One suspects that self-contemplation is not a regular pastime for Miss Marsh. A shame, as rarely does one encounter a light bulb that really, really does need to change.

Poor, poor Jodie.

(Sam) Preston

Just like Dennis Rodman, I had no idea who Preston actually was. I gathered he was in a band called the Ordinary Boys, and going from his appearance in general, I'd have put them somewhere between the Jam and and number of ska bands, say, The Selector? Later in the show we were treated to some Ordinary Boys tunes and it looks as though I wasn't too far off the money.

Apart from that, I knew nothing before about Le Preston and I know little else now, other than that he seems to be a perfectly decent sort of geezer with, I rather imagine, considerable woman trouble on his plate.

All quite ordinary, in fact.

Michael Barrymore

What a piece of work is this man! How infinite in frailty, his new personna suggests, and I have no reason to believe anything other than that the face we saw was the real one. He seemed a perfectly decent being, flawed, ragged round the edges, and while he and Pete Burns together both displayed an ability to provoke gales of genuine laughter (from me) it's Barrymore who has the touch of genius about him, the air of one driven to perform yet denied his stage. I hope the UK does what Pete said it should and opens its arms to welcome Barrymore back. He's a tonic for the nation. We probably need him more than he needs us.

Pete Burns

Twisted embittered genius. Youngsters will probably be too young to realise this but in the genre of movies known as noir, in small, run-down and seedy clubs in the boonies of Anytown, USA, the kind a Private Dick would inevitably find their way to when they were looking for clues or following leads they'd find the Heroine of the movie. She'd be seated, alone at the bar, she'd have a cool drink that she hadn't paid for in a tall glass in front of her and she'd always be smoking. Whatever happened, even if it happened right in front of her, her face would be frozen into a mask of disdained amusement. In other words, she'd look like Pete. Assuming that's what he had in mind when he had his plastic done, he's got it dead right.

For me the best times in the house were when the Pete and Michael show hit the road, late at night or early in the morning over coffee and cigarettes when the rest of the house was asleep. Funny funny funny.

Who was it pleaded with George to go and speak with Rula because she was feeling so bad as a woman? Pete.

Who was it spoke up so volubly for Barrymore after being evicted, saying how much he needed to be rehabbed back into this country? Pete. Not quite such the monster then, eh?

Traci Bingham

The delightful, the truly gorgeous Traci Bingham. Every man should have a Bingham of his own. starting with me. The rest of you can get your own, though, I want that one. See how she went straight into a series of classic brilliantly executed girlie poses for the photographers as she left the house? An absolute professional, a master of her craft. And how beautiful in her red devil costume! Cheap to run too, (once you've bought the mansion), give her alcohol and she wanders around making small, happy sounds all day (whether you want her too or not). Does the guy she's engaged to realise he's marrying one of the Clangers? "Oh my Gah-had, it's the Soup-Drag-gen..."

I don't think Traci understood the show, which goes a long way to explaining why she was so devastated by being nominated. Observe when she was talking to Davina at the end, she said how hard she'd tried to be a good housemate. I suspect she thought you had to win by proving how pleasant you were to live with and dutifully went out of her way to be just that. I don't think she had to go far our of her way at all, either, I think she really is that nice a person. that's why she was so upset at being nominated, she thought she was doing something wrong on a personal level to the other housemates. Hence her shock and surprise. You get the feeling that to a certain extent, once you reach a certain level of stardom your life is run to a large extent by your agent; Traci and Dennis both gave the impression that they simply went where they were signed to go and did their best when they were there.

George Galloway

What a clear-cut warning to us all of how politicians plan to use us. We seem to be no more than stepping stones to their own self-serving ends. How did he serve his constituency in the BB house? His blustering complaints about censorship left me unimpressed.

I noticed too that when there was the first a major disagreement in the house - I believe over a misunderstanding about racism - George it was who suggested that a round table discussion be held which George, seemingly thoughtfully, offered to chair.

Thus, it begins. How long before, in order that George may the better to fulfil his post as arbiter of the house decisions, not be made to suffer the distractions of, say, hunger; shouldn't he be given a bigger share of the food than the others, so that his thinking may be clearer and not distracted by hunger? It's in the best interests of the group as a whole, after all; he's the decision maker.

In the same vein, we might conjecture, how long before George's sexual needs/desires must similarly be given priority over the others, the women of the tribe, sorry, house, should be encouraged to offer themselves freely and regularly to George over and above the others. All in the best interests of the group, of course. Politicians, eh? They never close.

Maggot

Maggot, the common man - the voice of reason, as he said. A straightforward decent guy. Good to see he got over his initial reserve about Barrymore. Why was he concerned about his image, I wondered? How genuine can he be if that's a concern? Subsequently, though, he proved himself a steadying influence on the rest of the household.

Faria Alam

The Big Brother experience must have been very difficult for Faria. I thought she behaved throughout as I imagine she was brought up to be, dignified and reserved. I never thought she was a slapper, or in any way cheap, when her sex life got her in the news. Her business, I would have thought. I was subsequently a bit disappointed to hear quite how promptly she was hawking her BB story round Fleet Street but, I suppose, a girl has to be practical and topical if she's going to make money that way. For me, the most interesting thing about Faria was her apparent inability to express the emotions she was claiming to feel. I put this down to her upbringing to and there may be a lesson there for all of us. Imagine a girl bought up in strict circumstances in old established traditions, then abruptly cast out of that culture into a new and different one. She'll know how to function emotionally in the old culture, her appropriate upbringing will have prepared her for that, but i n this new (by which I mean, 'Western') culture, one where the world has moved on from the time that birthed the culture she was raised in, she struggles to express emotions that she has no name for. We're probably all a bit that way at times as the world turns faster. Our childhood upbringing can less and less prepare us for adulthood as effectively the two happen in different worlds. Poor Faria. I liked her.

Big Brother grew up and found its feet here, this was ground-breaking TV. It still seems the fashion in newspapers that somehow, inexplicably, appear to consider themselves and their readers above Big Brother viewers. It's only for the oiks is the subtext of the copy in pretty much all the nationals.

Synchronise watches, tv kids; only a matter of time before they change their tune and accept that here are observations made on life in the raw, that the spat between Dennis and Chantelle, the spats between everybody and George, everybody and the confused unfortunate Jodie Marsh, weren't far more riveting viewing than anything scriptwriters could have dreamed up. It's been an age in coming, but Big Brother seems to be coming of age.

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christian louboutin bridal to be the natural follow-up - Entertainment - Movies

Swedish denim brand Cheap Monday will open its first UK standalone store in February, continuing its bid to launch outlets in "the big fashion metropolises." The shop will be situated on London's famous Carnaby Street in the stylish Soho neighborhood, which is already home to fashion brands such as Ben Sherman, The Kooples and American Apparel. Founded in 2004, Cheap Monday is available in around 1800 department stores and shops-in-shops stores across the globe. Its first standalone store opened in Copenhagen in 2009, and Cheap Monday COO H?kan Str?m believes a London shop to be the natural follow-up. "When we opened our first store in 2009, we already had a dream and a vision to open Cheap Monday stores in the big fashion metropolises. "The time is right and we've now taken the first step, on legendary Carnaby Street," he explained. The shop's interior is set to continue the industrial aesthetic favored by its Copenhagen counterpart. The entire Cheap Monday range will be available, including womenswear, menswear and jeans, as well as Cheap Monday's shoe collection, babywear, accessories and underwear. Cheap Monday's expansion, combined with the growth of other Swedish labels including Odd Molly, Acne and Filippa K are proving Scandinavian style has more to offer than simply that of clothing giant H&M.Move over Lady Gaga and your meat dress.

A Berlin museum is coupling haute couture with haute cuisine, spotlighting models draped in octopus tunics, seaweed miniskirts and chocolate dresses.

The creations by Michelin-starred Austrian chef Roland Trettl, captured christian louboutin bridal in around 50 sumptuous stills by his compatriot photographer Helge Kirchberger, blur the lines of sensual pleasure in a feast for the eyes and the palate.

The Fashion Food exhibition at the Communication Museum in the German capital to January 29 dissects "taste" and flamboyant fashion statements, as well as notions of consumerism and sustainability in a rich society.

"The images are not salacious or pornographic but they are erotic and provocative and raise questions," museum director Lieselotte Kugler told AFP, following an exhibition opening with two live models.

"This is also a celebration of food. When you think of all the food that is thrown away every year in Germany -- including 5,000 tonnes of bread -- everyone needs to consider how they approach food and how food is increasingly industrialised in our society."

While US pop provocateur Lady Gaga raised eyebrows at an awards show last year with a dress made entirely of raw beef, many of the confections here could add up to a balanced diet.

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