xPosed Media

Osama Bin Laden is dead!

2011-05-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

"I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain

The victims of 9/11 will never be reunited with their loved ones, and this is by no means the end of terrorism however today is a day to be thankful that one of the greatest threats to the world has been brought to his knees and that an mission which has now spread almost a decade has been a success.

President Obama (who is not dead despite what Fox News may suggest) gave a humble and honest speech which will no doubt be beneficial to his campaign for re-election in 2012.

Thirty days... Day five

2011-02-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

A song that reminds you of someone

(Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World)

Thirty days... Day four

2011-02-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

A song that makes you sad

(The Freshman - The Verve Pipe)

A professional journalist plagiarising. Really?!

2011-02-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

(Published on the Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News website)

Going on placement as a trainee you're never sure if your work is going to be up to scratch, it's hard to know what the publication is expecting from you. I suppose it is a compliment rather than an insult that Mark Smith has published my article under his byline but doesn't help my feeling that what he has done is fundamentally wrong.

Click here to see the article I wrote the day before for the Liverpool Echo.

As you can see the article above is identical, except for the fact it has the word Widnes instead of Merseyside (which is in fact false as the band are from Runcorn and West Derby too, only of the band members is from Widnes).

I understand the newspapers are all part of the Trinity Mirror group and therefore have access to each others articles. However when I went for a work placement with the Echo last summer, as a student journalist, I certainly did not expect what was a page three lead to be lifted and attributed to somebody else.

Plagiarising is a risky thing to do at any point in your life, but when you are a professional journalist it's just down right idiotic.

I've emailed two editors at R&W Weekly News to no avail... I'd like some advice from any journalist that has faced this problem before.

Thirty days... Day three

2011-02-23T00:13:00.000-08:00

A song that makes you happy

(Something Good - Casey Shea)

Thirty days... Day two

2011-02-22T03:20:00.000-08:00

Your least favourite song

This is coincidentally my least favourite music video too.

(Fight For This Love - Cheryl Cole)

Thirty days... Day one

2011-02-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

Normally I hate those Facebook challenges, you know the ones where you have to "tag 20 people and you won't get eaten at midnight by a wolf" but a friend posted a challenge which was too good to refuse... the thirty day song challenge. I challenge you to do the same. Day one is to post...

Your favourite song
(Every You Every Me - Placebo)

Why I need to delete Facebook...

2011-02-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Thisisnthappiness.com provided a perfect example of why Facebook is irritating.

Reblog - Wakey!Wakey! Tickets...

2011-02-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Bristol pretty please! (Why aren’t my posts working?) Damn I hope this one works. teamwakeywakey:

We have a last few tickets left for the UK Wakey! Wakey! and James Blunt gigs below. Reblog and Tweet this post with the city you want at a chance to win! (@teamwakeywakey)
First person in the below cities to reblog grabs the pair of available tickets in their city! (One pair per person only)

Have fun!
2/17/2011 The Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, UK
2/18/2011 City Hall, Newcastle UK
2/19/2011 City Hall, Sheffield, UK
2/21/2011 Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, UK
2/22/2011 Civic Hall, Wolverhampton UK
2/23/2011 Apollo Manchester, UK
2/24/2011 St. Davids, Cardiff, UK
2/26/2011 Colston Hall, Bristol, UK
2/27/2011 Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK
2/28/2011 Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK
3/1/2011 Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK
3/3/2011 Pavillions, Plymouth, UK
3/4/2011 Guildhall, Portsmouth, UK

"If content is King, then conversation is Queen" - John Munsell

2011-02-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

"If Facebook were a country, it would now be the 6th most populous in the world." - insidefacebook.com

Facebook - connecting the world. Or at least Western Europe and North America. Paul Butler has used the connections between 10 million Facebook users to draw a virtual world, but interestingly enough Russia, most of South America and the majority of Africa seem to be relatively unconnected in the world of Facebook. Read an article on how clever mathematics allowed Butler pull off this interesting social experiment by clicking here.

Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats

2011-02-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Billy Bragg's brilliant Valentines Day is Over performed as part of the Peel Sessions collection.

Daily Fail

2011-02-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

I am going to become one of those irritating bloggers who simply links websites instead of writing anything of importance, I can tell.

Check out this Daily Mail headline generator, it's quite entertaining.

For more fun at the Daily Mail's expense, you may enjoy the Dan and Dan song...

#DailyFail

Possibly the coolest website ... Ever?

2011-02-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

Awesome site discovered via London based musician Thom Lyons ... CLICK HERE! - version 2 coming soon.

Fear is in the eye of the beholder - don't let it be you.

2011-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

As of Thursday I will have visited London at least once a month, every month since June 2010. I'm starting to feel an old hand at the Underground systems, which quite frankly petrified me this time last year. Even though I'm more confident at traveling in the capital than I thought I'd ever be, there is always this niggling fear...

I tell myself I’m being 'extra cautious' when I see somebody looking suspicious, carrying a bag or muttering to themselves (which coincidentally is very common as Londoners are so hectic they are constantly reminding themselves to "eat don't forget to eat" or "definitely remember you have children and they need picking up from school this evening") but it is troubling that people have to remain this aware in a place they once felt safe. Maybe it’s just me, but somehow I doubt it.

Since the 7/7 bombings London has changed, whether it cares to admit it or not. People are going about their daily business but there is always that sense of threat in the back of their mind, and I'm sure it is more than one hundred times worse for the survivors and the people who lost family that day.

Has terrorism won? If we are still worried about impending attack on our nation, and being extra vigilant when carrying out every day tasks which we wouldn't have given a second thought to this time six years ago, like getting on a bus or the tube, then at least in my mind those four men succeeded in their mission, not only to kill and maim innocent commuters but to terrorise Britain.

So on Thursday when I arrive in Victoria coach station, I'm taking a stand - fear is in the eye of the beholder, don't let it be you.

Get your Airkix!

2011-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Indoor skydiving; best 21st birthday present ever! Three minutes being beaten up by a 140mph wind in Manchester, never has the term "it's grim up north" been less appropriate, I had an absolute ball.

Three minutes may not sound like a long time, however when you're being blasted with a 140mph wind it is more than enough. It is by no means an unpleasant experience however it is quite tiring the first time, although once you're out all you want to do is get back in again.

If throwing yourself out of a perfectly good plane and hurtling towards the ground doesn't appeal to you but you've always wanted to experience the free fall feeling, this is definitely the way forward. Adam was my instructor and he was just brilliant, although you're only taught four hand signals, it is literally like being thrown in at the deep end but you have so much interaction in the tunnel with your instructor and learn the aerodynamics of your body so quickly it makes it easier to get to grips with.

In the interest of science I've uploaded all three of my attempts so you can see the progression in the short time I was in there, in three minutes you can control yourself in the tunnel and in my case stop bumping into things, falling out of the sky or floating away like an umbrella in the wind (note the awesome catches in the first video).

Shoe came off on the second attempt and it threw me a little, not nearly as much as the manic spin did though - it was a lot faster and higher than the video gives credit for.

I'm now completely hooked, and once I've booked my 10 session course, I will most definitely apply to become an instructor. This isn't an easy feat, you have to participate in a fitness test involving running, press ups, sit ups, pull ups, lifting and my personal downfall touching your toes without bending your knees, hmm - better get on it!

The best offer with http://www.buyagift.com/ for £49 for two people to have two minutes in a wind tunnel. An extra £11 p/p for another minute at the end. The good thing is you can redeem the voucher at either the Manchester or the Milton Kaynes Airkix, so it doesn't matter if you're a northern monkey or southern fairy. For more information go to http://www.airkix.com/

Have you ever have one of those moments...

2011-01-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

... when you think something is a joke, a somewhat sick one at that, and then realise that somebody is being serious?

Mooching through some news stories online I came across a... well lets use the term human, who is so full of hate and distain for everyone it is genuinely hard to believe. Fred Phelps is the founder of Westboro Baptist Church, some of you may already be aware of this American organisation founded in 1955 however, being a Brit it isn't something I've come across before; although apparently Jacqui Smith banned them from entering the UK because of their plans to picket a play in February 2009 which featured homosexuality.

I've never seen such an insolent man, his fundamentalist attitude has clearly rendered him insane. The WBC claim gay people should be made to live in a city alone and not interact with straight people. In my humble opinion fundamentalists nut jobs should be made to live on an island a persecute each other until there is nobody left, but hey ho, we can't all get what we want.

Westboro Baptist Church vowed to picket the Arizona shooting victims funerals and they even published a press release regarding the funeral of the youngest victim, nine-year-old Christina Tyler-Green. However since the released of this statement, Arizona legislators passed an emergency law barring protesters from coming within 300 feet of a funeral, stating "a funeral is no place to protest". In response to this "emergency law" Shirley Phelps-Roper of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, announced the group would not protest at the funeral of Christina Green, instead they would appear on a radio station in Toronto, Canada. She also stated that they would still attend and protest at the funeral of US District Judge John Roll, who was shot dead by Jared Loughner last Saturday.

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

When I loaded the oh so subtly named website www.godhatesfags.com I was completely taken aback by the content of this hateful site. I'm not going to link it because I don't believe his website should have any more hits, however I took a screen shot of "Numbers" listed down the side of the page so you can see for yourself the kind of tosh this group of people pours on to the internet (which by the way God hates) ...

Take some solace in the fact this isn't going unchallenged, and that there are some fantastic people in the world who will look at the WBC and Fred Phelps whilst laughing and making fun of their archaic values.

After an initial irate rant about how religious extremism is holding the world in a bronze-age rut I saw the funny side of WBC and Fred Phelps. As Michael Moore has demonstrated, if society laughs at these fools and if we all unite and turn our back on them, who will they yell at? Who will they direct their pathetic little rants at if nobody is listening and nobody cares?

#goddoesntgiveacrap

Liverpool Tourist...

2011-01-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, and in order...

Cabin fever has ravaged all aboard...

2010-12-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

New Year is fast approaching and I can't help but feel the urge to escape and travel somewhere completely random and unexplored (by me at least). I get itchy feet when I've been in the same place for a while and there is any opportunity to travel. Planning trips in 2011 to Europe and the USA is just one of the reason's I'm finding it particularly difficult to keep myself grounded.

An old friend called me up the other day suffering from the same cabin fever on dry land syndrome. He was in Bristol and wanted to escape, after suggesting we should hit up Amsterdam for a weekend (as amazing as it would have been) that idea was firmly shunted when I realised I'd left my passport back in Cheltenham, because I'm an idiot!

Living close to Liverpool has its advantages and its loud glaring disadvantages, but with some persuasion from said friend we've now opted for a fun filled tourist day around my home city. I decided this was a brilliant opportunity to compile a top ten things to do in the 2008 Capital of Culture... yes people it was three years ago and we're still clutching at it, but hey! John Lennon was killed 31 years ago.

Top 10 in Liverpool:

See jellyfish and tall ships in the Albert Dock
Find the hidden dock
Take a ferry across the Mersey to Birkenhead*
Salute the Liver Birds
Museums/Galleries - Walker Art, FACT, Tate, World, Maratime, Beatles... yada yada
Get lost in the unnecessarily complicated Liverpool One
Turn the Place Over - seriously check out the link.
Order a beer from the Cavern Club and say "cheers" to John Lennon
Try some funky flavours of Tequila at Bar Cava - whilst you're on Wood Street check out Concert Square
See Queen Victoria's penis**

* Don't stay too long it isn't pretty. Although you can see the Liverpool skyline (worth it).

**#8 and #9 make this more amusing.

So there we have it - a day (or two at a stretch) full of jaunty Northern fun. Stay tuned - pictures to follow in January. Peace out.

Network Fail...

2010-12-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Of all the places to be stuck, Birmingham New Street... not the bustling nerve centre of the universe but a black hole strategically placed inside a Bermuda triangle like phenomenon specifically designed for trains and the broken souls of passengers just hoping they may actually reach their destination.

Joe Bidden said, “It is absolutely bizarre that we continue to subsidise highways beyond the gasoline tax, airlines, and we don't subsidise, we don't want to subsidise, a national rail system that has environmental impact.” – This man talks sense.

On average for a round trip from Cheltenham to Liverpool it costs about £25 if booked in advance £35 if not. For this amount of money, you would at least expect a service that will take me from A to B without any major glitches.

Here's the kicker, as of January 3 2011 not only does VAT increase to a whopping 20% but National Rail are upping their fees by around 9%. Now, 9% sounds like a lot. It gets worse. This is just a national average, so some mainline links are going to increase much more than 9% - 25% to be precise. So a train fair that initially cost £35 will now cost £43.75 before VAT.

AWESOME.

Dear Dave,

As we're all in it together in your BIG SOCIETY, would you mind subbing me the extra £8.75 it will take me to get home to see my family? As I'm sure your £142,500 per year could more than cover a couple of trips.

Yours sincerely (may want to look up that word, it's in the dictionary just before spineless),

An epically poor student and unfortunate member of your tiny rich boy society.

"Beyond highways and roads, we need more money for mass transit, intercity passenger rail and freight rail. We have a long way to go to bridge the funding gaps." - Bill Lipinski

Venice €€€ on a budget...

2010-12-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Venice has a stigma for being inexplicably expensive, so much so that in 2010 it was named Italy's most expensive city, but it isn't as impossible as it may seem to travel to Venice on a budget.

Here are my top ten things to do in Venice on a budget:

Get lost amongst the canals and churches (it's easy to find your way back, just head for the 'Vaporetto'). (Free)
See San Marco's square when it's empty, either sunrise or very late at night it the best time to catch the otherwise manic square in its dormant state. (Free)
See Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man in the Gallerie dell'Accademia. (A little expensive at €12.50)
Try ciccetti in the local wine bars around Per Rialto. (Between 90¢ and €2 for a dish and small glass of wine)
Take a gondola taxi across the Grand Canal. (50¢)
Learn to shun the pushy men selling flowers of an evening. Tip: "No grazie io non voglio niente" and if they still won't go away: "Si prega di lasciarmi in pace" - a polite way of saying sod off. (Free)
Visit the Rialto Market and eat roar oysters fresh from the Mediterranean. (€2)
Climb the Campanile di San Marco. (€8)
Try some Italian hot chocolate. (€2.50)
Take a trip on the vaporetto over to Mauro and admire the glass blowers at work. (€12 for a 24 hour pass)

Cost break down we decided to go for three days and two nights:

€45 (tax inc.) for a return flight in November. (Money saving tip: fly into Treviso rather than Marco Polo, a bus transfer from the airport takes about 30 minutes and only costs €8 anytime return).

€50 to €60 per night for a hotel.

€20 to €30 per day for food (splash out an upscale meal in the evening will cost you about €30 plus drinks).

Overall cost: €178 p/p

VENICE: The most expensive city in Italy?

2010-12-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

It is easy to see Venice and an unspoiled gem, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Forgotten by the modern world, Italy is almost a poster girl for historic cities, whilst Venice lacks the skyscrapers of more progressive cities, it has a solid punk rock like bravado withstanding over a century of being battered and bruised by tourists flocking to see the art and architecture that has made it so legendary.

Although Venice’s walls are crumbling, underneath it all, it still has a rugged charm that is unmatched.

At the minute Europe isn’t the cheapest place to visit, but it can be made an affordable short break, by booking in advance, doing your own legwork and planning ahead. There are so many benefits to reap, even in a city that has the sigma of being one of the most expensive in Europe.

Travel and hotel:

As with most European cities, the cheapest time of year to visit Venice is during the down season from November to February, it is possible to get cheap flights and accommodation if you’re willing to brave the cold Mediterranean winds.

Most hotels have a curfew but neglect to mention this upon booking, always ask, hotels with a curfew will often be substantially cheaper than those without. They are not always unreasonable some stay open until 1am.

Flights with Ryanair are more often than not the cheapest option, but plush comforts like seats or a pilot aren't to be expected with the budget airline. Once they get off the ground, they fly directly into Treviso airport which is a 30 minute, €8 return connection via coach to Piazza Roma in Venice. One of the best ways to save is to fly into Treviso, as taxes to fly into Marco Polo are excessive at best.

For a truly unique experience it is always best to avoid using travel agents, although it is more legwork personally, it is easier to grab a bargain shopping around on the Internet.

Eating out and drinking:

Top tip: avoid restaurants claiming to be “Italian” or those who have a menu in English.

For the real Venetian food look out for side streets with scuffed wooden benches outside buildings marked ‘osterie’ (food and wine bars), they often serve specialty fish caught that day in the Mediterranean.

The Brits have pub-crawls and the Venetian’s have ciccetti. Typically, it is custom to eat ciccetti, which is not dissimilar to Spanish tapas, in the late morning accompanied with a small glass of white wine, however tourists use this as an excuse, and rightly so, to sample the delights of local wines both red and white in several bars across the city.

The wineries in Venice do not even export their wine to the rest of Italy, let alone anywhere else, ciccetti is an affordable and fun way to experience local culture.

Exploring the culture:

It is so easy to get lost in Venice, adoring the film-set beauty of the northern district, Cannaregio and wondering through the side streets and rivers is one of the best ways to get to grips with the city.

Generally Piazza San Marco floods about 50 times a year, roughly through from November to February. When traveling within those months, the best money saving tip would be to pack wellington boots as when it does flood, the Venetian’s will see you coming and charge up to €50 for a pair.

As to be expected, gondolas are extremely overpriced and more to the point staggeringly unromantic. Goggling tourists taking pictures as you row along isn't the most fun.

There are however, cheaper alternatives such as the Gondola Servicio – a water taxi from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, this costs just 50¢.

The population of Venice has more than halved in the past 20 years because of the overwhelming amount of tourists who invade the city all year round. The catch is whilst it is clear that tourism has cracked the Venetian’s themselves, it is the only thing keeping Venice financially afloat.

Venice has more museums per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world, although it can be expensive; there are places to visit for free across the city during the winter months making it that little bit easier on the wallet.

The recession has knocked everyone back, and just when the pound was starting to recover; Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal all had a hand in helping the euro practically go belly up. On the other hand, with well planned and carefully timed traveling, it isn't as hard as it may seem to enjoy time supposedly the most expensive city in Italy on a budget.

The ospedaletto

Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale flooded at acqua alta 'high tide'

November News for ICON Magazine - Throwing bad money after bad

2010-11-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

Ireland have just received a mass bail out from the rest of the EU, including Britain who have had to pay around one eighth of their overall debt which equates to about £7 billion, no wonder the students are rioting after being told their tuition fees will be at least doubling.

George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House of Commons “it is in our national interest that we should be prepared to help them at this difficult time.”

“Them” of course being Ireland and not our very own citizens who are asking for an education, which of course was free to all the aristocrats that are now enforcing these, absurd increases.

It seems that the continent united by the euro is in complete chaos making it difficult to see why a single currency that accumulates every country’s debit was introduced in the first place. So what is the future of the euro? Can it survive?

With all the negative news surrounding Europe at the minute, it is hard to imagine the euro can realistically recover however, as the total debt is not outstandingly high compared to countries like China, there is hope for the currency yet. What is damaging its chances of revival is lack of a clear plan of action. The wayward countries are being handed bail outs by the billion but there is no apparent scheme to stop this happening in the future.

With Ireland’s massive a fiscal deficit, Britain essentially created an unsupported loan. So essentially we will see nothing in return for our £7 billion, and more over, two years ago Ireland imposed big public spending cuts, which they claimed was meant to help re-boot the economy – that went well didn’t it?

Mostly this deficit has been brought on by Ireland’s lack of foresight. When the country took on the euro they were given a fund to help with developments in the cities, as long as the improvements were still “under construction” the money kept coming in. As Ireland aren’t stupid they decided to drag out the work for as long as possible thinking that they would get away with it, but the EU finally had enough and stopped the funding leaving them in this impossible position.

So which country is next? Portugal, Spain and Britain are all facing even more financial humiliation in the next few years, and the only way to prevent this is by exporting goods and kick starting the countries economic growth. Ireland’s exporting list consists of the Guinness that isn’t consumed before it leaves port and Bono, and one avoids paying tax so it is easy to see why they’re struggling.

Incidentally the irony lies in the fact the minimum sum of £7 billion that Britain is handing over to Ireland to help prop up the euro, is the entire amount the country would be saving due to the welfare cuts, and in no way will it help the Irish economy recover. We’re lending money we don’t have, to a county that can never repay it, in order to try and stabilize a currency that helped cause the economy collapse in the first place due to countries like Ireland and Greece trying to fleece the EU and write off its own debt.

So, is there a right way to handle the situation in Ireland? Of course there is, however a bail out is not what the country needs at the minute. If Ireland admitted that the euro was a failure, and in turn started a new currency effective immediately then its debts would diminish and more to the point, the euro would start to recover instantaneously.

Lord Young has been heavily criticised this week for down playing the recession and suggesting that “most people have never had it so good.” This shocking announcement came whilst at lunch with a journalist, talking about the economic state of Ireland he indignantly blurted out his feelings surrounding the recession and the “loan” to our neighbours.

Cameron has however said that there will be a revision of plans for £162m in cuts for sports budgets each year. This was reviled shortly after 75 Olympic champions, including Tessa Sanderson, campaigned against the cuts citing concerns over children’s health.

November News for ICON Magazine - Julian Assange

2010-11-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

Wikileaks creator Julian Assange has had an international warrant for his arrest issued by Swedish government, on two alleged rape and sexual molestation offences.

He was recently denied a visa in Switzerland where he applied for political asylum in order to move the Wikileaks servers, allowing him to “operate in safety.”

Assange was detained in Stockholm for questioning, however the Swedish government will most likely extrodite him to the US where he will probably be excicuted.

His Swedish lawyer, Hurtig said the evidence against Assange was “very meagre. It’s not enough to get convicted of a crime.”

Assange claims that he is innocent and haters of Wikileaks are setting him up.

November News for ICON Magazine - North vs. South Korea

2010-11-15T18:28:00.001-08:00

North Korea was heavily criticised after firing dozens of artillery shells, killing four people on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

This is the first attack on the South in over 60 years claiming that they were carrying out “reckless military provocation.”

American forces provided an aircraft carrier in support of the South Koreans as well as urging North Korea to reconsider their approach.

This comes just weeks after Kim Jong-il revealed a new uranium enrichment facility and announced his son Kim Jong-un is to be his official successor in when he dies.

November News for ICON Magazine - Cameron mocks Bercow

2010-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

David Cameron has had members of the Walking With Giants foundation up in arms claiming that a joke aimed at John Bercow was ”flippant misuse of the term dwarf”.

The PM mocked the 5ft 6inch Speaker with a joke that went along the lines of; somebody reversed into Bercow’s car, he jumped out quite diminutive and said “I’m not happy!” to which the driver responded “which one are you then?”

Bercow’s wife swung back at Cameron tweeting, “If Mr B’s a dwarf then I’m Snow White. And Cameron is definitely Dopey”. As if politics wasn’t enough of a joke. Members of the Walking With Giants foundation have urged the Prime Minister to apologise.

November News for ICON Magazine - Katy Perry & Russell Brand

2010-11-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Katy Perry had her performance with Elmo on Sesame Street pulled in the United States because of complaints made by parents claiming Perry’s outfit was too revealing for children’s television. After the video was premiered on KatyPerry.com

Her now husband spoke out against the decision in a somewhat tactless reference to the shows format, he tweeted: “Today’s Sesame Street will NOT be brought to you by the number 34 or the letter D… Can you tell now how to get, how to get to Sex-with-me Street?”

November News for ICON Magazine - Prince William & Kate Middleton

2010-11-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton at the end of October whilst backpacking in Kenya, since then it has been announced that the wedding will be held at Westminster Abby on Friday 29 April, which will be a bank holiday. In response to public concerns that the taxpayer could fund the wedding, at least in part, the wedding is to be paid for privately by the royal family and the Middleton’s.

Controversial comments were made on Facebook by Rt Rev Broadbent, he said, ‘I managed to avoid the last disaster in slow motion between Big Ears and the Porcelain Doll’ then went on to say ‘I give the manage seven years.’ Since then he has been made to ‘withdraw from the public ministry until further notice’.

YIPPEEE... finally!

2010-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'll admit it. I'm a big nerd and I love Dawn French. She is a legend, so there.

In the first year of university, I dragged my parents to go and see the fairwell French & Saunders 'Still Alive' tour in London. Yes I'm one of those sad people who actually gets on with my parents and I go out and do stuff with them, Glastonbury 2010/11 included - God I'm cool! It was absolutely hysterical, amazing and everything you can imagine watching those two live, but the problem was, my parents wouldn't let me be a childish fan girl and stick around afterwards to meet the famed duo - I hate it when people still have authority.

Now, after Dear Fatty was released, I geeked out massively and read it in like two days, then of course looked for book signings... I can feel you judging me... please don't!

Anyway I missed the only book signing in opportunity London that was feasible to get to, so I've been dying to make up for the missed opportunity since (this was two years ago by the way)...

I thought I'd found the solution to my nerdy fanatic problem when it was announced good olde Dawn would be at the Cheltenham Literature Festival this year... but no. Of course that IS the weekend my Nan is celebrating her 60th birthday and I have to play the dutiful granddaughter and go home. Cracking.

But alas, finally, after two years... my inner (and occasionally outer) geek has had her prayers answered. I've bullied my fab mother into coming to London with me to go and see Dawn French talk about her new book and first novel, A Tiny Bit Marvelous, as well as a book signing afterwards, HEAVEN!

I don't care what you think... I know I'm cool.

The Coffin Route

2010-10-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Climbing up through the Cumbrian hills is something I have a great fondness for, the views along the way are truly spectacular, especially in autumn when the most beautiful array of colours sweep across the valleys.

The Coffin Route is about an eight-mile round trip from Ambleside to Grasmere and back. The walk offers amazing views of both Rydal water and Grasmere Lake. Even with low cloud, the misty atmosphere adds something special to the trail.

Although the ‘Coffin Route’ may suggest killer climbs and tough terrain, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Up until about 1821 the trail was used to carry coffins from Ambleside to Grasmere, allowing people to be buried in St. Oswald’s church, as there were no graveyards in Ambleside itself. The land is relatively flatIt is also the final resting place of English poet William Wordsworth. (Note: It is well worth visiting Wordsworth’s house, Dove Cottage, on your travels. For more information about parking and admission prices click here).

The land is relatively flat, there is a small amount of strenuous climbing but nothing my 60-year-old granddad couldn’t manage, and can just be a very pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll. There are large flat stones placed along the way for the coffin bearers to rest on, they would prop the casket up on the stone and rest before continuing along the route. So if you’re feeling particularly warn out, there is a rest point every mile or so where you can sit and soak in the unique landscape.

There are plenty of cafés and pubs on route, including the Rydal Hall Tea Room, which serves scones with clotted cream, and not to mention the most amazing raspberry jam you’ll ever taste! A pot of tea costs just £1.20 in the quaint self-contained retirement village – IMPORTANT this is not to be taken lightly. It makes about 3 cups so make sure you pop to the loo before you set off again, because it’s a good hour and a half before you reach Grasmere.

Once you arrive in Grasmere (home of the famous Grasmere Gingerbread), the village is littered with pubs and cafés for lunch. The Lamb Inn is particularly good for a delicious jacket potato, especially if it’s on the chilly side. They also serve a selection of guest ales, you can eat and drink for around £7 p/p.

On the second leg of the journey, the track drops down to the shore of Grasmere Lake, which has been a hotspot for painters over the years. Just a little further along the trail holds ‘Rydal Cave’, an old slate mine that has now been cordoned off due to a series of roof collapses. At one point you could walk inside these majestic man made quarries, and see the beautiful slate that was collected to make the trademark Cumbrian houses. However visitors now have to settle with the murky blue water and slight glimpses into the cave.

There is a bit of a steep decent after the caves, but then it levels out leaving a brisk walk along some duckboards back into Ambleside. It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon and highly recommended.

Grasmere Lake 2010

For more information on this walk and other walks in Englands majestic Lake District, visit golakes.co.uk.

Glastonbury 2011 - You better be worth the hassle!

2010-10-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

I feel genuinely distraught and angry for the people who failed to get Glastonbury 2011 tickets yesterday. It was a complete disaster! Five-long-hard-hours it took 5 of us (all with at least one computer and one phone going each, sometimes even two) to get through to SeeTickets. In the end I was the only one so booked all five, but there were just so many people who didn't make it through.

It really was disgracefully handled this year, understandably SeeTickets has to deal with a massive amount of avid festival goers hammering on their website door at 9am sharp, however if you know this is going to happen, and it's getting worse every year, surely it is time to step up and recognise the problem?

Thousands of people were left disappointed and the 137, 000 tickets in just over five hours, some didn't even get to see the booking page! Fingers crossed for the resale in March/April!

Dare to Dream

2010-09-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Inception. What a fantastic idea. The ability to plant an idea in the mind of a subject and let it manifest. Nolan has created a film that in theory has no boundaries. Dare to dream, he literally allowed imagination to take control and run riot on a cinema screen with some cracking actors. Epic!

The nagging question once you’ve watched this film is surely enough to drive even the most intelligent minds at MENSA insane. Asleep, or awake?

It would be pretty damn annoying, the wiles of the film drawing you in, making you believe you’re gunning for a man who has tragically lost his wife, fighting desperately just to go home and see his children. He finally gets his true dream of returning home, and ohhh and it was all a big fat lie to begin with, it would almost be as irritating as Cillian Murphy’s jaw line.

I must say that the number arguments for Cobb being asleep at the end of the film are mounting thick and fast; his children haven’t aged, the totem is still spinning and I’m sure the list goes on and on with endless speculation and relentless theories as to the true ending of Inception.

There are several occasions throughout the film where by Cobb spins the totem and it topples, thus giving us the interpretation that he is awake. However as it is Mal’s totem, surely it doesn’t matter if he spins it, he has no control over it therefore it will topple. But where is Cobb’s totem?

Another irksome niggle is that Mal manages to penetrate his dreams throughout the film, popping up at the most inconvenient times and proving slightly troublesome to say the least, this doesn’t happen when he is supposedly awake. She is absent from one of his obvious dreams, and this is clearly pointed out by Ariadne, Cobb replies that she is already gone at this point, so it could be argued that he is unknowingly repressing her and that is why she isn’t penetrating his life “up top”.

In reality when they are in the house and Cobb is looking at his children in the garden, it isn’t a dream it’s a memory he is reliving. As Mal wasn’t part of that memory she isn’t included, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t appear at any moment. As Cobb is having difficulties controlling his dreams throughout the film, surely his subconscious should take over and thrust Mal’s projection into his ‘reality’?

Throughout the dream sequences Cobb is shown wearing his wedding ring, however when he is supposedly ‘awake’ he isn’t wearing his ring (this includes the closing scene in the film). As the story is fundamentally about catharsis, a sense of having to redeem yourself and right the wrongs that were made, it seems that it is possible to argue that the wedding ring was on Cobb’s finger to remind him of the guilt he feels. As the ring is missing in the final scene it could be interpreted as he is indeed awake, or it could be because he has relinquished the immense guilt surrounding Mal’s suicide and therefore the need for his wedding ring died along with the projection of his wife.

Also, if Mal did indeed wake up when she jumped off the side of the building, why did she not then give Cobb the kick he needed to wake up and join her in reality?

Another irksome niggle was Cobb’s children, this is a tricky one as many people have pointed out. Seemingly they haven’t aged, they are wearing the same clothes as they were in Cobb’s projections, and they are in the same place in the garden when he arrives home, coincidence? This theory is easily clarified by looking at the cast list. Two actors play the children at ages 20 months and three years, two more play them later on at ages three and five years, therefore they have aged.

However, there is one very distinctive concept in the film that solidified my belief that Cobb was indeed awake, the idea planted very early on in the film. You are in a dream, it feels real, but how did you get there? “We came from the uummm…”

But we see the characters board the plane in Paris, heading for LA. We know where they’ve been, how they got there and exactly where they are heading. Proof they are awake? Possibly.

The film is very much open to interpretation, and it just goes to show how people’s thought process takes hold and goes into overdrive. At the end of the day, we’re all talking about it, was he awake, was he asleep. You wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t interested in the concept, taken in by the experience and wanting to know other people thought.

The real irony of the film lies in the fact that the audiences are in a metaphorical dream state whereby they’re watching the film. When the lights come on, and the final coda plays everybody in the room wakes up. But the idea has been planted in your mind; what you just saw wasn’t real, Cobb was indeed asleep. Or was he?

Nine years on from The Matrix, arguably the greatest movies of our generation, both in narrative and visual effects. Inception is definitely a worthy adversary for the title. And I mean, come on… how suave is Arthur?

When were the good and the brave ever in the majority?

2010-07-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

The media has had the unfortunate task over the past nine years of reporting death after death. International conflict has taken many lives during of the so called "fight against terror" and though we hear of soldiers being flown back to Woolton Basset, their coffins draped in the Union Flag, we rarely hear of the injured. The hero's who fight for our country, in a war born from an alliance to America and George W Bush.

The UK currently have 9,500 troops "fighting the war against terror" in Afghanistan. A war which was waged by an obsolete government. Neither the US nor the UK can boast a Republican or Labour government any more, so surely it is time to bring the fighting to an end?

Launched in response to 9/11, it was said that the aim of the invasion was to find Osama bin Laden, and yet today we are still fighting for this; to find the man who destroyed the World Trade Centre and killed thousands.

After Saddam Hussein was captured and hanged in 2006, it sparked a new lease of life in the fight against terror. It seemed then that the possibility of capturing bin Laden drove the government to push our troops harder with little to show for it four years on.

Now, I've always understood that there are various reasons for our presence in Afghanistan, but I am questioning the rationality of it all today. There are several aspects keeping troops in the country, and many argue that withdrawing troops now will mean in excess of 3

00 British soldiers who've lost their lives in the past nine years will have died in vein. But the question I ask these people is; how long to we let the killing continue before we realise that there are no winners in war? Both sides in any conflict suffer losses, so at the end of the day it isn't who won the most, it's who lost the least. And the only way to do this is to put an end to the insanity.

As of 2009, 14,000 British soldiers had been injured in the line of duty in Afghanistan. Today, 18-year-old Tom Coleridge from Warrington is being flown back to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham after he was shot in the abdomen causing serious injury to his liver,

kidney and possibly his spine.

I find myself asking the question 'why are we not hearing of the brave men and women who are fighting in an archaic war and being injured doing so?' It isn't right that we only hear of the fallen, many lives have been catastrophically shattered because of injury in the line of duty, we should hear of those hero's too (and I don't mean the ones who are grazed by a piece of shrapnel and back on duty after three stitches, and still milk it for all it's worth).

Although Tom and I weren't close, we knew each other for a brief time in Cheshire Army Cadet Force. Were were in the same company however opposing detachments, always fighting to be better at what we did whether it be drill competitions, field craft exercises or company weekends. He took cadets very seriously and decided he wanted to join the armed forces, the military has been his life for six or so years now, so surely something you've had such dedication to shouldn't destroy you?

"They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason." - Ernest Hemmingway

I wish Tom a speedy recovery from the bottom of my heart, he is a true hero who has put his life on the line in the name of his country.

Unveiled: Boat Show interpretations

2010-06-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

ORGANISERS have released exciting new images of the highly anticipated first Liverpool Boat Show in 2011.

The plans for a 10-day international festival were unveiled last year, now images have been released giving a flavour for the festival.

Marine Industry Events are organising the Liverpool Boat Show for next year and are enjoying the buzz surrounding the event from local businesses and the council alike.

They have described the venue as one of the most architecturally stunning waterfronts in the world.

James Gower, a spokesman for the company said: “There is a clash in the South with the London and Southampton festivals so we were looking for something different.”

Since Liverpool received the 2008 European Capital of Culture status, its reputation as blasted sky high.

Mr Gower said: “There was an overwhelming response and Liverpool was by far the most popular destination.”

Liverpool is a focal for boating in the North West and even hosted the internationally renowned Tall Ships Festival in 2008.

Dubbed the ‘City of Sail’, Liverpool is at the heart of the North West coastline, which has made it the prime location for visitors near and far.

Believed to be a primarily untapped area by the organisers, Marine Industry Events have extremely high hopes for the first year of the show.

They are predicting the show will draw around 100,000 paying visitors who will have access to the Main Marina, and a further 300,000 spectators elsewhere.

They will be able to enjoy a selection of sailing and watersports demonstrations in the Salthouse Dock during the week long show.

There will even be a selection of five VIP floating islands in various different docks.

Major sponsors named to back the event are Virgin Trains, Eastern Airways and Guinness in a hope to promote both national and international interest.

Virgin Trains and Eastern airways will be providing exclusive travel packages for the event.

Rob Mackenzie, managing director of Marine Industry Events, said: “The travel agreements mean exhibitors and visitors will be able to travel from the south coast and London conveniently and for very competitive rates”.

Organisers are hoping that the event will become an annual hit, and expected to spend more than £750,000 on marketing.

Believing that it will establish itself quickly, Liverpool council chief executive Colin Hilton said the 2011 festival would “generate a momentum we can continue into the next decade”.

For more information about the event and sponsors visit http://www.liverpoolboatshow.co.uk/

Liverpool band to record for Twilight Saga

2010-06-11T02:56:00.000-07:00

MERSEYSIDE band are to record a song for hit vampire saga Twilight.
Electo-pop band Holice have been asked by Twilight music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas to write and record a track especially for Breaking Dawn, the fourth film in the series.
After hearing the last track on Holice’s debut album ‘10 Chakras’, Alexandra Pasavas, 42, from Chicago who has been responsible for both soundtracks in the Twilight Saga so far, got in touch with the Liverpool band and asked them to provide a demo track for the Breaking Dawn film.
They will follow in the footsteps of UK musicians such as Muse and Thom Yorke who have also recorded songs for the Twilight Saga.
Band members Stephen Davies, 39, from Widnes, Chris Oakly, 36, from Runcorn and Sarah Owen, 23 from West Derby, started recording as Holice in 2008.
Stephen said: “We sent the record off and within two weeks we’d heard back.
“The film has quite forward thinking directors who seem to be making a deliberate effort to help smaller unsigned bands”.
Stephen’s kitchen in Widnes doubles up as the inevitably named Kitchen Studio’s, where Holice recorded their demo track.
He said: “Although they liked the song they wanted us to write something specifically for the soundtrack ”.
Preparation is underway for songwriter Stephen, he said: “I’m frantically watching all the films and reading Breaking Dawn just to get a good feel for it”.
He has started writing the track, but told the Liverpool Echo that there is no name for it yet.
“We’re planning on making it quite slow and moody, I’ll be listening to the other soundtracks to try and pick up on the rough tone, but we don’t want to copy anybody else's style”.
The band are excited to get their teeth stuck into the challenge, they are aiming to have the track recorded and sent off by August.
The third film Twilight Eclipse is set to be a hit in cinema’s next month, but it will be 2011 before Holice make it onto the big screen.
Holice’s debut album 10 Chakras is available to download on iTunes.

Liverpool veteren is commended for WWII services

2010-06-10T06:17:00.001-07:00

RUSSIAN Federation thanks local veteran for services in the Royal Navy during WWII.
Fred Williams, 98, from Birkenhead was awarded a medal from the Russian Embassy this month commemorating the 65th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
Fred was unable to attend the ceremony in London, so one of his three sons Kenny Williams, 56, presented the medal to his dad yesterday.
Kenny said: “We’re glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves.”
Fred Williams spent time aboard HMS Marne during the battle of the Atlantic when British forces helped Russian’s courier supplies to troops.
It is clear Fred still has a sense of humour, he said: “I feel quite good about getting the medal, £100 would’ve been nicer.”

Rebekah's Fund

2010-06-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

TEENAGE girl is pulling out all the punches for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Sixteen-year-old Rebekah Mather from Widnes has been offered a place to train at the prestigious Laine Theatre College in London but is struggling to find money for tuition fees.
After being offered a scholarship to train full time at The Hammond School in Chester, Rebekah auditioned for just one of 70 places available at Laine Theatre College.
Although she beat thousands for a place, she did not receive the funding she needed to go.
With tuition for the three years costing £65,000 Rebekah’s Fund was set up by her mother Jane Arkell, 35, in a bid to raise the cash.
Mrs Arkell said: “She’s been dancing since she was a little tot and she’s always loved it.
“We’re doing all we can.”
Rebekah’s step-father, Graeme Arkell, 28, is taking on the three peak challenge in just 24 hours in hope to raise more cash.
She has performed at the Empire Theatre numerous times and even trained with the Royal Ballet School but dreams of performing on the West End.
Rebekah said: “I was really devastated when I found out I wouldn’t get a grant.”
If she is lucky enough to raise more than the astounding £65,000 she needs to attend, the rest will be donated to the BBC Arts Fund to help other young people who are in similar situations.
Rebekah said: “It would be really good to carry Rebekah’s fund on for teenagers who are in the same position.”
To donate or find out more about Rebekah’s story visit http://www.rebekahsfund.co.uk/.

This story appeared in the Livepool Daily Post on 23/06/2010.

Chauffeur Scam

2010-06-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

DOZENS of jobseekers are out of pocket after applying for a bogus job through Jobcentre Plus.
They were duped into handing over cash by a fake chauffeur company, which was advertising for drivers through the Jobcentre Plus website.
One of the victims who was stung was 24-year-old Neil Moss from Liverpool believed he would be earning around £15 per hour.
He handed over £100 "key deposit" after being interviewed by Nationwide Chauffeur Services.
After borrowing the money from his parents he was told he would be contacted about starting work.
Mr Moss said: “When I hadn’t heard anything it just sort of clicked.
"I was really angry at first then I just felt devistated it really was too good to be true".
Karl Hammond, 40, from Nottingham was also taken in by the scam but did not hand over any cash.
He was outraged: "It’s shocking there is no vetting procedure for employers to go though".
Mr Hammond said: "I can’t believe someone would stoop so low and prey on people down on their luck".
The Department of Work and Pensions oversees Jobcentre Plus.
A DWP spokesperson said: "This activity is not tolerated. We do everything we can to root out bogus offers of employment; if we become aware that someone is abusing the system, we withdraw the vacancy and investigate fully".
He continued: "Our advice to an applicant has always been that they should never pay fees up front to a potential employer".
Officers from South Yorkshire Police who are investigating allegations of fraud have arrested a 43-year-old man from Sheffield. He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

UPDATE (08/07/10):

South Yorkshire Police have charged a man following allegations of fraud.

43-year-old Mark Shortland, from Sheffield has been charged with offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act and appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court yesterday (Wednesday 7th July 2010). He has since been remanded in custody and will appear at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday 12^th July 2010.

St Mary's Parish Church

2010-06-08T06:38:00.001-07:00

THIS Saturday will see the streets of Widnes flooded with pantomime and Disney characters celebrating all in the name of religion.
St Mary's Parish Church in West Bank, is calling on the public to help them celebrate 100 years since the church was consecrated.
When opening St Mary's Church in 1910, Bishop F J Chervasse said "I have opened many beautiful churches, but none so beautiful as this".
A fun filled, four day, family event starting on Thursday, will see the crowning of the legendary Rose Queen, a tradition which has been upheld for more than 70 years.
Rhannon Ratcliffe, 10, will be crowned this years Rose Queen inside St Mary’s Parish Curch on Saturday.
Rhannon will be joined by generations of Rose Queens, pantomime and Disney characters from as far back as 1935 in a parade on the streets of West Bank at 2pm.
As well as fancy dress competitions and singing there will be a Flower Festival held from Thursday through to Saturday.

Indy Placement

2010-04-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago (with some persuasion from a lecturer) I decided to apply for a two week placement with the Independent over the summer. In all honesty I was in two minds about applying simply for the reason that as a student, the thought of being thrown into a national paper is so overwhelmingly daunting and I was petrified of being torn to shreds.

Nothing much changed when I decided to take the chance and apply, but talking it over with said lecturer, it made sense to give it a shot. Even with no guarantees of getting past the interview stage - it's all a great experience. And lets face it, nobody is going to get anywhere in life if they don't push themselves to try new things, and step out of their comfort zone. I think it's only then you can really test your capabilities and reach your potential, sounds like a cliche, yes! But this makes it nonetheless true.

After handing in a dubious CV - in the sense I went a bit overboard with the design (see nikkiowen.carbonmade.com for a good olde chuckle) I wasn't so sure I was going to be called for interview, however for some peculiar reason I was called in - Malcolm must have appreciated the intent behind the design even if it was slightly gung-ho.

To be perfectly honest, knowing that two of the third year print journalists had applied made the experience that little bit more nerve racking, this is simply because they have far more experience than me at this stage and probably more to offer the paper.

I went along today feeling relatively nervous and not knowing quite what to expect. I took along a portfolio of my work so far which went down really well and then had a chat about why I wanted the placement.

After getting myself worked up and staying up until 4am this morning playing about with my portfolio; debating on what to include and what to leave buried in a box. I'm pleased to say I thought the interview went really well. I was a lot less nervous once I'd got into the swing of things and answered a few questions. The feedback afterwards was undoubtedly encouraging, but more to the point it was endlessly constructive.

So, I came home to an email this afternoon:

Hi Nikki,

Just to confirm that you were successful in your application for the Independent work placement from July 19-30.
I am sure you will be great – just make sure you make the most of it.
If, for any reason, you are unable to take up the post then please let me know.

Malcolm Bradbrook
Course Leader in Print Journalism
University of Gloucestershire

Wakey!Wakey!

2010-04-28T11:19:00.001-07:00

Hiding in a dark Brooklyn club, you’re bound to find lead singer and songwriter of New York band, Wakey!Wakey! Although Mike Grubbs may look like he’s in dire need of a warm meal and a haircut, this man can belt out an earth-shaking tune better than most.

With their first studio album, Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said The Last Time I Saw You, released last month the five-piece are on a high.

They produce a dynamic sound stemming from violins to guitars and drums, but it’s clear that the bands mojo lies with piano player Mike Grubbs. The distinctive sound they generate oozes with cool and never fails to pull at your heartstrings.

Mike’s definitely got that “tortured musician” thing going on, reminiscent of Athlete’s Joel Pott, his deep emotional lyrics could touch even the coldest of souls. With that being said, there is something insanely refreshing when Mike sits down at the piano and successfully merges indie-pop with his classical background.

Jumping in head first, Wakey!Wakey! are currently following up the album release with a series of live streaming events on Facebook every Monday.

In an exclusive interview Wesley Verhoeve, Family Records label president, let us grill him about working with the band and where the idea for a live stream came from. We also got to chat with Mike, getting his thoughts on One Tree Hill, and plans for 2010.

First of all Wesley, I’d love to know what attracted you to Wakey!Wakey!?

“The quality of song writing, Mike’s work ethic, kindness and commitment to his craft. The golden rule at Family Records is that I have to love both the music and the person behind it. It’s a very intensive business with a lot of possibilities for stress, it’s key that you connect well with the artist on a personal level.”

Let’s talk about live streams; they’re obviously a great way to allow the band and fans to connect. What sparked the idea of a weekly online gig?

Wesley: “To do a live stream was originally the idea of Robbie Mackey who is part of Team Wakey! and works for our distributor. We brainstormed and thought it’d be really cool to do the first one on a Monday right after that week’s One Tree Hill episode. Since OTH has gone on hiatus we’re going to jump into that time slot so that the fans have something to carry them over and give them their OTH and Wakey!Wakey! fix for the week.”

And what kind of feedback have you received from people?

Wesley: “The response has been phenomenal from fans and peers alike. Mike also really enjoyed it. It’s really great to connect so directly with fans and be enabled to take requests from all over the world. It’s really quite amazing. Another exciting thing that we could see happen live in the moment was that fans started talking together and forming a community around their mutual love for Wakey!Wakey!’s music, that warmed our hearts.”

Mike, One Tree Hill must have been a massive commitment; do you feel like you’ve gained anything from the experience?

“It has definitely shown me a whole new level of professionalism. When you see the crew working together so well, it’s inspiring. Also it’s made me much more comfortable with cameras which is handy in this profession.”

We’ve heard a few mixes of Wakey!Wakey! songs recently, but if you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be?

Mike: “I’m obsessed with the idea of collaborating with electronic artists right now. I’d love to lock myself in a room with Dan Deacon and Dave Sitek and see what happened. They’d probably start beating me up, but if I lived, I bet the music would be awesome.”

Wesley, if you were going to take a road trip anywhere where would it be and how would you get there?

“Haha great question. For the longest time I’ve wanted to take a two part road trip. The first would be taking the train from NYC across the country to San Francisco. The second part would be driving from SF up to Portland, then Seattle then Vancouver.

So, what would be playing on the stereo during this trip?

“I like traveling while listening to pop music. Some Phoenix, Jack’s Mannequin, some Timbaland produced pop hits from the early 2000’s. Depending on who I’m with I’ll attempt to put on an East Coast Hip Hop mix tape with some mid 90’s rap and cruise to that for a while. If there are long stretches of deserted parts of the country I will also bring some Sigur Ros.”

And for snacks?

“Snack wise I’d have to go with beef jerky, which I never usually eat except for the rare occasions I have to take a car trip that’s over 30 minutes long. It’s a staple in the Verhoeve travel kit.”

So, any plans to get over to the UK and Europe anytime soon?

Mike: “Hopefully by the fall. We always dream big, and setting up a tour is a huge undertaking, but I need to know what the other side of the pond looks like. Our bass player, Anne Lieberwirth is German, and she’s dying to show us her home. Also my costar India De Beaufort promises to show me the best spots in London. Who could say no to that?”

Shooting straight from a four-hour rehearsal to the Gibson Studio’s in New York, Mike sat down at the piano and belted out the latest single ‘Twenty Two’. Taking requests, old and new. ‘Blame You’ and ‘War Sweater’ were two that popped up repeatedly on the Facebook live chat from adoring fans across the world. Although the sound was slightly misty for the duration of the set, his powerful voice more than made up for it.

Wesley admitted there was room for improvement: “As far as changes go, we’re going to work on improving the quality of the sound and image.”

Mike took to the stage again performing at The Soapbox in Wilmington, NC this Monday, crystal clear sound proved any issues from the Gibson gig had been ironed out and left the crowd astounded in the little downtown club.

Under Great White Northern Lights

2010-03-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

The seventh installment from Detroit rock duo, The White Stripes, comes to us in the form of a live album recorded on their 2009 Canadian tour. Entitled Under Great White Northern Lights, the album is everything you would expect from this well established band.

This album is ideal for a first time listener to the alternative rock sensation. If you haven't already heard of the band, you've obviously been hibernating under a rock since their 2003 breakthrough hit, Seven Nation Army.

This album is, for all intense purposes a greatest hits collection from The White Stripes. This is 17 tracks of everything a diehard fan of the band, or anybody looking for a taster of one of the most talented recording artists to date.

It's fronted by Jack White, who often carries "drummer" Meg White along like a hefty rucksack during this selection of songs. His guitar hero riffs and stylish distortion truly are the things rock and roll legends are made of.

The interchange between songs is seamless, making it hard to believe that the album was actually cut back in Tennessee, rather than just being a recording from one amazing night on a cold Canadian road.

Jack's powerful and emotional voice cuts through you with every verse. There are a few minor sound hiccups and playing about with his effects pedal, which can only be expected from any live gig.

This is by far one of the best albums the band has come out with in their 13 years together. The audience can be heard throughout the album, and in some cases this can ruin the feel of the music. This record is produced to perfection by Jack White himself, so although there is background noise present, you almost feel like part of the raging crowd.

There is a definite feel of being drawn into the venue, particularly when I'm slowly turning into you begins, it's hard to resist the urge to start clapping and singing with the gaggle of fans.

There's nothing particularly different about the music, but why should they change something that works so well? It is just what you would expect from The White Stripes, with massive amounts of feedback, distortion and overdrive that they have become renowned for. In any case you could (if you were being cynical) describe it as a rather mundane album from the multi-platinum selling artists. However, this is only because fans have come to expect so much from these two rock stars.

One thing that does stick out on the album is a cover of Dolly Parton's song Jolene. This is a classic song with a White Stripes sticker planted firmly on it. With Jack White's raw emotion and passion for the music that he's playing, and the lyrics that he's singing, it is easy to forget this song was written for a female vocalist.

I challenge even those who detest The White Stripes not to have spine tingling shivers when listening to this song.

Although it is slightly irritating, knowing that there is a distinct lack of new material from the band in recent years, there is a sense of fulfillment when you listen to the final song, the illustrious Seven Nation Army, and realise that this is a rare collection of truly great music by a truly great band.

Even with Meg White moronically beating on a drum kit in the background, like a child with a new toy, this is an album that can be played over and over again being enjoyed for exactly what it is... a brilliant piece of rock and roll.

Guinness

2010-03-21T13:08:00.001-07:00

And finally, I think it's the shortest news story ever written for Crackerjack...