Brits

Check out this commercial about enforcing the car tax: I wonder whether commercials such as this are at all effective - or whether it’s just like those “Just Say No To Drugs” commercials that simply made folks feel better. Tags: , car tax, UKShare This

A newly-published study has shown that as many as 6.8 million Britons are indebted to their energy suppliers, with the recent price hikes enacted by all major providers likely to further exacerbate the financial strain of running a home. Carried out by price comparison and consumer advice service uSwitch, the report shows that 26 per cent [...]

Home improvement disasters are affecting more than just a DIYer’s own property, a new study shows. In research carried out by Halifax Home Insurance, it was revealed that more than 590,000 homes were damaged over the course of last year following on from a neighbour’s mishap while in the midst of renovation [...]

Previously China like Russia and other communist countries was closed to the outside world , but the world is shrinking smaller , and many of us UK holiday makers , having sampled many countries of Europe are looking farther a field , and with many budget flights and cheaper hotel bookings via the internet [...]

This is a great documentary about 3 entrepreneur from englad making business in china. It show us the hard work, desperation, negotiation of this 3 brits in a foreign country.The documentary is divide in 7 part :

Despite the hype, Gossip Girl is suffering from poor ratings in the UK after just one week. Initial reports were that the audience was strong - 520,000 viewers tuned in to see what Blair, Serena and the gang were up to. But the fashion, music and cast weren’t enough to keep their attention. [...]

People need to take steps to keep on top of their finances, an industry expert reports. According to Gareth Mackie, a spokesperson for Halifax, many Britons are struggling to manage their money in the face of rising living costs. He added that due to recent increases in areas such as council tax bills and petrol prices, [...]

Young people have numerous life targets they wish to meet, new figures reveal. In a study carried out by Alliance & Leicester as part of its Moving Improving research, taking their initial steps on the housing ladder is one of the main life goals those between the ages of 18 and 29 wish to achieve before [...]

Many holidaying Britons feel under pressure to up their spending on souvenirs, presents and cheap “tat” they later wish they had not purchased, a new report has warned. A study conducted by cahoot has revealed that “pier pressure” leads people in the UK to spend a “colossal” 231 million pounds a year on things they [...]

-Scott Miller Under the banner of you get the government that you deserve, comes this story from the AP: Britons hit by new ’sin taxes’ LONDON - Many Britons were resigning themselves to more puritanical lifestyles Thursday as they faced the prospect of “sin taxes” that will increase the cost of alcohol, cigarettes, gas-guzzling cars and, potentially, plastic [...]

Significant numbers of young people have “high financial hopes”, new research suggests. In the first MoneySense Panel released by Natwest, it was revealed that the monetary expectations that Britons between the ages of 11 and 19 old may be at odds with the reality that they may face. According to the financial services firm, such respondents [...]

TVland, UK (ThaLunatic Daily) -- Jamie Rickers, presenter and host of a popular British children's show Toonattik, stripped his clothes off and paraded his nakedness on stage before a packed audience of pointing kids and beet read teachers.As if children weren't already bombarded with sexuality enough as teenagers, the British breakfast television station GMTV has managed to lower the bar one more notch. In a re-enactment of 'The Emperor's New Clothes', Rickers appears naked before an audience of gawking children and pre-teens, much to the horror of adults in the audience.While Rickers did attempt to cover a portion of his anatomy with a piece of cardboard and reportedly had part of a body suit on, children had little recourse but to get a full discourse in Ricker's hind quarters and

A few newsworthy items to pass along:Prevention Magazine Selects New York City as #2 Best Walking City. The college town known as Cambridge, MA comes in at the number one spot. Why? Beats me! Must be the work of Red Sox and Patriots fans. See the feature story here.• Related story: Residents of Gadsden, Alabama, a city that ranked low on the list, are not surprised and a little ashamed. Gladsden Times.Brits Slamming Into Posts While Text-messaging May be Fiction. Network World, a website located in the New World, is skeptical of news reports in the British press that 1 in 10 Brits hurt themselves while walking and texting at the same time. Skepticism and links here.Electronic Walking Sticks May Not Be Totally Useful. Coolest Gadgets.com reviews the Tactile Wand Electronic Stick. The devi

Seven British drivers lined up for the start of the American open wheel season last year, the final campaign to see the sport split between IndyCar and Champ Car. Now, with the first unified season on the horizon, we look at their prospects for 2008.

Seven British drivers lined up for the start of the American open wheel season last year, the final campaign to see the sport split between IndyCar and Champ Car. Now, with the first unified season on the horizon, we look at their prospects for 2008.

A new study by Prudential has found that a significant number of those approaching retirement age are considering using their homes as part of their pensions. According to Prudential, 17 per cent of people in the UK over the age of 45 say they plan to use some or all of the equity on their [...]

The celebritites attending the 2008 Brit Awards did not disappoint, and all arrived well turned out amidst a whirl of sparkle, shimmer & glitz. For me, the red carpet winners were Fearne Cotton, who presented the ITV live show and showed up in a small but perfectly formed satin shirt dress, Rihanna who looked simply stunning in a silver strapless dress, and of course - Beth Ditto in a daring coral strapless tutu style dress. The show was opened with an extravagant performance from Mika, who went on to win best breakthrough act. He was joined on stage by gorgeous plus size inspiration Beth Ditto, who had changed & looked stunning in a sexy red satin & lace number. As always, size 20/22 Beth shows the world that you can be just as daring with your wardrobe when you're more volupt

One of the services that is most relevant in modern times is life insurance. With life becoming increasingly uncertain it is one service that has emerged as a true friend of people. Particularly for Brits it is extremely important for UK is grappling with a spurt in accident for last ten years. Indeed, life insurance UK is one service that can well and truly be termed as the life line of people of UK. However, to gain from life insurance UK it is advised that people take into care some important points. First of all it must be ensured that the policy comes to life as soon as it is signed. People also must take care that they don't give any wrong information to the insurance company as well as the fact that there is no default on the monthly premiums.

Fancy giving it a try - then how about hitting the tracks to Florence to try some camping Italy style? Depart from St Pancras for Paris, before changing and heading out to Italy and the glorious Tuscan hills, where the stunning Norcenni Girasole Club campsite awaits.Set in the heart of the Chianti region, just 28 miles from Florence and an hour’s drive from Siena, Norcenni is as popular a choice for gourmets as it is culture vultures, and offers a wide range of facilities including superb water park, gym, sauna, wine tasting, cookery classes, volleyball and tennis.

Digital Journal editors talk about sex: Featuring a controversial European ad being blasted for showing 18 couples having sex; the Brits and their obsession with online porn; a naked Japanese news program; video game undies; and porno pizza.

Oliver Jarvis failed to capitalise on a front row start in A1GP’s Chinese adventure, but still moved Team GBR up the standings after scoring respectable fifth and sixth place finishes. In the sprint race, Germany’s Michael Ammermüller and Switzerland’s Neel Jani led from the start to finish 1-2, with home nation China third and Britain sixth. The longer feature race saw Jarvis, starting second, overtake pole-sitter Jani to lead the race - but pit stop troubles cost him any chance of victory and he had to settle for fifth - although he did take a consolation point for fastest lap. India’s Narain Karthikeyan took the win. Team principal Katie Clements admitted: “Today’s results didn’t do justice to our performance.” Jarvis lost a place to the Czech Republic’s Tomas Enge at the start of the sprint race and was unable to make much forward progress thanks to a safety car period and, afterwards, the need to defend against Karthikeyan. H

A new reader of mine, The Editrix, who writes the excellent blog Roncesvalles [see Note 1] wasn't thrilled with the male examples in my article Christmas Hotties, and so left this comment:Sorry, but the males (apart from the old and fat ones, who do not count) look more like gay icons to me than something a mature and red-blooded woman would enjoy. No Sean Connery pics? As many of you already know, I may not be a dhimmi but I am a slave to my readers; here for your enjoyment is Sean Connery in full Christmas regalia. And if you are wondering if this is a doctored photo, I can assure you that I got it directly from Reuters, a news media with unquestioned integrity. [For more like this see Celebrities Dressed as Santa Contest] The above related non-sequitur led me to the title of this article when I came across this two-year-old survey:AXA, 12 Dec 2005,Sean Connery beats Santa as UK's most wanted Guardian AngelGiven the choice, more Brits would have Sean Connery as their Guardian

I was in Las Vegas last week for my final vacation of the year. I had a regular room comped for five nights at the Flamingo. When I checked in they said I had been upgraded to the GO room. That was nice, the GO rooms have been recently remodeled and are in good condition. They have a 42 inch plasma tv, cd player with dock for your ipod, drapes that open and close with a button, pink accent lighting in the bathroom, a tv in the bathroom mirror, and nice comfy beds. My room looked over the the pool and gardens.The National Finals for the Pro rodeo circuit were held in Las Vegas last week. So there were many cowboys in town walking around in their cowboy hats and boots. Many of the hotels had special booths set up to sell shirts and hats for the rodeo finals. Also quite a few country music acts performing at the hotels. The other large crowd in town was the Brits from the UK for the boxing match between Mayweather and Hatton. Ricky Hatton is from England. The Brits were everyw

According to The Times of London, the Director-General of MI5 sent a confidential letter to 300 chief executives and security chiefs at banks, accountants and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Research shows self-conscious public go to great lengths to improve how they look in front of the camera• Vain subjects are happy to digitally enhance themselves – Londoners top list of biggest photo cheats• Resident Heathrow photographer, Russell Clisby, reveals the celebrity approach to avoiding a bad photoREIGATE, November 26, 2007 – Canon UK, world-leader in imaging technology solutions for the home and office, today unveiled research that shows 86% of Brits believe they’re un-photogenic and many are contorting their bodies into all sorts of positions in front of the camera in order to look good. Over half of us (52%) are insecure about our stomachs, and hold them in whenever a camera appears. A third of us take action to hide double chins being seen in photos.The research, which questioned 1700 people across the UK, also shows that there is increasingly nowhere for people to hide – the popularity of digital cameras (95% of people have at least one digital photogr

Tea is one of the most underdeveloped drinks in the United States. However, the potential is enormous, as tea barely compares in market size to drinks categories such as carbonated soft drinks, coffee and water. Moreover, numerous variables are in place to help drive the growth of tea according to a new report Tea and [...]

And they’re off! Usually the musical chairs start a lot earlier in the season. But Ferrari’s decision to re-sign Massa coupled with Alonso’s late departure from McLaren have finally kicked things off - after the last Grand Prix is long behind us. What does all this mean for the famous and the lesser-known British drivers competing for seats in Formula One? Ladies and gentlemen, please place your bets… Lewis Hamilton: secure in his McLaren drive, it’s all a matter of who’ll be sitting next to him in the (likely rather cramped) garage next year, and how they’ll behave towards him. Rosberg and Kovalainen are both high on the list of possible replacements for Alonso, and both are distinctly northern European in outlook - rather than the fiery Latin types who seem to have been been coming a cropper at McLaren recently. Ron Dennis will have to make a decision about what he needs - will he go for a safe pair of hands, another star-in-the-making or s

The number of UK visitors to the Spanish island of Majorca and her sister island of Menorca is at record highs - so what exactly is drawing more and more Britons to the islands?Besides the bright, warm sunshine, sandy beaches and the warm waters of the Mediterranean? What more could anyone ask for? How about the fact that the largest island in the Balearic Islands Majorca is less than a three hour flight from the land of fog and mist that, while green most of the year, can wear on even the staunchest English personalities.Besides that, Majorca, or Mallorca as many people call it, is an island that beckons travellers and then induces them to stay. The island groups, whose immediate neighbours include the islands of both Menorca and Ibiza have been drawing tourists and vacationers since the 1960s. It has, and continues, to promise ports of call for ocean liners, as well as major airports located near Palma de Mallorca, is destination for those seeking a glimpse into a rich history that s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOpkFVjnh_A Vance - On site at the factory, Vance has just received a warm welcome from the entire village (who depend on his business). Vance, while a bit rough around the edges, has literally developed an entire economy within the village.. and through this part, Vance shows a bit of apathy and gives his supplier another shot. Tony - Not knowing the fact that the factory is complete until he arrives for the opening ceremony (wow.. if I had my whole life wrapped up into the completion of the biggest cushion factory in China… I would have lived on site).. Ms. Dai pulled off the project, and the largest cushion factory in China is officially opened, staffed up, and on the way to producing 6 million cushions. (now he just needs orders). Peter - Still no word from Cecil, and rather than work on alternatives, he is having a drink and watching an old war film… Cecil - Sitting in a KTV with a former Army officer in Guangdong, and has cut what

If you are thinking of retiring to France but are concerned about the impact that travelling back to the UK to see family and friends may have on the environment, fear not. It seems that the UK and France’s dedication to staying green is here to stay - with those crossing the Channel now being [...]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyC6USbLaQ Vance - Back to the dinner…. where bugs, donkey penis, and a host of other special dishes are served up for Vance. Despite taunts from his son.. he takes a pass Peter - Cecil’s sales campaign is in high gear, and Peter has gone from CEO to token foreigner in the meeting. The “negotiations” are in full force, but Peter exists the room (Note: If you are the token foreigner in a negotiation, you should not leave the room). Credit to Peter is that he fully recognizes this relationship is a complete gamble. He has no contract between them, and his solicitor has only been able to verify that Cecil was not involved (i.e. convicted) of anything illegal. Tony - back in his hotel room, Tony is crunching numbers and dodging calls from the resident massage girls. His showroom is complete, and to make sure he can close sales, he needs to hire his staff. Hiring in China is always an adventure, and Tony is taking a good approa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdkbzB6TYdE “he believes holds the key to his fortune in China…” That is the end of the sentence started in Part 3 that is finished in Part 4. so.. the entire statement “Peter has found a man he believes holds the key to his fortune in China..”… and boy oh boy does the next scene say it all (Run Peter RUN!!) .. this man (Cecil Pih) is going to steal your money.. and your product According to Cecil.. “Doing business in China is like the wild wild west… except they know how to shot better than the cowboys” (By the way, Cecil moved into the lead on best quotes with that).. Cut to Peter and Cecil describing their partnership and their strategy… starting with Shanghai on the whiteboard, and then moving from there through his “connections, clout, cash, and cultural understanding” To close the deals .. you need wining, dining, and wenching (I am guessing he means going to KTV and saunas?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdkbzB6TYdE “he believes holds the key to his fortune in China…” That is the end of the sentence started in Part 3 that is finished in Part 4. so.. the entire statement “Peter has found a man he believes holds the key to his fortune in China..”… and boy oh boy does the next scene say it all (Run Peter RUN!!) .. this man (Cecil Pih) is going to steal your money.. and your product According to Cecil.. “Doing business in China is like the wild wild west… except they know how to shot better than the cowboys” (By the way, Cecil moved into the lead on best quotes with that).. Cut to Peter and Cecil describing their partnership and their strategy… starting with Shanghai on the whiteboard, and then moving from there through his “connections, clout, cash, and cultural understanding” To close the deals .. you need wining, dining, and wenching (I am guessing he means going to KTV and saunas?)

Editor’s Note: This is part of Viator’s ongoing series of posts about the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Ian’s on the ground in France, England and Wales — you can read his most recent posts here. There were beers and tears here in Paris this last weekend: Beers before the England - France game, and tears when England won through and beat France. Every cafe had the big screen TVs out on the pavements, and the tables were full to overflowing with both locals and tourists to watch a hard fought match between the two teams. Boy, did the cafes clear out after the fulltime whistle, when all the French went home. Sunday night wasn’t quite as busy (now that France had been knocked out) for the South Africa - Argentina match. In the end, South Africa ran away with that one quite handily. So - the Grande Final next weekend is going to be England vs South Africa. I am finding it hard to develop any sort of enthusiasm for this match, mainly because it is England and South Africa. I&rsquo

Editor’s Note: This is part of Viator’s ongoing series of posts about the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Ian’s on the ground in France, England and Wales — you can read his most recent posts here. There were beers and tears here in Paris this last weekend: Beers before the England - France game, and tears when England won through and beat France. Every cafe had the big screen TVs out on the pavements, and the tables were full to overflowing with both locals and tourists to watch a hard fought match between the two teams. Boy, did the cafes clear out after the fulltime whistle, when all the French went home. Sunday night wasn’t quite as busy (now that France had been knocked out) for the South Africa - Argentina match. In the end, South Africa ran away with that one quite handily. So - the Grande Final next weekend is going to be England vs South Africa. I am finding it hard to develop any sort of enthusiasm for this match, mainly because it is England and South Africa. I&rsquo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLf4-PLgKDI Part 3 starts off with Peter pitching, and it comes out that he has failed to make a single sale after one month - Time to fish or cut bait for Peter. Cut to Tony who has set up a mansion of a store at the SNIEC Cushion Show in Shanghai. .. who is trying to figure out who wants to buy his cushions… or steal his patterns. “If you want a quarter of a million cushions in 10 weeks, you will get your cushions in ten weeks” Cut to Tony inspecting the site… which is uh.. way behind schedule. fortunately Tony’s business partner has a family member (her sister’s father in law) who can manage the job (That was convenient…). Tony is scared, and the entire staff goes to lunch at 11am. Cut to Vance on the Huangpu river and a bit more background on his business. 100+ suppliers for 50,000 bathrooms (a large supply chain for a single person). So… of to the border of North Korea where Vance looks to set up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neNuyzPe1Rw Part 2 jumps straight into the action with Vance making an inspection of product. while Vance is a real A$#hole and I am not a fan of his attitude, I must say that it is clear that Vance’s experience in doing business in China has taught him that onsite inspections are the only way to go… and that when possible, one must buy a quarry to get things done right… Following his purchase of a quarry, we ride along with a singing Vance through as he drives through toilet bowl city and tap fixture city to meet his man on the ground (Black Horse) who will apparently undercut anyone. This section is interesting is topped off when Vance feels a piece is too expensive and to bring the pricing down he strips the product down into pieces and then deconstructs the pricing piece by piece.. and saves 40%… Before he leaves though, he gets Black Horse to copy a product sold in Europe, and explains how he (read others) get around

Flood Hit Brits Head For Spanish Sun From a million unsold holidays just a few weeks ago, travel agents in the UK have seen a sharp turnaround in their summer season fortunes, as Britons fed up with weeks of rain and the heaviest flooding in living memory ditch home holidays in favour of an overseas trip. The top destination is Spain, with the Balearic islands of Menorca, and in particular

The Make Your Mark campaign’s Enterprising Young Brits awards 2007 are now open for entries! These awards aim to unearth Britain’s’ brightest young enterprising talent. The winners in each of the five categories will be presented with their award by the Chancellor of Exchequer Alistair Darling at an awards ceremony in London during Enterprise Week 2007 (12-18 November).

Once again we have failed to win in the Eurovision competitions. This time it was in dancing!!! It was no shock to hear that that we came 15th in the dance competition. Camilla Dallerup and Brendan Cole who can normally be seen on Strictly Come Dancing were chosen for the competition. They came in with 18 points which was better than Switzerland who came in at zero. The couple was please to have taken part in the dancing competition. They danced to “the Way We Were” by Barbara Streisand and a James Bond medley. The winners were Jussi Vnnen and Katja Koukkula from Finland. They scored 132 points which were awarded by viewers from 16 nations across Europe. The Ukraine couple Ilyia Sydorenko and Julia Okropiridze came second with 121 points and Mick Donegan and Nicola Byrne representing Ireland came in third with 95 points. Written by Emma for Product ReviewsIn Sections: Celebrity News, News

Dame Maggie Smith. Every time I see her name associated with a movie, I make certain to see it. Who can forget her sterling performance in an otherwise forgettable film, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, where she teaches her 'gairls' about truth, beauty and romantic history, and for which she won her first Academy Award?Maggie's been mature for so long, one forgets what a delicious British babe she once was, playing Desdemona to Sir Laurence Olivier's Othello in 1966.I loved her in Travels With My Aunt (where you can see a very young Cindy Williams hold her own with Maggie), the irritating chaperone in A Room With A View, and as the perpetual poor relation in Gosford Park.Her youngest fans know her best as Minerva McGonnegal in the Harry Potter movies.Thinking about the variety and scope of her roles I am left to wonder: What can't she do?Maggie below, relaxed and as herself.

British travellers find Paris' Eiffel Tower and Egypt's pyramids a bore and much prefer to flock to some of Australia's top tourist spots, a survey has found. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory and Broome's Cable Beach have all made it into a top 10 list of the best foreign tourist spots for British tourists.But while the Brits are impressed with what Australia has to offer, they are left yawning by some of the world's most popular attractions.

The British media is not too happy with RADAR Magazine’s cover shot of Prince Harry. The image is a fake, and it’s been reported that Prince Harry thinks that they have crossed the line. A Sky News royal correspondent has said that the U.S. has the same fixation over Princes Harry and William as they did with the late Princess Diana. A RADAR spokesman talked about the decision to publish the fake picture with the magical use of photoshop: Keep reading! Prince+Harry, RADAR

A new survey suggests that about a third of Britons are so embarrassed about discussing condoms with a new sex partner that they don't use a condom at all. But the Family Planning Association (FPA) poll of 2 169 adults also found that about a third of respondents said they regretted not using a condom with a new sex partner in the past, BBC News reported. "We have to ask why in the 21st Century when sex is so widely portrayed in British culture, talking about condoms is still embarrassing," said FPA chief executive Anne Weyman.She noted that adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s seem to have an especially difficult time talking about condoms and need special targeting with safe sex campaigns, BBC News reported. A forgotten generation"Thirty-somethings are a forgotten generation. They received little sex and relationship education at school but grew up in an increasingly sexualized society," Weyman said. "They've had to find the confidence themselves to talk about condoms and learn the har

"Spain's popularity with Britons is both its main advantage and its biggest downfall. Many are attracted to the country because they know others who have settled there or are familiar with the destination, others see it as a good long-term investment or simply enjoy the climate and culture," commented Gerry Bell, of GE Money Home Lending.

Having lived in France since 1965, Ken Tatham knows plenty about the French lifestyle. As a bi-lingual Franco-Englishman, he has a perfect command of the language and over 35 years of export sales and marketing experience.

Meanwhile, Iraqi and British forces fought a fierce battle with Shiite militiamen while conducting house-to-house searches early Monday in and around Amarah, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad. It was unclear whether the fighting was part of the new military operations. The Brits and the Aussies are the only Western-type countries willing to fight Islamic extremism in Iraq. Canada, Germany, and other NATO allies help in Afghanistan and we should appreciate that. British soldiers in Iraq then British soldiers now

The British spend more on holidays than any other European nations, with an average spend per holiday of 2795 euros/£1744.  However British holiday expenditure has fallen by around 7% since last year.  The British are also more likely to book their trip online with 51% booking on the internet compared with an average of 39% in the rest of Europe. photo by Daniel Dainty  I wonder why the British spend more on holidays?  Is it maybe because they are more willing to take on debt or they feel wealthy because of the continuing increase in house prices? Technorati Tags: holiday spending

An Expedia poll of 5000 European hoteliers has placed the British as the 2nd worst tourists for being noisy, untidy and poor tippers. There is some cause of celebration in that in the last poll 5 years ago the Brits were at the bottom, this time it’s the French who have that dubious honour. The Japanese were voted the best tourists for being tidy and polite. How embarrassing! Come on you Brits, clean up your act, make an effort to be polite, less rowdy and leave a decent tip!

Britons in their early 30s have larger debts than anyone else and are most the likely to have large personal loans and debts, but are not doing enough to minimize their costs.That is according to new figures from Alliance & Leicester, showing the nation's borrowing habits. UK residents in their early 30s spend the largest percentage of their income paying interest on loans, have the highest mortgage exposure and average personal loans, overdraft and credit card debts of £5,863. This group is most likely to only make the minimum credit card repayment and the least likely to pay their bills in full. This Friends generation are also the highest regular users of overdrafts and the demographic group most likely to have a personal loan and most likely to miss monthly loan payments. However, moving to a better-value current account could see overdraft expenses slashed (full story), an interest-free balance transfer could cut the cost of credit cards, and if this does not work a cheap de

A staggering 29% of Brits claim that they will be taking more holidays this year in a Trip Advisor online poll. 60% of Brits will take the same number of holidays with a measly 14% taking fewer holidays. The most popular holiday activity is sunbathing! So can we deduce that the sun worshipping Brits have little concern over their carbon footprint or frazzled skin! Even higher prices will not deter 88% of Brits from their holidays. Photo by MikeSchinkel This morning I read that between rising inflation, increasing interest rates and low wage increases, disposable income is dropping. Therefore unless consumers are willing to take on even more debt, how are they going to pay for more holidays? I just wonder if many people are burying their heads in the sand and may be in for a nasty shock if and when they have to face up to their financial situation, their damaged skin and the consequences of global warming. Perhaps going on holiday more often is just another way of escaping from re

Gosh, so much to talk about. Last nights MET Costume Institute Gala....and the dresses!!! And then coming up tomorrow, Kate Moss at Barney's. OMG, it's too much. Starting today there is an ongoing witty commentary by Simon Doonan on the Barneys website. An excerpt below: "Is she here yet? Is she bringing Pete? Is she going to clamber into the window like she did at the UK launch?...Can I come to the Party and bring my extended family? Oy Veh!!!!! I have been at Barneys for twenty years and nothing-no store event or opening-has rivaled the insane, frenzied, build-up to the arrival of Kate and her Topshop line. I would put it right up there with the Invasion of the Faukland Islands, and the first episode of AbFab, or at least the launch of the DVD of Abfab."Geez people, have we forgotten about the other huge, major Brit on the scene, hello: The Queen!!!Right but anyway, yes back to important things like Topshop. Argh, I can't believe I am actually willingly going to subject mysel

Is This Crisit An Iranian Retaliation For U.S. Raid?A botched attempt by the U.S. to abduct two senior Iranian officials on a visit to Iraq 10 weeks ago was the flashpoint for the current crisis in which detained 15 British troops in the Persian Gulf, the Independent reported.The U.S. move happened on the morning of Jan. 11, when forces carried out a surprise raid on an established Iranian liaison's office in northern Iraq, the newspaper claimed.While the forces nabbed five junior Iranian officials, whom the U.S. still holds on accusations of being intelligence agents, the paper said the objective of the mission was to seize two men at the "very heart of the Iranian security establishment."The current crisis began March 23, when Iran grabbed 15 British sailors and marines and claimed the crew was in Iranian waters. Britain insists its troops were in Iraqi waters working under a U.N. mandate.Read Article...If this story is true, Iran's lack of integrity would make anynegotiations with

Of the 22% of adults planning a trip during the Easter holidays, 61% will stay away for at least one night in the UK, while 29% will go abroad.  Is the tide beginning to turn?  I can only speak personally, I certainly am appreciating the UK more and more, particularly as I spend more time visiting areas when writing my guides.  I have lived within a one hour drive of Edinburgh for the majority of my life and yet seen so little of it. I was in the Edinburgh area yesterday doing some research for an off the beaten track guide to Edinburgh.  Although the weather wasn’t great, cloudy with a cool wind I thought what a beautiful city.  I was in Holyrood Park, I could hardly believe I was in a city.  I was on the shores of Loch Duddingston looking up to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park.

The preferred method of debt consolidation in the UK is where unsecured personal loans are combined into one loan with a lower monthly payment. While this is a positive move in the short term, it can be fiscally devastating over the long-term if done in the wrong way. Unsecured personal loans are the preferred method of consolidating loans. The interest rate is normally lower than interest being charged on credit cards and store cards. The number of UK consumers who apply for personal loans that are higher than the amount they need to consolidate their loans are using the extra money, not for wealth generating, but to maintain a higher lifestyle. This type of debt is not true debt consolidation, but is the consumer’s attempts to circumvent the rules and borrow more money than they can afford to repay. Sean Gardner, chief executive of Money Expert, said: “Debt consolidation is entirely sensible and a good way to get your finances under control if you owe money to different l

One of the UK's most popular documentary television programmes ‘Tonight with Trevor Mc Donald’ featured a documentary concerning US Visa scams where the majority of the victims were the British.

We all know we Brits are eating too much. It's not our fault, with only 5 terrestrial channels and most of them filled with celebrity chefs, we can't help but eat.Scientists now say most people in Britain will be obese within 25 years.Am I the only one who can see this for what it is, a great thing?In 25 years most people will be fat, so I'll go on a diet and I'll pull loads because I'll be so much sexier than every other fat bloater who's making a play for the same girl.In a future of fat people no longer will you feel self-conscious when you go down the gym. Sure, you have a bit of cellulite, but everyone else there spreads more lard on their chips than you have on your ass.A UK filled will fatties will be great for the rest of us. Just as long as you don't have to use public transport though, as the other people will take up so much room you'll be in the glove box.

The Sun reports Lily Allen was in tears the morning after she was shut out of a Brit Award as rival Amy Winehouse stole the show. "She's so houndish," Lily reportedly moaned to a London cabbie. Lily wasn't able to sleep in after the bash, taking a flight to New York. Related EntriesThe perfect man Barclaycard displays wave-and-pay in cab Black cab drivers opt for O2 XDAs Conversation with the Lady Cabbie Council to consider revised taxi ordinance

Justin Timberlake was named best international male solo artist at the Brit awards (the UK’s version of the Grammys) on Wednesday, and used the opportunity to jokingly warn the audience about the perils of drinking. “Thank you very much for this,” Timberlake, said via video link. “I’m very flattered. I’m actually on tour so I couldn’t be there. Everyone have a great night. Stop drinking! You know who you are. I’m speaking to you. You are going to get sloppy.” Then, referring to a British tabloid, he joked, “OK! magazine is going to say something bad about you.” Since he wasn’t on hand to receive his engraved statuette, he continued: “I accept this mock award right now. And if someone doesn’t send me my real Brit in the mail, there will be hell to pay!” Copyright © 2007 Celebrity.Log. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only.

The BRITS was the first live show in over 20 years, but many people like myself thought that a few years ago that the BRIT awards that were presented by Davina McCall was live but have since found out that there was a 5 minute delay, so this was truly a live ceremony. But as Russell Brand was hosting the show the sound man had to have very quick fingers as from time to time the sound had to dip a bit, this show was also different in the fact that no one person or band stole the show, the only person or band to get two awards was Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. So who won what then? British Male Solo Artist: - James Morrison British Female Solo Artist: - Amy Winehouse British Group: - Arctic Monkeys Mastercard British Album: - Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’M Not British Single: - Take That - Patience British Breakthrough Act: - The Fratellis British Live Act: - Muse International Male Solo Artist: - Justin Timberlake Internationl Female Solo Artis

As the New York Stock Exchange is completing the Euronext merger and solidifying its’ presence in Europe, NASDAQ is making plans as well; in a bid to compete with NYSE, they are attempting to purchase the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Recent accounting disclosures and documentation required by Sarbanes-Oxley make it costly for many companies to maintain listings in the US - and Europe is the next stop for those new listings. To compete with NYSE, NASDAQ must establish a presence in Europe. But London will have none of it. Even though NASDAQ has already purchased almost 30% of the London Exchange in the open market, LSE executives still refuse to meet with NASDAQ to discuss an amicable merger. Next week, a tender offer by NASDAQ will possibly raise that ownership to 50%, and if not, NASDAQ will simply continue to purchase shares in the open market. A merger is imminent. Look for fingernail marks on the London streets, pointing towards New York. For more details click here.

High-def fans in Britain are spending more money on HD-DVD products than on Blu-Ray, reports The Register. Popular online electronics and media retailer Play.com says sales of HD-DVD are double that of Blu-Ray. It's not too surprising since Toshiba's HD-DVD option is £450 - half the cost of a Sony Blu-Ray player at £900. But it's not [...]

What I think: A few nights ago, I went out with the Yank (a.k.a. Johnny), another visiting Yank (Kai), and a visiting Brit (Neil). We went to a fairly popular bar here in town called Utposten ("The Outpost"). We had arranged to meet a few girls we knew, who were at the wedding we went to last month. Neil had just arrived that day, and was rather tired, as he'd taken the early flight from

What can I say? The visit is going well. The harshest thing that's happened is I sunburned the bottom of my belly lying on a deck chair at the pool today. It is one of the silliest places I've had one.We're still holding our breath, but will take all the good for as long as it lasts. When it's good, it's hard to believe it could be so bad. Man, that sounds awful. Sign me up for an intervention! Wait, it's only day two, let's give it some time.Also from Britain, Muzzy arrived today. Actually the upgrade. We have had the VHS version forever but decided to spring for the DVDs, since they're not used otherwise. Now the kids will have something to fall back on after baby arrives. I know it works. K's French teacher in NYC was amazed no one spoke French regularly at home when she heard K speak.What is it called when an expected bad situation does not arise? Besides lucky? There's a term for it on a lost index card in my brain... It's so hard not having the same access to my mind t

Photos - BBCWednesday 14th, valentines day, saw the return to live broadcast of The Brit Awards.Presented by the hilarious & ridiculous Russell Brand, with his crude jokes about Robbie Williams, The Queen & Iraq. With a performance from Corinne Bailey Rae as well as a great night for Timbaland, with Nelly Furtado & Justin Timbalake winning awards it was a good show. Another quality winner was Amy Winehouse, this girl is great, she has a lot of attitude & uses it well.There were a few bad points, or people, Noel Gallagher not being able to behave himself after his supposed verbal abuse of Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters & his rants about politics that were not exactly needed.As if this wasn't enough for the night, Lily "coz i is black" Allen decided to take a dig at the fantastic Corinne Bailey Rae saying that "I don't care who wins the award as long as it ain't her", good music but no style or class, back to the pretend ghetto little girl.There were some deserved winner

Significant numbers of young people have “high financial hopes”, new research suggests. In the first MoneySense Panel released by Natwest, it was revealed that the monetary expectations that Britons between the ages of 11 and 19 old may be at odds with the reality that they may face. According to the financial services firm, such respondents [...]

People need to take steps to keep on top of their finances, an industry expert reports. According to Gareth Mackie, a spokesperson for Halifax, many Britons are struggling to manage their money in the face of rising living costs. He added that due to recent increases in areas such as council tax bills and petrol prices, [...]

Young people have numerous life targets they wish to meet, new figures reveal. In a study carried out by Alliance & Leicester as part of its Moving Improving research, taking their initial steps on the housing ladder is one of the main life goals those between the ages of 18 and 29 wish to achieve before [...]

A newly-published study has shown that as many as 6.8 million Britons are indebted to their energy suppliers, with the recent price hikes enacted by all major providers likely to further exacerbate the financial strain of running a home. Carried out by price comparison and consumer advice service uSwitch, the report shows that 26 per cent [...]

More Brits than ever are placing themselves at risk of identity fraud, despite awareness campaigns warning them of the dangers. Organisers of the second National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, which begins on Monday, hope their educational campaign will finally get the message across. The campaign, backed by the Metropolitan Police, Crimestoppers, The Identity and Passport Service, CIFAS [...]

While scouring the Net for some baseball card-related stories I stumbled upon this article. It's a long read but well worth it when you find the part about a T-209 card being discovered. I guess the "Mona Lisa of Baseball Cards" is now the official name for this specific card. ...

Rafa Benitez has been linked with a raft of British talents, from current internationals to up and coming hot prospects. Gareth Barry (Aston Villa) £15 rated - The Mirror says there is increasing optimism at Anfield that the chance of playing Champions League football next season will be the key to luring Barry to Merseyside [...]