Sorry romantics but here’s why kissing is the worst part of romance

August 15, 2015, 12:00 am

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This is a blog of opinion – intended to be solely tongue in cheek (so to speak)

When we watch a good romantic comedy (yes, they do exist occasionally), the aim from the start to the very end is for the two leads to confess their undying love and share true love’s first kiss.

From Sleeping Beauty to Shrek, the importance of placing our laughing gear on the mouth of another and literally exchanging spit and licking gums has been made out to be one of the most significant parts of being in a couple.

From snogging in a nightclub to necking on a train, kissing is everywhere. Hell, you can’t even make a marriage official until you’ve made out in… Read the full story

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13 reasons your 30s are better than your 20s

August 15, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: 12 things you only know if you sing in a choir

≪ Previous: Sorry romantics but here’s why kissing is the worst part of romance

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You’re thirties are awesome – un-questionably the best decade of your life. And while some would claim that your twenties are better – with the naivety of youth and freedom of spirit on your side, I’d argue that you haven’t lived until you’ve hit the big 3-0.

Think you’ve got it all in your twenties? 13 reasons why your thirties are so much better.

1. You have more direction

While options are an amazing thing, sometimes your twenties are so full of them it’s hard to know which way to go.

Fortunately in your thirties you are more likely to have found your path – and love the one you’re on.

2. You don’t waste time with people you don’t like

Life in your… Read the full story

12 things you only know if you sing in a choir

August 15, 2015, 1:30 am

≫ Next: 15 parenting fails and how to avoid them

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Let’s face it, singing in a choir is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

When you’re feeling a little flat, nothing gives you more of a trill than some simple harmony.

And it’s not just about the music – you’ll never leave a choir without making some lifelong friends.

Here’s 12 things you only know if you sing in a choir.

1. The weirder the warm up, the better it is

‘Hmmmmmmmmmmm’, *pant pant pant* ‘zzzZZZZZzzzzz’, *moves tongue round face*

2. There’s always at least one diva

If you don’t know who they are then, yes, it’s you.

3. Smiling stops you singing flat

Or possibly hypnotises the audience… Read the full story

15 parenting fails and how to avoid them

August 15, 2015, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Brother trolls his little sis by lip syncing 90s hits for an entire seven-hour car journey

≪ Previous: 12 things you only know if you sing in a choir

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As the cliche has it, babies don’t come with an instruction manual. That means most of us muddle through parenthood in a mix of confusion, fear and blind panic. Here are some common traps to avoid.

1. Covering yourself in glue, running through Mothercare and buying anything that sticks

Previous generations stuck their babies in drawers and managed fine without designer changing stations and specially designed nappy bins. Most parenting hardware is worthless, so ask your fellow parents what things they actually use before you go on a spending spree.

2. Buying everything new

Cot mattresses? Yes. Almost everything else? Gumtree. Why pay hundreds for prams, buggies and other bits and bobs when you can get perfectly good stuff for a… Read the full story

Brother trolls his little sis by lip syncing 90s hits for an entire seven-hour car journey

August 15, 2015, 2:28 am

≫ Next: Right to Buy is f*cking up the housing market and harming more people than it’s helping

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Lip-syncing game on point.

Brian Anderson is our kinda guy. When the 911 dispatcher from San Diego was preparing to make the seven-hour drive from San Diego to San Jose, top of his to-do list was preparing a banging 90s mix tape.

And that he did.

And then, because he’s a total legend, he enthusiastically lip synced the whole thing, complete with sassy head rolls and power grabs.

Problem was, his sister Ashley (who we must take this opportunity to congratulate on her impeccable line in side-eye) was less than amused.

MORE: Just a dad doing the most dad dancing OF ALL TIME

The time-lapse video of their trip has now been viewed almost 900,000 times.

Talking about the attention, Brian said: ‘This is getting crazy,’ before adding: ‘Poor Ashley doesn’t like attention but her side eye [is] gonna be legendary.’

Oh, and because he’s THE BEST, Brian even posted his… Read the full story

Right to Buy is f*cking up the housing market and harming more people than it’s helping

August 15, 2015, 3:28 am

≫ Next: The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep is the book guaranteed to send kids to sleep

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Everyone’s very shocked. They’re shocked because according to research conducted by Inside Housing magazine, 40 per cent of homes sold under the government’s Right to Buy scheme are being let out privately.

I’m not shocked at all though. Well, not at the stats at least. At so many people’s naivety though, yes.

You see, as someone who’s been trying to buy their first home for over a year, I’ve been ranting and raging about this problem for months.

Because it’s not just a case of people buying their council flats and renting them out for big bucks that’s the problem.

It’s also a case of people making an absolute killing selling them on to idiots… Read the full story

The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep is the book guaranteed to send kids to sleep

August 15, 2015, 4:34 am

≫ Next: This barber gave a free haircut to any kid who’d read him a story

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Tired parents of planet earth – this is what you’ve been waiting for.

There’s a children’s new book taking the parenting world by storm, and if you don’t already have a copy, you need to order one quick sharp.

The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep was written by Swedish psychologist Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin, and promises to send your kids off to dreamland.

In fact, Carl-Johan is so sure of this promise, he’s even had the sentence ‘I can make anyone fall asleep’ printed on the cover.

The book tells the story of Roger The Rabbit – who can’t fall asleep – and his friends Uncle Yawn, Sleepy Snail and Heavy-eyed Owl who help him… Read the full story

This barber gave a free haircut to any kid who’d read him a story

August 15, 2015, 5:30 am

≫ Next: Female designers from 18 different countries photoshopped the same woman to make her ‘perfect’

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If this doesn’t warm your cynical heart, we can’t help you.

A barber has been handing out free haircuts to any kid who’ll read him a story.

Barber Courtney Holmes offered the swapsies as part of a back-to-school community event in Dubuque, Iowa.

Courtney – who has now leapfrogged to the top of our ‘heroes of the week’ list – matter-of-factly explained: ‘I just want… Read the full story

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Female designers from 18 different countries photoshopped the same woman to make her ‘perfect’

August 15, 2015, 8:14 am

≫ Next: 4-year-old girl with Down’s syndrome rocks the socks off shoe brand’s back-to-school ad

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One of the most interesting things about beauty standards is the fact that they’re different all over the world.

And that’s exactly the contradiction explored in the project Perceptions of Perfection.

The project – which was inspired by a the work of artist Esther Honig – saw female designers from 18 different countries photoshop the above image of a woman in her underwear.

The designers were asked to ‘Photoshop and retouch this woman to make her more attractive to the citizens of your country.’

The resulting images, as you’ll see below, vary greatly.

MORE: Blogger hits out at plus-size community for only promoting the ‘exact same bodies’

Read the full story

4-year-old girl with Down’s syndrome rocks the socks off shoe brand’s back-to-school ad

August 15, 2015, 9:42 am

≫ Next: 21 things you only know if you hate dogs

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4-year-old Cora Slocum is the star of the latest ad campaign for children’s footwear brand Livie & Luca. She also happens to have Down’s syndrome.

The Californian cutey was chosen for the campaign after Livie & Luca teamed up with Changing the Face of Beauty – a charity which aims to increase diversity in advertising by encouraging companies to feature children with disabilities in their promotions.

The company was set up Katie Driscoll, a photographer and mother to a daughter with Down’s syndrome daughter.

‘Individuals with disabilities make up the largest minority… Read the full story

21 things you only know if you hate dogs

August 16, 2015, 1:00 am

≫ Next: 14 reasons why you should pack up and move to Birmingham immediately

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Hating dogs sometimes feels like society’s last taboo.

Whether you get sweaty palms when you see a Jack Russell on the street or just don’t much fancy a smelly, drooling Labrador sniffing your feet, you’ll know the strange mix of embarrassment and dread a distant bark can conjure.

But no matter how offended owners get, a fear of dogs, cynophobia, isn’t something you can just shake off.

If you are the kind of person who looks at man’s best friend and sees Cerberus, here are 21 things you will understand.

1. Dogs are literally everywhere.

They are on the Tube, sniffing around the school run and clogging up your local shop.

You have to practice constant vigilence.

2. Because every walk through the park is a test.

Don’t run, walk slowly, don’t look them in the… Read the full story

14 reasons why you should pack up and move to Birmingham immediately

August 16, 2015, 5:31 am

≫ Next: 13 signs you’re too old to go clubbing

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There’s so much more to Birmingham than a slight twang in the accent, and it’s actually a pretty amazing place to live and work.

Expect to be delighted with award-winning street food, big green spaces and mini bathtubs filled with gin.

Plus throw in the fact that it’s the birthplace of Cadbury’s chocolate and is quite an affordable place to live you’ll probably want to move immediately.

1. Food is taken seriously

In Brum we take food very seriously, and offer culinary delights served at decent prices and with zero pretentious vibes. Hickory smoked Brisket with smoked BBQ rub? Go on then.

Whatever you eat tonight won’t be as good as all this street food http://t.co/oPWSr3YH2d pic.twitter.com/Vx8NAqNgyh

— Luke Beardsworth (@LukeBeardsworth)… Read the full story

13 signs you’re too old to go clubbing

August 16, 2015, 7:18 am

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There you are, on the dancefloor, in a club, overpriced drink in hand, and it hits you.

This is not fun anymore. When did you become past it?

Here’s 13 signs you’re too old to go clubbing any more.

1. You can’t tolerate other people

When did this happen? EVERYONE annoys you, drunken people especially.

Unless you are suitably hammered, you just don’t have time for slurring, staggering club folk.

Or just, you know, people in general.

2. Door staff

Why do they act like FBI agents?

You used to respect them and put on your best sober face but these days you just want to go inside and sit down.

It’s cold out here, sir, please move aside and admit me and my friends.

3. You don’t like… Read the full story

12 signs you’re addicted to travel

August 16, 2015, 10:19 am

≫ Next: 15 things only people who really love their bed will understand

≪ Previous: 13 signs you’re too old to go clubbing

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Do you have backpack-shaped tan lines?

Are your arms covered in colourful, beaded bracelets?

Is your screensaver a beach?

If you love to globe-trot but have to keep one foot in the real world to fund it all, you may recognise a few of these signs that you’re addicted to travel.

1. Your browser history is suspect

If the IT helpdesk runs a history check on your work computer, it will throw up an incriminating catalogue of pages with titles like Ten Places To See Before You Die and ‘How To Work Your Way Around The Globe.

2. You’re used to starting sentences with ‘This one time in…’

You’ve become acutely aware of watching your friends’… Read the full story

15 things only people who really love their bed will understand

August 16, 2015, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: 14 things only train commuters understand

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There are few relationships which are more sacred than that of a tired soul and their bed.

But there is a clear difference between just kind of liking your bed, and actually having a deep rooted love for it.

If you love your bed you would never consider sleeping anywhere else, and you know that it provides you with a type of comfort that can’t be obtained anywhere else. Not only does it help you achieve the best sleeps of your life, but it can always be relied upon to make you feel better after an exceptionally difficult day.

1. It’s always there for you 

Even if you’ve had one of those days where you’ve missed all of your deadlines at work,… Read the full story

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14 things only train commuters understand

August 16, 2015, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: 12 things you probably didn’t know about Animal Farm

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Only those that have to travel on public transport everyday understand that travelling feels like a day’s work in itself.

Delays can mean a simple 10, 20 or 30 minute journey feels like hours and you feel you don’t have any evening left.

Here are 14 situations train commuters only know too well.

1. The competitive streak that comes out of you when you are at the train door in a massive crowd ready to grab a seat.

2. That internal fist pump when you get to the station on time to jump on the earlier train that had been delayed due to a fault.

3. Having a cheeky peek… Read the full story

12 things you probably didn’t know about Animal Farm

August 17, 2015, 12:00 am

≫ Next: 16 reasons why Indian food is overrated

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A staple of the high school curriculum since the 1950s, George Orwell’s Animal Farm was perhaps the first time most of us were introduced to the concept of a story with a hidden meaning.

On the surface, the undisputed classic is a simple tale of a dying pig who inspires his fellow oppressed animals to stage a rebellion against their cruel human owner.

But as any student who had a copy of its York Notes will know, the book was actually intended as a thinly-veiled attack against the evils of Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship.

To mark its 70th anniversary (it was first published on August 17, 1945), here’s a look at… Read the full story

16 reasons why Indian food is overrated

August 17, 2015, 1:27 am

≫ Next: 19 reasons having kids is like throwing all your money into a skip

≪ Previous: 12 things you probably didn’t know about Animal Farm

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Growing up British Asian meant that I was made to eat my fair share of Indian food, and now I’m put off for life.

It was no fun being forced to constantly eat large plates of aloo gobi or saag panner as a child, when all I really wanted was beans on toast instead.

Plus the fact that the heavy mixture of spices and oils caused me constant heartburn meant that I was that kid with the constant pack of Gaviscon in my pocket at all times. How cool. Not.

And now I’m so sick of hearing about all the ways in which Indian food is absolutely amazing, because quite frankly it’s ridiculously overrated.

1. Oh the heartburn

The medley of rich sauces, oils… Read the full story

19 reasons having kids is like throwing all your money into a skip

August 17, 2015, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Here is what’s misleading about what that ’24 hours after drinking an energy drink’ infographic tells you

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Children. They’re small. They’re loud. And they’re so incredibly expensive – on average, nearly a quarter of a million pounds to raise – that you’d be better off if you just took all your money and threw it into a skip. You’d be just as skint, but there’d be a lot less crying. Here’s why.

1. They destroy everything you own

PS4 controllers, your DVD collection, your hopes and dreams… if they can reach it, they’ll break it.

2. They don’t appreciate day trips

Two hours of screaming, half a tank of petrol and fifty quid in tickets and you’re finally at Mr Cheese’s World of Brie.

Ten seconds later they’re bawling because somebody’s moustache frightened them, so it’s two more hours… Read the full story

Here is what’s misleading about what that ’24 hours after drinking an energy drink’ infographic tells you

August 17, 2015, 2:12 am

≫ Next: Even McDonald’s is getting in on the avocado toast trend

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Energy drinks are the latest thing to get the viral ‘what happens 24 hours after drinking’ treatment.

After viral images for Coke, Diet Coke, Irn Bru and all sorts else. the infographic by personalise.co.uk, with data from the FDA, NHS, and NCIB, breaks down all the health effects of popping a quick can of Red Bull, explaining the impact of caffeine’s long half-life and possible side effects.

It’s right about energy drinks probably not being the healthiest drink – maybe stick to water if you want to avoid all that caffeine and sugar – but there are a few things the infographic misses out:

Read the full story