This site is now closed

My time at university is now over and so I will no longer be updating this blog. I will however be blogging over at www.sorayaleila.vox.com.

Thank you for listening, and I will hopefully see you over there!

xxx

Revision and my new blog

I am currently super busy with my revision for my final exams at university EVER (hopefully - assuming nothing goes terribly wrong). This is why this blog has been so poorly updated and I apologise. I am however still using Twitter (as seen on the right) and have also started a personal blog with vox, you can find it here. I am updating this blog to the Vox question of the day and the occasional random post.

I hope to resume normal blogging after I have completed my exams in a few weeks! Hope everything is going well for everyone else, be it revising or essay writing that seems to be plaguing all at the moment.

x

Moodmill.com: Emoticon your mood

Ok so Moodmill is a site where you log in, choose an emoticon according to how you are feeling and then explain why you are feeling that way in a little blurb. Sound like internet therapy to you? Yes me too. And you even get a page to yourself so you can track your emotional progress. Pointless and just another thing to sign up for? Perhaps. I'm not going to be joining. I much prefer to do my emotional splurging in private thank you. Or at least on Twitter where it can only last for 140 characters.

Vote for your town to be part of Monopoly

Monopoly are giving the opportunity here on their website for YOU to vote for YOUR town to become part of a new 'here and now' Monopoly board which will be sold alongside the traditional London layout. Visit the site to vote for your town.

Here is the BBC Article where I first read about it.

World IP Day and RSPCA Week

Today, as helpfully pointed out to us Intellectual Property students by our tutor on blackboard, is World IP Day! Here is a list of activities happening today in honour of this, from Barbados to Latvia.

Also this week is RSPCA week (23rd April to 29th April)! It is their national fundraising and raising profile week. Find more information about this here.

Lecture Notes

I just noticed this post on The Diaries of UK Law Students about how it can be impossible to keep up with lecturers in lectures, resulting in incomprehensible notes. I actually laughed out loud and it brought back memories of some of my notes I have come across when trying to revise. My personal favourite was in the first year. Property I. It went something along the lines of 'Estoppel requires detriment as seen in the case of A, similar facts to a previous case, ok now i'm lost, i'm sorry for me trying to read this back, it makes no sense. textbook?!'

Similarly last year during reading the facts of a case I had written in a lecture where I was particularly far behind in the notes I discovered one sentance which said 'est. det. ECJ. HL. conflict. damages.' umm yeah, that could actually be any case, and what?! Perhaps lecturers can't slow down otherwise we won't cover the material, but then when I asked to record lectures I was told by many lecturers that they didn't like it. I think the moral of the story is learn shorthand, that is if you can find time around everything else!

Earth Day!

It's Earth day today! Check out the website for more information.

collegeboyslive.tv

Collegeboyslive is a website which is similar to justin.tv, only it has now been running for 3292 days, 22 hours... so basically it is the original justin.tv. Unlike justin.tv they have several camaras around the house and various that can be carried around following the six roomates. I just think it's strange that I haven't seen anyone pick up anywhere that this site already exists...

Facebook status to kill off Twitter? I doubt it.

NB Since I wrote this Mashable has written this article about the issue. (Take note, no uk compatability for mobile updating [same as no photo printing, or advert running]. Does something tell you that Facebook aren't taking the UK seriously? Besides the fact that anyone living in the South East can only choose London or Portsmouth as their networks, agh! Good job they've got the networking bit down!)

There has been alot of speculation regarding whether the Facebook status feature will kill off Twitter, or at least dampen it's use. To me there is no real conflict between the two. I mean I use both, ALOT admittedly, and use them completely differently.

The Facebook status is for you to tell your friends (people who know you personally) about what you are doing.
You can tell them you are going home for three months and leaving your uni house empty. You can tell them that you just saw a photo of Dave with Andrea who have previously claimed they hate each other (and then share a photo through facebooks share feature to prove it) because they will care about that information. You can tell people you are happy, or sad, or excited, and this will stand (big and proud under your name, thanks to the new facebook layout) until you change it when your mood changes. (And annoyingly you must write your status to conform with '*Your Name* is...' and if you don't type your status in the third person it appears with the grammar of a three year old). Facebook status is a fantastic Facebook extra, but this is not Twitter. Or at least this is not Twitter for me.

Twitter is about sharing web articles, sharing funny and amusing things that have happened, sharing funny and amusing thoughts, sharing deep thoughts. You don't want to tell the whole world on Twitter that your house is empty (as I have mentioned in my previous post about Twitter) for obvious security reasons. Many of your Twitter friends may not know you personally and so don't care about what Dave and Andrea have been doing. And if you mention you are happy, or sad, or excited it is a snapshot of that moment in time (not a continued feeling until you say otherwise).

And those are not the only ways Twitter is different to Facebook.

• Being able to update amusing thoughts from sms is a major plus point of Twitter for me. Often you will think of something amusing only to forget it a couple of mins later. Facebook does not offer text updating yet.
  
• Often there is something that does not warrant a whole blog post, that can be shown in 140 characters. Using Facebook status for linking articles etc is practically unknown.
  
• Each update you make is given a permalink making it easy to share other peoples thoughts, and your own, with people outside Twitter as well as the whole Twitter community. Facebook status can only be seen by your friends and your network.
  
• The Twitter public timeline and search systems such as Twittersearch and Twitterment allow you to find and follow people who interest you via phone, im or on the web.
• Addons allow flexibility of updating. You don't need to log into the site to share with the world.

One thing I would say however, is that if you are privately updating to your personal network of friends it is possible the similarities between Facebook status and Twitter would be more pronounced.
But these are different services, providing very different things. Facebook status is just one of the many things Facebook offers. Twitter is about broader social networking, beyond your group of friends. Eventually as Facebook develops its features further, and Twitter begins to add more complex features and options, they may become more similar. However suggestions that either of these services is intruding on the other to any real degree at this point just seems silly.

Shinyshiny article: Why I love Facebook
Twitterati Article: Will Facebook kill off Twitter?

Cute Robotic Dinosaur

This is possibly the cutest fake dinosaur I have ever seen... although looking at it it looks like it might be a velociraptor, clearly they weren't freaked out by Jurassic Park.

Busy

I'm having a busy couple of weeks and so this is just a quick post to say, as potentially seen by my twitter feed, I have not disappeared off the face of the planet. I have simply been catching up with friends and family, writing a carriage of goods by sea essay and preparing for BUSA nationals which is this coming week. Hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter, and I should be back blogging properly in about a week.

Facebook Diaries Finally Launches!

I'm so glad it has finally happened because I have actually been telling people about this for months and they haven't believed me. I can't remember where I first read it either BUT it is true. Facebook are working alongside Ziddio (a video sharing site) to have Facebook users create video diary entries about their lives, of which the best will be shown on tv (and i remember from the earlier rumour possibly as a film at the cinema). I think this project will be very interesting, loving as I do finding out about people. Will it catch on? Certainly, everyone I know eventually gives in and loves Facebook, alot of people want to be famous, it combines the two! Will I be entering video diary entries about my life? Probably not. Will I watch some? Almost certainly. The Facebook Ziddo group is here.

Happy April Fools

Today has apparently already started with a host of bizarre lies April fools. Mashable has reported Google Paper which apparently is sending documents via snail mail with associated adverts (i think that is definately a fool), and if you head on down to the Google search page there is a lovely link to Google TiSP, which is apparently new breakthrough broadband that Google want to give you for free! It works through the sewer system and it's even vacuum sealed to prevent water damage... umm yes...

Keep your wits about you and Happy April Fools Day!

NB just discovered The Daily Puppy... is... for one day only... The Daily Guppy.

Facebook are also in on the act. Among my favourites are :
- Harry and Voldemort have listed their relationship as 'mortal enemies'
- Introducing LivePoke. Facebook will today send a real live person to poke a friend of your choice*. (*Offer only open to the first 100 pokers per network).

Size Zero Debate

I thought that this brief comment on Brandish.tv was interesting as it is a view of size zero women from a male perspective. It is so often discussed by us women, being all about looking good for work, for other women, for ourselves, so what of the men? Size zero does not appeal to the writer at Brandish. Does it appeal to you?

Justin.tv

Justin has a headcam strapped to his head. This headcam links to Justin.tv. This means you can see what he sees 24 hours a day. I'm struggling a little with this concept - check out the camera he has on his head, it is huge, everyone would know he was filming. And as far as I can work out he is a major net geek (not that there is anything wrong with net geeks but this means that when he talks about the net I don't understand...). Also on the site users can constantly comment on what they see in a little chat room under the video. This could potentially be interesting when there is something interesting going on, but right now he is sleeping! (Major time difference because he is in the US).

I am seriously struggling writing this because i'm truely unsure what I think about it. Two things are certain though, Justin has been live for 9 days, 10 hours, five minutes right now, and he has no intention of hanging up his camera anytime soon.

200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in Britain

Today marks the 200th anniversity of the abolition of the slave trade here in Britain.

The BBC News website has several stories following this including this one about a religious walk that took place through London led by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York yesterday.

And here is information on the government website about the bi-centenary and the history of slavery, and here on the same site is a list of events to mark the abolition.

Twittervision 12 hour warning

I've taken to hiberating my laptop while revising, and leaving net pages up etc without using them for several days. I think it must be the computer version of having a messy bedroom. For some reason revision seems to bring out my messy side. I think it is having one million things out at once; textbooks, handwritten notes, handouts, typed notes, statute books, paper and pens to make notes on etc.

Anyway imagine my surprise when I switched my laptop on to find this screen (photo). Twittervision actually has a twelve hour warning system, I assume calculated according to when you logged in considering my laptop was off for about fourteen hours (I am really not sad enough to watch it for that long). And i'm wondering why they bother to have it... (except obviously to remind people like me to clean up our internet windows). Logically speaking it must mean people are watching Twittervision for 12 hours, and it might be just me but isn't that slightly concerning?!

'How I Changed the World Today' blog

How I Changed the World Today is the personal blog of a woman called Julia. She blogs every day about one thing that she has done towards changing the world. It is very interesting to read, and although not completely relevant to us in the UK because we obviously can't join the same initiatives etc., it could be a breeding group for ideas to join or start similar projects over here.

Twitter Drinking Game

Blog post about this here.

Twit This

I know i always seem to be talking about Twitter, and I do apologise, but it is a very fast growing site will lots of new addons appearing every minute. There is Twitterific for Mac, and Twitteroo for Windows, Twittervision which I have posted about previously, and a whole host of other progammes and sites. The newest is Twit This which I have just added to my site on the right. This allows people to link your site easily by turning it into a Tiny Url (which I have also previously posted about), and then adding it to Twitter. It is a simple concept but potentially quite effective if alot of people added it to their pages, allowing sharing of what you are reading to be quick and easy. However I think i'm going to stick with my Tiny Url on my toolbar for now since constantly linking your own site is neither fun, nor particularly ethical or nice, and I have yet to see Twit This anywhere else.

Mashable discusses Twit This here.
TwitterBuzz shows the most popular twitter links here.

kiva.org

Kiva.org gives you the opportunity to loan money to entrepreneurs in developing countries in order to help them establish their businesses. Over the period of the loan (usually 6-12 months) you can also receive email journal updates from the business that you are sponsoring. The way I think this site triumphs over other more established charities is that it allows you to choose who you lend to. Often the inability to keep track of exactly what your money is being used for is what prevents people from giving money to charity. You can view profiles and people's businesses. You know directly who you are helping.

Apparently the people who are featured have been chosen specifically by Field Partners such as CREDIT (who among other things organise loans to vulnerable women), and ACTION NOW KENYA, to ensure that you are likely to have your money repayed. To date kiva.org has a 100% repayment rate to lenders, but there is no security so in theory you could 'lose' your money. You gain no interest from your loan but to my mind this is irrelevant because of the impression you will be making on someone's life. And if you do not get your money repayed then surely it is still worth it for giving someone a chance.

You can choose how much of the money the borrower needs that you loan (you can loan from only $25), and so their total money can be borrowed from a large number of lenders. If you have some spare money, and want to give to a worthy cause I think this might be the way forward. This is helping people to help themselves without crippling interest rates that would usually attach to perceived 'high risk' enterprise.

You can follow KivaThon on Twitter.

twittervision

There is nothing I can say about twittervision except wow... and you could spend hours watching this. It's like having a constant public timeline, showing you all twitter updates in real time, on a googlemap. Twitter on a whole new level. It's worth looking at just for the one-off experience. Only now i'm not sure what to do, it just goes on and on and on... I'm thinking good if you want to find interesting people to add, bad if you want to do something productive, or have a life. I'm already slightly bored and feel a bit like a loser for watching it and like i'm watching time tick away. That might however just be because I have so much to do. I'm not sure. Make up your own mind, but do make sure you check it out at least once.

Quotes

How is it that wise people manage to say things so eloquently when I can barely manage to explain a fully formed concept I have in my head in under 100 words (OK so slight exaggeration but I'm not quote-worthy by any stretch of the imagination).

Just a few examples:
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. ~Oscar Wilde

Better to keep your mouth shut and appear a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt. - unknown

A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy? - Albert Einstein

I particularly love the Albert Einstein quote because it really flows and seems to ring true. It explains so much more beautifully than 'either I'm insane or they are insane? aggggggggggggggghhh which is it?' Doesn't quite have the same impact does it?

Big links to small links at tinyurl.com

Just discovered a highly useful thing for anyone who uses Twitter, and has issues with posting links due to the 140 character limit. At tinyurl.com you type in your full length link and it throws a small length one back at you. I'm sure it also has other uses other than Twitter but I can't think of any. Perhaps to avoid links looking majorly scary by containing 6 lines of osgnakdnfkjanfjanfjklslnfdkldjnajkfndskjnfsjnfaskjdal at the end.

For a minimising example
This is the traditional link from the BBC Website of the story about whether our British Accents can create success in the US: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6470095.stm

And this is the tinyurl link for the same article: http://tinyurl.com/33ue5d

Reduced from 45 characters to 25 characters just like magic. That's an extra twenty characters of your twitter freed. Are you amazed? I was.

Revision Fun?!

I'm finding it really hard to revise so I thought i might do a google search to see what I could do to make revision 'fun'. It turned out to be just about as helpful as going to a careers advisor without a clue about what you want to do. The best suggestion I found was posted on the bbc website here among other less helpful suggestions.

The idea is that everytime you are texting your friends you put something you need to remember for the exam at the end of the text. Sounds good right? Well it would be except
1) Law isn't really the kind of thing you can revise with short text sentances unless you leave out all the case law eg For IP. Patents you need an Invention, Novelty, Inventive Step and Industrial Application. Ok so that is a whole text in itself, and then what about the case law for each section, where in the Act can you find them etc.
2) None of the people I text do my subjects which effectively makes it impossible. Would have been useful when I was doing my gcses though, maybe I should suggest it to my brother...

Blooks and Turning a Blog into one

I learnt a new internet term today. A 'blook' is apparently a blog/website that has been turned into a book. I'm always amazed by the rate that new words are apparently added to our language. I'd only just got used to the word 'blog'. But anyway, moving on, The Lulu Blooker Prize 2007 has announced it's shortlist. So if you are interested in discovering what a 'blook' really is, then have a browse.

Also this article from shinyshiny gives suggestions of how you could turn your blog into a blook if it takes your fancy!

CelebrityDogWatcher.com

The world of celebrity seems to have gone slightly mad of late, and much as I am lothe to admit it i'm being sucked in. First it began last year with Pink Is The New Blog, and now I have discovered celebritydogwatcher.com which is even more random. This site is dedicated to pictures of celebrities with their dogs and I have to step forward, be brave and state, yes i'm slightly hooked (although for some reason Mischa Barton and her dog Ziggy seem to get more than their fair share of coverage). After much rationalisation I think i'm becoming hooked (or am telling myself i'm becoming hooked) because I love dogs, and I think the dog you choose says alot about you as a person. Golden Retriever can mean your a softy at heart, Chihuahua (particularly the long haired variety) generally means you are a bit of a poser and don't want the hassle of what I would consider to be a 'proper' dog, anything terrier like means that you like a bit of attitude/character etc. But then again maybe the celebrities don't choose their own dogs anyway, or is that a little over cynical?! Either way looking at the site once a month gives a little bit of light relief, another dose of some cute dogs, and a dose of the odd cute celebrity (Adam Brody in the picture for example).

ps on a Law note, due to Intellectual Property this year i'm now highly paranoid i'm going to infringe some IP rights, eg Copyright regarding photographs but I think i'm safe as long as I make sure I source where I have borrowed them from... Gosh sometimes the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is more than a little true when it comes to law, knowledge can make things so darn complicated. Lol although i'd rather know than not know if I was going to commit a criminal offence, and then be able to not commit it!

So...
The picture is from this post at celebritydogwatcher.com.

Law and The Diaries of UK Law Students

As, since my couple of dissertation posts, I haven't mentioned much about my law life I thought I should point people in the direction of a blog that is purely about law: The Diaries of UK Law Students.

This blog has expanded since I mentioned it last year, from 'The Diary of a UK Law Student' to 'Diaries' due, I assume, to the increased number of writers. Two of the four contributors have their own blogs, which means (unlike me) that they have a much more concentrated focus on law in 'the Diaries'.

Another relatively new law blog is BabyBarista. It is loaded with a disclaimer stating it is a 'fictional account of a pupil barrister' which raises questions in my mind as to whether it is really fictional but to be honest I don't really mind either way. It is an interesting account whether it is true to life or not.

And in case anyone is dying to know what is going on in my law life, yesterday I went on a boat tour round Southampton docks for Carriage of Goods (see photo), and today is the first day of four weeks of Easter. What does Easter mean for me? It means revision for my three final exams, a piece of coursework which is worth 40% of Carriage and BUSA Nationals. As usual so much to do, so little time!

moo.com Creativity

I'm considering getting some cards printed at moo.com, a site I newly discovered through someone's twittering, and found this post on the moo blog. It highlights what they describe as 'a new trend' of photography using printed moo cards as part of a larger image (of the place from whence they came i assume - rather than somewhere that looks very similar). A flickr group has been created just for these images. You can find it here.

The photo from this post is by Pirate 605. Here is the photo in its original context on flickr.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Irish Wolfhound Puppies can be found on dailypuppy.com today, celebrating the traditionally high drinking Irish holiday!

Here is a site all about Irish Culture and St Patrick's Day
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it

Red nose-ify yourself!

Head down to http://noseify.rednoseday.com/ to add red noses, for Red Nose Day, to any of your photos! I've done it to a few pictures and actually it's a vaguely amusing distraction.

The Red Nose Day Moblog

A not so new obsession of mine is with blogs and moblogs and twitter, and just generally in other people. This is I think why sites like The Red Nose Day Moblog are helpful and successful. I like seeing what other people are doing to help, and that there are people supporting such an important charitable event. You can send in your own pictures or videos of you in a red nose which will be posted on the site to show your support. You will be in the company of not only other likeminded 'normal' people but celebrities such as the Sugababes and Girls Aloud if that is what spurs you on to get involved. Remember just by buying a red nose you are giving money to the cause, and you also get a square of white chocolate and some face stickers (my red nose box is open in front of me). Get involved.

The Official Red Nose Day site
You can also download wallpapers like the small thumbnail of the Andrex puppy, or the Sugababes, or others from the official Red Nose Day website.

Shutdown Day

Think you can last a day without your computer? I did yesterday so i'm wondering if i therefore should not feel guilted into taking part in Shutdown Day on the 24th March. As with anything of this ilk it would be super cool if hundreds, thousands, or millions of people took part and made a huge impact on the electricity used on that day, as well as potentially improving their own quality of life, but it seems unlikely that millions of people will (although according to the website over 45,000 people have said that they will)! I will probably take part, if not just as an excuse to spend some time outside, or drawing, or writing (with a pen and paper - just like in the days of yore!).

Shiny Shiny Columns

I love the new shinyshiny.tv columns. They address a wide range of issues from addictions to meeting people online, to streaming tv over the internet, to email etiquette. I have to admit however *hanging my head slightly in shame*, i haven't always had love for them. When they first appeared I did an grunt similar to that of an old person, and muttered a little to myself about how they cluttered up the page where I could be looking at pretty pictures of gadgets that i don't need but like the look of. Oh and that I wouldn't ever possibly have the time to read the columns (since my once a day checks of shiny shiny quite often these days consist of me scrolling very quickly down the page when i should be doing work, quickly informing myself of what i've missed while being tied down to my desk [actually I say desk but currently I can't use mine because it is suffering from desk mess syndrome - thank goodness for laptops]). But the thing is I find them relevant, and even when they are not relevant to me I find them interesting. And so I make time. I have given in to change. What is next for me I wonder? Perhaps an proactive adult stance to deciding what to do after uni. Only time will tell.

And talking of relevance while I was reading this column called 'Why IM is ruining my life', a lovely orange flashing popup window appeared distracting me slightly from reading it, in fact it's flashing now, hold on...

A Year of Living Generously

A while ago I joined the community at http://generous.org.uk/. The idea behind this site is that ordinary people living ordinary lives can make a difference by making small decisions in their every day lives. What I like about it is that you don't have to do anything. If you don't visit the site you just receive emails every couple of months about what are the most common 'actions' to take part in, and information about current issues (petitions etc).

Today I received my email. I joined the action, 'unplug your chargers'. Did you know that only 5% of the energy used by phone chargers is actually used to charge the phone? The rest is lost by leaving the plugs on while not charging the phone. I think that this is why this site works, the things they inform you about are things which anyone can do by just taking that little bit more care. Another action i'm doing this month is not overfilling your kettle. Did you know by not overfilling your kettle you can save the energy needed to light a house for a day? Well now you do. And for all us students who sit around drinking tea, watching neighbours and occasionally doing work, kettle filling is something we can control! Make a difference by making small changes to your lifestyle.

TPT blog and the LG Shine

Just discovered that Tara PT has a blog, you can find it here. She has also done a review of the LG Shine phone which is my new favourite thing to want at the moment. You can find information about the phone here, and a video blog about it on shinyshiny.tv here. And there is also a dedicated LG Shine Blog here.

Holly's Inbox

I'm having a bit of a weird day, and it just got a whole lot weirder. Do you like reading emails of strangers? Do you like feeling like a bit of a stalker (if you use Facebook you must do)? Then check out Holly's Inbox which is meant to be a bit like reading a book, or perhaps a diary, only it's in the form of emails... I have to be honest I don't really get it (and have enough of my own emails to check) but it is there, it's a little kooky, and well it's a good procrastination tool.

Here is the article at shinyshiny.tv where I discovered it.

iPhonic: iPhone blog

This is just a quick post for all of those who, like me, can't get the iPhone off their minds! Check out iPhonic which is a blog dedicated to all things iPhone. For all those who aren't as gadget obsessed (why not?!) I'm keeping this post very short. In fact that's it.

Lavender Week: Raising Breast Cancer Awareness in the Young

This week is Lavender Week, which is run by the Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care. The idea of the Trust is to raise awareness in young people of Breast Cancer, and to provide help and support young women with Breast Cancer.

Lavender Week runs from the 5th March to 11th March.

Check out the weeks events here.
You can also donate money to support Breast Cancer Care on the page here.

Fairtrade Fortnight

I know this is a slightly late post but hey i've been busy... this is just to let you know that it is Fairtrade Fortnight 26th Feb to 11 March! Get involved! I know at our uni the Fairtrade Stand is out every day of the fortnight, instead of their normal just once a week. Mmm I could really do with some fairtrade chocolate right now!

Hippyshopper's suggestion on how to get involved with Fairtrade Fortnight
Fairtrade fashion from Tam and Rob

Cute Beagle Mix

I had to share this majorly cute picture from dailypuppy.com. Find more pictures of this cute Beagle Mix called Shiloh here! She made me smile, I hope she makes you smile, and feel all warm and cuddly inside!

Yay... Dissertation is being bound!

I handed in my dissertation this morning to be bound, which means tomorrow I can hand it in! That will be one subject down, only three exams at the end of the year left! Hope that everyone else is being dissertation successful, and wishing all those who are in the last minute rush good luck!

Prada Phone

Now if any of you know me, you will know i'm a complete mobile freak, in fact i'm a bit of a general gadget freak, but for some reason i suffer from phone boredom more than with any other type of gadget. Perhaps because I have to use my mobile alot more than anything else I own, or perhaps i'm just very shallow and don't want to be carrying a mobile i'm embarrassed of, whatever the reason i'm afraid i have the itch again... my samsung e900 is boring me slightly. It has done very well for itself, making me loyal to it for about a year (for me a real feat), but i feel it may be time to move on.

I hadn't seen anything that was offering me what I really want out of a mobile, most notably wi-fi (my internet through my network is ridiculously expensive), until i saw the iPhone release to which initially the only fault I could find was that it wasn't a clamshell or a slider (i like that little bit of drama when you have to open it to answer a call or hang up - loser i know). It has wi-fi woo! But then the bombshell, it's not being introduced in the UK until Q4, now call me impatient but i don't think i can last that long.

The options are then to import one from the US in June (slightly excessive), or find something else. Enter LG Prada Phone. Now it doesn't have wi-fi, but it is very pretty, still touchscreen and most importantly i don't have to wait until winter for it, i'm being tempted. Apparently Prada has been quite forceful in making sure that they are involved in the design process and it seems it has had quite an effect on the product. The more I see it the more i love it, who needs Apple anyway!

Here is the shinyshiny.tv original article about the phone.
Here is the LG (rather empty) product page.
Here is the link to the video review on shinyshiny.tv.

Depression Website for Students

A new site has been set up to raise awareness of the symptoms of depression so students are more likely to be able to spot them in their friends. This site www.studentdepression.org/ states February as a crisis month for many students, due to financial stress and exam concerns. Have a browse, particularly if you are concerned about someone. Be aware that things such as irregular sleep patterns, and increased irritability are depression symptoms, it's not all about the crying and suicidal thoughts. The more informed you are, the more likely you are to be able to spot those who are struggling and give help. An article about this site and depression is here.

Help towards a Breast Cancer Mammogram!

The Breast Cancer site is apparently having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. Click on the link to the Breast Cancer site, and then click the pink window in the centre. Only takes two seconds, and you can help by visiting the site every day!

If you are a Facebook user like myself there is a Facebook group here regarding this, so you can join and invite your friends to a good cause.

There are many ways to support the Breast Cancer cause, another is buying products like this Kensington Pink si750 wireless mouse from which 10% goes to the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Snowboard Monopoly

I'm quite excited by this Snowboarder's Monopoly game, which I found via Nollie. Although I have gone off Monopoly recently due to aggressive male players, both my housemates from last year and my brother at home (who will even scam our baby sister), I still have fond memories of playing as a small child. Maybe the snowboarder's version is what I need to put the spark back into the game. Only slight disappointment is that I believe it is all based in America, which just makes it slightly irrelevant to us over the pond, but hey I guess you can't have everything.

PostSecret

PostSecret is a site where readers send in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. These postcards are then posted on the site as part of a community art project. The site is interesting but I find it slightly disturbing. Perhaps there are one too many dark secrets being shared?! Whatever it is that makes me nervous about it, it is as far as I know a totally new concept and an interesting social experiment, and so still worth having a browse of.

I found this site PostSecret and the site in my previous post directly below this (TheManWhoFellAsleep), in this article on the shinyshiny.tv website.

What people are overheard saying on the Tube

Have just discovered TheManWhoFellAsleep.com which is a site dedicated to things overheard on the tube. I have to say I find the whole concept a little weird, and some of the things overheard are quite mundane really, but hey if you want another site to aid procrastination check it out.

Dissertation!

Just a note to say that I hope everyone is coping with dissertation stress. Our hand-in date is the 5th March which means that we have to have it bound at the end of this week really, and so we are all in a state of stressed rush. I have just discovered that I need to write an abstract, contents page and readjust my referencing, as well as writing two more paragraphs, and then bringing it all down to under 10,000 words. Isn't law fun?!

It's not helping that I have riding training today and a competition in Swansea on Wednesday. I need less hobbies, and to do more work!

Personalise your Wii!

I don't have a Wii, and although my housemate does I have been so busy I haven't had an opportunity to play on it. Which is sad because it does look rather fun. However if I did own a Wii, rather than a slimline ps2 which i only really use to play dvds once in a blue moon, I would want one of these personalised covers. Just because they are cool, and remind me of the designer sky+ boxes that I also want one of. Thinking about it there would potentially be alot of clashing in terms of patterns, perhaps they should bring out similar designs for both so you could coordinate your living room, perhaps even wallpaper (wow I can see it now). Anyway although I might be getting a little carried away the Wii covers are cool, lets hope that they don't peel easily with long use heat.

The product page for the Wii skins is here.

Sharing yourself online

Slightly freaked out by this article regarding remaining secret online. Have a look at it.

Vox.com

I have just started a new blog at vox.com in an attempt to find something prettier than blogger which I can use, and I have to say vox wins hands down in the easy prettiness stakes. If I had any vague understanding of html i'm sure that blogger would be the better option, but sadly at 21 i seem to be losing my brain agility for understanding new computer based things.

As far as I can work out however, there is no way to import twitter, which is annoying. And although it has several tools regarding importing things from youtube (which i do actually use), it is also advertising flickr which I have never had patience with. It is also based on a neighbourhood scheme, which involves you being able to blog simply at family and friends, as well as to the big wide world... as much as I actually quite like this idea, I am painfully aware that i'm the only one sad enough amongst my friends to blog so I would not be able to use this option. It also won't let me send blog posts that i make on vox to this blog, although I haven't yet checked whether I can do it from the blogger side of things.

Also having Facebook, plenty of gmail emails, twitter and this blog to occupy what time i do not have, it raises the question do I really need something else to log into and check or update. In fact I deleted my MySpace account a couple of months ago because it just seemed pointless and increased the amount of spam I received about ten fold.

Basically I'm left wondering if I can really justify swapping functionality for prettiness. I don't think I can. As I am however, lothe to part with my pretty new page I am going to have to think of a cunning way to use it. Ideas on a postcard please.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Just a note to wish you all Happy Chinese New Year, which is, yes you guessed it, today! woo!

Wikipedia Information
Chinese New Year site

We went a beagling...

This year I am a member of Southampton University Agricultural Society, and yesterday I went Beagling with them. We joined the Purbeck and Bovington Beagles in Dorset, the pack that my friend Christina is a very active part of. They are a military pack and are kept in kennels within the Bovington barracks. They are no longer cared for by the military, although they do have a military pack leader as well as a civvy pack leader.

Beagling involves a pack of beagles, hunted in pairs, in this case usually hunted in groups of around 20. It is also caught by the Hunting Act 2004, and to be able to hunt legally they are allowed to exercise the hounds, hunt rabbits and set a drag trail. They are not allowed to hunt hares.

The day began at Holwell Manor, Dorset, which the hunts are kindly allowed to use to meet. Port, cocktail sausages and cake were handed around in traditional hunt meet fashion. This English tradition is carried on very much as it has always done, traditional dress and horns included.

We were following a drag hunt, although it was possible that they hounds would set off on a 'line' after a rabbit. It was off to a great start with the hounds running around the hill that we were stood on, allowing us to have a fantastic view. When they get the scent they set off in full cry, which is a haunting sound from the past, add in the traditional cries of the whips and it is truely a traditional country scene. I was slightly nervous that something would be caught by them as I love rabbits, and am not a big fan of blood but it turns out that that worry was very much unfounded. In fact we saw several hares running in the opposite direction without the beagles even being aware of them. Beagling is perhaps the more fun, and least effective type of hunting, but actually thats how I like it.

After an hour or so they disappeared over the hills on a line and left us to attempt to follow on foot, over and under fences, over ditches, it was possibly the most fun I have had recently. Just getting out of the city and to the fabulous Dorset countryside was fantastic. I'm a country girl at heart!

The day ended with some of Christina's lovely cake, after some drizzle, alot of walking and quite a bit of contemplating whether they would notice if we stole a beagle. I have to conclude that perhaps the old countryside pursuits are some of the best.

Wikipedia defination of Beagling
Beagling article

Vulnerable Native Breeds

On November 12th (yes I know bear with me I haven't been blogging, i think i might start referring to it as a my 'sabbatical') I attended Discover Dogs at Earls Court in London, because, yes, big surprise, i want a dog :). This event allows normal, dog loving people to meet and greet up to 209 breeds of all dog types (hound, working, terrier, gundog, pastoral, utility, and toy), learn more about breeds they haven't heard of, or are interested in, and potentially make links with breeders. As well as a stand for each breed, they have various stands for doggy organisations, charities such as Dogs Trust, stands where you can buy doggy items, and show rings with things going on from agility and flyball to showing. My personal favourite was the Golden Retriever display team shown in the photo. It is a real introduction into the world of dogs and is a must for anyone thinking about taking on a dog. The breeders and handlers at the show are all very helpful and friendly, which leads to you learning more about the breed and if it is for you, and also gives you hands on experience with the breeds of your choice.

The most interesting stand for me was the British and Irish Dog Breeds Preservation Trust. Here I was informed that the breed I had come to Discover Dogs to see, the Wheaten Terrier, was on the Vulnerable Native Breeds list. As I understand it to be considered on this list, the breed must be from the UK originally and has to have an average of less than 300 puppies registered per year. Wheaten Terriers are the lucky ones. They are on the borderline between vulnerable and normal. They also have a wonderful system for breeders and potential owners alike. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain have a list of approved breeders, and if you wish to apply for a puppy you fill in their puppy application form, which can be found on the website, and they will put you in touch with breeders in your area (ncluding a local person who will allow you to see Wheatens in a home environment so you can decide if they are the breed for you).

It is shocking the breeds that can be found on the Vulnerable Native Breeds list. The dogs at risk are:

• Bloodhound
• Deerhound
• Greyhound
• Otterhound
• Miniature Bull Terrier
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
• Glen of Imaal Terrier
• Irish Terrier
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Lakeland Terrier
• Manchester Terrier
• Norwich Terrier
• Sealyham Terrier
• Skye Terrier
• Smooth Fox Terrier
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Welsh Terrier
• English Toy Terrier (black and tan)
• King Charles Spaniel
• Clumber Spaniel
• Curly Coated Retriever
• Field Spaniel
• Gordon Setter
• Irish Red and White Setter
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Sussex Spaniel
• Cardigan Corgi
• Lancashire Heeler
• Smooth Collie

And websites for many of these breeds can be found here.
Both of the dogs my mother and sister were interested in (Otterhound and Skye Terrier respectively) are also found on this list.

The two breeds which are considered most at risk currently are the Sealyham Terrier and the Skye Terrier (pictured above right [taken from http://www.evcilkopekler.com/kopek-irklari/skye-terrier]). Both breed clubs have stated that if nothing changes the breeds could be extinct by 2010. In the famous (true) story of Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal dog who stayed by his masters grave after he died for fourteen years until he himself passed away, was a Skye Terrier. Last year there were only 30 Skye Terrier puppies registered in the whole country, and it is estimated that there are less than 3000 left worldwide. To put this into context in terms of numbers, there were 45,000 Labrador Retriever puppies registered last year, and that is just the puppies in this country.

Awareness of these problems in 'at risk' dog breeds is low, but the lower the numbers fall, the lower the gene pool to breed from. Some have even suggested that the vets automatic reaction to suggest neutering or spaying in puppies just makes the problem worse, and that they should be being informed on which are the vulnerable breeds and give advice accordingly. I myself have decided that when I get a dog on leaving university I am going to have a Skye Terrier. It's all very well feeling bad for the situation of the breeds, but not if afterwards you are still rushing out to get a Labrador. If you are thinking of getting a dog then check out the Vulnerable Native Breeds, their characteristics and traits, if there is one that will suit you and your lifestyle why not take on a breed that will be unique and will give you just as much love and affection as the 'in-dog' of the moment?!

Discover Dogs will also be at Crufts at NEC, Birmingham

Some Links:
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain
Bentley's Home Page (Diary of a Wheaten Terrier Owner)
Skye Terrier Club
Sealyham Terrier Club

LWord Actress Twittering

Just discovered someone I added on Twitter because they seemed interesting is actually Janina Gavankar from the LWord. I don't actually watch it but its still quite exciting. This actress twittering is here.

Wikipedia information about her is here.

Snowboarding Tips!

The girl based snow-boarding site Nollie is giving snow-boarding tips. Might be useful if any of you are planning on hitting the slopes like my brother has this week (*so jealous*), and i'm sure it can also be applied to men, a snow-boarding tip is essentially a snow-boarding tip.

Leopard Print Gone Mad

Now I have to be honest, I have never been keen on Leopard print (although I love real leopards, particularly snow leopards) but knowing that it is currently the 'in thing' I have been happy to let it go. By 'let it go' I mean I have managed to hold back from screaming in horror when seeing people wearing it, including Camilla Parker-Bowles wearing it as a fetching hat.

BUT i have to admit going back to my traditional screaming in horror when seeing these snow sport base layers. I don't know what you would have to be thinking to wear them but i know what i would be thinking: 'please god don't let me fall over, break my leg and have to show my hideous underclothes to anyone in A and E'. Did I mention they are known as horny-bodies? *another scream in horror* i think the less said the better really...

Twitter: What are YOU doing?!

I thought I should perhaps tell you a little something about Twitter because until very recently I had never heard of it. Apparently taking America by storm, this site allows you to make short updates (text length minus your 13 character user name) by accessing the site, GoogleChat or text messages, all to answer the key question 'What are you doing?'. You can opt to only allow your friends see your updates, and if you don't choose this option then anyone can opt to 'follow' you, which essentially means they can choose to be instant messaged or texted your updates. Now in my opinion the texting thing is slightly scary and stalker-like, as if you are publicly updating then some random in Brazil could be being texted the fact that you are 'just leaving the house' BUT then again like many of these networking sites you can only be stalked by how much information you give. It would be sensible for example to not be updating with 'in house all on my own, forgot to lock the doors, have lots of expensive electrical equipment'.

The major advantage of the site is being able to blog quickly, and it does make you consider what you write much more as you have to be informative and amusing in a minimum number of characters, particularly if you are posting publicly. My favourite posts are not the ones about going to buy shopping, they are the ones that tell you something interesting, funny and amusing.

Overall it seems pointless when you first join, just like a site dedicated to the 'status' feature of Facebook, but definately grows on you. My turning point was the morning it snowed last week, and on the public timeline you could see the reactions of people all around the country, VERY interesting.

On a more informative note you can also choose to receive news updates from BBC England, and could effectively just use it as a free text information service.

On a less informative note apparently you can follow Macworld (I don't have one and so won't be), and there are rumours that many tv/film directors are planning on joining, including the director of My Name is Earl... or that Ed show, i can't remember which or where I read it...

NB. It is Mike Pennie, writer/producer of 'My Name is Earl'. Find his twittering here. And I rediscovered this on the Twitter blog here.

My Lack of Posting and Twitter...

Hello! Have been so busy in the last year I have really neglected (abandoned really) this blog and i feel soooooooooooooooooo guilty! I still am running low on time, and so am using Twitter to do very short posts when i have two seconds! Have been lucky enough to be allowed to ride on two riding teams this year with the university, and it is my final year! Handed in my dissertation first draft yesterday... woo!
Right am going to attempt to incorporate Twitter so this is not so poorly updated.