Did Cheryl Cole split with Ashley with text message Full Stop?
Pending the official break up announcement today of the celebrity couple, singer Cheryl Cole and footballer Ashley Cole, speculation must be aroused on the text message content Cheryl sent her husband about separating. What on earth could you put into 160 characters to sum up the public humiliation that the Girls Aloud star has faced over Trashley's infidelities?
I once dumped a girl via text message, and I'm shamed to admit it, with just a full stop. Yes, the content consisted of the text, "." and it was pretty much the point, "full stop", "no more", "end of", "over", "period". This was 10 years ago, I was young and this was not a long term relationship, and I know of a friend who ended a female commitment in this fashion also. It's quick and simple way of dumping someone, and does release that built up emotion and frustration. It also requires a period of silence thereafter, as you'd expect responses of "er, what?", "did you mean to send me a full stop", etc. They eventually get the point.
I can imagine the media have certainly fueled the fire in which Ashley's dirty washing has been exposed on a global scale. Read today that the 5 women who've been outed as bed conquests of the Chelsea and England International player spanning a number of years, do feel some regret about coming clean. More than can be said for those bed sheets then.
In 2002 I worked in a bar in Chiswick with a girl who'd slept with Kian Egan from Westlife and sold story to the newspapers. It was something that she openly said she regretted in conversation with me, and for whatever level of peer stature this brought her, I'm sure she felt that the money received didn't outweigh the long term association she had with this kiss and tell story. Anyway, back to a more attractive celebrity, Cheryl Cole or soon to be Cheryl Tweedy perhaps. Ashley, WTF? Friends of mine have said that out of 10, they'd give Cheryl 1.
Why would someone earning £120,000 a week, seem to have almost everything (a working week consisting of 5 half days during the week and a full day at the weekend, involves some travel that is paid for, a lovely house and a stunning wife), stray off with women on many occasions? Maybe there are more high profile sportsmen than just Ashley, John Terry and Tiger Woods? It would seem that only Avram is paying for it, yet the others are paying for it with their relationships and going to rehab.
I wonder if celebrities get a discount when attending rehabilitation clinics, e.g. a celebrity referal programme. There must be a lot of money spent in rehab. The Bettty Ford Center may have been the popular hang out for those caught up with a narcotics addiction in Beverly Hills, whilst the sex-addiction clinics such as the exclusive Montrose Place in South Africa must be loving it.
Average age discrepancy of social networking profile photos?
I had a funny conversation with a prospective client this week, whom I'd contacted via the professional networking site, LinkedIn.com. It emerged that we had both used a relatively old photo of ourselves as our social networking profile photo. The question was then posed, "I wonder what the average age of photos are?" and the "what's the average age difference compared to users now?".
It seems to me that most people, and I'm talking about my social media contacts who have profiles on different sites, commonly use the same photo. Now whether that's the abstract one that people wouldn't recognise you from or a media headshot in soft focus or black and white, they tend to become your web identity in its own right.
When it comes to image management of yourself, have you ever searched your name in Google Images? You can easily waste an hour searching for yourself, friends, family and colleagues, usually with an entertaining outcome. Try it now and see how you fair.
People might be concerned about high up the search results their own website is, but you need to do some SEIO, Search Engine Image Optimisation to get your good looking self up the rankings and the embarassing images down the pages.
Actually, Google Image Search for SEIO and you can keep abreast of all the action, and SEIO Agencies could be the next big thing if you are interested in not making a right tit of yourself online. Hope you like my made up acronym, you read it here first.
Anyway, I'm sure people search for other people before meeting them, interviewing them or even dating them. I've done it many times, even for a colleague who I was meeting once on a crowded place.
I once saw a t-shirt being sold, and guess they are all over the place now, with "you looked prettier on your MySpace [replace with social network site] page". How true! We're not going to put a fugly picture up now, are we.
Most tend to be (from my limited research) from; weddings, Xmas parties, birthday parties, holidays, social gatherings with friends or professional photos taken as a result of work related activities. Notice how many have that awkwardly placed face to the edge if the photo where the ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife once was, and has been cropped as harshly as the breakup. Lots are of toned or tanned photos of ourselves in exotic locations and on holiday, parading our beauty in a peacock fashion. As for those media headshots that are touched up and make people look as glamorous or as important as any CEO of a company, well, sign me up for one please. Haha.
When discussing this question with a colleague thus week, they mentioned a hillarious story of a co-worker. This employee had over a couple of years taken the 1st photo that was shot for their security pass and photoshoped their heads to be 15% larger. Over the years as people renewed their passes, people had grown bobbleheads without them even realising.
Now getting back on track abd the point of this blog post. My stock photo is of one from a holiday in Thailand, looking fresh faced, slightly tanned and a cheeky smile. Nothing wrong with that, but occasionally I get people say I look younger than I am. I best not ask the 'Guess your age to the nearest 5 years' man on Bournemouth beach to try his luck.
Challenge
So here's my challange to you, dear reader of this blog post.
- Go to the About page on this site and take a look at the photo.
- Now come back to this post and submit a comment of how many (whole) years difference you think there is between that photo and a recent one on this site.
Tip, the photo was taken in the month of December, so take a look at blog posts from last November 2009.
Good luck. I'm bit going to expose my true age, so your answer may offend or flatter me. Either way, let me know what your social media profile photo age discrepancy is... and leave a comment below.
BRIT Awards 2010, Winners and Aftershow Parties
Tuesday 16th February, and it's the 30th Brit Awards 2010 in London. Ticket in hand and it's off to Earls Court for the night. Accessing the exclusive side entrance, I look across and see the camera flashes as celebs walk up the red carpet in the rain, see below.
After some pre-dinner drinks and bumping into people I know and have worked with, it was time to take our front section seats for a top notch meal and a deafening mix of entertainment. Now wish I had custom earplugs made after all.
Sitting in the A section (the front 5 or 6 rows of tables) for Platinum Guests, around me sat stars of music past, present and future. As Craig David brushed past me, each direction you looked, a star or celeb sat tucking into the nosh and drinking champagne, wine and bottles of beer.
Being the only one on the table not drinking, the jug of orange juice and bottles of mineral water was just a tease. Yes, I managed the entire night not to drink alcohol, and polished off that OJ too. The MasterCard beermats were a touch and a shame I could only slip half a dozen into the jacket pocket for a future flipping video. Would have loved to have carted out a box of them for a record breaking attempt.
As the cheese board diminished around the table, the lights dimmed, and the countdown began. The 30th Brit Awards was about to start.
Check out the video below of the opening with Lily Allen making her entrance on a rocket!
Peter Kay was brilliant and I can't wait to watch the show again having taped it on Sky+ Remote Record. Unquestionably his best line quipped "What a knobhead" was after Liam Gallagher through the microphone and award into the crowd. Now apparently there was a live delay for the broadcast and the "best fucking fans in the world" was bleeped out, so producers were prepared...
However, not prepared with a spare microphone. What you didn't see was during the commercial break; the begging over the speakers for the thrown microphone to be handed back. Yes, we appreciate they are expensive, but to say that keeping it will prevent artists performing seemed a bit ill planned. Would love to have seen that and the award up on eBay.
Earls Court is pretty massive and this video below, taken during an ad break, shows the size of the place and the thousands of people up in the top tiers.
The Brits ended with Robbie Williams singing 9 songs in total, including the Take That classic 'Everything Changes'. At 10pm with the TV cameras were no longer broadcasting, and the crowd screamed and begged for more. And Robbie responded with a fitting ending for his Outstanding Contribution award.
The Brit Awards 2010 Winners
- Brits Performance Of The Last 30 Years: Spice Girls for Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are? (1997)
- British Male Solo Artist: Dizzee Rascal
- International Male Solo Artist: Jay-Z
- Brits Album Of The Last 30 Years: Oasis for (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
- British Breakthrough Act: JLS
- British Group: Kasabian
- International Breakthrough Act: Lady GaGa
- International Female Solo Artist: Lady GaGa
- British Female Solo Artist: Lily Allen
- International Album: Lady GaGa for The Fame
- British Single: JLS for Beat Again
- The MasterCard British Album: Florence and the Machine for Lungs
- British Producer: Paul Epworth
- Critics Choice Ellie Goulding
- Outstanding Contribution to Music: Robbie Williams
The Brit Awards 2010 Aftershow Parties
The major record labels pulled out all the stops to celebrate the night for their artists, staff and guests by hosting aftershow parties across London.
Whilst the Gold & Platinum Guests who were seated and dined during the night, could attend the aftershow party upstairs in Earls Court, the real glamour and exclusivity was to be had in venues in central and west London hosted by the labels themselves.
The dailies and evening papers on Wednesday were full of photos and gossip of who went where. It was like a roll call of A-lister music stars and TV celebs.
Universal Music seemed to pull off the biggest, and no bias just because I was there. There was in no particular order; Lady GaGa, Lily Allen, Florence Welch, Liam Gallagher, Suggsy, Courtney Love, Sting's daughter and possibly Sting himself, Ellie Goulding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud, Meatloaf, Sugababes, Holly Valance, Lee Ryan, Pixie Lott, Frankie Sandford And Mollie King from The Saturdays, Pixie Geldoff, Rachel Stevens and even Leigh Francis who does Bo' Selecta! I didn't see Craaaaiiiiiiig David there though.
The venue was the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hyde Park, Knightsbridge. The party was held in the Ballroom and Carlyle Room. The Ballroom oozed of 24-carat gilding, breathtaking chandeliers and dramatic floor to ceiling windows. Apparently this is where HM Queen Elizabeth II learned to dance here with her sister, the late Princess Margaret. Click on the link and you'll see photos of the regal staircase you'd walk up after entering the exclusive red carpet entrance from Knightsbridge.
Now it was this entrance that I was almost squashed under a frenzy of paparazzi as I arrived. Seconds from stepping onto the red carpet, a car literally crossed my path and pulled up kerbside. The paps went nuts. Shouts of "it's becks" rang out, assuming it was Posh they meant. Hardly, Victoria was most likey in Milan watching David lose to Man Utd at the San Siro.
Anyway, regardless of this, the silver car door swung out and two lovely ladies stepped out, Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud and Kimberley Walsh. My camera was to hand anyway and whipped it out at took my own contributing flash. Below shows that very moment.
In fact, once inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, I walked past the two of them having their photo taken inside. This is the photo at that very moment, if the camerman zoomed out just 1 foot, you'd see me walking past Kimberly.
Other parties that were reported included Warner Music's Chinawhite bash which apparently had Jay-Z, but others say he was at the West End club Merah Long with JLS.
EMI entertained at the Supperclub in Notting Hill with Robbie Williams making a brief visit with girlfriend Ayda Field, and others including James Corden, Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp.
Sony BMG were at the Kensington Hotel where Alexandra Burke and apparently JLS were seen. Those JLS boys must have done rounds that night. Why not, being a Brit winner is something to show off!
Kasabian were hosting a War Child charity concert at the O2 Sheperds Bush Empire where appearances from Noel Gallagher, Cat Deeley, Jamie Winstone, Alfie Allen and Gemma Anderton showed face.
More Videos
A video summary of the night can be seen on Sky News footage.
Or watch some of the videos of the Brit Awards on the ITV website.
The Morning After
With very little sleep and residing in a budget hotel for just over 4 hours, I walked past Earls Court to jump on the tube. The clear blue sky, near silence and crisp air was a complete contrast to the production held the night before, as seen below.
Marathon training in jeopardy with another ‘itis and injury
I regret to say it, but my 3rd London Marathon is in jeopardy. An injury at the beginning of January was confirmed on Monday as pretty much Achilles tendonitis. I'd fallen over on the ice weeks back, and my right heel came down with some force into the ground. Suffice to say I'd just picked myself up and gone on with life, but three weeks of pain and natural healing not showing the leaps and bounds, the doctor was the next step.
It's ironic that it was the heavy snow that had disrupted the training, and put a stop to it. The video below was my first and currently last run of the year, until further notice.
Absolutely gutted. Having lost over a stone in weight from the other 'itis illnesses before Xmas, another knocks me six. Doctor diagnosed with a confident nod before I fully explained the incident and symptoms. At the injunction of the Achilles tendon and the bone, on the heel, the inflamation was causing every footstep to send those pain receptors a nudge. Worse of all, every morning was made worse as the tendon stiffened up overnight.
Faced with another month of rest days, the options were, 1) nothing, let it heal over next 4 to 6 weeks, 2) magic gel, 3) antiflamatory drugs, 4) physiotherapy, and 5) surgery with an injection and risk of rupture and 3 months in plaster. Well the options were obvious, drugs and physio. Question is how long will this all take? One to ask Liz on Friday afternoon.
Will have to make a judgement call in March on whether to run or not. But it leaves 2 months left of training, and a sponsorship target of nearly £500 to raise. Wonder if people will sponsor me regardless at my fundraising page on Justgiving.com. Or if I make it a sponsored walk.
Part of me doesn't want this second year of injury to mean deferrment. Not even sure if you can defer your place 2 years on the trot? This is a guaranteed place and not a Gold Bond place, but raising money for the NCT charity anyway.
Any marathon runners out there with the answers, please leave a comment. I've the parents telling me I don't have to do it, and shouldn't. Any of my friends or colleagues reading this, bloody sponsor me. I'll give you a signed beermat in return.
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