Takeaway, takes the piss :S

So today, I stumbled upon and article on our local rags website saying that 82 food joints in Southend have received the lowest possible scores in a Food Hygiene and Safety poll.

Scores on the Doors publish the hygiene results for restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways and burger vendors, giving them a maximum of 5 stars.

The problem I have with this poll, is that after looking it up myself, all my favourite places to eat at about 3am in the morning, whilst either staggering to a taxi rank or back to one of my friends houses, have all received 0 stars. Not just one, but all.

Where am I going to eat now???

SO I looked into it further and discerned that in order to get no stars at all the kebab hut has to have "Almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations'. Now I don't really know what this means, but surely it cannot be good.

And I know that on more than one occasion I've seen them guys put cold chips in the microwave and then give them too us, and the same of manky bits of meat....I guess I'd just never really thought bout it before.

This creates a huge problem for me- where am I going to eat now??? 

Although saying this, by the time 3am rolls around on a Saturday night, I probably won't care.

Barbie turns 50, what exactly does she represent??

Most women at 50 start to show signs of slowing down somewhat, not Barbie!

If anything, she's speeding up.

With her everlasting beauty (which has nothing to do with botox) and over 100 successful career changes, this little doll, bulldozes everything that gets in her way. Is that girl power or what??

Any doll that tries to challenge her superiority she destroys, from Rock star Jem, to the British Sindy none were safe. Even Bratz, that posed the first real threat to the doll giant has been crushed-Barbie sued them and prevented the company from making anymore dolls (to be honest I was wondering where they'd gone to).

Barbie is successful because she moves with the times, she has never been stuck in the past, but a forward thinker, who resembles the idea that girls can do anything, and look good doing it too!

People dislike her because she's unrealistic and she represents the unattainable, but she's a toy, a fantasy is you will. In 1995 the International Journal of Eating Disorders complained that if Barbie were a real sized human her measurements would be 38-18-34, and Finnish researchers said that she'd be so thin that she would not be able to menstruate. They're completely missing the point. SHE"S A DOLLY. Barbie is not real. She was never meant to be real, and anyone who thinks otherwise is severely deluded.

Barbie is an aspiration, she encourages girl power and shows girls that it's ok to be beautiful and a doctor, or a presidential candidate or whatever they want to be.

what will 2009 bring?? a responce

A headache.

I have had one for 2 days now. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

What will 2009 bring??

I don't actually know anybody going 'out' out this New Year, in these credit crunching times who can afford it? If I was to go out in Chav central (Southend on Sea for those of you who are unaware) I reckon my night out could have cost £228.20-

Taxi there £20

Taxi Back £40

Club entry £25

Pre going out bottle of wine £6

Dress, Shoes, Bag, Accessories etc £130 maybe?

Full price drinks over the night £30 (and I'm not a huge drinker)

Cheesie chips £2.20

no thanks.

So not having that sort of cash, I like most am going to a house party/gathering. A few of my mates, some cheap bottles of wine and nibbles and a few sleeping bags and volia, not even £20 a person. Bargain. After all, the hyped up nights are always the worst aren't they, especially when you're recently split from your boyfriend (which I am).

So the likelihood of this evening is that I'll drink too much, take too many horrible pictures, cry far too much and probably be pretty miserable..... but I'll be £208.20 better off than if i went out.

Roll on 2009, although the prospects for the year aren't looking great really are they.

Back again :P Baby Names

So I've been pretty busy with deadlines, christmas and flu over the last month, but from today I'm starting up my blog again! Hurrah I hear you cry!.....deathly silence :S never mind

Anyway in keeping with my light hearted blog my first entry for a while is to be on a topic I and all my girl friends have given plenty of thought..... baby names.

According to UK parenting club Bounty the most popular UK names are Jack and Olivia. Jack I can completely understand it has been in poll position for the last 14 years.... but Olivia???? Seriously? Who names their child that?

The list also shows the British publics inability to think for itself, Ruby is now the 2nd most popular girls name (following the Birth of Charlotte Church's daughter) and Zac (presumably after Zac Efron) has now crept into the top 100.

So it seems that most children in the UK are called either Jack, Oliver, Grace or Ruby. How boring. Names are meant to be a mark of individuality, not a way to show how we all follow the crowd.

I fully intend to name my first born Humphfry-Heathcliff, maybe he'll be bullied, but a light taunting never did anyone any harm-and people will certainly remember him. And if people find that a mouthful-I'll just say his name is H, after H from Steps of course :P

Ho Ho Ho Christmas films

Stuck with what christmas films to watch over the festive period? Here's a list of my favourites.

The Santa Clause 1, 2 and 3. Tim Allen need I say more? I think I watched all three of these at least 3 times last year, (and I've already watched 3 once since the 1st of December)

The Holiday- Very similar to love actually in content, a christmas romance with an all star cast set in Britain

Love Actually-Very Similar to the Holiday in content, a Christmas romance with an all star cast set in Britain.

Nightmare before Christmas- a Tim Burton Genius, think Sleepy Hollow as a PG

Elf-whats not to love Will Ferrel AND Christmas "Buddy the elf what's your favourite colour?"

Home Alone 1 and 2 only!! With out Culkin these films have nothing

I'll be home for Christmas-actually I'd only recommend this to girls who used to fancy JTT in the Home Improvement days-for anyone else its a waste of 2 hours.

That's enough for now I'll watch some more over the next day or so :)

Holiday Inn- one of my absolute favourite films, the musical which preceded white christmas (it even includes the song)

Christmas on 34th street-original or new, it doesn't matter they're both good!

Americal Apparel, lovely in lycra or saggy in spandex?

So American Apparel has been voted top label of 2008 :)

But the thing is, whenever I ask people about this brand, the response i always get is 'eh?'

Other than fashionistas, not many people seem to have heard of it.

And then, when I try explaining that the clothes are a funky mix of spandex, Lycra and bold colours they go 'oh'.

Nobody seems that impressed with it to be honest :(

The thing is AA is a great brand, but only if you're 5 foot 10 and no larger than a size 10. If your lumps and bumps are all in the wrong places then,well, it's just not the brand for you.

AA is dance gear you can wear out. With pants that match the colours of the dresses :)

But as much as I love it, I don't think it should be label of the year, just because so few people can really wear it.