So tonight I watched the Brit Awards for the first time in what is probably the best part of two decades, for one reason and one reason alone, and that was Ed Sheeran!

I don’t usually watch them because I don’t normally identify with modern mainstream music. There just isn’t much of it out there that I like or listen to. The majority of the stuff I listen to is either old school rock’n’roll, or albums and EPs made by the numerous unsigned bands and musicians that I follow around religiously!

Ed Sheeran was one of these musicians. He met my brother and his band mates from Lester Clayton a couple of years ago at an open mic night Lester hosted, and they soon became friends. Ed even brought Lester Clayton and quite a few of the other musicians he met on the London originals scene on his sold-out UK tour with him!

Over the last year or so, we have all watched Ed Sheeran’s meteoric rise to fame with great pride and satisfaction that the boy we all thought was amazing, even back then, is finally having his talent recognized!

We were one of the ones that bought a CD from ‘his rucksack’ and my sofa, the one that I sat on tonight watching Ed take home these massive awards, was one that he had once slept on, back in his sofa-surfing days!

All throughout the year, whenever Ed is on television or in the newspapers, my family and friends keep each other in the loop, and pass the message on to look out for stuff that he is appearing in or on! It is a really amazing feeling to stand in a bar or pub, and listen to everyone there singing along to his songs on the juke box, all of them knowing every single word, and that feeling is further amplified when I’m at his gigs and there are thousands of people literally hanging off his every word!

So when Ed got the 4 nominations for the Brits, we were ecstatic, a gang of us gathered round to watch them and see what happened, and I am pleased to be able to say that his raw, natural, amazing talent was recognized; he won best British Breakthrough Act and best British Solo Artist, and I couldn’t be happier for him! Congratulations Ed, long may your success continue, it is thoroughly deserved!

Adele also picked up two awards, best British Female Solo Artist and the biggie, the one all the musicians want to win, Mastercard British Album of the Year! Unfortunately however, presenter James Corden had to cut her acceptance speech short, and she sent a cheeky middle-finger up into the crowd, that was caught on camera. She later apologized and said it was meant for ‘the suits’ but I really hope that it isn’t made a massive deal out of, and a huge debate about swearing on national television doesn’t overshadow both her achievements and Ed’s! It was after all, just a finger, and we’ve all seen one of those before…

Coldplay won best British Group, X Factor boyband One Direction won British Single with ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, I’m still wondering how the hell that happened, and how that song beat Ed Sheeran’s ‘A-Team’ and Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, but anyway! Foo Fighters (thankfully – coz I really like them) won best International Group, and International Female and Male Solo Artists were won by Rihanna and Bruno Mars respectively. Lana Del Rey took home the award for International breakthrough artist, and Blur won the Outstanding Contribution to Music award!

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Star Wars fans will be pleased to know that those geeky geniuses at Centives have actually sat down and tried to work out exactly how one would go about building the legendary Death Star.

However, any budding super-villains out there shouldn’t get their hopes up, their calculations suggest that although there is enough iron in the earth’s core to build approximately 2 Billion Death Stars, at today’s rate of steel production, you are looking at its construction taking something like 833,315 earth years.

That might not seem that long, if you have a super-long, super-villain lifespan, but for you and I, and the average villain, that might be information enough to make us admit defeat! The other hitch any potential Death Star constructors out there are likely to encounter will be the slight problem of extracting this iron from the Earth’s core, without say, getting caught and pissing off THE WHOLE WORLD!!

The other factor likely to throw a spanner in the works for anyone looking to bid to build a Death Star is the cost. Centives calculated that the amount needed for the steel alone (at 2012 prices) would come to roughly $8,100,000,000,000,000 or 13,000 times the world’s GDP. That’s just the steel, one can only begin to imagine how much all those snazzy weapons will end up costing!
Don’t bother smashing the piggy bank kids, I just don’t think it’s gonna cut it for this one!

According to Centives:

We began by looking at how big the Death Star is. The first one is reported to be 140km in diameter and it sure looks like it’s made of steel. But how much steel? We decided to model the Death Star as having a similar density in steel as a modern warship. After all, they’re both essentially floating weapons platforms so that seems reasonable.

Scaling up to the Death Star, this is about 1.08×1015 tonnes of steel. 1 with fifteen zeros.

Which seems like a colossal mass but we’ve calculated that from the iron in the earth, you could make just over 2 billion Death Stars. You see the Earth’s crust may have a limited amount of iron, but the core is mostly our favourite metal and is both very big and very dense, and it’s from here that most of our death-star iron would come.

As I write this, I can feel my own heart sinking, as I realise I am shattering so many dreams with this unfortunate information. But do not despair, all these figures relate to building an ‘actual size’ Death Star, if you really want one that bad, you could always build a mini one, for let’s say, the Borrowers, or any Lilliputians that might venture into your part of town. You could, theoretically kidnap these really tiny people and force them to re-enact your own version of the epic space battle to end all space battles!!

If that also seems too daunting a task, then I suppose you could always build yourself a Lego one at a much more affordable cost of £275!

Via Centives

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Microsoft asks what happens when the world’s largest advertising business tries to sell productivity software on the side?

I think it is pretty funny and love how Microsoft is hated for this, but Apple was genius for doing the same thing.

Via Why Microsoft

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Wow, I’ve just read an article in the Wall Street Journal that gave a fantastic summary of all the great things about Japan and Japanese culture, and now I really want to visit the place!

It discusses how the Japanese economy, style and culture have adapted to the global recession of the last few decades, having previously enjoyed a vigorous economy in the boom-years of the 80’s. Back before this current depression in the global economy, Japanese exports were in massive demand, and the country would import the very best from around the world, whether it was a top French chef or Italian fashion designers.

Now though, the Japanese have taken a different route, they have ventured out, taken the best of what the world has to offer, studied how to do it in the greatest possible way, and brought it home. Japanese chefs can now make almost every food imaginable, from probably almost any place in the world you can imagine, and they do what they do to the highest possible standards.

The article highlighted the great cuisine that Japan boasts, focusing primarily on small restaurants that provided a fantastic level of service that was both intimate and exemplary.
One only needs to look at the sheer number of Japanese restaurants that have been given Michelin Stars, writer Tom Downey says,

“Though many Japanese foodies and critics deride the Michelin Guide for a perceived ignorance of traditional Japanese food culture, the publication of the first Red Guide to Tokyo just four years ago signalled a tectonic shift in the international culinary scene. In the latest guide, 247 of Tokyo’s restaurants have stars—almost four times the number in Paris, and more than the total number in London, New York City and Paris, pointing to the spectacular appeal of this city to foreign palates. (And it’s not just Tokyo: The Kansai region also has more starred restaurants than those foreign cities combined.)”

There are 16 restaurants with 3 Michelin Stars, the highest accolade that can be awarded, whereas there are only 15, 3-star restaurants in Europe’s main cities. One of these is the contemporary French cuisine restaurant Quintessence, which the author of the article visited and reviewed during his stay in Japan. He explains that the restaurant provides no menus just a brief explanation from Japanese chef Shuzo Kishida explaining that he will choose what people eat. The maître d’ does the majority of the work in the restaurant himself, primarily because he wants to see for himself exactly how each customer responds to the dishes they try.

This is a very interesting technique and quite clearly shows just how seriously they take their professions in Japan!
Tom Downey also explores the success of certain Japanese fashion designers, who have taken what are traditional American fashion products and perfected them to such a high standard that they are now being exported back to America and selling for what works out at hundreds of dollars.

He visits the booming bar district which boasts various specialist establishments, from the freshest, fruitiest, cocktails to splendid malt whiskey and bourbon bars! As well as going to some of Japan’s top hotels, to see hospitality at its very best – Japanese style!

The writer speaks about going into a coffee bar and being unable to get an espresso, because the owner of the shop stopped them from being served early in the day. He did this because he believed the power spike that happened in the evening meant that he could not get the optimum voltage necessary to create the perfect espresso. Now that really is a perfectionist at work!!!

To conclude, Downey says:

“The Japanese, animated by the principles of perfection, specialization, craft and obsession that they have long brought to their own culture, have applied the same standards to Basque cuisine, Rhum Agricole cocktails, American-style outerwear, and almost everything else wondrous and obscure from the rest of the world.

And while the Japanese have done an admirable job of exporting their native cuisine and culture, perhaps the next challenge for their flagging economy is to learn to export everything they do best. While some of these ventures do well financially, others just seem to hang on. Japan’s superior cocktails, cuisine, clothes and hospitality deserve to catch on globally, but who knows if they will even continue to last in Japan. Which is precisely why this is the moment to visit.”

To read the full review go to The Wall Street Journal

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studio64comedy looks inside the genius mind of Harvard graduate basketball superstar Jeremy Lin. I think it’s funny… and I can laugh cause i’m Oriental.

Follow studio64comedy on Twitter

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A 45-year-old man from southern Sweden was dug out alive on Friday after being snowed in to his car on a forest track since December 19 with no food and only a sleeping bag to keep warm.

Snowmobilers who spotted his vehicle near the northern city of Umea initially thought they had come across a car wreck until they dug their way to a window and saw a dangerously thin person living inside.

“Just incredible that he’s alive considering that he had no food, but also since it’s been really cold for some time after Christmas,” a rescue team member told the local newspaper Vasterbottens-Kuriren.

Normally humans would normally be able to survive for about four weeks without food, according to doctors at the Umea University Hospital, where the 45 year old is recovering.
Dr Stefan Branth, believe the man probably survived by eating snow and going into a dormant-like state.

“A bit like a bear that hibernates. Humans can do that,” he said. “He probably had a body temperature of around 31 degrees (Celsius) which the body adjusted to. Due to the low temperature, not much energy was used up.”

It remained unclear how the man found himself stuck in the snow to begin with.

Via Daily What

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The forever blazing debate on the hot topic of sexual harassment and what is and isn’t construed as it has just had some serious fuel added to its fire!

The latest topic that everyone is talking about is the claim from certain ‘Men’s Rights Activists’ that women who dress provocatively are somehow to blame for sexual harassing the men around them that they arouse, but will not engage in sexual activity with. They want to implement actual changes to the law to make sure that women either cover-it-up or give-it-up!

Sounds absolutely ludicrous doesn’t it? The majority of us will hear this argument and think that they are talking absolute codswallop. But certain psychologists and sexual behavior experts have taken on board their requests and actually tried to justify these preposterous views with actual evidence.

One of these supporters is Australian sex therapist and bestselling author, Bettina Arndt, who, in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald stated that men everywhere were in a state of total confusion over the way women dress! She said;

“That chasm [between men and women] is indeed deep and growing, with so many women now feeling entitled to dress as they like — bare breasts, enticing flesh squeezed into the shortest, tightest clothing. Everywhere you look, women are stepping out dressed provocatively, but bristling if the wrong man shows he enjoys the display. And men — well, they are in a state of confusion. There are cocky, attractive, successful men, alpha males, revelling in this unexpected bounty, boldly eyeing off the assets of women they fancy. Sensitive males are wary, not knowing where to look, afraid of causing offence. And there are angry men, the beta males who lack the looks, the trappings of success to tick these women’s boxes. They know the goodies on display are not for them. These are the men most likely to behave badly, blatantly leering, grabbing and sneering. For them, the whole thing is a tease. They know it and resent it.”

She claims that because men are totally useless at reading subtle body language hints, that would suggest if a woman was interested or not, they cannot be blamed for misinterpreting and believing that a scantily-clad woman is actually calling out to be ogled by them when she isn’t!

Thankfully however, a few voices of reason have rung out in the discussion on this subject, one of those being Hugo Schwyzer, a professor of gender studies and history at the Pasadena City College, and a well-known and respected public speaker on the subjects of masculinity, sex and relationships.

Schwyzer takes apart Arndt’s argument, making it appear almost foolhardy at times. He sums up the analyses with what I think is an extremely valid point;

“The reality is that sexual rejection happens to men and women alike. That’s part of living in a world in which for a host of reasons, we are not all equally attractive, and where the people we want to sleep with will not always want to sleep with us. The hard truth men and women alike need to grasp is a simple one: our arousal is not someone else’s problem to solve. The sooner we encourage men in particular to grasp that truth, the safer and happier we’ll all be.”

Personally, I agree with Schwyzer, ‘our arousal is not someone else’s problem to solve’ totally sums it up for me! The idea that we should choose what to wear with consideration about how it is going to make others feel, is completely unreasonable.

Another point worth noting is if per se, these people get their sexual harassment laws changed, what happens to the really attractive women, (and men) who don’t particular need to dress provocatively to attract attention and get ogled. You know the kind of person I’m talking about, the ones with an abundance of natural beauty and great figures that will turn heads no matter what they wear! What are we going to do with them? God forbid they arouse some poor person that they don’t intend to have intercourse with! If these guys get there way, are they intending to make them put bin-bags over their heads, with eye holes cut out and make them wear oversized jumpers and tracksuit bottoms?

It’s all just a tad nonsensical to me, we should be free to dress as we choose and expect a certain level of respect and self-control from our fellow human beings, I don’t think that is too much to ask. The other issue for me would be how to draw the line – one person’s idea of an outrageous outfit might be someone else’s idea of a boring sartorial choice. Who gets to decide what is too provocative and what isn’t? You just couldn’t do it, it’s totally insane!

What do you think about the subject? Do you think there should be laws against women dressing too provocatively? Leave a comment and let us know!

Read Hugo Schwyzer’s article

And if you fancy a giggle – here is Arndt’s

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There is one thing that sports fans are discussing this week, and that is the post fight press-conference brawl that broke out between British Heavyweight Boxers David Haye and Dereck Chisora.

Chisora had just gone 12 rounds with World Champion Vitali Klitschko, he lost the match on points, and was generally outclassed by the supreme Ukrainian, however, he fought bravely, and could have been proud of his performance in the match he went into as a complete underdog. Unfortunately ugly scenes broke out in the press conference and the majority of the media attention has been about the events that unfolded there and very few words were actually written about the boxing match that preceded it.

David Haye had been at the arena in Munich to watch the fight and commentate for BoxNation. Klitschko’s manager Bernd Bonte invited Haye into some banter at the press conference, and to start with, it was just the usual boxing theatrical banter between rival teams, but then Chisora got involved in the insult-trading and it wasn’t long before it turned ugly and aggressive.

Prior to this, Chisora had already told interviewers that he intended to give Haye ‘Two Slaps’ for allegedly ruining Sky Sports Box Office for all the other fighters out there.

Chisora disrobed and marched out into the crowd where Haye was standing, members of his entourage followed him, where he stood toe-to-toe with Haye. In the video you then see Haye swing for Chisora with a bottle in his hand, and then the melee ensues with Adam Booth (Haye’s trainer) and countless others trying to break up the brawling pair.

After it calms down and Haye left the room, Chisora further disgraced himself by telling the dozens of photographers and journalists surrounding him, that he was going to shoot David Haye, and ‘burn him’, he repeated these threats several times and with real venom.

There has been a police investigation into the matter, and there will also be an official investigation into it from Boxing’s governing body. Both Chisora and Haye have released statements apologizing for the incident, but it is too little too late. Pundits, former boxers and sports writers everywhere don’t know quite what to expect, some are saying that the pair have disgraced the sport and should never be allowed to fight professionally again.

Certain social media websites are sporting rumours that the brawl was staged, as often happens in boxing as a way to stir up controversy and media attention. The venue’s security was rather hesitant to react initially, so I would be inclined to believe that the banter between the pair may well have been orchestrated, however I don’t think anybody involved expected it to turn out the way that it did.

This is not the first time that Chisora has been in trouble either, earlier he gave Vitali a slap in the weigh-in before the match, but the situation did not escalate because Klitschko did not take the bait. He has spat at Vitali’s brother, Wladimir and has bitten and even kissed opponents to wind them up in the past.

As the madness unfolded, the man who won the fight, Vitali Klitschko looked on amused, a true professional amongst Chisora and Haye who were carrying on like a pair of schoolyard bullies. I think I have a new found respect for Klitschko, and have nothing left but disappointment for Haye and Chisora.

What did you think of the brawl? Do you think it was staged or real? What sort of punishment should Haye and Chisora face? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

UPDATE:

Below is the full transcript from the press conference scrap(see video above) between Dereck Chisora and David Haye in Munich.

Bernd Boente (manager of Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko): With the bad experience we’ve had with British fighters, we will now look for other countries. Contrary to David Haye, Dereck Chisora really went for it. He really tried.

David Haye (from rear of the room): You don’t want to fight David Haye, no?

Boente: You had an offer. You didn’t accept it. Now you are out. You are out. Out, out, out. You cannot talk yourself back into the fight; you have no belts. Chisora showed heart, contrary to you. You showed your toe [referring to Haye’s toe injury].

Haye: I accepted your offer in December.

Dereck Chisora: We’ll get it on in London — be quiet. David Haye is an embarrassment, Sky Sports don’t do Box Office any more because of David Haye. He messed it up for all those young fighters coming through. I’m going to give you two slaps for that. If Haye is a fighter, he should fight me.

Haye: You’ve lost three fights in a row (actually three of his last four).

Chisora: Let’s fight.

Frank Warren (Chisora’s promoter): I’ve got a great idea. If Dereck fights David, the winner fights Vitali.

Boente: Sounds like the perfect plan.

Haye: Vitali said he could knock me out, do you think you can knock me out?

Don Charles (Chisora’s trainer): Be quiet, can security get him out of here?

Haye: Vitali said after his last fight, ‘I want to fight David Haye’. Where is he now? He said he wanted to fight me, I agreed the money, I agreed everything in December.

Chisora: How’s your toe? How’s your toe? How’s your toe?

Haye: You’ve lost your last three fights, you lost to Tyson Fury. You’re a loser.

Chisora: Tell that to my face. I’m coming down, tell that to my face.

Chisora leaves his seat and approaches Haye at the back of the room, where a melee ensues. Haye at one point picks up a video camera tripod and swings it. The two are eventually pulled apart before Chisora returns to the front of the room.

Chisora: (Shouting and indicating towards Haye). He glassed me. I swear to God, David, I am going to shoot you. I am going to shoot you. I am going to physically shoot David Haye. He glassed me. He glassed me. He glassed me. I’m not having it. He glassed me.

Haye’s trainer Adam Booth approaches Chisora, his head bleeding.

Chisora: (Referring to Booth’s cut) I’m sorry about that. Adam, your fighter glassed me.

Booth: I want to know who glassed me.

Chisora: As you were trying to hold your fighter away, he [Haye] probably glassed you by mistake.

Booth: You hit me with a bottle.

Chisora: David had a bottle in his hand.

Booth: No, no, David didn’t hit me with a bottle. I want to know who glassed me. Someone hit me with a bottle.

The two are separated before Booth addresses Vitali Klitschko.

Booth: Vitali, you are a great fighter but your manager is an embarrassment to the sport. Congratulations for winning.

Chisora: (Addressing Booth) Either we do it in the ring or outside of the ring. Because I want him. If David don’t fight me, Adam, I am telling you the God’s honest truth, I am going to physically burn him. So you tell him I said that. I am going to find him.

Chisora returns to London after escaping police charge

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Here’s a fantastic Taxi Driver mashup of Suzanne Vega: Tom´s Diner and Portishead: Machine Gun. You can download the mp3 from Soundcloud.

Via NCOTB

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A “web”-exclusive clip from Sony Pictures, The Amazing Spider-Man “Mark of the Spider-Man” viral campaign.

What say you?

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