At a glance......

It's been six weeks since the online project started and it seems impossible it's over already. So I guess it's time for overall evaluations. The course was interesting, most of the times, and I really feel my online skills have improved. Well, they were non existent so basically anything can constitute an improvement. What improved, weren't mere online skills such as hyper linking or using RSS. I have learned how hard it is to keep an up to date interesting blog while fighting with the minor issue of immediacy and how sometimes it doesn't matter how unhappy you are with what you wrote, the article must be posted at the given time.

I discovered a whole new aspect of journalism which never truly appealed to me because I didn't understand how unbelievably cool it was. Not to mention that this module has been particularly enjoyable because it has been one of the few modules, in a journalism course, where the recquirements were writing articles almost on a daily basis. The only downside is that six weeks are not enough to really get to grips with the whole online deal.

I probably should also evaluate my self as a part of this module. Although lazy, as stated previously, the passion I have for journalism balances that out and even if at the moment I'm not sure what exactly I'm passionate about the search has just begun. Easily distracted and still with a lot to improve as far both the english lexic and writing skills are concerened but well aware of that and not giving up: as I said earlier if I wasn't so lazy Id be a perfectionist. So overall positive mark for online journalist Flaminia.

Thankyou Jim for these six weeks, you have been a great teacher and I look forward to this next couple years with you as our course leader.

Get beefy with it

Looking to beef up your mojo this holiday season?Burger King Corp. may have just the thing. The home of the Whopper has launched a new men's body spray called "Flame." The company describes the spray as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat."

The fragrance is on sale at New York City retailer Ricky's NYC in stores and online for a limited time for $3.99.( Hurry up, before they run out of stock.)

Burger King is marketing the product through a Web site featuring a photo of its King character reclining fireside and naked but for an animal fur strategically placed to not offend.

The marketing trick is the latest in a string of viral ad campaigns by the company. Burger King is also in the midst of its Whopper Virgins campaign that features an taste test with fast-food "virgins" pitting the Whopper against McDonald's Corp.'s Big Mac.

So men start buying and start spraying and get the latest mouth-watering fragrance. Unless you want to actually seduce women then you would have to go out and buy some real perfume!

images from:USA Today

Have yourself a whacky little christmas

With only 5 days of shopping left and the most low budget Christmas, since the great depression, luring around the corner here are some ideas that will make going budget a big laugh.

First of all spare yourselves from all the hustle of buying areal Christmas tree which is difficult to transport, fills the house with those annoying pine needles and helps destroy the environment? (Everyone knows that these days going green is cool!) These year try an inflatable Christmas tree, that' an ever-green idea. Plus even Boris Johnson is informing us about the Christmas tree inflation.

If your car is feeling Christmasy this time of the year why not treat it to a Rudolph car costume, includes horns and red nose to be placed on the grill. It will give you a definite advantage if you are street racing on a foggy Christmas eve.

Last but not least, for the gizmo lover on your list get him what he deserves, messy desk messy no more with the USB desk vacuum cleaner. A miniature vacuum entirely computer powered which really sucks. As an alternative, to much typing got you hot and bothered? Try the USB retro desk fan, this should cool you down a degree or three.

May you have a merry merry Christmas and may you reconsider your buddies should anyone of them give you one of these.

image from: google images

Learn Judo with Putin

It has always been clear to everyone that with Putin Russia had its new star. We had Putin the topless fisherman with a ripped torso, and Putin the fearless adventurer neutralising a tiger with a single tranquiliser dart. Yesterday, on his 56th birthday, we were introduced to yet another macho incarnation of the Russian Prime Minister: Putin the judo master.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a black belt in judo, has told reporters that he had helped make a video on the sport along with a Japanese expert. "The two of us recorded a video disc for a judo textbook," Putin said. "I think it will go on sale in January or February."

He thanked Japanese judoka Yasuhiro Yamasita for producing the manual in Russia, but was displeased to learn that he was to coach the Chinese team at next year's Beijing Olympics.

In mid-September, in an interview with the Le Figaro newspaper, Putin said he would practice judo training with French President Nicolas Sarkozy."He is interested in martial arts and we have decided to do some training together," the Russian prime minister said.

Are we to expect a sequel to this, learn Judo with Sarkozy? Definitely more entertaining possibly less helpful.

images from Reuters

I'm forever blowing bubbles

So much for zero tolerance, government's latest weapon in tackling the binge drinking curb is bubble blowing.

Revellers at pubs and clubs will be handed bubble-blowers with the aim of channeling rowdy behaviour into harmless fun.

The blue and orange children's toys, which double as pens, will be handed out by police community support officers in Bolton on Saturday nights throughout December. In the beginning of November drinkers were handed lollipops as they left pubs and clubs after research showed the sugar in the sweets helped stabilise the behaviour of people who had drunk a lot of alcohol.

Thames Valley Police claimed the scheme reduced the number of violent assaults on the streets by 10 per cent.Last week it emerged that women in Devon, spotted staggering home in high heels or bare feet, are being given flip-flops to stop them falling face-first in the gutter.

But the latest initiative has been condemned as a 'nursery school gimmick' and a waste of taxpayers money.Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: 'This is completely bonkers. People want the police fighting crime, not handing out nursery school gimmicks. If this money isn't needed it should be given back to taxpayers, not squandered".

I might not be entitled to an opinion as I am not a tax payer, but i sure can find at least 5oo taxpayers who would be happier in spending money on bubbles and flip flops rather than paying Boris Johnson's salary, though it might be a little chilly to walk around Devon in December in flip flops.

image from: google images

Beloved Silvio.....

The album that you were all waiting for is out now! "Meglio una canzone", better a song, is the so longed for compilation of 14 Neapolitan love songs, wrote by Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi and vocalized by his favorite minstrel Mr. Apicella.

Prior to going into politics Silvio Berlusconi, 71, worked as a singer occasionally on cruise liners and in bars on beaches:now the amateur singer has full filled his long life dream of recording an album, which sang the words of love. The songs were all written by Mr. Berlusconi himself.One songs narrates of love " that turns off like a star" or " that wakes you up when night is dark".

Mariano Apicella,39, made popular by the artistic collaboration with Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in stores with his debut album from the beginning of December. Despite the malicious rumors insinuating the album wouldn't be available for Christmas the melodious duet made it, though Mr. Apicella admits that it was quite stressful stating " Mr. Berlusconi said that he can't find the time to finish our CD".

I can't help, but wonder what could the Italian Prime minster possibly have to do that would keep him from a full-time collaboration with Mr Apicella. Oh yeah there is that minor issue in Naples of the mafia and the garbage that is clamming the streets, and of course the thingy where the Italian economy is going down the drain with the public debt going beyond the 100 per cent of the nation's GDP, but it's all so depressing, better a song.


Picture taken from: Paolo Chiarello's website

What's whacky and what's news?

So, the next posts will be focused on whacky news. I think you will agree with me in saying that lately main stream media do not give enough space to any type of news that does not concern the credit crunch, dead people or president-elect Obama. We get it, the world is doomed Obama is the first black president and he will save us all, but as far as I am concerned, being skint is the natural student condition so no big news for me, and sure Obama is a nice lad , but not only he is half caucasian furthermore he hasn't saved the world just yet and dead people will be dead tomorrow, I know a little cynical cynical, but you all know what I mean.
Hence the need for something different. Not only because I haven't read something that is NEWS in the last two months, but because we all need a laugh particularly with the most depressing Christmas of history just around the corner. Whacky is anything out of the ordinary, anything that can provoke a grin, a smile or an "ooooooooooo".