Cosmopolitan Launches in the Middle East?!

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I am surprised to hear that Cosmopolitan have launched a new edition of their magazine in the Middle East. These will be sold in Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Lebanon, as well as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

This is the magazine that screams ‘SEX’ louder than any other and the thought of it being sold in a Muslim region does not sit comfortably with me at all. It sells itself by talking very openly about sex with husbands, partners and strangers. Now, I don’t wish to come across as some bearded preacher but the Middle Eastern culture is so rich that I worry introductions of the Cosmopolitan and such will only pollute it. Sure, there needs to be change in these countries when it comes to gender equality but NOT through this magazine.

The women of the Middle East deserve equality and respect. They need real change such as access to education and jobs, financial and political rights. They don’t need images of super models in hip skimming dresses to show them what is beautiful; bedroom tips to tell them what they should be doing or the notion that they should be reading this magazine to be considered a fashionable, cosmopolitan female.

The Middle East has its faults, and many of them, but the one thing they have retained (to a degree) is their modesty and morality. This is why the Cosmopolitan magazine fits in so perfectly here in the West - because society is so broken already.

Go 'Shorty', Its Your Birthday

With Mother’s Day on the horizon, all the small card shops have crammed their shelves with cards with daffodils and soppy quotes on the front. Buying cards for men is always a difficult task but now it has been made near on impossible! They don’t even get a look in!

However...

We stumbled across this gem on our lunch breaks and I wanted to share it with you (sad) because I find it absolutely hilarious. The amount of time I have spent cackling over this card… unbelievable….

The back of the card is pretty cool too. It reads:

Be nice

Think happy thoughts

Champion silver linings

Love all things (not just cute things like babies and kittens)

& When you do love, love like

they do in power ballads

(you know like on a cliff with the wind in your hair & your

eyes shut, knowing you'll never know another love like this)

Watch out for dogpoo

Smile at people - even grumpy ones

Be nice

(Oh, I already said that)

Remember that anything is possible

& Whatever you do

always try to

Look on

the bright side

(Should anyone be interested, we got it from Cards Galore. Its made by someone called Rachel Bright and the website on the back is http://www.reallygood.uk.com/.)

Now, Why Do People Think I'm Stupid?

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My colleague once asked me if I wanted a drink. I think he was pretty bored because when I replied ‘no’, instead of turning away he began to walk towards me.

'What are you up to then?' He looked at my monitor and saw what I was reading.

'YOU’RE reading the Financial Times???'

'Huh! James, I'm not stupid!' I replied, half offended, half pleased.

'Have I ever said anything of the sort?'

I thought back. ‘No…’

Silence.

'You probably just like the colour of the website.'

♥ Quote of the Week

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter".

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Optimistic To The Point of Foolishness?

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I have been cautioned about my optimistic nature. I have been warned that too much optimism will one day hurt me. I won't disagree because I know it has. But you know what? I'd rather live with a skip in my walk, a smile on my face and head in the clouds than the alternative.

Negativity? Its not for me, thanks.

I refuse to worry about things that might not happen. I don't want to sit around, wasting seconds, minutes and hours stressing over what ifs and what nots.

I know that things will turn out ok and if they don't, then I know that I am me and I can make things ok. I have all the tools I need to change the world: my heart, my head and my hands.

Life is beautiful and I want to keep it that way.

Good afternoon ♥

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Isn’t it a lovely day today? Ok, so it’s Monday but the sun is shining and Eastenders is back on tonight! (I just want to know what happens to Whitney!)

Anyway, I have been MIA for a bit now but I hope to delve back into the blogesphere soon. I have a few posts lined up - beauty and book reviews, Eurovision and a post on men’s fashion! Yeah, UNMISSABLE as I am sure you all agree. I am also a little behind on my Dashboard reading list so I will be catching up on those too.

Have a lovely day everyone!

♥ R xxx

♥ Quote of the Week

Source. Yes, I absolutely love this girl.

 "I'm not a stop along the way. I'm a destination."

-Blair Waldorf

♥ Quote of the Week

Japan 2011

The seventh largest earthquake in recorded history struck Japan on Friday. Not only did it cause a massive scale of destruction and loss of human life, it caused tsunamis in other countries too. Its difficult to comprehend just how catastrophic this earthquake was; In one case, 10,000 people are missing - in a Japanese town of 18,000. It truly is horrific.

If you haven't already, please donate whatever you can afford to give. You can do so on the Red Cross website here. Make sure you claim for Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer. It literally takes two minutes and most of us can spare a few pounds, if not more!

How To Survive A Dining Experience At Tayyabs

Source. Mmmmmm..

I don't write about food, I eat it, so no review here I'm afraid. HOWEVER, my lovely friend Ayeshah has reviewed Tayyabs on her blog, so feel free to hop over here. The award winning restuarant holds a cult status amongst food bloggers so there are plenty more reviews online, should you need convincing about how amazing the food is. They are based in London and serve traditional Pakistani Punjabi food, but none of the watered down imitiations certain other restuarants dish out (where you can't get chilli or salt for love nor money).

Although it is a lovely place to eat, you do need to arm yourself with the tips below before you even consider making a visit. You can thank me later. Especially for Tip 6. Trrrrust me. 

1. Book your table in advance. You can do this online. Call on the day to confirm your booking to avoid any reservation disasters that are mentioned in some reviews. 
2. Take a sodoku with you if you turn up without a booking during peak times (evenings, weekends). You'll need it for the queue.
3. If possible, ask to be seated downstairs. It is darker, has better furnishings and some of the tables are not as crammed together. Note; the lower floor is only open in the evenings.
4. Be prepared for a lot of noise and people, especially if you are seated upstairs during peak times.
5. Be nice to the person serving you. They might be a bit short and abrupt with you due to rush of customers but they generally respond well to smiles and compliments. Err.. d♥n't flirt. Well, don't flirt unless the restaurant is empty enough for you to reap the rewards of your efforts - if the waiter wants to bring you an extra pot of sauce, a wad of tissue, a cleaner knife, who are you to refuse?

And finally... the mother of all tips:  

6. Take a bottle of Febreeze with you for when you leave. Seriously. Douse yourself in the stuff for the journey home so as not to suffocate any unsuspecting passer bys. We were accosted by a sales lady in Amani (a sari shop nearby) with a can of air freshener and an almighty dirty look. Our feelings were summed up by one in our party - 'Nahhh. That's deep'.

The Cruel, Harsh Reality

Definition of Pathetic:
Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; Arousing scornful pity or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pathetic

I cannot for the life of me look after a house plant! I grew up on Garden Force - Water features, slabs, Tommy and his wheelbarrow! I really am quite disappointed and feel like I have let myself down... but when I am presented with the evidence below, I have to take it like a man. Slap me with a restraining order - for the sake of the plants!

Exhibit A: My Poinsettia

What a Poinsettia should look like:

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What my Poinsettia looks like:

Even the snowflake is sad.

♥ Quote of the Week

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The 11th Reason Why Twilight Annoys the Hell Out of Me

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11. Edward tries to pimp Bella out (ref: Breaking Dawn)
  

See '10 Reasons Why Twilight Annoys the Hell Out of Me' here

The World Has Gone Mad

Police

In the run up to the annual TUC demonstrations, the Met have decided to change tact and implement a slightly more 'polite' policing for the event. They will provide water and access to toilet facilities to those who are ‘kettled.’ Furthermore, they will allow peaceful protestors and innocent passersbys to get past without being battered to death. Ian Tomlinson! He should have waited another two years before he decided to aggravate the police by innocently walking home from work.

iPad

The new iPad is released today. One word: Don’t.

The difference between the new iPad and the down right ancient one (released just months ago) is that the new model features a camera. A CAM-E-RA, I tell you. These days you can’t buy a washing machine that doesn’t come with a camera; it’s a standard feature! Apple are milking the hype they generate by purposely holding back so they can continue to release more versions – and lo and behold, the junkies will prove that they never waver in their resolve to hand over their cash for the same thing REPACKAGED.

Anyway, there are rumours circulating that a newer new model will be out in September.

September 2011.

Tony Blair

It has been revealed that my favourite ex-Prime Minister has been making secret phone calls to Gaddafi. Its not as illicit as it sounds but I find it really funny just trying to imagine how the transcripts read. Blair would be ever the diplomat, annoyingly calm and stumbling over words at times and Gaddafi would be labelling everyone but his mother a druggie, a rat or a cockroach.