'King & Queen of Va Va Voom - Episode 6'

Snoop Dogg is, according to Chris Martin, host of the Va Va Voom show (sponsored by Renault Clio), is a huge fan of Coronation Street, watches it avidly and is even considering a guest appearance. Believe it not but the rapper scores 20 Va Va Voom points.

Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl, who raised eyebrows for refusing to let Glee cover the band's songs (he reportedly also said "I watched 10 minutes and it wasn't my thing" *shame shame*), scores 40 Va Va Voom points.

On the bad news (or should that be even better news) side, Martin says Katie Price (previously known as Jordan) is set to take part in a reality TV show in Argentina with new lover Leandro Penna. The ever-so-naughty Martin declares not only will it take Price off their screens and out of the country but will be great payback for "the hand of god".

On the streets, votes for the king and queen of va va voom go to John Bishop, Russell Crowe, David Mancuso, David Beckham and the yummy George Clooney; Megan Fox and Olivia Palermo, among others.

One online fan is all for Bruce Willis (the "king of diehard) and Nicole Scherzinger, the American singer, songwriter, dancer best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.

But there can only be one king and queen each week .... and the honours go to (*drum roll*) ---- not telling you because you have to watch this but the chap who nominated them says they are like "a cup of tea laced with orgasm"!!!

The weekly competition closes on midnight Tuesday, and starts all over again at 6am on Wednesday.

'Campus | 5th April | Channel 4'

I love English sitcoms with their cheeky language and adult humour...

Campus, set to make Channel 4 in the UK its home from April 5, is the hotbed of academic mediocrity that is the fictional Kirke University.

According to The British Comedy Guide, the semi-improved sitcom - which piloted on the channel's Comedy Showcase in 2009 attracting bouquets reviews and a few brickbats with the mercurial yet stubby Vice Chancellor Jonty de Wolfefor describing Stephen Hawking as a "famously disabled spastic" in the first minute - has more than shades of hit comedy Green Wing.

To quote Alice Jones of The Independent (March 25, 2011), who says it succintly: "Not before time, the creator of Smack the Pony and Green Wing, Victoria Pile, is returning with a new comedy"... "Like Green Wing, the hour-long episodes have a surreal, stop-start momentum, a woozy soundtrack from Jonathan Whitehead and a familiar cast of characters: lecherous lecturer Matt Beer and bespectacled spod Imogen Moffatt are already set to be the show's Guy and Caroline. Watch out, too, for the administrative office, staffed by rising stars Sara Pascoe and Will Adamsdale."


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"Windows 7 Student"

A classic case of Cloud v Claude, courtesy of Windows Live.

You have stuff that needs to get done? Well, you have a choice: opt for Cloud or just remain clueless by going with the very unremarkable Claude.

Cloud is Windows Live's really cool network that helps PC users create, connect and share anything, anywhere.

According to Windows Live, "Cloud (a powerful combination of Windows 7 and Windows Live) is the remarkable network. Among other things, it brings you Photofuse, Mesh and HD Chat – cool features that help you create, connect and share better than ever before... So when you have a problem, just add Cloud."

Leave Claude in his little blinkered world and download Cloud for free.


For more on Cloud (and Claude), go to http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/claude/


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'Poppy King Lipgloss ECLIPSE'

Poppy King (that Aussie girl who started her own cosmetics company in 1991 when she was only 18 and can claim to be a queen in the lipstick jungle) talks about her collaboration with Boots No. 7 in a campaign called The Magic of Lipstick.

The range - in shades of red, rose, flirty pink, blackberry, subtle pinkish nude, nude for a warm glow and soft peach - carries such provocative names as History, Power, Glamour, Seduction, Intrigue, Confidence, Allure.

Paint your lips with Poppy's History and you will relive every siren's long love affair with this powerful show-stopper or perhaps you don't want to come across so strong. If so, flirt a little (or a lot) with the cheeky yet flattering Glamour, or say what you have to say in a whisper with Allure. If you feel poetic, Poppy recommends Power but if it's a touch of mystery you're after, then Seduction will invite yet intrigue.

The range, including lipglosses, is available only at Boots. Poppy has heaps to say about her gorgeous lipsticks in the No. 7 range, so visit her at boots.com

"Why Bazz got 15 stitches"

Hear about the bloke who got bit where the sun don't shine???

It's all in the way you tell a story and Aussie blokes can sure spin a yarn.

In this quirky little snippet, it's all about selling a boat but our bloke makes it all about how his mate Bazz had to get 15 stitches after a mud crab pinches him "where the sun doesn't shine", and ends up on an inflatable doughnut at the pub, subtly (are Aussie blokes ever subtle?) slipping in tit-bits about his Regal 506, which is of course top-of-the-range and perfect for time out with the boys like Bazz, Wally, Johnno, Stevo etc.

Typical male Aussie humour and low brow but it sure does the job. Thing is, if you can make up a yarn as good, if not better, than this one, you could be in the running for $10,000.

It's all about how story telling can help you sell. For details, visit tradingpost.com


So, why not give it a go? $10,000 is not something to sniff at, is it.

** This is a sponsored post.

'Enter For A Chance To Win a MINI Cooper Countryman From DQ '

Calling all my FB mates in the US of A.

Dairy Queen is rewarding kind deeds by giving away six 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman cars!

It is not an early April Fools Day prank ... not according to the DQ blog, which says this is the real deal.

Six Mini Cooper Countryman 2011(snazzy little numbers and really sweet rides) are up for grabs as part of DQ's Mini Blizzard Treatment Contest.

And it is sooooo easy - just get your video camera rolling to record yourself "treating someone in a BIG, mini way AKA the Mini Blizzard Treatment".

The blog says all you have to do then is upload your video dq.com/mini - where it and all the other entries will be voted on by other fans.

If it passes the road test, you could be in the running for one of the six jazzy rides.

Couldn't get any easier surely. But you have to be in it to win it, so get cracking!

http://blog.dairyqueen.com/blizzard/win-a-mini-cooper-countryman/

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"King & Queen of Va Va Voom - Episode 5"

Ask the man (or woman) on the streets of the UK who should be this week's king and queen of va va voom and the answers range from Al Pacino to George Clooney to Mick Jagger and the very nice Sean Connery; Rhianna to Beyonce to Kate Winslett...

But the honours this week went to John Cleese and JK Rowling. Why exactly did they win and what exactly is Va Va Voom all about?

Each week for the past few weeks, fans have been visiting the Clio Va Va Voom Facebook page and nominating stars they think have "it" for a chance to win some va va voom inspired prizes.

The UK show, sponsored by Renault Clio, is hosted by Chris Martin, who says it's all about picking out the effortlessly cool, the sassy attitudes of VIPs who can answer a question without talking to their people first.

Any celebrity worth their star status has a chance to be crowned king or queen.

Martin is crisp, caustic and pretty cool himself but no, he is not in the running.

Vive Le Va Va Voom!

For a peek at the really cool Clio va va voom ad, visit http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/new-clio/product.aspx

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'Tinie Tempah's coming to The O2'

Two-time BRIT award-winning English rapper Tinie Tempah (who was actually born Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu) will be packing 'em in when he performs at The O2, the state-of-the-art concert arena in south-east London.

The rapper/songwriter has been around a while but made music news when his debut album, Disc-Overy, debuted at number one in October 2010.

If you're a Tinie Tempah fan and an O2 customer, you can register for Priority Tickets at www.o2priority.co.uk.


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"King & Queen of Va Va Voom - Episode 4"

What on earth is va va voom?

Each week for the past few weeks, fans have been visiting the Clio Va Va Voom Facebook page and nominating stars they think have "it" for a chance to win some va va voom inspired prizes.

The UK show, sponsored by Renault Clio, is hosted by Chris Martin, who says it's all about picking out the effortlessly cool, the sassy attitudes of VIPs who can answer a question without talking to their people first.

Martin is crisp, caustic and pretty cool himself but no, he is not in the running. Any celebrity worth their star status has a chance to be crowned king or queen.

For a peek at the really cool Clio va va voom ad, visit http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/new-clio/product.aspx

** This is a sponsored post.






The latest king and queen of va va voom have been crowned.

Vive le Va Va Voom.

"The Co-operative revolution TV Ad"

In 1844, a group of ordinary people got together to build a business and to re-invest in their community - little did they know that they would end up changing the world.

From humble beginnings in Rochdale, a market town in Greater Manchester, England, this germ of an idea inspired the entire co-operative movement. It was a revolution that spilt no blood, wasn't about politics, made no enemies and imprisoned no one. In fact, it freed countless people giving them hope for the future and the opportunity to fulfil their potential; since then, it has sired and inspired innumerable projects across a diverse range of industries throughout the world.

The stories are amazing - from saving bees in central London to inspiring the next generation of filmmakers, from a group of Kenyan small-holder tea farmers banding together to a Cumbrian village turning to wind for power, and so on.

Each and every one of the people involved have one thing in common - the spirit of revolution, the fire in their belly to change their lives for the better .... the co-operative started with everyday people and lives on because of their extraordinary achievements.

Now, you have a chance to get involved. To learn how, visit http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/

Learn how you can do your bit to change your world.

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"Proper Holidays - Visit Wales"

"Back In My Pocket, Not In Somebody Else's"

For the nearly 20 years that I worked in Australia, one of the things I appreciated most was having a superannuation fun to call my own.

In Singapore, it is more commonly known as a provident fund or CPF (Central PF), run extremely efficiently by the government.

In Australia, the advantage is that you get to choose your fund manager, as they are (if I am correct) all privately managed,

Of course, in order to choose a fund that suits you requires homework. Of course, we all want to end up with a fat super fund, which only happens if we can enjoy low fees and, more importantly, sound and canny investments.

Of the funds available, AustralianSuper is one of the biggest industry superannuation funds in the country. It is run only to benefit members and offers low fees, in fact, half those of the average retail super fund.

For the past nine out of 12 years, AustralianSuper has been a top investment performer, apparently more frequently than any other super fund.

However, like I said, do your homework. It won't surprise me if you did end up with AustralianSuper.

** This is a sponsored post.

Range Rover - Pulse of the City

My son's pride and joy (after his partner and his mamma... oh yes, and Peanut).... this Range Rover would get any 4WD lover's pulse racing.

What is the pulse of (y)our city?

What helps to shape it - sound, colour, movement like in dance, shapes, and of course people.

Range Rover (my son's favourite car and he happens to be driving one right now) wants to bring your city to life through the people who make it amazing. From artists and designers, musicians and bloggers, even trapeze artists - they're calling any and every one (and I am sure that also includes, cooks, cleaners, teachers, techies, garbos, you name it, they want it) who help shape the cities they live in.

Does that also mean you? Get involved at helloevoque.com and be a part of the Pulse of the City project. Click on the link and be in the running for an iPad. I want one please!!!!!

Fanning the Flames of Her Passion III

Aimee loves parties .... well all right, which woman in her right mind doesn't?

So let me rephrase that: Aimee thrives on parties - the planning phase gets her adrenaline flowing and tired, then at least, is not in her vocabulary.

I recall one of her birthday parties that was themed a madhatter's party.

She actually covered our patio table with turf, filled coffee cups with earth and served lollies in party hats, among other things....

In 2006, I didn't know it then but while I was busy planning an event to raise funds for the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, run by the tireless Dr Kris and his wife, Khunying Finola, Chatamra, Aimee was planning her own Pink Ribbon event.

I wasn't in Perth for the party, a nice private affair that was a huge success but I was there when she held her Pink Ribbon champers brunch, which quite literally left me speechless (no mean feat in itself!).

She did everything on her own, except on the day when a couple of her great mates lent a helping hand.

Aimee contacted scores of companies for donations and the response was overwhelming. Bottles and bottles of wine, WA beer, goodies from food companies, trays of meats, boxes of the yummiest rocky road, delicious spa products, electrical appliances .... the list went on and on.

Everything was used either as raffle prizes or sold to guests. One of the raffle prizes was guessing the number of pink (??) M&Ms in a jar filled with pink and white ones. She had bingo games going, sparkling wine flowing (first glass was included in the cover charge, which also included copious amounts of finger food and a chance to win a fabulous door prize) as well as - this, too, amazed me and is testament to the wonderful spirit of helping out others that Aussies are so good at - tarot reading and mini massages, volunteered by people Aimee did not even know with all proceeds going to the cause.

My wonderful daughter raised a couple of thousand and herself spent more than a thousand dollars (her contribution) to make the event a reality.

Yes sir .... that's my baby.

So, if you are planning an event in Perth, Western Australia, need a creative caterer and want it to be an affair to remember, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with my awesome daughter .... you will not regret it.

Oh yes, there is more.

"Celebrities Get Lippy With ActionAid"

What is so special about March 8?

It is International Women's Day, celebrated in most countries around the world and for good reason too.

Here, we're being told to "Get Lippy" and the message is being broadcast by some of the UK's most recognised female faces - Joanna Lumley, Kathy Burke, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beverley Knight, Annie Mac and Miranda Richardson.

They're giving their lip to mark the 100th anniversary of INTERNATIONAL WOMENS' DAY by letting rip on women's rights for ActionAid's GET LIPPY campaign.

I (blush blush) can claim to be the first woman in Thailand to actually conceptualise an event that recognised (and this was our slogan) Ordinary Women Extraordinary Achievements....

It was conceived in 2006 and came to fruition at a gala night, presided over by the consort of the Crown Prince of Thailand the following year.

For now though, let's Get Lippy on women's rights.

I Am Woman, Watch Me Grow In Numbers Too Big To Ignore.....

what a song, what a woman!!!!!!

*** This is a sponsored post.

"Calling All Jr. Scientists"

Google presents the first one-line science fair....

That says it all, doesn't it.

Calling all whiz-kids and would-be boffins aged 13 to 18 - the Google Science Fair is open to you and you alone and the prize? Internships and scholarships that you will definitely deserve if you have what it takes.

So, go for it...

Crunchy Nut Clusters

One can almost tell what the "punch line" is going to be but this is still great watching.

The sexy come-hither track; the girl with that "I am so ready for you" look as she plays tease-me-not with her bowl of whatever; the corny (is he meant to look like Hugh Grant?) TV "common-tater" Bruce Bowls asking like a silly sausage as his breath is taken away ....

Kelloggs - you've done it again!!!

Fanning the Flames of Her Passion (II)

Aimee was about 22 when I celebrated my 50th birthday.

She told me that she wanted to organise a party for me and that I was not to do anything except be there.

What? said I. My friends would expect me to make at least one curry.

All right, said she, but that is all.

Aimee is at her best when she is allowed to let her creativity flow unchecked.

She handmade the stunning invitations, began planning the menu of heavy finger foods and, believe it or not, began contacting companies, telling them that her mum was about to celebrate a milestone and did they have any samples they could give her for glad bags.

We had samples coming out of our ears! Beautiful body oils, creams, teas, Baby Cham (Aimee could have bought those herself), handmade soaps from a little cottage business down south, plus heaps more, all couriered to our home!

She got little bags that she filled with the goodies and told me that each female guest would get one to take home!

The day before the cocktail party, she was bustling about doing the shopping, arranging the furniture and preparing the various dishes that needed to be marinated.

On May 21, more than 50 people rocked up and they were treated to the most amazing culinary feast ever. I cannot recall how many courses Aimee served with the help of two friends who looked so professional in their "uniforms". A couple who adored my daughter (and I don't blame them) contributed their famous mouth-watering herb-crusted roast beef and that too went down really well.

As for me, I was brimming with pride - there was my daughter being the perfect host, taking the challenge in her stride and acting as if this was something that she did every day.

No fuss, no bother, just coolly creating platter after platter of moreish morsels that had our guests oohing and aahing all night long. The women were doubly delighted with their party bags - as the night was not just about me but about the wonder of womanhood and they all had played, and continue to play, a part.

To every one out there with a son or daughter, or both as I do, caring and cuddling and mothering them are fabulous. But one feels so blessed when they grow up and actually also become your best friends. Life becomes soooo good.

My story about Aimee is far from over. In fact, it is just beginning.

However, if you're planning a party (big or small) in Perth, Western Australia, and would love to serve up food or a spectacular grazing table that has been lovingly created, drop Aimee a line. aimee.nivatvongs@hotmail.com .