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Wednesday Jun 18, 2008
Teenage kicks...
I get a bit annoyed by Fergal Sharkey. Yesterday he was in all the papers and stuff being quoted in relation to a survey by the University of Hertfordshire that suggested the average teenager's iPod/other mp3 player has 800 illegally downloaded tracks on it.
His quote was roughly that back in the day he was swapping tapes of stuff behind the bikesheds, but that was sort of OK, but look at the bad kids these days downloading stuff. Does he not remember the infamous Home Taping is Killing Music campaign, which pretty much said the same about home taping as the music industry is saying about downloading now?
What's that betting that had a young Mr Sharkey had the facility to quickly copy a track as an mp3 he would have been happily doing so?
The music industry does appear to be like a spoilt child who's had their toys taken away. Their cheese has moved, it's time they not only recognised that but actually acted on it rather than running around complaining.
Posted by Olly ( 8:57 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday May 07, 2008
Young people aren't interested in politics?
They say rap about what you know... well, these two American teenagers appear to have decided to rap about their love of the political magazine The Economist. Have a listen here.
It'll cheer up your Wednesday afternoon...
Olly
(Hat tip: The Guardian)
Posted by Olly ( 10:59 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Feb 29, 2008
What are you craving?
Is the question asked by new culinary website Cookthink. It landed in my inbox earlier this week and I can't stop telling people about it. One of the most common questions that turns up in TheSite.org's food forum is "Anyone got recipe ideas?" and this website is a great place to get help with finding some. Not only can you find recipes containing foods you're craving, but you can also find meals to use up those old ingredients you're not sure what to do with.
It might even help you identify your veg. 
Posted by Helen ( 4:07 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[1]
Wednesday Jan 30, 2008
Turf War
My last online game addiction engulfed me during the last months of university. When I was supposed to be focusing on my dissertation and future career I was more interested in how far I could hit a penguin through the artic. As the uni deadlines loomed so did the leader boards on the game. Eventually I had a reality check and decided that I had to give up my beloved 'punch pingu' to concentrate on my studies. I passed my degree but I never got my name onto those damn leader boards, something I regret to this day.
TheSite.org has just launched a new game to test your finance skills involving rodents, dog shit, rotten eggs and used condoms. You may very well ask: "What the hell do rotten eggs and dog shit have to do with my financial wellbeing you handsome devil?" The answer is everything.
Find out what I mean by playing our new game Turf War and learn more about keeping your finances under control.
. . . and try not to get too hooked!!
Posted by Chris Denholm ( 3:48 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[14]
Wednesday Nov 14, 2007
Your online identity
Facebook, MySpace, Bebo - you name a social network, there's bound to be someone on TheSite.org using it. As well as being really good fun, these websites can bring up all kinds of problems. Here are my five hot tips for making the most of them .
1. Use profile restrictions
Whether it be to protect yourself from identity fraud or to stop nosey work mates looking at photos of your weekend antics, there are ways to keep certain information private. On a basic level, it's probably best to keep your profile accessible to friends and contacts only - you really never know who might be searching for you. Beyond that, you can usually restrict settings so that even people who you add as a 'friend' can only see specific areas. Most importantly, avoid having all your basic information available (especially if you add people you don't know very well) which includes your date of birth, email address and home address. Oh and don't feel obliged to add people you don't actually like .
2. Lose the email notifications
The novelty of receving emails everytime anyone leaves you a message, sends you a virtual gift or 'pokes' you soon wears thin. Remeber that you can cancel email notifications on social networking sites which is bound to help prevent distraction from other (possibly more important) things.
3. Be aware of your status
Facebook, MySpace and Twitter offer you the opportunity to update your friends, family aquaintances, the girl/guy you met once and want to impress (you know it's true) with your daily activity. So my tip to you is where possible, make it specific. Avoid the generic options like Joe is at work, Joe is at home, Joe is on the bus, Joe is at college, Joe is OK. Unless it's relevant and you want people to know they can reach you at home, then who cares? On the other hand, if you say Joe is in London for the evening, then who knows who might get in touch and say "Hey, you're in London? Come and meet me, I've got a spare ticket for a great gig tonight." Trust me, it does happen.
P.S Don't use status updates to insult people by name, or air dirty laundry - it's not pretty.
4. Be mindful of the comments or wall posts you leave for people
Friends of mine have disabled their walls to prevent people making comments about areas of their life they don't want made public. I have to say, this isn't such a bad idea. However, the main thing to remember is that it's best to use private messaging for anything serious or important and save the wall or comments section for fun stuff like 'Happy Birthday' greetings or "what are you up to these days?" You know the score.
5. Remember real contact
It's easy to let social networking become the main way for getting in contact with friends instead of an enhancement to your relationships. It's good to try and be aware of which friends of yours would much prefer a text or call from you than a message online. You might even be that person. It's common for people to misunderstand things they read on people's profiles, or only have half the story and imagine the rest, so if you don't have contact with them in real life, or if you've no intention of giving them a call or meeting up with them to get clarification, then remember to take things with a pinch of salt.
So that's the end of my top five, I hope you find them useful. What are your top tips?
Posted by Helen ( 12:48 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Thursday Jul 12, 2007
Cottoning on to organic
I watched the Community Channel for the first time the other day (yes, shock horror, it's actually pretty good!) and there was a programme about the growing availability of organic cotton on the high street.
Interestingly, the programme featured a vox pop asking people if they knew what organic cotton was. Not one person asked was able to explain anything about it. One of the best explanations I've found so far is on the website for People Tree, a pioneer of Fair Trade and ecological fashion.
Now, TheSite.org is no stranger to eco fashion. Our Choose Action issues section has plenty of informative content on organic products, Fair Trade and all those buzz words we read in the papers nearly every day.
And now the word is finally spreading. You may already be aware that H&M launched a collection made with 100% organic cotton earlier this year. Furthermore, M&S has pledged that 5% of its cotton will be organic by 2012, TopShop has launched its own fairtrade T shirt line, and even Primark has introduced an organic range. What I'm wondering though, and I know I'm not the only one, is where can men find organic lines on the high street? Eco fashion has come on leaps and bounds, but there are still some massive strides to make.
Posted by Helen ( 1:20 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[1]
Thursday May 03, 2007
Festival kick-off
Running around a field in a tutu and wellies, camping in knee-high rainwater (and enjoying it), living off cider and falafel... it can all mean only one thing. Yep, festival season's upon us once more.
As an avid Glastonbury-goer, this fills me with glee. There's nothing more liberating than completely leaving the real world behind for a few days in favour of open spaces, fresh air and lots of sillyness. Getting to see so many famous bands, and discovering acts I've never heard of before on the smaller stages is all part of the fun, but for me, it's more about the atmosphere. Where else do you get to bounce to your favourite song in time with thousands of other people? Name one other place where you'll find so many friendly folk who don't look at you like a nutter when you make conversation. And if you can give me one other example of Brits having fun and all getting on with it come rain, shine or thigh-deep muddy mingingness, I'll give you my Glastonbury ticket. OK that's a lie.
I can't be the only one that thinks like this because the festival has come a long way since good old Michael Eavis set up Glasters all those years ago. It's a massive industry now, with hundreds of festivals popping up in different sizes, guises and locations. Go rock-tastic at Download, bliss out at The Big Chill or dance till dawn at Gatecrasher. That's not to mention all the teeny festivals and events you'll find locally.
It's in celebration of festival fever we've resurrected our festivals microsite, My Tent Or Yours. Check it out if 
you're heading anywhere remotely festivally this summer - or if you can't decide which tickets to splash out on we've rounded up all the biggies in the What's on where section. Much as I love festivals, they do take a fair bit of planning and if you've never been to one before there's loads of shit-I-can't-find-my-tent traps you can fall into. Hopefully a visit to the site will help you sort out what to take and how to have a stress-free time so you can focus on soaking up the atmosphere. And the cider...
Posted by Hannah ( 2:11 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Apr 13, 2007
Quizerama
Do you know what Ozzy Osbourne once snorted when he ran out of cocaine? Would you know what to do if you found a washed-up whale on British shores? And is 'queening' a method of masturbation involving the royal wave?
Test your knowledge and fill your brain with facts by checking out TheSite.org's brand new quizzes:
Posted by Kim ( 11:57 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Monday Feb 19, 2007
Britney Sheared
There's clearly a lot of complicated stuff going on inside that shaved bonce right now.
Mental health is often hard to 'see', especially when those experiencing emotional turmoil tend to deal with their feelings behind closed doors. Maybe that's why Britney's very public display of anguish is so disturbing. It's sad to watch the emotional car crash of a young woman whose image was once wholesome, glamorous and successful as she pukes on windscreens, faces accusations about being an irresponsible mum, flashes her vadge and whatnot.
I'm the same age as Britney (bar a couple of months), so it's weird to think that since Hit me baby one more time was released, I've been ambling along in such a comparatively non-descript world, going to the sixth form ball, getting a degree, having various crap boyfriends and pitiful student jobs... You know, nothing too out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, she's had her life continuously paparazzi-d and tabloid-ed. Nobody at work knows my most embarrassing moments (oh God, does this mean they're going to ask me now?), I've never married one of my backing dancers, and my tattoos and piercings have failed to spark much controversy (despite any of my best efforts).
While I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through, I do feel sorry for her and I hope she gets back on track soon.
Of less importance, but still worth noting, is whether the skinhead look suits her. Yes, I think so. Bit chilly this time of year, I imagine. She might need a hat. And a nice place in the middle of nowhere to get some peace in.
+ 
= happy Britney. Maybe.
Posted by Kim ( 3:41 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Thursday Feb 01, 2007
Valentine's Day
The Valentine's Day section is now live to give everyone some ideas for what to do on the day. And then there's an article just for the ones who think it's all a waste of time.
Our gushing girl from last year is back and has given us an update on how it all went last year - cringe moment in there just to warn you...
And finally, check out the aphrodisiac article as well if you're looking for ways to spice up your evening.
Posted by Julia ( 5:03 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Tuesday Nov 21, 2006
A taste of summer
Desperate to soak up some rays before the inevitable glorious, but often painfully cold, winter takes hold I flew out to Gran Canaria. With promises of beautiful beaches, excellent facilities close to my apartment and perfect weather, my travel agent didn't let me down. Actually, the beach was probably more Margate than Malibu, and British pubs with lads puking down the street isn't necessarily my idea of great facilities. But with temperatures of 39 degrees, one out of three aint bad.
But it goes without saying that the highlight of my trip was a night out in Playa del Ingles to all the tacky (I mean superb) bars otherwise known as Pacha, Chinawhite and Cream. Don't get me wrong, these are some pretty hefty names, but they were never quite gonna live up to their London/Ibiza versions. But honestly, I did have a great night, partly because of the fella below.
He wandered into Chinawhite looking kind of sheepish. I immediately thought, he must be feeling self concious because of the tash - it must be for Movember. And I was right. He was so impressed that I understood what his tash was for, he let me take the pic above. Or maybe it was the free cocktails he had just downed. Either way, it made me giggle.
Posted by Helen ( 11:48 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[1]
Tuesday Nov 07, 2006
Choose your own Friday Night
My memories of choose your own adventure from the 1980's games are of my cousins and I huddled around a green and black monitor fighting over who was going to make the next move in Granny's Garden (a fantastic fairytale themed game I tell you). Most of you probably won't remember anything quite so ancient, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy TheSite.org's very own adventure game. While the green and black remains, in this world we've got choices to make about sex, drugs and ultimately where we'll end up at the end of the night. Click here to access the game
Just before we re-launched TheSite community, we asked members to submit their own images for us to use within the sections. The pic you see looks like my kind of Friday night, so we've used it in the Games section to illustrate Choose Your Own Friday Night. Looks good doesn't it?
Posted by Helen ( 1:31 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday Nov 01, 2006
Cat barf
They may lack opposable thumbs, but cats can be useful.
I'm looking after my neighbours' cat while they're on holiday and when I went round to feed it yesterday I noticed a display of cat spew on the pile of post by the front door. Actually, it wasn't on all the post - the cat had managed to carefully aim its vom away from the posh chocolate catalogue and instead barfed over a letter from Barclays bank. It's like he knew. Cats may have more insight than we give them credit for.
Anyway, the USB socket on my PC is genuinely busted. I've enlisted various humans to 'help' using keys and cocktail sticks, but not to much avail. I bet Handymog would be able to fix it:
FYI I sponged down the bank letter but it's still stained a bit orange. I wrote a note on it for my neighbour to explain the mishap. I hope the cat sticks to the real story when his owners come home, and that he doesn't point his paw at me like a furry traitor.
Further gratuitous catness.
Posted by Kim ( 2:05 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[1]
Wednesday Oct 18, 2006
NSFW...
A few things catching my eye in TheSite towers over the last few weeks that you might want to check out -
Block Frenzy! - can you move the mouse quicker than the blue blocks? Doesn't sound interesting, but be warned you will end up ignoring work for this. Current record on the boards is 41.08 seconds, but I'm sure you can do better.
Chad Vader - The force is strong with this one. What would happen if the Dark Lord of the Sith worked in Tesco? Find out with this series of damn impressive videos.
With Halloween coming up it seems a good time to mention the M&M's horror movie quiz. This clever little thing did it's bit for reducing productivity in the office; if you haven't seen it yet and you like a good slasher movie then it's well worth checking out. If you want to know the answers then look at the boards, but be warned it's more fun if you try it yourself.
And our staggeringly popular octopus screensaver is now updated with even more random stuffed animals. Take a look and confuse your friends as you try to explain why you've got a screensaver of a Purple Octopus.
Okay dokey, that's it for now, have fun and remember - there's nothing so important at work that you can't spend a couple of hours playing games on the internet.
Posted by Jim ( 1:52 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Oct 06, 2006
The octopus-man of Alcatraz
WANTED: Fuzzy, purple, skinny-legged creatures with disproportionately large heads, which are on the loose. This isn't a trippy, apocalyptic vision of Prince clones wandering the Earth - they're the Youthnet octopi.
The felon pictured below was spotted gambolling through the streets of San Francisco, but once the law caught up with his hedonistic indulgence of mind-altering substances and cephalopod brothels, he soon found himself banged up in Alcatraz.
Well, would you trust that fixated expression of sinister joy? Have you even dared let one into your home? If so, show us the evidence.
Posted by Kim ( 11:15 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[1]