The Network

Last weekend, I was in Edinburgh to take part in The Network, a scheme devised by the Media Guardian to sit alongside its International Television Festival. The scheme is aimed at young people eager to launch careers in the media, providing masterclasses, workshops and talks with people in the industry.

I can’t begin to explain how great this experience is. There is no way you would get an opportunity to meet and question such a wide range of media professionals in one place in any other forum. In four days, I have been to talks by MTV and BBC bosses, Q&A sessions with Russell Howard and a team of TV station high levels, had masterclasses with the hilarious Charlie Brooker and Inbetweeners writer Damon Beesley and stars of the show Simon Bird and James Buckley.

I had the opportunity to be part of a workshop team working with Sky Creative to devise a 360 digital media campaign for the Sky Arts show Songbook (one of our campaigns will actually be used by Sky). We were lucky enough to get to listen to the (now infamously controversial) McTaggert lecture by James Murdoch, attend the Television Channel of the Year awards hosted by Michael McIntyre, attended by media professionals and actors such as Dominic West (McNulty! McNulty from The Wire!), plus lots more. Not only all this, but all the while the Fringe Festival is taking over the city and any spare time we had could be spent seeking out quirky, hilarious, off kilter performances in the most random of venues.

The Network is free. You have to get yourself to Edinburgh, but from then on, food and accommodation is free and there’s even some free drink thrown in for good measure. You have to apply for the scheme by providing a short TV show pitch and other such questions, and from these applications (three thousand this year), they chose one hundred and fifty people to participate in the scheme. Its exclusive, but it’s amazing. If you have any interest in a career in television, or the media in general, you should get yourself on the Network.

Posted By: Cat

Cupcakes Pt II

A while ago, I blogged about cupcakes.I'm doing it again because last week my friends and I got together and had a cupcake-athon of which these were the result.

We made chocolate chip and vanilla cupcakes and then went crazy with the decoration. I think everyone will agree that it’s the icing part that’s fun.

What I love about baking is that it can be a social activity. We spent a few hours hanging out, dancing to music and making delicious treats that we all got to take home. If everyone brings something different, it’s cheap and your imagination is the only limit.

Posted By: Cat

The Sims3

I wouldn’t class myself as a computer geek as such. Sure, I have a blog and I like to play on photoshop, but I also have a social life and work and other pursuits... except, bye bye to those for a while because the Sims3 just entered my life.

I’ve been all about The Sims since the first game was released when I was about 14. I love the control, the creativity and the overall feeling of achievement that comes with creating a sim and seeing them through life successfully (or if you get bored, trapping them in a room so they die of hunger). Perhaps it says something about my personality that my Sims are always perfect, reaching the top of their career ladders, achieving their wants and lifetime goals, and raising perfect children.

With this new upgrade, the Sims are far more free willed and you can customise literally everything. The game runs smoothly on my eighteen month old laptop with no glitches or crashing, something which has never happened to me with a Sims game before. There is also no loading screens when you decide to leave the house and no more waiting around.

My only complaint is that you can’t speed the game up when your Sims are at work or school, but at least you can now chose what they do whilst there, which is a compromise I guess.

I just wish I could stop playing.

Posted By: Cat

Rainbow Eyeliner

I’m a big fan of eyeliner. I don’t feel like I’ve really made an effort unless my eyes are lined as well as mascaraed and shadowed (I believe I made up at least one word there). Sometimes though, black eyeliner can made my eyes look smaller, especially when I use it on my bottom lids. This is where the colour comes in.

You can get eyeliners now in pretty much any colour imaginable. This makes it very easy then, to match your eyeliner to your outfit, or just to add a splash of glamour to your day. I have big, blue eyes, so I tend to sketch a quick line of deep turquoise blue under my eyes before I go out. It makes my eyes look bigger and is eye-catching without being over the top.

Greens, purples, blues and bronzes are all fun colours to play with. You could go the whole way and trade in the black for colour, but personally, I like the flicked charcoal effect on my upper lash line. I'm desperate to try these high pigment shimmer pencils from Bourjois too. Check out their make-up class videos at the website, they'll make you eager to recreate some cool looks.

Posted By: Cat

Peanut Butter M&Ms

You can't get these beauties in the UK, so every time any of my friends or relatives visit the States, they always bring some peanut butter m&ms back for me to enjoy. I recently came home from a holiday in Florida with two large bags of them in my suitcase.

The slightly bitter, peanut buttery goodness is a great contrast with the sweet chocolate and crispy shell and it all combines to create a taste sensation! They are so moreish that once you open a pack, you're hard pressed to be good and limit your intake - i.e. portion control is a problem.

I have no idea why these aren't sold here in the UK, but it makes every trip to the US worthwhile.

Posted By: Cat

last.fm

I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to sing up for last.fm, but I'm kind of glad I did. I'm not exactly sure if there is another purpose behind it, besides to track what artists and songs you listen to, but I think it's kind of cool.

Like, I had no idea I listened to so much Girls Aloud...especially when none of my friends know who they are. I also had no idea that I'd Lie by Taylor Swift was the song I've listened to the most. However, that there was a tie between Michael Jackson's Bad and Knock You Down by Keri Hilson as the song I've listened to the most in 7 days. It also scrobbles (I have no idea what that means) to my iPod, so whatever I've listened to on there shows up on my last.fm

You can even rate your musical compatibility with people!

I even took a screenshot of my most played artists!

So, if you're interested in tracking your listening habits, I'd check out last.fm --www.last.fm

Posted by: Nicci

Sporcle.com

I love quizzes, or anything that tests my brain power. Therefore by default, I like Sporcle.com. With quizzes on everything from NFL players, to body parts with three letters, you can literally waste hours testing yourself. The best part is, you actually learn a thing or two in the process. My favourite quiz is the countries of the world and the more I play, the higher my score. I now know that the Solomon Islands are a country, as is Burkina Faso. It’s all invaluable knowledge!

Posted By: Cat

NASCAR...okay?

For the last two years, I've had this weird fascination with NASCAR. I have no idea why. Maybe because I've grown up around it, and living in Minnesota with no life has left me with nothing to do but hang out with my dad who will watch anything with a motor drive around in a circle or in some sort of pattern.

Once I gave in and started watching, I noticed something...some of the guys are super hot. I could go on and on about how I'm actually interested in the sport and blah blah blah, but I'll just post pictures of hot race car drivers.


Carl Edwards. He is my favorite. Sadly, he got married. He's also a good driver and does back flips when he wins. When I watched my first race and actually paid attention, I called him as the winner. He won!





Kasey Kahne! He is adorable. He is short too, but I won't hold that against him...as long as he doesn't get married.







Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sometimes I am oddly attracted to him. I think it's his voice.





Martin Truex Jr. I went to a race on Saturday in Charlotte, and I really wanted him to win. He is from NJ...like me!


While compiling this list I noticed something...not one J name. The golden rule around here is that generally any hot guy's name starts with J. This is Jamie McMurray. He's a hot guy with a J name.






Posted By: Nicci

Headbands

Yes, yes, this is nothing new. Thanks to Gossip Girl, the headband has been in a revival for the last eighteen months at least, but it’s still going strong and I still like it.

A headband comes in many shapes, sizes and colours. There’s the straightforward coloured plastic band which is functional and compliments any outfit. I like the predictability, you put it in and it’s there to stay. The little combs keep it firmly in place and it’s no nonsense; no straying of strands or slipping.

The scarf band is the pretty one, the attention grabber and show off. The heavy pattern compliments a block colour outfit and looks stunning. Its summery, its bold and its very Gossip Girl. The downside to this one though, is that unless it’s heavily secured with hair grips, it’s likely to slip off your silky hair and then you have a battle to get it back before someone spots that its sitting round your neck.

The braided band is a mixture of both, it’s pretty and eye-catching, but its practical and it’ll sit still for far longer than the scarf. The fashion seems to be to wear this one on your forehead, but I am not for one minute following that look thank you. As usual, Rachel Bilson looks super cute in this:

Its not going away, so get involved and make your hair a little more exciting.

Posted By: Cat

Inbetweeners

Four losers who just want to get laid – sound familiar? The Inbetweeners isn’t breaking new ground with its subject, but it is the funniest thing on television. And yes, I did just use italics to stress my point.

Will’s Mum can’t afford to send him to private school anymore, so off he goes to the local comprehensive. Here he meets Simon, Neil and Jay, three sixteen year old boys who you would never date and who you would never want to be friends with...well Jay at least.

Series one followed the boys on their random adventures which included losing a car door at Thorpe Park, hitting a disabled girl in the face with a Frisbee and trying to get laid at caravan club.

Season two comes to an end this week on e4 in the UK, and I’m gutted. How is my Thursday night between 10pm - 10.30pm going to be spent now? How can I cope without hearing Jay’s imaginative and never ending words for the female anatomy? Will Simon ever get Carly to sleep with him? Will I ever find out if Neil has a brain?

If you haven’t seen inbetweeners, try it, you’ll like it. Probably best to leave your moral integrity at the door though. 

Catch up with the show at e4.com

Posted By: Cat