Medway universities make National Kissing League

(written by Kieran Watkins, taken from The Medwire)

The first University Kissing League results have been released, with all three universities from the Medway campus making the league.

The University of Kent appeared above the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christchurch University, placing 31st on the league.

The league gives an average for the number of people students are likely to have kissed in the last term.

According to the survey, conducted by studentbeans.com, each student from the University of Kent locked lips with an average of 3.03 people since September 2012.

The University of Greenwich placed 66 with an average of 2.1, with Canterbury Christ Church significantly lower with an average of just 1.37, placing 84th on the list.

Topping the league, which surveyed 4,039 students from 89 universities, was Northumbria University, where each student has kissed an average of 6.13 people. To read the results, follow visit Student Beans

So what was the greatest event of 2012?

Wow. Therefore, 2012 has gone, departed, left us for a completely new year full of dreams, worries and who knows what else. Despite claims we would all be killed in 2012 (those Mayans must be kicking themselves), we are all still here and the majority of us are still healthy.

So what will 2013 offer us? A year of hope? Well with the country still bracing itself for more cuts, money is still tight and we are likely to continue to feel the pinch.

Nevertheless, we have lots to look forward to. Thanks to 2012 and the Olympic legacy, the whole country seems to be going sporting mad. Up and down the country, people are digging out their dusty rackets or oiling their bike chains and getting fit again. Already I have booked a gym induction and started my night-time routine of sit-ups and press-ups. Who needs a night cap when you can have a deadly concoction of exercise and more exercise instead?

The Olympics were undoubtedly the biggest talking point of 2012. Forget the budget, forget Gangnam Style; London was the focal point for all of Britain and indeed the world. The country was painted gold as we celebrated the achievements of Wiggo, Ennis, Farah and co. For me, it was personal journey that I loved every minute of. Having the chance to work at the Olympics, see some of the sporting action and indeed the athletes at the parade was fantastic, an opportunity I shall treasure forever.

The Olympics even overshadowed the Queen to become the nation’s event of 2012. Poor Liz just could not compare to the Spice Girls, Sir Chris Hoy or Ellie Simmonds in the Paralympics. Yes, we had two sporting events this year to give us something to smile about; the Paralympics were just as successful and just as exciting as the Olympics, despite the fact most of us forgetting about the Paralympics.

It is a tribute to the fantastic efforts of so many of our sporting stars that many of our Olympic heroes are being awarded knighthoods and honours. All of them thoroughly deserve the attention and glory, they did our country proud and we will never forget what they have achieved. It leaves me teary eyed to think the Olympics won’t be back on this year, but alas, we have plenty of other sporting events to look forward to in the future; the Rugby World Cup, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014, and of course Rio in 2016. I’m already tempted to dig out my maracas and join the party in Rio as a volunteer!

So raise your glass to 2012, a year of sport, the year the UK put aside its problems and joined in the celebrations to mark what was perhaps the most successful Olympics ever witnessed by the world. Well done Great Britain, well done 2012!

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

Hello 2013 - message from the jourknow

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a lovely New Year, partying hard and downing vodka like it's 2012. I certainly was, dressed up as Where's Wally in a bar in Devon, looking after my drunk friend and watching the fireworks. Sounds like fun right!?

It's hard to believe that 2012 has been and gone, it really was a fantastic year. Sporting success, London in the spotlight, a surge in popularity for the Queen, Britain out of the recession etc...everything looked promising for once.

Let's hope the good luck will continue for 2013. I wish you all the best of luck with work, school, uni, college, future travel plans etc. Good luck!

As for the jourknow, I will be continuing on into the new year with more blog posts. Last term was a busy one for me at University, so I hope to spend more time this year with creating and uploading fresh blog posts. Keep on checking the site for updates :)

Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it.

Kieran Watkins

Strictly Come Dancing: Latest line-up rumours....(the girls)

So the Olympics have dominated our TV for the last few weeks, but with the end of the summer on the horizon, it means out tv screens are going to be dominated by one thing; celebrities covered in sequins trying to do their utmost to dance gracefully on tv. With the rumour mill going into overdrive, I thought it was time to give you a rundown on the rumours of who could be stepping on to the dance floor for Series 10 of the hit BBC show.

Victoria Pendleton
BBC chiefs have publicly stated that they want as many athletes as humanly possible from the London 2012 Olympics to appear on the show, with Pendleton topping the list. Undoubntedly the Queen of Cycling, the Gold medalist will be retiring from the competition soon, and has announced that she’d love to appear on the show. With a free schedule, gorgeous Vicky would be a crowd pleaser for fans.

Rebecca Adlington
The Queen of Swimming is another contender for the show, having just won two bronze medals. Becky’s form has left many commentators questioning whether she will return to Swimming, so a stint on Strictly could be on the cards. However, despite confirming her interest, she is planning on a charity bike ride in October, so perhaps we’ll see her on the Christmas special.

Beth Tweddle
Another Olympic favourite, bronze medalist and star of GB gymnastics for the past decade Beth would be a contender to win the glitter ball trophy. The gymnast has the moves and skills, and with retirement beckoning, a stint on Strictly would certainly end what’s been a tremendous decade for Beth.

Dannii Minogue
Although she has seemed to deny the rumours of competing on the dance floor, the tabloids refuse to acknowledge that the former X Factor judge is tempted to go against her former show in what could be a spectacular ratings battle. Another X Factor guest judge rumoured to appear is Geri Halliwell, the Spice Girl, although she’s also rejected the rumours. Both have the star power, but will they appear on the dance floor?

Charlie Brooks
There’s always a spot for a soap actress in the Strictly line-up, and who better to have then EastEnders favourite Bitch, Janine Butcher (played by Charlie Brooks). Having already won last year’s Christmas special, Charlie could look to claim her second Strictly trophy this autumn. It seems certain that she will appear, for she’s just started a six month break from the soap. Fingers crossed.

Michelle Keegan
Another soap star that could be set to appear is Michelle Keegan, who plays Corrie’s Tina. The actress, who has won dozens of ‘Sexiest Female Awards’, would certainly look good on the dance floor, but has a warning from ITV proclaiming to ban any of its stars appearing on a rival channels show stopped the actress from appearing on Strictly? We’ll find out soon enough.

Sian Williams
The former BBC Breakfast presenter is tipped to be joining the show this Autumn. After leaving BBC Breakfast earlier this year, Sian certainly has the time to appear on the show, and with an appearance last year on the Children in Need special, she’s got the dance bug so to speak.

Fern Britton
Another TV favourite who could be shaking her tail feather later this year is Fern Britton. The TV presenter entertained SCD fans when appearing on the 2010 Christmas special, and has been away from our tv screens for quite some time. Could this giver her the much-needed tv revival she needs to reignite her career?

Martine McCutcheon
She’s previously turned down invitations to appear on the show, but the singer and actress hinted last year that she would have time to appear on the show in 2012. With some dance experience, she’d be a contender for the glitter ball trophy.

Amy Williams
The winter Olympic gold medalist has retired from sport completely, so certainly has the time (and the figure) to compete on Strictly. But with Dancing on Ice rumoured to be offering her a bumper offer too, will Amy be swayed to the ice rink rather than the dance floor?
Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Risky game for British Airways

I love a good commercial, and with viewers flocking to their screens for events such as the Euros and the Olympics this summer, it's gonna be a bumper year for advertising agencies. Companies are putting big amounts of money on the table to get a slice of the precious minutes of screen time available for advertisers.

Which is why I was a little confused at the new British Airways advert released this week, which urges the British public to stay at home this summer and enjoy what's on in their local area and in London.

The one minute long ad sees a British Airways plane 'drive' around London, passing all the iconic sites, before reaching a halt outside the Olympic stadium.

Ultimately, the motive behind the campaign must lie behind the sponsorship deal British Airways has for the Olympics. It's an Official Partner for the London 2012 Games, and will heavily benefit from the games, one presumes.

Maybe then, one could presume that British Airways are benefiting from new advertising campaign, maybe from the government? They would have paid millions of pounds into the London 2012 Olympic Games, so why would they risk losing more money by promoting families to stay at home and not use their planes? I'm not suggesting what they're doing is wrong, in fact I think it's right of them to promote the UK during this special year. But British Airways is a business, and business doesn't play nice - which makes me think they're getting something in return for this deal.

Who knows, all I know is that the advert and the intense advertising campaign surrounding it (British Airways is using both Facebook and Twitter to promote their new campaign) must have cost them a lot of money to pull off. Time will tell when they release their end-of-year revenue figures early next year.

You can watch the advertising campaign here. You can also check out their Facebook page and Twitter too.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Clinton Cards, with sympathy

The announcement last week that the UK's biggest card retailer Clinton Cards was to file for administration came after quite a year for High Street closures.

With Peacocks, Game Group, Pumpkin Patch and many others, the High Street has been rocked by falling sales due to a lack of consumer confidence, with the public consumption hitting record lows.

Yet Clinton Cards, surely, would be OK? Everyone needs a greetings card, and with very few card shops on the High Street - Card Fair and others have all closed over the years - you'd think Clinton Cards would be safe.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Despite employing over 8,000 staff in more than 700 stores across its Clintons and Birthday chains, Clintons has been hit by falling sales and heavy losses.

Yet other card stores have flourished in recent times. Paperchase and Scribbler, more up-market card shops, have reported strong sales in recent months, whereas discount retailer Card Factory has continued to rapidly expand across the country. Both stores offer varying products, and are popular with customers. With Paperchase, you know it's expensive but it's good quality. With Card Factory, it's cheap and does the  job.

Which left Clintons in the middle. And that's where the problems lie; Clintons just doesn't fit in with the demands of today's culture. It's card lines seem to have dwindled in recent years as it favours on other products, such as gifts and wrapping paper. On a recent visit to my local shop, a big High Street Store in Alton, Hampshire, I was surprised to see that the shop floor space has decreased, as had the ranges. Card lines have been reduced, the gift wrap section has expanded yet the party section had disappeared.

And it seems that despite the loss of products, prices have increased. To get a decent card in Clintons, you have to pay around £2.99. £2.99 is a lot for a card which is pretty similar to all their other cards. There's nothing really special about their ranges, they don't grab me as high quality and as a result, you don't bother buying anything there.

Clintons cited supermarkets and online retailers as the reasons for its decline, but in reality, I think it's been a long time coming. It had started to regenerate its business, with a new look, improved layout and extended range. But it's all a little too late.

Although the loss of jobs and shops will be disastrous, there's nothing really surprising here.  I hope that a buyer is sought, but until then, it's 'comiserations' and 'with sympathy' for Clintons.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Darcey Bussell joins Strictly Come Dancing

The BBC announced today that Darcey Bussell would be joining the judging panel for their hit dance show Strictly Come Dancing.

Replacing the gap left by singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon, who was poached by ITV and Simon Cowell to appear on Britain's Got Talent, rumours were rife with who was going to replace the former Strictly champ.

Hot favourite Karen Hardy, a favourite with viewers, was supposedly leading the race to fill the shoes left by Alesha. Karren, who has previously been a professional on the show and had recently been covering the show's red button coverage, certainly has the skills and dance knowledge that Ms Dixon lacked.

Other contenders included 2010 winner Kara Tointon, choreographer Karen Bruce and former professional Camilla Dallerup.

Even Arlene Phillips was suggested as a possible contender, despite the fiasco surrounding her exit from the show in 2007. The star, who was a judge on the recently axed So you think you can dance? was again, a firm favourite with fans, but was unlikely to be reconsidered by the Beeb, who were heavily criticised for sacking her in the first place.

But eventually, the role went to Darcey Bussell. The ballet star, a former principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, was hotly tipped for the role after impressing producers back in 2007, when she was a guest judge.

The 42 year-old star, world-renown for her ballet and performances, has the experience, the knowledge and the expertise on dance. A favourite with the judges, Craig Revel Horwood recently revealed that if he could pick anyone to join him on the judging panel, he would pick Darcey.

Yet, I was surprised with the reaction from some fans. It seems that despite her expertise, the fans feel she won't fit on the panel.

This seems slightly hypocritical. When Alesha Dixon replaced Arlene Phillips, fans were in uproar about the judging changes. Not only did they criticise the new judges expertise - lets be frank, she didn't have any - but they called for her to be replaced even before Alesha was given screen time.

During Alesha's three year stint, the show has seen a ratings boost, thanks to an improved set, new professional dancers and a much high calibre of celebrities. Some viewers even started to like Alesha, who it has to be said did improve each series, if only by a fraction.

So why the anger over the new signing? The fans wanted expertise and knowledge over looks and age, and they got it. The BBC delivered, but it seems some people just aren't happy.

So what if she's a ballet star? Watch some of her clips online, especially Viva la Diva - I think you'll realise how much dance knowledge she has. And for those that criticise her tv manner - give her some time will you. Yes, I admit she was boring when she did the guest stint, but that was three years ago! The Beeb obviously know what they're doing, because she went through a vigorous screen test along with Hardy and Bruce.

So please, you hypocritical bunch of old bats, stop moaning about the same old thing. I personally think she'll be FAB-U-LOUS!

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Men's Fashion - Summer 2012

Now before I start, I don't want to come across all Gok Wan and tell you to get your bangers out. Firstly, I'm not Gay. Secondly, I have no real fashion knowledge. Thirdly, fashion doesn't really interest me - but I just thought, and a few of my Twitter followers agreed - that it was time I made a post giving real men out there a chance to update their wardrobe for the summer.

So what can I tell you? Well, all my fashion knowledge comes from other people. Whether it be from a fashion blog, a magazine, friends or just from ogling people walking along the street; fashion is everywhere, and it's certainly something to be interested in. Over the last few years, men have been more and more conscious about their appearance. Wearing joggers and a tee just isn't enough to impress the ladies. You need different clothes for different occasions, you need smart wear and you need to learn not to wear trainers to every occasion. So here are some tips.

1) The Basics - always have a few tee's to go with every look, whether it be under a shirt or worn on it's own. Blocks of colour work well this season, with speckles and stripes all working their way into a man's wardrobe. Primark, New Look and Topman have a good selection this season. Keep underwear simple - brands like Calvin Klein are good. For socks, go for something more fun with different prints. Amazon offer cheap underwear deals.

2) Shirts/ Polo's - If you're going to wear something for a special occasion/ night out, where a shirt. A guys dress sense is becoming a lot more formal now, so it pays to have a decent shirt or two. For more relaxed, day-to-day settings, a polo is great. Havana shirts have also come back into fashion, and are great for al-fresco garden parties over the summer. Check Mr Porter for some cool designs.

3) Trousers/ Shorts - More and more men are ditching jeans for chinos, smart skinny slacks and summer shorts. This season, don't go for winter colours like Navy or Grey. Try something with a bit more colour. Maroons, reds and greens can be smart and casual, depending on the top worn. H&M have an extensive collection, but for something funky, check out TK Maxx. Shorts are popular too - don't go for 3/4 lenghts, leave them for your Dad. Linen is a popular choice, with Gap offering a great collection this season.

4) Coats - with the British weather, you never know quite how it's going to fair up. Trench coats are still in, but for smarter occasions, a blazer is a must. Bright colours for nights out with friends, darker colours for smarter occasions. Acne Menswear are fantastic, although Zara offer cheaper alternatives.

4) Footwear - espadrilles come and go, so if you are to buy a pair, pick a jazzy pair. Ones with stripes, spots or pastel colours will work well with the sun. New Look have a great collection instore, although Schuh offer a more durable range. Alternatively, swap military boots for boat shoes (Clarks are fantastic).

5) Accessories - the hat is back in fashion. Old fashioned straw hats polish off an outfit, along with a pair of sunglasses. I noticed Primark had a good collection, but for something more vintage, try charity shops. Bags are definitely a man thing now, so go for a drawstring satchel or a bright backpack. Forget shoulder bags and holdals. For evenings, bow ties are proving popular with the ladies, just make sure it matches your shirt! River Island have some great bags this season, as do Debenhams.

I could be wrong with the above advise, but it's definitely what I would recommend from what i've seen. Hopefully you'll be inspired to shop around. If you have any favourite shops/ products, please post them below, I would appreciate any feedback. And if you want any more advise, follow me on Twitter (@kieranwatkins)

Pictures from selected stores

The Budget 2012: The plans, the changes and what it means to you

Over the last few days, there has been one main focus of the news agenda. A diary event which affects our economy, our businesses, our way of life and so on. Yes, it’s the Budget, and this month’s Budget provided a few surprises, among many other planned changes to government departments and to our way of life.

In a competent and calm speech, the Chancellor George Osborne started off with some rather good news. He reported that the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts that the UK will avoid a “technical recession”, but that the Eurozone is still a risk to the UK economy. In a budget which he described as “the budget that rewards work”, he also revealed that the OBR forecasts a 0.8% growth forecast this year for the UK Economy, with a 2% rise planned for next year. This means we should avoid going back into recession, despite countries in Europe (including Germany, who recently announced a drop in growth).

On the downside, despite deflation, unemployment is on the rise. Public sector borrowing was however down by 11.1%, almost £11billion less than previously forecasted in the budget of autumn last year. Public sector debt forecasted to peak at 76.3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Profit) by 2014/15.

But anyway, on to what really matters. Below is a list of some of the proposals. I have provided a few comments on each new plan. Some are likely to be well received by the public and media; others however, may pose a blow to families:

Tax System:

-          Rising the personal allowance of individuals to £10,000, meaning anyone earning less is free from paying Income Tax. Currently, the allowance is about £7,000, meaning lots of members from the public will be free from paying tax (great news if you have a small part time job)

-          Child Benefit withdrawn, replaced by income tax charge for households who earn over £50,000 a year. Households earning over £60,000 will no longer gain Child Benefit. Mixed opinion from public, however was already reported as happening. Rich will suffer.

-          State pension to be reviewed in the near future. Elderly income tax personal allowance frozen. This is likely to be a key feature of the autumn budget.

-          Reduction in top rate of income tax from 50% to 45%. Likely to anger the poor, but again, has been talked about for quite some time. Labour government originally rose the rate from 45% to 50%, so it’s nothing new.

-          Reduce main rate of Corporation tax by added 1%, making a 2% reduction from April this year to 24%. Will decrease by 1% each year to 22% by 2014. Great news for businesses, making it more competitive for companies across the global economy. May help the economy.

-          New Stamp Duty Land Tax rate of 7% for residential properties over £2million. Lib Dems will be pleased with this, for it’s similar to their plans for a ‘Mansion Tax’.

-          Consultation will begin on annual charges on residential properties over £2million.

-          Stop tax avoidance, which the chancellor said: “Tax avoidance is morally repugnant.”

-          Age related allowances (ARAs) will only be available to those born on or before 5 April 1938. 4.4m pensioners will be worse off as a result

-          Issues new Personal Tax Statements for around 20milliopn tax payers. Fantastic idea, will help people understand their taxes, where they go to, how much they pay etc.

-          Help small businesses by introducing tax calculated on a cash basis, rather than figures. Making it easier to calculate tax.

Reforms to support growth:

-          Look to privatizing roads, and how to finance new national road networks. Was already mentioned at the beginning of the week, no major news.

-          Introduce ultrafast broadband to 8 major UK cities, as part of £100mil investment. Nice to see a lot of areas in the North that will benefit, rather than the south.

-          Invest £130million in a new Northern Hub rail scheme, and invest £60million in a UK centre for aerodynamics. Great for UK jobs, and again, will benefit the North of the country (although, in terms of Tory voters, may cause a rift between voters and the government).

-          Report on South East airport infrastructure over the summer. Is likely to determine the fate of the Thames Estuary/ Heathrow Expansion. One to watch!

-          Relax Sunday Trading laws from the 22 July 2012 for 8 weekends to coincide with the Olympics. Already announced last week. Public opinion likely to be mixed.

-          Tax reliefs from April 2013 on video games, animation and television industries, to protect shows such as Wallis & Gromit (which the chancellor quipped rather amusingly) and Downton Abbey from setting up production outside of the UK. Today’s announcement of Game Group going into administration likely to overshadow the proposals.

-          Publish a strategy of gas generation in the summer, along with major investment in Renewable energy, and simplifying the Carbon Reduction Commitment schemes. One of the biggest surprises was the Chancellor’s reluctance to promote Nuclear Power, which has been in the news recently.

-          Tax relief and changes expected for North Sea Oil companies, with investment likely to lead to exploration of Shetland areas in North Sea.

Treasury Special Reserve:

-          Special Reserve provision for military operations will be reduced by £2.4 billion, in line with announcement that UK combat operations in Afghanistan will cease by the end of 2014. I remain sceptical on how the government can decide to remove troops so early, despite on-going conflict in Afghan

-          Council tax relief for soldiers following £3million investment. Will benefit families of around 20,000 deployed personnel

VAT/ Duty:

-          Correct loopholes/ anomalies in the VAT System, particularly prices of hot food and soft drinks. Likely to lead to price rises in certain ‘basket goods’.

-          New duty on gambling machines. Operators anywhere in the world will have to pay duty on profits generated from UK customers

-          No change to Alcohol Duty – although NHS likely to review health care provision for alcohol related treatment. Surprised that government did not decide to introduce minimum fee’s

-          Cigarette Duty to rise by 5% comes into effect at 6pm TONIGHT! Price of a pack of 20 likely to increase by 37p. A victory for health campaigners, bad news for smokers.

-          No further change to fuel duty, although a 3p rise will come into effect over August. Likely to anger motorists, who hoped for fuel concessions

Other:

-          Government to increase funds available to invest through the Business Finance Partnership to £1.2 billion

-          Gold Reserves worth around £11 billion

-          Continued investment in Exports to reinstate Britain as a global player (in reaction to Brazil, India, China)

So what we have is a very interesting budget. A budget which the chancellor called “fiscally neutral”, despite the critics suggesting will harm the majority of the Conservative’s wealthy voters. The budget focused on business, tax evasion and welfare, the latter of which the Chancellor revealed 30% of our taxes go towards. It was a tough stance taken by the chancellor, but in these tough times, action needs to be swift. If the promises are made, maybe Britain will be on the road to recovery?

Please let me know your thoughts on the planned proposals, how they may affect you or your families. Thank you.

Pictures Courtesy of Wikipedia

Apologies for any innacurate information. The link provides you with the full plans.

Open Journalism: The Guardian deliberates

It is quite uncommon for an advert to leave me speechless. Most are only appealing because they are teasing us into buying a certain product, watching a certain programme or drinking a certain drink. But a recent scroll through YouTube brought me across a real gem of a commercial. One that not only appealed to my desired profession, but also made me think about my future, and the role of our society.

The Guardian newspaper, it is fair to say, has revolutionised itself in the last few years. Groundbreaking reports, a focus on every aspect of the news - from celebrity to foreign affairs - and a greater convergence of all media sources. If I was to name just one of its many successful stories, without a doubt I would suggest its uncovering of the phone-hacking story has shaken, stirred and part-destroyed the newspaper industry, and changed the face of journalism as it is known today.

Critics might call this a blatant promotional trailer for a news organisation which is now second in readership to the new and highly popular I Paper, but I see it as a dedication. The Guardian has dedicated itself to reporting high-quality, ground-breaking news stories to the public, and is dedicated to us the way the Queen is dedicated to her country. Rather than pressing on the current flaws in our badly-damaged press industry, it looks to the future. An integration between newspaper and internet, the latter of which it views with a pinch of salt, suggesting it is a good thing, rather than something to be worried about, as many old, tedious media-types often see it as.

In fact, The Guardian has coined the phrase 'Open Journalism' to describe its new image. Editor Alan Rusbridger leads the campaign for Open Journalism, describing journalism today as a very active process, rather than readers being "passive participants" of Journalism. He reveals that The Guardian hopes to interact more with audiences, using apps, widgets, social networking sites and links to help appeal to new, more diverse audiences.

Whether you read The Guardian or not, it is really worth watching this video to make your own opinions on the state of journalism today, and how journalism might be perceived in the future. Please comment below, I am interested in what others have to think on this subject.

The Guardian 'Open Journalism' Advert 2012

You can also read more on what The Guardian has to say on Open Journalism by following the link. There is also the opportunity for members of the public to go and visit The Guardian offices in a series of workshops at the end of March. After visiting the offices last year on work experience, it was simply breathtaking to see the news rooms and facilities that make The Guardian such a world-class news company. Well worth a visit.

Pictures Courtesy of Google Images