Who's Hotter: Rihanna or Beyonce?

Rihanna and Beyonce are two of the sexiest women on the planet. Well in my opinion anyway. If there were ever any women that could turn me, these two would be high-up on a very short list.


With both women recently releasing new videos - Beyonce with '1+1' and Rihanna with 'Cheers' - where they pretty much appear on their own, meaning we get to see lots of them, it got me thinking; just who is hotter - Rihanna or Beyonce?


If I was to post this on Youtube there would be floods of comments praising one over the other and there would probably be a very heated debate. The comments on Youtube really are something else - pure vitriol sometimes. My blog isn't Youtube though and I don't think with the number of people who actually read it that I am at risk of starting a Rihanna v Beyonce war!


So let take a look at each of them in turn...

Rihanna 

The beautiful Barbadian has had a multitude of hairstyles and colours but always manages to look great. Rihanna might look petite but she stands at 5' 8" even without heels. With them she is amazonian! And those legs, and eyes and lips. Is there actually anything at all wrong with her?

She certainly knows how to work it in her videos too - I absolutely loved her in Rude Boy. Heaven. In fact in all of her videos she is just seriously stunning. And did I mention those legs, eyes and lips?

Beyonce

With flowing locks reported to cost ten's of thousand's of dollars, I don't think I have ever seen Beyonce having a bad hair day. Or a bad anything day. Admittedly I haven't seen her staggering out of bed with a hang-over, gasping for a glass of water; but even then I'm sure she does it in full make-up and heels.

Beyonce is pretty much a goddess. She may be a few years older than her rival (well rival in this instance anyway) but she certainly wears those extra years well. Even when she's got mascara running down her face - a la 'Why Don't You Love Me' she looks just stunning.

The Verdict

Well, I should say It's my verdict rather than the verdict. I'll let you guys let me know what you think. For me though, it's just got to be Rihanna. 

There is just something about her that makes me think she would be so much more fun to hang out with and for me that makes her hotter. Also those moves she pulls out when she shows off her Bajan side are just too too hot!!!


So let me know what you think - take my poll below - or leave a comment!

Who's Hotest: Beyonce v Rihanna

Battle for Number 1: Emeli Sande v Wretch 32

I'm really pleased to see that there is a good-old chart battle going on this week for the UK number 1. Mr Musing featured both Emeli Sande and her song 'Heaven' and Wretch 32 and his song 'Don't Go' back in June and just knew that both songs were going to be massive.

It feels like a really important week in the charts this week because it's been a while since there have been two really good artists battling for the number 1 spot. Record labels nowadays seem to carefully scan the release dates of other artists to ensure that they pick a week to slip their song into the charts and the charts have not exactly been filled with great artists recently - Cher Lloyd or the Wanted? Pah.

What's even better is that both artists are amazingly talented and British - showing once again that the UK has some of the best talent around.

If I had to put my money on who will come out on top it would be Wretch 32 but hopefully it will be close and I don't really mind either way. I am sure numbers ones will become a regular thing for both artists soon enough - in fact I think they could come up with an amazing collaboration.


What do you think - who will get the number 1 this week?

Arsenal: Fabregas and Nasri Saga Runs Into Opening Day of Season

So the new Barclays Premier League season 2011-12 kicks off in just a few hours and when most teams are making final preparations to get their season going (after having a pre-season to bed their new players in) Arsenal are still right in the middle of the Fabregas and Nasri saga. It is just unbelievable. 

How are the team supposed to focus on todays match against Newcastle when all of this hangs over them? It's become more than a farce now - season after season - when Wenger should be concentrating on strengthening the team and plugging the gaps that existed the season before, he spends most of the summer in a dispute with Barcelona. 

I think this is seriously going to harm our chances of doing well this season. We limped into fourth place last season, have still to qualify for the Champions League proper and now we will have to fight off a resurgent Liverpool as well as the likes of Man U, Man City, Chelsea and Spurs. We could be playing the the flipping Europa League next season! I really hope that's not the case.

Taking a Sledge-Hammer to a Nut: Wandsworth Council Evicts Family of Looter

Talk about using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut! Wandsworth Council have announced that they have served an eviction notice to the family of one London looter, becoming the first Council in the country to do so.


Council Leader Ravi Govindia said, "in Wandsworth we are determined to take the strongest possible action against any tenant or member of their household responsible for the truly shocking behaviour perpetrated on local home and businesses earlier this week. This council will do its utmost to ensure that those who are responsible pay a proper price for their conduct. Ultimately this could lead to eviction from their homes."

I suspect this is really about political points scoring. A Tory borough taking tough decisive action against 'broken Britain' and garnering lots of press coverage in the process.

Now I am all for punishment of those that have done wrong and I do believe that parents have to take some responsibility for their children's actions but evicting the whole family, surely that is a step to far? 

Some parents have been shocked and outraged by their childrens actions. Some parents have even shopped their own children to the police, disgusted as they were by what they had done.

How does Wandsworth intend to distinguish between these parents and those who might not give a damn. Not all families can be tarred with the same brush.

The families of other criminals don't get threatened with eviction - murderers, rapists and the like so why should it be the case here?

I wouldn't be surprised if the actions of Wandsworth Council actually provokes more trouble, but I am sure the core voters will love it.

I would be interested to know the proportion of looters that don't live in Council owned homes, I am sure we would be surprised. So what happens to the property owning families of looters - will there be a similarly headlining grabbing action taken against them? I don't think so.

Nicola Roberts: Lucky Day (Video Premiere)

So after watching the unedited version on repeat for the last couple of weeks, the full version is now out. No more looking at 'add effect here' - we get to see the video in all it's technicolour glory.


Still loving the song - good honest pop. Hope this one does better than Beat of My Drum. What do you think of it, and where do you think it will chart?

Amy Winehouse: Get Over It

I realised that the title of this post might read like I am saying get over her death...so can I just say that's not the case. This post is actually about a song of hers called 'Get Over It'...


I've noticed that there are quite a few old Amy Winehouse songs that I have not heard before floating around on Youtube at the moment. Not sure if how long they've been about (probably years) but it's nice to hear something that I've not heard before.


I just love listening to her voice and it's still so sad to think that we will never hear her sing live again. 


Anyway, I thought I'd post up one of the songs...if you've not heard it before and are a fan enjoy and savour it. The track is called 'Get Over It' and to me it sounds like it is more from the 'Frank' era than the 'Back to Black' one?


"The chemistry we had is dead....you might as well be fuckin me in my head" - Pure Amy!

Wash Your Pits You Mingers (Personal Hygiene and Public Transport)

Source: iStockphoto

I am generally quite a laid back person and it takes a lot to get me really angry but today on the train home I ended up sat next to what has got to be the stinkiest person I have ever had the misfortune of being in close proximity to. 


I know it's hot - well actually it's not that bloody hot - but seriously, there is absolutely no need to reek so badly. It was toxic!


I just don't get it, the guy in question looked quite smartly dressed and appeared fairly well groomed, his hair was neatly cut and he was clean shaven, so he obviously wasn't homeless. If he could take the time to shave, he could have squeezed a few more minutes into his routine to have a shower. Because he obviously didn't. Is it asking too much?


I know some people have a propensity to sweat but generally it is a 'clean' kind of sweat. However, this was stale. The guy is obviously single. I refuse to believe that anyone smelling that bad could even get a date, let alone keep hold of a partner. It got me thinking though, why doesn't someone say something? A family member, a work colleague?

I am not one for confrontation, I may be a mouthy git to people I know but I turn into a timid mouse when I don't know the person, so I didn't dream of saying anything to him. However, the fact I had my hand cupped over my mouth so tightly, relaxing it only when absolutely necessary so that I could take small gasps of air was surely a give-away. I wasn't doing it that discreetly. But he was oblivous to it all, merrily sitting there reading his paper, all the while filling the air with his rank stench.


People - it is bad enought having to squeeze ourselves onto over-priced, over-full carriages night after night, without the added displeasure of smelling a crusty pit. So please wash your pits you mingers. 


Rant over.


Would any of you say something, to a total stranger sitting on a train, or would you just keep quiet, say nothing and suffer in silence?

Is Twitter Fueling the London Riots?

Last night as I was winding down, getting ready for a night in front of the TV I logged onto Twitter to get an update on the Tottehnam riots. I was surprised to see Brixton trending.


Brixton had been hosting the annual Brixton Splash only hours earlier, an event I had planned to go to but unfortunately missed. Looking earlier at the photo's of people enjoying themselves en masse, dancing, eating, drinking, socialising and generally having a brilliant time, I was pleased that the event had taken place without any major incident. 

Brixton Splash

Brixton Splash was an event celebrating multi-cultural Brixton, even more poignant having read and watched the events unfolding in Tottenham only the night before.


But Brixton wasn't trending only because of the Splash. There were literally hundreds of posts about a supposed riot kicking off in Brixton, post stating that gangs of youths had descended on Brixton and were causing trouble. 


Locals were quick to point out that actually there was no trouble, that they were in fact in Brixton at the time and apart from people milling about as expected after a festival there was nothing particularly newsworthy going on.


That didn't stop the rumours though. It was becoming a frenzy at this point. Windows were being smashed, shops looted and police were battling to stay in control. Except it wasn't happening. Pictures emerged of a looted H&M, which was actually miles away in North London. 

The next thing I know, it was actually kicking off for real. The looting, the fires, the smashing of shop windows was actually happening for real. In the UK at least this is the first real rioting of any substantial size that has taken place during the Internet generation and it felt last night, like the Internet, in the absence of any credible, accurate and up to date information from the media was the place to turn to get an update.


Social media can be a brilliant tool - I have witnessed campaigns ranging from saving a local cinema to taking action against the stoning of an Iranian women but it can have it's downsides too. The hysteria building on Twitter last night about supposed riots in Brixton, long before anything had even kicked off was nothing short of a red rag to a bull. 

So is Twitter and other social media fuelling the London riots, pouring fuel onto the proverbial and literal fire?


Today, similarly to the events of yesterday, locations around London appear to be trending, with tweets about riots taking place long before they actually seem to happen - Croydon, Deptford, New Cross, Lewisham, Brockley. Is it really that social media is the quickest way to get news out there or a self-fulling prophecy, waiting to happen because the rumours on Twitter say it is? I fear the latter.


The police have said that they will be looking at Twitter to see if there is evidence of people inciting violence and encouraging the looting and rioting that has spread across the capital. I guess that will be like looking for a needle in a haystack, what with the tweets, re-tweets and suchlike that occurs on the site.


It's not that I blame social media entirely. The saying goes that there is no smoke without fire and there have been brilliant efforts by people today to re-tweet messages of how to help and get involved in the clean-up in Brixton. As I said at the start social media can be a tool that has positive uses. But it is worrying. 


What do you think? Has social media - Twitter, Facebook etc played a part in these riots? 

Back With a Bang: Ms Dynamite 'Neva Soft'

Back in 2001, having just finished university and working in a job I didn't really care for, I spent many a brilliant night in Tooting with some of my best friends, smoking badly rolled joints and listening to Ms Dynamite.


In fact, make that every Friday night for a good few months. We loved Ms Dynamite's album 'A Little Deeper' so much it was often played on repeat for hours on end. Ms Dynamite was new (well to us anyway), fresh and we loved her message. And we weren't the only ones. Mobo awards and the coveted Mercury Music prize all found their way into Ms Dynamite's hands and for a while she was the hottest thing in the British music scene.


Fast forward a few years and after taking a break to have a baby, Ms Dynamite followed up her debut album with the 2005 'Judgement Days. I didn't love this one nearly as much - it didn't have the same impact as 'A Little Deeper' and I wondered if she had lost her way.


Then came the wilderness years. Ms Dynamite went to live under a rock (well in musical terms anyway) and it wasn't until her recent collaboration with Katie B on the brilliant 'Lights On' that I even remembered she existed.


Now she is back though, with a solo single and a new album on it's way. Her new single 'Neva Soft' was produced by Labrynth and is a brilliant drum'n'base-come-dub-step-come-reggae-come-soul extravaganza with an infectious beat. I love her voice on the bits where she sings, in fact I love it all. It's a get up on your feet and shake-it kind of song. She is back and I can't wait to hear the album.

Join Mr Musing's Fantasy Premier League 2011-12

So the Barclays Premier League is nearly here, with just one week to go, and to celebrate Mr Musing is setting up a Fantasy Premier League. 


Fantasy Premier League (if you like football) is sooo addictive. You have a budget of £100m to pick the best squad you can afford and each week select a team you think will score you the most points. I am such a geek when it comes to this game.

You need to sign up at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ and enter the pin code 1055793-248954.


To make things more competitive I have decided to run a few competitions.....



Many of you will have your own blogs/websites so the team that scores most points each months will get a banner ad on the top of my site pointing people to your website. The banner will stay up for the month. 


For the overall winner I will write a dedicated blog post, which will stay up permanently - advertising your blog/site and hopefully sending some readers/followers your way. 

I am not claiming to be Perez Hilton with a million followers but every little helps eh? 


Post your team name and blog/web address in the comments section to enter. 


Good Luck 
Mr Musing. 

One to Watch: Singer Josh Kumra

joshkumra.com

I really loved the sound of Josh Kumra's chorus on Wretch 32's song 'Don't Go' so was pleased to hear some more of it on this track 'Stand Your Ground'.


The British singer, who comes from Swindon, has such an interesting sounding voice and 'Stand Your Ground' has some beautiful lyrics layered over the soothing sound of the acoustic guitar.


Apparently he is working on solo material, so it shouldn't be long before we can hear more, and judging by the comments written about him all over the youtube video for Don't Go, he is sure to be a hit.


Listen to the song below and let me know what you think.

A Fear of Being Ordinary or a Mid-Life Crisis?

In about two weeks time, two of my best friends are leaving the UK, for up to two years to teach abroad. One of them is moving to Dubai and the other is jetting off to Qatar. Both are about to embark on a Middle Eastern adventure of who-knows-what, living in a lovely hot climate and experiencing a new and mysterious culture.


Of course I am pleased for them, I am genuinely excited for them both. It's a wonderful opportunity to be able to take one of the ultimate transferable skills - the ability to teach - with them to pastures new. But I have to say it's made me feel like I am suddenly going through my midlife crisis, at the age of 31!


It's not even that I am jealous as such. The Middle East is probably not where I would choose to live, I think for me it would be New York or Barcelona, but that's not to say I am not looking forward to visiting them both and seeing where they have set up home. It's just that it's made me think - is this it?


Now a little bit of context - I have a wonderful, gorgeous boyfriend of eight years, whom I love very much. I have wonderful friends who make me laugh out loud. I take fabulous holidays. I own my own flat in London. I have a good job, in fact a very good job, which allows me to live comfortably and even splash out on overpriced trainers from time to time, and I actually enjoy what I do!

We plan to adopt in the next few years, the grumpy one and I, which will be amazing, life-changing and enriching -  and get a couple of dogs - mine will be a British Bulldog called Frank - and move to a lovely Victorian house in my favourite part of London (Brixton) with a beautiful garden where I can chill on a summers evening, after a long day at work, with a much deserved glass of wine. And breathe. 


So, what have I possibly got to moan about? It's strange, but I feel time is running out for me to make my mark on the world, to set the world on fire and to experience things that are outside of my (admittedly quite fabulous) life here in London.


So am I having a mid-life crisis? Is this what it's all about. Will I go out and buy a Porsche to show the world I am here? Well, no actually, to the Porsche anyway, as unless my midlife crisis leads me to donning a balaclava and robbing a bank, it just aint going to happen!


Anway, it's not about the material things. It's not even about living abroad. Or not being happy with my lot. In fact as I am typing this, I realise I am not even totally sure what it's actually about at all!


Maybe writing this is my therapy (my therapist friend Booj will be so jealous she didn't get to give me a life-coaching analysis session), as I feel a bit better already just for letting it out!

And then the epiphany comes, like a thunderbolt out of the sky, that jolts a moment of clarity into my heat induced frazzled brain (it's hot and humid outside). I AM SCARED OF BEING ORDINARY!


Wow. That's it. I am scared of being ordinary. In fact it terrifies me - that I might become Mr middle aged, job, house and two kids. That that is what will define me.


What does it mean to be ordinary anway? Does my fear mean that I want to be extraordinary? My frazzled brain is spinning now - I feel I am on the home straight. 


Let's re-cap...


1. My friends are leaving
2. Their leaving has stirred up feelings of anxiety
3. I am happy with everything in my life
4. Something is gnawing at me. 
5. I don't want to be ordinary

.... Nope that didn't help one bit. Note to self, re-capping is just a waste of keystrokes. I am now running out of the ability to self-analyse, maybe I do need a session with Booj after all? Or maybe my heavy Saturday night is kicking in and I won't even give it a thought tomorrow morning. 

So enough of my ramblings. I am going round in circles and it's doing none of us any favours. Go forth my wonderful friends and enjoy your amazing experience. Have the time of your lives. I will miss you both dearly. 


I will be here... but I will NEVER, EVER be ordinary! In fact, after I have organised getting my car MOT'd, made dinner and posted the DVD back to Lovefilm - I might even set the world alight! Small steps though and all that.