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Veganuary: an Omnivore Faces Facts and the Ethical Hangover

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Unlike for a number of my counterparts, January was never going to be a dry one, and last Saturday night we celebrated the recent engagement of two friends both in earnest and, for my part, ethically. Stella, vodka and Sambuca are all vegan. The 3am chip, hummus and salad pitta was also vegan and very tasty. Some of the dance moves perpetrated moments prior were, conversely, utterly tasteless.

Waking the following day with calves tender from the late night twerk-out and begging for protein, naturally one of my first priorities was brunch. Phwoar, I thought, get a bacon and egg sarnie in and around my mouth. Maybe I'll just head straight out for a greasy pub lunch - Bloody Marys (ordinarily vegan; not the one I had a while back that was gussied up with ribbons of hot bacon) and beef burgers (not vegan). Sorry lad, not until February. This is Veganuary.

So I Google searched 'vegan hangover food' and was left more than mildly uninspired by the antidotes offered up by the internauts. In one forum on the subject: "Have a banana." ... Hahahaha! In another: "How about a broccoli and Brussels sprout stir-fry and a delicious ginger tea?" ... Seriously? So many lip-smacking recipes to choose from, only made better by recurrent warnings about how excessive drinking reverses all the benefits of veganism.

Hang on, veganism is not solely about the health benefits bestowed on the individual, is it now, dear commenter? What about the benefits enjoyed by the animals that don't get ingested, or X-ed out as collateral damage in some intensive food manufacturing process?

Using data from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the people behind Veganuary reckon that "anyone in the UK taking part in Veganuary who currently eats a range of meat products is likely to save around ten animals during the month." So if the 150,000 or so full-time British vegans all suddenly became average omnivores next month (let's call it Febutchery), by my estimation the UK would need to spawn or hatch an extra 1.5 million-ish creatures great and small in order that they could die again just to feed 0.25% of the population for only one month. It seems, dear commenter, that the benefits of veganism remain, whether teetotal or totally drunk.

Anyway, I appreciate this is not at all what was meant. I'm being a pedant and I actually find some of the figures pretty overwhelming, but most of all I just want to know what's for breakfast.

As an aside, I have noticed something a couple of weeks into my predominantly plant-based diet that I certainly would describe as 'beneficial to me' (and those in close proximity to me): I smell better, apparently due to the absence of certain toxins caused by the breakdown of fish and meat in my diet. I'm sure there are vegans out there that reek of putrescence, as I'm sure there are voracious carnivores that smell like freshly mown grass. However, in my not-so-highly-controlled scientific research exercise, I've worn two shirts on two separate days without washing them after the first use - something I could never do before, psychologically or olfactorily.

Back to breakfast, and a sweep of your average inner-city supermarket reveals a starving chasm in the market for quick, tasty and filling fodder suitable for vegans. Even that stalwart of convenience eating, the sandwich, was impermissible, as every single variety I encountered comprised either something that had recently gulped a final breath, or a secretion of something that eventually would.

Baked beans, potato waffles and a helping hand from my new BFF - Paxo Sage & Onion Stuffing - was the best I could muster. Hardly breakfast at The Wolseley, but I'd done no planning and didn't fancy spending what was left of the morning playing 'find the animal derivative' in micro-font on the back of packaging.

So if the more seasoned vegans out there can divulge any secrets, do get in touch. What is the sinful yet ethical dish? We're talking savoury, super quick and containing the right sort of guilt for when you're pig-hungry. Please don't tell me it's a Brussels sprout stir-fry. And while we're on the subject of ethical and sinful fayre, this was the tofu snickers pie I made and it was lush.

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Five Ways Being Creative Will Change Your Life

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Like every other adult I know, my life is often about responding: to the toddler demanding a chocolate biscuit, to the 9 year old asking if people are born evil or become evil, to a client who wants something yesterday, to my students when they are struggling to understand something about photography, to the washing machine that has suddenly stopped mid cycle.

But, when I am being creative I am stepping out of all that, and suddenly it feels like all of that thinking and doing is lifted from my shoulders. I am really present and connected to the world around me. It inspires me because for once I am not responding. I am creating - creating something that is completely free from the constraints of my ordinary life. This is what interests and excites me.

Think about the last time you were being creative and how it made you feel. Perhaps it was something small like cooking a delicious meal, or something bigger like going on a trip and photographing a country you'd never visited. I believe having a creative outlet is an essential tool for living a richer, healthier life.

Here's why I think creativity will change your life.

Your day -to-day life is richer

Creativity drags you out of your busy mind, away from your never-ending to-do list, problems at work or worries about money, and plants you smack bang into the middle of the intense, messy and ever-changing beauty of the world around you. You are seeing more of the world because you are paying attention to what is happening. You are releasing yourself from the technological grasp that the world has suddenly succumbed to. The world is rich with interesting things to look at, fascinating things to see, most of which we usually miss in the rush of our daily routine and the way we continuously trap ourselves in the busy, always- thinking minds of ours.

Stop to pay attention to the chatter of the birds in the dark morning as you get ready for work, the intense green of the trees as you walk your child to school, the melancholy beauty of the low dark clouds hanging over the city on your way home. It gives you a more connected and intimate relationship with the world around you. Notice what is happening around you and then use what interests you to create something.

It's fun
Our lives can feel like we are always on the way somewhere, or always trying to move on from what we are doing. The endless spreadsheets at work or cleaning at home can make you feel like adult life is just a grind, and no fun. I laugh at my son when he says that he can't wait to be a grown up because then he can do what he wants. Darling, I say, if endless washing up and doing your taxes is doing what you want then sure, you'll love it.

"To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it." Osho


Even though I am in a creative industry as a photographer, much of my job is not creative. I have to make a commitment like everyone else to carve out time to do what I love - going out on a beautiful morning to photograph the fog rising up over a field.

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Photo © Anthony Epes

Or exploring the East End at dawn.

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Photo © Anthony Epes

Seeing quirky and unusual people in interesting locations and having the time to stop and photograph them.

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Photo © Anthony Epes

Exploring, seeing the world as it really is and creating a striking photograph with what I find - that makes me truly and deeply happy.

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. " Maya Angelou

You'll feel more accomplished
Most of us don't have straightforward jobs these days and the feelings of accomplishment or a good day's work can be few and far between. Perhaps we have long ongoing projects or a monotonous, never changing work environment. Creating something, with your own hands, your ideas, your imagination makes you feel incredibly accomplished. It's an expression of you and your passions. Something that is completely unique to who you are.

Because you were born creative
Having kids is a wonderful reminder that we humans love to learn, to probe at the edges of possibility and to create. It's a trait we tend to lose as we get older, getting more squeezed into that box. But it doesn't have to be this way. Watch a four year old explore a forest with intense wonder and then taking a bunch of crayons and drawing their vision of what they've seen with total joy and abandon. We were once all connected to that creative spirit (in different ways, naturally) and we can still be.

As Picasso said:
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

It makes you a better worker
It's been documented in several medical studies that being creative reduces stress as well as helping to heal chronic illness. And by reducing stress you become a better worker:

"Stud­ies show, how­ever, that stress is a poor moti­va­tor. In his bestselling book, Think­ing Fast and Slow, Princeton's Daniel Kah­ne­man explains why. Of the brain's two basic neural path­ways, the first - from anx­i­ety to calm - does not inspire outside-the-box think­ing. Work­ers are so inse­cure and stressed that they creep along in ter­ror until they find safety. The goal, then, is to get work­ers engag­ing the sec­ond path­way - from com­pla­cency to excite­ment -- which is much more likely to trig­ger inno­va­tion."


From essays on workshop place innovation by Baba Shiv

So whether you are looking to develop an artistic practice or you just trying to get to the end of a work day feeling more relaxed, the act of creation will help you dampen down the crazy noise and let some of those juicy, great ideas flow in.

Anti-Screen Scraping Ts and Cs Can Be Effective, Rules European Court

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In an eagerly awaited judgment, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that website terms and conditions prohibiting the wholesale extraction of data - aka screen-scraping - can be enforceable.

The decision relates to a dispute between low-cost airline Ryanair and PR Aviation, the operator of a price comparison website, which allows users to compare air fares and book flights on payment of a commission. More specifically, the dispute centred around the use by PR Aviation of flight and price data sourced from the Ryanair website.

Visitors to the Ryanair website have to accept the company's terms and conditions by clicking on a checkbox. At the relevant time, those conditions contained the following clauses:

"2. Exclusive distribution. This website and the Ryanair call centre are the exclusive distributors of Ryanair services. Ryanair.com is the only website authorised to sell Ryanair flights. Ryanair does not authorise other websites to sell its flights, whether on their own or as part of a package. ...


3. Permitted use. You are not permitted to use this website other than for the following, private, non-commercial purposes: (i) viewing this website; (ii) making bookings; (iii) reviewing/changing bookings; (iv) checking arrival/departure information; (v) performing online check-in; (vi) transferring to other websites through links provided on this website; and (vii) making use of other facilities that may be provided on the website.

The use of automated systems or software to extract data from this website or www.bookryanair.com for commercial purposes, ('screen scraping') is prohibited unless the third party has directly concluded a written licence agreement with Ryanair in which permits it access to Ryanair's price, flight and timetable information for the sole purpose of price comparison."


In the Dutch Courts, Ryanair claimed PR Aviation had breached these contractual prohibitions, as well as infringing copyright and database rights. At first instance Ryanair was partially successful to the extent the claim was based on Dutch copyright law, but that was set aside by the Dutch Court of Appeal. In doing so they also held that Ryanair's terms and conditions could not invalidate use of or access to the website which would otherwise be lawful.

This is the interesting part of the decision, which was appealed to the Dutch Supreme Court and in turn referred to the CJEU.

European database legislation (the 1996 Database Directive) provides that any contractual provisions that contradict a lawful user's right to access and make normal use of the contents of a database are "null and void".

Ryanair argued that this restriction on the use of contractual terms and conditions only applied if the database was covered by the Directive, ie if it qualified for copyright or database right protection (which the Dutch Court had ruled the Ryanair website did not). And the CJEU agreed with Ryanair, leaving it free to argue that PR Aviation had infringed its website terms and conditions.

The issue of infringement is one that is going to have to go back to the Dutch Courts for them to finally determine, so while Ryanair may have won the battle it has not yet won the war. However, what is clear from this ruling is that copyright or database rights in an online database can be hard to substantiate. Website operators should not ignore the importance of well drafted terms and conditions to protect their intellectual property, which can be a very effective - and enforceable - means of defence.

Where Have All the Good Gay Clubs Gone?

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2015-01-14-5702455268_a15aa3c808_z.jpgIn London 1912 a bar known as 'The Cave of the Golden Calf' opened its doors just off Regent Street, down 'a dark cul-de-sac' well beyond the comfort zone of the early twentieth century. This gaudily avant-garde establishment, haunted by the eccentric aristocrats of those particular tastes, is generally considered to have been the West's first gay bar. It makes an appearance in Phillip Hoare's Oscar Wilde's Last Stand (1998), described by the protagonist as 'a devilish sort of place where Futurists cavorted.' Indeed, The Cave attracted mass crowds of wealthy bohemians and artist-type mavericks, and though it served as a template for many gay venues that followed, by 1914 it had fallen into complete bankruptcy.

[Image: 'Kremlin of Belfast' by William Murphy. www.flickr.com/photos/
infomatique/5702455268/]


For a long time society has seen homosexuality as a grim and unseemly tumour upon the groin of humanity, and until fairly recently it has been unrestrained in its efforts to rid itself of this unwelcome excrescence. This is of course not to say it hasn't been interested, or even fascinated, by the 'underground' enigmas of gay culture; its poetic allusions to the lives of Oscar Wilde, André Gide, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and a number of others, are enough to demonstrate society's guilty pleasure in the lives of homosexuals. The gay scene was, after all, a safehouse for many things that infringed the rigid norms of everyday life: metrosexuality, gender-empowerment, and most notably, same-sex and interracial relations. There has always been a certain mystique to homosexual culture, and this is manifest in its continued association with the intrepid free-thinkers of the literati. All the way up to the late 90s, gay clubs have provided mainstreamers with an 'alternative' experience peppered with the 'everything goes' attitude thought to lie at the very heart of the gay ethos, and it looks like it was all a lot of fun.

This has been very useful, since gays and straights chinking glasses has no doubt played a hand in the great degree of tolerance homosexuals enjoy today, but anyone who insists gay clubs have retained any of their former piquancy clearly hasn't visited one recently. My latest experience of one concluded in me quaffing several tequila shots too many and projecting them at great volume into the nearest toilet bowl. Why did I do such a thing to myself, you ask? Well it wasn't because the booze was cheap - is it ever? - and it certainly wasn't due to any sort of fondness for tequila. Rather it was because invoking oblivion was the only way I could bring myself to endure the club's atmosphere, and the ever-present scowls of those beside me.

2015-01-14-2175911797_d76a77f62c_z.jpgWhere once these venues must have been a haven for open minds, friendly faces, and general merriment, they now seem to be little more than a battleground designed for social cliques to determine who is the biggest asshole. It's always the same: In the hours preceding midnight you'll have awkward bands of badly-dressed teenagers slipping in under free entry, silent, antisocial, and wholly uncomfortable until they slink away again at 2am. As the clock strikes twelve there'll be a sudden influx of loud and obnoxious twinks who've sipped their way through two bottles of house white, and who proceed to spend the majority of their evenings taking horrifying photos in the unisex bathroom. Of course by this point the dancefloor will be flooded with straight girls vomiting sentences like I love gay people! and Will you be my new gay best friend?, eventually descending into wittering complaints about boys they claimed not to care about three hours ago. Then, at around 3am, a single horde of straight men will pile in having spent four solid hours pre-drinking to Calvin Harris and end up taking armfuls of the weepy straight women home. Once this has all fallen into place you find yourself alone in a sweaty room of grimacing hipsters, dry-humping yuppies, and that looming creep who's been trying to touch your hind-quarters since 11pm.

[Image: 'Don & Stripper' by Alan Light. www.flickr.com/photos/alan-light/2175911797/]


I'm well-versed in this litany of events, and recently I've come to question the appeal of gay clubs to the general and homosexual public alike. They don't seem to live up to their former reputation: They're by no means more friendly than their mainstream alternatives - note that the above characters have no interest in befriending one another - and there's certainly nothing in the way of an 'anything goes' attitude. In fact there's a very specific way you're expected to behave in a gay bar, and those unfortunate non-conformists are thrown poisonous looks of disapproval as Rihanna voices her third-and-probably-not-final rendition in the DJ's setlist. They're not even useful for dating prospects anymore, since gay culture has taken apps like Grindr for its province and consequentially rendered romantic overtures redundant in a world of swipes, clicks, and internet hook-ups.

Of course I've known little else, but I've spoken with people of my parents' generation who have. I've heard talk of mad and frivolous evenings in 1980s Soho, where people would pull up wearing ludicrous outfits, dance on tables to scantily-clad jazz bands, and leave with groups of new friends and acquaintances. Nowadays we arrive in highstreet brands, babble drunken idiocy until our throats are sore, and then leave with lovebites and coke-stained t-shirts. Gay clubs have become mainstream clubs but with fewer straight men. They've become cliquey and hostile, and in effect everything they weren't supposed to be. Where are these 'dark cul-de-sacs' of intelligent and free-thinking men and women? Where are these glittering hotbeds of modern liberalism? If they're still around, and I do hope they are, they must be the best-kept secret in gay culture, because I've never had the pleasure of visiting one.

Relegation Play-Offs Would be a Shot In the Arm for English Football

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The promotion play-offs are a keystone in the Football League, year in, year out. Without them, if the leagues went with automatic promotion and relegation only, 98.5% of the season's fixtures would carry no meaning (percentage is entirely arbitrary).

However, there are certain ways in which this winning formula can be improved even more. There is the saying that if it ain't broke don't fix it, but cast this aside for now, and instead cast your eyes north of the border for inspiration.

Scottish football has come under criticism and ridicule for being unbalanced and uncompetitive, but one thing it has got right has been the introduction of play-offs - in 2005 in the lower leagues, and since last season to and from the Premier League.

What has made the Scottish play-offs so interesting has been the added dynamic of them being relegation play-offs at the same time - the side one place above the automatic drop-zone joins the three below the league champion, in what beats penalties as football's most exciting shoot-out. This makes the Scottish play-offs carry more zest than their English counterparts - the added factor of not only scrapping for the last promotion spot, but what us the greater instinct for many in football. The need to survive.

Relegation can be the death knell for the careers of players, managers, sometimes for the future of entire clubs. To see this played out in play-off form - knock-out, no second chances, do or die - would be theatrical football of the grandest scale.

The Scottish argument is most clearly framed by the SPL play-off in 2014, reintroduced for the first time in 17 years. The drama of Hibernian's relegation at the hands of Hamilton, shows how much passion exists when not only promotion, but also survival are on the line. This would add a new dimension to the end of season shoot-out in any country.

In the same season their fellow Edinburgh giant and great rival Hearts went down, it seemed in conceivable that Hibs would join them. Even when they went 13 games without a win to end the season and wind up in 11th and a play-off against Championship runners-up Hamilton Academical, nobody had any doubt that Edinburgh would avoid the fate of being the only capital city in Europe without a football team in the national top tier. Especially when the favourites won 2-0 at New Douglas Park.

But the return leg at Easter Road shows why we need a law change in England. Hamilton took the lead in the 13th minute through Jason Scotland, and played with remarkable fire, while Hibs did something that would make a relegation play-off south of the border doubly interesting - under pressure, they froze, and folded.

A deserved 93rd minute second goal for Accies took it to penalties, and in this shoot-out within a shoot-out, the underdogs carried the day, and Hibernian, having started the season in the Europa League, were relegated for the first time in 16 years.

What makes the introduction of relegation play-offs to England's professional leagues more than a pipe dream is not only in keeping up with the neighbours, nor in how easy it would be to implement - either turn one of the auto-relegation slots into a play-off spot and reduce the number in the league below to three; or add an extra slot on top of the three or four auto-relegated and under the current play-off spots - but in the fact it has existed before, and was a real, if somewhat accidental, success.

When the play-offs first came about in the season 1986/87, they included a team from Division One in order to help with the restructuring of the league into the form we recognise today - creating a top tier of 20, with the three other leagues being increased from 22 teams to 24. It was not introduced for the sake of entertainment. But that is what it provided.

When they were fought out in the late 80s, there was exceptional drama - Charlton Athletic preserved their top flight status against fallen giants Leeds United in 1987, thanks to extra-time in a replay, where Leeds led at neutral St. Andrews, only for centre-back Peter Shirtliff to score twice in the dying minutes of extra-time and win the game.

In 1988, Middlesbrough beat Chelsea, to confirm their comeback for the verge of extinction, while Chelsea were relegated from the top flight. In May 1986, third tier Boro had been officially wound-up by a liquidator. In May 1988, they were promoted to the top flight by beating a Division One team, holding on to a 2-1 aggregate advantage at Stamford Bridge. The play-offs had officially found their magic. It seems very strange in retrospect that this formula was altered by the Football League, to do away with the relegation play-off. Although it does mean that Chelsea remain the only top flight team in England relegated by play-off - essential pub quiz knowledge.

The largest European league that uses relegation play-offs currently is the German Bundesliga (sorry Scots), with the team finishing 16th of 18 fighting it out against 2. Bundesliga's third-place finisher, since the 2008/09 season. If you know anything about German football, you will know the introduction of this two-legged fixture has added remarkable spice to the end of season - particularly with the destination of the title now a foregone conclusion, with Bayern's only challenge being trying to wrap it up before the Christmas break.

In 2009, any accusations of the upper side having clear dominance were blown away when lower league Nuremburg crushed Energie Cottbus 5-0 on aggregate. With the gap between quality at the bottom of the Premier League and top of the Championship looking tighter than ever, a similar story couldn't be ruled out over here.

Capital club Hertha Berlin were the next to succumb in the play-offs, losing to Dusseldorf in 2012. Try telling the crowd on that day that this type of fixture doesn't inspire passion like few other domestic encounters in Germany.

Last year, Hamburg avoided the first relegation in their history by holding off Greuther Furth on away goals in the play-off. Imagine Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton or Spurs fighting for their lives in a play-off against a pumped-up Bournemouth, Ipswich, Watford or Brentford. That is a night we all want to experience.

Google Glass Is Dead, Long Live Google Glass

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Google has unsurprisingly called an end to the current version of Google Glass. What does this mean in the ongoing battle between cool gadgets and personal privacy? When Glass was launched for developers in 2013 it met with a fairly mixed response, many seeing it as a step too far into our private lives. Does the recent move offer vindication for these concerns? Has the encroachment of technology into our lives been halted? This would appear unlikely.

The official line is that Glass is graduating from the Google[x] labs to become its own team reporting into the head of home automation. This will continue the shift in focus away from consumer to workplace applications. Glass met with resistance not only because of privacy concerns, but also because none of the consumer applications were compelling enough to offset the 'nerd factor' of wearing a headset around all day.

In contrast workplace applications have seen more success. Glass lets workers record and access data while still using both hands; this can be useful in a variety of settings. In 2013 a surgeon broadcast an operation live to 13,000 students while answering their questions. In warehouses staff can be directed where to go and have items verified by the camera. In factories and construction sites staff can be alerted to safety risks. Or a sandwich shop has used it to get staff recording and watching training videos in the first person.

Google Glass and other smart glasses are continuing the trend of technological augmentation in the workplace. There may be a lack of 'killer apps' for consumers, but in the workplace smart glasses can already increase productivity. The question of privacy and the 'nerd factor' is also less relevant at work. People don't care what they look like if it makes them (or their employees) more productive. Therefore we are likely to see smart glasses increasingly used in the workplace.

This should be no surprise, a number of technologies start in the workplace, where the benefits are often highest, for example mobile phones, computers and tablets. Therefore the recent move by Google appears quite logical. They may have focused on consumer applications when Glass launched, but they now rightly recognise workplaces as a more fruitful place to start.

So what does this mean for those concerned about privacy? Will smart glasses remain in the workplace, or will they eventually gain common usage? Or worse take us towards the dystopian future created in Dave Eggers's book The Circle, where the proliferation of personal video cameras together with the manta "privacy is theft" creates a police state. Despite the fear some feel, this is not the end of the road for smart glasses.

We are already seeing wearable cameras becoming the norm in many parts of life. Road users, and especially cyclists, are increasingly using portable cameras to record their journeys for use as evidence in case there is an accident. Or the London Met Police are currently trialling 500 cameras worn by officers to increase transparency and capture evidence. This is before we talk about the oncoming wave of low-cost drones.

We also see this in ski resorts, which increasingly look like film sets with the number of cameras protruding from helmets. Or if something interesting happens it is rare if someone has not reached for a phone to record it. Google Glass may have been too much, too soon for many of us, but for better or worse culture is steadily shifting. We are recording increasing portions of our lives and technology is augmenting more of our activities. Smart glasses will eventually be part of this.

We will steadily get used to workers wearing smart glasses. We may ourselves be one of these workers and experience the benefits directly. Alongside this technology will improve and so will consumer applications. An increasing number of work and recreation activities will benefit from being augmented by wearable technology. Culture will steadily shift and eventually someone wearing smart glasses will become as acceptable as it is today for someone to sit staring at a 4-inch display.

Therefore Google Glass may be regrouping to focus on the workplace, but this is just the beginning. Smart glasses for consumers will return, just not before we wear them at work first.

Why Manchester United Are Lucky to Be in the Top Four

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​Manchester United have been far easier on the eyes this season, but they currently sit on 37 points after 21 games, exactly the same as this time last season when David Moyes was in charge. Just let that sink in for a moment.

37 points left United seventh at this stage last season, but they are 4th this time around, above the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool and Spurs. Unfortunately, depending on who you ask, the reason Louis van Gaal's side are in the top four is not that they have signed di Maria and Falcao, but that they have been lucky.

Let's start with Liverpool. When Luis Suarez left for Barcelona in the summer, many fans and players were happy to see the back of him, but Liverpool may have underestimated his influence. Some likened his departure to that of Gareth Bale when he moved from Spurs to Real Madrid, but most suggested that Brendan Rodgers had enough squad depth to fill the void.

How wrong they were. Liverpool are now eighth, sitting behind the likes of a rejuvenated West Ham and goals have been very hard to come by. Manchester United, more than anyone, will be grateful for Suarez's departure.

Arsenal have had another characteristically slow start to the campaign, but have worked their way up to fifth as a few of their injured stars are beginning to return.

The Gunners possess as many quality players as Manchester United, but suffer from a rather weak defence, much like the Red Devils, so will likely go head-to-head for 4th or 5th spot.

Everton have been dreadful this season, there is no denying that. No one expected it, but they lie 12th, above Aston Villa only on goal difference. Spurs also started poorly, but are beginning to find their feet after the most inconsistent 21 games in recent memory.

Manchester United owe their success to these four teams and their slow starts. On paper, their attack is terrifying and half of United's starting eleven look like a genuine title contending side, but they just aren't there yet. In fact, despite all his signings, van Gaal's side have scored one less than David Moyes' side.

Champions League qualification is the minimum expected of van Gaal and he is on course to meet that target. However, their loss against Southampton at the weekend means Rooney and Co have managed just one win in five and have Arsenal breathing down their necks, eyeing up their usual spot.

People are quick to criticise Manchester United and it is often justified, but the simple fact is that they are where they are because other sides have struggled in the first half of the campaign. It is not Louis van Gaal's fault, just as it was not David Moyes' fault, because the squad Sir Alex Ferguson left behind is inadequate. It is actually a miracle he won the league with this group of players.

United are not destined to fail for the rest of eternity and it will not take long for them to become the side they were under Ferguson, but they do need to sign at least two defenders, two midfielders, a left winger and perhaps a young striker. Okay, maybe it will take a while.

Ultimately, their current league position does not tell the whole story, but the poor form of others has allowed Manchester United a bit of a breathing room and this can only be a good thing.


For more fans views or to join the conversation, visit www.90min.com

Excuses Over Not Paying Minimum Wage are Complete Rubbish

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Does anyone really believe major firms like retailer H&M and Welcome Break, the service station operator, when they say that staff were paid below the minimum wage as a result of 'time logging errors' (H&M) and an 'IT problem' (Welcome Break)?

That is just complete rubbish, and as far as I'm concerned these companies, and by these I mean the 37 who have just been collectively fined a paltry £51,000 for paying below minimum wage, should be coughing up much, much more.

Seriously, if these company bosses are struggling to work out an hourly rate on a calculator, you have to wonder how they manage to guide these multi-million pound operations to ring up such large profits. The answer is they can't be arsed, and they just don't care. Which I suggest is a situation that could easily be altered with a couple of CEOs (or 37 of them) getting a 12 month stretch at her majesty's pleasure.

I do think it's great that the Government is attempting to crack down on businesses who fail to pay a minimum of £6.50 an hour to any staff aged over 21. But the fines of just £1,400 for each of the businesses in question are pathetic, especially when H&M racks up more than £600million in profit in three months alone.

The fact that these businesses have been named and shamed and their reputations muddied probably does them more damage than any financial penalty, however I'm eagerly awaiting the Government's proposed Small Business Bill, which will increase the level of fines to up to £20,000 and will be based on the number of employees underpaid. It's vital these rogue employers are held to account.

As a patron for The Prince's Trust and a responsible employer, I have made it my mission over the last few years to get people off benefits and back into the work place. The Government have put a huge amount of resource into this. Businesses that avoid paying the minimum wage are undoing all that hard work, because what incentive do our young people have to go out and get a job when their employers rip them off and they are underpaid?

In our country there are millions who are officially in poverty, and what's making it even more shocking is that more than half of those people are in work. For me, if you go to work every day you deserve a decent reward, no exceptions!

I don't pay the minimum wage at Pimlico Plumbers for two reasons. Firstly, because £6.50 an hour doesn't get anyone anywhere in London. Therefore we've had to pay a version of the living wage for some time - it's a consequence of doing business in the Capital that I accept.

Secondly, paying more attracts better and more productive workers who want to get up in the morning to put in a hard day's work for a more than fair day's wage. They are motivated people that I probably, for each one of them, get more productivity from than two low paid workers.

Yes, Treating Stage IV Cancer Patients is Worth NHS Money

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For the past two weeks, there have been many opinions voiced about cancer treatment and the controversial Cancer Drugs Fund. Along with many friends from the Younger Breast Cancer Network and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, I have been waiting with dread for the announcement about which breast cancer drugs were to be delisted from the CDF which last year overspent its £200 million budget. We were delighted to see three drugs remain on the list, including what we regard as the wonder drug Kadcyla which has given women I know years of stable disease rather than the average figure of six months that is regularly quoted in the press. Three other drugs, including Halaven, have been de-listed based on a balance of cost versus effectiveness.

I have written before about how I have come through harsh chemotherapy treatment that left me too weak to stand. How for the past six years I have taken, and will continue to take tablets that suppress every bit of oestrogen from my body. This means that at 37, I am infertile and suffer the risk of bone breaks that might be more commonly associated with a woman in her seventies. For the past six years I have been living with stage IV breast cancer, a label commonly interchangeable in the recent news stories on the CDF with 'terminal cancer'. But I'm not sick in the conventional sense; I have no incapacitating side effects, and I work and exercise regularly. Inspired by a friend also living with stage IV breast cancer I made a New Year's resolution to enter my very first sprint triathlon this summer.

The news on New Year's Day did not share my positive resolve to continue living my life despite my cancer. On 1st January there was a widely reported story about former editor of the British Medical Journal Dr Richard Smith's opinion that cancer is a good way to die and that we should stop wasting money trying to delay death of already incurable patients. Earlier this week, Lord Darzi also expressed the opinion that rising spending on cancer treatment for those that can't be cured is a waste of money.

Having watched NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) reject at least seven new cancer drugs over the past few years based on cost, which the Cancer Drugs Fund then gave patients access to -- arguably a much needed safety net - I am in no doubt the system is flawed. But the drugs fund was only ever intended to be a temporary solution to the conundrum faced by NICE. In order to give patients quick access to drugs that could have a potentially transformative effect on life expectancy, NICE have needed to make decisions with limited data on how well these drugs can work. That the drugs fund has then removed any negotiating power the NHS may have had on price has created a perfect storm. No-one can argue that the NHS can go on absorbing steeply rising costs for cancer treatment. But this is not the debate I've observed over the past couple of weeks. What we are now seeing, perhaps as an unnerving symptom of the Coalition's austerity drive as it continues to look for ways to reduce the deficit, is a question mark over whether treating cancer patients who can't be cured is worth the money.

And herein lies the worst paradox of living with cancer. In order to live well, and many of us do, we need to be given the impetus to pick up the shattered pieces of the life that we lived before cancer. We need to rebuild, find a new normal. Create a new sense of self-esteem, bring confidence back to who we are. When that new normal comes, it's not the life we lived before we were told our cancer is incurable, but it can come close. Sometimes that can be for only a brief moment during a day spent feeling inconsolable; sometimes we can go for weeks, even months, free of the feeling that cancer has the upper hand. That freedom enables us to give more to our families, our communities; to be a part of the society from which this debate is in danger of marginalising us.

Lord Saatchi brought one of the most reasoned voices to the news about the Cancer Drugs Fund decision this week when he said "I don't want cancer patients to be told drugs can only stem their dying - that is a guarantee of failure. I want us to give people the opportunity to try to survive." When it has become common parlance to talk about cancer treatments and delaying death in the same breath, then the pledge this country has made to improve cancer survival rates has been undermined. Make no mistake, these drugs are about giving us the opportunity to live.

The Secret to My Success

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This week I launched a consultation in partnership with McDonald's and other leading businesses to help recognise and promote the importance of soft skills.

New research tells us that soft skills contribute £88billion to the UK economy today. Their economic contribution is predicted to increase to £109billion by 2020 and by then more than half a million workers will be held back by their lack of soft skills - this is why we need to act now.

It still surprises me that after 30 years in business, people continue to underestimate the value of soft skills not only for the UK economy but in business and employment too.

I left school at 16 with nothing but a few pounds in my pocket from selling my father's leather jackets in the school playground and an eagerness to start my own business. But what I lacked in academic qualifications, I made up for in essential skills: communication, time management, teamwork, decision-making and a desire to take responsibility for my own future.

These five soft skills are key drivers of productivity in any business and if you employ people who have great communication skills, the ability to make well thought out, conclusive decisions, a willingness to take ownership and responsibility, good time management and an eagerness to become part of a team then your business will prosper. Recognising these skills in your employees will result in a more productive workforce and could be the difference between retaining or losing clients.

Whenever I'm interviewing someone I always pay attention to the little things; if they maintain eye contact with me, if they could fit in with the company culture, how confidently they present themselves - of course, a good education is an added bonus but I'm more interested in how the person is going to deliver the job.

For example, I was recently hiring a Financial Manager and met a lot of candidates who on paper had the perfect qualifications for the position. But this person was going to be interacting with all of my businesses and so I needed to find someone who was not only qualified, but who also had the team work and communications experience to work well with people throughout the business.

The challenge for me was to find someone who recognised the value of their soft skills that were required hand in hand with their financial qualifications. 19 out of the 20 people I interviewed did not have this awareness.

I will not stop until I feel I've found the perfect candidate, and that goes for everyone who I have hired throughout my portfolio of businesses. The one thing they all have in common is an understanding and value of their own soft skills.

As an employee, illustrating your soft skills is just as important. Think of it like this, when you go for your annual review, what do you think your employer is judging you on? It's not what university you went to or what grades you achieved... those may help you through the door, but ultimately what helps you to accelerate your career path is how well you have applied your soft skills to your role.

Soft skills are a game changer for career development and business growth and it's time for employers, government, educators, parents - everyone - to take action to recognise, promote and improve them. Part of the success in my journey wasn't about my qualifications or experience, but it was the value I gave to soft skills that helped me get to where I am today.


If you want to get involved with the campaign and contribute to the consultation, visit backingsoftskills.co.uk.

A Warning for the Windsors

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Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is a very lucky man. If it hadn't been for the appalling events in Paris last week, he would still be all over the front pages.

Perhaps you've already forgotten why. It's because of a lawsuit brought in Florida by a woman who alleges that she was forced to have sex with him while she was still, under Florida law, a minor. (She was 17 at the time of the alleged encounters - in Florida, the age of consent is set at 18. In the UK, it's 16.)

The woman claims that she was ordered to have sex with him by the financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who was at the time a friend of the prince's. (Epstein served 13 months of an 18-month jail sentence for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.)

It is important to note that Buckingham Palace has emphatically denied that Prince Andrew had any sexual contact with the woman who filed the lawsuit, and says her claims are "without any foundation". It remains to be seen whether the claims, and the Prince's denials, will ever be tested in a court of law.

Does it matter? Well, for a start, we have learned over the past couple of years not to dismiss out of hand allegations of the sexual abuse of minors. They need to be taken seriously, and they need to be investigated.

We also need to recognise that members of the royal family are not above the law. As The Times pointed out in a notably unfriendly editorial, King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicated last year amid serious allegations against members of his family, and his daughter could face trial for fraud. (Juan Carlos is now also facing a paternity suit in the Spanish supreme court.) "No royal family," thundered The Thunderer, "is indispensable, or permanent." Windsors, watch out.

As it happens, I don't think Prince Andrew is a serious threat to the survival of the House of Windsor. Even as the Queen's second son, he's pretty low down the succession pecking order, below Charles, William, the infant Prince George and Harry. And after all, our history is littered with princes behaving badly.

The real threat to the family firm is Andrew's big brother. To put it bluntly, it seems that Charles has no intention of shutting up even after he is enthroned. Admittedly, that may not be any time soon. The Queen, now aged 88, is still in apparently excellent health and well on the way to exceeding Queen Victoria's record as Britain's longest-reigning monarch. And her mother, you'll remember, made it to 101.

For Charles to sound off about his various pet obsessions (architecture, education, farming, alternative medicine) might be just about OK as long as he's a mere Prince of Wales, but it'll be very different once he's King. We've grown to like our monarchs as the Victorians liked their children: seen, but not heard. If they're going to be figureheads, a symbol of unity not division, the less they say, the better. "Have you been here long?" and "Isn't that lovely?" have served the Queen perfectly well for more than 60 years.

(I'm told, by the way, that she's a great deal more outspoken in private - but everyone who meets her seems to take a voluntary vow of perpetual silence. I've never understood why.)

Charles, it seems, has different ideas. A report in The Guardian a couple of months ago quoted unidentified sources close to him as saying he intends to reshape the monarch's role when he becomes king and make "heartfelt interventions" in national life. He is, said the sources, "set to continue to express concerns and ask questions about issues that matter to him..."

This does not bode well. We know he's already in the habit of sending lengthy handwritten notes to various government ministers, drawing their attention to whatever is uppermost in his mind. I fail to understand why ministers consider that they need to reply in any detail: I would have thought "The minister thanks you for your comments, which have been noted" would do perfectly well. But that's not Whitehall's way, apparently.

Unless Charles learns to bite his lip, he's going to find himself - and the monarchy - in trouble. It's already possible that the Queen will find herself in a tricky position after the next election, if it doesn't provide a nice clear result. What should she do, for example, if the party that wins the most seats isn't the one that won the most votes? Whom should she invite to form a new government: the leader of the party with the most votes, or the one with the most seats? If it were Charles in her place, he might be tempted to suggest that he takes over instead.

By happy coincidence, a play currently showing in London's West End ("King Charles III" by Mike Bartlett) imagines what might happen if Charles does indeed carry out his threat to become an activist monarch. Written in Shakespearian blank verse, the play has Charles refusing to sign an act of parliament with which he disagrees, because he fears that unless he makes a stand, he would "possess not mouth nor tongue nor brain, instead I am an empty vessel, waiting for instruction, soulless and uncorporate."

The play builds to a thrilling climax, when William and an unexpectedly forceful Kate compel Charles to abdicate in their favour. It's dramatic licence, of course ...

Obama Gives 'Bro' Cameron General Election Boost With Gushing Praise At White House

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Barack Obama gave David Cameron’s team a pre-election boost with a high-profile endorsement at a joint press conference at the White House on Friday. Using words that will delight the PM's team, the president gave a glowing tribute to Cameron before the pair detailed issues of joint concern, from cybersecurity to the fight against the Islamic State.

Addressing a recent admission from Cameron that Obama occasionally calls him “bro”, the president joked that commentators had got into a "tizzy" about the term.

"Put simply, David is a great friend. He is one of my closest and most trusted partners in the world," the President said. "On many of the most pressing challenges that we face we see the world the same way. Great Britain is our indispensable partner, and David has been personally an outstanding partner - and I thank you for your friendship."

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US President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron hold a press conference in the East Room of the White House on January 16, 2015, in Washington, DC


In a statement published before the press conference it was revealed that Britain and the United States are to establish a new joint group to counter the rise of violent extremism in the wake of the Paris terror attacks and they remained determined to confront the "poisonous and fanatical ideology" of the extremists wherever it occurred.

He said the new UK-US group would look at what more they could do to identify and counter the threat in their own countries while learning from each other's experience. At the same time, Britain is to step up its support to Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State terrorists with the deployment of additional intelligence and surveillance assets.

"Britain and America both face threats to our national security from people who hate what our countries stand for and are determined to do us harm," Cameron told the press conference. "In recent weeks, we have seen appalling attacks in Paris, in Peshawar, in Nigeria. The world is sickened by this terrorism.

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Cameron: 'Britain and America both face threats to our national security from people who hate what our countries stand for and are determined to do us harm'


"So we will not be standing alone in this fight. We know what we are up against. And we know how we will win. We face a poisonous and fanatical ideology that wants to pervert one of the world's major religions - Islam - and create conflict, terror and death. With our allies we will confront it wherever it appears. But, most important of all, we must also fight this poisonous ideology, starting at home."

Obama said that the Paris attacks, which left 17 people dead, underlined the continuing threat from terrorist groups. "We will continue to do everything in our power to help France to seek the justice that is needed. All our countries are working together seamlessly to prevent attacks and defeat these terrorist networks," he said.

"The Paris attacks underscored again how terrorist groups like al Qaida and Isil are actively trying to inspire and support people within our own countries to engage in terrorism. We both recognise that intelligence and military force alone is not going to solve this problem so we are also going to keep working together on strategies to counter violent extremism that radicalises, recruits and mobilises people, especially young people, to engage in terrorism. "

‘Celebrity Big Brother': Chloe Goodman Is The First Housemate Evicted From The ‘CBB' House (PICS)

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The first eviction of this year’s ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ has taken place, and Chloe Goodman has left the house.

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After losing out on the public vote, Chloe left the Borehamwood bungalow, having spent just over a week on ‘CBB’.

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Chloe Goodman


The house was enjoying a fairytale party, when presenter Emma Willis interrupted, informing the celebs that Alicia Douvall and Michelle Visage were safe, after receiving the most amount of votes.

Alexander O’Neal and Chloe Goodman were then kept waiting, until Emma revealed their fate and Chloe left the house.

The four stars who faced the public vote were all nominated for eviction by King Perez Hilton and Queen Cami Li, and it’s unlikely that the remaining celebs will forget about this anytime soon.

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Chloe left to a mixture of boos and cheers


So far, the current series of ‘CBB’ hasn’t been lacking in drama, and Jeremy Jackson was removed from the house by bosses on Saturday.

Just days later, Ken Morley was also removed, after receiving two warnings for using “offensive and inappropriate language”.

The night isn’t over yet though, and there’s the small matter of a surprise late arrival. Could it be Katie Price? We’ll have to wait and see…



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Katie Price Is In The ‘Celebrity Big Brother' House! Here's What We Want Her To Get Up To... (PICS)

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It’s officially happened - Katie Price is in the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house.

Rumours of Katie’s arrival had been swirling for weeks, giving us plenty of time to think about how the former glamour could spend her time in the house.

The current group of housemates aren’t exactly shy and retiring, but it’s like Pricey has even had a problem making herself heard.

However, it won’t all be easy for Katie and she has history with more than one of the housemates - including a certain Ms. Hopkins.

So what will she get up to during the next two weeks? Here are a 8 things we’d love to see…



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Katie Price Enters The ‘Celebrity Big Brother' House (PICS)

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It’s been rumoured for weeks and during Friday night’s ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, the inevitable happened - Katie Price entered the house - and of course, there was a twist.

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After reportedly signing a £500,000 deal, Katie made her way into the house, and we think she’ll fit in just fine among this year’s eclectic bunch.

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Katie Price


Once she was in the house, a secret task was revealed, and Katie was told that she had to pick three housemates to banish to a cage.

After plenty of deliberation, Katie eventually shared her choices, picking Perez first.

"Take it as a compliment," she told him, adding: "I think the house need a fucking break."

Next on Katie's hitlist was Cami Li, and Katie told her: "You and perez keep arguing, you need to sort your shit out and make this house a home."

Finally, Katie chose her pal Nadia, and remained insistent that she shouldn't take her decision badly, telling her "you are such a strong woman."

Ahead of her surprise arrival, Katie shared her excitement at heading into the house, stating: “I haven’t done one of those [reality TV shows] for a few years so it is a good chance for them to see that I am still the same normal down to earth person.

“But, saying that, I’ve never been in the house before and I’m sure it’s not easy, so who knows what will happen?”

Katie’s understandably slightly apprehensive about coming face-to-face with her nemesis Katie Hopkins, who’s never exactly said nice things about the former glamour model.

“Most people probably want me to say I’m going to go in there and I’m going to stir the pot,” she explains. “I’m not going to say I’ll be like that because until I’m in there, who knows? I might go in the House and become really good friends with Katie Hopkins; you don’t know what is going to happen. I will take her as I find her and treat her accordingly.”

So far, Hopkins has been at the centre of plenty of drama, and during Thursday night’s show viewers saw her take on Perez Hilton, after arguing (again) with Alicia Douvall.

Friday's eviction was also the first of the series, as Tuesday’s was cancelled after Jeremy Jackson and Ken Morley were both removed from the house.



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Young Entrepreneur Of The Week: GigPlug's Phil Hakim

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Phil Hakim, 27, started his business, GigPlug, with the aim of making the recruiting process better, and more fun.

Users are offered cash bounties of up to £2,500 if they can nominate someone who gets the job, while businesses get someone ideal for the post, and thousands have already taken to the site.

HuffPostUK caught up with Hakim to find out where he's planning to take things now.


What was the idea behind GigPlug?

The idea came about after a friend, who it turned out was a serial and lucrative referrer, referred me to my previous job. Along with my co-founder Marcus, we started looking into how we could take the idea of traditional employee referral schemes and expand it to a much wider network of people via social media.

That led to the creation of GigPlug. Our technology automatically matches your contacts to jobs in our database. All you have has to do is validate the best matches and send them to your friends. When they get hired, you get paid.

How did you set it up?

The initial funding for the company came from my co-founder Marcus Dyer, who at the time had just completed the sale of his previous company. We have subsequently taken on investment from an angel investor enabling us to build version one of GigPlug and make our first key hires.



What have you learned so far?

The biggest lesson I have learnt about fundraising is it will take longer, and is definitely more expensive, than you anticipate when you factor in the required legal and accounting fees.

Also, make sure you have a clear and coherent plan for how you plan on spending your investment. Sums of money, which may seem sizeable on paper will in reality be spent much faster than you think.

Who are my entrepreneurial inspirations?

Over the last decade or so there have been so many inspirational tech entrepreneurs, for example Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg and Brian Chesky. However, Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock, founders of Swiftkey are particular role models of mine.

I respect the fact that during a time when the majority of major technology companies are springing up on the West Coat of the US, Swiftkey are flying the flag for Britain. I also love their technology! While our algorithmic job matching is different to the intelligence of Swiftkey, both are dependent on machine learning, which is an area we are especially interested in.

Closer to home, my CTO Alex is another person who inspires me. He has already started and grown a successful dating business called Tastebuds. Having someone in the team who has already been through the process is incredibly valuable on a day-to-day basis.

How is GigPlug doing, in numbers?

When we first started working on the technology the GigPlug team consisted of just me and Marcus. Today there are six of us, and the plan is to reach 12 by the end of the year. Since we launched in August last year, we have signed up over 50 clients and currently have over £100,000 in bounty available on the platform.

Our community is growing at a rate of 30% per week and to date we have had over 1,000 referrals submitted via GigPlug. This week alone we have 8 people at interview!

What is your ultimate ambition for the business?

My ultimate ambition for the business is to create the world’s largest network of part time recruitment consultants! GigPlug is the product of a society that is moving towards a sharing economy. In the same way that Uber is connecting consumers to taxi drivers and Airbnb is turning us all into hoteliers, we want to offer our community the chance to make money by helping their friends and contacts to find awesome new jobs.

The UK recruitment industry generates over £20bn a year, more than the entire UK electronics industry. We aim to not only grab a slice of that pie for ourselves but also help to redistribute some of that wealth to our community.

And more personally as an entrepreneur?

I want to grow a sustainable business, built on ethical values that disrupt the way that both companies and candidates approach recruitment.

Katie Price Vows To Take On Katie Hopkins In The ‘Celebrity Big Brother' House (PICS)

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Katie Price has a warning for her rival Katie Hopkins, who she now living with in the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house.

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While Pricey was all smiles as she entered the house, and even told rent-a-gob Hopkins that she wants to have a chat over a cup of tea, an interview given before she went in wasn’t quite so positive.

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Katie Price


During a chat with The Sun, Pricey stated: “It’s all going to kick off with me and Katie Hopkins.

“I won’t start a row with you - but I’ll finish it. I always have the last word and I won’t let it drop.”


The two Katies have a lot of history together, and the former glamour model has previously spoken out about Hopkins’ comments on overweight children, as her own son Harvey suffers from Prader-Willis syndrome, which means he is never full and often overweight.

“I would like to sit down with her and say, ‘Have you done research?’ Because Harvey hasn’t got a choice,” Pricey continues. “If she said something about Harvey, I wouldn’t go down to her level. I’d explain the facts to her.

“We will either click or we won’t. There will be no in between and if we don’t, we will argue.

“I will 100 per cent address the things she’s said about me.”


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How long will the smiles last?


Katie’s shock arrival in the ‘CBB’ house came after the first official eviction of the current series, which saw Chloe Goodman exit the show.

So far, this series hasn’t been short of drama and in recent days, there have been a number of spats between Perez Hilton, Hopkins and Alicia Douvall.

After entering the house, Katie Price was given the power to banish three housemates to a cage in the living room. She chose Perez, Nadia Sawalha and Cami Li.

Tune in to ‘CBB’ tonight at 9pm to see all the latest ‘CBB’ drama.



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UK Terror Police On 'Beheading Alert' After Attacks In France And Plot In Belgium

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UK police are stepping up security for Britain's Jewish community and their own officers amid fears of a repeat of the terrorist attacks in France.

It comes after a terror plot was reportedly foiled this week in Belgium, where police killed two people and arrested another after an exchange of gunfire.

The suspects were believed to have been on the verge of committing a major attack.

Kate Middleton has been given enhanced security at her public appearances, The Daily Mail reported.

The threat of an attack on police officers was raised to the fourth highest of five levels on Friday, according to The Guardian.

The 20 people killed over three days in France included four people who died after being taken hostage at a kosher supermarket.

SEE ALSO:


"The global picture of terrorist activity does give us heightened concern about the risk to the Jewish community in the UK," Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner said.

"We are seeing continuing anti-Semitic rhetoric from extremists and attacks on this community in France and elsewhere.

"In addition to our existing security measures, we are in dialogue with Jewish Community leaders about further actions that we will be taking, including more patrols in key areas.

The Daily Mail described the heightened tension as a "beheading alert", reporting that security services fear a "Lee Rigby-style" scenario where terrorists attack someone in a graphic, headline grabbing manner rather carry out an attack that inflicts enormous casualties.

The European Union's law enforcement agency admitted a terrorist attack on the UK cannot be ruled out.

Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, said: "Stopping everything is very difficult, containing the threat fully is very difficult, but I'm sure we will prevail, as we have prevailed against other forms of terrorism in the past."

Asked on Sky News whether he was saying there was no guarantee attacks such as those in Paris could be stopped, he said: "No, there can't be, otherwise what happened in Paris wouldn't have happened. I think there is a realisation across the police and security community in Europe.

"But at the same time we have a very strong determination to maximise our capability to keep our citizens safe."

Mr Rowley added: "We are also considering what further measures we might put in place to enhance the security of police officers, given some of the deliberate targeting of the police we have seen in a number of countries across Europe and the world.

"Chief constables across the country are reviewing how to strengthen the protection of their officers from such attacks.

"Our men and women on the frontline are used to confronting risk and danger and are well-trained in how to protect the public and themselves."

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(L to R) Vivian Wineman, the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain and Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner from the Movement for Reform Judaism at the interfaith Unity gathering

On Friday, faith leaders condemned the recent terrorist attacks in France at a joint event to show a "united Britain of religions".

Senior Muslim, Jewish and Christian figures held an "interfaith unity gathering" in London in response to the shootings by Islamic extremists, which claimed 17 lives over three days in the French capital - 12 at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, including two police officers, four people at a kosher supermarket, and a third police officer at a petrol station.

Around 20 prominent religious figures met at the Islamic Cultural Centre at Regents Park Mosque, in what organisers described as "an act of solidarity".

Dr Shuja Shafi, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Nothing offends us more than the insult, hurt and dishonour this attack has brought on our community and faith."

After the event, Senior Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner said: "Today was to send a message about Britain - a united Britain of religions. We will not have division here, we will continue to work together and any attempt to divide us will not work."

Rowley's comments about police officer security echo a Huffington Post UK blog published in November last year, warning of the terrorist threat posed to the police who were becoming "increasingly fearful".

Retired officer Chris Hobbs wrote: "Circulating on the police grapevine are alarming accounts which suggest that both police officers and PCSOs have been recently subject to 'hostile reconnaissance' in the vicinity of police stations when off duty travelling to or from work."

Jennifer Aniston Praises Angelina Jolie's Movie ‘Unbroken' - Is This The End Of Their Feud?

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Jennifer Aniston appears to have laid to rest one of Hollywood’s longest feuds, by praising Angelina Jolie’s new movie ‘Unbroken’.

The two actresses haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye since Ange shacked up with Brad Pitt, months after meeting him on the set of ‘Mr And Mrs Smith’, while he was still married to Jen.

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Jennifer Aniston


Now - nearly 10 years later - it seems there really are no hard feelings between the pair.

Speaking on the red carpet at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards earlier this week, Jennifer told Entertainment Tonight that she’s got no time for the “petty kind silliness” surrounding their rumoured feud.

The Awards were the first event Jen and Angelina have both attended in years, and the former ‘Friends’ star was keen to bury the hatchet.

Speaking of Angelina’s directorial debut ‘Unbroken’, Jen said: "I mean, that movie is so beautiful and wonderful, and she did such a gorgeous job."

"I think it's time people stop with that petty B.S. and just start celebrating great work and stop with the petty kind of silliness,”
she added.

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Brad and Angelina


While the timeline of events remains unclear, it’s believed that Ange and Brad began to grow closer on the set of ‘Mr And Mrs Smith’, and Jen later branded the actress’s actions and comments “uncool”.

In 2011, Jen began dating Justin Theroux, and they are announced their engagement a year later.

Justin accompanied Jen to the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, where they were joined by stars including Eddie Redmayne and Rosamund Pike.

See all the snaps from the swish bash below…



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Hackers Make New York Post And UPI Twitter Feeds Announce World War Three

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Hackers announced the beginning of World War Three - via the Twitter accounts of a major tabloid and news agency they had managed to take over.

In a series of eerily-realistic tweets, The New York Post and United Press International (UPI) said an American aircraft carrier had been attacked by the Chinese military and the US Navy was "engaged in active combat" with Chinese warships.

One of the tweets was an image of Pope Francis supposedly announcing: "World War Three has begun."

upi hack
UPI's now-deleted tweet


A tweet on the New York Post's business section Twitter feed, which was also hacked, said that Bank of America's CEO was calling for calm after a Federal Reserve decision.

In a statement, UPI, confirmed its Twitter account and website were hacked.

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As well as the fake tweets, a "breaking news" banner with a fake story about the Federal Reserve was posted to its homepage until its own technology support team managed to shut down the hackers' access.

A spokeswoman for the Post said the hack was being investigated.

The US Navy confirmed that the USS George Washington was undamaged and in port - contrary to the tweets saying it had been struck by a Chinese missile.

The hack comes after the Twitter and YouTube accounts of the U.S. military's Central Command were compromised by hackers claiming to support Islamic State (IS).

Barack Obama has unveiled proposals to strengthen cyber security after a spate of high-profile hacks, including the Pentagon Twitter feed and Sony Pictures.
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